Aug 012023
 
Saquon Barkley and Brian Daboll, New York Giants (July 31, 2023)

Saquon Barkley and Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 1, 2023 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their sixth summer training camp practice of the year on Tuesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Today was the first time the Giants were in full pads this summer. “I think we’ve got to practice well with one another, stay off the ground but get our fundamental work in,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “There’s usually some excitement from the players but you have to do a good job of making sure (that) you don’t lose your technique (and) fundamentals. The energy is usually always good the first day of pads but we’ve got to make sure we’re doing things the right way.”

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have placed OC J.C. Hassenauer on Injured Reserve. Hassenaur tore his triceps in practice on Sunday and will undergo surgery. His season is over. To fill his roster spot, the Giants have signed unrestricted free agent Sean Harlow (Arizona Cardinals).

The Giants signed Hassenauer in April 2023 as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers after they did not tender him as a potential restricted free agent. The 6’2”, 295-pound Hassenauer was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Atlanta Falcons after the 2018 NFL Draft. He was cut before the season started in 2018 and signed with the Steelers in April 2019, cut in August, and then re-signed in November. From 2020-2022, Hassenauer played in 45 regular-season games for the Steelers with seven starts, five at center and two at left guard. He also started one playoff game at center.

The 28-year old, 6’4”, 284-pound Harlow was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He has spent time with the Falcons (2017, 2018-2020), Indianapolis Colts (2018), and Cardinals (2021-2022). Harlow has played in 33 regular-season games with eight starts, five at left guard in 2021 and three at center in 2022 with the Cardinals.

INJURY REPORT…
WR Wan’Dale Robinson (ACL), OG Marcus McKethan (ACL), DL A’Shawn Robinson (meniscus), DL D.J. Davidson (ACL), and CB Aaron Robinson (ACL) remain on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

OLB Jihad Ward (unknown) did not practice.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The were in full pads for the first time in training camp.
  • First-team offensive line was LT Andrew Thomas, LG Joshua Ezeudu, OC John Michael Schmitz, RG Mark Glowinski, and RT Evan Neal.
  • Darrian Beavers worked at inside linebacker next to Bobby Okereke. Both made plays in the backfield during practice.
  • For the third day in a row, the starting defensive backs were CB Adoree’ Jackson, CB Deonte Banks, slot CB Cor’Dale Flott, S Xavier McKinney, and S Jason Pinnock.
  • OC John Michael Schmitz had good and bad reps in 1-on-1 drills against DL Dexter Lawrence.
  • Also in 1-on-1 drills, RT Evan Neal got beat by OLB Kavyon Thibodeaux on one inside rush, but handled OLB Azeez Ojulari on another.
  • LT Andrew Thomas stonewalled his opponent on two 1-on-1 attempts. Ben Bredeson at center also had two good reps.
  • DL Leonard Williams got around LG Joshua Ezeudu, but Ezeudu won another rep.
  • OLB Tomon Fox successfully bull-rushed Tyre Phillips.
  • In 3-on-3 coverage drills, CB Cor’Dale Flott had the only interception of practice.
  • Also in 1-on-1 drills, CB Deonte Banks knocked away a pass intended for WR Jalin Hyatt.
  • S/CB Nick McCloud and CB Rodarius Williams broke up passes.
  • QB Tommy DeVito hit WR Kalil Pimpleton for a long touchdown.
  • In 9-on-7 drills, RB Saquon Barkley broke off a big run behind LG Joshua Ezeudu. DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches stuffed the next run.
  • OL Shane Lemieux stood out on a couple of run blocks.
  • 11-on-11 team drills began with QB Daniel Jones rolling out and connecting with TE Darren Waller for 15 yards.
  • S Xavier McKinney did break up a deep pass intended for TE Darren Waller.
  • CB Darren Evans broke up a pass intended for WR Collin Johnson.
  • CB Tre Hawkins received first-team snaps again and deflected passes intended for wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Isaiah Hodgins.
  • S Jason Pinnock had a good practice, breaking up two passes.
  • RB Saquon Barkley had two big runs after short catches in the passing game.
  • QB Daniel Jones finished team drills 6-of-11 with three incomplete deep passes, two deflected by defenders. Reporter Connor Hughes tweeted “I can’t get over how much more comfortable and confident Daniel Jones looks this year. He’s a completely different quarterback from the one in training camp in 2022. You can tell he’s processing things so much faster, which is leading to quicker decisions.”
  • The defense blitzed quite a bit and got to QB Daniel Jones a few times, with corners Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins as well as DL Dexter Lawrence picking up “sacks.”
  • OLB Azeez Ojulari also had a tackle for a loss on a read-option play, “tackling” QB Daniel Jones for a loss.
  • OLB’s Tomon Fox and Oshane Ximines flashed into the backfield.
  • OC John Michael Schmitz did have one bad snap.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Tuesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Wednesday. They return to practice on Thursday (10:00AM-Noon). The offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators will also address the media.

