Feb 262020
 
Alec Ogletree, New York Giants (December 9, 2018)

Alec Ogletree – © USA TODAY Sports

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The New York Giants have officially terminated the contracts of linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin. The moves create an additional $13.05 million in cap space ($8.25 million by cutting Ogletree and $4.8 million by cutting Martin).

Ogletree did not have one of his better seasons in 2019 as the losing appeared to affect his level of focus and effectiveness. He started all 13 games he played in, missing three contests with injuries (hamstring, back). Ogletree played in 77 percent of all defensive snaps, and finished the season with 80 tackles, 1 sack, 6 pass defenses, and 1 interception.

Ogletree was drafted in the 1st round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Rams. He made the All-Rookie team in 2013 and was named second-team All-Pro in 2016. The Giants traded with the Rams for Ogletree in March 2018, giving the Rams 4th- and 6th-round draft picks. In his first season with the Giants, Ogletree started all 13 regular-season games he played in, missing three games due to hamstring and concussion issues. He finished the year with 93 tackles, 1 sack, 8 pass defenses, and 5 interceptions (2 of which were returned for touchdowns).

The Giants placed Martin on Injured Reserve in September 2019 with a knee injury that he suffered in the regular-season opener. He was activated back to the active roster in December and finished the year with only three tackles in five games, with no starts.

The Giants signed Martin as an unrestricted free agent from the Arizona Cardinals in March 2018. Though not a standout in 2018, Martin has his most productive season as a pro, playing in a 16 games with seven starts, and finishing with 48 tackles (twice as much as his previous high), 1.5 sacks, and 2 pass defenses. Martin was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cardinals as a defensive end. The Cardinals moved him to linebacker after his rookie season.

Dec 012019
 

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GREEN BAY PACKERS 31 – NEW YORK GIANTS 13…
As expected, the New York Giants lost their eighth game in a row on Sunday by losing to the Green Bay Packers 31-13 at a snowy MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the defeat, the Giants fall to 2-10 on the season.

It was actually a close game for most of the contest with the Packers finally pulling away in the 4th quarter. Oddly, the Giants had more first downs (20 to 19), total net yards (335 to 322), net yards rushing (95 to 79), and time of possession (31:17 to 28:43). But the Giants lost the all-important turnover battle 3-0 and the defense kept allowing big plays on 3rd and 4th down.

The defensive issues showed up early as Green Bay scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the game. After running back Saquon Barkley was stuffed in the backfield for a 3-yard loss on 3rd-and-1, the Packers easily drove 72 yards in seven plays with quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing an 8-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Davante Adams. The drive also included a 43-yard pass completion.

New York responded on their second possession with an 11-play, 71 yard touchdown drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Sterling Shepard on 3rd-and-3. The drive was kept alive with a 12-yard reception by tight end Kaden Smith on 3rd-and-2 and an 8-yard catch by wide receiver Darius Slayton on 4th-and-5.

However, the Packers quickly regained the lead with a 5-play, 66-yard effort that ended with an easy 37-yard touchdown pass on their second possession of the game. Packers 14 – Giants 7.

With the pressure on the offense to keep pace with the red-hot Packers’ offense, Daniel Jones threw his first interception of the day on the fifth play of the ensuing drive. Green Bay only needed 24 yards to set up a successful 47-yard field goal. Packers 17 – Giants 7.

The bulk of the rest of the 2nd quarter was eaten up by an 18-play, 66-yard drive by the Giants that took nine minutes and 31 seconds off of the clock. The Giants converted a 3rd-and-6, 4th-and-1, and 4th-and-2 on this possession. Unfortunately, the Giants were forced to settle for a 27-yard field goal rather than a touchdown. The Giants’ defense finally forced a punt on Green Bay’s fourth and last possession of the half and at the break, the score was Packers 17 – Giants 10.

After allowing one first down, the New York defense forced another punt to start the 3rd quarter. The Giants pulled closer with a 10-play, 52-yard effort on their first possession of the second half, resulting in a 45-yard field goal by place kicker Aldrick Rosas. The big play was a 43-yard pass from Jones to wide receiver Cody Latimer on 3rd-and-12. The drive sputtered after that long completion however. Packers 17 – Giants 13.

