Jul 182018
 
Shane Vereen, New York Giants (December 20, 2015) 2

Shane Vereen – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW YORK GIANTS SIGN SAM BEAL…
The New York Giants have signed cornerback Sam Beal, who they took in the 3rd round of the Supplemental Draft on July 11th. The only remaining unsigned players on the current roster are 2018 NFL Draft picks running Sam Barkley (1st round) and defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh (5th round).

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS SIGN SHANE VEREEN…
The New Orleans Saints have signed New York Giants unrestricted free agent running back Shane Vereen, who struggled to match his third-down back, pass-receiving productivity of his first year with the Giants in 2015. That season, Vereen had his most productive year in the NFL as a pass receiver, catching a career-high 59 passes for 495 yards and four touchdowns. It was the most receptions by a Giants running back in a single season since Tiki Barber in 2003. Vereen also carried the ball 61 times for 260 yards (4.3 yards per carry).

Vereen missed 11 regular-season games in 2016 with a triceps injury that required surgery that he suffered in September and then re-injured in December. In 2017, despite playing in all 16 games, his pass-receiving totals declined to 44 catches for 253 yards. Vereen also carried the ball 45 times for 164 yards (3.6 yards per carry). He did not score a touchdown.

Vereen was originally selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. The Giants signed him as a free agent in March 2015.

ARTICLES…

Dec 062017
 
Steve Spagnuolo, New York Giants (December 6, 2017)

Steve Spagnuolo – © USA TODAY Sports

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ELI MANNING TO START ON SUNDAY…
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has once again been named the starting quarterback. Manning was benched by Ben McAdoo, who was fired by the Giants on Monday. Manning had started 210 regular-season games in a row, dating back to November 2004.

“Eli Manning will be the quarterback for this football team in this game,” said Interim Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo. “Okay, the ‘why Eli?’ All I can tell you is this. When John Mara and I talked, one of the first things he asked was about the quarterback situation and I said, ‘John, my gut right now is that Eli should be the starter.’ What you have to understand is when I was coaching just the defense, I had the blinders on and all I’m worried about is the defense. I stay in my lane. So, I didn’t have my eyes around what was going on on offense – who was playing what. None of that. So, I took my gut and visited with the offensive coaches and together with that and my gut, Eli Manning is going to be our quarterback. Had a conversation with Geno (Smith), which was a tremendous conversation. I have a great deal of respect for Geno Smith in the way he reacted. He was a man. He obviously didn’t agree with the decision, but he is a team player and he told me that he was going to go forward and wants to be a part of this and I just have a great deal of respect for him. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

“I just wanted (Coach Spagnuolo) to know that I do want to play,” said Manning. “I want to be the starting quarterback, I want to be out there and I just want to make sure that he knew that. He said that he was going to think about and talk with the coaches, but his gut said that I would be the starting quarterback. So, I’m happy that he went with that decision and he has the faith in me, we can go win this football game with me as the quarterback… It’s important to play. That’s what I love to do. I love to play quarterback and love playing quarterback for the New York Giants. ”

When asked about his future, Manning responded, “Hey, this is all I know. This is all I know, is playing for the New York Giants and I’ve never wished to change that. I appreciate everything the Giants organization has done for me and you have so much family in this building. From the Mara family, the Tisch family, people in the equipment room and the film room, the training room. I’ve known a lot of these people for 14 years and grew up around them. So, this is all I know. Hey, I’m going to finish out this season and then I’m sure they’ll be a discussion with the organization to figure out what’s the plan going forward… No, no retirement plans. So, that’s not on my mind.”

GIANTS TO BEGIN PRACTICING ON FRIDAY AGAIN…
Interim Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo has changed the New York Giants in-season practice schedule to once-again have the team practice on Fridays. Under Ben McAdoo, the Giants did not practice on Friday, having a “recovery day” instead and a “launch” practice on Saturday.

“The reasoning on the Friday deal was we just felt at this time of the season, really third down and red zone are really, really important – winning those areas, and you got to win them both offensively and defensively,” said Spagnuolo. “So, what that schedule does is gives us an opportunity to do more third down on Thursday and then extend more red zone on Friday and it’s a schedule I’m real familiar with and I think it’ll help us in the upcoming games.”

