Jun 112016
 
B.J. Daniels, New York Giants (June 6, 2016)

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JUNE 7 AND 9-10, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICES…
The Giants held their final three voluntary organized team activity (OTA) practices on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The media was not granted access to these practices. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

Giants.com identified “5 things we learned” and “standout players” from the three practices:

The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16 before breaking until training camp in late July.

GIANTS.COM INTERVIEW WITH DEVON KENNARD…
The video of an exclusive “Giants Insider” interview with linebacker Devon Kennard is available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

Jun 012016
 
Darian Thompson, New York Giants (May 6, 2016)

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JUNE 1, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICE REPORT…
The Giants held their fourth voluntary organized team activity (OTA) practice on Wednesday. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

The six remaining OTA practices will be held June 2-3, June 6-7, and June 9-10. The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16.

DARIAN THOMPSON SIGNED…
The New York Giants have signed safety Darian Thompson, their 3rd round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Linebacker B.J. Goodson – the team’s 4th round pick – remains the only unsigned draft pick.

INJURY REPORT AND ABSENTEES…
As previously reported, safety Cooper Taylor had surgery in May repair a sports hernia injury and will be out until training camp begins on July 28.

Continuing to work on the side were wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf) and running back Orleans Darkwa (leg). Defensive tackle Montori Hughes (unknown) did not practice.

“(Cruz is) progressing, but he’s still in a holding pattern,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “We’re looking forward to getting him back to training camp.”

“(Darkwa is) working through it,” said McAdoo. “He’s making progress. He’s not back yet, but hopefully we have a chance to see him at training camp.”

Wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul did not attend the voluntary practice on Wednesday.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The first-team wide receivers were Geremy Davis and Myles White. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard also worked some with the first-team offense.
  • The starting offensive line remains Ereck Flowers at left tackle, Justin Pugh at left guard, Weston Richburg at center, John Jerry at right guard, and Marshall Newhouse at right tackle.
  • Adam Gettis was the center and Bobby Hart the right tackle with the second unit.
  • Center Shane McDermott received first-team reps at right tackle, right guard, center, left guard, and left tackle during walk-through team drills.
  • Tight end Matt LaCosse saw some first-team reps and made some plays.
  • The first-team defensive ends were Owamagbe Odighizuwa (left) and Olivier Vernon (right).
  • The starting linebackers were Jasper Brinkley (middle), Jonathan Casillas, and Devon Kennard.
  • Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all worked with the first-team defense. Trevin Wade received reps as slot corner with the first team.
  • Cornerback Donte Deayon made a couple of nice plays in team drills.
  • Landon Collins, Darian Thompson, and Nat Berhe saw time with the first unit at safety.
  • Linebacker B.J. Goodson made a juggling, diving interception.

Sterling Shepard makes plenty of plays | Giants OTA observations by Jordan Raanan for NJ.com

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’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:

NY POST Q&A WITH STERLING SHEPARD…
Meet Giants’ Sterling Shepard: Self scouting report, NY wonder, unflinching mom by Steve Serby of The New York Post

ARTICLES…

Apr 212016
 
Jerry Reese, New York Giants (February 25, 2016)

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JERRY REESE’S 2016 PRE-DRAFT PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants General Manager Jerry Reese held his annual pre-draft press conference on Thursday. The following is the transcript from the event (video is also available courtesy of Giants.com):

Opening Statement: Good morning. It’s draft time again. The scouts are (upstairs) working hard on the draft board. Coach (Ben) McAdoo is in there, Marc Ross, Chris Mara and all of our personnel people. It’s an exciting time for us like always and we’re looking forward to next week to try to help our team in the draft. Before you ask the question, we’re open to moving up, we’re open to moving back, and I’ll take any questions.

Q: Last week John (Mara) said that this draft is more important than others have been. Do you share that philosophy?

A: Not for me. All the drafts are important for me. I understand why John would say something like that, but all of the drafts are very important to me and I think all of the drafts are important to John as well. I think when you say something like that, I think it gets taken out of context a little bit, but I understand what he was saying. All of the drafts are important.

Q: You said you were willing to move up and move down. Have you had any offers?

A: I can’t talk about that, but we’re willing to move up or move down.

Q: Do you sense more activity in the draft this year? There already has been three trades in the top 10.

A: Not really. In the draft you never know what’s going to happen. You just try to prepare yourself for everything. There could be a lot of movement. There can be not much more movement. Who knows?

Q: In regards to trades, you’ve traded up more than you’ve traded down since you’ve been General Manager. Is that you’re philosophy?

A: It’s just how it unfolded. The draft changes after every pick. Sometimes you can move up and sometimes you can move back and so it happens we’ve been able to move up a couple of times.

Q: Back at the combine you said you would pick the best available player. Have you stuck to that philosophy?

