Thursday’s Giants Injury Report and Press Conferences

 Posted by
Dec 232021
 
Azeez Ojulari and Leonard Williams, New York Giants (December 19, 2021)

Azeez Ojulari and Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

DECEMBER 23, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not on the official injury list, but also not practicing due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List were WR Kadarius Toney, WR John Ross, LB Cam Brown, LB Oshane Ximines, CB Adoree’ Jackson, CB Aaron Robinson, CB Keion Crossen, and S J.R. Reed. Practice Squad player S Natrell Jamerson also remains on the list.

“Kadarius, Oshane, and J.R. Reed are all back in the building,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “All three of them will work with the trainers at least to start practice to see where they’re at, to ramp them up. We’ll see if there’s any opportunity on the backend of practice even with some kind of a walkthrough with the team or where they would be. We’d have to remove them from the list and activate them to the roster to include them in team activities. First priority is to see where they are physically. Obviously, the trainers will check with them in terms of just how they feel. They’ve cleared all those tests, they’ve tested negative to get back in the building, but the bigger part will be getting them out here and seeing where they are from a standpoint of inactivity for the last week-and-a-half as well as the symptoms they had to deal with.”

OG Ben Bredeson (ankle) did not practice.

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), RB Gary Brightwell (neck), FB Cullen Gillaspia (shin), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), OT Andrew Thomas (ankle), NT Austin Johnson (foot), and DL Leonard Williams (triceps).

ROSTER MOVES…
After Thursday’s injury report was officially issued, the team announced that WR Kadarius Toney has been activated from Reserve/COVID-19 List. However, Toney is still dealing with an oblique injury and his status for Sunday’s game is in question.

The Giants activated WR/returner Pharoh Cooper from the Practice Squad as a COVID-19 replacement.

The team has also signed CB Darqueze Dennard and S Dwayne Johnson, Jr. to the Practice Squad.

The 30-year old, 5’11”, 205-pound Dennard was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He has spent time with the Bengals (2014–2019), Atlanta Falcons (2020), Arizona Cardinals (2021), and Indianapolis Colts (2021). Dennard has played in 85 regular-season games with 30 starts. He has not played in a game this year.

The 24-year old, 6’1”, 207-pound Johnson was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Atlanta Falcons after the 2021 NFL Draft.  He spent almost two months on Atlanta’s Practice Squad before being cut in late October.

NO GIANTS ELECTED TO PRO BOWL…
No New York Giant was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2021.

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…
There is no media availability to the Giants for the rest of the week. The team will likely issue an updated injury report on Friday. The Giants play the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday.

No Official Decision on Who Will Start at Quarterback

 Posted by
Dec 222021
 
Jake Fromm, New York Giants (December 19, 2021)

Jake Fromm – © USA TODAY Sports

NO OFFICIAL DECISION ON WHO WILL START AT QUARTERBACK…
As expected, Head Coach Joe Judge is holding his cards close to his vest and the team has yet to announce if Mike Glennon or Jake Fromm will start at quarterback this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Daniel Jones was placed on Injured Reserve with a neck injury on Monday. His season is over.

“We’re going to watch the guys practice throughout the week, and we’ll see where they are at the end of the week,” Judge said. “I wouldn’t expect any announcement until maybe the end of the week at the earliest.”

Glennon has struggled since taking over for Jones. He is 0-3 as a starter in the last three contests, and is coming off a 3-interception game against the Dallas Cowboys. Fromm, who the Giants signed off of the Practice Squad of the Buffalo Bills at the end of November, saw his first action last week with under four minutes to play in the game.

“We’ve seen more of Mike than Jake,” said Judge. “Jake’s been new to the offense. We saw a little bit of Jake in the game the other day. I said the other day, there’s a drastic difference between starting an NFL game and just coming in at the end, so there’s a lot of things you’re going to see structurally, defensively, the situations in the game that pop up. Playing the entire game is a lot different than coming in at the end of the game and just playing a snapshot for us as a team to see. Both guys have worked hard, both guys have done very good things for the team. I’m pleased with the way both guys showed some leadership with the groups around them. We’re going to watch them go through, watch them run the offense, prepare for it and we’ll make our decision at the end of the week.”