JERRY REESE ISSUES A STATEMENT…
Former General Manager Jerry Reese, who the New York Giants fired on Monday, issued the following written statement on Tuesday:

I would like to thank the New York Football Giants for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing franchise for the past twenty-three years. My time here has been filled with many great memories. Thank you John and the Mara family, Steve and the Tisch family for your confidence in me for so many seasons. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Tom Coughlin and Ben McAdoo for their commitment to the NYG and my time working with them. I’m thankful to the late George Young, who hired me, and to Ernie Accorsi for grooming me. Many thanks to the front office, personnel staff, support staff, scouts, coaches, and current and former players for your dedication to a first class organization. My family, friends and many fans that have supported me, I sincerely appreciate all of you. I am truly grateful and blessed for my time with the NYG. All the best to you. Go Giants.

BEN MCADOO ISSUES A STATEMENT…
Former Head Coach Ben McAdoo, who the New York Giants fired on Monday, issued the following written statement on Wednesday:

It was a privilege and an honor to serve as the head coach of the New York Giants and be a member of the organization for four years. I thank the Mara family, the Tisch family, and Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin for taking a chance on a first time offensive coordinator and enabling me to take an important step in my career. My family and I enjoyed every day of my tenure with the Giants, thanks in large part to the commitment of everybody in the organization. I particularly want to thank the entire coaching staff for their dedication and hard work. I would be remiss if I did not thank the support staff who are often underappreciated but vital to the success of any football team. Finally, I will always appreciate having had the chance to coach so many outstanding players. As I have said many times, they are men of talent, and I believe in their integrity and character. I wish them and the entire organization success in the future.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring), offensive tackle Chad Wheeler (concussion), defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (finger), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (neck/wrist), and cornerback Eli Apple (hip/back) did not practice on Wednesday.

Running back Wayne Gallman (hip), offensive lineman Justin Pugh (back), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (elbow), and linebacker B.J. Goodson (ankle) practiced on a limited basis.

HEAD COACH STEVE SPAGNUOLO…
The transcript of Steve Spagnuolo’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

NEW YORK GIANTS PRESIDENT/CEO JOHN MARA…
Audio of John Mara’s radio interviews on Monday are available at:

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:

The audio Eli Manning’s WFAN interview on Monday is also available at CBS New York’s website.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice on Thursday at 12:30PM. The team’s coordinators and select players will also address the media after practice.

Dec 042017
 
John Mara, New York Giants (December 4, 2017)

John Mara – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW YORK GIANTS FIRE JERRY REESE AND BEN MCADOO…
The New York Giants fired both Senior Vice President and General Manager Jerry Reese and Head Coach Ben McAdoo on Monday. Reese will be replaced on an interim basis by Assistant General Manager Kevin Abrams, while McAdoo will be replaced on an interim basis by Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Ernie Accorsi will serve as a consultant in the new general manager search. Accorsi previously served as the team’s assistant general manager (1994-1997) and general manager (1998-2007) until his retirement.

According to various press reports, quarterback Eli Manning will also regain his starting job, although team President John Mara said in today’s press conference announcing the firings that Spagnuolo will decide who starts on Sunday.

Reese had been with the Giants’ organization since 1994, first as a scout (1994-2004), then Director of Player Personnel (2004-2007), and then General Manager (2007-2017). McAdoo was hired by then-Head Coach Tom Coughlin as the team’s new offensive coordinator in 2014. In 2016, he replaced Coughlin as the team’s head coach when Coughlin was fired.

While the Giants have fired many coaches in the team’s history, the Giants have not fired a general manager since 1978. McAdoo’s tenure as head coach lasted 28 regular-season games, marking the shortest stay for a head coach since the pre-Steve Owen era (1930-1953). The last time the Giants fired a coach during the season was 1976, when they parted ways with Bill Arnsparger after an 0-7 start.

McAdoo’s Giants finished 2016 with an 11-5 record and a playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. However, the Giants are a dreadful 2-10 with four games remaining this season, marking the franchise’s worst start since 1976 when they were also 2-10.

As for Abrams, the Giants’ press release states: “Abrams is the team’s primary negotiator for player contracts, works with the college and pro personnel departments to evaluate players in preparation for the NFL Draft and free agency, and is responsible for managing the Giants’ salary cap, football data analysis, related strategic planning for football operations and coordinating the organization’s compliance with the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.” Abrams joined the Giants in 1999 to serve as the team’s first salary cap analyst.

The 57-year old Spagnuolo has served two stints as the Giants’ defensive coordinator (2007-2008, 2015-2017). He was the head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009-2011, when the team compiled a dreadful 10–38 record.