A: Best player available.

Q: Two of your last three first round picks have been used on offensive linemen. Do you take that into consideration at all of how much of your resources you can put in a short period of time into one specific position group?

A: No. We’re just trying to put the guys up there in the best order that we can and pick the best player available when we pick.

Q: What is your philosophy when you look at rounds three, four and five?

A: It’s the same thing. We put guys in the first row. We put guys in the second row and the third row. When it’s our time to pick, we try to pick the best player in the row. Sometimes we can get two players out of the first row. We like it when we can get two players who we’ve got in the first row. We like it like that. In the first row, all of those guys are not really first round picks because we call them rows.

Q: How much of a difference has it been working with Ben and his staff versus former head coach Tom Coughlin’s staff?

A: Our coaches have always been a part of the process since I’ve been with the New York Giants for 21 years and nothing has changed in respect to that.

Q: After the season you and John Mara said you would study what went right and wrong in past drafts. How extensive was that self-analysis?

A: We looked at a lot of things. I’m not going to sit here and divulge what we talked about and what we discovered and what we looked at, but we worked hard on some things. I know this. I know our scouts work their behinds off. They do all of the work. They’re on the road for almost 200 days out of the year. They do the legwork for us and they do a tremendous job for us.

Q: Did you find anything interesting or things you can tweak moving forward?

A: There’s always things that you find interesting when you do some research and there were some interesting things that we found.

Q: How much does your team’s recent history with injuries affect the way that you evaluate the draft process?

A: I think we’ve had some bad luck with injuries. We had a medical meeting last night and we talked about the guys that are injury risks. We try to minimize our risks, but it’s football. It’s grown men hitting each other with helmets. Guys get injured. It’s a part of the business.

Q: There are some guys in the draft who have had injuries and missed a significant portion of the year. What kind of factors go into assessing that type of player?

A: We listen to our doctors. If our doctors say the risk is too high or reject guys, we don’t take them.

Q: You wouldn’t just drop guys in the round?

A: If the injury is so significant… It’s like school. F is bad and A is good. Anything in between… If it’s a C, there’s some risk. If there’s a D, there is a lot of risk, and if it’s an F, we’re not going to take them. It’s hard for us to take a D. We rarely take a D.

Q: Does it matter where you’re picking? Is it more likely you would take a risk if you were picking at the bottom of the first round?

A: You’re not going to take a risk on your first round pick if your guy is a D. You’re not going to take a risk like that with your first round pick. If you’re in the sixth round and you’ve got an extra pick or if you’re in the seventh round and have an extra pick, you can take more risks in the later rounds because the value is not the same.

Q: What was your impression of the trades that the Rams and Eagles made?

A: What other teams do is not really my business. I’m just worried about the Giants. If they felt like they needed to do that, they did what they had to do. That’s their business.

Q: Does that change your projections of who might be available to you?

A: We always thought that there were a couple of players up top that would push some players down to us and give us more players to pick from.

Q: If you stay at your current position in the draft, will you get a player who can instantly start and can be a contributor?

A: We sure hope so. If you pick inside the first 10, 12 picks, you’d like to get a starter who you can put out there to start to play right away and we sure hope we can get one. We believe we can.

Q: Aside from punters and placekickers, is there any player who you wouldn’t take with the 10th pick because of his position?

A: No.

Q: That includes the quarterback?

A: That includes any position, except punter and kicker.

Q: Do John Mara’s comments put any sense of urgency on this draft?

A: No. I put the urgency on myself. I know I come to work everyday and I work my behind off and that hasn’t changed since day one. I see how hard our personnel people work. The pressure is always there. Nobody puts more pressure on me than me.

Q: Do you take the criticisms of recent drafts personally?

A: You guys have your own opinion on the draft and you get paid to do that. It’s okay with me.

Q: What’s your opinion on recent drafts?

A: We work hard every time we draft and my opinions are my opinions and your opinions are your opinions. I’m not going to get into that.

Q: You have a lot more information at your disposal than we do. So your opinion on how you drafted is probably going to be much more valid than ours.

A: That’s your opinion.

Q: Ben McAdoo has been with the franchise for a couple of years now and has been involved with the draft. Now that he’s the head coach, what would you say is the biggest difference in terms of his involvement in previous drafts and this one?

A: He was the coordinator last year. In this draft, he’s in on all of the meetings. He’s in the defensive players, offensive players and the special teams. He’s in all of the meetings. Last year, he was just in the offensive player meetings. So that in and of itself is different.

Q: Some people have said there is a drop in talent after the 10th pick. Do you agree with that?

A: I think there are good players in all seven rounds.

Q: With what you were able to do in the beginning of free agency, does it become more challenging to not look at the draft and free agency as separate entities as far as building the roster or is it still possible to say it this serves one purpose and the draft serves as another?

