Tom Coughlin Resigning or Retiring?; Eagles 35 – Giants 30

 Posted by
Jan 032016
 


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TOM COUGHLIN RESIGNING OR RETIRING? BEN MCADOO NEXT COACH?…
According to FOXSports and one ESPN report, Head Coach Tom Coughlin is expected to to resign or retire. Coughlin’s extended family was on hand at today’s game. ESPN is reporting that Coughlin asked his family members to attend, although he did not reveal his plans to them as of Saturday night. All 11 of Coughlin’s grandchildren were on hand wearing “Coughlin Crew” sweatshirts.

“The frustration continues,” said Coughlin after the team’s 35-30 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. “You’ve got your questions prepared for what direction I’m going in. I’m not going to answer anything about that. The season just ended, there will be time for that. We will get into that discussion… I’m going to give myself a little bit of time. I’m sure we’ll talk with ownership and then we’ll go from there… No one has decided anything.”

When asked why his family was on the sidelines, Coughlin responded, “What happens is fortunately we play at home and the family gets together not on Christmas because people have to visit relatives and in-laws and things like that, and so this is the weekend that our group collects. But it was really neat to see it. The kids were all dressed up in a sweatshirt with their name on the back, and I don’t know, it was neat.”

Another ESPN report said General Manager Jerry Reese met with Coughlin before the game and told Coughlin “he loved him and always would but that he didn’t know what would happen.” The same ESPN source said Coughlin “has mulled the possibility of walking away on his own, but he’s concerned about the fate of his assistant coaches and wants to know what will become of them before he does that.”

Team ownership will reportedly meet on Monday to discuss Coughlin’s future.

Jay Glazer of FOXSports says that the Giants like Ben McAdoo, the team’s current offensive coordinator, to replace Coughlin.

KEVIN ABRAMS TO INTERVIEW WITH LIONS…
New York Giants Assistant General Manager Kevin Abrams will reportedly interview with the Detroit Lions for their general manager vacancy. Former New York Giants General Manager Ernie Accorsi (1998-2007) is serving as a consultant for the Lions and he has ties to Abrams.

GIANTS PICK 10th IN 2016 NFL DRAFT…
The New York Giants will pick 10th in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

2016 OPPONENTS SET…
The New York Giants 2016 opponents have been set. The Giants will play:

Home:

  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Washington Redskins
  • Chicago Bears
  • Detroit Lions
  • New Orleans Saints
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Cincinnati Bengals

Away:

  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Washington Redskins
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • St. Louis Rams (in London)
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Pittsburgh Steelers

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 35 – NEW YORK GIANTS 30…
The New York Giants were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles 35-30 in the regular-season finale on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. With the loss, the Giants finished the second 6-10 for the second year in a row. The team also finished in third place in the NFC East for the third year in a row. The Giants have lost 13 of the last 16 against the Eagles, including four in a row. The Giants lost six of their last seven games after starting the year 5-4.

A quick synopsis of the game was that the Eagles got off to a quick 14-3 lead in the 1st quarter until the Giants closed the gap in the 2nd quarter with 17 points as the Eagles scored another touchdown. At halftime, New York trailed 20-21. The Giants scored another touchdown in the 3rd quarter to take a 27-21 advantage and were poised to take a two-score lead until a deflected pass was intercepted and returned 83 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles tacked on another touchdown in the 4th quarter while the Giants added a 48-yard field goal. Down by five points, the Giants got the ball back with 1:43 to play but New York failed to cross midfield and turned the ball over on downs.

Video highlights/lowlights are available at Giants.com.

INJURY REPORT…
Linebacker Uani ‘Unga (concussion), safety Brandon Meriweather (knee), cornerback/safety Trumaine McBride (concussion), and tight end Jerome Cunningham (shoulder) left the game with injuries.

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

POST-GAME NOTES…
Inactive for the Giants were WR Dwayne Harris (back/shoulder), RT Marshall Newhouse (concussion), S Craig Dahl (concussion), S Cooper Taylor (concussion), WR Geremy Davis, OT Emmett Cleary, and DE Kerry Wynn.

The Giants finished in third place in the NFC East for the third consecutive season.

The Giants finished 2-4 in NFC East games.

The Giants finished 3-5 at home and on the road for the second straight season.