Jun 292023
 
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants (January 2, 2022)

Andrew Thomas – © USA TODAY Sports

With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Offensive Line

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: The offensive line was not a disaster in 2022, but it did not play as well as expected or hoped for. While Andrew Thomas continued to develop, becoming one of the best left tackles in the game and earning second-team All-Pro Honors, there was a revolving door at left guard due to injuries, and inconsistent play at center, right guard, and right tackle.

Rookie offensive linemen often struggle, but more was expected from the 7th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Evan Neal, at right tackle. He missed a month with a knee injury and was seen favoring his left arm/shoulder in another game. Neal had issues in pass protection and was flagged with six false starts. He was replaced by Tyre Phillips for those four games. Phillips had issues in pass protection as well. Right guard Mark Glowinski was a bit too up-and-down for his 3-year, $18 million contract. The Giants also signed Jon Feliciano to a 1-year deal in March after he was cut by the Bills. They converted him to center, where he started 15 games. But he was also inconsistent.

The initial plan appeared to be to start Shane Lemieux at left guard, but he missed virtually the entire season with a toe injury that landed him on Injured Reserve twice. Ben Bredeson started the first seven games until a knee injury sidelined him for six games. Joshua Ezeudu started two games at left guard until he suffered a neck injury. Nick Gates then stunned everyone by returning to the starting line-up despite a career-threatening leg injury he suffered in 2021 that required seven surgeries. Including the playoffs, Gates started the last nine games at left guard.

Overall, this group did help the Giants become the NFL’s 4th-best rushing team, averaging 148 yards per game, more than the Eagles. On the other hand, the Giants allowed 49 sacks, which tied them for 5th-worst in the NFL. Daniel Jones was pressured on one-fourth of his drop backs, which was 4th worst in the NFL.

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants re-signed Wyatt Davis and Jack Anderson as exclusive rights free agents. They also re-signed Practice Squad players Solomon Kindley, Devery Hamilton, and Korey Cunningham. (Kindley was waived in May).

However, both centers, Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates, somewhat surprisingly departed in free agency. Gates received a 3-year, $16.5 million contract from the Commanders and Feliciano a 1-year, $2.3 million contract from the 49ers.

The offseason additions were few, but one was significant, the drafting of center John Michael Schmitz in the 2nd round of the draft. The team also signed center J. C. Hassenauer from the Steelers. The team did not sign any rookie free agents after the draft at the position.

In short, the Giants stood pat at the position except at center where they exchanged Schmitz and Hassenauer for Gates and Feliciano.

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES:  Most of the attention will be on Evan Neal. Some have lowered their expectations on Neal, saying he just has to play at an average level. Teams don’t draft right tackles with the 7th overall pick in hopes they will just be average. Neal is likely to still experience growing pains, but he needs to drastically cut down both pass blocking mistakes and penalties while becoming a stud in the running game. The better Neal becomes, the easier it will be for this team to run and throw the football.

That all said, the same could be said for each of the starters in the interior of the line. The Giants need Glowinski to become a steadier player at right guard. If he doesn’t, it will be interesting to see if Marcus McKethan or one of the other back-ups presses him for playing time. Assuming that John Michael Schmitz will start at center, he will have his hands full in a division loaded with stud defensive tackles. Expect rookie growing pains. The left guard position still is unsettled. The leading candidates are Ben Bredeson and Joshua Ezeudu. I would not discount Shane Lemieux. The now injury-prone lineman was an ironman in college, and had he not been hurt the past two seasons, he would have been the starter at left guard under two different coaching staffs.

One of the unexpected developments this offseason is how much the team stood pat at the position. No new tackles or guards were added to the roster. This at least partially suggests the team was not down on many of the lesser known back-ups. Tyre Phillips (former 3rd round pick), Wyatt Davis (3rd round), Jack Anderson (7th round), Matt Peart (3rd round), Devery Hamilton (undrafted), and Korey Cunningham (7th round) also factor into the competition and someone could surprise.

ON THE BUBBLE: There are currently 15 offensive linemen on the 90-man roster. The Giants will likely keep nine on the 53-man roster. The locks are Andrew Thomas, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, John Michael Schmitz, Mark Glowinski, and Evan Neal. That leaves nine players fighting for three spots. The leading candidate for the swing tackle is probably Tyre Phillips. Bredeson’s flexibility to play both guard and center helps the team if they feel another guard is better than Hassenauer at center. Marcus McKethan was impressing before he got hurt last summer.

