New York Giants 20 – Washington Commanders 20

 Posted by
Dec 042022
 
Graham Gano, New York Giants (December 4, 2022)

Graham Gano – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 20 – WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 20…
The big game against the New York Giants and Washington Commanders ended in an unsatisfying 20-20 tie on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants are now 7-4-1 on the season and 0-2-1 in the division.

In terms of overall team statistics, Washington held clear advantages in first downs (25 to 20), total net yards (411 to 316), net yards rushing (165 to 134), net yards passing (246 to 182), and time of possession (41:11 to 28:49). Both teams turned the ball over once with fumbles.

The Giants received the football first to start the game, picked up one first down, and then turned the ball over when quarterback Daniel Jones fumbled at the end of a 5-yard run on 2nd-and-5. Washington recovered at the New York 48-yard line. The Commanders reached the Giants’ 3-yard line but were forced to settle for a 21-yard field goal.

The Giants quickly went three-and-out on their second possession. Washington responded with an 8-play, 62-yard drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Heinicke to wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who broke a tackle on the play to score. The Commanders were now up 10-0 with just under two and a half minutes to play in the 1st quarter.

New York finally got on the scoreboard on their third possession. The Giants gained 45 yards in eight plays to set up a 48-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. After a quick three-and-out by the Commanders, which was aided by an 8-yard sack by defensive lineman Justin Ellis, the Giants tied the game. Jones connected with wide receiver Darius Slayton on a 55-yard deep throw. On 3rd-and-7, Jones then ran for 10 yards down to the Washington 13-yard line. On the next snap, running back Saquon Barkley scored from 13 yards out.

The Commanders regained the lead on their next possession with a 12-play, 51-yard drive. The key play was a defensive holding penalty called on cornerback Fabian Moreau on 3rd-and-7 which gave Washington a first down. The Commanders kicked a 42-yard field goal to take a 13-10 advantage.

The Giants’ final possession of the first half began with 2:23 on the clock. After a first down and a 21-yard run by Barkley, the Giants were at the Washington 30-yard line with 1:07 left with all three timeouts. But the Giants did not handle the clock well in the last minute, despite converting on 3rd-and-10 and 3rd-and-1, and settled for a 27-yard field goal on 2nd-goal from the 9-yard line with five seconds left.

At the half, the game was tied 13-13.

The second half started well for New York. On 3rd-and-8, Heinicke was sacked by linebacker Azeez Ojulari. The ball came loose and Ojulari recovered the fumble at the Washington 20-yard line. Jones ran for seven yards on 3rd-and-4. Two plays later, he threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins as the Giants were now up 20-13. Unfortunately for New York, these would be the last points they would score on the day.

The Giants pinned Washington at their own 5-yard line on the ensuing kickoff, but the Commanders neared midfield before punting. The Giants went three and out near the end of the 3rd quarter. The Commanders then drove 40 yards but missed a 52-yard field goal with just over 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

After two more punts by the Giants and one by the Commanders, Washington began their game-tying drive with 3:43 left in the game. Starting from their own 10-yard line, the Commanders drove 90 yards. The key play was a 20-yard completion on 4th-and-4 from Washington’s own 27-yard line. Heinicke then completed a pass of 25 yards down to the New York 28-yard line. He then threw to wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who avoided a couple of tackles en route to the score with 1:45 left on the clock. The game was tied at 20-20.

The Giants went three-and-out again. Washington picked up two first downs but were stopped at their own 38-yard line. The Commanders punted and Jones knelt on the ball once from the New York 16-yard line with 13 seconds left. After scoring a touchdown early in the 3rd quarter on a short field, the Giants’ offense only had one first down for the remainder of the 3rd and all of the 4th quarters, netting just one yard.

The Giants won the toss, picked up one first down and then punted. The Commanders picked up one first down and then also punted. The Giants reached the Washington 45-yard line but could get no closer. Head Coach Brian Daboll decided not to go for it on 4th-and-3. The Commanders got the ball back with 1:36 but could not move the ball. Washington was very fortunate that Heinicke did not fumble the ball when he was blindsided for a sack by linebacker Kayvon Thibodeux near the end zone. The Giants got the ball back with 28 seconds left at their own 43-yard line. New York gained 17 yards. With five seconds left, Gano’s 58-yard field goal attempt came up short and the game ended.

Jones finished the game 25-of-31 for 200 yards and one touchdown. He was also the leading ground gainer for New York with 12 carries for 71 yards. Barkley ran the ball 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. The leading receiver was Slayton, who caught six passes for 90 yards.