The Giants are 25-23 in regular-season games at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants scored 420 points this season, the fifth-highest total in franchise history, and the sixth time they topped 400 points – five them under Head Coach Tom Coughlin.

The Giants allowed 442 points, the second-highest total in franchise history (501 in 1966).

The Eagles converted 10-of-13 third down opportunities, a 77 percent success rate that was the highest by a Giants opponent since 1970.

Quarterback Eli Manning started his 183rd consecutive game under Coughlin, the longest such streak by a quarterback/coach combination in NFL history.

Manning’s 24 completions increased his career total to 3,695. That moved him past Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Giant Fran Tarkenton (3,686) and into 10th place on the NFL’s career list.

Manning threw 618 passes this season, breaking the franchise record of 601 he set in 2014.

Manning’s 387 completions are also a franchise record. He set the former mark of 379 last season.

Manning finished with 4,436 yards, the second-highest total in franchise history. Manning passed for 4,410 yards a year ago; he owns the franchise record with 4,933 in 2011.

Manning’s two touchdown passes increased his career single season-high total to 35 – one less than Y.A. Tittle’s team record, set in 1963.

Manning’s 93.6 passer rating is a career-high.

Wide receiver  Odell Beckham Jr. caught five passes for 54 yards and set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a player in the first two seasons of a career.

Beckham finished the season with 96 receptions for 1,450 yards, both the second-highest totals in Giants history. Steve Smith holds the receptions record with 107 in 2009, and Victor Cruz owns the yardage mark with 1,536 in 2011. Beckham did not score against the Eagles and his 13 touchdowns leaves him tied with Homer Jones (1967) for the single-season record.

Shane Vereen caught six passes to increase his season total to 59, the most receptions in a single season by a Giants running back not named Tiki Barber – who had seasons with 72, 70, 69, 69 and 66 catches.

Running back Rashad Jennings finished the season with a career-high 863 yards, the highest total by a Giants back since Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 1,015 yards in 2012. Jennings’ previous career best was 733 yards with Oakland in 2013.

Place kicker Josh Brown kicked three field goals and three extra points to raise his scoring total to a career single season-high 134 points. His previous best was 127 points with Seattle in 2007. Brown increased his three-year total with the Giants to 350 points. That moved him past Raul Allegre (340) and Amani Toomer (348) and into ninth place on the franchise’s career list.

Brown made 30-of-32 field goal attempts this season, a franchise-record 93.8 percent success rate. Brown topped his own record of 92.3 percent (24-of-26), set last season.

Defensive end Robert Ayers had the Giants’ only sack of Sam Bradford, increasing his team-leading and career-high total to 9.5. No other Giants player had more than 3.0 sacks.

The Giants defense had 23 sacks this season, its lowest total in a 16-game season. The previous low was 25 in 1992.

Punter Brad Wing dropped three punts inside the 20, giving him 33 such kicks for the season, which tied the team record set by Brad Maynard in 1997 and 1998.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The season is over for the New York Giants. The players will meet with the press on Monday around 11:30 AM.

Report: Tom Coughlin May Resign on Monday; Friday Injury Update

 Posted by
Jan 012016
 
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, (October 27, 2013)

Tom Coughlin – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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REPORT – TOM COUGHLIN TO RESIGN…
Mike Garafolo of FOXSports is speculating that Tom Coughlin may resign as head coach of the New York Giants on Monday. “A lot of people are talking right now as if it is an inevitability that on Monday he is going to resign,” said Garafolo. “I am hearing that from a lot of people.”

Garafolo later followed up with BigBlueInteractive.com, “That’s me reading the tea leaves, not a straight report from a definitive source. We’ll see.”

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
RT Marshall Newhouse (concussion), S Craig Dahl (concussion), and S Cooper Taylor (concussion) have been officially ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

WR Dwayne Harris (back/shoulder) and DE Jason Pierre-Paul (ankle) are “questionable” for the game.

