Brian Daboll’s Monday Press Conference

 Posted by
Oct 232023
 
Darren Waller, New York Giants (October 22, 2023)

Darren Waller – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS SIGN RETURNER TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed WR Gunner Olszewski to the Practice Squad. The 26-year old, 6’0”, 190-pound Olszewski was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. After three seasons with the Patriots, Olszewski signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2022. The Steelers waived him on Saturday.

Olszewski was named first-team All-Pro as a punt returner in 2020. He has played in 55 regular-season games with four starts, catching 15 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown. He also has carried the ball 14 times for 71 yards. Olszewski has returned 41 kickoffs for 904 yards (22 yards per return) and 75 punts for 897 yards (12 yards per return) and one touchdown. Olszewski has eight career fumbles on returns.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: Can you talk a little bit about (guard) Mark Glowinski and how he has responded after the first game having a rough time and just coming back and settling things down and settling his performance down?

A: I think he’s had two good weeks of practice. I thought he played well yesterday. He’s done a good job of bouncing back and making the most of his opportunities, and I’m looking forward to him continuing to do that.

Q: Regarding (wide receiver) Jalin Hyatt, I was talking with him yesterday and he said to me that he still wants to become more of a complete receiver. What have you seen from him? What does he still need to do other than obviously get better in all aspects of the game to become a complete receiver?

A: He’s young. I’ve talked about this before. He’s improving, but with these young players, we’ve still got a ways to go in detail, assignment, execution, everything that every position gets evaluated on. Those are things we’ll continue to work on with him. It was good, again, to see him make a few plays, but certainly have ways to improve.

Q: I know things change fast in the NFL. It was only a couple of weeks ago that we were asking you about your defense missing tackles, and now we’re asking about a dominant defense. Why do you think that is that they played so well here the last couple games? Is that just the case of a bunch of new guys and needing time to gel together? Is it something you see different from your defense? Why has the defense looks like it has joined the ranks of the better ones in the NFL these last couple of weeks?

A: I think they’re improving. They’re improving their chemistry. They’ve done a good job with their fundamentals. I think (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) has done a good job with them. Try to eliminate as many big plays as we can. I know they hit a couple to (Commanders wide receiver Terry) McLaurin yesterday, but they’re playing well.

I thought our front did a good job. That’s where it starts. (Defensive lineman) Dexter (Lawrence II), I’d say, had a very, very good game, along with (defensive lineman) Leo(nard Williams). Guys like (defensive lineman) A’Shawn (Robinson) and Nacho (defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) that moved in, they did a good job. That’s where it starts. But again, chemistry, playing together, I think all those things are in play with that. But again, one week has nothing to do with the next. We’re going to have to go out there and do a good job of getting ready to play this week.

Q: When it comes to punt returner, I feel like I’ve heard you say generally speaking about your team, you play the best guys. Has (running back) Eric Gray been the best guy as a punt returner for you guys for the first six weeks, seven weeks, or are there other factors involved with him like trying to justify the draft pick by getting a rookie a role when you know he’s not going to be able to get many carries in a (running back) Saquon (Barkley)-dominated backfield?

A: You’re always looking to put as good of guys back there as you can. He’s competed. He’s worked hard. So, that’s why he’s back there.

Q: Will he still be back there going forward, or do you consider that more open than you have?

A: I’d say we’re going to look at it here. We’re going to look at it.

Q: Do you plan on, or do you think you need to bring in somebody from the outside to fill that position, especially if he’s injured?

A: We’ll have workouts this week like we always do.

Q: Where are you at the quarterback position as you begin this week?

A: Relative to?

Q: Relative to (quarterback) Daniel’s (Jones) health.

A: I don’t have any update yet on DJ’s (quarterback Daniel Jones) health.

Q: Can you just give an overview of what this offense is like with Saquon versus without Saquon. Obviously, the running game has not been gangbusters, but he certainly made a difference in these last two games, and just what you feel you and (Offensive Coordinator) Mike (Kafka) can do with Saquon going out there as opposed to not having him out there.

A: I’ve said this before: you always hope all your best players are out there. So, he’s one of them. We’ll do what we need to do each week, but it’s better to have him out there than it’s not.

Q: You’ve dealt with quarterbacks for so long. Is that a position where the coach needs total clarity with his team, as far as who’s in, who’s out, who we’re going with? A lot of coaches feel quarterback is kind of a different animal than any other position on the field where he’s the leader, he makes everything go, he gets the most money, all that, that the coach has to be in complete clarity with his players as far as, ‘This is our guy, we’re going with him, here’s why.’

A: I guess I’m not following you with that.

Q: Do you look at quarterback as sort of a different position? You treat everyone the same, but quarterbacks have an elevated position on a lot of teams where it’s important to know who is the guy there?

A: As you go through the week, it’s important to know who your guy is going to be at really any position. You have strategy and backup plans if that’s not the case. Certainly, it’s an important position. Each week we go into it, it’s ideal when you know who your quarterback is versus who it’s not.

Q: Is it the most important position? You said it’s an important position. Is it the most?

A: Quarterback? It’s a pretty important position. Yeah, absolutely.

Q: What’s the best thing that you’ve seen from Jalin Hyatt? I understand he’s a rookie, he has a lot of room to improve, and I think he understands that as well from my conversations with him, but what’s the best part that he’s brought to this team?

A: He’s made some big plays when he’s had an opportunity to, in terms of downfield. We threw him a few more this game, came down with some, didn’t with others. Again, I can’t say it enough, he’s got a long way to go. Hard position to jump right into. He’s making strides, but still got a lot to learn and details to clean up.

Q: How did you think (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) played yesterday?

A: I thought he played well, yeah. Had firm control, made good decisions, had a good game.

Q: How much more involved were you with the offense in the meetings and stuff last week? Why did you see that as necessary?

A: Yeah, I know there’s a report on it. I’d say I’m involved every week. I meet with offense, I meet with defense, special teams, go into all the meetings in all three phases. I meet with all the coaches. I have a variety of meetings every week, just obviously being the head coach. So certainly, I’m in the offense. I’ve been in the offense before. I’ll continue to be in the offensive room, but I’ll also be in the other rooms, too.

Q: The end of the game, I’m just curious, obviously it didn’t come to fruition because of the timeout thing with the injury, but what was your plan—

A: Safety.

Q: Were you going to take a safety?

A: Yeah. It was 49 seconds. We had seven seconds. It was 56 seconds. So, taking a couple slow knees, it would be similar to the Green Bay game that we had over there in London. That was the strategy going into it, and then there was the injury and no timeouts. They reset it to 40, it was 33 seconds, so we could just run out the clock.

Q: I’m not asking so much about where (where) Andrew (Thomas) is going to be this week, but where was he at the end of last week in terms of his progress in getting back?

A: He was better than the week before.

Q: Does that leave you encouraged that this might be at least a limited participation on the field?

A: I’d say it’s early in the week. Wednesday, I’ll probably have a better answer for you.

Q: You’ve been on both sides of this Jets-Giants rivalry. I know you’re micro focused on things, but is there something special about playing a team in your own city? Could you feel it on the Jets side, and do you feel this week at all?