A: We’re not oblivious to what we did in free agency, but the draft stands alone. We’re just trying to pick the best players out of this draft when we’re picking.

Q: How important is football character and personal character when you’re looking for guys who can come in and be sound draft picks, but also contribute to a winning and healthy culture?

A: That’s a part of building a football team. You want to get guys who are good team players and who want to be good locker room guys. Not a lot of “me” guys. A bunch of team-oriented players that are big, tough and smart guys who want to play together as a team. You win as a team and if you don’t play as a team, it’s hard to win in this league.

Q: Do you think you have a starting caliber right tackle who you’d be very comfortable with on your roster right now?

A: Sometimes the answer is on your roster. We do have some guys that we like. We’ll see moving forward.

Q: Do you view Bobby Hart as a guard or tackle?

A: I think Bobby has the ability to play guard and tackle.

Q: Are there any players in this draft who are off your board for non-football reasons?

A: Not right now. We’re still in the process and I’m sure there will be some guys that we take off.

Q: You used three high picks on that offensive line the last three years. Is that a position where you will target in this year’s draft?

A: We’re just trying to get good players every time we pick.

Q: Is your objective to leave the draft with players at a certain position?

A: No. We’re looking at it that we need help on offense. We need help on defense. We need help on special teams and we’re trying to get good players in every aspect of those positions. Offense, Defense and Special Teams.

Q: The top two quarterbacks in the draft seem like they’re going to go one and two in the draft. If you’re not looking at a quarterback, does it make it better for you?

A: If two quarterbacks get picked in front of us, that pushes some players down to us. That gives us a better chance to get the player that Kim (Jones) talked about, a player that can come in and impact our team.

Q: Eli Manning is getting up in age. Are you close to the point where you need to start thinking about drafting his replacement?

A: We think Eli has plenty of years left, but we’re always conscious of if there is a player in this draft or previous drafts or a draft coming up that there is a quarterback available because you always want to try to have a quarterback in line ready to go as your quarterback gets older and is on the backside of his career. You’re always conscious of that.

Q: How do you assess your running backs?

A: We think all of those guys are good enough to play in the league. All of these guys are pros. I think we have five guys that can play in this league.

Q: Josh Norman is a free agent. Is there any interest there?

A: We investigate everything.

Q: How surprised were you to see he became a free agent?

A: Nothing surprises me in this business.

Q: Are you basically finished with free agent signings?

A: There are still some free agents out there. Free agency really never stops. It’s the way we’re wired. Everyday there are guys on the waiver wire, but there’s a few more veterans out there that are still waiting around and we’re still taking a look at that we can do something.

Q: Will money play a factor?

A: Money always plays a factor.

Q: We haven’t had a chance to talk to you since free agency started. What was it about those three guys that made you go out and get them?

A: Those guys were really good players. We had them high on our free agent board. We had some money this time. We felt like we had a chance to go out and get some guys with the caliber of the players that we got. We went for them and we were fortunate enough to get some of the guys that we targeted.

Q: How important was it to you to bring back Jason Pierre-Paul for another season?

A: Jason is a terrific football player and we’re hoping that the procedure that he had on his hand after the season will continue to feel better for him and he will be able to play with that hand in the condition that it is and we expect him to do that. I said at the (combine) that it was kind of a miracle for me that he played last year. He’ll be that much better now, we think.

Q: Do you think you have a starting free safety on your roster right now with all of those young guys you brought in recently?

A: We have some guys. We’ll see. In every position somebody has got to be developed and at some point we hope that one of those young safeties can step up. There are a few more guys out there in free agency that we’ll take a look at, but we’re hoping that some of those young guys can step up and play a role here.

Q: Where do you stand at linebacker?

A: We’re still going to upgrade every position. Linebacker, safety, corner, defensive line, offensive line, tight end, receiver, running back and quarterback. All of them. If I left out something, those guys, too.

Q: How is Victor Cruz doing?

A: So far so good. He’s been out there. I’ve been peeking out the window and watching him run outside. We had our medical meetings last night and all of our doctors are pleased with his progress so far and we’re hoping that he’ll be the Victor that we know.

Q: What’s the plan with Victor Cruz moving into the summer?

A: We’re going to take it easy with him and make sure that he’s ramped up a little bit at a time and when training camp comes around, we’re hoping that he’s a full go. We’re expecting him to be full go.

Q: Last year at this time you weren’t counting on Cruz. Is that different this time?

A: He hasn’t played in two years. But he’s probably more healthy now than he’s probably been in the last couple of years. What we get from Victor will be a bonus and we’re hoping it’s a great bonus for us.

Q: How much does age play a factor for you guys in the draft?