GIANTS.COM Q&A WITH TOM COUGHLIN…
The transcript of a Giants.com Q&A session with Head Coach Tom Coughlin is available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

Giants Ownership Divided About Fate of Tom Coughlin? Roster Moves

 Posted by
Dec 312015
 
John Mara, New York Giants (December 20, 2015)

John Mara – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS OWNERSHIP DIVIDED ABOUT FATE OF TOM COUGHLIN?…
The New York Daily News is reporting that there have been “several high-level discussions” within the New York Giants’ organization this week about the fate of Head Coach Tom Coughlin. The Daily News says it is not known yet if a final decision has been made, but “there are several people in the Giants’ front office who believe a change is necessary,” including team chairman/executive vice president Steve Tisch. The Daily News reports that pressure is mounting on team president/CEO John Mara to make a change and “most people inside the organization believe Mara will eventually agree.”

“Do I want to come back? I don’t know if that’s a great question right now,” said Coughlin on Thursday. “What I want to do is win a game on Sunday, that’s the bottom line for this group right now. I always have the competitive spirit. Sometimes it takes me a day or two to figure it all out when it’s over. Right now, let’s stick with the game and let’s go win a football game.”

ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants have placed linebacker J.T. Thomas (ankle) and long-snapper Danny Aiken (thumb) on season-ending Injured Reserve. Thomas injured his ankle in last Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, while Aiken injured his thumb in practice on Wednesday.

The Giants now have 20 players on Injured Reserve, one player who spent the season on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List (left tackle Will Beatty) and one player on Injured Reserve/Designated-to-Return (defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa).

To fill the roster 53-man roster vacancies, the Giants signed linebacker Nico Johnson from the team’s Practice Squad, and signed long-snapper Tyler Ott.

Johnson was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs waived him in August 2014 and signed him to their Practice Squad. The Bengals signed Johnson to their 53-man roster in October 2014, but waived him in August 2015. The Redskins signed Johnson to their Practice Squad in September, but terminated his contract a month later. The Giants signed Johnson to the Practice Squad in November. Johnson has played in 17 regular-season games with three starts, accruing 22 tackles. Johnson is a big linebacker (6’2”, 249lbs) who plays the run well, but isn’t as adept in pass coverage. He is a hard worker.

Ott was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2014 NFL Draft. He did not make the team, but spent time with the Patriots again and the St. Louis Rams before the 2015 season.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
RT Marshall Newhouse (concussion), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (ankle), LB J.T. Thomas (ankle), S Craig Dahl (concussion), and S Cooper Taylor (concussion) did not practice on Thursday. Thomas was later placed on Injured Reserve.

WR Dwayne Harris (back/shoulder) and LS Danny Aiken (thumb) practiced on a limited basis. Aiken was later placed on Injured Reserve.

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

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

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media access to the Giants on New Year’s Day. The team will hold a 45-minute, up-tempo “walk-thru” practice on Saturday that is not open to the media. The Giants play the Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sunday.

Wednesday Injury Report; Coordinators Address the Media

 Posted by
Dec 302015
 


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NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
RT Marshall Newhouse (concussion), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (ankle), LB J.T. Thomas (ankle), S Craig Dahl (concussion), and S Cooper Taylor (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday.

Pierre-Paul said he will have additional surgery after the season on the right hand that he originally injured during a July 4th fireworks accident. Pierre-Paul lost his right index finger (amputated) and seriously damaged his right thumb and middle finger in the accident. The goal of the surgery is to improve flexibility in his middle finger so he can grip better and rid himself of his protective club.

“On film, you can see the club is preventing me from making tackles,” Pierre-Paul said. “People see it, I see it, and once I can move away from the club, I’ll be perfectly fine.”

WR Dwayne Harris (back and shoulder) practiced on a limited basis.

GIANTS SIGN TWO TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed linebacker Glenn Carson and cornerback T.J. Heath to the team’s Practice Squad.

Carson was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Arizona Cardinals after the 2014 NFL Draft. He played in five games as a rookie and finished the season with 11 tackles. The Cardinals waived him in August 2015. Carson is a an instinctive, intense, blue collar player who lacks ideal athleticism.

Heath was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2011 NFL Draft. Since then, he has spent time with the Jaguars (2011), Bengals (2012), Bills (2012-13), Browns (2013-14), Dolphins (2014), Panthers (2015), and Falcons (2015). Heath has only played in seven NFL games.

