Season Over for Daniel Jones and Sterling Shepard

 Posted by
Dec 202021
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (December 19, 2021)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

ROSTER MOVES – SEASON OVER FOR DANIEL JONES AND STERLING SHEPARD…
The New York Giants have placed QB Daniel Jones (neck) and WR Sterling Shepard (Achilles’ tendon) on Injured Reserve. The season is officially over for both players. Jones suffered the neck injury on November 28th against the Philadelphia Eagles and has missed the last three games. Shepard ruptured his Achilles’ tendon late in the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Senior Vice President, Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer Ronnie Barnes released the following statement on Jones: “Over the course of the past few weeks, Daniel has been examined by Dr. Frank Cammisa of Hospital for Special Surgery and Dr. Robert Watkins of the Marina Spine Center at Marina Del Rey Hospital. Our medical team has continued to consult with Dr. Cammisa and Dr. Watkins regarding Daniel’s condition and symptoms, and at this point, Daniel has not been cleared for contact. We felt the prudent decision was to place Daniel on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. With continued rest and treatment, we expect a full recovery.”

To fill these roster spots, the Giants signed LB Jaylon Smith and CB Jarren Williams to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. In addition, CB Keion Crossen was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List.

DECEMBER 20, 2021 JOE JUDGE PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Joe Judge addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 21-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys:

Opening Statement:I appreciate your patience. The organization has already released a statement most of you guys are aware of. Over the last few weeks, there have been a lot of discussions and conversations between the organization and the medical team concerning (Quarterback) Daniel Jones and his return to play. Over the last 24 hours, there has been a lot more conversation and based on the information from the medical team and their belief in a timetable for Daniel’s full recovery, and their belief with rest and treatment that he’ll return to full health, they deemed that the remainder of this season he should be shut down to give him that time to heal. I’ve been adamant in saying that with all the information we’ve been given from the doctors involved and the medical team that there is no, at this moment, concern for a long-term injury, that this is more of a precautionary measure to make sure it’s something that isn’t aggravated or agitated before it’s healed and it doesn’t turn into something as chronic or long-term. I’m not going to speak for Daniel on this in terms of how he feels. I think it’s clear that he’s a guy that always wants to be out there with the team. He’s very competitive, he’s a great leader on the team, a big team player. I’ll let him speak for himself in time. At this time, our concern is on Daniel’s health. He’s been doing a good job. He’s out there moving very functionally, but ultimately this is about making sure that his neck has a full recovery before we put him out there and before he’s cleared for contact. That being said, I’ll open up to any questions you have.

Q: Obviously, we have to move on at the quarterback position, so with (Quarterback) Jake (Fromm), how did you feel he looked yesterday? After talking to your staff and everything and after his evaluation, do you feel there’s a possibility that he starts Sunday? Is he going to be your guy?

A: We’re going to look at (Quarterback) Mike (Glennon) and Jake throughout this week. We’ll watch Jake practice and we’ll make the decision going into the game. I’d say in terms of his performance yesterday in the game, obviously he came in at the end of the game, was able to move the offense, really give them a spark. Thought he moved the ball well, thought he made some good decisions, good sharp decisions. Showed good ball security in the pocket on the one he got hit on with the rush up the middle. Did a good job functioning within the operation. Thought he got the guys up to the line, got the call in, was able to navigate through the situation to put accurate passes on our receivers and give them a chance to make plays. Jake did enough to be in consideration. We’ll see how practice goes. Obviously, there’s a big difference between starting an entire NFL game and coming in at the end of the game when the team is playing more of a two-minute prevent mode. That’s not a knock on Jake, it’s just the reality and the truth. We’ll get Mike and Jake ready for this week and we’ll make the determination of who’s going to start at a later time.

Q: What’s the future right now – for Daniel Jones – look like in regards to anything he has to do? Is surgery an option? Does he just have to rest or is there anything else he can do at this point?

A: At this point, it’s just rest. It’s rest, it’s treatment, it’s continuing on with some of the rehab type of exercises he would do for it. This is really contact-based. There’s no surgery that’s even being talked about or mentioned at this point. Surgery is not an option at this point. There’s nothing that would lead us to believe that he would need surgery for this. It’s purely a timetable deal as far as this injury. Again, the medical team has been monitoring how the neck has progressed over the last few weeks. They didn’t think they saw enough progress to clear him for contact and with the time remaining in the season, they didn’t believe it was going to be the smartest move to put him out there. They didn’t think he would be fully healed within that timetable and the best thing for him right now is to start on having a full recovery with rest and treatment.

Q: You guys have been going, obviously, week-to-week with this, looking at scans, getting hopes up, then getting hopes down. Does this maybe help with some clarity for everybody? And can you just talk about maybe what a downer this is for you and for Daniel that your starting quarterback is going to miss the last six games of the season here?

A: Obviously, you want to have Daniel on the field. This is a guy that works hard. He’s obviously a key part of our team. He worked really hard in the offseason, made a lot of gains. Saw a lot of progress throughout different parts of the season with him. You want to get Daniel on the field. It’s a quarterback-driven league and obviously Daniel’s our quarterback. That being said, we’ve got to get all of the players ready to play. It’s a great opportunity for Mike and Jake to step up and help this team have success. In terms of the clarity part of the question, I don’t really think that’s been an issue. We’ve kind of planned accordingly internally and the players have gone ahead and responded the right way and kept on moving forward. In terms of any kind of clarity of preparation, I don’t think that’s been an issue at all.

Q: Just from the football perspective, you’re missing a big period of evaluation here on Daniel. You’ve got a decision on his fifth-year option coming this offseason. Have you seen enough to know that he’s your guy going forward?

A: Yeah, I’ve seen enough growth from Daniel to tell us that he’s a guy we want to go ahead and play with. In terms of the business aspect of it and different things, I’ll let different departments of this organization handle that stuff. I’ll coach the players. When it comes down to Daniel, our concern right now is getting him back and healthy, and getting him prepared for next year.

Q: After listening to you for the last three or four weeks, you’ve been talking about a strained neck. If you’re shutting him down for the season, it sounds like it’s more than a strained neck.

A: It’s a sprained neck and, again, I wouldn’t go ahead and put any diagnosis out there off of assumptions. I think that that would be irresponsible. I would just say the doctors who have dealt with him directly, who get paid a lot of money for their medical expertise, made the decision that he needs more time and that’s what we’re going to give him.

Q: I know you said that you’re confident that this isn’t going to be a long-term issue once it heals. Does that mean once it heals and he’s back on the field ostensibly in the fall next year that he will be in no danger of having a setback with it or it happening again?

A: That is the conversation we had this morning at length and we’ve had over the course of the past few weeks, but we had that conversation at length this morning. That’s a question I specifically asked repeatedly to make sure and from what I was told, that is the case, that this would not be an issue going forward if we give this time now to heal fully. This would not be something we have to worry about in the future at all. That’s what I was told.

Q: Obviously, the quarterback situation is something we’ve covered and will continue to cover this week. You guys have another COVID-positive today or at least (Defensive Back) Keion Crossen was placed on the list. You made two signings with (Linebacker) Jaylon (Smith) and (Cornerback) Jarren (Williams). Do you anticipate kind of an upside-down week the same way you did last week? How are you guys handling this moving forward knowing that there are a lot of moving pieces still and a lot of things up in the air?