FROM TEAM GENERAL MANAGER/COACHES/PLAYERS: General Manager Joe Schoen on the center position before the draft: “We knew Jon (Feliciano) was on a 1-year contract last year at this time. We didn’t know if Nick Gates was even going to be able to play football again. Heck, we didn’t know that until midway through the season. We had contingency plans in place. We claimed Jack Anderson. He was with us in Buffalo. He’s been working at center. Ben Bredeson is a guy who we are very comfortable with playing center. Shane Lemieux was playing it as well before the injury… We’ll be patient. We’ll continue to look. But we have confidence in Ben Bredeson, Jack Anderson, and Shane.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on why the Giants offensive line has struggled to form an identity in recent years: “You look at our line, before I got here and even now, it’s different. I’m like the sixth or seventh coach in the last five years. There have been just a line of (players) who have come through here. What we need to do is develop our identity… you need to continue to develop guys… the fans don’t know everything in house. Some of the guys we have on the roster they’ve never seen play. And so they assume they are not good enough, that’s why they haven’t played. Well that’s not necessarily the case… We only have three players that are older than 26 out of the 15. It’s a young room. There’s a lot of potential, a lot of room for growth. I see these guys getting better every day.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Evan Neal: “Evan’s a worker. So I have no reason to believe (he won’t improve) with the work ethic put in, the attention to detail, and pushing to be a really good player. We’ll see better results… Now it’s not new to him.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Josh Ezeudu: “He’s rehabbed very well from the injury, he’s another year in the system, he’s got confidence in what we’re doing. Some things we decided to work on from a technique standpoint he’s really worked hard at. I’m seeing good results. I expect to see even more when we get to training camp.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on John Michael Schmitz: “He’s progressing quite well. He’s got all of the intangibles you look for. He’s got all of the physical traits you look for. We’ll find out more when we get to training camp… He’s progressing the right way… It will be an eye-opener for him when he has to block (Dexter Lawrence in training camp).”

Evan Neal on what he did this offseason to improve: “Really just everything. I want to get better across the board. I tweaked my stance. I got a lot healthier. I got a lot more flexible. I worked a lot on flexibility. Just being able to move throughout my lower body and my hips. Making sure that I am in a stance that I am comfortable in, that I can load up my front leg and press out of it and be explosive and also be balanced and under control at the same time… I’ve been doing a whole bunch of yoga.”

Marcus McKethan on his status: “Just trying to get healthy. That’s the main thing of my offseason so far. I’m pretty close, just getting over that final hump and I feel like that I’ll be there. My timeline right now is training camp… I (am still working at) guard and tackle.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on what Giants fans can realistically expect this year: “You’re going to see an improved offensive line in a number of areas. We are going to start to show an identity and some consistency… I think for the first time in a long time the fans are going to be proud of their lineman… I think we’re going to put a product out there on the field that the fans will have pride in. Because I know the players that are going to put those jerseys on will have pride in that jersey.”

PREDICTIONS/CLOSING THOUGHTS: If you told Giants fans in January that the team would not add any tackles or guards to the roster this offseason, they probably would have freaked out. But the confidence in this front office and coaching staff right now is so high that given that now-known outcome, fans are not now panicking in June. Not adding a tackle or guard in free agency, the draft, or the rookie free agent signing period is pretty telling. It seems to suggest the team wants to develop players already on the roster.

Giants fans are all thinking the same thing… we’re set at left tackle with Andrew Thomas. Now we need Evan Neal to rapidly improve at right tackle and for John Michael Schmitz to show signs he will be a long-term answer at center. There is also hope that the two second-year, North Carolina guards will eventually press for starting roles.

Assuming Schmitz starts at center, the only training camp battle for a starting spot is at left guard. In the spring, Ben Bredeson and Josh Ezeudu were splitting snaps with the first team with Bredeson also receiving first-team snaps at center. Glowinski is probably entrenched as a starter at right guard for at least one more season, unless he falters and someone like Marcus McKethan presses him. I’m in the minority on this, but I still would not count out Shane Lemieux. He started his rookie season. He was set to start in 2021 and 2022 before training camp injuries ruined both seasons. In four years in college as a starter, Lemieux never missed a game. The last two seasons seems like flukes.

Andrew Thomas has not reached his ceiling yet. Keep in mind this is the first offseason he did not have surgery and this is the first time he will have the same offensive line coach for two years in a row.

This brings us to Evan Neal. We all know Neal struggled as a rookie. But too many fans seem to be focused on him and not the interior line spots that were also an issue last year. Neal needs to improve but the team needs better center and guard play just as much. Especially in this division. My prediction is Neal will improve as the year progresses, but he will be nitpicked to death by fans in September and October. That’s OK. I’m old enough to remember Giants fans being sure that Brad Benson, Jumbo Elliott, David Diehl, and Andrew Thomas were crappy players. Neal will be better but I think the real dividends will come in year three and beyond.

FINAL DEPTH CHART: Andrew Thomas, Evan Neal, Tyre Phillips, Mark Glowinski, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, Shane Lemieux, John Michael Schmitz

Dec 192022
 
Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants (December 18, 2022)

Kayvon Thibodeaux – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 20 – WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 12…
The New York Giants won their biggest game in six years by defeating the Washington Commanders 20-12 on Sunday night at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. With the victory, the Giants improved their overall record to 8-5-1 while the Commanders fell to 7-6-1. The Giants also now own the head-to-head advantage over Washington in the race for a Wild Card playoff spot.

In terms of overall team statistics, Washington held advantages in first downs (20 to 19), total net yards (387 to 288), net yards rushing (159 to 128), and net yards passing (228 to 160). The Giants had a 1-minute advantage in time of possession. Both teams were terrible on 3rd-down conversions with New York being 2-of-10 (20 percent) and Washington 1-of-10 (10 percent). The big difference in the ball game was turnovers, with the Giants recovering two critical fumbles.