TRYOUT TUESDAY…
According to NJ.com, the following players worked out for the New York Giants on Tuesday: QB Pete Thomas, WR Aldrick Robinson, TE Mike McFarland, LB Glenn Carson, LB Cole Farrand, S Tyrequek Zimmerman, PK Quinn Sharp, and P Spencer Roth.

TOM COUGHLIN AND THE COORDINATORS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

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

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice on Thursday and hold physical recovery cycles on Friday in advance of Sunday’s home finale against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tom Coughlin & Eli Manning Talk About the Latest Loss; Devon Kennard to IR

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

Tom Coughlin – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARTICLES…

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

Minnesota Vikings 49 – New York Giants 17

 Posted by
Dec 282015
 
Eli Manning, New York Giants (December 27, 2015)

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS 49 – NEW YORK GIANTS 17…
The New York Giants were humiliated by the Minnesota Vikings on national television on Sunday night. With the loss, the Giants fell to 6-9, ensuring their third losing season in a row. The Giants have lost five of their last six games.

While the Vikings only slightly out-gained the Giants in first downs (17 to 15) and total net yards (368 to 363), Minnesota held dramatic advantages in rushing yards (218 to 91) and time of possession (34:57 to 25:03). The Vikings also won the turnover battle 3 to 0 as quarterback Eli Manning was intercepted three times, one resulting in an interception for a touchdown and the other giving Minnesota the football at the New York 4-yard line and leading to another touchdown two plays later.

The Giants’ defense actually held up fairly well until late in the game. They forced Minnesota to punt on their first three possessions before allowing an 8-play, 40-yard drive that set up a 32-yard field goal. They then allowed a 5-play, 44-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to tight end Kyle Rudolph. After forcing another punt, the Vikings set up another field goal late in the half by driving just 23 yards in seven plays.

Meanwhile, the Giants’ offense, minus suspended wide receiver Odell Beckham, struggled a great deal. The Giants only gained 112 net yards in the first half, and 50 of the 77 gross passing yards gained came on one pass play to running back Rashad Jennings. The Giants’ wide receivers only had three catches in the first half for 21 yards. Manning was sacked three times in the first half alone. New York only gained six first downs, three on one drive that set up a 27-yard field goal. Worse, Manning’s pass intended for wide receiver Rueben Randle late in the second quarter was picked off and returned 35 yards for a touchdown (the extra point was missed).

At the half, the Vikings led 19-3.

The game spiraled out of control in the third quarter. After the Giants went three-and-out to start the second half, the Vikings drove 58 yards in nine plays to set up a 22-yard field goal to take a 22-3 lead. On New York’s first ensuing offensive snap, Manning was intercepted for a third time in the game and the ball was returned 32 yards to the New York 4-yard line. Two plays later, Minnesota took a commanding 29-3 advantage when running back Adrian Peterson scored. After another three-and-out by the Giants, the Vikings kicked a 53-yard field goal to go up 32-3 late in the quarter.

The Giants did score on a 72-yard catch-and-run by Randle with about a minute left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 32-10. But the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Vikings and returned 27 yards to the Giants’ 18-yard line. Six plays later, the Vikings scored a touchdown to extend their advantage to 39-10. Then came a 4-and-out by the Giants, followed by 26-yard drive that set up a 27-yard field goal, another drive that ended on downs by the Giants, and then a humiliating 68-yard run by reserve running back Jerick McKinnon. Reserve quarterback Ryan Nassib came into the game with 3:30 left and drove the Giants to a late garbage touchdown.

Offensively, Manning finished 15-of-29 for 234 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. 122 passing yards came on two plays. No Giant caught more than three passes and no wide receiver caught more than two passes. Jennings did carry the football 14 times for 74 yards. Manning was sacked four times and officially hit eight times. Minnesota also had six tackles for losses.

Defensively, the Giants did not force a turnover. They did accrue three sacks: 1.5 by defensive end Robert Ayers, 0.5 by defensive end George Selvie, and 1.0 by linebacker Jonathan Casillas. New York also had six tackles for losses and seven quarterback hits.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

INJURY REPORT…
Right tackle Marshall Newhouse and safety Craig Dahl both left the game with concussions and did not return. Linebacker J.T. Thomas injured his ankle but returned until he was later ejected for throwing a punch.