A: I think we’re just used to the moving pieces. We just go ahead and we get everybody ready, and that kind of helps you with the adjustments you have to make. We don’t get so locked into it has to be this guy or this guy and then when one of those two are removed, all of a sudden you’re in disarray. That’s not really how we operate around here. We’re getting everybody ready. Not having Keion, obviously, that’s a player we want to have for his roles in the kicking game and also on defense for depth. But, we’ll have the guys who are available to us, we’ll know more through tomorrow and we’ll plan accordingly. There’s an opportunity for some guys to come off the COVID list before the game and we’ll see what that’s going to entail in terms of the ramp up period and whether or not they’ll be available, or have a realistic chance to go out there and play for us. We’ll get everyone prepared, whether it’s in person or through Zoom, make sure we monitor everybody’s health, make sure, number one, that they’re healthy and, number two, that when we put them on the field we can assure they can go out there, function, operate and be safe.

Some of the guys will get back at an earlier date. We expect to have KT (Wide Receiver Kadarius Toney) back in the building with us midweek and get him moving out there and we’ll see how he looks. Obviously, he missed some time from injury and now with COVID. We’ll see how that set him back and give him the opportunity to go out there, move around and see if he can help us this week or not. We’ll get everybody prepared and ready. In terms of the signings, Jaylon and Jarren, I thought Jaylon got in the game yesterday and obviously had about four to six hours of coaching to get him ready for the game. Had a walkthrough with the defense. I really liked the way this guy responded and he’s been a pleasure to coach in the short window we’ve had. He went out there, he played fast, he’s able to go ahead and get his hat on a few people to make some plays. Obviously, it’s very new to him in this system, but I liked the way he responded. I liked the temperament he plays with, I like the look in his eyes when you meet with him in terms of being locked in and engaged to what’s going on in the meetings. He’s been a pleasure to have in the program so far. We’ll keep him involved as well and grow his role throughout this week. Jarren’s a guy that’s been doing a decent job for us playing defense, some roles in the kicking game. He’ll continue to progress his roles. He’s a guy that was set back a little bit with injury early in the season and really kind of stunted some of his growth and development, but he’s done a good job since being back with us on making some strides and he’s done some things that have really grown within him. I think he’s a guy that’s got a future that we can go ahead and keep on developing with, but I like the way Jarren works and I think there’s some upside with him as a player. He definitely has the right attitude as a person.

Q: To go back to Daniel, in the past you talked a lot about his toughness and we’ve seen him play through some tough injuries in the past. I’m curious how he took the news and if you could share what your message was to him going through this.

A: First thing I want to touch on is exactly what you started the question off with in terms of toughness. This injury is in no way, shape or form a reflection of a lack of toughness, I can assure everyone that. He’s been chomping at the bit, doing his best to get out there and do everything that’s been asked of him. This is a decision that’s out of the hands of a player, out of the hands of a coaching staff. This is a medical decision and we’re not going to put anybody on the field who’s at risk of injury. Daniel in this case, they believe, would be in that category, so we’re not going to do something that puts him at risk. In terms of what we expect from him, continue being a good teammate, continuing to just work and stay in shape, get healthy, keep progressing with his knowledge of the system and the offense, keep being a leader and a good teammate and stay active and engaged and communicating with the coaches and the players as he’s been doing throughout the entire time he’s been hurt.

Q: Everybody is hoping for the best for Daniel, but that said, (Quarterback) Mike (Glennon) is going to be a free agent this season. You don’t know for sure what’s going to happen with Daniel. You’re optimistic he will be okay, but you don’t know for sure. That said, do you feel that addressing the quarterback spot is going to have to be something you’re going to have to look into this offseason?

A: This has nothing to do with Daniel. I trust the medical team and the information we’re given. We expect a full recovery and our vision would be to move forward with Daniel in the future. I’ll let the business part take care of the business part. We’re always looking at our depth charts and rosters, not just for this year, but as they go into future years and you can only do that based on what the current contracts lock you into. As we get to the free agency part and the draft part, we’ll address that, but we look at every position on our team and evaluate it every year in terms of what’s the best thing we can do to improve our team and keep moving forward.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday.

No Official Clarity on Quarterback Situation; More COVID Issues for Giants

 Posted by
Dec 062021
 
Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon, New York Giants (December 5, 2021)

Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon – © USA TODAY Sports

NO OFFICIAL CLARITY ON QUARTERBACK SITUATION…
Officially, the New York Giants provided no clarity on the team’s quarterback situation when Head Coach Joe Judge addressed the media on Monday. Daniel Jones injured his neck against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 28th. Mike Glennon suffered a concussion against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. If neither can play this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, Jake Fromm will start.

That said, ESPN is reporting that Jones is unlikely to play on Sunday after further examination by team doctors and specialists.

“Daniel (is) seeing some doctors today, receiving some different opinions and diagnosis and things of that nature,” said Head Coach Joe Judge on Monday. “When we find out more information on him, that’ll give us a better idea going through this week. In terms of Mike, obviously he’s in the protocol. The optimistic view would be to have him ready for the game on Sunday. We’ll see where that goes through on out, and then we’ll get Jake and Brian (Lewerke) ready for the game based on whatever we may have to do.”

MORE COVID ISSUES FOR GIANTS…
The New York Giants revealed on Monday that both offensive lineman Matt Skura and Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski have tested positive for COVID-19. Both will be retested to determine if the results were false positives. In the meantime, Skura has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List. “We’ve had two positive COVID (tests) today and we’re waiting on further testing to determine if it’s a final COVID or what it may be,” said Head Coach Joe Judge on Monday. “They’ll both be receiving attention from our medical department as we determine what this is or isn’t.”

GIANTS ADD SAFETY TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The Giants have signed safety Natrell Jamerson to the Practice Squad. The 25-year old, 5’11”, 200-pound Jamerson was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He has spent time with the Saints (2018, 2021), Houston Texans (2018), Green Bay Packers (2018-2019), Carolina Panthers (2019–2021), and New York Jets (2021). In all, Jamerson has played in 21 regular-season games, with no starts. He’s primarily served as a special teams player.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 JOE JUDGE PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Joe Judge addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 20-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins:

Opening Statement: All right guys, how’s everyone doing today? Look, off the top, just want to go ahead and bring you guys in the loop. We’ve had two positive COVID (tests) today and we’re waiting on further testing to determine if it’s a final COVID or what it may be, but the names would be (Offensive Lineman) Wes Martin and (Quarterbacks Coach) Jerry Schuplinski. As of right now Jerry’s involved with Zoom meetings with the offense, getting ready for the game planning and also meeting with the players. Wes Martin’s been isolated from the team back at the hotel. They’ll both be receiving attention from our medical department as we determine what this is or isn’t. With that being said, just bringing you in the fold on that one right there and I’ll open it up into questions.

Q: Obviously, you have some quarterback uncertainty, your quarterback coach now is not going to be hands on with the team. What does this do for the position and where are you with them right now?