Transcript of New York Giants President/CEO John Mara’s press conference:

Opening Statement: As you all know by now, I met this morning with Jerry Reese and Ben McAdoo and relieved both of them of their responsibilities. Just to give you the chronology of what happened – Steve Tisch and I met after the game yesterday and agreed to talk this morning, which we did and we agreed that wholesale changes needed to be made to this organization to get us back to the team that we expect to be and we also agreed that it was pointless to wait any longer to make these changes. I met with Jerry Reese at approximately 10:30 a.m. this morning. That’s as difficult a meeting as I’ve ever had. Jerry has been here since 1994. He is homegrown. Started out as a part-time scout and rose all the way through the ranks to become our general manager and to become the general manager for two Super Bowl teams. I thanked him on behalf of Steve and myself for everything he’s done for this organization. I told him that I have no doubt that he will get another shot with another franchise and that at some point in time, I’m going to be answering questions from people about why I got rid of him in the first place.

I then met with Kevin Abrams and asked him to serve as our interim general manager for the rest of the season and if he chooses to be a candidate for the full time position. Kevin agreed to do that. Then met with Ben McAdoo and thanked him for everything he has done for us, for all of his hard work, for the professional matter in which he’s conducted himself. I also feel that he will be a successful head coach at some point in the future. I think he’s going to learn from his experience here and he’ll go on to be a successful head coach. Both of these men – contrary to what their public persona is sometimes – have been complete professionals here. They always make decisions looking out for what they believe is in the best long term interest of the franchise. They never complain about anything. They don’t politic around the office. They communicate well with one another and that’s something that I’m very grateful to both of them for.

I met with Steve Spagnuolo after these meetings. Asked him to serve as the interim head coach and also to be a candidate to be the head coach after the season if he chooses to do so. He agreed to do that. I then met with all the assistant coaches and told them that my expectation is for them to continue to work hard to get these players ready to play in these last four games. I told them I would not put up with any talk in this building about tanking or anything else and I expected us to go out and try to win these games. I expected their best efforts to try to get us to do that. In terms of our general manager search – that starts right away. I have asked Ernie Accorsi to serve as a consultant in this process. He’s agreed to do that. So, we expect to get started right away on that. Ideally, you like to have the general manager in place first before the head coach. That’s not always going to be the case, but that would be the ideal scenario. So with that, I will entertain some of your questions.

Q: What was the final straw for you with Jerry Reese in terms of why you wanted to make the decision now?

A: I don’t think there was any one final straw. I just think that where we are as a franchise right now, you know, we’re 2-10. We’ve kind of been spiraling out of control. I just felt like we needed a complete overhaul. I don’t think there was any one event or one final act to precipitate that.

Q: How much did the Eli Manning situation play into this decision?

A: Really had no effect whatsoever. 2-10 is 2-10 and obviously the public reaction to that was not pleasant, but that really didn’t have any effect on our decision.

Q: Have you spoken to Steve Spagnuolo and does he have any intent to go back to Eli Manning as the starting quarterback?

A: I’ve spoken to Steve and he’s still trying to come to grips with this whole thing. He wants to talk to his offensive staff and he’s going to talk to Kevin (Abrams) and myself. Ultimately, it’s going to be his decision as to who to play at quarterback.

Q: Are you embarrassed in general with what’s happened to the franchise this season?

A: Of course I’m embarrassed. 2-10. There’s no defense for that. Particularly when expectations were so high, and I understand that – listen, we had a ridiculous number of injuries. It’s the first time in my life that I think I sat at a game having to constantly look at the flip card to try and determine who we were playing. But, that being said, we still started out 0-5 with a relatively healthy roster up until that fifth game when all of our wide receivers got hurt. So, yeah, I’m embarrassed about that. That’s one of the reasons I’m standing here.

Q: Are you committing to a division between personnel and coaching or can they cross?

A: My very strong preference is to maintain that traditional separation, but again, I would never say never if the right candidate was there.

Q: Do you regret the decision that was made with Eli Manning and the plan to use Geno Smith? It seemed like you weren’t on the same page.

A: I mean, we were and we weren’t. Ben came up with the plan. I initially signed off on the plan. My hope had been to talk to him to try to have a little more flexibility with it. Not have a hard, fast time when he was going to come out of the game. But, by then Eli rightfully had rejected the notion only starting and playing the half and coming out. We issued a statement and it was just too late at that point.

Q: Did you consider firing Ben McAdoo on Wednesday?

A: No.

Q: What changed between when you put out a statement three weeks ago saying there were not going to be any in-season changes, to now?