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

  • Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Video)
  • QB Eli Manning (Video)
  • RB Shane Vereen (Video)
  • OC Weston Richburg (Video)
  • CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Video)

POST-GAME NOTES…
Inactive for the Giants were LB Devon Kennard (foot), S Cooper Taylor (concussion), WR Geremy Davis, OG Adam Gettis, OT Emmett Cleary, DE Stansly Maponga, and CB Jayron Hosley.

ARTICLES…

New York Giants Playoff Hopes Are Over

 Posted by
Dec 272015
 
Kirk Cousins and Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins (December 26, 2015)

NFC East Champion Washington Redskins – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS PLAYOFF HOPES ARE OVER…
With the Washington Redskins defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-24 on Saturday night, the playoff aspirations of the New York Giants are officially over. The Redskins won the NFC East divisional title and all other teams in the division have been eliminated from NFC Wild Card contention.

The 6-8 Giants will finish up the 2015 season with an away game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night and a home game against the Eagles on January 3rd. The Giants have lost four of their last five games and will not have a winning record for the third season in a row. This will be the fourth year in a row the Giants have missed the playoffs and the sixth time in seven years. The last time the Giants missed the playoffs four years in a row was pre-1981.

ARTICLES…

Giants Sign Matt LaCosse and Brad Bars to 53-Man Roster

 Posted by
Dec 252015
 
Markus Kuhn, New York Giants (December 28, 2014)

Markus Kuhn – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS SIGN MATT LACOSSE AND BRAD BARS TO 53-MAN ROSTER…
The New York Giants have placed defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (knee) and linebacker James Morris (quad) on season-ending Injured Reserve. To fill those roster vacancies on the 53-man roster, the Giants have signed tight end Matt LaCosse and defensive end Brad Bars from the team’s Practice Squad. The Giants now have 17 players on season-ending Injured Reserve.

LaCosse was originally signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2015 NFL Draft. The Giants waived/injured him in early August with a hamstring injury. He then spent some time with the Jets before being waived before the season started. The Giants signed him to the Practice Squad in November. LaCosse is a versatile player who has played tight end, H-Back, and fullback. LaCosse has a good frame, but needs to add bulk and get stronger. He does not get much movement as a blocker, but he works at it. LaCosse has good speed and catches the football well.

Bars was signed as a rookie free agent by the Giants in August 2015 and signed to the Practice Squad in September. Bars missed the entire 2013 season at Penn State after tearing his Achilles’ tendon. He played in all 13 games in 2014 but was only credited with 10 tackles. Bars lacks ideal size for the position, but he is a decent athlete who plays hard.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
LB Devon Kennard (foot) and S Cooper Taylor (concussion) have officially been ruled out of Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

WR Dwayne Harris (shoulder) is “questionable” for the game.

LT Ereck Flowers (illness), RB Orleans Darkwa (illness) and DE George Selvie (concussion) are “probable” for the game.

GIANTS.COM Q&A WITH TOM COUGHLIN…
The transcript of a Giants.com Q&A session with Head Coach Tom Coughlin is available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

Giants Sign Ben Edwards to 53-Man Roster; Injury Report

 Posted by
Dec 242015
 
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants (December 20, 2015)

Tom Coughlin – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS SIGN BEN EDWARDS TO 53-MAN ROSTER…
The New York Giants have signed wide receiver Ben Edwards to the 53-man roster from the team’s Practice Squad. Edwards fills the roster spot created by wide receiver Odell Beckham’s suspension.

Edwards was eligible to play in the NFL in 2014, but sat out the year recovering from an ACL knee injury. The Giants originally signed Edwards after the 2015 NFL Draft, but waived/injured him in July after he pulled his hamstring during the June mini-camp. The Giants signed him to the Practice Squad in November 2015. Edwards lacks ideal size and timed speed, but he is a quick receiver who plays faster than he times. Edwards runs very good routes, adjusts well to the football, and has good hands. He has experience playing in the slot and returning punts.

The Giants also re-signed wide receiver Julian Talley to the Practice Squad. This is Talley’s third stint on the team’s Practice Squad this season. Talley was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Giants after the 2012 NFL Draft. Talley spent most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons on the team’s Practice Squad, although he did play in two games each season. He does not yet have an NFL catch. Talley is a tall, thin receiver with good overall athletic ability. He lacks ideal speed, but is smooth and fluid with good hands. Talley has gotten better each year.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
LT Ereck Flowers (illness), DT Markus Kuhn (knee), LB Devon Kennard (foot), LB James Morris (quad), and S Cooper Taylor (concussion) did not practice on Thursday.