A: Well, we have some variables this week obviously in terms of (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones) seeing some doctors today, receiving some different opinions and diagnosis and things of that nature. When we find out more information on him, that’ll give us a better idea going through this week. In terms of (Quarterback) Mike (Glennon), obviously he’s in the protocol. The optimistic view would be to have him ready for the game on Sunday. We’ll see where that goes through on out, and then we’ll get (Quarterback) Jake (Fromm) and (Quarterback) Brian (Lewerke) ready for the game based on whatever we may have to do. Being as though it’s a possible COVID situation, we’ll also have some emergency plans in the works with different guys on the roster. As far as Jerry, it’ll be a little limiting on the field. In terms of the meetings, we’ve done this before as far as the virtual meetings and staying plugged in. That’s both with game planning with the coaching staff, as well as staying connected through the meetings and installs with the players. We’ll continue on the same path we’ve worked in the past with that. We’ll make any adjustments we have to throughout the week based on any new information we receive.

Q: I’ve got two for you. First, what happened with the timeout at the end of the first quarter yesterday?

A: So the play clock and the game clock were really what looked like in sync. Both were ticking down, 25, 24 at the same time, so we were just going to go to the second quarter and at about 15 seconds, (Referee) Brad (Allen) turned to me and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to need to snap this ball.’ So rather than go ahead and force a bad play by rushing something in, I just said, go ahead, I’ll call timeout and have a productive play to put us in a better situation there. Not something you want to use in that situation right there, but the clock looked to be synced up right there, clicking at the same time. When we received the information, rather than scramble to go ahead and get something out there, we determined just go ahead and take it and put ourselves in a better situation.

Q: You’re someone who’s obviously conscious of your messaging and I’ve got to revisit postgame yesterday because I think a lot of people were kind of left shaking their heads about how you were so positive about the offense when you only scored nine points. What was the messaging behind that?

A: Look, I approach my comments publicly very differently than when I talk to the team behind closed doors. I’m someone who’s very big on honesty and being very transparent with the team. I talk all the time about the truth is on the tape, so when we talk as a team, we talk every week, regardless of what the result of the previous game was, of things we did well that we can build on and things we have to correct. We go through that very, very bluntly and openly as a team and make sure everyone’s on the same page. In terms of publicly, look, I’m not going to be a guy who’s going to sit out there and single out players. That’s just not my style. I’m just not going to do that and that’s something I’ve believed in from being a player and working under other coaches, so in terms of just coming out publicly and going after guys, I’m not going to do that. In terms of are there a lot of things we have to do better to take advantage of opportunities in front of us? Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Were there things that I saw that I say, ‘Okay, this is on the right track, as far as getting the ball down the field to our players and giving them an opportunity to make plays? Yeah.’ I saw (Wide Receiver) Kenny (Golladay) making some good contested catches and we were able to find matchups with him. We talked about game planning throughout the week to find situations with (Tight End) Evan (Engram) isolated down the field with some third down conversions. That turned up in the game. The ability to get some different things working schematically, that was encouraging. But look, there are other opportunities in the game we have to take advantage of. The difference in winning or losing in this league, it’s such a fine line. There’s not a lot of margins for error, so you’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to make sure that when those opportunities come up to be able to make a play, we’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to be in a position to do it.

Q: Maybe this says something about me being a worst case scenario kind of guy, but if Daniel and Mike are not cleared then Jake Fromm is going to lead you through practice as your number one quarterback on Wednesday. That’s right, correct?

A: Yeah, if neither one of the other two are available that would be correct.

Q: I assume you’re not going to bring in somebody else from the outside, so he would be your starter on Sunday, right?

A: The plan right now is for Jake to go ahead and continue in his role. In terms of – we have a lot of contingencies, whether it’s the COVID contingency or the uncertainty in terms of the other quarterbacks. Look, Brian Lewerke is working as well. I think COVID adds another element to it as well that we’ve got to prepare, to be honest. We’re talking internally about a lot of options right now personnel-wise, scheme it up, to see what we can do to address it and make sure we’re building in depth for a multitude of reasons.

Q: Can you just talk about Jake and what you’ve seen from him the first five days here? If it comes to that scenario where he has to make his first NFL start nine days after getting the playbook, what would you expect from him and what have you seen from him?

A: Well, I’d say first off when you get a guy on a short-term basis, including last week, a quick turnaround for a guy like Jake, the biggest thing you want to do is just make sure that he has a grasp on what he would have to run within the game. While when you go from Daniel to Mike, you want to push and stay as close to the offense as you possibly can, and you expect them to go out there and execute the game plan. For a guy who’s only been here in your system for a couple days, you’ve got to go ahead and select more of menu of what he can go ahead and operate in and that’s not always limiting based on his ability, it’s just based on being new in a scheme and system. What’s he comfortable with going out there and playing aggressively and making the right decisions within? At this point, you really want to go ahead and let him continue to improve on it. He’s an intelligent guy. He’s demonstrated that already. He’s got very good poise out there and he has a very good presence. One of the things that’s very impressive about this guy is you talk to former teammates of his, like we did before he got in here – most of those Georgia guys, and every single one of them lit up and said, ‘We’d absolutely love to have that guy on the team.’ He’s got a very good presence. He’s a good teammate. He’s got leadership qualities about him. He had a lot of things you would hear someone say at a banquet about him. He’s got a lot of intangibles. In terms of him as a player, he’s shown at practice a good competitiveness and the ability to go out there and handle some different situations. He had a lot thrown on his plate in a short period of time last week. A lot of it, whether it’s a quarterback or any other player on a short week turnaround, you want to kind of use as much comparable coaching as we would to go ahead and make sure they can associate a scheme or a system to what they’ve been exposed to previously for kind of quicker learning. At this point, he’s been studying the playbook and studying the game plan, so we’re getting him on our page. He’s got some time to go ahead and keep on building with it and he’ll spend between today and tomorrow and Wednesday really getting ready for Wednesday’s practice. In terms of him, I’ve been pleased with the way he’s been progressing so far. It’s been a very short window with Jake. I’ve been encouraged by the way this guy works and if Jake’s numbers called on, I know he’ll prepare himself.

Q: In the game yesterday, it seemed like there were a lot of plays where Glennon was clapping, trying to get the snap off, the play clock running down, like they were having trouble getting the play off. What do you think accounted for that yesterday? It seemed to happen several times.

A: There were a couple times Mike had some communication on the line to put us in a different play and audible it based on the defensive look we were presented with and something he wanted to get into. Some of those audibles he made were able to get us into some good plays and convert. He checked into a couple runs against blitz zero looks on some third and fourth down situations and gave us an opportunity. Some of it was communication and he just knows the clock of what he’s got to go ahead and operate under. When you start clapping, you’re letting everyone know, hey, it’s time to go, we’ve got to get this thing off now.

Q: Regarding the COVID situation, are there other guys that have to quarantine as close contacts at the moment or are those two guys the only ones that need to quarantine at this time?

A: Right now, they’re working through all the tracers and contacts, so we don’t have any information at this moment on any of that stuff. Right now, the only information we have is just on two guys that had positives.

Q: Can you take us through the (Dolphins Wide Receiver) Mack Hollins touchdown? It seemed like there was some communication issues going on in the back end there. Could you take us through that please?

A: Well, they did a good job right there. They got into a bunch formation and we made an adjustment where we were bringing a little pressure off the edge. They used a sprint out dash protection, so kind of got two on the edge right there and they got Mack in the seven route right there and we’ve got to do a good job of combo-ing that on the back end with the DBs. They made a good play, we’ve got to make it a little bit tighter contested between playing a little bit deeper with some guys and making an earlier break. It was a good scheme by them, got into it in a little red area. We’ve got to take advantage and make sure that we can go ahead and make it a tighter contested throw and fight them to the ground to see if we can draw that ball off of them.