The Commanders received the ball to start the game, gained 41 yards and three first downs, but punted. In turn, the Giants went three-and-out on their first possession. Washington then drove 47 yards in nine plays to set up a 41-yard field goal that gave them a 3-0 advantage. New York only gained one first down before punting again on their second possession.

The first key moment in the game came early in the second quarter. The Commanders began their third possession from their own 18-yard line. After picking up two yards, a holding call pushed Washington back to their own 10-yard line. On 2nd-and-18, outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux beat the left tackle, stripped the ball out of quarterback Taylor Heinicke’s hand, recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line, and scored. The Giants were now up 7-3.

Washington’s offense did somewhat compose itself, picked up 28 yards and two first downs, but then punted with the punt being downed at the New York 3-yard line. The Giants’ offense did not do much on Sunday night against the NFL’s 4th-ranked defense, but they did on this drive, the best of the season for Big Blue. New York’s third possession lasted over eight and a half minutes, traveling 97 yards in 18 plays, and accruing eight first downs. Key moments included a 10-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Richie James on 3rd-and-9 and an 11-yard pass from Jones to James again on 4th-and-9 from the Washington 35-yard line. Three plays later, running back Saquon Barkley took a direct snap and scored from three yards out on 2nd-and-goal. The Giants now led 14-3 with 1:43 left in the second quarter.

The Commanders picked up one first down, but were forced to punt again before halftime. At the break, the Giants still led 14-3.

The Giants received the ball to start the second half, gained one first down, but punted, with the punt being downed at the 9-yard line. However, it took Washington only six plays to travel 91 yards to cut the score to 14-9. The Commanders picked up chunk plays of 18, 13, 15, 20, and 11 yards before Heinicke threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jahan Dotson. An offensive pass interference penalty wiped out a successful 2-point conversion and then Washington missed the extra point.

The Giants responded with a 10-play, 43-yard drive that set up a successful 50-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. New York was now up 17-9 with 3:11 left in the third quarter. After both teams went three-and-out, the Commanders chipped into the Giants’ lead again with a 7-play, 25-yard possession that ended with a 51-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

New York responded with a couple of first downs, crossing midfield, but punting again. On Washington’s first snap of following possession, Heinicke connected with Dotson on a 61-yard pass that moved the ball from their own 9-yard line to the New York 30-yard line. Four plays later came another monumental turnover. On 3rd-and-4 from the 5-yard line, Heinicke was sacked by defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari. An instant replay challenge by Head Coach Brian Daboll showed that the ball came loose before Heinicke was down. Since defensive lineman Leonard Williams had recovered the football, the fumble was awarded to the Giants at the 14-yard line with 6:06 left in the game.

Barkley and his blockers responded with four runs that gained 44 yards to the Washington 42-yard line. Jones picked up a first down with his feet and Gano kicked another 50-yard field goal right after the 2-minute warning. The Giants were now up 20-12.

However, the game was not over. The Commanders returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to their own 43-yard line. Heinicke then threw passes of 27, 6, and 14 yards to the New York 10-yard line and ran for nine yards to the 1-yard line. On 3rd-and-1, a touchdown run by the Commanders was wiped out by an illegal formation penalty, moving the ball back to the 6-yard line. After an incomplete pass with pressure from Ojulari, Heinicke’s last attempt, on 4th-and-goal, was broken up by cornerback Darnay Holmes on a play where defensive pass interference could have been called. The Giants took over with 48 seconds left and knelt on the ball to seal the victory.

Jones finished the game 21-of-32 for 160 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was not sacked and only officially hit four times. Barkley and wide receiver Darius Slayton led the the team with five catches each, but only for a total of 56 yards. Barkley ran the ball 18 times for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Thibodeaux had a monster game, being credited with 12 tackles, one sack, three tackles for losses, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery that he scored on. Ojulari (2 quarterback hits) and Lawerence (3 quarterback hits) split the other huge sack that led to turnover. Defensive lineman Ryder Anderson was also credited with a sack.

Gano nailed both his 50-yard field goal attempts. Punter Jamie Gillan’s net punting average was 41.8 yards with three punts downed inside the 20-yard line. James returned two punts for 32 yards.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated (standard elevation) QB Davis Webb and LB/S Landon Collins from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

The team also placed OG Joshua Ezeudu (neck) on Injured Reserve and activated OG Ben Bredeson (knee) from Injured Reserve.

Inactive for the game were CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), OG Shane Lemieux (toe), QB Davis Webb, WR David Sills, OG Jack Anderson, ILB Tae Crowder, and CB Rodarius Williams.

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux was poked in the eye on the defense’s last play of the night.

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

  • Head Coach Brian Daboll (Video)
  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • DL Leonard Williams (Video)
  • OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (Video)
  • ILB/S Landon Collins (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Nov 282022
 
Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants (August 21, 2022)

Azeez Ojulari – © USA TODAY Sports

BEN BREDESON, AZEEZ OJULARI, AND TONY JEFFERSON RETURN TO PRACTICE…
Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson (knee), outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (calf), and safety Tony Jefferson (foot), all of whom are on Injured Reserve, have returned to practice. All three will have up to three weeks to practice with the team without counting against the 53-man roster. Once that timeframe ends, individually they must either be added to the roster or remain on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season.