A: My focus is to just get ready to get started on these guys. Got a tremendous amount of respect for (Jets Head) Coach (Robert) Saleh. Understand the history behind it. This is, again, a good team that’s playing well that just beat Philadelphia. They’re on their bye week. So, that’s really where my focus is, just getting onto the tape and kind of turning the page here from the last week.

Q: Have you looked at any tape yet?

A: Right after this.

Q: Based on even without looking at it, how good is that defense you’re about to face?

A: I’ve got to go watch the tape. I know we played them in the preseason. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect, like I said, for Coach Saleh. He’s a heck of a football coach. They’re a dynamic defense, obviously. I think they’ve given up one touchdown – it’s early in my preparation right now – one touchdown in the second half. So, they take the ball away, they play fast, they’re a good defense.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media availability to the team. The players return to practice on Wednesday.

Brian Daboll Talks About Latest Beatdown and Injury Situation

 Posted by
Oct 092023
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 8, 2023)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

OCTOBER 9, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: Do you have an update on (quarterback) Daniel Jones’ neck? His condition at this time.

A: Yeah, I’d say we’re optimistic, he’s feeling better today so think he’s moving in the right direction. See where he is, obviously, when he comes back on Wednesday but he doesn’t feel terrible today.

Q: Do you have results from the x-ray and the scan he got today?

A: No, I’m waiting to meet with these doctors after but I’m optimistic after talking to him.

Q: Is that optimistic about this week, you mean? Or about his condition?

A: Yeah, about this week.

Q: When things are going the way that they’re going right now, I know you and (General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and everybody on your staff knows that staying the course is the right way to go and believing what you’re doing but, how difficult is it? What’s the dynamic in terms of making sure your locker room understands that’s the way to go and not to panic and think the sky’s falling?

A: Again, that’s stuff that we’ve talked about since day one. You know you’re going to go through some adversity. When that is, you never know, but you are consistent with your approach. Players are in right now, we looked at a small sample of tape in the team meeting. Now they’re with their coordinators and the position coaches and looking at some of the things that went well and obviously some of the things that didn’t go well and working to improve those.

Q: I know you’re probably in communication with (President and Chief Executive Officer) John Mara a lot and what not. Can you characterize how that’s been going with those guys because I’m sure this is not what they expected as well.

A: Yeah, we have a great ownership group. We communicate on the daily basis about things we can improve on and yeah, great ownership group.

Q: Between the game ending and now that we’re on Zoom with you, what message have you sent to players about this season, about the next game, about frankly turning this thing around if you can?

A: Really the same. You come in, you look at the tape, you go through some of the things that were good and that can help you along the way. Then, look at a few things that are not where you want them to be. They meet with their coaches, coordinators, meet with their position coaches and you put this game to bed and get ready for next week when they leave.

Q: Where is your level of hope on (tackle) Andrew Thomas and (running back) Saquon (Barkley) this week?

A: I think that has yet to be determined here so we’ll see. I think Saquon’s probably closer than Andrew Thomas is.

Q: Your offensive line obviously struggled yesterday and a player or so really took it to heart. You want players who care, I certainly understand that, but how do you rebuild confidence in a player or players that you might still need because of what the numbers are on a roster?

A: You have to get with them again this week, all of the guys, not just offensive line – everybody. Obviously, we all need to improve. Coach them on the details, go out there, do what you need to do in practice and then have the confidence to go out there in the game to execute it.

Q: How much of a relief is it with Daniel? This is a guy who missed six games not too long ago. Necks funky things, you’ve got to err on the side of caution. How much of a relief is this with him?

A: I want to get back upstairs and meet with the trainers and the doctors so just having talked to him, he said he’s feeling probably better than maybe he thought he’d feel. So, I’m just going to hold off until I get an update and go through that but optimistic after talking to him.

Q: The scan will tell a lot though, right? Guys feel good and much better but if there’s something on there that they say “that’s a little something” – a neck, you’re not going to push a guy out there, right?

A: Yeah, we’ll cross that bridge once I get more info. Again, he feels pretty good today.

Q: We asked you a little bit yesterday obviously, how he played. It seemed difficult to assess at times how he played because of what was going on.

A: Yeah, I think he made some good throws under a good amount of pressure. I mean that throw that he made to (tight end) Darren (Waller), he took a little punch step and was ready to throw it and there was somebody on him right now and he put it where he needed to put it. There were times where he had a little bit more time, the little double move to Waller, but I’d say he threw some balls under pressure and escaped and made some plays. Certainly, have to do a good job of protecting him.

Q: Would you consider the throw to (wide receiver Darius) Slayton as one of those? That seemed pretty close.

A: Yeah, it was close, that was just very, very close. Daniel is a very tough competitor and he took some shots and I’d say he is a tough competitor.

Q: I know there is a ton of tape you can watch and a bunch of analytics you can look at, but do you ever sit down and say to yourself, I don’t understand why this is not working this year? I mean, is there a gut feeling that you can go by?

A: No, you just watch the tape. We played, I’d say complementary football to a degree yesterday, but we didn’t finish in the redzone, and we gave up 10 explosive plays and didn’t get any. So, when you’re not finishing drives and scoring, and they are getting three plays over 60 yards and 10 plays near 300. Our defense did a good job of taking care of the ball, obviously scoring. Offensively, we did a good job of protecting the ball, but not scoring. Other games are different. We had a very poor turnover ratio margin, we had to try to get that fixed. So, each game is a little bit different. Obviously, not where we want to be, but we are working to improve on that.

Q: Overall though, do you get the sense that the team is improving?

A: Yeah, I’d say certain things each week, and then there is certain things that, whether you take a step back or they are not as good, we got to work on fixing those. It was a start relative to the three turnovers that our defense got, and not turning the ball over, but there is certainly a lot of other things that were in play that caused us to have the results that we had.

Q: First, was (wide receiver) Parris Campbell, was he next in line to be your quarterback the other day?

A: Yeah, he was. We had another kind of wildcat runner, too, so that play that (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) lost his wind, we were set to go with another player.

Q: I’m curious how do you move forward with your offensive line right now? Obviously, it’s been problematic, you’ve been kind of going through guys and the protection has been probably leaky at best. How do you go about trying to get that fixed at this point now that we are going into the sixth week of the season?

A: Yeah, get into the classroom, go through it and then get out there on the practice field.

Q: What about personnel wise? Do you have anything, would you like to stick with the same guys? Is there a unit that you have in mind that you want to keep them on certain sides, move guys around at this point?

A: Well, again, that’s why you rotate guys around in training camp. It’s not because you want to all the time, it’s because guys have to get used to playing different spots because there are injuries. So, I think we’ve had quite a different roster lineups relative to the offensive line and that’s something we’re working on to improve and we’ll continue to do that.

Q: Any update on (offensive lineman Marcus) McKethan?

A: McKethan, I think he’ll be okay.

Q: Two position groups for you, I’ll start with receiver. Do you think there’s any credence to the idea that rotating six (receivers) the way you guys are doing is not allowing anybody to maybe get in a groove and you have to shorten that rotation at all?

A: Are you talking about for receivers?

Q: Yeah.

A: No, we’ll play all our guys. Again, it all works together. Protection, creating separation, being where we’re supposed to be, right reads, everything plays in together relative to the passing game.

Q: With the way the state of the offense is, what can they do?