DECEMBER 22, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants held a light, walk-thru practice on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not on the official injury list, but also not practicing due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List were WR Kadarius Toney, WR John Ross, LB Cam Brown, LB Oshane Ximines, CB Adoree’ Jackson, CB Aaron Robinson, CB Keion Crossen, and S J.R. Reed. Practice Squad player S Natrell Jamerson also remains on the list.

Not practicing were RB Gary Brightwell (neck) and OG Ben Bredeson (ankle).

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), FB Cullen Gillaspia (shin), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), OT Andrew Thomas (ankle), NT Austin Johnson (foot), and DL Leonard Williams (triceps).

ROSTER MOVE…
On Tuesday, the Giants terminated the Practice Squad contract of TE Jake Hausmann.

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

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

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

Season Over for Daniel Jones and Sterling Shepard

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

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dallas Cowboys 21 – New York Giants 6

 Posted by
Dec 192021
 

DALLAS COWBOYS 21 – NEW YORK GIANTS 6…
The Dallas Cowboys did not bring their “A” game and the contest was not as one-sided as expected by many, but the New York Giants were soundly defeated 21-6 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants fell to 4-10 on the season and have lost nine of their last 10 games against the Cowboys. The Giants have guaranteed themselves their fifth double-digit loss season in a row, and their seventh in eight years.

Adding injury to insult, the Giants also lost wide receiver Sterling Shepard at the end of the game with a torn Achilles’ tendon.

The overall team statistics were surprisingly close in a few areas. Dallas only held slight advantages in total offensive plays (70 to 61), total net yards (328 to 302), net yards rushing (125 to 124), and net yards passing (203 to 178). However, the Cowboys dominated the all-important turnover battle (4 to 1). The passing yards were also more than a bit misleading in that a net 79 of them came in garbage time with quarterback Jake Fromm playing.

In a nutshell, an undermanned New York defense kept the Giants in the game, but the team’s offense was simply dreadful.

The Giants had 10 total offensive possessions. They resulted in four turnovers, two turnovers on downs, two punts, and two field goals. Nine of Dallas’ 15 first-half points came off of New York turnovers, with the Cowboys beginning a touchdown “drive” at the Giants’ 13-yard line after an interception thrown by quarterback Mike Glennon. Running back Ezekiel Elliot scored from 13 yards out (the extra point failed). The Cowboys also began their last field goal drive of the first half after running back Saquon Barkley fumbled the ball away at the New York 46-yard line with 41 seconds left before halftime.

New York’s other two first half drives were an 11-play, 58-yard affair that ended with a 35-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano and a four-play drive that ended with a punt. Dallas’ first possession ended with a punt after gaining 45 yards on 10 plays. They also had two other long drives that ended with field goals, one gaining 58 yards on 10 plays and the other 68 yards on 16 plays.

Glennon finished the first half 6-of-9 for just 45 yards, with one pass being completed to a wide receiver, and an interception. At the break, the Cowboys led 15-3.

The Giants cut the score to 15-6 on their first possession of the second half by driving 51 yards in eight plays to set up a 42-yard field goal by Gano. Unfortunately, that would be New York’s last points of the day. Glennon’s next four possessions resulted in a turnover on downs (failed 4th-and-1 quarterback sneak that gave Dallas the ball at the New York 29-yard line), a punt, and two interceptions. The turnover on downs led to a Dallas touchdown five plays later, making the score 21-6 (extra point failed again) near the end of the 3rd quarter.

Neither team scored in the 4th quarter. This is when Glennon tossed interceptions #2 and #3 before being benched by Fromm with under four minutes to play. The Cowboys punted twice more and turned the ball over when linebacker Lorenzo Carter sacked quarterback Dak Prescott and forced a fumble that nose tackle Austin Johnson recovered. Carter finished the game with 4 tackles, 3 quarterback hits, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass defense.

Glennon finished the game an abysmal 13-of-24 for 99 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. His quarterback rating was 24.8. Running back Devontae Booker carried the ball eight times for 74 yards. Barkley chipped in with 50 yards on 15 carries, but also fumbled the ball away.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated S Xavier McKinney from the Reserve/COVID-19 List. They also re-signed CB Sam Beal to the Practice Squad. In addition, the team activated WR Alex Bachman, LB Jaylon Smith, and CB Jarren Williams from the Practice Squad as COVID-19 replacements.

Missing the game due to COVID-19 were WR Kadarius Toney, WR John Ross, LB Cam Brown, LB Oshane Ximines, CB Aaron Robinson, CB Adoree’ Jackson, and S J.R. Reed.