DEVERY HAMILTON AND TRENTON THOMPSON WAIVED…
The Giants waived offensive lineman Devery Hamilton and safety Trenton Thompson from the 53-man roster last Friday. Both had been signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad last Wednesday before the Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants return to practice on Tuesday (12:45-2:45PM). Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will also address the media.

Oct 302022
 
Leonard Williams, New York Giants (October 30, 2022)

Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 13…
The New York Giants fell 27-13 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The Giants are now 6-2 on the season heading into their bye week.

There was no great disparity in overall team statistics. Seattle held advantages in first downs (19 to 14), total net yards (277 to 225), net yards rushing (87 to 78), and net yards passing (190 to 147). The Giants won the time of possession battle (33:34 to 26:26) and were better on 3rd down, but Seattle converted twice on 4th down. Seattle recovered two fumbles that led to 10 points while the Giants recovered one that led to a touchdown.

Both teams struggled offensively early. Seattle only gained three first downs in their first three possessions, gaining a total of 45 yards. New York’s offense struggled even more, going three-and-out on their first three possessions and only accruing 10 yards.

The Seahawks broke the scoreless tie early in the second quarter after a 15-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Geno Smith to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. It was on this possession that Seattle converted on both of their 4th-down attempts, including 4-and-1 and 4th-and-2.

The Giants finally picked up their first two first downs of the game on their fourth possession, but the drive stalled near midfield and the Giants punted. Jamie Gillan’s punt was downed by cornerback Justin Layne at the 2-yard line. On the very next snap, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson forced a fumble after a short completion. He recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, running back Saquon Barkley scored from one yard out. The game was tied at 7-7.

The first indication that this might not be the Giants’ day came on the subsequent series. The defense held Seattle to one first down and forced a punt. Wide receiver Richie James fumbled the punt and the Seahawks recovered at the New York 19-yard line. Fortunately the defense held and limited the damage to a 35-yard field goal. The Giants could not move the ball in the final 1:31 of the half.

At the break, the Seahawks only led 10-7 despite the fact that New York’s offense had been held to three first downs and 46 yards in the first half.

The Giants received the football to start the third quarter and put together their best drive of the game, moving 79 yards in 14 plays, and taking almost nine minutes off of the clock. A 3rd-down sack was wiped out by a Seattle penalty. And the Giants converted on 3rd-and-12 with an 18-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Darius Slayton. However, the drive stalled at the 13-yard line and the Giants settled for a 31-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. The game was tied at 10-10.

Seattle responded with a 7-play, 42-yard drive that ended with a 51-yard field goal. The Seahawks regained the lead 13-10. Back came the Giants with a 12-play, 45-yard effort. Gano kicked a 45-yarder to tie the game once again, 13-13, early in the 4th quarter.

The Giants, who had been beating teams in the 4th quarter, began to fade at this point of the contest. Smith completed five straight passes for 75 yards, including the 33-yarder that to wide receiver Tyler Lockett that put Seattle up 20-13.

The Giants went three-and-out, but so did the Seahawks. However, disaster struck again as James fumbled his second punt of the game (James was concussed on this play). Seattle recovered at the New York 32-yard line. After a 16-yard pass by Smith, running back Kenneth Walker broke tackles en route to a 16-yard touchdown run that gave the Seahawks a two-touchdown lead, 27-13, with just 5:22 left in the game.

The Giants gained 46 yards on the ensuing drive but turned the football over on downs at the Seattle 29-yard line with 2:32 left in the game. New York got the ball back with 1:07 left but the game ended on a 3rd-and-17 sack.

Jones finished the game 17-of-31 with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed six times for 20 yards and was sacked five times. The leading receiver was Slayton, who caught five passes for 66 yards. Barkley was held to just 53 yards on 20 carries. He did have the team’s only touchdown.

Defensively, the Giants did hold Seattle to 277 yards of offense. But the two 4th-down conversions on the first touchdown drive hurt, as did allowing Smith to complete five straight passes on Seattle’s second touchdown. The Giants were credited with 10 quarterback hits and three sacks, one sack each by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, linebacker Micah McFadden, and safety Xavier McKinney. Williams also had five quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss. Linebacker Tomon Fox was credited with eight tackles and two tackles for a loss. Jackson force a fumble that he also recovered.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants placed OL Ben Bredeson (knee) on Injured Reserve. He will have to miss at least four games. The team also activated OLB Elerson Smith from Injured Reserve to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. Elerson had been sidelined since mid-August with a foot injury.

The Giants activated (standard elevation) LB/S Landon Collins and TE Lawrence Cager from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster on the same day.

Inactive for the game were WR Kenny Golladay (knee), TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), RT Evan Neal (knee), OLB Oshane Ximines (quad), CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), and ILB Austin Calitro.

