Aug 062006
 
August 6, 2006 New York Giants Training Camp Report (Evening Practice)

by BigBlueInteractive.com Contributor Zach in Binghamton

After stretching, the first order of business was the punt return drill. The returners were HB Chad Morton, WR Michael Jennings, and CB R.W. McQuarters, with WR Sinorice Moss standing back there watching.

First-string punt return team was (left to right, outside guys are doubling the gunners): CB Curtis Deloatch, S Quentin Harris, S James Butler, DE Eric Moore, LB Chase Blackburn, LB Reggie Torbor, DE Adrian Awasom, WR Harry Williams, S Charlie Peprah, and CB Corey Webster.

Second-string punt return team was: CB E.J. Underwood, CB Jason Bell, CB Kevin Dockery, LB Gerris Wilkinson, LB Nick McNeil, LB Tyson Smith, DE Willie Evans, FB Tony Jackson, DE Mathias Kiwanuka, S Claudius Osei, and CB Gerrick McPhearson.

MLB Antonio Pierce was running with the scout punt team during this drill. The other first stringers from offense and defense stretched on the next field, but Pierce is so into the game, such a leader!

Next the defense did a rip-the-ball, recover, and lead-block drill. Then the defensive backs broke into cornerback and safety groups and did form tackling then 1-on-1 cover drills.

The linebackers practiced interception drills.

P Jeff Feagles was throwing 10-yard outs to the wide receivers – nice, catchable balls.

I also saw TE Jeremy Shockey sky for a high ball and bring it down in individual drills – he looked focused.

One-on-One Passing Drills: Wide receivers versus cornerbacks and tight ends versus safeties with the quarterbacks throwing.

  • WR Amani Toomer beat Webster on out; pass from QB Eli Manning.
  • Shockey beat Butler on cut-in; pass from Eli.
  • WR Plaxico Burress slipped down versus CB Sam Madison; no pass.
  • QB Tim Hasselbeck and some receiver had a miscommunication on a route; incomplete.
  • WR Tim Carter dropped one on a comeback after getting open.
  • TE Darcy Johnson toasted Osei on stop-and-go; touchdown.
  • McPhearson picked off QB Jared Lorenzen; nice jump on route.
  • Jackson beat Peprah and threw a stiff arm to get yards after the catch.
  • WR Anthony Mix caught a ball, but would’ve gotten offensive pass interference.
  • Shockey beat SS Gibril Wilson with a swim move and caught a deep seam pass. Please throw this to him in games!
  • Burress beat McQuarters.
  • WR Triandos Luke dragged his feet on an out – sweet.
  • The drill ended with Carter up next, he really wanted to go again.

FYI, the receiver has huge advantage in this drill, so don’t get down on the defense. They had mostly tight coverage. I will say that Rob Johnson has a stronger arm than Hasselbeck, but this drill involves only one read.

Nine-on-Nine Drills This was next and mostly resulted in RG Chris Snee’s knee. However, the entire second-team defensive line got tons of push, led by DT Jonas Seawright. Seawright was also the nose tackle on the goal line defense, which uses a five-man line with him in the middle.

About halfway through the first-team offense versus the first-team defense, there was a pileup and Snee was at the bottom of it. The coaches were yelling at the players to stay off the ground and after they all untangled, Snee sort of limped out of the drill and the trainers had him sitting down away from the action. He was down for a while, but not visibly upset as you might expect if he heard it pop. Then they bandaged some ice on it and he walked around for the rest of the time and Seubert went in for him. I didn’t see who landed on him, but he definitely didn’t stay down where it happened – he got up and walked away from the drill, which seems hopeful, if not conclusive.

First- and third-team offensive line opened some holes, but without tackling the runners this drill was hard to interpret. Meanwhile, the wide receivers and defensive backs were on the side working on beating press coverage and getting off the line versus a jam. Madison and McQuarters are really good at pressing, but they only went ten yards to stay out of the other drill, so can’t tell if they could stay with a deep route after pressing.

If you haven’t gotten tired of hearing it, Toomer is SO GOOD – he is so smooth, in this and every drill.

Eleven-on-Eleven Scrimmage (No Tackling): The first play was a pass to Toomer from Eli that was incomplete. I had a bad angle to tell who messed up, but it was a wide receiver screen they ran several times in passing drills. Three-wide receiver set, Toomer in the slot goes horizontal to the sideline on the snap while the outside wide receiver on his side blocks down on Toomer’s man and Amani takes it up the sideline. Later on, they ran the same play again. Madison (I think) forced Amani back inside into the pursuit and no gain was the result.