Defensively, the Giants were credited with five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles. The sacks were by Ellis, Ojlari, Thibodeaux, defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence, and linebacker Jihad Ward.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated OLB Azeez Ojulari and S Tony Jefferson from Injured Reserve. The team also waived TE Tanner Hudson and signed TE Nick Vannett to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

The Giants activated (standard elevation) DL Vernon Butler and CB Zyon Gilbert from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

Inactive for the game were WR Kenny Golladay (illness), OG Josh Ezeudu (neck), OG Shane Lemieux (toe), CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), TE Lawrence Cager, OLB Elerson Smith, and CB Darnay Holmes.

DL Leonard Williams (neck) left the game and did not return.

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

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

Giants Sign A.J. Klein; Brian Daboll Discusses Injury Situation

 Posted by
Oct 032022
 
Tae Crowder, New York Giants (October 2, 2022)

Tae Crowder – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS REPORTEDLY SIGN A.J. KLEIN…
ESPN is reporting that the New York Giants are signing inside linebacker A.J. Klein. The 31-year old, 6’1”, 240-pound Klein was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He has spent time with the Panthers (2013-2016), New Orleans Saints (2017-2019), and Buffalo Bills (2020-2021). The Bills cut him in March 2022. Klein has played in 134 games with 80 starts, including 15 starts for the Bills from 2020-2021.

OCTOBER 3, 2022 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 20-12 victory over the Chicago Bears (the VIDEO of the press conference is also available on YouTube):

Q: Just wanted to see if you had updates. I mean you got a lot of injuries. I’ll just start with the quarterbacks, Daniel (Jones) and Tyrod (Taylor). Anything on those two guys?

A: Ty’s in the (concussion) protocol, and Daniel is feeling a little bit better today. We’ll just see how that goes.

Q: Do you anticipate signing a quarterback I guess in the next 24 hours or so?

A: We’ll probably work out a few quarterbacks. Whether we sign them or not, I think that’s dependent on some of these guys here.

Q: Can you go over some of the other injuries like (tackle) Evan Neal and (wide receiver Kenny) Golladay and (safety) Julian (Love) and the list goes on and on it seems.

A: Evan Neal should be okay. Golladay – we’ll see how it goes towards the end of the week. I’d say it doesn’t look promising. Who was the other one?

Q: Julian Love.

A: We’ll see how that goes, too. He’s in (concussion) protocol as well.

Q: If Golladay can’t go, is receiver another place where you might need to bring in some guys to work out this week?

A: We’ll see. We have three guys on the practice squad that we like. There’s some other guys; we’ll see where they’re at. Whether that be Kadarius (Toney), Wan’Dale (Robinson) – we’ll see where those guys are at here as the week goes on.

Q: Are any of those guys – were you encouraged by going into this week?

A: I think they’re all making progress. Again, (it’s) Monday. So, they’ve got a couple days here. So, we’ll see where they’re at once we get done, call it Thursday.

Q: One other thing I wanted to ask you: did you feel that (inside linebacker) Tae Crowder played his best game so far yesterday? And if so, why?

A: I think he played a good game. Made a lot of tackles, was instinctive. Like all of us, still things to clean up. But I thought he played well.

Q: Where are you at that wide receiver position right now in general? Do you maybe expect any of the other guys back, and if not – it looked like you almost catered your gameplan around that last week. Is that sort of where you need to go moving forward?

A: No. I’d say we catered it to playing the (Chicago) Bears – what we thought we needed to do. I think Kadarius and Wan’Dale are making progress, so we’ll see where those guys are at. And (wide receiver David) then Sills. I thought that Slay (wide receiver Darius Slayton) came in and gave us some good reps. And then (wide receiver) Richie (James) has been dependable for us. So, depending on those other two guys, again the three guys on the practice squad – we brought (wide receiver) Marcus (Johnson) up. (Wide receiver Makai) Polk and (wide receiver Kalil) Pimpleton have done a good job; we’ll continue to work with those guys. So, I think we’ll see more towards the end of the week.

Q: This is not the first time you’ve had to deal with concussions, obviously, in your coaching career. You’ve got two guys under protocol now. Is anything that happened last week with (Miami Dolphins quarterback) Tua (Tagovailoa) and maybe what you’re being mandated through the league now, changing – in any way, shape or form – what you would’ve done two weeks ago with two players in protocol?

A: No. We take every injury serious here, and we try to do everything we can do to put the player’s best interest in mind. That’s what we’ll always do.