DL Nick Williams (bicep) left the game in the first half and did not return. WR Richie James (concussion) left the game in the 4th quarter and did not return.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Oct 242022
 
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants (October 23, 2022)

Daniel Bellinger – © USA TODAY Sports

INJURY UPDATES ON BELLINGER, NEAL, AND BREDESON…
According to media reports, tight end Daniel Bellinger suffered a fracture around the eye socket and septum in Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bellinger will likely undergo surgery later this week. “It’s probably too early to say when I expect him back,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll on Monday.

In addition, media sources are reporting that right tackle Evan Neal sprained the MCL in his left knee. He is expected to be out of service for approximately four weeks. Daboll said Neal would be “week-to-week” in terms of when he may be back.

Left guard Ben Bredeson also suffered a right knee injury in Sunday’s game. Daboll said Bredeson would also be “week-to-week.”

OCTOBER 24, 2022 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 23-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (the VIDEO of the press conference is also available on YouTube):

Q: First off, the injuries. There’s been a few reports that (tight end) Daniel Bellinger is going to need eye surgery and (tackle) Evan Neal with the MCL. Can you go over them and of course (guard) Ben Bredeson too?

A: Bellinger’s got an eye and Bredeson and Neal have knees.

Q: Will Bellinger need surgery on the eye?

A: Yeah, I think so. Yeah.

Q: Yesterday, you said about (quarterback) Daniel Jones – you said he’s cool as a cucumber. It seems as like you have a coordinator up in the booth that’s the same way, a guy that sticks with something that works and sticks with a running play that maybe isn’t working early in game. Can you talk about (offensive coordinator) Mike (Kafka) up in the booth and his personality and how you two guys are communicating during the game?

A: Yeah, I think Mike has done a fantastic job since he’s been here. He’s very smart. He has good leadership qualities. I think he communicates well with Daniel (Jones), specifically the quarterback but really with all the players. I think he works extremely hard at his craft during the week to get prepared for a game. Throughout the game, he’s very calm, he’s very composed. I think he does a great job communicating with the assistant coaches who do a good job of giving feedback to him. That’s important when you’re a coordinator to get that information from the assistants that are watching their positions or their matchups if you will. They do a good job collaborating and I think Mike stays the course. He has these first seven games of doing what he thinks we need to do to win offensively. I communicate with Mike throughout the game but again, I let Mike do his job. I think he’s done a great job.

Q: Bredeson, does it look like it’s serious or?

A: No. We’ll go week-by-week with him.

Q: Just one more on Daniel (Bellinger). I know this is not your expertise on eye surgery.

A: That would be a correct statement.

Q: You saw how bad (Bellinger) looked. Can they tell about his vision yet and is the surgery to repair the fracture and since it’s so swollen, is there concern about his vision or are they pretty okay with that at this point?

A: I couldn’t tell you 100 percent. I think they’ll do the surgery, I’m optimistic. But in terms of getting into details with it, I couldn’t answer those.

Q: I just have something about (safety) Landon Collins who got a bunch of snaps yesterday, made a tackle on his first play. First of all, how do you think he played in his first game for you?

A: I think he did a good job. He’s a pro. Obviously, he’s played a lot of football. We got him acclimated to how we do things here, he picked up our defense well and I thought he did a good job.

Q: Did you have any reservations – he’s a new player for you, but he’s not a new player for the Giants – about bringing him back to where he was sort of a star? Did you talk to people in the building about how that might fit in, the guys who’ve been here before?

A: No, we just looked at him when he worked out. You always talk to people that know the player that you’re bringing in. Thought he’d be a good addition and he’s been.

Q: I’m curious how much of an asset for you as a play-caller is it when you have a quarterback who can be a threat with his legs like Daniel (Jones) is?

A: Based on who your quarterback is, that’s really when you sit down and start talking about the offense and how you want to build it. He’s the primary player that you talk about and then it goes on. Everybody is important but when you have a quarterback who can – the dual-threat quarterbacks, as they say nowadays, add another element to your offense because it is 11 on 11 football. Those guys can carry the football or zone read it or do some different things. So, he has the ability to do those things. How many times we use him each game – I think that varies based on how we are getting played. Yesterday, he was a big-time asset for us.

Q: I wanted to ask about (center) Nick Gates. I know that the deadline is coming up on him. What’s the plan with him?

A: We’ll see. We’ll talk about it here in the next couple days. Nick’s done a good job since he’s been out here working out. We’ll revisit that here tonight.

Q: What’d you make of the way the two backup offensive linemen (Josh Ezeudu and Tyre Phillips) played once you got to see them on film? Is that the way you’ll go moving forward?

A: Yeah, I think they both did a good job. They were prepared and that’s a credit to them, first and foremost, but then (offensive line coach) Bobby (Johnson) and (assistant offensive line coach) Tony (Sparano Jr.) spend a lot of extra time with some of those younger guys or guys that are working on the practice squad. They were both ready to go and prepared and did a good job. We’ll work with them this week and we’ll see how it goes this week but I was pleased with how they responded with having to go in there and play.

Q: On Bellinger, do you expect him back this year?

A: It’s probably too early to say when I expect him back. We’ll see how this thing goes and I’m hopeful for it but obviously you never know when things like this happen.