A: We’re conscious of players’ ages, but how many players have played over four, five, six years? Age is not a huge factor. We don’t want to draft a 30-year-old in this draft, but I don’t think there are any 30-year-olds in this draft. We do look at what the age is.

Q: In spite of all you did in free agency, how much do you need the guys from the last couple of drafts to step up and become what you expected them to be?

A: We always expect those guys. You’ve got to develop players. In the last few drafts that we’ve had, we expect players to step up and continue to develop and be a core part of our football team.

NEW YORK GIANTS PLAYER MEDIA SESSIONS…
Transcripts and video of Thursday’s media sessions with the following New Giants players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

GIANTS.COM INTERVIEW WITH JOSH BROWN…
The video of an exclusive interview with New York Giants place kicker Josh Brown is available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

Jan 272016
 
Eli Manning, New York Giants (November 1, 2015)

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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ELI MANNING CONFERENCE CALL…
The transcript of Wednesday’s media conference call with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is available in The Corner Forum section of the website.

Manning was asked about his thoughts on Ben McAdoo being selected as the team’s new head coach. “I think Coach McAdoo will do a great job,” responded Manning. “I think he really does a wonderful job of holding court in the offensive meetings and getting his points across. I think he’ll continue to do a great job with the whole team. I’m excited for that. I think he’s ready and he’ll have a great staff of coaches.

“I think we’re close. I think we have some pieces in place that I’m excited about. I know we always need some new people, some areas where we need some help. I think the Giants are always committed to doing whatever it takes to get the right people and to get back to winning games and making playoffs and having that championship caliber squad.”

GIANTS.COM Q&A WITH GEOFF SCHWARTZ…
Geoff Schwartz Q&A: An unlikely journey to the NFL by Michael Eisen of Giants.com

“GIANTS INSIDER” Q&As…
Video clips of Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • OG Geoff Schwartz (Video)
  • LB Devon Kennard (Video)

GIANTS.COM “TOP 5” PLAYS…
The following “top five” lists were compiled by Dan Salomone of Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

Jan 042016
 
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants (January 3, 2016)

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TOM COUGHLIN STEPS DOWN AS HEAD COACH OF THE GIANTS…
In a move that was somewhat expected, Tom Coughlin is stepping down as head coach of the New York Giants. Coughlin served as head coach of the team for 12 seasons, guiding the franchise to five playoff berths, three division titles, two NFC Championships, and two NFL Championships. He coached the Giants to a 102-90 regular season record and 8-3 post-season record. Coughlin had more wins in franchise history of any coach except for Steve Owen. However, the team has had three losing seasons in a row and has missed the playoffs six times out of the last seven years.

The Giants will hold a press conference on Tuesday morning at 10:30AM with Coughlin, team president/CEO John Mara, team chairman/executive vice president Steve Tisch, and team general manager Jerry Reese.

“I met with John Mara and Steve Tisch this afternoon, and I informed them that it is in the best interest of the organization that I step down as head coach. I strongly believe the time is right for me and my family, and as I said, the Giants organization,” said Coughlin in a prepared press release.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as head coach of the New York Football Giants. This is a not a sad occasion for me. I have spent 15 years with this organization as an assistant and head coach and was fortunate to be part of three Super Bowl winning teams. A Lombardi Trophy every five years is an achievement in which we all take great pride.

“Obviously, the past three years have not been what any of us expect, and as head coach, I accept the responsibility for those seasons.

“I think it has been evident these last 12 years here how much pride I take in representing this franchise. I am gratified and proud that we were able to deliver two more Lombardi trophies to the display case in our lobby during that time. That is a tribute to our players and staff, and it was truly fulfilling to be the leader of those teams.

“I appreciate the support of John and his family and Steve and his family, and of Jerry Reese and his staff. I think our organization is a great representation of what I mean when I talk about ‘team’.

“Finally, I would be remiss if I did not thank my wife Judy and our four children and their spouses and our 11 (soon to be 12) grandchildren. None of this would have been possible without their unconditional love and support.”

Mara, Tisch, and Reese also commented by press release.

“It is difficult to come up with words adequate to describe the appreciation we have for everything Tom Coughlin has done for our franchise,” Mara said. “In addition to delivering two Super Bowl titles, Tom represented us with class and dignity, and restored the pride to our entire organization. He has all the qualities you could ever ask for in a head coach, and set very high standards for whoever will succeed him.”

“On behalf of my family, I want to thank Coach Coughlin for how he has represented our franchise for the past 12 years,” said Tisch. “He embodies the beliefs of this organization and everything the New York Giants stand for. I respect his decision, and while I appreciate Tom’s perspective and attitude, at the same time, I am a bit saddened today because we are losing a man who is just as good a person as he is a coach. He is a Hall of Famer in every regard.”