Q: One more thing with Daniel. He’s not a pocket-passer per se. You rolled him out and moved him a lot. Do you look at him differently as a quarterback because he obviously can throw, but he’s got an ankle issue that maybe if he can’t move, he can’t play?

A: I just think each day we take a look at him. He can throw from the pocket just fine. Obviously, he has another skillset that you can utilize, whether that’s move the pockets or zone-reads. So, I’d say the first thing we do is make sure he’s as healthy as can be, and if he can do the things we need him to do for that game plan, then we talk about it. If he can’t, then he can’t.

Q: Is there any game plan involving Daniel that would not include him using his legs?

A: I’d say it depends on the team we’re playing. I’ve coached a lot of guys that can move and are dual-threat quarterbacks. Sometimes you use more than others each week. I think it depends on who you are playing and the game plan that we think is good for that week.

Q: Two questions for quarterbacks: What do you need to see from Daniel this week? I guess what I’m asking is could he like not practice and because he’s played so much and knows so much, can he just play if he’s ready to go on Sunday? Or does he need to be part of team reps all the way through Friday to play?

A: I’m just going to take it each day and see how he is. If he can practice and go out there and perform the things we need him to do, great. If he needs a day, he needs a day. I think it’s case-by-case with all those guys. Obviously, he’s played a lot of football. I trust him and where he’s at. I just think that we as a coaching staff have got to do a good job of watching him, evaluating him, getting all the information we need to get to make the best decision for him and the team as we can.

Q: And then, is there a scenario – it seems like there would be – is there a scenario where Davis Webb is your starting quarterback on Sunday? And if so, what’s your – I don’t want to say your confidence level because I know you have confidence in everybody. But what do you see that he does well if he has to play in a regular season game for the first time in his career the bulk of a game?

A: I think you try to plan for every contingency plan that you may or may not have throughout the week. That will certainly be one of them. Again, I don’t want to guess right now on Monday where all the other guys are going to be. Davis been in our offense for quite some time. He knows the ins and outs of it, so if he has to play, we’ll do everything we can, and I know he will, to be ready to play. In terms of where we’re at at that point, I don’t think we’re at that point just yet to make a decision. We’ll let this thing play out.

Q: A couple of quick ones for you. Did you have a problem with the hit on Tyrod that led to the concussion? It looked like it may have been helmet to helmet.

A: That happens quick. He scrambled around, and again, I thought he knew what he needed for the first down. I thought the defender made a good play on it. It was a quick bang-bang play.

Q: Are you signing (former Giants safety) Landon Collins?

A: We’re going to work him out. But we work out – and that was, I’d say (general manager) Joe (Schoen) had that set up before the week even started. We work a lot of people out. I think we’ll continue to do that. We did that where we were last place. We’ll do that – we’ll work as many people out each week to continue to evaluate players and see. Whether it’s this week, whether it’s down the road, whether it’s an emergency case, there’s a lot of things that go into it. But that’s just part of the preparation process on Joe’s end and really for our end, too.

Q: Last one from me. It’s kind of a unique week here with the trip to London at the end of it. How does that change any of the things that you want the players to focus on this week in terms of rest and all the other things that go into it. And does it affect at all how you’re going to handle your quarterback decision as you get closer to the game?

A: We’ve made adjustments this week in terms of whether it’s reps, no pads. I think (director of coaching operations) Laura Young along with a lot of other people in this organization have done a really good job of preparing for this week ahead of time. We’ll have a meeting here at 3:30 after special teams is done to kind of go through things regarding that trip. Again, it’s my first time going across seas to participate in a football game. We look forward to it; not much longer travel time than it is to go to the West Coast. So, we’ll just try to do our job during the week to get ready. I think the sports science staff, the trainers, like I said (vice president of team operations) Jim Phelan, LY (Laura Young), they’ve done a good job of getting ready so we can concentrate on the teams we were playing. Give them a brief rundown of some things to expect. It’ll be about four people that talk today in the meeting: (vice president of team security) Jerry (Meade), LY, (director of wellness and clinical services) Dr. Lani (Lawrence), and (director of rehabilitation/physical therapist) Leigh Weiss will all kind of address their certain areas, so we feel as prepared as we can before the preparations really start. We’ll clean up yesterday’s game – go through that. And then they’ll have their day off. It’ll be a fairly normal week other than we travel on Thursday.

Q: What is Daniel’s injury?

A: He has an ankle.

Q: Is it a sprained ankle? No fractures?

A: Yeah. He’s fine in that regard. He’s got an ankle. It’s sprained.

Q: High ankle sprain?

A: I’m not going to get into the specifics of it.