A: No, I’d say they’ve been where they needed to be most of the time. They’re doing a good job of creating space and giving the quarterback platforms and areas to throw the football. Got to finish some of the catches that we had an opportunity to make, but it all works together.

Q: Then the other position group was back to the offensive line. I always hear coaches say, ‘I’ll never ask a player to do something that they can’t do.’ So, what gives you confidence that McKethan – through all the rotations that you did during summer, he never got a first team rep when we were there – can be a first-team guard? Or that (offensive lineman Joshua) Ezeudu, who I think got first-team left tackle reps in the two weeks after we stopped coming to practice, but not during training camp, can play left tackle? What gives you confidence that you’re asking guys to do something that they can actually do if they didn’t do it all summer?

A: Yeah, two young players that are improving. Surely would like to have some plays back, just like everybody else would, but right mindset. They’re working to improve every day.

Q: You’ve coached in a lot of different places for a lot of different head coaches. Where do you go in your coaching DNA during a time like this for your team? What lessons do you sort of cling to from your past?

A: It’s a week-to-week, day-to-day proposition of trying to improve. That’s the focus, that’s what you can control, so, that’s what we do.

Q: I know you’ve probably had this coming game circled on your calendar at some level, you and Joe. Does the status of your team now and where you are affect that at all, the excitement or the urgency of going back to Buffalo?

A: Look, it’s the next game. Been in this league a long time, played against a lot of different teams that I’ve worked for or players that I’ve coached. Tremendous amount of respect for the Buffalo Bills organization, (Bills Owner/CEO/President) Terry Pegula, (Bills General Manager) Brandon Beane, (Bills Head Coach) Sean McDermott, all their coaches and players. But our focus is always on us, first and foremost, getting ready to play a game. They’re a really good team. So, we’ll have our work cut out for us.

Q: I just wanted to clarify with Marcus, is he going to be okay for this week do you mean, or just okay long term?

A: I think, again, I don’t want to jump too far ahead. I guess we’ll have a better answer for you on Wednesday. I’m optimistic for this week. But again, a lot can happen between now and when we get to play.

Q: I just wanted to clarify on a couple of injuries I don’t think we asked about today. (Outside linebacker) Azeez Ojulari’s ankle, where does that stand?

A: More on Wednesday for you.

Q: Some guys like (center) John Michael Schmitz (Jr.), (inside linebacker) Micah McFadden, two guys who missed the last game, how do you feel about their statuses this week?

A: I’d say too early to tell on both those guys.

Q: Lastly, (cornerback Deonte) Banks, (cornerback) Adoree’ (Jackson), (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) are also guys who got banged up a little bit yesterday. Any concern there with any of them?

A: No. I think Wan’Dale, as of right now, and again, this could change, will probably be down on Wednesday just because of his knee. I don’t think it’ll be anything to keep him out of the game.

Who are the other two?

Q: Deonte Banks and Adoree’?

A: Adoree’, nothing. I’d say limited probably for Tae, but I don’t think anything that’ll keep him out at this point.

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 players are off on Tuesday and there is no media availability to the team. The players return to practice on Wednesday.

Andrew Thomas Out, Saquon Barkley Doubtful for Seahawks

 Posted by
Sep 302023
 
Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants (August 21, 2022)

Azeez Ojulari – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring) did not practice on Saturday and has been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. “He practiced a little bit in individual two days ago, just wasn’t feeling right, didn’t practice him yesterday,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll. “He won’t make the game… He went through a few little drills (on Thursday), didn’t feel right, we took him out right away and just want to make sure the player’s ready to go and do the necessary rehab and stuff. So, I’d say it’s week to week. Whether he’ll be ready next week, I’m not sure. Really week to week.”

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), TE Daniel Bellinger (neck), DL D.J. Davidson (elbow), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice. OL Ben Bredeson (concussion) fully practiced. Barkley has officially been ruled “doubtful” for the game while the other four players are expected to be available.

“Saquon will practice, do a little bit more,” said Daboll before Saturday’s practice. “We’ll see where he’s at and take it right up to game time.”

“Yeah, it’s a high ankle sprain,” Barkley said after practice.

“(Ojulari) had a good week,” said Daboll. “He had good practice yesterday. Feels good, practiced well. So, unless something happens today, counting on him being there.”

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Their is no media availability to the Giants on Sunday. The team plays the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on Monday night.

August 1, 2023 New York Giants Training Camp Report

 Posted by
Aug 012023
 
Saquon Barkley and Brian Daboll, New York Giants (July 31, 2023)

Saquon Barkley and Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 1, 2023 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their sixth summer training camp practice of the year on Tuesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Today was the first time the Giants were in full pads this summer. “I think we’ve got to practice well with one another, stay off the ground but get our fundamental work in,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “There’s usually some excitement from the players but you have to do a good job of making sure (that) you don’t lose your technique (and) fundamentals. The energy is usually always good the first day of pads but we’ve got to make sure we’re doing things the right way.”

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have placed OC J.C. Hassenauer on Injured Reserve. Hassenaur tore his triceps in practice on Sunday and will undergo surgery. His season is over. To fill his roster spot, the Giants have signed unrestricted free agent Sean Harlow (Arizona Cardinals).

The Giants signed Hassenauer in April 2023 as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers after they did not tender him as a potential restricted free agent. The 6’2”, 295-pound Hassenauer was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Atlanta Falcons after the 2018 NFL Draft. He was cut before the season started in 2018 and signed with the Steelers in April 2019, cut in August, and then re-signed in November. From 2020-2022, Hassenauer played in 45 regular-season games for the Steelers with seven starts, five at center and two at left guard. He also started one playoff game at center.

The 28-year old, 6’4”, 284-pound Harlow was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He has spent time with the Falcons (2017, 2018-2020), Indianapolis Colts (2018), and Cardinals (2021-2022). Harlow has played in 33 regular-season games with eight starts, five at left guard in 2021 and three at center in 2022 with the Cardinals.

INJURY REPORT…
WR Wan’Dale Robinson (ACL), OG Marcus McKethan (ACL), DL A’Shawn Robinson (meniscus), DL D.J. Davidson (ACL), and CB Aaron Robinson (ACL) remain on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