Q: I wanted to ask one about (running back) Saquon (Barkley). He was a little hard on himself yesterday with his early runs. I think he said they were soft and his mind wasn’t in the right place. What did you see from him early on and how was he able to find that play late in the fourth quarter?

A: That’s what you love about Saquon is he’s never satisfied. I’m happy he’s on our team. We could have blocked plays better, too. I think he’s a very good leader for us. He obviously owns some of the things that happened but I would say it’s more of a collective effort than just Saquon Barkley, he did a good job for us.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about the job (cornerback) Fabian Moreau has been doing for you?

A: I said I think last week – he’s come in, he’s learned our defense. I think he’s playing some good football. I know the coaches have confidence in him, the players around him I think have confidence in him and he’s playing good, smart football for us.

Q: After every game as a coach, do you send a letter to the league saying, “These are the calls that were made. I have issues with this one, I don’t have issues with anything else?”

A: Yeah, we have good communication with the league office. Each week, that happens. Those conversations will be between myself and the league. You’re always trying to figure out ways you can coach things better.

Q: If you could clarify what Evan’s injury is?

A: It’s a knee.

Q: How long will he be out? Do you have any idea?

A: No.

Q: (Wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson), he was the most targeted of your wide receivers. What are you seeing from him and how he was doing before he got that groin injury?

A: I think he was doing good. I think there’s a lot of things to work on. He hasn’t played a lot of football games. We’ll just keep on teaching him during the week. He’s got a great attitude. I think he wants to do as well as he can do. He’s a good young player to work with.

Q: There was a clip after you guys scored where Daniel (Jones) was really fired up on the sidelines, talking to (quarterbacks coach) Shea (Tierney) and then you kind of jumped in talking to him. I was just wondering what that exchange was about?

A: When was it?

Q: Like 5:30 left in the fourth.

A: Was it a quarterback sneak?

Q: Yeah.

A: I think Shea and I were both about to tell him the same thing and I just wanted to tell him before Shea. Shea was on top of it. It was positive. I just wanted to get to him, talk to him and then get back on the headset with the other side of the ball. He just made a really good play on that quarterback sneak. Made a good decision and had a good drive so it was really all positive.

Q: From your experience, what is the best way for a team to handle success?

A: Focus on the process. Again, I know I sound like a broken record, but this league humbles you very quickly. As soon as you’re done with this game and as soon as Mondays are over, you put it to bed, and you get focused on your next opponent. Which, they’re all good in this league. Every game is hard, you’re going to get everybody’s best each week regardless of what your record is. You continue to prepare the way you know how to prepare to try to put yourself in the best position you can. That’s really all it is. Focusing on things that happened in the past don’t do you any good, you’ve got to learn from them. Thinking about things that could happen in the future do you no good because you better stay right in the present and focus on the things that you can control. That’s something that I’ve preached to our players, to our staff, to myself. I think that takes discipline and it takes a consistent approach to do that each day.

Q: On your last drive, the one that ended with (kicker) Graham’s (Gano) field goal, the final field goal. I think you ran the same play or a variation of that play eight times, that running play. I know from a play-caller perspective I don’t know how rare that is in the league but, when you guys saw that was working, what are you thinking? I know you and Mike are talking and everybody else but, was that the plan going into that drive?

A: Credit to Mike and the offensive staff, Bobby Johnson, those guys communicated when the defense was out, and they got that three-and-out. There’s a bunch of communication that’s going on, on the other headset and I’m on the defensive headset. What are the plays that they want to run based on the situation of the game. There’s a lot of things that get talked about because you never know what’s going to happen. Maybe they get a first down, maybe they take some time, whatever it may be, and it was a select group of plays that those guys came up with. When one was working, Kafka stayed with it. Then we ran a little keep off of one of them. But I thought the players executed those plays for the most part well. Mike was strong in his conviction, along with Bobby with what they wanted to do and how they wanted to get it accomplished.

Q: Is that hard to do in this league? To run the same play or a variation of it over and over again before a defense kind of figures something out?

A: It’s not hard to call it if it’s working. It’s probably a little bit harder to block it sometimes but there’s times to where ‘they can’t run this again’, then you run it again. I think Mike changed up a formation here or there but for the most part it was very similar, and the players did a good job executing. I thought Saquon ran well.

Q: How much is this offense going to miss Daniel (Bellinger) given the way he had been developing? Do you feel like you need to bring in another tight end?

A: Well, I think anytime one of your better players gets injured you always miss him but that’s why you have players on the roster. People are here for a reason; we’ve said this before. We have to find a way to use our pieces the best way we can. We have two tight ends; we have one on the practice squad and we’ll try to do the best job we can of utilizing their strengths.

Q: The other thing I want to ask you on Evan, you said Ben is week-to-week. Is that basically where you’re putting Evan too? In that category?

A: Yup.

Q: This obviously is the first year for you and (general manager) Joe (Schoen) and you’re trying to build something here. How much have the expectations changed what you’re trying to accomplish year one? Maybe changes the more you win as you sit here at 6-1 now.