At this point, the game began to get out of hand for the Giants. Green Bay launched their third long touchdown drive of the game, traveling 75 yards in 14 plays. The possession was kept alive with an 11-yard pass interference penalty on 3rd-and-6 by cornerback Sam Beal, a 15-yard completion on 4th-and-10, and a 6-yard completion on 3rd-and-2. Rodgers fittingly finished the drive with his third touchdown pass of the day, a 17-yard completion on 3rd-and-goal despite the Giants having 12 men on the field. Packers 24 – Giants 13.

Matters got only worse when Jones threw his second interception on the ensuing drive. The Packers took over at the New York 38-yard line. After converting on 3rd-and-5 and 3rd-and-9, Rodgers threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day and the Packers were now up 31-13 with just over seven minutes to play.

Jones threw his third interception on the second play of the ensuing drive. The New York defense forced its third punt of the day. On New York’s final possession of the game, the Giants drove from their own 6-yard line to the Green Bay 17. But the drive ended with an incomplete pass on 4th-and-4. The Packers then ran out the clock to end the game.

Daniel Jones completed 20-of-37 passes for 240 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. His two leading targets were tight end Kaden Smith (6 catches for 70 yards) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (6 catches for 44 yards). Saquon Barkley carried the ball 19 times for 83 yards.

Defensively, the Giants did not accrue a sack or force a turnover. Aaron Rodgers was only officially hit twice. Not counting the kneel down at the end of the game, Green Bay scored on five of their eight possessions.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
Inactive for the game were WR Golden Tate (concussion), TE Evan Engram (foot), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion), S Jabrill Peppers (back), QB Alex Tanney, OT/OG Chad Slade, and OT Eric Smith.

CB Corey Ballentine left the game with a concussion and did not return.

QB Daniel Jones injured his ankle but continued to play despite a noticeable limp. “He hurt it, but he played through it,” said Head Coach Pat Shurmur after the game. “Tough guy, he fought through it.”

ZAK DEOSSIE PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE…
The Giants placed long snapper Zak DeOssie on Injured Reserve on Saturday with knee and wrist issues. To fill his roster spot, the team signed long-snapper Colin Holba from the Practice Squad.

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

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

Nov 242019
 
Alec Ogletree, New York Giants (November 24, 2019)

Alec Ogletree – © USA TODAY Sports

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CHICAGO BEARS 19 – NEW YORK GIANTS 14…
The New York Giants lost their seventh game in a row, and fell to 2-9 on the season, by losing to the Chicago Bears 19-14 on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. For the first time in New York Giants history, the team did not win a game in the months of October and November.

What kind of day was it for New York? The Giants missed two field goals, committed three neutral zone infractions, and were flagged with defensive holding on a 3rd-and-10 sack, which led to a touchdown on the next play. New York’s longest gain was a 26-yard scramble by the quarterback.

Offensively, the Giants were held to 243 net yards, 14 first downs, and 1-of-12 (8 percent) on third down. Chicago’s 30th-ranked offense gained 335 net yards and 20 first downs.

The Giants and Bears exchanged punts to start the game. After another Giants’ punt, Chicago put together a 12-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 3rd-and-9 interception by linebacker Alec Ogletree in the end zone. The Giants followed that up with their third punt in a row.

After a punt by Chicago, the Giants took a 7-0 lead after a 6-play, 42-yard drive ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to tight end Kaden Smith. Unfortunately for New York, these would be the last points the team would score until late in the 4th quarter. Chicago would score the game’s next 19 points.

The Bears would punt the ball twice more on their next two possessions, with four of their first five possessions ending with punts. The Giants could not take advantage as both of their next two possessions ended with missed field goals, from 42 and 43 yards out. The first attempt was set up by a 40-yard punt return by safety Jabrill Peppers.

Chicago’s only points of the first half came on their last possession before halftime, as the Bears drove 59 yards in nine plays to set up a 26-yard field goal.

At the half, the Giants led 7-3.

Place kicker Aldrick Rosas, who is having a terrible season, kicked the opening kickoff of the second half out of bounds. The Bears needed just five plays to go the remaining 60 yards. The killer play came on 3rd-and-10 from the New York 37-yard line. Linebacker Markus Golden had his 3rd-down sack wiped out by a defensive holding penalty by cornerback Janoris Jenkins. On the very next snap, wide receiver Allen Robinson scored on a pass from 32 yards out, beating cornerback Corey Ballentine, as the Bears went up 10-7.