OLB Jihad Ward (unknown) did not practice.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The were in full pads for the first time in training camp.
  • First-team offensive line was LT Andrew Thomas, LG Joshua Ezeudu, OC John Michael Schmitz, RG Mark Glowinski, and RT Evan Neal.
  • Darrian Beavers worked at inside linebacker next to Bobby Okereke. Both made plays in the backfield during practice.
  • For the third day in a row, the starting defensive backs were CB Adoree’ Jackson, CB Deonte Banks, slot CB Cor’Dale Flott, S Xavier McKinney, and S Jason Pinnock.
  • OC John Michael Schmitz had good and bad reps in 1-on-1 drills against DL Dexter Lawrence.
  • Also in 1-on-1 drills, RT Evan Neal got beat by OLB Kavyon Thibodeaux on one inside rush, but handled OLB Azeez Ojulari on another.
  • LT Andrew Thomas stonewalled his opponent on two 1-on-1 attempts. Ben Bredeson at center also had two good reps.
  • DL Leonard Williams got around LG Joshua Ezeudu, but Ezeudu won another rep.
  • OLB Tomon Fox successfully bull-rushed Tyre Phillips.
  • In 3-on-3 coverage drills, CB Cor’Dale Flott had the only interception of practice.
  • Also in 1-on-1 drills, CB Deonte Banks knocked away a pass intended for WR Jalin Hyatt.
  • S/CB Nick McCloud and CB Rodarius Williams broke up passes.
  • QB Tommy DeVito hit WR Kalil Pimpleton for a long touchdown.
  • In 9-on-7 drills, RB Saquon Barkley broke off a big run behind LG Joshua Ezeudu. DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches stuffed the next run.
  • OL Shane Lemieux stood out on a couple of run blocks.
  • 11-on-11 team drills began with QB Daniel Jones rolling out and connecting with TE Darren Waller for 15 yards.
  • S Xavier McKinney did break up a deep pass intended for TE Darren Waller.
  • CB Darren Evans broke up a pass intended for WR Collin Johnson.
  • CB Tre Hawkins received first-team snaps again and deflected passes intended for wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Isaiah Hodgins.
  • S Jason Pinnock had a good practice, breaking up two passes.
  • RB Saquon Barkley had two big runs after short catches in the passing game.
  • QB Daniel Jones finished team drills 6-of-11 with three incomplete deep passes, two deflected by defenders. Reporter Connor Hughes tweeted “I can’t get over how much more comfortable and confident Daniel Jones looks this year. He’s a completely different quarterback from the one in training camp in 2022. You can tell he’s processing things so much faster, which is leading to quicker decisions.”
  • The defense blitzed quite a bit and got to QB Daniel Jones a few times, with corners Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins as well as DL Dexter Lawrence picking up “sacks.”
  • OLB Azeez Ojulari also had a tackle for a loss on a read-option play, “tackling” QB Daniel Jones for a loss.
  • OLB’s Tomon Fox and Oshane Ximines flashed into the backfield.
  • OC John Michael Schmitz did have one bad snap.

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Wednesday. They return to practice on Thursday (10:00AM-Noon). The offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators will also address the media.

Giants 2023 Positional Breakdown: Offensive Line

 Posted by
Jun 292023
 
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants (January 2, 2022)

Andrew Thomas – © USA TODAY Sports

With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Offensive Line

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: The offensive line was not a disaster in 2022, but it did not play as well as expected or hoped for. While Andrew Thomas continued to develop, becoming one of the best left tackles in the game and earning second-team All-Pro Honors, there was a revolving door at left guard due to injuries, and inconsistent play at center, right guard, and right tackle.

Rookie offensive linemen often struggle, but more was expected from the 7th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Evan Neal, at right tackle. He missed a month with a knee injury and was seen favoring his left arm/shoulder in another game. Neal had issues in pass protection and was flagged with six false starts. He was replaced by Tyre Phillips for those four games. Phillips had issues in pass protection as well. Right guard Mark Glowinski was a bit too up-and-down for his 3-year, $18 million contract. The Giants also signed Jon Feliciano to a 1-year deal in March after he was cut by the Bills. They converted him to center, where he started 15 games. But he was also inconsistent.

The initial plan appeared to be to start Shane Lemieux at left guard, but he missed virtually the entire season with a toe injury that landed him on Injured Reserve twice. Ben Bredeson started the first seven games until a knee injury sidelined him for six games. Joshua Ezeudu started two games at left guard until he suffered a neck injury. Nick Gates then stunned everyone by returning to the starting line-up despite a career-threatening leg injury he suffered in 2021 that required seven surgeries. Including the playoffs, Gates started the last nine games at left guard.

Overall, this group did help the Giants become the NFL’s 4th-best rushing team, averaging 148 yards per game, more than the Eagles. On the other hand, the Giants allowed 49 sacks, which tied them for 5th-worst in the NFL. Daniel Jones was pressured on one-fourth of his drop backs, which was 4th worst in the NFL.

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants re-signed Wyatt Davis and Jack Anderson as exclusive rights free agents. They also re-signed Practice Squad players Solomon Kindley, Devery Hamilton, and Korey Cunningham. (Kindley was waived in May).

However, both centers, Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates, somewhat surprisingly departed in free agency. Gates received a 3-year, $16.5 million contract from the Commanders and Feliciano a 1-year, $2.3 million contract from the 49ers.

The offseason additions were few, but one was significant, the drafting of center John Michael Schmitz in the 2nd round of the draft. The team also signed center J. C. Hassenauer from the Steelers. The team did not sign any rookie free agents after the draft at the position.

In short, the Giants stood pat at the position except at center where they exchanged Schmitz and Hassenauer for Gates and Feliciano.

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES:  Most of the attention will be on Evan Neal. Some have lowered their expectations on Neal, saying he just has to play at an average level. Teams don’t draft right tackles with the 7th overall pick in hopes they will just be average. Neal is likely to still experience growing pains, but he needs to drastically cut down both pass blocking mistakes and penalties while becoming a stud in the running game. The better Neal becomes, the easier it will be for this team to run and throw the football.

That all said, the same could be said for each of the starters in the interior of the line. The Giants need Glowinski to become a steadier player at right guard. If he doesn’t, it will be interesting to see if Marcus McKethan or one of the other back-ups presses him for playing time. Assuming that John Michael Schmitz will start at center, he will have his hands full in a division loaded with stud defensive tackles. Expect rookie growing pains. The left guard position still is unsettled. The leading candidates are Ben Bredeson and Joshua Ezeudu. I would not discount Shane Lemieux. The now injury-prone lineman was an ironman in college, and had he not been hurt the past two seasons, he would have been the starter at left guard under two different coaching staffs.

One of the unexpected developments this offseason is how much the team stood pat at the position. No new tackles or guards were added to the roster. This at least partially suggests the team was not down on many of the lesser known back-ups. Tyre Phillips (former 3rd round pick), Wyatt Davis (3rd round), Jack Anderson (7th round), Matt Peart (3rd round), Devery Hamilton (undrafted), and Korey Cunningham (7th round) also factor into the competition and someone could surprise.

ON THE BUBBLE: There are currently 15 offensive linemen on the 90-man roster. The Giants will likely keep nine on the 53-man roster. The locks are Andrew Thomas, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, John Michael Schmitz, Mark Glowinski, and Evan Neal. That leaves nine players fighting for three spots. The leading candidate for the swing tackle is probably Tyre Phillips. Bredeson’s flexibility to play both guard and center helps the team if they feel another guard is better than Hassenauer at center. Marcus McKethan was impressing before he got hurt last summer.

