Los Angeles Rams 26 – New York Giants 25

 Posted by
Dec 312023
 
Jamie Gillan and Mason Crosby, New York Giants (December 31, 2023)

So Close, But Yet So Far – © USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES RAMS 26 – NEW YORK GIANTS 25…
The New York Giants came close to upsetting the red-hot Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, but untimely missed throws, dropped passes, missed tackles, penalties, and missed kicks hurt the team. The Giants lost 26-25, falling to 5-11 on the season with one more game to play.

In terms of overall team stats, the Rams held slight advantages in first downs (22 to 17), total net yards (391 to 389), net yards passing (286 to 284), and time of possession (30:11 to 29:49). Both teams rushed for 105 yards. The Giants won the turnover battle 3 to 1.

The Rams received the football to start the game, gained 54 yards on 10 plays, but had their 4th-and-3 passing attempt from the New York 21-yard fall incomplete, turning the ball over on downs. The Giants went three-and-out on their first possession. The Rams then responded with an 8-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard run for a touchdown by running back Kyren Williams. Rams 7 – Giants 0.

The Giants tied the game on their second offensive possession with a 9-play, 75-yard drive. The Giants overcame a 3rd-and-4 and 3rd-and-6 before a 24-yard end-around for the score by wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson early in the 2nd quarter.

After both teams exchanged punts, the Giants got the ball back when safety Dane Belton intercepted an overthrown pass by quarterback Mathew Stafford. However, the Giants gave the ball right back to the Rams after a failed 4th-and-1 conversion attempt at the New York 46-yard line. Eight plays later, Stafford threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-7.

The last 1:44 of the first half was eventful. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s deep pass intended for wide receiver Darius Slayton was intercepted at the Los Angeles 27-yard line. On the very next snap, Stafford completed a 16-yard pass over the middle, but cornerback Adoree’ Jackson forced a fumble that was recovered by Belton, setting up New York at the Rams’ 43-yard line. The Giants managed to gain 30 yards in the last 58 seconds to set up a 31-yard field goal as time expired. (The first attempt was blocked however the Rams were flagged with a leaping penalty).

At the half, the Rams led 14-10.

The Giants gained one first down and crossed midfield, but were forced to punt after Taylor was sacked on the team’s first drive of the second half. Then on 3rd-and-4 from the Los Angeles 18-yard line, Stafford completed a short pass to wide receiver Puka Nacua that he broke for an 80-yard gain to the New York 2-yard line. Williams scored on the next play. The Rams missed the extra point. Rams 20 – Giants 10.

After both teams exchanged punts again, the Giants overcame a 3rd-and-10 with an 11-yard completion to tight end Darren Waller. On the next snap, Taylor threw a beautiful deep pass to Slayton that was completed for an 80-yard touchdown. However, place kicker Mason Crosby missed the extra point and the Giants trailed 20-16.

Momentum continued to shift in the Giants direction as Belton intercepted his second pass on Los Angeles’ ensuing possession, setting up the Giants at the Rams’ 34-yard line. The Giants converted on 4th-and-1 at the 25-yard line, reached the 10, but were pushed back and forced to settle for a 32-yard field goal. The Giants now only trailed by one point early in the 4th quarter, 20-19.

Here is where momentum quickly shifted back to the Rams. The Giants defense allowed a quick, 3-play, 75-yard score with two chunk plays, including a 37-yard pass by Stafford and a 28-yard touchdown run by Williams. The Rams missed the extra point again, but now extended their lead to 26-19 with 12 minutes to play.

The Giants gained two first downs and reached the Los Angeles 42-yard line, but were pushed back with another sack. After an 18-yard gain on 3rd-and-19, the Giants went for it on 4th-and-1, however Taylor’s completion to wide receiver Jalin Hyatt lost a yard, turning the ball over on downs at the Rams’ 34-yard line. Both teams then exchanged punts again.

With 4:46 left to play, the Rams began another possession, gained a first down, but then Stafford was sacked on 3rd-and-7 by inside linebacker Bobby Okereke and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches. The ensuing punt was fielded by wideout Gunner Olszewski, who broke a tackle en route to a 94-yard score. Trailing by one point, 26-25, Head Coach Brian Daboll went for two. Unfortunately, Taylor badly missed a wide open running back Saquon Barkley for what should have been an easy 2-point conversion.