Q: I wanted to ask you about some other guys that I don’t think were touched on: (guard) Mark Glowinski, (cornerback) Aaron Robinson, (defensive lineman) Henry Mondeaux, (outside linebacker) Azeez Ojulari, (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux).

A: Let’s go one at a time.

Q: Mark Glowinski?

A: He should be okay.

Q: Aaron Robinson?

A: Probably not.

Q: Henry Mondeaux?

A: Probably not.

Q: That’s good news. It’s not season ending then?

A: Nope.

Q: Azeez?

A: Azeez – we’ll kind of see where he’s at here on Wednesday when he gets back.

Q: And Kayvon?

A: Kayvon should be okay.

Q: And (outside linebacker Jihad) Ward?

A: Ward will be okay.

Q: I’d like to talk about your tight ends. You obviously went a lot with big personnel yesterday, and I think – if I’m correct – on Daniel’s touchdown runs you had 13 out there, personnel. If you don’t mind, what did you see out of your tight ends, especially Tanner Hudson?

A: I think those guys have made steady improvements. I think Coach Bischoff (tight ends coach Andy Bischoff) has done a really good job with those guys. They’re smart. They’re tough. They’re dependable. We thought that was a good personnel package to use. I thought they played well this game for the things we asked them to do. (Daniel) Bellinger is young. And Tanner and (fullback Chris) Myarick don’t have a ton of experience or a ton of production in the league. But these guys have been working their tails off since they’re been here. I think they’re earning the trust of the coaches to put them out on the field more. And in this game, we happened to use a little bit more multiple tight end sets than the previous couple of weeks. But they earned it. That was part of the plan going into the game relative to deciding what we wanted to do and how we wanted to play. I think that will change every week.

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:

  • TE Tanner Hudson (Video)
  • ILB Tae Crowder (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media access to the team. The Giants return to practice on Wednesday afternoon (12:45-2:45PM).

Giants Cut Blake Martinez, Claim Tyre Phillips, Re-Sign Three Veterans

 Posted by
Sep 012022
 
Blake Martinez, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

Blake Martinez – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS CUT BLAKE MARTINEZ, CLAIM TYRE PHILLIPS, RE-SIGN THREE VETERANS…
The New York Giants have terminated the contract of inside linebacker Blake Martinez. The team also claimed offensive lineman Tyre Phillips off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens. ESPN is reporting that Martinez’s release was a mutual decision by both parties.

In addition, as expected, the New York Giants re-signed three vested veterans who they cut yesterday in temporary roster-juggling moves. In order make room for the four players the team claimed off of waivers on Wednesday, the Giants had terminated the contracts of TE Tanner Hudson, OG Max Garcia, DL Nick Williams, and ILB Austin Calitro. Three additional roster spots became available as soon as the Giants were allowed to officially place OG Shane Lemieux, OLB Elerson Smith, and CB Rodarius Williams on short-term Injured Reserve.

Since all four players who were cut were vested veterans, they did not have to pass through waivers. Hudson, Williams, and Calitro were the players who were re-signed to the 53-man roster. Garcia was signed to the Practice Squad.

The Giants also waived TE Ricky Seals-Jones (toe) off of Injured Reserve with an injury settlement.

The Giants placed Blake Martinez on Injured Reserve in late September 2021 with a torn ACL in his left knee. He only played in three games and finished the year with 23 tackles. The Giants signed Martinez as an unrestricted free agent from the Green Bay Packers in March 2020. He had a major impact on the defense in 2020, starting all 16 games and playing in 97 percent of all defensive snaps. Martinez finished the season with a team-high 151 tackles and also accrued nine tackles for losses, three sacks, six quarterback hits, five pass defenses, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. The 6’2”, 237-pound Martinez was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Packers.

The 25-year old, 6’5”, 330-pound Phillips was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Ravens. In his first two years in the NFL, Phillips has played in 22 regular-season games with 13 starts, despite suffering an ankle injury in 2020 and a torn ACL in 2021. He has experience playing both guard spots and right tackle.

The Giants placed Seals-Jones on Injured Reserve on August 23rd with a toe injury that he suffered early in training camp. The Giants signed Seals-Jones in March 2022 as an unrestricted free agent from the Washington Commanders.

MORE PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
As previously reported in yesterday’s update, the Giants signed 15 players to their 16-man Practice Squad on Wednesday. On Thursday the team added six more players and released five from the Practice Squad.