“My years with Coach Coughlin have been an amazing opportunity to work with one on the best coaches the NFL has seen and one of the best people that I’ve met in my lifetime,” Reese said. “The GM/Coach relationship is of the utmost importance in this business, and I’m grateful for the relationship we had.”

FOXSports is reporting that Coughin is not retiring and remains interested in coaching if the right opportunity presents itself.

According to press reports, team ownership met in the morning before meeting with Coughlin at 1:00PM. Coughlin met with staff and players in the morning but did not share any insights about his status. He then met with the coaching staff after his early afternoon meeting with ownership.

REPORT – JERRY REESE SAFE…
According to NFL.com, New York Giants General Manger Jerry Reese’s job is safe. He will not be fired.

GIANTS INTERESTED IN CHIP KELLY?…
According to Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, the New York Giants are said to be one of several teams interested in interviewing Chip Kelly for their head coaching vacancy. Kelly, who served as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-2015, was recently fired by the team. The other teams reported to be interested in Kelly include the 49ers, Browns, and Titans.

EAGLES INTERESTED IN BEN MCADOO?…
According to FOXSports, New York Giants Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo is one of several potential head coaching candidates for the Philadelphia Eagles. Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase and Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin are also said to be drawing interest from the Eagles.

SEAN PAYTON INTERESTED IN GIANTS?…
According to CBS Sports, New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton is interested in becoming the Giants next head coach. Payton served as the offensive coordinator with the Giants under Jim Fassel from 2000-2002. However, the Saints are reportedly seeking a second-round draft pick for Payton.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
The following transcripts and video of player media sessions on Monday are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

Dec 282015
 
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants (December 27, 2015)

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DEVON KENNARD PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE…
The New York Giants have placed linebacker Devon Kennard on season-ending Injured Reserve. Kennard missed two games in October with a hamstring injury and will miss the last five games of the season with a foot injury. He started nine games in 2015 and finished the season with 58 tackles, four pass defenses, and one interception.

Kennard’s roster spot will be taken by wide receiver Odell Beckham, who has had suspension lifted and has rejoined the team. Kennard is the 18th New York Giant on season-ending Injured Reserve.

HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN…
Tom Coughlin addressed the media by conference call on Monday:

Just a couple of comments on the game last night. I thought in the very beginning that our defense was playing well. We had three punts and a field goal to show for the first 22 or 24 plays in the game. I thought that as the turnovers occurred and as we tried to fight our way back into the game with the onside kick and the fourth and one drop, we continued to create some very bad field positions for our defensive team. That continued pretty much throughout the game as we tried to battle back and didn’t get a whole lot done. We were minus-three in turnovers and we knew going in that this was a team that the way they structured themselves with defense, run the ball, use the play-action pass—they were only plus-two, but they hadn’t really turned it over that much. They played the kind of game that they did not beat themselves and we provided them with opportunities with a touchdown, a ball at the four-yard line. Too many opportunities to have easy scores, to pile up points, and then to eventually put even more pressure back on the offense, which wasn’t playing well. Because we had run the ball fairly effectively, but at the end of the night, 20 carries is certainly not what you’re after, even though we averaged 4.6. We had 0 for 1 in the green zone production and we were very poor on third down with only 1 of 11 on third down.

Our special teams outfit, we tried the onside kick, which was not successful. We later tried another kick which was not supposed to be an onside kick. We were trying to place that ball over the 10 men up front and then have a chance to perhaps run the ball down. That did not prevail as well either.

Our defensive team at the end of the day held the opponent to 2 for 5, 40 percent, in the red zone, 38 percent on third down. We did give up some runs. The 68-yard run and the 39-yard run, I can’t attribute to something that the offense did to contribute. So therefore, those are problem issues. The long run, the 68-yard run, was a run that they had run many times and we stopped it, and utilized this one particular run a number of times. On this last one, the runner got in the middle of a pile and I don’t think we sorted it out very well, and weren’t able to distinguish where the runner was. He cut back to an open lane and that led to the long run. I thought, again, if I had to look back over it, I know our defense played well enough to be competitive. Our offense did not.

Our production with regard to the return-game, which we really were looking forward to, particularly our opportunities on kickoff return, was not there. We did not produce the yardage we wanted. And we let two balls bounce on us where our punt return that we had done this a couple times during the year. I’m not sure, I’ll have to talk to Dwayne (Harris) about what particularly happened there. I know when we made the fair catch signal and it looked like the gunner was going to come in to interfere with Dwayne, when he did not catch the ball, it did not bring about the flag. That ended up being, again, another long roll which created very bad field position for us. That’s basically the way I saw the game last night, and again re-affirmed by what I watched this morning and this afternoon on the tape.

Q: Given the fact that there were no playoff implications on your side, finding out Saturday. Were you pleased with your team’s effort given the fact you stressed playing for pride throughout the whole week? Were you pleased with the way they came out just from an effort standpoint?