A: I changed my mind, we changed our minds. Given all the events that occurred, where we are as a franchise right now. To be honest with you, it became more and more apparent that we were going to have to do something at the end of the season, so we talked after the game and again this morning about, why prolong it any longer? Why not just get it done now? I’m very conscious of the fact that three of our last four games are at home. I’m conscious, having lived through it before, of what the reaction was going to be. Also, gives us somewhat of a tactical advantage, allowing us to start looking at general managers right now rather than waiting until the end of the season.

Q: Were you aware of Ben’s plan to start and play Eli for the first half, and Geno in the second before he actually went and presented it to Eli?

A: That seems to be the focus of everybody’s attention right now. The plan was, Ben was going to talk to Eli and tell him that he was going to start and play the first half and Geno would play the second half.  I signed off on that. But, again, my hope was two things: one, that I was going to speak to Ben and try to get him to be a little bit more flexible about that all. I do not like interfering with coaching decisions about who’s going to play, I’ve never done that before. I also, as I said I think the other day to you guys, was hoping that Eli would be playing so well, it’d be impossible to take him out. In any event, it is where it is and you ought to stop blaming Ben and Jerry on that. If you want to blame me, go ahead and do it. I certainly have the power to overrule them if I wanted to, I chose not to do it.

Q: There are reports that Manning will start this week, are they true?

A: There’s no decision, to my knowledge, that’s been made on that yet. I’d assume [Spagnuolo] will run it by me before he makes that decision.

Q: Do you believe the coaching staff will still plan on giving quarterback Davis Webb an opportunity this season?

A: I mean, I’m hopeful that at some point he gets into the game, but right now, to be honest with you, after all this losing I’m just as focused on trying to win some of these games as anything else.

Q: After an 11-5 season and playoff appearance last season, how did all of this go so wrong so quickly?

A: That’s a good question, one that we’re trying to figure out right now. I was very confident about this roster, as I think most of the people in this room were heading into this season. I thought it was as talented a roster as we’ve had here in a long time. We were coming off an 11-5 season, our defense was basically the same, our offense was supposed to be better. We had added some receivers and a tight end, a couple of tight ends. We were supposed to be better. We got off to a very poor start on offense, our defense did not play as well as they could have and then everybody got hurt. It’s really, and I’ve used this expression, it was the perfect storm. Everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong so far this season and it’s just one of those things you have to live through and suck it up and make whatever changes you have to make and go on.

Q: How much did Reese not improving the offensive line in the offseason ultimately cost him?

A: Well, it’s more where we are as a team right now. It wasn’t that specifically. We had pretty much the same offensive line last year and even though our offense was not particularly good last year, it was good enough to win 11 games. We thought that group would take a step forward this year and even now, half of them have gotten hurt, it’s just been an impossible situation.

Q: How important is it for the new general manager and head coach to have better communication skills with players and everybody in the building that what you had?

A: Well, first of all, Ben and Jerry Reese communicated very well. And Jerry and I communicated very well together. I usually don’t have that much interaction with the head coach because I like that to be the general manager’, because that’s always been the way I’ve done it. Jerry communicated very well with players. One of the things that I liked about him the most is he’s not afraid to call a player out if he didn’t feel like he was playing up to his potential. And Ben, I thought communicated pretty well. Listen, I’ve spoken to players over the past few weeks, a handful of them, to try to get a handle on whether guys were quitting, or whether they weren’t playing hard and that was not the message that I got back. I think that people felt that they were still playing hard and for most of the season, with an exception of a couple games that I can think of, I thought players did play hard.

Q: Having never been through this process with a general manager, do you feel like it has to be a total front office overhaul, or can a new general manager come in and keep the staff?

A: Well, I think that’s going to be largely up to the new GM. And we did go through this, back in ’07 when Jerry was hired. We kept most of the people and I’m not anticipating there being wholesale changes, but again, that’s largely going to be up to the new general manager.

Q: Would you shy away from hiring a new head coach that doesn’t have head coaching experience?

A: Not necessarily, it just depends on the candidate. I mean, there are a number of new head coaches that are very successful in this league this year, so you can’t shy away from that. If you think you have the right guy, you have to go for it.

Q: There is an expression, the Giant Way. How do you tell the fans that you haven’t lost your way during this season?

A: Listen Bruce, we’ve had an embarrassing season. I think most people that know me know how painful that is to me and know how committed I am in trying to put a winning team back on the field. I know our fans are suffering, but I’m suffering more, I guarantee it. We’ve gotten to the point where we felt like we had to make wholesale changes and that’s what we’ve done here.