Inactive for the game were QB Daniel Jones (neck) and OG Ben Bredeson (ankle).

RB Gary Brightwell suffered a neck injury in the first half and did not return. WR Sterling Shepard left the game late with a torn Achilles’ tendon in his left leg. His season, and possibly his career with the Giants, may be over.

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

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

More Giants Test Positive, Giants Running Out of Players in Secondary

 Posted by
Dec 172021
 

Come for the free soda!

DECEMBER 17, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants did not hold their regular on Friday due to concerns about COVID-19. Instead, they held a brief walk-thru followed by virtual meetings. The following injury report is more of a projection.

The only player listed as not “practicing” was OG Ben Bredeson (ankle). He is officially listed as “doubtful” for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Not on the official injury list, but also not practicing due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List were WR Kadarius Toney, WR John Ross, LB Cam Brown, LB Oshane Ximines, CB Aaron Robinson, CB Adoree’ Jackson (also dealing with a quad injury), S Xavier McKinney, and S J.R. Reed.

Reed was added to the Reserve/COVID-19 List on Friday along with Practice Squad S Natrell Jamerson. None of the COVID players are expected to play with the possible exception of McKinney since he is close contact player who has tested negative.

Limited in “practice” were QB Daniel Jones (neck), RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Sterling Shepard (calf), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), LT Andrew Thomas (ankle), DE Leonard Williams (triceps), NT Austin Johnson (foot), NT Danny Shelton (calf), LB Reggie Ragland (illness), CB Jarren Williams (illness), and S Steven Parker (illness).

Jones has been ruled out of the game. Shepard, Johnson, and Leonard Williams are “questionable.” The rest are expected to play.

LB Benardrick McKinney (illness), LB Elerson Smith (illness), and PK Graham Gano (illness) fully practiced. All three are expected to play on Sunday.

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have activated DL David Moa from the Practice Squad as a COVID-19 replacement.

The team also signed LB Jaylon Smith to the Practice Squad. The 26-year old, 6’2”, 243-pound Smith was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Smith was with the Cowboys until October 2021 when the team cut him. He spent a month with the Green Bay Packers before they cut him in early November. Smith has played in 70 regular-season games with 56 starts. He suffered serious knee injuries in college and his rookie season in the NFL.

The Giants also waived S Quincy Wilson off of Injured Reserve with an injury settlement. The Giants placed Wilson on Injured Reserve in August 2021 with an ankle injury that he suffered in the preseason. The 6’2”, 193-pound Wilson was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He has spent time with Colts (2017-2019) and New York Jets (2020). The Giants signed Wilson to the Practice Squad in November 2020.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Friday is available in The Corner Forum.

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

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

Joe Judge’s Monday Post-Mortem; Leonard Williams May Be Done

 Posted by
Dec 132021
 
Joe Judge, New York Giants (December 12, 2021)

Joe Judge – © USA TODAY Sports

LEONARD WILLIAMS COULD MISS THE REST OF THE SEASON…
The NFL Network it reporting that the right elbow injury suffered by DE Leonard Williams on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers could be “significant.” Williams is undergoing more tests but he could miss the final four games of the season.

DECEMBER 13, 2021 JOE JUDGE PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Joe Judge addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 37-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers:

Q: You had I think 28 plays in the first half, nine rushes. That key sequence before the half when you started on the plus-41, you had three throws and you don’t move the ball. Why did you get away from the rush in the first half against a team that was really struggling to defend it?

A: We came back to the run. I thought they ran the ball pretty effectively in the second half and that was something that helped us. Specifically on that end-of-half situation, we thought we had an opportunity with the screen pass getting out to the flat. There was an opportunity to make a big play right there. We’ve got to go ahead and execute, make sure we get the blocks started and get (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley) started in space. Third down play, there were some opportunities there for a catch-and-run. We knew the kind of defense they were going to be playing. We could have done a sub-run, kind of let them go ahead and run it. At the same time, we wanted to go ahead and push and take advantage of some opportunities to strike down the field, but also open up the underneath, as well. Do we go back and look at it in terms of do we run the ball? We consider that. A lot of times you’ve got to consider the short catch-and-run type of passes as an extension of your running game, as well. Still an opportunity to get the ball in the hands of your running backs in space, keep them at bay a little bit in terms of what they expect at certain times. But we were in a position there where the way we had to go ahead and finish that is, first off, we can’t go backwards and have negative yards. We’ve got to make sure we end that with at least three points, but really you want touchdowns in that situation. Then, when we have the opportunity to execute the punt when we stalled out on offense – which is something we’ve got to do better – we have to go ahead and put them down there on as long a field as possible. There are some things we left, some meat on the bone there. In terms of going specifically away from the run, we’ve talked about that in terms of running the ball. The screen and the short catch-and-runs are really an extension of the run game in terms of how we view it. Thought we had some opportunities there, just got to capitalize on them.