A: Well, you’ve got to break it down again. Defensively, it was outstanding. I think special teams was fine. I thought the offense, if we had created some opportunities for ourselves rather than just backing up in pass protection and turning the ball over, that kind of sapped some of the energy from the guys. I think coming out of the locker room, we were fine with regard to that. Even among the players themselves talking about pride and respect and so on and so forth. I don’t have any thoughts about them not being prepared or coming out and playing hard. I just think we sapped our own energy on one side of the ball, and we didn’t create any real positive situations for our defensive team with the field position we presented them with.

Q: You’ve been through this before and you know that, try as you might, the conversation this week is going to be a lot focused on you and your future. Have you addressed that with your team and how does it affect you go through the week?

A: It’s not going to affect anything in terms of how I go about my business this week. I will tell the team not to be distracted by it. The only factor that is involved right now is we have one game left and we have to prepare ourselves to play a Philadelphia team in the division that they know us very well, we know them very well. We did not play well against them the first time around, and we need to play much better at home for our home fans in this return visit. That’s the only factor that regards whatever all the discussion comes. I’ve tried very hard, and you know this for a fact, the situation is not about me. I’m hoping that the players, they’re not going to get centered around that. We’re going to conduct ourselves as we always have. We’re going to work as hard as we possibly can. We’re going to try to put ourselves and our players in the best position we can, and we’ll let whatever happens happen. We’re going to try to play the game to the best of our ability and win a football game.

Q: What does it mean to you that some of the players, including Eli just recently, admitted that they feel like they’ve let you down this season?

A: I feel badly that they feel that way. It’s a shame that they have to be put in the position where they have to respond about something to do with me. Again, it’s not about me. I’m here for them. If you want to break it all down, blame it all on me, I’m the head coach, I’m responsible. We lose, I lose the game for our players. Put it that way, leave it that way. We try like heck not to put these young men in a position where they feel badly about the circumstances that the head coach finds himself in.

ELI MANNING…
The transcript of quarterback Eli Manning’s media conference call on Monday is available in The Corner Forum.

NOTES…
The Giants host the Eagles in the season finale on Sunday. The winner will clinch second place in the division, the loser will finish third.

The Giants will finish under .500 for the third consecutive season, the first time that’s happened since they had eight straight losing seasons from 1973-80.

The Giants will miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, their longest drought since they went 17 years about a postseason berth from 1964-80.

The Giants finished 3-5 on the road for the fourth consecutive season.

Quarterback Eli Manning surpassed the 4,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career. Phil Simms and Kerry Collins are the only other Giants quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards in a season, and they each did it once.

Manning has thrown 33 touchdown passes this year, extending his career high. His previous best in a full season was 31 in 2010. The 33 touchdown passes in a single season tied for the second-highest total in Giants history. Y.A. Tittle threw for 33 scores in 1962. Tittle holds the franchise record with 36 touchdown passes in 1963.

Manning has thrown 292 career touchdown passes, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Warren Moore and moving him into sole possession of eighth place on the NFL’s career list.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday to start preparing for Sunday’s home finale against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dec 112015
 
Damontre Moore, New York Giants (August 14, 2015)

Damontre Moore – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS WAIVE DAMONTRE MOORE…
In a surprise move, the New York Giants have waived defensive end Damontre Moore, the team’s 3rd round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

“We made the move today in the interest of both parties,” said General Manager Jerry Reese.

NFL.com is reporting that Moore was waived, in part, because he got into a fight with a teammate before practice. According to ESPN.com, Moore’s release was “due to repeated violations of team rules and behavior and maturity issues that have not improved during his three years in the NFL” and “that the decision to waive him was based on the accumulation of issues, not just one fight.”

ESPN.com also said that Moore repeatedly responded poorly to efforts by teammates, coaches, and team officials to take practice more seriously and “feuded openly with some team officials, including general manager Jerry Reese, when confronted about his behavior.”

Moore played in 11 games in 2015 with no starts, accruing 23 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Despite being healthy, Moore was inactive in Week 7 against Dallas, presumably for his late hit against the Eagles the week before.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
DE Robert Ayers (neck) and LB Devon Kennard (hamstring/foot) did not practice on Friday. Ayers was a new addition to the injury report after fully practicing on Thursday.

LT Ereck Flowers (ankle), RT Marshall Newhouse (back) and S Brandon Meriweather (knee) were limited in practice. Flowers returned to practice after not practicing on Thursday.

TOM COUGHLIN AND THE COORDINATORS 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:

ARTICLES

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Instead of practicing, the Giants will hold a “recovery day” on Saturday. The players will select two of six recovery stations, based on seniority. Their choices are massage, yoga, FMS (Functional Movement Screen) exercises designed for the individual, air compression boots, contrast bath (between a hot and cold tub), and self-massage with stick rollers and elastic bands.