WR Dwayne Harris (shoulder) practiced on a limited basis. “It felt pretty good,” said Harris after practice. “I think it’s probably going to be a game time decision how much I play on special teams and offense. Right now we’re just planning about how I feel.”

RB Orleans Darkwa (illness) and DE George Selvie (concussion) fully practiced.

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

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

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media access to the Giants on Christmas. The team will have a 45-minute, up-tempo “walk-thru” practice on Saturday that is not open to the media. The Giants play the Vikings in Minnesota on Sunday.

Odell Beckham Loses Appeal; Brandon Meriweather Re-Signed

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Dec 232015
 


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ODELL BECKHAM LOSES APPEAL…
On Wednesday, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham lost his appeal for his 1-game suspension by the NFL. Beckham was suspended without pay on Monday until December 28 due to “multiple violations of safety-related playing rules” in last weekend’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Beckham is not allowed to interact with the team during the suspension and will miss Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Beckham issued the following statement:

“I owe some people an apology. I wasn’t raised to act like I did the other day. I am not here to make excuses for my conduct. This isn’t about anything that was said or done to me. This is about my behavior, and I am responsible for my behavior. People expect better from me, and I expect better from myself.

“First of all, I apologize to the organization I represent, the Giants, and our ownership, John Mara and his family and Steve Tisch and his family. And Jerry Reese, who drafted me and gave me the opportunity to be a part of this organization.

“I want to apologize to Giants fans. They want to be proud of us, and proud of players like me who represent their team. What happened the other day was embarrassing to them and embarrassing to me.

“A lot of kids look up to me as a role model. That is a responsibility I accept and take seriously. Many of the parents of those kids have asked since Sunday what they should say to their children about my conduct. I don’t have the perfect answer, but I think one thing they can say is how I handled myself the other day is an example of how not to conduct yourself. I displayed poor sportsmanship.  And those parents can also say that when you act like that, there are consequences. And I hope to be an example of somebody who did something wrong and learned from it.

“I owe Coach Coughlin, our coaches and my teammates an apology. They have had to answer for my actions, and that’s not fair to them. How I conduct myself is my responsibility. I let my coaches and teammates down.

“I am blessed and privileged to play the game I love, and I will do all I can to carry myself in a way that honors the game, the NFL, my team, my coaches, all my fans and my family moving forward.”

GIANTS RE-SIGN BRANDON MERIWEATHER…
As reported yesterday, the New York Giants have placed fullback/defensive tackle Nikita Whitlock on season-ending Injured Reserve with a knee injury that he suffered against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. To fill the roster vacancy, the Giants have re-signed safety Brandon Meriweather, who was released by the Giants last week when the team signed defensive tackle Barry Cofield.

The Giants signed Meriweather in August 2015 after injuries hit the safety position hard. Meriweather was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He has played with the Patriots (2007-10), Chicago Bears (2011), and Washington Redskins (2012-14). Meriweather started the first 11 games of this season for the Giants until a knee injury kept him out of two games in December. He accrued 53 tackles, 7 pass defenses, and 2 interceptions.

ODELL BECKHAM VOTED TO PRO BOWL…
Wide receiver Odell Beckham has been voted to the Pro Bowl by coaches, players, and fans for his performance during the 2015 NFL season. Through 14 games this year, Beckham has caught 91 passes for 1,396 yards and 13 touchdowns. Beckham also made the Pro Bowl his rookie season.

Beckham is the only New York Giant selected to the Pro Bowl. Place kick Josh Brown and return specialist Dwayne Harris were both named as first alternates and will get the opportunity to play if a player at their position cannot participate in the game.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
WR Dwayne Harris (shoulder), DT Markus Kuhn (knee), LB Devon Kennard (foot), and S Cooper Taylor (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday.

RB Orleans Darkwa (illness), DE George Selvie (concussion), and LB James Morris (quad) practiced on a limited basis.

TOM COUGHLIN AND THE COORDINATORS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

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

ARTICLES…

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

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