Q: You talked last night about a foundation being poured, but you said that some of those things we can’t really see externally. Can you expand a little bit on the kinds of things that you see that you feel good about?

A: Yeah, absolutely. First off, it always starts with the players, right? What I see on the field right now is we have a lot of young, developing players, a lot of guys that are going to end up being impact players for us and build a strong foundation on the field. There are a number of guys who are rookies, who are in their second or maybe even third year of their contracts that are really starting to turn the corner and show a lot of gains in terms of performance on the field as players, guys at key positions that you can see as we watch these guys in terms of how they practice and how they’re starting to carry it over. The reality is we put a lot of young players on the field and there are some learning curves and there are some things we have to help eliminate and can’t have one-offs with mistakes. But you can see the right demeanor of play, you can see the right style of play of what we want.

On top of being good players, we’re getting the right kind of people in the building. We’re getting team-first people. We’re getting guys who are putting the team first on decisions they make. We’re also getting guys that are fighting adversity. We’re getting guys who come to work every week and no matter what happened the week before, they put in a solid week to prepare, put the team first and do everything they can to have a chance to have success. I see guys who are going ahead and they’re being good leaders within the building, they’re helping their teammates along the way. They’re setting good examples for the young players. I’m pleased with how our veteran players are taking guys under their wing and trying to help guys develop. There are leaders within the locker room. I’m pleased with the way our guys handle themselves publicly in terms of representing the organization. I’m pleased with the fight they show on the field. There are a lot of intangible things that you try to build when you start a program. Some of the things we look at, which are some of the hardest things to do when you take over a program, can’t be seen.

One of the things I found out being in a different place for the first time in a while – and really (Assistant Head Coach) Pat Graham and (Quarterbacks Coach) Jerry Schuplinski after coming from that experience their first year in Miami with Flo (Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores) down there, one thing they kept talking to me over and over about was that you’re not going to understand or believe how tough it is to teach people how to practice. Really, good teams practice the right way, and I can think of examples last year and then this year with a lot of new players and the way some of the things were learned through training camp, but getting guys on the right page of how to come out and practice and prepare. That goes through how you meet throughout the day, how you prepare your body, but then when you go on the field, how to practice with the right tempo, the right intensity, the right execution and detail. That’s something that took some time, a lot longer than I thought. It’s not as simple as saying this is how this drill goes and what to do. It’s how to practice as a whole. You see the right makings of how guys go out there and prepare for practice, and that’s really a key element in having success, obviously about how you prepare. There’s a lot of things within the building in terms of how guys are not only taking care of their bodies but doing the right things and changing the nutrition program inside. It helps when these younger players really develop and put on the size and the strength that they have to to really develop their bodies.

We talk about the intangible things, about how the guys put the team first and treat the people in the building and make sure that they’re doing everything the right way to represent the organization and put the team first. There are a lot of things internally I see growth in on a daily basis. There are a lot of things that show up in how we practice, a lot of things I see with developing players. There are a lot of traits and things that when you look at depth charts that you’re secured with contracts going into the future, and you look and say, ‘Are these pieces we can build with? Are these guys at these positions we think can make an impact?’ When the answer is yes at a key number of spots, then that’s a positive note. You have to get these young players developing, you have to make sure the older players continue to make an impact, you have to make sure you put each of your players in positions to have success, but getting the right kind of guys in the building – that’s physically as players to fit your system, that’s the right kind of character and culture that you have to have going forward – those are key things that you have to do.

Then, making sure everyone’s on the same page in terms of how you practice, prepare and conduct yourself throughout the course of a year, specifically the course of a week, to get ready. Those are key things. Those are key elements that you have to get done and get accomplished. It’s not simple. It’s not fantasy football, you don’t come on in, you don’t select a couple players in the draft and sign someone in free agency and say, ‘Every problem is solved.’ You’ve got to come in and put all the pieces in place over time. There are a lot of examples of teams that have come in and had quick success and then filtered out quickly, but there are better examples of teams that have come in and collectively gone together and put the team together the right away over the course of a few seasons and had sustained success over time.