Next DE Osi Umenyiora defended a flat pass to TE Wade Fletcher on a zone blitz. He looked nice in coverage and arrived right with the ball. Also, Kiwanuka lined up like a strongside linebacker at one point, in a two-point stance – they can bring these guys from anywhere.

Kickoff Coverage Drills: PK Jay Feely was booming them – for several they had a coach throw the kick returner the ball to start the return because Feely hit quite a few touchbacks.

First-team coverage unit (left to right): Underwood, WR Willie Ponder, Smith, Wilkinson, Awasom, Feely, LB Thomas Carroll, Harry Williams, McNeil, Harris, and Bell.

Second-team coverage unit: CB Brandon Williams, Luke, Dockery, S Jason Shivers, Jackson, Feely, Evans, Smith, Osei, Peprah, and McPherson.

Obviously, they are working in the new guys because WR David Tyree will be on the kickoff cover team when games count. They were jogging to work on not jumping offside/staying in lanes and then covering some kicks. The special teams coaches are super active and have these guys paying attention to everything. Head Coach Tom Coughlin spent a bunch of time on specials in this practice – and throughout the practice (not all at once) – so that the starters would not fall asleep on the sidelines.

Seven-on-Seven Passing Drills: Manning is up first.

  • Plax short flat – good pass.
  • Plax curl in – good pass.
  • Carter short cross – complete.
  • Plax split safety and corner on post, nice route, good throw and catch.
  • Carter go route, burned the CB and got ball in stride – touchdown. What we all need from Carter, but will we get it? (FYI, Butler came over late and pushed/tagged him 50 yards downfield while Carter was running, knocking him down and Carter rolled then got up. I was sure that was it for his season – can he get a red jersey?)

Now QB Rob Johnson is throwing.

  • Hit Luke.
  • TE Boo Williams on the post, nice.
  • Luke again – nice pass on the out.
  • FB Greg Hanoian in the flat – wimpy decision. Shockey was open deeper.
  • Johnson double clutches and misses the underneath receiver, ugh.

Lorenzen’s turn.

  • Shockey is wide open on the post from split left. Floater – one-handed interception by Blackburn. Nice play by the defense.
  • Jackson in stride underneath.
  • Shockey gets a curl and powers upfield while defenders scatter for fear of being cut if they touch him. Shock looks fast.
  • Carter nice move on the out to get open.
  • Mix on the cross under, good throw.

No reps for Hasselbeck.

Eleven-on-Eleven Drills: Manning’s first pass to Toomer is a rainbow. Butler has all day to jump it but runs into Webster and can’t hold on. Ugly pass from Eli. HB Tiki Barber cuts left, had about 2-3 yards if they were tackling him. Eli hits FB Jim Finn on the delay over the middle – there might have been an offensive lineman holding a defensive tackle.

McQuarters and Walker are the second-string cornerbacks. Jason Bell popped Hanoian in the flat – the defense was pumped, especially McQuarters and the starters on the sideline. These guys are having fun.

Eli hits Plax on the quick hitch – he used up Webster with a move and got up the sideline. Eli hit Toomer on the WR-screen behind Carter, not much there thanks to Madison forcing on the corner. Tiki maybe got a yard before Osi would have buried him. Webster does well to break up a fleaflicker to Amani – Manning should have lead him more with the throw.

Hasselbeck, in with the second team, hits Tyree on nice out as he drags his toes inbounds. Next play, Seawright drops from defensive tackle to play the middle linebacker zone – this was not pretty. To make up for it, Jonas cleans up on the running back cutting back on a sweep and buries him. In Jonas’ defense, he probably can’t stop that fast and besides the defense loves it.

Next is Johnson. He first hits Amani, but was clearly sacked first on the play. He then hits Jennings on the post.

Green Zone Drills: From about the 20-yard, first team up.

Tiki counter to the left as LT Luke Petitgout and OG Rich Seubert seal it and he walks in for the touchdown. I love this play so much – Tiki reads blocks so well. Next, Webster returns an interception from Manning 95 yards for a touchdown. Eli was looking left and went all the way to the fourth read on the right (Finn). He was open, but the play took too long and Webster jumped it perfectly.

Hasselbeck in and hits Toomer on a screen which turns into a jailbreak on defense.

Next Rob Johnson overthrows Carter on a fade – he had Deloatch beat. Chad Morton used some nice cuts to run for a 20-yard touchdown which got the offense pumped up – he juked two defenders on the play.

Next Seawright split a double-team and walked the center back five yards into the pocket, allowing the linebackers to clean up a draw. On the last play, Darcy Johnson had a sweet catch on an out in the back of the endzone – dragged his feet.

It was fun. I just wish I gotten to see LB LaVar Arrington and the other injured players such as Moss.

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