by BigBlueInteractive.com Contributor iMatt

The linebackers started with a strip and recover drill. This was when I first noticed that everything that Antonio Pierce does, he does at game-speed. They also did some drills to work on coverage dexterity and a drill to contain a cutback runner. Kawika Mitchell has pretty good closing speed and was quick to wrap up.

The cornerbacks worked with the wide receivers a bit on a drill where the cornerbacks engage and jam the wide receivers at the line. Defensive Backs Peter Giunta (I presume) pulled Corey Webster aside and told him to be more physical with his man (Plaxico Burress) and not afraid to give him a good shove toward the sidelines if he breaks outside. It was nice to hear those words said out loud.

The running backs and second- and third-team linebackers worked on a drill with the running backs catching a pass in the flat or short 5-yard pattern while the linebackers covered. I thought Zak DeOssie moved fairly well in coverage on the drill, but Brandon Jacobs made him look like a traffic cone.

The kickers worked on field goals in the middle of the field moving five yards back per try. Lawrence Tynes’ were prettier, but he was also first to miss.

7-on-7/11-on-11 Drills:

• S Will Demps is working almost exclusively on the second team, but he did do a good job breaking up a deep pass at one point.
• QB Jared Lorenzen is working with the second team and looks really sharp. He hit a couple of guys (one being TE Darcy Johnson) right in stride and in traffic.
• The defensive ends on first team were Adrian Awasom and William Joseph for the most part. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck dressed and warmed up, but I don’t recall seeing either active. Mathhias Kiwanuka put his hand down on the left side of the line on two plays. I believe they were both third-down situations.
• WR Anthony Mix beat his man (CB E.J. Underwood?) deep and caught a great touchdown pass from QB Anthony Wright.
• The cornerbacks are lining up tight to the line on 3rd down – well, at least today they were.
• QB Eli Manning hit WR Amani Toomer perfectly on a text-book 10-yard hitch. The timing between these two looks to have held up. He also looked pretty good with Plaxico Burress, the occasional miss or drop notwithstanding.
• WR Steve Smith did a great job of adjusting in the air to come down with a high pass to the sidelines.
• The practice of the defense picking up every ball that touches the ground and returning it 5-10 yards is still in effect.
• Brandon Jacobs caught a nice swing pass and tip-toed down the sideline for what probably would have been a good 10-15 yard-gain in a game. He was quick to remind the linebackers that they missed him.
• CB Aaron Ross is taking snaps with both the first and second teams.

• I couldn’t see if it was by design or not, but LG Rich Seubert got himself a touchdown in the corner of the end zone after an aborted field goal attempt.

They finished the day with a punt return drill in which two gunners were sent after a lone returner. WR Kevin McMahan and HB Ahmad Bradshaw looked pretty shifty. Underwood was given a shot, but I’d be surprised if that experiment is attempted too many times. His turn ended pretty quickly.