After a three-and-out by the Giants, the Bears extended their advantage to 13-7 after an 8-play, 88-yard drive ended with a 24-yard field goal. On the first play of New York’s ensuing drive, linebacker Khalil Mack beat left tackle Nate Solder and stripped-sacked Jones of the ball. The Bears recovered at the Giants’ 3-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal, quarterback Mitchell Trubiski ran in from two yards out. The Bears now were up 19-7.

The Giants went three-and-out again on their third possession of the half. On the first play of the 4th quarter, safety Julian Love intercepted a Trubiski pass at the New York 20-yard line and returned it 30 yards to midfield. However, the Giants could not gain a first down, being stopped after a 1-yard pass play on 4th-and-4. The Giants did not gain a first down on their first four possessions of the second half.

The Bears gained one first down and punted, the ball being down at the 3-yard line. Aided by a 26-yard scramble by Jones, a 19-yard reception by wide receiver Darius Slayton, and a 22-yard run by running back Saquon Barkley, the Giants reached the Chicago 15-yard line. However, the next three plays lost eight yards and the Giants were now facing a 4th-and-18 from the 23-yard line. As Jones was getting smashed by Mack again, he lofted a perfect 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Golden Tate. The Giants now trailed 19-14 with 4:10 left in the game.

The Giants had a chance to win at the end. Markus Golden stuffed the Bears for a 1-yard loss on 3rd-and-1, forcing a punt. However, the Giants were caught off guard when the Bears’ punt team came onto the field late. The Giants did not have a returner in the game and the ensuing 61-yard punt was downed at the 6-yard line. Jones threw a 17-yard pass to Slayton on 4th-and-4 from the 12-yard line, but his second 4th-and-4 attempt four plays later fell incomplete as he was getting hit. Game over.

Jones finished the game 21-of-36 for just 150 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also lost his tenth fumble of the season, including seven in his last five games. His “leading” targets were tight end Kaden Smith (5 catches for 17 yards) and wide receiver Sterling Shepard (5 catches for 15 yards). Slayton did have four catches for 67 yards. Barkley was held to 59 yards on 17 carries, with 22 of those yards coming on one run.

On the defensive side of the football, linebackers Markus Golden and Lorenzo Carter picked up sacks. Alec Ogletree and and Julian Love both had interceptions.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
Inactive for the game were TE Evan Engram (foot), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion), QB Alex Tanney, WR Bennie Fowler, OT/OG Chad Slade, OT Eric Smith, and LB Chris Peace.

S Jabrill Peppers left the game with a hip injury and did not return. He was in a lot of pain after the game and will undergo an MRI on Monday.

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

  • Head Coach Pat Shurmur (Video)
  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • WR Sterling Shepard (Video)
  • LB Alec Ogletree (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Pat Shurmur and select players will address the media on Monday.

Oct 302019
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (October 27, 2019)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

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OCTOBER 30, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Because they play on Monday, the New York Giants were not required to issue an injury report today. That said, everyone on the 53-man roster practiced. Although he is still in the concussion protocol, wide receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion) fully practiced.

Cornerback Sam Beal (hamstring), who is currently on Injured Reserve, continues to practice and is eligible to be added to the 53-man roster. “He’s making good progress,” said Head Coach Pat Shurmur. “We have until next Wednesday to make a final decision on him, and so we’ll just see, again, what the next week brings.”

NEW YORK GIANTS ROSTER MOVES…
With the trade for defensive end Leonard Williams official, the New York Giants have waived linebacker Tae Davis, who was claimed by the Cleveland Browns today. The Giants signed Davis as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. Davis not only made the team, but he played in 14 games with four starts in 2018, accruing 33 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 pass defense. This year, Davis played in four games with one start, accruing six tackles.

The Giants terminated the Practice Squad contract of linebacker Jake Carlock. The Giants originally signed Carlock as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft.

GIANTS RESTRUCTURE RHETT ELLISON’S CONTRACT…
According to ESPN, the Giants have restructured the contract of tight Rhett Ellison in order to create more cap space for defensive end Leonard Williams. They did so by converting $1,876,765 of Ellison’s base salary into a signing bonus, creating $938,382 in cap space against the team’s 2019 salary cap.

HEAD COACH PAT SHURMUR…
The transcript of Pat Shurmur’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice on Thursday.

Oct 282019
 
Leonard Williams, New York Jets (December 24, 2017)

Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

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GIANTS TRADE FOR LEONARD WILLIAMS…
Although not official, the New York Giants have acquired New York Jets defensive end Leonard Williams by trade. According to The NFL Network, the Jets will receive the Giants’ 2020 3rd-round pick plus a 2021 4th-round pick if the Giants and Williams agree to a new contract before free agency. If they do not, then the Jets would receive the 2021 5th-round pick. The Jets will also pick up $4 million of Williams’ 2019 compensation. Williams is in the final year of his 5-year, rookie contract and is scheduled to make $14,200,000 in salary this year.