Signed to Practice Squad:

  • WR Kalil Pimpleton
  • OG Max Garcia
  • OG Wyatt Davis
  • DL Henry Mondeaux
  • LB Charles Wiley
  • S Tony Jefferson

Released from Practice Squad:

  • WR Jaylon Moore
  • OT Roy Mbaeteka
  • OT Garrett McGhin
  • CB Darren Evans
  • S Nate Meadors 

Garcia was cut by the Giants from their 53-man roster yesterday.

The 23-year old, 5’9”, 172-pound Pimpleton was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. The Lions waived him on Monday. Pimpleton has experience returning punts.

The 23-year old, 6’4”, 315-pound Davis was originally selected in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Davis spent time on both the 53-man roster (6 games with no starts) and Practice Squad as a rookie. The Vikings waived him on Tuesday.

The 26-year old, 6’5”, 280-pound Mondeaux was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New Orleans Saints after the 2018 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Saints (2018), Kansas City Chiefs (2019), and Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-2022). The Steelers waived him on Tuesday. Mondeaux has played in 26 NFL games with two starts, accruing 21 tackles and two sacks.

The 24-year old, 6’2”, 251-pound Wiley was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. The Ravens cut Wiley on Tuesday.

The 30-year old, 5’11”, 211-pound Jefferson was originally signed as undrafted rookie free agent by the Arizona Cardinals after the 2013 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cardinals (2013-2016), Ravens (2017-2019, 2021-2022), and San Francisco 49ers (2021). The Ravens cut Jefferson on Tuesday. Robinson has played in 104 regular-season games with 66 starts. However, he has not started a game since 2019, when he tore his ACL mid-season. Robinson has only played in six regular-season games since 2019.

GENERAL MANAGER JOE SCHOEN AND HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Joe Schoen’s and Brian Daboll’s press conference on Thursday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf) did not practice. RB Sandro Platzgummer also missed practice with a concussion that he suffered in the preseason finale.

TE Daniel Bellinger (concussion) participated in non-contact drills.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off from Friday through Sunday. Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media via Zoom on Monday.

Giants Claim Four Off of Waivers, Will Place Three on Injured Reserve

 Posted by
Aug 312022
 
Jason Pinnock, New York Jets (January 2, 2022)

Jason Pinnock – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS CLAIM FOUR OFF OF WAIVERS, PLACE THREE ON IR…
The New York Giants claimed the following four players off of waivers on Wednesday:

  • G Jack Anderson (Philadelphia Eagles)
  • CB Justin Layne (Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • CB Nick McCloud (Buffalo Bills)
  • S Jason Pinnock (New York Jets)

The 23-year old, 6’4”, 314-pound Anderson was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bills. The Eagles signed Anderson off of Buffalo’s Practice Squad in September 2021. He played in two games with one start for Philadelphia. Anderson spent part of the 2021 season on Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury.

The 24-year old, 6’2”, 192-pound Layne was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Steelers. In three years with Pittsburgh, Layne played in 43 regular-season games with no starts, being credited with 41 tackles.

The 24-year old, 6’0”, 193-pound McCloud was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Bills after the 2021 NFL Draft. The Cincinnati Bengals claimed him off of waivers in September 2021 and cut him in November. The Bills then re-signed McCloud to their Practice Squad. McCloud played in two regular-season games with the Bengals.

The 23-year old, 6’0”, 205-pound Pinnock was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Jets. He played in 12 games with two starts as a rookie, accruing 16 tackles, one pass defense, and two forced fumbles.

When asked about Pinnock, Head Coach Brian Daboll responded, “He’s good on teams. He had some good film out there. He’s played in the deep part of the field. We practiced against them; we played against them. He has some redeeming qualities and traits that when the guys watched him in the scouting department and our coaches, thought it would be a good claim.”

When asked about Anderson, Daboll replied, “He played (both guard and center). Smart – you know he got claimed by Philadelphia (when I was in Buffalo). So, didn’t want to lose him. I remember we didn’t want to lose him, but he had an opportunity to go and get claimed and looking forward to working with him again. He can play inside – either spot – and he can play center too.”

To make immediate room for these four, the Giants terminated the contracts of the following players:

  • TE Tanner Hudson
  • OG Max Garcia
  • DL Nick Williams
  • ILB Austin Calitro

Some or all of these four players may be back as soon as tomorrow. Players on the initial 53-man roster could not be officially placed on short-term Injured Reserve until 4PM on Wednesday. Daboll said on Wednesday that the team intends to place the following three players on short-term Injured Reserve:

  • OG Shane Lemieux (foot)
  • OLB Elerson Smith (ankle/foot)
  • CB Rodarius Williams (ACL)

These three players will have to remain on Injured Reserve for at least four games. “I think there’s a chance (all three could return this season),” said Daboll.