I’m very pleased with the way we’ve been able to push and get guys going throughout the culture, pleased in the way our locker room conducts itself and handles itself. I’m very pleased with the leadership that’s being built, I’m very pleased with the toughness our guys have shown mentally and physically to fight through injuries or adversity to go out there and put the team first. There are a lot of things I see on a daily basis. I can tell every morning when I start my squad meeting where the team is at. I can tell by looking at eyes. I look at eyes all the times. I tell the players I’m always looking at eyes because I can see everything in your eyes and you can’t hide it. I can see when their eyes are intent and engaged and they’re working on getting better as a team and they’re working on playing for the man next to them. I can see that. I can see when a guy is disengaged, too. When I see that, I’ve got to grab a guy, pull him to the side and figure out what makes him tick, and get him back involved with the team and make sure this guy is on the same page as everyone else.

But I can see the eyes in our guys. I can see the eyes before a game. I can see the eyes yesterday at halftime knowing they’re going to go out there and they’re going to continue to fight and we’re going to claw our way back in the game. And I can see the eyes after the game that we didn’t play well enough to win, but we’re going to show up as a team on Wednesday and we’re going to go to work. That’s what we’re always going to do. There are a lot of things that aren’t seen on the outside.

Ultimately, I say it all the time, it’s a production business. We understand that. We understand that, but before you start getting all the results that everyone can see, you’ve got to get all the things behind the scenes right and you’ve got to get it going in the right direction. When you talk about the foundation, it’s the most important part. Unless you have a strong foundation with your locker room, with your culture, with the way you’re developing players, you don’t have any chance to sustain anything on the field – not for any meaningful duration of time. I’ve said this from the beginning, I’m not interested in coming and having some kind of quick flash, I’m not interested in shortcuts, I’m not interested in quick fixes. I want to do this the right way and when I took this job, I made it very, very clear that I was only going to do this if we were all committed to doing this the right way and that’s been something that’s been very clear from ownership on down.

I’m very happy with the support the ownership gives. Both families are tremendous people to work for and I know that this team is very, very important to them. To be honest with you, it’s their family business and football’s my family business, too. I take a lot of pride in what we do and the product is important to me not only in just the wins and losses, which ultimately in this business is the most important part, but it’s also how you do it and how you prepare and how you conduct yourself throughout the course of the week, how your team represents you on and off the field and how the players reflect what you’re trying to represent within that community and the city you represent. So, I hope that answers some of it.

Q: I’ve got a couple for you. Yesterday in your answer on the foundation and in that five-minute one right there, you sound like a guy who’s sure he’s going to be back next year. Have you had that conversation? Have they told you you’re definitely the coach next year?

A: Let me make this really perfectly clear, my or anybody else’s hypothetical future, I’m never going to comment (on). Does everybody understand that? Point blank. So, you can ask me about (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator) Pat Graham, not going to answer you. You can ask me about (Defensive Backs Coach) Jerome Henderson, not going to answer you. You can ask me about a number of coaches, I’m not going to answer. I’m not going to answer about myself either. I’m not going to speak on hypotheticals. I’m interested in building this team and moving forward. Our focus after today will shift to the Cowboys.

Q: (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones), what’s the update after his medical checkup today?

A: So, actually as we speak, he’s back in Jersey and in the scanner and then we’ll wait to see doctors. I don’t have any updates for you right now. I probably won’t have the information until I get off the flight by the time he sees the doctors. (Senior Vice President, Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer) Ronnie Barnes is with him. They also took some of the images with them from (Defensive Lineman) Leo’s (Williams) MRI last night and our doctors back in Jersey will look at those and give us the information after they see him.

Q: I wanted to ask big-picture, kind of free agency. You guys hit the jackpot last year with (Cornerback James) Bradberry, (Defensive Back) Logan (Ryan) and (Linebacker Blake) Martinez. You hit the jackpot. They all came in and they all had great years. It hasn’t worked out quite as well for (Wide Receiver) Kenny (Golladay), (Cornerback) Adoree’ (Jackson), (Tight End) Kyle Rudolph. What do you see from those guys in terms of free agency and do you agree with the football adage that relying on free agency is risky and it’s a much better foundational strategy to draft and develop?