Q: (Linebacker) Elerson Smith got some more reps yesterday. What have you seen from him?

A: Yeah, he’s getting more and more aggressive I’d say. That comes with confidence and preparation as far as playing. He’s a guy that’s got a good skill set and obviously we’ve thought a lot of him from when we drafted. He missed a lot of time through the spring and training camp as far as really getting prepared into it. Each week he’s really improved. He’s doing a good job for us on special teams right now. He’s doing a good job in the pass rush stuff and he’s improving on his run defense as well. He’s a young player who’s developing. He’s far from where he’s going to be, but he’s making a lot of gains every week. I like the way he prepares. I like his motor and how he plays. He’s got good length. He’s a very powerful rusher, he really is. He’s got – when you see him, whether it’s hitting sleds or on the weights or he’s in isolated matchups, he’s got a lot of power in his lower body and he knows how to transfer that power and play to the length of his arms and create extension and go ahead and be disruptive at the point of contact.

Q: You guys have put so much time putting together the plan out there in Arizona and getting everything together. How close are you in terms of the training staff and having everything you need out there? Do you have full use of the facilities out there especially for the guys who are trying to rehab and get back this week?

A: Yeah, I’ll tell you what, the University of Arizona has been very, very accommodating and they’ve done a great job as far as letting us use their facilities. Our office setups, our meeting rooms, the weight room, the training room, the workout facilities, the field that we’re going to use for practice – really, everything’s been first class and these guys have done everything that we’ve asked. They’ve bent over backwards. They couldn’t be more hospitable for us. We’re very appreciative of everyone out here, but the most important thing for us is that our players have what it takes to prepare to go out there on the field. In terms of the injured guys for their rehab, the guys with normal bumps and bruises for the treatment, our players with workouts and the recovery stations they use throughout the week and the (inaudible) to keep their bodies fresh, that’s all very positive. One thing about coming to a major college like this, these guys have just about everything you can imagine. One, because of just the functionality of using it and having a larger roster, but then also the recruiting, the arms war they have to have, every bell and whistle you can possibly present to a recruit has to be visible when they come on an official visit. The one thing they have here is plenty of facilities and it’s a beautiful facility. It’s a great area to be in. We’re obviously all getting adjusted to it today, but we’ve had meetings today in terms of reviewing the film and going through yesterday’s operation. The players are just now being dismissed and leaving, it’s about 2:30 out here. Players are kind of closing out their day and going back to the hotel to kind of get some rest and get out and kind of just have some fellowship as a team. In terms of everything we can do out here, yeah, it’s great. Really a first-class operation.

Q: If I were to see the minute-by-minute schedule of now until you guys take off and leave for Los Angeles, is it the exact same as it would be in New Jersey? There’s talk about bonding and being out there together and everything, do you have anything set aside? Or because it’s a game week, is it like everything is the way it would normally be?

A: Well, I’d say the structure of the daily schedule is as close to what it would be if we were back in Jersey right now in terms of the meetings, the practice, the post practice film and all that stuff. But then you’ve got to remember when they’re done with practice, as opposed to going home, they’re going back to a hotel. It gives them a little bit more flex time on the back end. Even as the guys are staying and watching extra tape in the position groups, get extra treatment, get a workout in, whatever it may be on the back end of the day, there’s still a lot of time for these guys when they get back to the hotel to get some good quality time as a team. In terms of getting out and going to a restaurant together, having some fellowship, there’s plenty of time for that. In terms of doing anything as a team, we’ve talked about a number of things in captains’ meetings. We wouldn’t do anything that will take away from our weekly prep. It wouldn’t be anything in lieu of practice or in lieu of a meeting, but something additional on the back end. We’ve talked about a couple of possibilities and I’ll touch base with the captains again later on to see if there’s anything they’re interested in doing.

Q: Was Mike playing with symptoms towards the end of the game there?

A: Not that I’d been made aware of. At some point after the game, they kind of came to me and just let me know they were looking at him, so during the game there was nothing I was informed of, told of or that I know of anything was.

Q: Just looking at the running backs, I know you’ve been trying to get (Running Back Devontae) Booker more involved. How much are you considering getting him more touches, the most touches among the running backs rather than (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley)? He seems to have been more productive in his opportunities the last two games.

A: I don’t know that we look at anything in terms of most touches. I think when we go into it, there are a lot of personnel groupings that you see right now where we’re using two and three running backs at a time on the field, just strategically. A lot of those packages both guys are available. We have packages where Saquon is getting the handoff and Book’s blocking or running a route. We have packages where Book’s getting it and Saquon is blocking or running a route, whatever it may be. We’ll continue to grow in those packages. Anything we think will present opportunities for any of our players to kind of get the ball, make a play in space or get the ball and punch it vertically on a run, we’ll go ahead and look to do. In terms of a pecking order at this point, that’s not really the way we’re thinking. We’re thinking more in terms of what do our players do well and how can we continue to build to give them opportunities to do it on the field.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 – New York Giants 10

 Posted by
Nov 232021
 

Yes, we have to use this damn photo again!

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 30 – NEW YORK GIANTS 10…
The once-proud New York Giants franchise was humiliated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-10 on Monday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Giants are now 3-7 and all alone in the cellar of the NFC East.

In a game that was misleadingly close at halftime (Buccaneers 17 – Giants 10), Tampa Bay simply dominated in all facets of the contest:

  • Total offensive plays: Bucs 76 – Giants 54
  • Total net yards: Bucs 402 – Giants 215
  • Net yards rushing: Bucs 94 – Giants 66
  • Net yard passing: Bucs 308 – Giants 149
  • Total first downs: Bucs 28 – Giants 15
  • 3rd-down efficiency: Bucs 6-13 (46 percent) – Giants 1-9 (11 percent)
  • 4th-down efficiency: Bucs 1-1 (100 percent) – Giants 1-3 (33 percent)
  • Turnovers: Bucs 1 – Giants 3
  • Time of possession: Bucs 35:39 – Giants 24:21

The Buccaneers received the ball to start the game and cut right through the New York defense, driving 73 yards in eight plays to take a quick 7-0 lead. The Giants responded with their “best” drive of the night, picking up 56 yards in 13 plays but having to settle for a 37-yard field goal. On their second possession, Tampa Bay put together a marathon, 18-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter. Tampa Bay 10 – Giants 3.

After a three-and-out by the Giants on their second possession, New York got the ball right back when quarterback Tom Brady’s pass was deflected and intercepted by cornerback Adoree’ Jackson at the Tampa Bay 15-yard line and returned to their five yard line. Two plays later, left tackle Andrew Thomas caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Jones. The 5-yard drive was New York’s last scoring possession of the night. It was all downhill for the Giants after that.

With the score tied at 10-10, Tampa Bay easily drove the field again. The 8-play, 71-yard drive resulted in a 6-yard touchdown run that gave the Buccaneers the lead for good. Neither team scored for the remainder of the half.

The tone for the second half was set on each team’s initial possession after the break. The Giants’ second most productive drive of the evening gained 50 yards and reached the Tampa Bay 25-yard line. But Jones’ 4th-and-1 pass fell incomplete and the Giants turned the ball over on downs. The Buccaneers responded with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that resulted in a 5-yard touchdown pass. The rout was on.