The Rams got the ball back with 3:27 left to play. On 3rd-and-9, linebacker Isaiah Simmons sacked Stafford for a 10-yard loss. After the punt and a 10-yard holding penalty on cornerback Darnay Holmes, the Giants had the ball on their own 35-yard line with 1:08 left to play. Barkley dropped a pass, but Taylor then scrambled for 31 yards to the Los Angeles 34-yard line. Taylor decided to spike the ball with 43 seconds left, losing a down. Oddly, the Giants ran the ball to Barkley with no timeouts. Worse, this play lost two yards. Taylor’s 3rd-and-12 pass was incomplete. Crosby’s 54-yard field goal came up short with 30 seconds to play and the Rams ran out the clock.

Taylor finished the game 27-of-41 for 319 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also was the team’s leading rusher with 40 yards on six carries. Robinson caught six passes for 55 yards and rushed for a 24-yard touchdown. Waller had five catches for 51 yards and Slayton had four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. Barkley was held to 39 yards on 12 carries.

Defensively, Okereke led the team with 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a tackle for a loss. Simmons and linebacker Jihad Ward each had a sack and Nunez-Roches had a half-sack. Belton picked off two passes and recovered a fumble.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ELEVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, placed TE Lawrence Cager (groin) on Injured Reserve and signed ILB Darrian Beavers to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. The Giants also activated (standard elevation) WR Dennis Houston and PK Mason Crosby from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were CB Deonte Banks (shoulder), WR Parris Campbell, WR Dennis Houston, OC Sean Harlow, DT Timmy Horne, OLB Benton Whitley, and S Gervarrius Owens.

RT Tyre Phillips (right knee) and S Jason Pinnock (foot) were injured in the game. It is feared that the injury to Phillips is serious. Pinnock was wearing boot in the locker room, but he said x-rays were negative.

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:

CRAIG FITZGERALD DEPARTS GIANTS…
The Florida Gators have hired Craig Fitzgerald to be their new director of football performance. Fitzgerald had been the Giants’ director of strength and performance since 2020 when he was hired by then head coach Joe Judge.

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

New York Giants Announce Changes to Operations and Coaching Staff

 Posted by
Jul 022020
 
New York Giants Helmet (November 24, 2019)

© USA TODAY Sports

[contentblock id=1 img=html.png]

NEW YORK GIANTS ANNOUNCE CHANGES TO OPERATIONS AND COACHING STAFF…
The New York Giants have announced the following changes to their football operations and coaching staff:

Dr. Lani Lawrence has been hired for the newly-created Director of Wellness and Clinical Services. She will also oversee the team’s Player Engagement/Development Program. Lawrence was previously a clinical and sport psychologist at the University of Southern California as well as serving as a member of the USA Track & Field sport psychology group.

Lawrence has assumed the duties previously held by David Tyree, who for the past six years had served as Director of Player Engagement/Development. The re-structured program will also include Assistant Director Ashley Lynn, Outside Linebackers Coach/Senior Assistant Bret Bielema, Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey, and Special Assistant Jessie Armstead. This department falls under the umbrella of Senior Vice President of Medical Services Ronnie Barnes.

“When I say player engagement, I literally mean engaging with our players, which is really hard with everything that’s currently going on in the country – the virtual learning, with our athletes not being able to come to the facility,” said Lawrence. “What I was tasked to do was to make our rookies better. But also to make the players better. I’m fortunate that everybody within the organization has those same goals, from ownership to the head coach to the people that I work with in player development.

“My primary role is to not only be a support, but to help players be a better person in general. A whole person, not just a better athlete. If they’re better in their personal lives, if they have better connections with their teammates, with their spouses or people close to them, if they’re living healthy lives, ultimately, the reward is that they’re going to be a better athlete. I get to support the players emotionally, physically and mentally, and my hope is that it translates onto the field.”

Ed Triggs is now the Director of Football Operations. He had served as the team’s Football Operations Coordinator since 2016. Triggs will be responsible for managing the salary cap, assisting in contract negotiations, Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) compliance, and working with the pro scouting, college scouting, coaching, and the data and innovation staffs.

Ty Siam is now the Director of Football Data & Innovation, after serving with the team in other capacities since 2015.