“(Lemieux is) pretty resilient,” said Daboll. “Unfortunately, he’s been through it once, but he’s in good spirits. So, he’ll work back. He’s been already rehabbing, and he’ll be back as soon as he can.”

GIANTS SIGN 15 PLAYERS TO THE PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed the following players to the team’s 16-man Practice Squad:

  • QB Davis Webb
  • RB Jashaun Corbin
  • WR C.J. Board
  • WR Jaylon Moore
  • TE Austin Allen
  • OT Will Holden
  • OT Roy Mbaeteka
  • OT Garrett McGhin
  • DL Ryder Anderson
  • OLB Quincy Roche
  • CB Harrison Hand
  • CB Zyon Gilbert
  • CB Darren Evans
  • S Trenton Thompson
  • S Nate Meadors

All 15 of these players were cut by the Giants yesterday.

Meanwhile, according to multiple media reports, safety Tony Jefferson is expected to be signed to the Practice Squad shortly. The 30-year old, 5’11”, 211-pound Jefferson was originally signed as undrafted rookie free agent by the Arizona Cardinals after the 2013 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cardinals (2013-2016), Ravens (2017-2019, 2021-2022), and San Francisco 49ers (2021). Robinson has played in 104 regular-season games with 66 starts. However, he has not started a game since 2019, when he tore his ACL mid-season. Robinson has only played in six regular-season games since 2019.

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

AUGUST 31, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
TE Daniel Bellinger (concussion), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee), OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf), and ILB Blake Martinez (excused absence) did not practice.

“Day-to-day,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll about Thibodeaux and Ojulari. “Both of those guys – I’d say him and Azeez are rehabbing and doing a good job and getting better each day… They’re getting better. I know that.”

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice Thursday (11:45AM-1:15PM). General Manager Joe Schoen, Head Coach Brian Daboll, and select players will also address the media.

August 25, 2022 New York Giants Practice Report

 Posted by
Aug 252022
 
David Sills, New York Giants (August 21, 2022)

David Sills – © USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 25, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS PRACTICE REPORT… (by Sy’56)
The air was thick today and felt a little extra humid at the practice facility. We’ve had hotter days than this, but not many. After seeing NYG practice vs NYG for weeks, I will say the vibe when walking into the facility was incredible. Different uniforms, twice the number of players, coaches, personnel, support staffs…the energy was different. Easy to see why coaches like to do this toward the end of preseason. The change in atmosphere is stimulating for someone standing on the side with a notepad and I must think the intensity within the players reached another level.

One catch here before I move forward; NYG is strict with where they let us stand. I understand why and respect it fully. However, I essentially had to choose to watch NYG offense or NYG defense. There was not an option to walk back and forth, as they were on opposite fields. Split second decision, I went with the NYG offense vs the NYJ defense.

-Start off with the most important component. Daniel Jones was near-perfect when it comes to completing passes. Very few traveled more than 10 yards down the field (maybe 3?) and none went deep. All but 2 of his 15-16 passes were completed. Like I have seen in recent exposures to him, he got it out fast and accurate. Were there a couple that would have been sacks? Probably, yes. But when it comes to the evaluation of him maneuvering through pocket with quality ball protection, keeping eyes downfield, and hitting his spots with both his footwork and ball placement, he was great. My macro-level take away here is that he looks much more confident than he did just a couple weeks ago.

-The NYJ defensive front is LOADED. They have a star in Quinnen Williams, a pressure-machine in Carl Lawson (coming off Achilles’ injury), and a 1st rounder in Jermaine Johnson as the main pass rushers. But beyond that is what impresses me. Their 2nd and 3rd stringers are big, physical, and quick. They just rotate these guys in and out to stay fresh.

-I bring that up because I thought the NYG offensive line held their own. I got close to 1-on-1s before team drills, and I also kept an eye on the offensive line during the live 11-on-11. Andrew Thomas was dominant. His twitch and adjustment speed are a level faster than what we have seen on tape so far. Is it a healthier foot/ankle? More confidence in his craft? Whatever it is, he looks like grizzly bear protecting its cubs. He beat Lawson 2x in one-on-ones and buried Bradlee Anae into the ground on another rep. Again, in pass protection 1-on-1’s. You don’t see that often.