New York’s final five possessions resulted in two punts, two bad interceptions by Jones, and a final turnover on downs. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay added two more field goals to extend the lead to eventual final score of 30-10.

Daniel Jones finished the game 23-of-38 for 167 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. No Giants’ receiving target gained more than 40 yards. The team’s leading rusher was running back Saquon Barkley with just 25 yards on six carries.

Defensively, the Giants rarely pressured Tom Brady as he orchestrated six scoring drives with over 400 yards of offense.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Monday, the Giants activated LT Andrew Thomas (foot/ankle)  to the 53-man roster from Injured Reserve. LB Trent Harris was signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

The Giants also elevated TE Chris Myarick and S Steven Parker to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. In addition, WR/returner Pharoh Cooper was activated from the Practice Squad as a COVID-19 replacement for S Logan Ryan (Reserve/COVID-19 List).

Inactive for the game were FB Cullen Gillaspia (calf), WR Sterling Shepard (quad), TE Kaden Smith (knee), LB Lorenzo Carter (illness/ankle), S Nate Ebner (knee), OG/OC Wes Martin, and LB Oshane Ximines.

TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle) and WR Kadarius Toney (quad contusion) were injured in the game and did not return.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Joe Judge and the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • Head Coach Joe Judge (Video)
  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • LT Andrew Thomas (Video)
  • DL Leonard Williams (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will address the media by conference call on Tuesday.

Sterling Shepard and Logan Ryan Ruled Out of Tampa Bay Game

 Posted by
Nov 202021
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (December 20, 2020)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

NOVEMBER 20, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Saturday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were WR Sterling Shepard (quad), LB Lorenzo Carter (illness/ankle), S Logan Ryan (COVID protocols), and S Nate Ebner (knee). Ryan was officially placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List on Saturday. All four players have officially been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Oddly, although the Giants have officially ruled Ryan out, the team’s press release says there is a chance Ryan could still play. “I’d say when you’re on that (COVID list), obviously you can’t play,” Head Coach Joe Judge said. “Is there a small chance that he could still test out and be available? There is. We’re preparing for all the situations of him not being available, as well as if he turns around for the last minute and he is. We’ll prepare for that, as well… So, if he clears as late as Monday morning, we’ll get him down there and have him ready to play.”

Ryan needs two consecutive negative tests within a span of 24 hours apart to be eligible to play.

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), RB Devontae Booker (hip), FB Cullen Gillaspia (calf), and TE Kaden Smith (knee). All four players are officially listed as “questionable” for the game.

Judge also revealed that WR Dante Pettis, who is currently on Injured Reserve, underwent shoulder surgery and will most likely miss the rest of the 2021 season.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Saturday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Sunday. The team plays the Buccaneers in Tampa on Monday night.

Wednesday’s Giants Injury Report; Roster Moves

 Posted by
Oct 202021
 
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants (August 22, 2021)

Andrew Thomas – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS PLACE ANDREW THOMAS ON INJURED RESERVE…
On Tuesday, the New York Giants placed left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot/ankle) and wide receiver C.J. Board (broken forearm) on Injured Reserve. Players placed on Injured Reserve during the season can return to the 53-man roster in three weeks if healthy enough to do so.

To fill these roster vacancies, the Giants signed wide receiver Dante Pettis and offensive tackle Korey Cunningham from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

The team also signed wide receiver Travis Toivonen, offensive tackle Derrick Kelly, and defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton to the Practice Squad and terminated the Practice Squad contracts of tight end Jake Hausmann and offensive guard Cole Banwart.

The 23-year old, 6’4”, 212-pound Toivonen went undrafted in 2020. The Seattle Seahawks signed him in June 2021 and waived him in late August.

The 26-year old, 6’5”, 320-pound Kelly was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New Orleans Saints after the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season on the Saints’ Practice Squad, did play in six games (with no starts) in 2020. The Saints terminated his Practice Squad contract last week.

The 28-year old, 6’3”, 315-pound Hamilton was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2016 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Patriots (2016), New Orleans Saints (2017-2018), Giants (2018), Carolina Panthers (2019-2020), and Tennessee Titans (2021). The Titans waived him last week. Hamilton has played in nine regular-season games with one start.

OCTOBER 20, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (ankle), WR John Ross (hamstring), TE Kaden Smith (knee), and LB Azeez Ojulari (not injury-related).

Limited in practice were WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), OG Ben Bredeson (hand), and NT Danny Shelton (pectoral).

LB Elerson Smith (hamstring) and CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle), both of whom missed all of training camp and the preseason with injuries, have been designated for return and returned to practice. “To be completely transparent with you, for both guys who haven’t gone through really training camp, preseason games and all that stuff, I find it hard to believe for any rookie to come back that fast and just go ahead and jump right back in,” said Head Coach Joe Judge.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday. The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Jabrill Peppers, Ben Bredeson Out

 Posted by
Oct 082021
 
Jabrill Peppers, New York Giants (September 12, 2021)

Jabrill Peppers – © USA TODAY Sports

OCTOBER 8, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Friday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), and S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring). All three have officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Limited in practice were LT Andrew Thomas (foot), TE Kaden Smith (knee), OG Ben Bredeson (hand), DE Leonard Williams (knee), S Logan Ryan (hip), and S Nate Ebner (quad). Brederson has been ruled out against Dallas; Thomas is “questionable” for the game. The other four players are expected to play.

When asked about how his foot is, Thomas responded, “Sore, but I’m doing everything that the trainers are asking me to do. Taking care of it, doing a lot of treatment, trying to get it ready… We’ll see how it feels on Sunday, but right now just trying to treat it.”

RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (groin), and WR C.J. Board (clavicle) fully practiced. All three are expected to play.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Friday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Saturday. The team plays the Dallas Cowboys in Texas on Sunday.

Giants Team Captains Announced; Monday Injury Report

 Posted by
Sep 062021
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Monday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“Obviously, today is a little bit of a bonus day for us in terms of prep of a normal game week,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “We’ll obviously start prepping some on Denver. There will (also) be a lot of New York Giants stuff we’ve got to focus on. We have a number of new players who have joined our team with the weekend we just had being dead period rules. There’s a lot of guys that haven’t had a lot of experience with things we’re doing, so today is important to get guys caught up vocabulary-wise, just get them on our alphabet, understand what we’re saying going out there, give them a chance going into next weekend to see if they can compete and get into the game.”

CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle) remains on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List. In the limited portion of practice that is open to the media, TE Evan Engram (calf), TE Kaden Smith (unknown), and CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle) did not participate in drills with the rest of the team.

“We’re going to check with the trainers (on Engram),” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “He did some stuff this weekend. Sounds like he’s progressing in the right direction. We’ll see in terms of what his load this week is going to be, we’ll see where he’s going to be as far as practice today. That could be anything from nothing to individuals to see if we can progress past that.”

TEAM CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED…
The New York Giants have announced their team captains for the 2021 NFL season:

  • Offense: QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley, OC Nick Gates
  • Defense: LB Blake Martinez, S Logan Ryan, S Jabrill Peppers
  • Special Teams: PK Graham Gano

Barkley is a third-year captain; Jones, Martinez, and Peppers were selected for a second season; and Gates, Ryan, and Gano received the honor for the first time.