The Giants will also have a 45-minute, up-tempo “walk-thru” practice on Sunday that is not open to the media. The Giants play the Miami Dolphins on Monday.

Nov 272015
 


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NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
TE Larry Donnell (neck), LG Justin Pugh (concussion), and LB Mark Herzlich (quad) have officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins. OC Weston Richburg (ankle) is listed as “doubtful” for the game.

NJ.com is reporting that an MRI taken on Donnell’s neck on Wednesday did not reveal any serious long-term damage, but Donnell is still likely to miss at least four games and possibly the remainder of the regular-season.

“It’s in pretty rough shape,” Donnell said. “It’s going to be a while before I’m able to play again…There’s a chance I could play again this season, but this is not an arm, not a foot. This is my neck. I’ve broken arms, broken legs and I knew they were broken. This is a neck, so we just have to be really careful.”

“The fact is (Donnell is) not where they want him to be when they would give him the green light, so he’s not ready to go,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “(Putting him on season-ending Injured Reserve is) something that would be determined as we go along.”

Regarding Richburg, who practiced on Wednesday but not on Thursday, Coughlin said, “There was no re-injury, obviously he had a few snaps the day before and it didn’t work out.”

LB J.T. Thomas (ankle) is “questionable” for the game.

OG Geoff Schwartz (ankle), DE Damontre Moore (hamstring), LB Uani ‘Unga (neck),  CB Prince Amukamara (pectoral), and CB Leon McFadden (groin) are “probable” for the game.

TOM COUGHLIN AND THE COORDINATORS 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:

ARTICLES

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants will have a 45-minute, up-tempo “walk-thru” practice on Saturday that is not open to the media. The Giants play the Washington Redskins in Maryland on Sunday.

Nov 252015
 
Larry Donnell, New York Giants (October 11, 2015)

Larry Donnell – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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QUINCY MONK PASSES AWAY…
Former New York Giants linebacker Quincy Monk (2002-03), who was drafted by the team in the 7th round of the 2002 NFL Draft, has passed away at the age of 36 due to cancer (adenocarcinoma). He leaves behind a wife and two children.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
TE Larry Donnell (neck), LG Justin Pugh (concussion), and LB Mark Herzlich (quad) did not practice on Wednesday.

Pugh is still experiencing concussion-like symptoms 17 days after he was injured against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 8th. Head Coach Tom Coughlin said that Pugh has improved “very little.”

The situation with Donnell is also sounding more serious. Donnell said on Monday that he was cleared to return to practice. “(Donnell) continues to have the issues,” said Coughlin.

“It’s not looking good,” said Donnell. “Monday, I was fine. I was out there running, jumping around. I felt good, but I had more tests to get cleared yesterday and they found something else. So I’ve got to go talk to them about it and see what’s going on…I feel fine now, but I mean obviously something is wrong, so we’ve just got to figure it out and see what the process is…We’ve got to make sure everything’s OK in there. That’s more than football you’re talking about, when it’s your neck.”

OC Weston Richburg (ankle) and LB J.T. Thomas (ankle) practiced on a limited basis.

“(Richburg) going to be limited and we’ll see,” said Coughlin before practice. “We expect to hope to have him take a limited number of snaps but take some snaps, and we’ll see.”

OG Geoff Schwartz (ankle), DE Damontre Moore (hamstring), LB Uani ‘Unga (neck),  CB Prince Amukamara (pectoral), and CB Leon McFadden (groin) fully practiced.

HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN…
The transcript of Tom Coughlin’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
The following transcripts and video of player media sessions on Wednesday are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice on Thursday and hold physical recovery cycles on Friday in advance of Sunday’s away game against the Washington Redskins.

Nov 152015
 
Jasper Brinkley, New York Giants (November 15, 2015)

Jasper Brinkley – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 26
The New York Giants lost another heart-breaker today by falling to the New England Patriots on a 54-yard field goal with six seconds to play. This came after replay officials overturned a touchdown pass to Odell Beckham with two minutes left in the game. The Giants settled for the field goal instead of the touchdown. On the Patriots’ game-winning possession, safety Landon Collins dropped a sure interception and New England also converted on 4th-and-10 to keep the drive alive.

Odell Beckham, New York Giants (November 15, 2015)

Odell Beckham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

“We lost the game,” said Beckham. “I lost us the game with the play down in the end zone, a play that should have been made. You can’t leave it up to the officials to get anything right. You’ve got to make the play yourself and it was just a case of playing the play longer than the opponent.”

The Giants have led in the 4th quarter in four of their five losses this year – four losses by a combined nine points. In the last three weeks, the Giants have lost two games on 50-yard or longer field goals in the waning seconds. With the defeat, the Giants fell to 5-5 overall, but still remain in first place in the NFC East. They have a bye coming up next weekend.