-Evan Neal stonewalled John Franklin-Myers twice. The starting NYJ defensive end was not happy about it and tried to start with Neal. The rookie did not react and just motioned the veteran DE to keep running his mouth. Neal was beat twice in 11-on-11s, one ended up with QB Jones on the ground. Everyone took an extra second or two to breathe there. His ugly reps are consistent with what I have discussed several times. His feet stop moving, he gets off balanced, and does not have the recovery speed. I will say that the defenders who tried to bull rush him quickly found out he won’t be beat like that. His movement off the ball as a gap run blocker is a weapon.

-The middle of the line was inconsistent. Jones had a lot of trash at his feet against the NYJ 4-man rushes. Jon Feliciano and Devery Hamilton had a couple bad beats at the hands of Quinnen Williams and Solomon Thomas, both former top-5 overall picks. Mark Glowinski had a bad beat in 1-on-1s and allowed a pressure in team drills, but he is a faster-than-you-think run blocker who converts speed to power. He was the one guy I saw get into a scuffle with the Jets after an undersized linebacker took a cheap shot at RB Antonio Williams.

-Interesting day for the receivers. Sterling Shepard worked in individual drills and 7-on-7. He did not participate in 11-on-11, I believe. He certainly looked full speed and full effort. It is amazing how easy it is to see the difference between him and the other receivers I have seen live on this team when it comes to burst, suddenness, and snap in both route running and ball skills.

-Kenny Golladay is picking up some steam. He made a high-level catch near the sideline in 7-on-7s where he had to use every inch of his height and reach. He also out-muscled NYJ first rounder Sauce Gardner for a ball underneath.

-David Sills V remains hot. He must have caught half of Jones’ completions. All were underneath or intermediate, but not all were easy. He adjusted to the ball high and low very well. This kid has some size to him too, don’t forget that. He and Jones are always near each other other discussing plays when they’re on the sideline.

-I am still struggling to see where Wan’Dale Robinson is fitting into the offense right now. It is possible they aren’t showing much at this point and saving it for the season.

-Darius Slayton is either really good or really bad. Today, it was the former. He made an excellent catch where he had to out-leap a NYJ corner and twist back away from his momentum before just barely getting his feet down in bounds.

-Alex Bachman caught a touchdown from Tyrod Taylor (Taylor’s second on the day). He shows a great feel for finding vacant windows when against zone coverage.

-Running back Matt Breida was back in action. Different level of speed and straight-line burst than all of the other backs. He just makes his mind up and goes for it every time. He will create his fair share of big plays. He also had a top-shelf block on blitz pick-up.

-I did not see much from the tight ends today. Seeing Jeremy Ruckert in green, however, was tough. I think NYG missed out big time there last April. The new signing, Tanner Hudson, caught a long touchdown via busted coverage by the backup NYJ secondary (from Tyrod Taylor). His twitch and overall speed is at a higher level than what NYG has at TE.

-The one backup who I had multiple positives from was Eric Smith. He competed well in the 1-on-1s, beating Solomon Thomas and Tanzel Smart. I am working on a projected 53-man roster right now and there is a situation I see Smith making it and being active on gameday. His versatility will help him. Jamil Douglas was solid as well, he stood out.

-The overall feel of the backup offensive line was positive. Against guys who will be on teams in a few weeks, NYG won the battle up front.

-The last observation is from the punters. I watched NYJ punter Braden Mann and was impressed with the hang time. Jamie Gillan was next and it was a night-and-day different how low his ball was and how quickly the NYJ returner had the ball in his hands. Something worth watching as NYG special teams unit has struggled in the first two preseason games.

SUMMARY

While I wish I could have seen some of the NYG defense, it was good to see the offense click quite a bit. Once again, they were on time, taking what the defense gave, and avoiding negative plays. Offensive talk can be made complex, but it really is a simple goal. Move the ball forward, don’t turn it over, avoid negative plays. They did exactly that against a team that can coach and play defense at a high level.

The Jets lost two players to injury today from what I was able to see. Initially they both looked serious, but afterward I saw both jogging. DE Jermaine Johnson with an ankle and CB D.J. Reed with a knee. Overall, the team looked a little sloppy and tired once they got into it deeper. I think these guys are ready for real football just as much as the fans are. Playing this game below 100% but above 50% is not easy and it does not feel real.

Looking forward to the game on Sunday.

AZEEZ OJULARI HURT…
LB Azeez Ojulari (leg/ankle/foot) injured himself running sprints at the end of practice. He could not walk off the field under his own power. The New York Post is reporting that the injury is not believed to be serious.