The 25-year old, 6’5”, 302-pound Williams was the sixth player taken overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Jets. In four and a half seasons with the Jets, Williams has started 70 games, accruing 240 tackles, 17 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. His best season was 2016, when he was credited with 68 tackles and seven sacks. In seven starts this year, Williams has accrued 20 tackles and no sacks.

GIANTS SHOPPING OTHER PLAYERS…
The NFL Network is reporting that the New York Giants have shopped and are open to trading linebacker Alec Ogletree, cornerback Janoris Jenkins, and possibly left tackle Nate Solder.

MONDAY PAT SHURMUR CONFERENCE CALL…
New York Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur addressed the media by conference call on Monday to discuss the team’s 31-26 loss to the Detroit Lions:

Q: What was your reaction last night when you heard the players wanted a players only meeting? What is your history and experience over the years with players only meetings and what does it say that they want to do that?
A: I think it’s good, I was made aware of their comments after the game. I think we are all disappointed that we lost, I think it’s pretty obvious we fell a couple plays short of winning that football game. I think they are going to get together and discuss it, that’s a players only thing. I think this was addressed after the game with the coaches and the players, we need to keep working, we have to be very intentional with how we do things, which we have been, but we have to find ways to get better at everything we do so that shows up on game day and we make more plays.

Q: As you look at Daniel through six games, how would you assess the totality of his development? Where have you seen the most progress?
A: I think there’s areas in each game where he has shown improvement just playing quarterback. Just focused on yesterday, I think we had the play where he gets hit, the ball goes backwards, and it becomes a fumble, but he stays in the moment and he just keeps playing. I keep saying this each week, but he’s tough and he’s resilient and he competes, and he fights and he tries to do everything right. There’s plenty of production, things he did in terms of getting us in the right protection. There were some run checks he executed properly, I think he made some nice throws, he scrambled around, a couple of zone reads. I think the important thing for him is to continue to put more good plays on tape, continue to get the ball off on time and try to eliminate the mistakes that can wrongly affect the game.

Q: You alluded to those pre-snap checks, are you guys as a coaching staff adding more of those to him in terms of stuff he can check out of at the line of scrimmage?
A: It’s been part of what he has been able to do since we put him in against Tampa. I think that’s part of what he’s able to do and you have to be able to do that. Defenses are too good, they are too multiple, and they do things within plays that changes need to be made. That’s part of why he’s had success.

Q: Where do you think is the biggest area he can still grow in this learning process?
A: I think he can improve in all areas of his game. That’s what happens with a young player, he goes through the game, there are a handful of throws that he maybe could throw better. There’s a couple times maybe he could have done something different with the football. You are always working on your decision making, your timing, your accuracy and just in general what the quarterback has to do to in terms of managing the game. That’s constant, that’s a continual process for a rookie, as it would be for anybody that’s even a veteran.

Q: Any news on the injury front, particularly Sterling Shepard?
A: No, not really. Everything we did today was in the meeting room, we weren’t on the practice field. He’s still in the protocol, so to speak, he’s been out there running around. We’ll just have to see what the week brings.

Q: The trade deadline is tomorrow, what are your expectations for that?
A: I really don’t have anything expectation wise, there’s really nothing to add to all that.

Q: There has been talk of Janoris Jenkins possibly being moved, how would you look at that, losing a good player if that were the case?
A: I guess it has been rumored that he is being moved all the time. I don’t know of any conversations to do that. It’s purely hypothetical with regards to him.

Q: How much input do you have around these times? Obviously, Dave (Gettleman) makes the decisions of who stays and who goes, but can you kind of characterize what kind of input level you have?
A: We talk about everything. We talk about everything with regard to how the games play out, we talk about everything personnel wise. Put trades aside, we’re always making little roster adjustments each week, depending on covering up for injuries or trying to improve the roster. We talk. It’s pretty fluid in terms of our conversation.

Q: They seemed to want you to return the kickoffs. Why were you unable to get anything going there?
A: I think it just pretty much came down to execution. I thought they… That’s something that they do. That’s part of what they do. As we looked through it today, it’s a block here and a block there. It’s not the same thing every time. But I certainly think we need to clean that up moving forward.