FROM TEAM GENERAL MANAGER/COACHES/PLAYERS: General Manager Joe Schoen on the center position before the draft: “We knew Jon (Feliciano) was on a 1-year contract last year at this time. We didn’t know if Nick Gates was even going to be able to play football again. Heck, we didn’t know that until midway through the season. We had contingency plans in place. We claimed Jack Anderson. He was with us in Buffalo. He’s been working at center. Ben Bredeson is a guy who we are very comfortable with playing center. Shane Lemieux was playing it as well before the injury… We’ll be patient. We’ll continue to look. But we have confidence in Ben Bredeson, Jack Anderson, and Shane.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on why the Giants offensive line has struggled to form an identity in recent years: “You look at our line, before I got here and even now, it’s different. I’m like the sixth or seventh coach in the last five years. There have been just a line of (players) who have come through here. What we need to do is develop our identity… you need to continue to develop guys… the fans don’t know everything in house. Some of the guys we have on the roster they’ve never seen play. And so they assume they are not good enough, that’s why they haven’t played. Well that’s not necessarily the case… We only have three players that are older than 26 out of the 15. It’s a young room. There’s a lot of potential, a lot of room for growth. I see these guys getting better every day.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Evan Neal: “Evan’s a worker. So I have no reason to believe (he won’t improve) with the work ethic put in, the attention to detail, and pushing to be a really good player. We’ll see better results… Now it’s not new to him.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Josh Ezeudu: “He’s rehabbed very well from the injury, he’s another year in the system, he’s got confidence in what we’re doing. Some things we decided to work on from a technique standpoint he’s really worked hard at. I’m seeing good results. I expect to see even more when we get to training camp.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on John Michael Schmitz: “He’s progressing quite well. He’s got all of the intangibles you look for. He’s got all of the physical traits you look for. We’ll find out more when we get to training camp… He’s progressing the right way… It will be an eye-opener for him when he has to block (Dexter Lawrence in training camp).”

Evan Neal on what he did this offseason to improve: “Really just everything. I want to get better across the board. I tweaked my stance. I got a lot healthier. I got a lot more flexible. I worked a lot on flexibility. Just being able to move throughout my lower body and my hips. Making sure that I am in a stance that I am comfortable in, that I can load up my front leg and press out of it and be explosive and also be balanced and under control at the same time… I’ve been doing a whole bunch of yoga.”

Marcus McKethan on his status: “Just trying to get healthy. That’s the main thing of my offseason so far. I’m pretty close, just getting over that final hump and I feel like that I’ll be there. My timeline right now is training camp… I (am still working at) guard and tackle.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on what Giants fans can realistically expect this year: “You’re going to see an improved offensive line in a number of areas. We are going to start to show an identity and some consistency… I think for the first time in a long time the fans are going to be proud of their lineman… I think we’re going to put a product out there on the field that the fans will have pride in. Because I know the players that are going to put those jerseys on will have pride in that jersey.”

PREDICTIONS/CLOSING THOUGHTS: If you told Giants fans in January that the team would not add any tackles or guards to the roster this offseason, they probably would have freaked out. But the confidence in this front office and coaching staff right now is so high that given that now-known outcome, fans are not now panicking in June. Not adding a tackle or guard in free agency, the draft, or the rookie free agent signing period is pretty telling. It seems to suggest the team wants to develop players already on the roster.

Giants fans are all thinking the same thing… we’re set at left tackle with Andrew Thomas. Now we need Evan Neal to rapidly improve at right tackle and for John Michael Schmitz to show signs he will be a long-term answer at center. There is also hope that the two second-year, North Carolina guards will eventually press for starting roles.

Assuming Schmitz starts at center, the only training camp battle for a starting spot is at left guard. In the spring, Ben Bredeson and Josh Ezeudu were splitting snaps with the first team with Bredeson also receiving first-team snaps at center. Glowinski is probably entrenched as a starter at right guard for at least one more season, unless he falters and someone like Marcus McKethan presses him. I’m in the minority on this, but I still would not count out Shane Lemieux. He started his rookie season. He was set to start in 2021 and 2022 before training camp injuries ruined both seasons. In four years in college as a starter, Lemieux never missed a game. The last two seasons seems like flukes.

Andrew Thomas has not reached his ceiling yet. Keep in mind this is the first offseason he did not have surgery and this is the first time he will have the same offensive line coach for two years in a row.

This brings us to Evan Neal. We all know Neal struggled as a rookie. But too many fans seem to be focused on him and not the interior line spots that were also an issue last year. Neal needs to improve but the team needs better center and guard play just as much. Especially in this division. My prediction is Neal will improve as the year progresses, but he will be nitpicked to death by fans in September and October. That’s OK. I’m old enough to remember Giants fans being sure that Brad Benson, Jumbo Elliott, David Diehl, and Andrew Thomas were crappy players. Neal will be better but I think the real dividends will come in year three and beyond.

FINAL DEPTH CHART: Andrew Thomas, Evan Neal, Tyre Phillips, Mark Glowinski, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, Shane Lemieux, John Michael Schmitz

New York Giants 20 – Washington Commanders 12

 Posted by
Dec 192022
 
Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants (December 18, 2022)

Kayvon Thibodeaux – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 20 – WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 12…
The New York Giants won their biggest game in six years by defeating the Washington Commanders 20-12 on Sunday night at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. With the victory, the Giants improved their overall record to 8-5-1 while the Commanders fell to 7-6-1. The Giants also now own the head-to-head advantage over Washington in the race for a Wild Card playoff spot.

In terms of overall team statistics, Washington held advantages in first downs (20 to 19), total net yards (387 to 288), net yards rushing (159 to 128), and net yards passing (228 to 160). The Giants had a 1-minute advantage in time of possession. Both teams were terrible on 3rd-down conversions with New York being 2-of-10 (20 percent) and Washington 1-of-10 (10 percent). The big difference in the ball game was turnovers, with the Giants recovering two critical fumbles.

The Commanders received the ball to start the game, gained 41 yards and three first downs, but punted. In turn, the Giants went three-and-out on their first possession. Washington then drove 47 yards in nine plays to set up a 41-yard field goal that gave them a 3-0 advantage. New York only gained one first down before punting again on their second possession.

The first key moment in the game came early in the second quarter. The Commanders began their third possession from their own 18-yard line. After picking up two yards, a holding call pushed Washington back to their own 10-yard line. On 2nd-and-18, outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux beat the left tackle, stripped the ball out of quarterback Taylor Heinicke’s hand, recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line, and scored. The Giants were now up 7-3.

Washington’s offense did somewhat compose itself, picked up 28 yards and two first downs, but then punted with the punt being downed at the New York 3-yard line. The Giants’ offense did not do much on Sunday night against the NFL’s 4th-ranked defense, but they did on this drive, the best of the season for Big Blue. New York’s third possession lasted over eight and a half minutes, traveling 97 yards in 18 plays, and accruing eight first downs. Key moments included a 10-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Richie James on 3rd-and-9 and an 11-yard pass from Jones to James again on 4th-and-9 from the Washington 35-yard line. Three plays later, running back Saquon Barkley took a direct snap and scored from three yards out on 2nd-and-goal. The Giants now led 14-3 with 1:43 left in the second quarter.

The Commanders picked up one first down, but were forced to punt again before halftime. At the break, the Giants still led 14-3.

The Giants received the ball to start the second half, gained one first down, but punted, with the punt being downed at the 9-yard line. However, it took Washington only six plays to travel 91 yards to cut the score to 14-9. The Commanders picked up chunk plays of 18, 13, 15, 20, and 11 yards before Heinicke threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jahan Dotson. An offensive pass interference penalty wiped out a successful 2-point conversion and then Washington missed the extra point.