A: Let me be clear through this, in terms of specifically to Kenny and Adoree’ and Kyle as well, I’m very pleased on all three of those guys in terms of how they’re pushing forward and working to make contributions. Now, all three have dealt with health issues this year that have set them back a good bit. I’ve seen Adoree’ progress in our program and make a lot of plays for us and play aggressive. Obviously, he’s been set back with some injuries. Kenny, the same thing. He’s been removed at certain points due to injury. There’s been a heightened focus of making sure that he’s been a focal point of the offense in recent weeks. I think yesterday they did a good job of doing some things to put extra focus on Kenny defensively and when that happens, we’ve got to make sure we get the ball and distribute it around the field and let other guys make some plays. In terms of those three guys, I think it’s important when you bring in free agents that, again, I’ve said this, you’re not playing fantasy football. You’re bringing in the right kind of guys to your building. With all three of those guys, they are guys that I had sit down meetings with before they came in because I wanted to make sure character-wise they fit what we were looking for. I can watch the tape, I understand they’re all accomplished players, but character-wise they have to fit what we’re looking for. With all three guys, these are guys that come to work every day, they work hard for their teammates, they put the team first. But you’ve got to make sure they fit what you’re doing and that’s not always the case with every free agent in the National Football League because guys come out of the league from different teams. Their experiences and their exposure to what is the culture or what is acceptable or however you want to phrase it is different in different places. You have to make sure you’re getting someone who has the same values as what you’re instilling in the players you draft and develop. Ultimately, to me, you build a team through the draft. That’s the way to truly build and sustain a program. However, in free agency you have to be able to add players at need positions who can come in and help progress the program, but they’ve got to fit what you’re looking for culture and character-wise on top of just schematically and football ability.

Q: Obviously, you put an emphasis on trying to get the ball to Kenny more in recent weeks. Why do you think it’s not working?

A: I think he’s seen the ball in some key situations the previous weeks as far as being able to make an impact. He has. I think we’ve done a decent job schematically of distributing the ball to a number of different targets. The focus has really been to keep all of our guys involved and to make sure we put them in situations where we create space for them and kind of catch-and-runs. You see whether that’s Saquon on a number of positions, Shep (Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard) yesterday, (Tight End) Evan (Engram), pushing the ball down the field to him, Kenny in his roles. Obviously, we’ve got to find different ways to make sure we keep those guys involved, but as you watch the tape as I did several times since yesterday’s game was over, they did some things to guard Kenny a little bit, but he found his way to get open, too. He’s going to be a guy that’s going to make a lot of contested catches and challenged catches, and we’ve got to make sure we keep feeding him the ball.

Q: Are you any more or less optimistic on Daniel? Has anything actually changed heading into this week compared to the previous weeks?

A: I’d say in terms of Daniel, obviously we’re still waiting on the information. I don’t really have anything new for you at this moment. We have to wait for him to be cleared for contact. I wouldn’t say – I have nothing negative, nothing less optimistic about it, if that makes sense? I have no information to tell me that anything’s going in a different direction. We’re waiting eagerly like you guys are to hear what the doctors say, and we’ll see where it is for this week.

Los Angeles Chargers 37 – New York Giants 21

 Posted by
Dec 122021
 

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 37 – NEW YORK GIANTS 21…
An incompetent, uncompetitive, poorly-coached, and talent-deficient New York Giants team was utterly humiliated 37-21 by a Los Angeles Chargers team that barely broke a sweat on Sunday afternoon. Two late touchdowns by the Giants made the final score misleading. Indeed, the game seemed more lopsided than when the Chargers went up 37-7 in the 4th quarter. The Giants are now 4-9 on the season with four games left to play. The Giants will have a losing season for the eighth time in the last nine years.

The contest was best epitomized by what transpired in the final two minutes of the first half. Already leading 17-7, the Chargers were forced to punt the ball from their own 8-yard line. The Giants got the ball back, 1st-and-10 on the Los Angeles 41-yard line with 1:40 left before halftime. Three straight pass attempts by starting quarterback Mike Glennon resulted in the Giants actually losing two yards. Riley Dixon’s punt only traveled 18 yards. The Chargers got the ball back on their own 25-yard line with 40 seconds on the clock. Four plays later, with 25 seconds left, quarterback Justin Herbert threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to give the Chargers a 24-7 advantage at the break.