Q: How did you think (Deone) Bucannon played in his first time out after you had a chance to check out the film?
A: He had a handful of reps in there. I thought he did a pretty good job really for the first time out. Obviously, look forward to giving him more reps as we go. So, pretty good outing for the first time.

Q: Is there anything you could do, you could figure out to try to avoid some of these slow starts? 14-0 in the first quarter the last two games is really unprecedented around the Giants. Is there anything you can do to help the defense, help the offense change something, do something to change, because these slow starts are really putting your team behind these last four games?
A: Yeah, I think that’s true. I think we just need to play better early. We find a way through the middle and the later part of the games to make enough plays. Defensively, we get settled down throughout the middle and later in the game and make plays that are significant. Then certainly, you don’t like the turnovers that go for scores. That’s something that you obviously want to avoid at any point. But you’re right, because what happens is you have to get away from some of the things that you had planned to do when the game was in the balance. You never want to do that.

Q: My colleague, Ian Rapoport, I just saw on Twitter, is reporting that Leonard Williams from the Jets has been traded to the Giants. Do you have a reaction to that?
A: I don’t. I don’t. Again, I wouldn’t comment on all of that until anything was public.

Q: I know after the game, you said there weren’t any injuries you knew of. Has that changed at all?
A: No, not really. Just I would call them game soreness. Nothing. No injury changes. Nothing significant. We actually, as games go, we pulled out of this one pretty well.

Q: What do you think of the way your d-line has played, and I’d hearken back as well to Paul Schwartz’s question about the slow starts that have been apparent the last couple of weeks?
A: Each guy up front has had an impact and played pretty good at times. Forget just the d-line. I think we’ve been inconsistent in all of the groups. Yesterday was probably one of B.J. Hill’s better outings. Going forward, I think Dexter Lawrence is battling and playing hard, and Dalvin (Tomlinson). Those are the three guys that come to mind right now that are very steady. I think we have to get better and certainly we all have to play better to win these games. But I think they’re making improvements.

Q: Where would another starting-caliber defensive lineman sort of fit into the mix in your estimation?
A: On our defense? I think we’re looking to upgrade in really every area. So yeah, he’d be in the mix if we added one.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts of Monday’s media conference calls with the following players are available in The Corner Forum:

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

Oct 162019
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 10, 2019)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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OCTOBER 16, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion) was the only player not to practice on Wednesday.

Running back Wayne Gallman (concussion), wide receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion), and defensive lineman Olsen Pierre (concussion) were all limited in practice, wearing non-contact jerseys.

Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) and tight end Evan Engram (knee) fully practiced.

Cornerback Sam Beal (hamstring) returned to practice for the first time since training camp. Beal has now officially been moved from Injured Reserve to the Reserve/Designated-to-Return List. Beal is eligible to return to the 53-man roster on October 28th, after the team’s eighth game of the season. He must be activated by November 6th or the Giants will have to keep him on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season.

“(I am) excited,” said Beal. “You’re always anxious. Just a little anxious, because you haven’t been out there in a while. You just want to see how you’re moving, see how it really feels. But I felt great… I actually didn’t think it was going to be this long, to be honest. I haven’t really dealt with a hamstring before. So, I’m thinking ‘Okay, maybe just like a little cramp or something. I’ll deal with it.’ But it wouldn’t go away. So, you just have to deal with it as it comes.”

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVE…
The New York Giants have re-signed running back Jon Hilliman to the Practice Squad. The Giants originally signed Hilliman as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. The team signed him to the Practice Squad in September 2019 and promoted him to the 53-man roster later that month. Hilliman played in three regular-season games with the Giants with one start, carrying the ball 30 times for 91 yards and catching three passes for one yard. He also fumbled twice. The Giants cut him last Friday.

HEAD COACH PAT SHURMUR…
The transcript of Pat Shurmur’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice on Thursday, with the team’s coordinators also addressing the media.

Oct 082019
 
Jon Hilliman, New York Giants (October 6, 2019)

Jon Hilliman – © USA TODAY Sports

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OCTOBER 8, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Running back Wayne Gallman (concussion) and wide receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion) did not practice on Tuesday.

“We had kind of a ‘teach tempo’ today,” said Head Coach Pat Shurmur. “We did a few things full speed, but teach tempo. The only guys that didn’t participate in anything were the two guys that are dealing with concussions.”

Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle), tight end Evan Engram (knee), and linebacker Lorenzo Carter (neck) were limited.

“I do not know if I’m playing Thursday night,” said Barkley. “There is no decision yet. I know you guys asked Coach (Shurmur), I know there are reports out there that I’m not going to play. It didn’t come from my mouth and it didn’t come from Coach Shurmur’s mouth, so I don’t know how that story happened.”

Left tackle Nate Solder (ankle), linebacker Alec Ogletree (hamstring), linebacker Tae Davis (concussion), and linebacker Josiah Tauaefa (knee) fully practiced.

“That’s the goal right now, to go out and play,” said Ogletree. “We’ll see what the coaches say and the trainers and everybody says about it, but as for right now, I was able to practice today and get better today.”

HEAD COACH PAT SHURMUR…
The transcript of Pat Shurmur’s press conference on Tuesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the New York Giants on Wednesday as the team is traveling to New England for Thursday’s game against the Patriots.

Sep 262019
 
Darius Slayton, New York Giants (September 22, 2019)

Darius Slayton – © USA TODAY Sports

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SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle), wide receiver Russell Shepard (foot), defensive end Olsen Pierre (knee), linebacker Alec Ogletree (hamstring), and linebacker Tae Davis (concussion) did not practice on Thursday.

“Saquon got his second opinion,” said Head Coach Pat Shurmur, who also said Barkley would not be placed on Injured Reserve. “He’s obviously consulted with Dr. O’Malley and Dr. Anderson. I guess it’s been determined we’ll just rehab him and get him ready to go and we’ll see how that plays out. Obviously, as coaches, we have a short time horizon, so he won’t be available this week, but we’ll just see when he is. I don’t want to put any time frame on how long it will take him to come back… you never know how long some of these things take.”

Wide receiver Bennie Fowler (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis.

Wide receiver Cody Latimer (concussion) and linebacker Lorenzo Carter (elbow) fully practiced.

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice again on Friday in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

Sep 152019
 
Eli Manning, New York Giants (September 15, 2019)

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports

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BUFFALO BILLS 28 – NEW YORK GIANTS 14…
The simply dreadful New York Giants were soundly defeated by the Buffalo Bills 28-14 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants are 0-2 for the fifth time in the past six seasons.

The game was eerily reminiscent of last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys as the Giants started off the contest on fire. Without attempting a pass, the Giants drove 75 yards in five plays to quickly go up 7-0. Running back Saquon Barkley picked up 55 of those yards on four carries, including the 27-yard touchdown gallop for the score. The Giants also forced a three-and-out on defense, sacking quarterback Josh Allen in the process.

The game then quickly turned. The Giants went-three-and-out and the Bills tied the game at 7-7 after driving 75 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Allen ran around right end for the 6-yard score. The Giants went three-and-out again and the Bills followed that up an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown run by running back Devin Singletary. On this possession, Buffalo converted on 3rd-and-10, 3rd-and-5, and 3rd-and-10. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Giants had four incompletions and zero passing yards in the first quarter.

The nail in the coffin came on the subsequent Bills’ possession after New York’s third punt in a row. Reserve corner Antonio Hamilton and receiver Cody Core combined to down the punt at the Buffalo 2-yard line. But it took the Bills just seven plays to move 98 yards and go up 21-7. While the entire defense was struggling, the Bills in particular targeted rookie cornerback Deandre Baker with great success throughout the first half.

The Giants finally began moving the ball again on their fifth drive of the game, gaining 57 yards on 14 plays. However, after a dropped 3rd-down pass by Bennie Fowler, place kicker Aldrick Rosas missed a 48-yard field goal.

With less than two minutes to play before halftime, the Giants forced a three-and-out by the Bills. Receiver T.J. Jones returned the ensuing punt 60 yards to the Bills’ 33-yard line with 1:15 to go. However, quarterback Eli Manning’s second pass after the punt return was tipped and intercepted. At the half, the Bills led 21-7.

The New York defense tightened up in the second half, but the offense simply could not get untracked. The Bills went three-and-out to start the second half as defensive end Olsen Pierre sacked Allen on 3rd-and-7. An 8-play drive by the Giants sputtered when Manning was sacked on 3rd-and-12 in Bills’ territory.

After two punts by the Bills and one by the Giants, the Giants cut the score to 21-14 early in the 4th quarter after a 12-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Jones. The Giants had converted on 4th-and-2 just prior to this when Manning threw a 9-yard pass to wide receiver Cody Latimer.