The Giants responded with a 10-play, 43-yard drive that set up a successful 50-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. New York was now up 17-9 with 3:11 left in the third quarter. After both teams went three-and-out, the Commanders chipped into the Giants’ lead again with a 7-play, 25-yard possession that ended with a 51-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

New York responded with a couple of first downs, crossing midfield, but punting again. On Washington’s first snap of following possession, Heinicke connected with Dotson on a 61-yard pass that moved the ball from their own 9-yard line to the New York 30-yard line. Four plays later came another monumental turnover. On 3rd-and-4 from the 5-yard line, Heinicke was sacked by defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari. An instant replay challenge by Head Coach Brian Daboll showed that the ball came loose before Heinicke was down. Since defensive lineman Leonard Williams had recovered the football, the fumble was awarded to the Giants at the 14-yard line with 6:06 left in the game.

Barkley and his blockers responded with four runs that gained 44 yards to the Washington 42-yard line. Jones picked up a first down with his feet and Gano kicked another 50-yard field goal right after the 2-minute warning. The Giants were now up 20-12.

However, the game was not over. The Commanders returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to their own 43-yard line. Heinicke then threw passes of 27, 6, and 14 yards to the New York 10-yard line and ran for nine yards to the 1-yard line. On 3rd-and-1, a touchdown run by the Commanders was wiped out by an illegal formation penalty, moving the ball back to the 6-yard line. After an incomplete pass with pressure from Ojulari, Heinicke’s last attempt, on 4th-and-goal, was broken up by cornerback Darnay Holmes on a play where defensive pass interference could have been called. The Giants took over with 48 seconds left and knelt on the ball to seal the victory.

Jones finished the game 21-of-32 for 160 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was not sacked and only officially hit four times. Barkley and wide receiver Darius Slayton led the the team with five catches each, but only for a total of 56 yards. Barkley ran the ball 18 times for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Thibodeaux had a monster game, being credited with 12 tackles, one sack, three tackles for losses, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery that he scored on. Ojulari (2 quarterback hits) and Lawerence (3 quarterback hits) split the other huge sack that led to turnover. Defensive lineman Ryder Anderson was also credited with a sack.

Gano nailed both his 50-yard field goal attempts. Punter Jamie Gillan’s net punting average was 41.8 yards with three punts downed inside the 20-yard line. James returned two punts for 32 yards.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated (standard elevation) QB Davis Webb and LB/S Landon Collins from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

The team also placed OG Joshua Ezeudu (neck) on Injured Reserve and activated OG Ben Bredeson (knee) from Injured Reserve.

Inactive for the game were CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), OG Shane Lemieux (toe), QB Davis Webb, WR David Sills, OG Jack Anderson, ILB Tae Crowder, and CB Rodarius Williams.

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux was poked in the eye on the defense’s last play of the night.

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

  • Head Coach Brian Daboll (Video)
  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • DL Leonard Williams (Video)
  • OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (Video)
  • ILB/S Landon Collins (Video)

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

Ben Bredeson, Azeez Ojulari, and Tony Jefferson Return to Practice

 Posted by
Nov 282022
 
Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants (August 21, 2022)

Azeez Ojulari – © USA TODAY Sports

BEN BREDESON, AZEEZ OJULARI, AND TONY JEFFERSON RETURN TO PRACTICE…
Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson (knee), outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (calf), and safety Tony Jefferson (foot), all of whom are on Injured Reserve, have returned to practice. All three will have up to three weeks to practice with the team without counting against the 53-man roster. Once that timeframe ends, individually they must either be added to the roster or remain on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season.

DEVERY HAMILTON AND TRENTON THOMPSON WAIVED…
The Giants waived offensive lineman Devery Hamilton and safety Trenton Thompson from the 53-man roster last Friday. Both had been signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad last Wednesday before the Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants return to practice on Tuesday (12:45-2:45PM). Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will also address the media.

Seattle Seahawks 27 – New York Giants 13

 Posted by
Oct 302022
 
Leonard Williams, New York Giants (October 30, 2022)

Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 13…
The New York Giants fell 27-13 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The Giants are now 6-2 on the season heading into their bye week.

There was no great disparity in overall team statistics. Seattle held advantages in first downs (19 to 14), total net yards (277 to 225), net yards rushing (87 to 78), and net yards passing (190 to 147). The Giants won the time of possession battle (33:34 to 26:26) and were better on 3rd down, but Seattle converted twice on 4th down. Seattle recovered two fumbles that led to 10 points while the Giants recovered one that led to a touchdown.

Both teams struggled offensively early. Seattle only gained three first downs in their first three possessions, gaining a total of 45 yards. New York’s offense struggled even more, going three-and-out on their first three possessions and only accruing 10 yards.

The Seahawks broke the scoreless tie early in the second quarter after a 15-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Geno Smith to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. It was on this possession that Seattle converted on both of their 4th-down attempts, including 4-and-1 and 4th-and-2.

The Giants finally picked up their first two first downs of the game on their fourth possession, but the drive stalled near midfield and the Giants punted. Jamie Gillan’s punt was downed by cornerback Justin Layne at the 2-yard line. On the very next snap, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson forced a fumble after a short completion. He recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, running back Saquon Barkley scored from one yard out. The game was tied at 7-7.

The first indication that this might not be the Giants’ day came on the subsequent series. The defense held Seattle to one first down and forced a punt. Wide receiver Richie James fumbled the punt and the Seahawks recovered at the New York 19-yard line. Fortunately the defense held and limited the damage to a 35-yard field goal. The Giants could not move the ball in the final 1:31 of the half.

At the break, the Seahawks only led 10-7 despite the fact that New York’s offense had been held to three first downs and 46 yards in the first half.

The Giants received the football to start the third quarter and put together their best drive of the game, moving 79 yards in 14 plays, and taking almost nine minutes off of the clock. A 3rd-down sack was wiped out by a Seattle penalty. And the Giants converted on 3rd-and-12 with an 18-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Darius Slayton. However, the drive stalled at the 13-yard line and the Giants settled for a 31-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. The game was tied at 10-10.

Seattle responded with a 7-play, 42-yard drive that ended with a 51-yard field goal. The Seahawks regained the lead 13-10. Back came the Giants with a 12-play, 45-yard effort. Gano kicked a 45-yarder to tie the game once again, 13-13, early in the 4th quarter.

The Giants, who had been beating teams in the 4th quarter, began to fade at this point of the contest. Smith completed five straight passes for 75 yards, including the 33-yarder that to wide receiver Tyler Lockett that put Seattle up 20-13.

The Giants went three-and-out, but so did the Seahawks. However, disaster struck again as James fumbled his second punt of the game (James was concussed on this play). Seattle recovered at the New York 32-yard line. After a 16-yard pass by Smith, running back Kenneth Walker broke tackles en route to a 16-yard touchdown run that gave the Seahawks a two-touchdown lead, 27-13, with just 5:22 left in the game.

The Giants gained 46 yards on the ensuing drive but turned the football over on downs at the Seattle 29-yard line with 2:32 left in the game. New York got the ball back with 1:07 left but the game ended on a 3rd-and-17 sack.

Jones finished the game 17-of-31 with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed six times for 20 yards and was sacked five times. The leading receiver was Slayton, who caught five passes for 66 yards. Barkley was held to just 53 yards on 20 carries. He did have the team’s only touchdown.