New England received the football to start the game and promptly drove 80 yards in 14 plays to take a 7-0 lead on quarterback Tom Brady’s 1-yard touchdown throw to tight end Scott Chandler. The Giants quickly tied the game on their second offensive snap when quarterback Eli Manning hit Beckham for an 87-yard touchdown pass.

After both teams went three-and-out, the Patriots regained the lead with a 10-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a 31-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Giants then threatened by driving from their own 20-yard line to the Patriots’ 16, but on 1st-and-10, Manning was sacked by defensive end Chandler Jones, causing a fumble that was recovered by New England. The Giants’ defense forced another three-and-out and the Giants then responded with 9-play, 35-yard drive that ended with game-tying, 37-yard field goal.

The Patriots were forced to punt the ball away on the ensuing possession. With only 1:09 on the clock, the Giants marched 74 yards in seven plays and 56 seconds to take a 17-10 halftime advantage when Manning found wide receiver Dwayne Harris for a 1-yard touchdown. Big plays on the drive included 31-yard passes each to wide receiver Rueben Randle and tight end Will Tye.

The Giants received the football to start the second half and managed to put together a lengthy, 10-play, 60-yard effort that resulted in a 38-yard field goal by place kicker Josh Brown and a 20-10 lead. After both teams went three-and-out, then came a pivotal moment in the game. Punter Brad Wing’s punt was fielded by returner Danny Amendola at the New England 11-yard line. Gunner Dwayne Harris thought Amendola had signaled for a fair catch and ran by the returner, who was then off on an 82-yard punt return that gave the Patriots’ offense the ball at the Giants’ 7-yard line. Three plays later, New England cut the score to 20-17 when running back LeGarrette Blount rushed for a 1-yard touchdown.

The Giants extended their advantage to 23-17 on the ensuing possession by moving the ball 45 yards in nine plays to set up a successful 53-yard field goal by Brown. The Giants then blew an opportunity to increase their lead after linebacker Jasper Brinkley sacked and forced Brady to fumble. Defensive Markus Kuhn recovered the loose ball and returned it eight yards to the Patriots’ 31-yard line. However, a sack took the Giants out of field goal range and they were forced to punt. Three plays later, Brady hit tight end Rob Gronkowski for a 76-yard scoring play. The Patriots were now up 24-23 with 11:33 to play.

Trumaine McBride, New York Giants (November 15, 2015)

Trumaine McBride – © USA TODAY Sports Images

The Giants went three-and-out. It looked like New England was about to put the game away by driving from their own 19-yard line to the New York 5-yard line. But on 2nd-and-goal, Brady was intercepted by cornerback Trumaine McBride at the 1-yard line, and the pick was returned two yards to the 3-yard line with 6:01 to play.

The Giants moved the ball 86 yards in 15 plays. On 1st-and-goal from the 5-yard line, with 2:06 left in the game, Manning hit Beckham for an apparent touchdown, but cornerback Malcom Butler knocked the ball out of Beckham’s hands after the receiver came down with the catch in the end zone. Replay officials overturned the touchdown. After an incomplete pass, Manning was sacked and Brown kicked his fourth field goal of the game – a 29 yarder – for the 26-24 lead with 1:47 to play.

Brady and the Patriots started their final, game-winning possession at their own 20-yard line. On the first play, Collins dropped what should have been the game-winning interception. After two more incomplete passes, Brady found Amendola for 12 yards on 4th-and-10. Brady completed four of his next six passes for 32 yards to set up the 54-yard field goal with six seconds to play.

Offensively, Manning finished 24-of-44 for 361 yards, 2 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. His leading receivers were Harris (6 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown), Tye (5 catches for 56 yards), and Beckham (four catches for 104 yards and a touchdown). The Giants only rushed for 80 yards, with running back Rashad Jennings the leading carrier with 39 yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, the Giants allowed 406 total net yards (77 rushing and 329 passing). The Giants forced two turnovers (1 interception and 1 fumble recovery). Brinkley led the team with 12 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Safety Craig Dahl and defensive end Robert Ayers also had sacks.

Video highlights/lowlights are available at NFL.com.

INJURY REPORT…
Center Weston Richburg was carted off of the field in the 3rd quarter with a high ankle sprain. No word yet on the severity of the injury, but Richburg was in a walking boot after the game. Safety Landon Collins is also being evaluated for a possible concussion.

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

POST-GAME NOTES…
Inactive for the Giants were WR Victor Cruz (calf), LG Justin Pugh (illness), TE Larry Donnell (neck), LB J.T. Thomas (ankle), LB Uani ‘Unga (neck), CB Prince Amukamara (pectoral), and CB Leon McFadden (groin).