Of note, the Giants have now been outscored 59-0 in the final two minutes of first halves this season.

Five of New York’s six first-half possessions resulted in two first downs and five punts. Four of those drives gained only 17 yards. The only first-half points came on the third possession, a 7-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Glennon to fullback Eli Penny. This tied the game at 7-7. It was all downhill for New York after that.

The Chargers’ six first-half possessions resulted in three touchdowns, a field goal, and two punts.

With the game already out-of-hand, the second half was like watching a slow death. The Chargers scored on each of their first three drives, adding two field goals and another touchdown. Meanwhile, the Giants turned the football over on downs (an incomplete pass by Dixon on a fake punt) and fumbled (Glennon was sacked on 4th-and-9 near midfield, fumbling the ball away to Los Angeles). The outcome of all of this was the Chargers going up 37-7 with 9:28 left in the game.

The Giants made the score more respectable with two late touchdown drives. The first was a 10-play, 75-yard affair that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Glennon to running back Saquon Barkley (the Giants failed on the 2-point conversion). After a Los Angeles punt, the Giants drove 63 yards in seven plays, with Glennon scrambling seven yards four a touchdown. A 2-point conversion run by Penny cut the score to 37-21.

New York actually successfully recovered an onside kick with 1:18 left to play. But four plays later, Glennon was picked off with 47 seconds left.

Glennon finished the game 17-of-36 for 191 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also fumbled the ball away. Running back Devontae Booker was the leading receiver with just four catches for 28 yards. Barkley carried the ball 16 times for 64 yards, and Booker gained 56 yards on eight carries.

The defense was abysmal, allowing 423 yards of offense and seven scoring drives (four touchdowns, three field goals). The Giants only broke up one pass. Herbert finished the game with a 133.1 quarterback rating. The Chargers also ran for 152 yards. New York did not force a turnover.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
The Giants elevated CB Jarren Williams from the Practice Squad. In addition, WR/returner Pharoh Cooper was activated from the Practice Squad as a COVID-19 replacement for OG Wes Martin (Reserve/COVID-19 List).

Inactive for the game were QB Daniel Jones (neck), WR Kadarius Toney (oblique), CB Adoree’ Jackson (quad), WR Collin Johnson, and LB Oshane Ximines.

DE Leonard Williams injured elbow in the second quarter and did not return to the game.

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

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

Giants Offensive Firepower Remains on Injury Report

 Posted by
Dec 082021
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (December 5, 2021)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

DECEMBER 8, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Wednesday at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Not practicing were QB Mike Glennon (concussion), WR Kenny Golladay (rib), WR Kadarius Toney (oblique), and CB Adoree’ Jackson (quad).

“Mike’s still in the (concussion) protocol,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “He’s moving along at that pace. We’re optimistic he’s going to be fully cleared and getting ready to play. Mike will be with the trainers for the most part of the morning and in walk-through. He’ll do some things with us in the afternoon. He’ll be back out here and active through the walk-through. Tomorrow will be a non-contact practice, which to be honest, for all of our quarterbacks really every practice on Thursday is non-contact. Friday will be a practice that he could be cleared full for and, again, the contact portion for a quarterback on Friday is lighter. We’ll put him through some designed drills to make sure he’s safe to go out there on Sunday, just as we did with Daniel earlier in the year coming off the Dallas game.”

When asked if he expects Glennon to start on Sunday, Judge replied, “I would. We have nothing at this point that would say he wouldn’t clear, so we’ll wait and see where that goes. But we’re going to prepare Jake as if he’s the starter today.”

Limited in practice were QB Daniel Jones (neck), RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), and WR Sterling Shepard (quad).

“(Jones) still hasn’t been cleared for contact,” said Judge. “He’ll continue to go through practice like he did last week. He’ll throw with the team. He’ll move. He’s in all of the meetings. We’ll see if anything changes in terms of his status, but he has not been cleared for contact… There’s nothing at this point that we’ve been told that would indicate this would be season-ending.”

When asked if there were any long-term concerns about Jones’ injury, Judge responded, “I think that’s about really the caution right now going into it, so we don’t create a long-term concern.”