The Bills responded to this challenge with a killer 13-play, 75-yard drive that took over six minutes off of the clock. It looked like the Giants had forced the Bills to settle for a successful 21-yard field goal, but defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was flagged with a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty on the kick. Two plays later, the Bills scored from one yard out, making the score 28-14 with 5:53 left to play.

After picking up one first down, Manning’s next four passes were incomplete and the Giants turned the ball over on downs at their own 42-yard line. However, the Bills hardly took any time off of the clock and the Giants got the ball back with 4:39 to play. Four players later, Manning was intercepted again. Buffalo killed all but 26 seconds off of the clock. Manning padded his stats with three meaningless completions and the game ended.

Manning was 26-of-45 for just 250 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His leading receivers were tight end Evan Engram (6 catches for 48 yards) and Fowler (5 catches for 51 yards). Barkley carried the ball 18 times for 107 yards and a touchdown, but 55 of those yards came on the opening drive. The offense was 3-of-12 on 3rd down and 1-of-2 on 4th down.

Defensively, the Giants allowed 24 first downs, 388 total net yards (151 rushing, 237 passing). For the second game in a row, the defense did not force a turnover. The Giants did accrue three sacks however: Markus Golden (1), Olsen Pierre (1), Lorenzo Carter (0.5), and Oshane Ximines (0.5).

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
WR Sterling Shepard (concussion0, WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), TE Garrett Dickerson (quad), QB Alex Tanney, RB Paul Perkins, OG/OT Chad Slade, and OT Eric Smith were inactive.

WR Cody Latimer left the game with a concussion and did not return.

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

POST-GAME NOTES…
The Giants fell to 0-2 for the third season in row and fifth time in six years.

The Giants lost their third consecutive home opener, including a 3-7 record at MetLife.

The Giants were the first team to throw for more than 210 yards against Buffalo’s top-ranked (in 2018) pass defense since New England threw for 324 yards last October 29th.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Pat Shurmur and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday. The players are off on Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday.

Sep 092019
 
Pat Shurmur, New York Giants (September 8, 2019)

Pat Shurmur – © USA TODAY Sports

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MONDAY PAT SHURMUR CONFERENCE CALL…
New York Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur addressed the media by conference call on Monday to discuss the team’s 35-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys:

Opening Statement: Relative to yesterday’s game, I don’t have much to add in regard to how it played out. (We are) certainly disappointed with that result. There are areas on all three sides of the ball that we can be better. Having gone through the tape and looked at the mistakes that we made, everything there is correctable. We need to just get back to work. I think there were some good things in the game, but those are obviously overshadowed by the things that contributed to the loss. That being said, I will add Kareem Martin had a knee sprain. Sterling Shepard may be dealing with a concussion here. We’ll know more. Then Kevin Zeitler has a little shoulder deal that we’re getting more information on. Other than that, it’s just your normal bumps and bruises. I’ll try to answer your questions.

Q: The Zeitler injury, is that something that you’re worried about being a long-term thing, or is it something else?
A: No, we don’t think it will be long-term. It may be not much at all. We just don’t have all of the information quite yet. He’s fine, though. In my mind, he is.

Q: Just to clarify, what does maybe in the concussion protocol mean? Are you just waiting for him to get tested still?
A: Yeah, he’s getting tested. He has to go through some of the testing. It appears like he might be in the protocol here. But each guy is different, as you know. We’ll just have to see how it goes here.

Q: As you look at Week One games, not just this one in particular, but as a whole throughout your career— how much do you put stock in them as a tone-setter, or do you look at it as when you guys struggle, that’s just something you have to work out the kinks with in Week One. How do you put that into context?
A: I think everybody has to work out kinks. No matter how much you play your guys in the preseason, this is the first time they are all playing a full game. In our case, we did play our ones a little more than some in the preseason, but we have a really young football team, especially on the defensive side of the ball, (and) especially in the backend. I think there is a lot to be learned from it. I have been on teams where you won the first game and had a so-so year, but I’ve also been on teams where we’ve lost the first game and (have) gone on and had playoff years. I think you just have to keep working. Just like between year one and year two you can make great improvement, I think the same thing can be said between game one and game two.