“To me, the important thing for a captain is they’ve got to set the tone for the team in how they work, how they perform, and also how to put the team first,” Head Coach Joe Judge said. “They have to be the example of the most unselfish players on the team. The other important role for captains in any locker room is they’ve got to be the voice of the team directly to the head coach. So, if there’s an issue, or if there’s something that needs to be addressed, they’ve got to be someone who the team trusts to speak for them on their behalf and make sure that the issue is getting addressed. It’s important that these guys are good players who put the team first, and also have good communication as well and are not afraid to speak their mind.

“They’re players who demonstrate on a daily basis how they put the team first. They’re obviously good players and they’ve earned the respect of their teammates.”

MORE PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
The New York Giants have signed tight end Ryan Izzo to the Practice Squad and terminated the Practice Squad contract of wide receiver Damion Willis.

The 25-year old, 6’5”, 255-pound Izzo was originally drafted in the 7th-round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Patriots. The Patriots traded him to the Houston Texans in March 2021. The Texans waived him on August 31. Izzo played in 18 regular-season games for the Patriots in 2019-2020, with 16 starts. Izzo has 19 career receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Monday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday.

New England Patriots 22 – New York Giants 20

 Posted by
Aug 292021
 
Blake Martinez, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

Blake Martinez – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 22 – NEW YORK GIANTS 20…
The New York Giants fell to the New England Patriots 22-20 in the preseason finale for both teams. The Giants finished the preseason 0-3. This was the only game of the preseason where New York’s starters saw extended playing time, playing until intermission.

The bad news for the Giants offensively was two-fold. First, tight end Evan Engram (calf) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (ankle/foot) both left the game with injuries, as did guard/center Ted Larsen (knee), who actually started the game at left guard. Second, the first-team offense struggled for most of the first half with poor offensive line play, no running game, and a bad interception by quarterback Daniel Jones.

Perhaps the most telling sign of the night was the starting offensive line. Nate Solder started for Matt Peart at right tackle, while Larsen started for the injured Shane Lemieux at left guard. That said, the Giants ran all kinds of offensive line combinations throughout both the first and second halves of the game.

Jones and the first-team offense had five possessions in the first half:

  1. The first ended with a 3-and-out after Jones was sacked on 3rd-and-5 and LT Andrew Thomas was cleanly beat.
  2. The Giants moved the ball on their second drive, reaching the New England 34-yard line, but on 2nd-and-7, Jones was sacked again and New York could not overcome the 3rd-and-13. Punt.
  3. The Giants moved the ball again on their second drive, gaining 40 yards and reaching the Patriots’ 1-yard line. RB Devontae Booker was stuffed on 2nd down. On 3rd down, Jones badly missed Engram and his pass was intercepted in the end zone.
  4. The Giants gained one first down on their fourth drive before a holding penalty on Thomas put them in a 2nd-and-17 hole that they could not recover from. Punt.
  5. With 2:30 on the clock before halftime, Jones led the Giants on a 9-play, 58 yard scoring drive that resulted in a perfectly-thrown 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kaden Smith.

Meanwhile on the defensive side of the ball, the Giants held the Patriots to just seven first downs and 106 total net yards in the first half. Two drives did result in field goals, from 41 and 48 yards out. Linebacker Blake Martinez ended one possession with a remarkable interception 35 yards down field when he stole the ball away from the intended receiver.

At the half, the Giants led 7-6.

The Giants appeared to use the second half to get a gauge on defensive bubble/fringe players and it showed as the Patriots easily took control of the contest as their second-team offense shredded a largely third-team defense in the 3rd quarter. In their first two possessions of the half, the Patriots first drove 75 yards in six plays to go up 12-7 (2-point conversion failed) and then 50 yards in four plays to extend their advantage to 19-7.

The Giants second-team offense went three-and-out on their first possession. After driving 52 yards on their next possession, place kicker Graham Gano missed a 41-yard field goal. The Giants forced the Patriots to punt and New York finally responded late in the 3rd quarter and early in the 4th quarter with a 7-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mike Glennon to wide receiver Alex Bachman. Fullback Eli Penny gained 32 yards on three carries on this possession.

Unfortunately for the Giants, New England extended their lead to 22-14 on their next possession, driving 58 yards in 12 plays, taking 6:32 off of the clock, and finishing with a 37-yard field goal. Glennon was sacked twice on New York’s next drive, resulting in a punt.

The Patriots had a chance to put the game away, but missed a 54-yard field goal with 27 seconds left. After gaining 13 yards on one passing play, Glennon then connected with wide receiver Damion Willis on a 43-yard Hail Mary pass to cut the score to 22-20 with just seconds left on the clock. The 2-point conversion attempt, a pass from Glennon to wideout Dante Pettis fell incomplete.

Offensively, Jones finished 17-of-22 for 135 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked twice. Glennon finished 9-of-17 for 147 yards and two touchdowns. He was also sacked twice. The leading receiver was Sterling Shepard with 5 catches for 42 yards. The leading rusher was Eli Penny with 35 yards on four carries. Overall, the Giants gained 96 yards on the ground in 22 carries.

Defensively, Martinez intercepted quarterback Cam Newton. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, linebacker Lorenzo Carter, linebacker Trent Harris, and defensive lineman Willie Henry were all credited with sacks. 

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INJURY REPORT AND HEALTHY SCRATCHES…
RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (unknown), WR John Ross (hamstring?), WR Austin Mack (hamstring?), TE Kyle Rudolph (foot), OG Shane Lemieux (knee), NT Danny Shelton (unknown), LB Elerson Smith (hamstring), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle), CB Aaron Robinson (PUP – core muscle), and CB Josh Jackson (unknown) did not play.

DE B.J. Hill and QB Brian Lewerke were the only healthy scratches.

TE Evan Engram (calf) and WR Darius Slayton (ankle/foot) left the game in the first half and did not return. OG/OC Ted Larsen left the game late with a left knee injury.

RYAN ANDERSON SUSPENDED…
The NFL has suspended without pay linebacker Ryan Anderson for the first six games of the regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program on Performance Enhancing Substances. If Anderson makes the team, he will be eligible to return to the Giants’ active roster on October 18, following the team’s Week 6 game against. the Los Angeles Rams.

GIANTS RE-SIGN DEFENSIVE BACK…
The Giants re-signed safety Jordyn Peters on Friday. The 22-year old, 6’1”, 200-pound Peters was originally signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2021 NFL Draft. The Jets waived him in early July. The Giants then signed him shortly before training camp in July 2021 and cut him on August 13th.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Joe Judge and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Joe Judge will address the media on Monday.

July 31, 2021 New York Giants Training Camp Report

 Posted by
Jul 312021
 
Nick Gates and Will Hernandez, New York Giants (July 29, 2021)

Nick Gates and Will Hernandez – © USA TODAY Sports

JULY 31, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their fourth full-team summer training camp practice on Saturday evening at Eddie Moraes Stadium in Newark, New Jersey in front of local high school football players.

GIANTS SIGN LB TODD DAVIS, OL JOE LOONEY, WR DAMION WILLIS…
The Giants have signed unrestricted free agent inside linebacker Todd Davis (Minnesota Vikings); wide receiver Damion Willis, who was cut by the Denver Broncos on July 20; and unrestricted free agent center/guard Joe Looney (Dallas Cowboys).