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
On Tuesday, the Giants signed QB Clayton Thorson to the Practice Squad. To make room for Thorson, the team also placed CB Ka’Dar Hollman on the Practice Squad/Injured List.  Thorson spent most of 2020 on New York’s Practice Squad. He was re-signed in January and waived/injured in August. The 6’4”, 222-pound Thorson was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles cut him in August 2019 and he was then signed to the Practice Squad of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys cut him in early September 2020.

On Wednesday, the Washington Football team signed RB Jonathan Williams off of Practice Squad of the Giants. The 6’0”, 217-pound Williams was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He has spent time with the Bills (2016-2017), Denver Broncos (2017), New Orleans Saints (2017–2018), Indianapolis Colts (2018–2019), Detroit Lions (2020), and Washington Football Team (2020-2021). The Giants signed Williams to the Practice Squad in November 2021.

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

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

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

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

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

Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon – © USA TODAY Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miami Dolphins 20 – New York Giants 9

 Posted by
Dec 052021
 
Oompa Loompas

New York Giants offensive line in action!

MIAMI DOLPHINS 20 – NEW YORK GIANTS 9…
For all intents and purposes, the New York Giants’ season ended on Sunday when they were decisively beaten by an unimpressive Miami Dolphins team 20-9. With the loss, the Giants fell to 4-8 with five games left to play in the 2021 regular season.

The dreadful New York offense looked even worse with Mike Glennon subbing for the injured Daniel Jones at quarterback. The Giants scored a season-low nine points. (The team has scored more than 20 points this year in only four games). After the game, Glennon was diagnosed with a concussion.

Overall, team stats were comparable with the Dolphins holding slight advantages in offensive plays (68 to 64), first downs (19 to 16), total net yards (297 to 250), and time of possession (30:40 to 29:20). The Dolphins held a significant advantage in net passing yards (229 to 159), while the Giants out-rushed the Dolphins (91 to 68). Miami also won the turnover battle, 1 to 0.

The Giants only gained six first downs and scored three points in the first half, the results of their drives being:

  • 6 plays, 28 yards, 1 first down, punt
  • 7 plays, 45 yards, 3 first downs, interception
  • 7 plays, 16 yards, 1 first down, 39-yard field goal
  • 6 plays, 23 yards, 1 first down, punt
  • 1 play, 7 yards, end of half

It wasn’t much better in the second half, as the Giants only gained 10 first downs and six points (5 of those first downs and 3 of those points came when the game was out of reach):

  • 10 plays, 69 yards, 4 first downs, 34-yard field goal
  • 3 plays, 0 yards, 0 first downs, punt
  • 3 plays, 8 yards, 0 first downs, punt
  • 6 plays, 2 yards, 1 first down, punt
  • 3 plays, -8 yards, 0 first downs, punt
  • 10 plays, 25 yards, 2 first downs, 51-yard field goal
  • 6 plays, 32 yards, 3 first downs, missed 56-yard field goal

Glennon finished the game 23-of-44 for just 187 yards (4.25 yards per pass play) with no touchdowns and one interception. He was sacked three times and was credited with a 53.9 quarterback rating. In terms of catches, running back Saquon Barkley was his “leading” receiver with six catches for 19 yards. Tight end Evan Engram caught four passes for 61 yards. Barkley rushed 11 times for 55 yards and Devontae Booker rushed six times for 36 yards.

Defensively, the Giants performed decently, but they yet again gave up a touchdown drive right before halftime as the Dolphins drove 84 yards in 14 plays to take a 10-3 halftime lead. Two of Miami’s first-half drives resulted in points. The defense also allowed a 7-play, 61-yard touchdown drive early in the 4th quarter that all but sealed the game with the Dolphins now up 17-6. This was after the defense had forced four straight punts in the 3rd quarter. When the Giants cut the score to 17-9 with five minutes left in the game. The defense could not hold again, allowing a 10-play drive that ended with a field goal. Overall, the defense did not force a turnover and was credited with two sacks.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants signed S Steven Parker to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. In addition, the team elevated WR/returner Pharoh Cooper and CB Jarren Williams from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were QB Daniel Jones (neck), WR Kadarius Toney (quad), WR Sterling Shepard (quad), CB Adoree’ Jackson (quad), OG/OC Wes Martin, and LB Oshane Ximines.

WR Kenny Golladay injured his ribs in the game, but later returned. After the game, QB Mike Glennon was diagnosed with a concussion.

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

  • Head Coach Joe Judge (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (Video)
  • CB James Bradberry (Video)
  • S Logan Ryan (Video)

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

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