Q: Is Steve Spagnuolo a candidate for the head coaching job moving forward or is that dependent on the new general manager?

A: Well, Steve (Tisch) and I have the final say on any head coaching decision, but that’s going to be largely dependent on what the new general manager has to say, yes.

Q: Where do you think it went wrong for Ben after making the playoffs last year?

A: As I said, I just think it ended up being a perfect storm for us. We got off to a bad start this year, particularly on offense. Our defense didn’t play as well as they played last year. We had leads in a few games and last year they would have held them and we would have won the game. They didn’t do that early on and then everybody got hurt. Listen, there were certain guys that on this roster that aren’t playing as well as they should be playing.

Q: Was it just the record or were there other things?

A: Our team isn’t good enough, it’s obviously not good enough. We are 2-10.

Q: Do you expect to hire a new GM before the end of this season?

A: That’s possible. If the right candidate comes along, that’s possible. Obviously if we want to talk to somebody who’s currently employed, we would have to wait.

Q: Do you have names in mind?

A: We have names in mind, but I’m not going to go into the names right now.

Q: Do you regret the decision of hiring Ben?

A: I don’t think so. That’s semantics. I thought that he was the right guy for the job. We were 11-5 last year and everything looked great back in September and now it’s all fallen apart. We will obviously hire the best general manager we can and be very guided on what he has to say.

Q: Three months ago, you thought you’d be headed to the playoffs?

A: Yes. I’ve been around long enough not to get shocked by many things, but I certainly did not see this coming.

Q: Did you think about making this change last week?

A: No.

Q: How do you handle the draft process right now, if you don’t have that new GM in?

A: We will have the GM in long before the draft. Our scouts and Marc Ross our head of scouting, it’s business as usual for them. They’re going to keep doing what they’re doing. But that GM will be in place long before the draft.

Q: Was there any thought in giving Ben another chance?

A: That was certainly something we considered, but at the end of the day, we still felt like wholesale changes needed to be made.

Q: Is it a given that you will hire the general manger before the coach?

A: In all likelihood that will be the way it occurs, but I don’t ever want to say that it’s a definite. But in all likelihood that will be what happens.

Q: How much did the timing of doing it now rather than the end of the season play off of the fan reaction from last week?

A: Listen, I was certainly cognizant of what the fan reaction was likely to be over the last four weeks, but that wasn’t the final determining factor. We just reached a point where we felt, you know what, we’re going to be making these changes probably at the end of the season, so what’s the point in prolonging this any further.

Q: How will your perception of leadership of the men in the locker room change after this example?

A: If I understand your question correctly, listen, I do think we need some more leadership in the locker room for sure. But I think in terms of our priorities as an organization right now, let’s go out and find the best general manager and then let’s take it from there.

Q: How do you look at Odell’s (Beckham) future?

A: I certainly expect him to be a part of this team in the future, but that will be a discussion also with the incoming general manager and the incoming head coach and we’ll make whatever decision we think is appropriate going forward.

Q: What was Jerry and Ben’s reactions? Were they shocked?

A: I don’t think either one of them was shocked. I think they could not have been more professional. They both thanked me for the opportunity. My meeting with Jerry was a little more emotional just because we had a longer history together and because he’s meant so much to this organization. I’ve talked to him a couple times this morning and he thanked me for the opportunity and everything we have done for his family. I thanked him for everything he’s done here and that was not an easy meeting for me and it was not for him either.

The video of Mara’s press conference if available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the New York Giants on Tuesday. The players return to practice on Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Dec 032017
 
New York Giants Fans (December 3, 2017)

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REPORT – BEN MCADOO COULD BE FIRED ON MONDAY…
Before today’s game started, ESPN reported that New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo could be fired by the team as early as Monday. Giants’ team owners John Mara and Steve Tisch were at today’s game but refused to comment on this report.

OAKLAND RAIDERS 24 – NEW YORK GIANTS 17…
The New York Giants were defeated in a sloppy game by the Oakland Raiders 24-17 on Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Giants fell to 2-10 on the season. Geno Smith started the game for Eli Manning, who was benched by the team earlier in the week. It was the first time a quarterback other than Eli Manning started a regular-season game for the Giants since November 2004.

The Raiders out-gained the Giants in first downs (18 to 15), total net yards (401 to 265), net yards rushing (119 to 65), and net yards passing (282 to 200). The Giants were hurt by two turnovers, fumbles by Geno Smith, in Raiders’ territory.