A: I think we try to establish a standard of doing things the right way both on and off the field. How we prepare, how we work, that’s never going to change based on result. So, we try to be as consistent as we can be relative to those things each and every day.

Q: Obviously there’s the question of, ‘oh wow, we’re winning, we’re in a really good spot. Do we then add reinforcements’? Do you look it at that way at all? Do you factor that into the equation?

A: I’d say our process has been the same since we’ve been here. Control what you can control, improve each day. Obviously, we always look to improve any area of the roster we can each week. We have players that come in and workout. That’s pretty consistent with how we’ve been since we’ve been here. Again, our record is what our record is but it’s our preparation and our consistency of how we do things that are important to us.

Q: This isn’t one of the in the moment questions but I’m hoping you’ll kind of humor me, I just asked (Jets’ head coach) Robert Saleh the same thing. There’s great defense being played here in New York between the Jets and Giants and couldn’t be done more differently. They rely on their front four, you guys blitz a ton. When you hired (defensive coordinator) Wink (Martindale), was it Wink’s makes it the most difficult on you? How did you decide what kind of defense you wanted to run when you became the head coach?

A: Well, I interviewed some good candidates. I just felt Wink was the right person for the job. He’s had a good track record of success. He was a veteran play caller and I thought he fit what we were looking for after we spoke with him.

Q: So, you wanted that style? When you interviewed other people did you look at other styles of defense or was it mostly, you wanted that style and Wink was the best guy for that style?

A: I think it’s a combination of things when you’re looking to hire people. I just felt Wink did a good job in the interview process and I felt comfortable with the things he was teaching, his leadership style, his communication. Again, styles are important, don’t get me wrong, schemes are important but leadership, the ability to communicate, the experience of having to do that job for a while, those were also important.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media access to the team. The Giants return to practice on Wednesday.

Sep 022021
 
Matt Skura, Baltimore Ravens (October 20, 2019)

Matt Skura – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS SIGN TWO MORE TO THE PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed two more players to their 16-man Practice Squad (there are actually 17 on the Practice Squad due to running back Sandro Platzgummer’s International Player Pathway Program exemption). The team has signed tight end Chris Myarick and center/guard Matt Skura. There is currently one more open spot on the Practice Squad.

The 25-year old, 6’5”, 261-pound Myarick was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He spent all of 2019 and most of 2020 on the Practice Squad of the Dolphins, though he did play in three games in 2020.

The 28-year old, 6’3”, 310-pound Skura was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season on the Ravens’ Practice Squad. In 2017, Skura started 12 games at right guard for the Ravens. He became the starting center in 2018, and started 27 consecutive regular-season games at the position in two seasons, missing five games due to a knee injury in 2019. Skura started 12 more games at center in 2020, missing one week due to COVID. He signed with the Miami Dolphins in March 2021, but they waived him in late August.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey

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, WR Collin Johnson (unknown), TE Evan Engram (calf), LT Andrew Thomas (“work load management”), OC/OG Billy Price (COVID screening), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle), and CB Josh Jackson (calf) did not participate in drills with the rest of the team.

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and 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 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

    Aug 312021
     
    Ben Bredeson, Baltimore Ravens (August 28, 2021)

    Ben Bredeson – © USA TODAY Sports

    NEW YORK GIANTS TRADE FOR BEN BREDESON…
    The New York Giants have acquired by trade offensive guard Ben Bredeson from the Baltimore Ravens. In return for the Giants’ 4th-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants received Bredeson and the Ravens’ 5th-round selection in 2022 (acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs) and 7th-round selection in 2023.

    Ravens Receive:
    Giants 4th-round 2022 Selection

    Giants Receive:
    Ben Bredeson
    Ravens 5th-round 2022 Selection (from Chiefs)
    Ravens 7th-round 2023 Selection

    The 23-year old, 6’5”, 315-pound Bredeson was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Ravens. He played in 10 games with no starts as a rookie.

    NEW YORK GIANTS REDUCE ROSTER TO 53 PLAYERS…
    On Tuesday, in order to meet the NFL’s 53-man roster limit, the New York Giants made the following 27 roster moves:

    Remain on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List:

    • CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle)

    Placed on Injured Reserve:

    • WR Austin Mack
    • WR Alex Bachman
    • OG Ted Larsen

    Waived or contracts terminated:

    • QB Brian Lewerke
    • RB Corey Clement
    • RB Sandro Platzgummer
    • WR David Sills
    • WR Matt Cole
    • WR Damion Willis
    • TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
    • TE Jake Hausmann
    • OC Jonotthan Harrison
    • OC Brett Heggie
    • OG Kenny Wiggins
    • OL Chad Slade
    • OL Jake Burton
    • OL Jackson Barton
    • DL David Moa
    • DL Elijah Qualls
    • DL Willie Henry
    • LB Ifeadi Odenigbo
    • LB Devante Downs
    • LB Ryan Anderson
    • LB Niko Lalos
    • CB Madre Harper
    • S Chris Johnson
    • S Jordyn Peters
    • LS Casey Kreiter

    According to the team’s press release, Kreiter will be re-signed.