The 29-year old, 6’1”, 230-pound Davis has spent time with the New Orleans Saints (2014), Denver Broncos (2014-2019), and Minnesota Vikings (2020). He has played in 96 regular-season games with 69 starts, accruing 479 tackles, three sacks, 15 pass defenses, one interception, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

“We’re really looking forward to getting (Davis) on the field,” said Head Coach Joe Judge. “We’re excited about that and he’ll come in and compete with the other linebackers at his position and work through his defensive responsibilities, as well as his role in the kicking game. Got to meet with him today, sit down face to face and have a good conversation, liked his energy. I’ve known him as a player in the league for some time but made a good first impression personality-wise and I’m excited to get him on the field.”

The 30-year old, 6’3”, 310-pound Looney was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He has spent time with the 49ers (2012-2014), Tennessee Titans (2015), and Dallas Cowboys (2016-2020). Looney has played in 104 regular-season games with 42 starts, including 12 starts for the Cowboys in 2020. He has experience at both center and guard.

The 24-year old, 6’3”, 204-pound Willis was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Bengals waived him in July 2020 and Willis then spent time with the Cleveland Browns (2020), Jacksonville Jaguars (2020), and Denver Broncos (2021). He played in 10 games, with two starts, for the Bengals in 2019 and caught nine passes for 82 yards.

INJURY REPORT…
LG Shane Lemieux (knee), LB Blake Martinez (COVID), LB Lorenzo Carter (unknown), LB Elerson Smith (unknown), WR Kadarius Toney (COVID), WR Austin Mack (hamstring), WR Derrick Dillon (unknown), RB Mike Weber (unknown), and TE Levine Toilolo (unknown) did not practice on Saturday.

The NFL Network is reporting that Lemieux will be out two weeks with his knee injury.

Regarding Carter, Head Coach Joe Judge said, “It’s not a reaggravation of anything (Carter has) done before. We’re just going to be careful with a few things right there. With anyone coming off an injury (ruptured Achilles’ tendon) like he was, we’re just making sure that we have a plan entering training camp and how to handle him throughout it. With him and several other guys coming off injury, there are going to be periods in this training camp that you’re going to see a little bit less of them at times and then you’re going to see a lot of them. Right now, he’s in one of those periods accompanied with something else that happened in practice.”

RT Matt Peart (back) has been activated off of the Active/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List. He practiced on Saturday.

LB Blake Martinez has been activated off of the Reserve/COVID-19 List. However, like Toney, he will be brought along slowly before returning to practice. He did not practice on Saturday. “Blake is back with us in the building today, he’s his normal self, smiling ear to ear, happy to be with the team,” said Head Coach Joe Judge. “He’s always a lot of fun to have around, he’s always got a good comment, but definitely a guy who communicates a lot in the meetings…In terms of where he’ll be on the field with us, the plan right away is to get him with the trainers and continue his kind of ramp up and build him back physically. When we know he’s ready to go, we’ll get him back on the field.”

The following players remain on various PUP and reserve lists:

  • Reserve/COVID-19 List: S Joshua Kalu and TE Rysen John
  • Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List: RB Saquon Barkley (knee), TE Kyle Rudolph (foot), OC Jonotthan Harrison (hamstring), LB Oshane Ximines (hamstring), and CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle)
  • Reserve/Non-Football Injury (NFI) List: LB Reggie Ragland (hamstring) and LB Ryan Anderson (back)

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • This evening’s session was a very light, walk-thru practice. Because of that, there was nothing noteworthy to report.
  • Kenny Wiggins continues to start at left guard with Shane Lemieux out.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Saturday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants are off Sunday and return to practice on Monday.

New York Giants 2020 Positional Review: Offensive Line

 Posted by
Jan 182021
 
Shane Lemieux and Nick Gates, New York Giants (November 2, 2020)

Shane Lemieux and Nick Gates – © USA TODAY Sports

New Head Coach Joe Judge was hired by the New York Giants in early January 2020. After an atypically long vetting process, the team announced its complete staff a month later in early February. The extremely well-organized new head coach was all set to initiate his program to turn the franchise around. Then disaster struck. COVID-19 forced the league to shut down in the spring and much of the summer. The challenges for a new head coach trying to rebuild most of the roster seemed almost insurmountable.

Probably the position most affected by these developments was the offensive line. The Giants entered 2020 knowing they would have to have new starters at center and at least one of the tackle spots. That quickly became three starters when left tackle Nate Solder decided to sit out 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns. Right tackle Mike Remmers had already signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. The only free agent addition was journeyman swing tackle Cam Fleming. It was obvious that most of the help would have to come from the draft, where the Giants selected Andrew Thomas in the 1st round, Matt Peart in the 3rd round, and Shane Lemieux in the 5th round. Despite those additions, there was still a glaring hole at center, with no obvious candidate to start other than the disappointing Spencer Pulley and talk of possible conversion projects.

With the desperate need to sort all of this out, Joe Judge was being told he could have no mini-camps, no Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices, a dramatically scaled back training camp, and no preseason. Teams were told they could only hold 14 padded practices before the season. 14 practices to get rookie Andrew Thomas ready at left tackle. 14 practices to find and name a starting center. 14 practices to figure out who to start at right tackle. 14 practices to build cohesion and chemistry for a group largely unfamiliar with each other.

The early returns were predictable. The line struggled. Converted guard/tackle Nick Gates was moved to center, a position that he had never played, and he had a rough start. Andrew Thomas did not look like the 4th player taken in the draft and fans began to question the pick, arguing the team drafted the wrong lineman. There was no time for Matt Peart to seriously challenge Cam Fleming for the right tackle job, and Fleming continued to demonstrate he really wasn’t an ideal starter. All of this was made worse by the fact that the two guys who the team needed to rely on, guards Kevin Zeitler and Will Hernandez, were once again not playing as well as expected.

Saquon Barkley was lost in Week 2 and the Giants had no ground game early in the season outside of Daniel Jones running for his life. No Giant had more than 30 yards rushing in the first two games and no Giant had more than 50 yards rushing in the first four games. Jones was the team’s leading rusher in four of the first seven games of the season. Jones was also getting sacked early and often, something that never really totally abated as he was sacked 45 times and NYG quarterbacks sacked 50 times on the season (or over three per game).

Despite all of this negativity and an 0-5 start, something began to change in October. A hodgepodge group of backs and Jones began to hurt teams on the ground as the offensive line began playing better. In eight of their next nine games, the Giants ran for over 100 yards or more. In seven of these games, they ran for over 130 yards or more. The high point was a 190-yard rushing effort against the Seattle Seahawks on December 6th. The line appeared to be developing into a physical, smash-mouth unit almost overnight.

Why? First, Nick Gates made a miraculous transformation from an undrafted tackle to a big, feisty, physical presence at center. In just a few games, he clearly became the team’s best offensive lineman. Second, Andrew Thomas settled down and started playing much, much better. Third, the Giants replaced Will Hernandez with Shane Lemieux at left guard, and while that created some pass protection issues, Lemieux’s presence seemed to be an upgrade in the run-blocking department. Finally, Kevin Zeitler started to play better. Matt Peart did receive increased playing time, receiving significant snaps in half of the games, but right tackle remained a bit of a sore spot with Cam Fleming.