“Football, from a technological perspective, has been moving at a rapid pace to build a data fluidity that can be utilized across multiple groups,” Siam said. “For us, that’s our college and pro scouts, our coaching staff, it’s our strength and conditioning staff and our medical and performance teams. We had gotten to a point where we had such a vast amount of data internally and a number of different audiences were looking at it from various points of view. We thought it was really important to centralize the way we distribute information to all of those groups. That was really the big impetus.

“From a video and data standpoint, how do we get the most meaningful information in front of our decision makers on a regular basis? Sometimes it’s low-hanging fruit, sometimes it’s much more complex with some of the analysis and modeling we’re doing. But if we can effectively get the most appropriate information in front of our decision makers on a regular basis, then I think that’s how we’ll earmark success in this category.”

Courtney Kennedy is now a Football Data Analyst, after serving as an intern with the team in 2019. “I’ve been helping all different football departments,” Kennedy said. “Anything from scouting to the medical team to coaching, a variety of database statistical projects.”

Marquis Pendleton has been shifted from the team’s scout in the BLESTO scouting combine to an area scout. “I’m excited. It’s a new challenge for me,” Pendleton said. “It gives me an opportunity to grow within a different area, see different players, meet different people within the industry and different coaches.”

Blaise Bell is now the new BLESTO scout, after serving as an intern with the team in 2019.

Hannah Burnett has been hired as the new Midlands scout, after serving almost two years with the scouting department of the Atlanta Falcons. Burnett is the franchise’s first full-time female scout.

“I completely understand and am aware that this is an awesome opportunity, and it’s important for females in the league,” said Burnett. “But I’ve said this from the get-go, I just want to be the best area scout that I can. I want to go in there like everyone else goes in there and go about my business like a pro. Everything else will work itself out if I go about my business the right way. For me, that’s my mindset. It’s always been my mindset. I’m just continuing to stay on that course.”

Craig Fitzgerald has been hired as the Director of Strength and Performance. He has served in a similar capacity with Harvard University (2005-2009), University of South Carolina (2009-2011), Penn State University (2012-2013), Houston Texans (2014-2017), and the University of Tennessee (2018-2020).

Sam Coad has been hired as the Performance Manager/Assistant Strength Coach. An Australian, Coad has served in a similar capacity with the University of Michigan (2014-2015), University of Oklahoma (2015-2017), and Texas A&M University (2018-2019).

Nick Williams has been hired as an offensive assistant. He has previously served as wide receivers coach at Jacksonville State University (2014-2016) and Southern Illinois University (2017-2019).

Giants Sign Colt McCoy, Hire Craig Fitzgerald as New Strength Coach

 Posted by
Mar 192020
 
Colt McCoy, Washington Redskins (October 6, 2019)

Colt McCoy – © USA TODAY Sports

[contentblock id=1 img=html.png]

GIANTS SIGN COLT McCOY TO 1-YEAR, $2.25 MILLION DEAL…
Multiple media sources are reporting that the New York Giants have signed unrestricted free agent quarterback Colt McCoy (Washington Redskins) to a 1-year, $2.25 million contract that includes $1.5 million in guaranteed money.

The 33-year old, 6’1”, 212-pound McCoy was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He has spent time with the Browns (2010-2012), San Francisco 49ers (2013), and Redskins (2014-2019). In 10 NFL seasons, McCoy has only started 28 games, 21 of which came with the Browns in 2010-2011. He started three games the past two seasons with Washington. In all, McCoy has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 6,080 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. He has also rushed the ball 130 times for 497 yards and two touchdowns.

GIANTS HIRE NEW STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH…
The New York Giants have hired Craig Fitzgerald as the team’s new director of strength and performance. Fitzgerald held the same position with the University of Tennessee since 2018. He replaces Aaron Wellman, who left the Giants to accept the same position with Indiana University earlier this month. Wellman had served as the Giants’ strength coach since 2016, under both head coaches Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur.

Fitzgerald’s resume:

  • 2020-Present: Director of Strength and Performance, New York Giants
  • 2018-2020: Director of Strength and Conditioning, University of Tennessee
  • 2014-2017: Strength and Conditioning Coach, Houston Texans
  • 2012-2013: Strength and Conditioning Coach, Penn State University
  • 2009-2011: Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of South Carolina
  • 2005-2009: Director of Strength and Conditioning, Harvard University
  • 2000-2005: Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning, University of Maryland
  • 1997-1999: Director of Strength and Conditioning/Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach, Catholic University
  • Pro Experience: None
  • Collegiate Experience: Tight End, University of Maryland (1994-1996)