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants officially confirmed that they have signed tight end Tanner Hudson, who was cut by the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday. To make room for him on the roster, the Giants waived center Chris Owens, who the Giants signed last Friday after he was waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice on Friday from 11:45AM to 1:15PM. Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will also address the media.

Sterling Shepard Returns to Practice; Eight More Roster Moves

 Posted by
Aug 242022
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (October 24, 2021)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS MAKE EIGHT ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants have claimed the following three players off of waivers:

  • WR Bailey Gaither (from the Baltimore Ravens)
  • WR Jaylon Moore (from the Baltimore Ravens)
  • CB Harrison Hand (from the Minnesota Vikings)

To make room for these three, the Giants terminated the contract of tight end Jordan Akins and placed wide receivers Collin Johnson (torn Achilles) and Marcus Kemp (hamstring) on Injured Reserve. Johnson tore his right Achilles’ tendon in practice today. He has been impressing in camp and was receiving snaps with the first-team offense.

The Giants also terminated the contract of wide receiver Robert Foster with an injury settlement. Foster was placed on Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury last Friday.

Although not officially announced, TheAthletic is also reporting that the Giants have signed tight end Tanner Hudson, who was waived by the San Fransisco 49ers yesterday.

The 25-year old, 6’0”, 188-pound Gaither was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Green Bay Packers after the 2021 NFL Draft.  He has spent time with the Packers (2021), Pittsburgh Maulers (2022), and Ravens (2022). He has not played in a regular-season NFL game.

The 25-year old, 5’11’, 191-pound Moore was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Ravens after the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on Baltimore’s Practice Squad. He has not played in a regular-season NFL game.

The 23-year old, 5’11’, 197-pound Hand was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Vikings. In two seasons with Minnesota, Hand played in 23 regular-season games with one start, accruing 22 tackles, three pass defenses, and one interception.

The 27-year old, 6’5”, 239-pound Hudson was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons with the Buccaneers before being cut in August 2021. He was then signed by the San Francisco 49ers in September 2021 and spent most of the season on their Practice Squad. The 49ers waived him in late August 2022. Hudson has played in 22 regular-season games with one start. He has five career receptions for 67 yards.

The Giants signed Akins in April 2022 as an unrestricted free agent from the Houston Texans. The 6’4”, 243-pound Akins was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL Draft. 

The Giants claimed Johnson off of waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars in early September 2021. He ended up playing in 12 games for the Giants, with one start, and finished the season with 11 catches for 105 yards and no touchdowns. The 6’6”, 222-pound Johnson was originally drafted in the 5th-round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jaguars. As a rookie for Jacksonville, he played in 14 NFL games with no starts, catching 18 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

The Giants sign Kemp as an unrestricted free agent from the Kansas City Chiefs in late July 2022. The 6’4”, 210-pound Kemp was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Chiefs after the 2017 NFL Draft. Other than a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins late in 2020, Kemp was with the Chiefs from 2017 until 2021. Kemp missed the 2019 season with a torn ACL and MCL knee injury. Overall, he has played in 44 regular-season games, primarily on special teams. Kemp only four career catches for 42 yards.

The Giants signed Foster as a street free agent in March 2022 after being waived by the Dallas Cowboys. The 6’2”, 196-pound Foster was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Buffalo Bills after the 2018 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Bills (2018-2020), Green Bay Packers (2020), Washington Football Team (2020), Miami Dolphins (2021), and Cowboys (2021-2022).

AUGUST 24, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT – STERLING SHEPARD RETURNS…
LG Shane Lemieux (foot), OL Garrett McGhin (unknown), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee), LB Jihad Ward (unknown), LB Elerson Smith (ankle/foot), CB Rodarius Williams (unknown), S Dane Belton (broken left collarbone), and PK Graham Gano (concussion) did not practice.

When asked about Gano, Head Coach Brian Daboll replied, “He’s making progress. We still could (sign another kicker for this week), but if he’s ready to go toward the end of the week, we probably won’t, obviously.”

WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring?) was limited to individual drills. WR C.J. Board (ribs) also was limited.

WR Collin Johnson tore his right Achilles’ tendon in practice. His season is over. RB Matt Breida (heat?) left with trainers halfway through practice.

WR Sterling Shepard (Achilles) passed his team physical and was activated off of the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List. He practiced for the first time since suffering his injury last season. “We’ll kind of ramp him up,” said Daboll before practice. “We’ll ramp him up just like we did when the other guys come back. But he’s done a good job in his rehab, and it’ll be good to have him out there.”

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants will hold a joint practice with the New York Jets on Thursday from 11:30AM to 1:30PM. Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will also address the media.