Defensively, the Giants did hold Seattle to 277 yards of offense. But the two 4th-down conversions on the first touchdown drive hurt, as did allowing Smith to complete five straight passes on Seattle’s second touchdown. The Giants were credited with 10 quarterback hits and three sacks, one sack each by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, linebacker Micah McFadden, and safety Xavier McKinney. Williams also had five quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss. Linebacker Tomon Fox was credited with eight tackles and two tackles for a loss. Jackson force a fumble that he also recovered.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants placed OL Ben Bredeson (knee) on Injured Reserve. He will have to miss at least four games. The team also activated OLB Elerson Smith from Injured Reserve to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. Elerson had been sidelined since mid-August with a foot injury.

The Giants activated (standard elevation) LB/S Landon Collins and TE Lawrence Cager from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster on the same day.

Inactive for the game were WR Kenny Golladay (knee), TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), RT Evan Neal (knee), OLB Oshane Ximines (quad), CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), and ILB Austin Calitro.

DL Nick Williams (bicep) left the game in the first half and did not return. WR Richie James (concussion) left the game in the 4th quarter and did not return.

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

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

Injury Update on Daniel Bellinger, Evan Neal, and Ben Bredeson

 Posted by
Oct 242022
 
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants (October 23, 2022)

Daniel Bellinger – © USA TODAY Sports

INJURY UPDATES ON BELLINGER, NEAL, AND BREDESON…
According to media reports, tight end Daniel Bellinger suffered a fracture around the eye socket and septum in Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bellinger will likely undergo surgery later this week. “It’s probably too early to say when I expect him back,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll on Monday.

In addition, media sources are reporting that right tackle Evan Neal sprained the MCL in his left knee. He is expected to be out of service for approximately four weeks. Daboll said Neal would be “week-to-week” in terms of when he may be back.

Left guard Ben Bredeson also suffered a right knee injury in Sunday’s game. Daboll said Bredeson would also be “week-to-week.”

OCTOBER 24, 2022 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 23-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (the VIDEO of the press conference is also available on YouTube):

Q: First off, the injuries. There’s been a few reports that (tight end) Daniel Bellinger is going to need eye surgery and (tackle) Evan Neal with the MCL. Can you go over them and of course (guard) Ben Bredeson too?

A: Bellinger’s got an eye and Bredeson and Neal have knees.

Q: Will Bellinger need surgery on the eye?

A: Yeah, I think so. Yeah.

Q: Yesterday, you said about (quarterback) Daniel Jones – you said he’s cool as a cucumber. It seems as like you have a coordinator up in the booth that’s the same way, a guy that sticks with something that works and sticks with a running play that maybe isn’t working early in game. Can you talk about (offensive coordinator) Mike (Kafka) up in the booth and his personality and how you two guys are communicating during the game?

A: Yeah, I think Mike has done a fantastic job since he’s been here. He’s very smart. He has good leadership qualities. I think he communicates well with Daniel (Jones), specifically the quarterback but really with all the players. I think he works extremely hard at his craft during the week to get prepared for a game. Throughout the game, he’s very calm, he’s very composed. I think he does a great job communicating with the assistant coaches who do a good job of giving feedback to him. That’s important when you’re a coordinator to get that information from the assistants that are watching their positions or their matchups if you will. They do a good job collaborating and I think Mike stays the course. He has these first seven games of doing what he thinks we need to do to win offensively. I communicate with Mike throughout the game but again, I let Mike do his job. I think he’s done a great job.

Q: Bredeson, does it look like it’s serious or?

A: No. We’ll go week-by-week with him.

Q: Just one more on Daniel (Bellinger). I know this is not your expertise on eye surgery.

A: That would be a correct statement.

Q: You saw how bad (Bellinger) looked. Can they tell about his vision yet and is the surgery to repair the fracture and since it’s so swollen, is there concern about his vision or are they pretty okay with that at this point?

A: I couldn’t tell you 100 percent. I think they’ll do the surgery, I’m optimistic. But in terms of getting into details with it, I couldn’t answer those.

Q: I just have something about (safety) Landon Collins who got a bunch of snaps yesterday, made a tackle on his first play. First of all, how do you think he played in his first game for you?

A: I think he did a good job. He’s a pro. Obviously, he’s played a lot of football. We got him acclimated to how we do things here, he picked up our defense well and I thought he did a good job.

Q: Did you have any reservations – he’s a new player for you, but he’s not a new player for the Giants – about bringing him back to where he was sort of a star? Did you talk to people in the building about how that might fit in, the guys who’ve been here before?

A: No, we just looked at him when he worked out. You always talk to people that know the player that you’re bringing in. Thought he’d be a good addition and he’s been.

Q: I’m curious how much of an asset for you as a play-caller is it when you have a quarterback who can be a threat with his legs like Daniel (Jones) is?

A: Based on who your quarterback is, that’s really when you sit down and start talking about the offense and how you want to build it. He’s the primary player that you talk about and then it goes on. Everybody is important but when you have a quarterback who can – the dual-threat quarterbacks, as they say nowadays, add another element to your offense because it is 11 on 11 football. Those guys can carry the football or zone read it or do some different things. So, he has the ability to do those things. How many times we use him each game – I think that varies based on how we are getting played. Yesterday, he was a big-time asset for us.

Q: I wanted to ask about (center) Nick Gates. I know that the deadline is coming up on him. What’s the plan with him?

A: We’ll see. We’ll talk about it here in the next couple days. Nick’s done a good job since he’s been out here working out. We’ll revisit that here tonight.

Q: What’d you make of the way the two backup offensive linemen (Josh Ezeudu and Tyre Phillips) played once you got to see them on film? Is that the way you’ll go moving forward?

A: Yeah, I think they both did a good job. They were prepared and that’s a credit to them, first and foremost, but then (offensive line coach) Bobby (Johnson) and (assistant offensive line coach) Tony (Sparano Jr.) spend a lot of extra time with some of those younger guys or guys that are working on the practice squad. They were both ready to go and prepared and did a good job. We’ll work with them this week and we’ll see how it goes this week but I was pleased with how they responded with having to go in there and play.

Q: On Bellinger, do you expect him back this year?

A: It’s probably too early to say when I expect him back. We’ll see how this thing goes and I’m hopeful for it but obviously you never know when things like this happen.

Q: I wanted to ask one about (running back) Saquon (Barkley). He was a little hard on himself yesterday with his early runs. I think he said they were soft and his mind wasn’t in the right place. What did you see from him early on and how was he able to find that play late in the fourth quarter?

A: That’s what you love about Saquon is he’s never satisfied. I’m happy he’s on our team. We could have blocked plays better, too. I think he’s a very good leader for us. He obviously owns some of the things that happened but I would say it’s more of a collective effort than just Saquon Barkley, he did a good job for us.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about the job (cornerback) Fabian Moreau has been doing for you?

A: I said I think last week – he’s come in, he’s learned our defense. I think he’s playing some good football. I know the coaches have confidence in him, the players around him I think have confidence in him and he’s playing good, smart football for us.

Q: After every game as a coach, do you send a letter to the league saying, “These are the calls that were made. I have issues with this one, I don’t have issues with anything else?”

A: Yeah, we have good communication with the league office. Each week, that happens. Those conversations will be between myself and the league. You’re always trying to figure out ways you can coach things better.