Q: You went back and you watched the defensive performance. What do you make of it and to what do you attribute the struggles? Did you see lack of communication, is it just young players needing more experience? What was your impression after watching the film?
A: Actually, I felt like from a defensive perspective in terms of the run game, other than one run that split out for a score inside the red zone, I thought we did a better job against Dallas this year of setting up the run game. Unfortunately, we had those long passes. A couple of them were breakdowns individually, a couple of them were, within the scheme, a guy not doing what he should be doing. Unfortunately, it was just a combination of things. But again, all things that can be corrected. I think some of the youth of our players on the outside, this is the first time going through it and we know there are some areas where they can be better.

Q: Anything in that game that you saw come out of the film change your perspective or affect your perspective of what you guys might do with your open roster spot in terms of need areas?
A: We’ll take a look at it. I think you’re always looking for players on the defensive side of the ball that either can cover or pass rush, that’s always a place to look, and then I think we’re always going to do what we can to address the offensive line. We’ll just see where it goes from there. A couple of the injuries I mentioned today, we’ll see how that settles in and try to find the best player available.

Q: The defense took a couple of lumps yesterday. Do you have to coach them up mentally too and just make sure their heads are on straight, as opposed to just the football stuff?
A: Yeah, I think we’ve got to coach the players constantly. Certainly, we didn’t do anything well enough to win the game yesterday, so you coach them on the details of it, but also on the mindset of getting back to work. You show them where they should be better, you show them how to be better, and then you go out and practice it, so that’s the process. You know, half the teams lost their first game yesterday, and I think that’s what you’ve got to do moving forward.

Q: I guess I’m talking more about their confidence–
A: In terms of that, again you just show them where they could have been better, or this was a mistake that—you show them doing it properly in practice, and then you try to get them to do it properly again, and just keep getting the reps you need to make them better. That includes obviously not only what you do physically, but also mentally.

Q: You guys struggled getting pressure. How do you pick it up?
A: Well, again, I think there’s areas—we have some more young players in there playing that could just be a little more active or violent. We went against a good offensive line that blocked well, they blocked well as a unit yesterday. We had a couple of spots where we got pressure, and Dak (Prescott) actually made a couple of good throws with pressure, so we’ve just got to get more of it. The players that we have in there have just got to continue to keep working to maximize the rushes that they get.

Q: Did you find after watching tape that there were more opportunities to get Saquon the ball?
A: You bring up a good point, we only had four possessions in the first half, and one was a two-minute drive, so it really was three possessions and I think in our first 17 plays he touched the ball six times. Obviously, we want more plays, more possessions, a couple of the things we did were zone reads where they covered him and we threw the ball with success. Those are the things you are going to see. Obviously it was his first game playing in full action and I thought he did a good job. It’s always good to keep him involved throughout, but the way the first half, and I know that was a question last night as well, the way the first half played out, it was only four possessions. A couple reasons for it, they controlled the ball on us by making their third downs. We didn’t convert and again we had the one drive we got down there and got stopped and we have to do a better job of when we get down there, getting points and that changes things. You don’t go into it thinking he isn’t going to touch the ball, that’s just how that first half played out.

Q: There were a couple of short yardage situations where you didn’t turn to Saquon, was that because of what the Cowboys were showing or is there another reason why you went in a different direction?
A: On one of the short yardages, we did go to him and he converted for us. A couple of times we tried to throw it to him, the one I guess where we got intentional grounding, I’ll be surprised if they don’t say that’s a bad call, because he was in the area of the throw. It wasn’t like we were going away from him, no.

Q: On plays where the quarterback rolls out, is it sometimes less effective when the quarterback is not a run/pass threat, in this case Eli when you guys had the ball down near the Dallas goal line?
A: He’s executed our boots and naked’s pretty well throughout. They did a good job of covering the primary part of it, there was an initial quick throw. In that case there, they defended it well and any play that you call that doesn’t work with any success, I certainly can understand your question.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts of Monday’s media conference calls with the following players are available in The Corner Forum:

POST-GAME NOTES…
The Giants have lost the opener three years in a row and eight times in nine seasons.

This was the fourth time in five years and the fifth time in seven seasons the Giants began their season in AT&T Stadium, and the fifth consecutive season the Giants’ first road game was in Dallas. The Giants are 1-9 in season-opening games vs. the Cowboys, including 1-7 in Dallas. Since 2012, they are 1-5 in season openers vs. Dallas, including 1-4 in Dallas.

The Giants lost their fifth consecutive game against the Cowboys.

QB Eli Manning became the first player in the 95-season history of the Giants franchise to play 16 years for the team. The only other players to play 15 years are Mel Hein, Michael Strahan, and Phil Simms.

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