In mid-November, Joe Judge surprisingly fired Offensive Line Coach Marc Colombo, bringing onboard outsider Dave DeGuglielmo, who ironically had served under Tom Coughlin from 2004 to 2008. DeGuglielmo would later miss the last week of the season due to COVID-19.

The line struggled in three-game stretch in December before finishing strong in the season finale against Dallas. In those three games, New York never rushed for more than 80 yards and Giants’ quarterbacks were sacked 13 times. Nevertheless, the overall impression was despite all of COVID-19-related handicaps, the Giants actually finally made progress in rebuilding the offensive line in 2020. There appears to be a young, talented foundation to work with.

THE STARTERS

Despite having no prior experience at playing the position, and after a rough start, Nick Gates not only solidified the center position for the Giants but rapidly became the team’s best lineman. Gates started all 16 games at center. He was flagged with five penalties (two holding, one false start, one unnecessary roughness, and one illegal block). The Giants signed Gates as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. He missed all of 2018 with a foot injury that caused him to be placed on Injured Reserve before the season started. In 2019, Gates was active for all 16 games with three starts (two starts at right tackle and one start at right guard). Gates is a versatile player, able to play tackle, guard, and center. He has good size and brings toughness and attitude to the offensive line. Gates is a solid pass and run blocker.

The Giants drafted Andrew Thomas in the 1st round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Thomas started 15 games at left tackle despite playing on a left ankle injury that required offseason surgery in January 2021. Thomas was benched for the start of one game for being late to a team meeting. In terms of his overall play, Thomas struggled early, but markedly improved as both a pass and run blocker as the year progressed. He was flagged with five penalties (three false start and two holding penalties) on the season. Thomas has a big frame (6’5”, 315lbs) and long arms. He is a strong, physical run blocker who can get movement at the point-of-attack. He is athletic enough to get to the second level and works to finish his blocks. Thomas is a good athlete and he flashes excellent pass protection skills, but he needs to improve his overall technique and consistency in that department.

The Giants signed Cam Fleming as an unrestricted free agent from the Dallas Cowboys in March 2020. He ended up starting all 16 games at right tackle, by far the most in his career in a single season. But Fleming was arguably the weak link up front, regularly missing blocks. Fleming was also credited with four false starts and two holding penalties. The 6’5”, 320-pound Fleming was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. After four years in New England, he played two seasons with the Cowboys. In seven NFL seasons, Fleming has played in 91 regular-season games with 42 starts. Fleming is versatile lineman who can play both tackle spots. He has good size. However, Fleming seems better suited to a reserve, swing-tackle type role than starter.

While the overall play of Kevin Zeitler improved in his second season with the Giants, he still did not meet expectations in 2020. Zeitler started all 16 games at right guard. He was flagged four times on the year (one holding, three false starts). Zeitler was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He signed a 5-year, $60 million contract with the Browns in March 2017, which at the time made him the highest-paid guard in the NFL. The Giants acquired Zeitler by trade from the Cleveland Browns in March 2019 in exchange for linebacker Olivier Vernon. In eight seasons, Zeitler has started 134 of the 135 regular-season games he has played in. Zeitler has good size (6’4”, 315lbs). Once regarded as one of the best guards in the game as both a run and pass blocker, Zeitler’s play in recent years has been more inconsistent. Nevertheless, he is still a solid, steady, veteran presence up front.

The Giants drafted Shane Lemieux in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He surprisingly ended up playing in 12 games with nine starts starts at left guard, stealing Will Hernandez’s position. He was only flagged once (false start) all year. The 6’4”, 310-pound Lemieux started an incredible 52 games in college, never missing a game. He is a tough, feisty, blue-collar lineman with some athletic limitations. Lemieux needs to get stronger, but he is a physical presence in the ground game with a feel for blocking angles. He struggled at times as a pass protector.

After starting every game in his first two years in the league in 2018 and 2019, Will Hernandez lost his starting left guard job to Shane Lemieux after the seventh game of the season. Hernandez missed two games in early November due to COVID-19. He was flagged only once (one holding penalty) all year. The Giants selected Hernandez in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was named named to Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team. Hernandez has good size, strength, and toughness for the guard position, but he appears to lack ideal lateral agility. This hampers his play as a run blocker on the move and as a pass blocker when isolated against quick defenders. He can move defenders with his strength and power.

THE RESERVES

The Giants selected Matt Peart in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Peart played in 11 games with one start at left tackle. He did play in 15 percent of all offensive snaps, receiving some quality playing time. He missed one game in late November due to COVID-19. The 6’7”, 318-pound Peart was a 4-year starter in college with experience at both tackle spots. Peart combines excellent size, long arms, and good overall athletic ability. He has the frame to get bigger and stronger. As expected, Peart was inconsistent as a rookie and needs more technique refinement.

Spencer Pulley spent all of 2020 as the team’s primary reserve center, but he did not play. Pulley was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the San Diego Chargers after the 2016 NFL Draft. Spencer started all 16 regular-season games for the Chargers in 2017 at center. The Giants claimed Pulley off of waivers from the Chargers in September 2018. That season, Pulley was inserted into the starting line-up in late October. He struggled in his nine starts at center and missed one game due to an injury. In 2019, Pulley played in four games with one start in which he again struggled. He also is able to play guard.

The Giants claimed Jackson Barton off of waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs in early September 2020. Despite remaining on the 53-man roster all season, Barton never played in 2020. The 6’7”, 302-pound Barton was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs signed him off of the Colts’ Practice Squad in 2019. He has yet to play in a regular-season NFL game.

The Giants signed Kyle Murphy as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft. He was signed to the Practice Squad in early September and then signed to the 53-man roster in mid November. Murphy did not play in a regular-season game in 2020. Murphy was a 3-year starter in college with experience all along the offensive line.

The 6’5”, 315-pound Chad Slade was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Houston Texans after the 2015 NFL Draft. Slade spent his rookie season on Injured Reserve, and the 2016 and 2018 seasons on the Practice Squad of the Texans. In 2017, Slade played in five games with three starts (two at right guard and one at tight end) for the Texans. The Giants signed Slade to a reserve/futures contract in January 2019. While he surprisingly made the team, he wasn’t active for any game. Slade spent all of 2020 on New York’s Practice Squad.

The 6’6”, 315-pound Kenny Wiggins was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2011 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Ravens (2011), San Francisco 49ers (2012-2013), San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2013-2017), and Lions (2018-2020). The Lions cut Wiggins in late October 2020. The Giants signed Wiggins to the 53-man roster in November, cut him 10 days later, and then signed him to the Practice Squad for the remainder of the season. Overall, Wiggins has played in 79 regular-season games with 38 starts.

COVID-19 OPT-OUT

Nate Solder opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 issue. In March 2018, the Giants made Solder the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL when they signed him away from the New England Patriots as unrestricted free agent. However, despite 32 straight starts at left tackle for New York, Solder has not played well at all with the Giants. He really struggled during the first half of 2018 before settling down a bit during the second half of the season. In 2019, his inconsistent play throughout the year both as a pass protector and run blocker was a significant factor in the team’s struggles. The 6’8”, 325-pound Solder was drafted in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Patriots. In nine seasons, Solder has started 127 of the 130 regular-season games he has played in. He is a long, lean tackle with good overall athleticism. However, off-the-field issues with a sick child could understandably be affecting his focus and play.

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