Q: If you could clarify what Evan’s injury is?

A: It’s a knee.

Q: How long will he be out? Do you have any idea?

A: No.

Q: (Wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson), he was the most targeted of your wide receivers. What are you seeing from him and how he was doing before he got that groin injury?

A: I think he was doing good. I think there’s a lot of things to work on. He hasn’t played a lot of football games. We’ll just keep on teaching him during the week. He’s got a great attitude. I think he wants to do as well as he can do. He’s a good young player to work with.

Q: There was a clip after you guys scored where Daniel (Jones) was really fired up on the sidelines, talking to (quarterbacks coach) Shea (Tierney) and then you kind of jumped in talking to him. I was just wondering what that exchange was about?

A: When was it?

Q: Like 5:30 left in the fourth.

A: Was it a quarterback sneak?

Q: Yeah.

A: I think Shea and I were both about to tell him the same thing and I just wanted to tell him before Shea. Shea was on top of it. It was positive. I just wanted to get to him, talk to him and then get back on the headset with the other side of the ball. He just made a really good play on that quarterback sneak. Made a good decision and had a good drive so it was really all positive.

Q: From your experience, what is the best way for a team to handle success?

A: Focus on the process. Again, I know I sound like a broken record, but this league humbles you very quickly. As soon as you’re done with this game and as soon as Mondays are over, you put it to bed, and you get focused on your next opponent. Which, they’re all good in this league. Every game is hard, you’re going to get everybody’s best each week regardless of what your record is. You continue to prepare the way you know how to prepare to try to put yourself in the best position you can. That’s really all it is. Focusing on things that happened in the past don’t do you any good, you’ve got to learn from them. Thinking about things that could happen in the future do you no good because you better stay right in the present and focus on the things that you can control. That’s something that I’ve preached to our players, to our staff, to myself. I think that takes discipline and it takes a consistent approach to do that each day.

Q: On your last drive, the one that ended with (kicker) Graham’s (Gano) field goal, the final field goal. I think you ran the same play or a variation of that play eight times, that running play. I know from a play-caller perspective I don’t know how rare that is in the league but, when you guys saw that was working, what are you thinking? I know you and Mike are talking and everybody else but, was that the plan going into that drive?

A: Credit to Mike and the offensive staff, Bobby Johnson, those guys communicated when the defense was out, and they got that three-and-out. There’s a bunch of communication that’s going on, on the other headset and I’m on the defensive headset. What are the plays that they want to run based on the situation of the game. There’s a lot of things that get talked about because you never know what’s going to happen. Maybe they get a first down, maybe they take some time, whatever it may be, and it was a select group of plays that those guys came up with. When one was working, Kafka stayed with it. Then we ran a little keep off of one of them. But I thought the players executed those plays for the most part well. Mike was strong in his conviction, along with Bobby with what they wanted to do and how they wanted to get it accomplished.

Q: Is that hard to do in this league? To run the same play or a variation of it over and over again before a defense kind of figures something out?

A: It’s not hard to call it if it’s working. It’s probably a little bit harder to block it sometimes but there’s times to where ‘they can’t run this again’, then you run it again. I think Mike changed up a formation here or there but for the most part it was very similar, and the players did a good job executing. I thought Saquon ran well.

Q: How much is this offense going to miss Daniel (Bellinger) given the way he had been developing? Do you feel like you need to bring in another tight end?

A: Well, I think anytime one of your better players gets injured you always miss him but that’s why you have players on the roster. People are here for a reason; we’ve said this before. We have to find a way to use our pieces the best way we can. We have two tight ends; we have one on the practice squad and we’ll try to do the best job we can of utilizing their strengths.

Q: The other thing I want to ask you on Evan, you said Ben is week-to-week. Is that basically where you’re putting Evan too? In that category?

A: Yup.

Q: This obviously is the first year for you and (general manager) Joe (Schoen) and you’re trying to build something here. How much have the expectations changed what you’re trying to accomplish year one? Maybe changes the more you win as you sit here at 6-1 now.

A: I think we try to establish a standard of doing things the right way both on and off the field. How we prepare, how we work, that’s never going to change based on result. So, we try to be as consistent as we can be relative to those things each and every day.

Q: Obviously there’s the question of, ‘oh wow, we’re winning, we’re in a really good spot. Do we then add reinforcements’? Do you look it at that way at all? Do you factor that into the equation?

A: I’d say our process has been the same since we’ve been here. Control what you can control, improve each day. Obviously, we always look to improve any area of the roster we can each week. We have players that come in and workout. That’s pretty consistent with how we’ve been since we’ve been here. Again, our record is what our record is but it’s our preparation and our consistency of how we do things that are important to us.

Q: This isn’t one of the in the moment questions but I’m hoping you’ll kind of humor me, I just asked (Jets’ head coach) Robert Saleh the same thing. There’s great defense being played here in New York between the Jets and Giants and couldn’t be done more differently. They rely on their front four, you guys blitz a ton. When you hired (defensive coordinator) Wink (Martindale), was it Wink’s makes it the most difficult on you? How did you decide what kind of defense you wanted to run when you became the head coach?

A: Well, I interviewed some good candidates. I just felt Wink was the right person for the job. He’s had a good track record of success. He was a veteran play caller and I thought he fit what we were looking for after we spoke with him.

Q: So, you wanted that style? When you interviewed other people did you look at other styles of defense or was it mostly, you wanted that style and Wink was the best guy for that style?

A: I think it’s a combination of things when you’re looking to hire people. I just felt Wink did a good job in the interview process and I felt comfortable with the things he was teaching, his leadership style, his communication. Again, styles are important, don’t get me wrong, schemes are important but leadership, the ability to communicate, the experience of having to do that job for a while, those were also important.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media access to the team. The Giants return to practice on Wednesday.

Giants Sign Chris Myarick and Matt Skura to Practice Squad; Thursday Injury Report

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Sep 022021
 
Matt Skura, Baltimore Ravens (October 20, 2019)

Matt Skura – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS SIGN TWO MORE TO THE PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed two more players to their 16-man Practice Squad (there are actually 17 on the Practice Squad due to running back Sandro Platzgummer’s International Player Pathway Program exemption). The team has signed tight end Chris Myarick and center/guard Matt Skura. There is currently one more open spot on the Practice Squad.

The 25-year old, 6’5”, 261-pound Myarick was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He spent all of 2019 and most of 2020 on the Practice Squad of the Dolphins, though he did play in three games in 2020.

The 28-year old, 6’3”, 310-pound Skura was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season on the Ravens’ Practice Squad. In 2017, Skura started 12 games at right guard for the Ravens. He became the starting center in 2018, and started 27 consecutive regular-season games at the position in two seasons, missing five games due to a knee injury in 2019. Skura started 12 more games at center in 2020, missing one week due to COVID. He signed with the Miami Dolphins in March 2021, but they waived him in late August.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey

CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle) remains on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

In the limited portion of practice that is open to the media, WR Collin Johnson (unknown), TE Evan Engram (calf), LT Andrew Thomas (“work load management”), OC/OG Billy Price (COVID screening), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle), and CB Josh Jackson (calf) did not participate in drills with the rest of the team.

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 players are off on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

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