New York went three-and-out on its first three offensive possessions of the game. The Raiders took an early 7-0 lead on their first possession when running back Marshawn Lynch carried the ball three times in a row for 60 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown gallop. The Giants’ defense then settled down and forced two three-and-outs by the Raiders.

The Giants tied the game on their fourth possession. New York drove 74 yards in 11 plays, the big play being a 29-yard pass from Smith to tight end Evan Engram. A few plays later, running back Orleans Darkwa scored from one yard out.

The Giants got the ball back when the defense stuffed Lynch on 4th-and-1 at the New York 45-yard line. However, the Giants gave the ball right back when Smith was sacked on 3rd-and-5 from the Oakland 29-yard line. Smith fumbled on the play and the Raiders recovered. Oakland then drove 47 yards in 12 plays to set up a 39-yard field goal that gave the Raiders a 10-7 lead with 3:37 left to go before the half.

The Giants went three-and-out for the fourth time of the game, but a 69-yard punt by Brad Wing pinned the Raiders on their 1-yard line. After picking up one first down, the Raiders were set to punt but fullback Shane Smith smothered the punter for an 11-yard loss at the Oakland 9-yard line with 46 seconds left on the clock. New York got zero points out of this as Geno Smith was sacked on 2nd-and-goal from the 4-yard line, fumbling in the process and turning the ball over at the Oakland 11-yard line.

At the half, the Raiders led 10-7.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. The Raiders’ first three drives resulted in two punts and a fumble (cornerback Brandon Dixon forced a fumble that safety Landon Collins recovered at the Giants’ 27-yard line). The Giants likewise punted three times in a row.

The Raiders went up 17-7 early in the fourth quarter after an 8-play, 79-yard drive. The Giants impressively responded with a 9-play, 88-yard effort that included a 47-yard catch-and-run from by wide receiver Sterling Shepard and then a 10-yard touchdown reception by Engram. The defense could not hold however, and the Raiders quickly went up again by 10 points when they drove 68 yards in four plays, with the big play being a 59-yard pass to start the possession.

To the Giants’ credit, they did make the game a one-score contest again by driving 46 yards in nine plays to set up a 52-yard field goal by Alrick Rosas with 1:38 to play. Engram made a superlative one-handed catch for 22 yards on this possession. However, the Raiders recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Geno Smith finished the game a respectable 21-of-34 for 212 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. However, he did fumble the ball away twice in Raiders’ territory. Engram led the Giants in pass receptions with seven for 99 yards and a touchdown. New York struggled to run the ball as Darkwa was held to 32 yards on 14 carries.

Defensively, the Giants only had one sack by linebacker Calvin Munson. The only turnover was the fumble recovery by Collins.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVE LIST AND INJURY REPORT…
Inactive for the game were offensive lineman Justin Pugh (back), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (neck/wrist), cornerback Eli Apple (hip), quarterback Davis Webb, wide receiver Travis Rudolph, defensive tackle Khyri Thornton, and linebacker Jeremy Cash.

Running back Wayne Gallman (hip), offensive tackle Chad Wheeler (concussion), linebacker B.J. Goodson (ankle), and safety Nat Berhe (concussion) all left the game with injuries.

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

ARCHIE – ELI MANNING MAY RETIRE…
The father of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Archie Manning, told NFL.com that his son may retire from the NFL after the end of the current season. Eli was benched by the Giants this past week.

“It just flat broke his heart,” said Archie Manning. “There’s no sense speculating (on his future). If he’s still there, we don’t know what their future plans are, if other people are there. And you have no idea what other teams will think of a 37-year-old quarterback. You don’t have any idea. Eli might say, ‘I’ve had enough. I’m feeling good. I’ve got a beautiful wife, three little girls, I’m healthy. And that’s it.’ So there’s no sense speculating.

“We had our team, we loved our team. But for Eli… it’s always kind of been like this: Eli’s passion for the Giants goes deeper than most and I’ve mentioned it through the years. Eli loves playing for the New York Giants. He just does. He just loves it, I think more than most. So therefore, it broke his heart.”

However, after today’s game, Eli said he plans on playing in the NFL in 2018.

REPORT – GIANTS NOT TALKING TO THEIR OWN SOON-TO-BE FREE AGENTS…
ESPN is reporting that the New York Giants have not held any contract discussions with soon-to-be free agents such as guard/tackle Justin Pugh, center Weston Richburg, and linebacker Devon Kennard. According to ESPN, players on the team “welcome the opportunity leave what has devolved into a depressing and dysfunctional situation.”

ARTICLES…

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

Dec 012017
 
Justin Pugh, New York Giants (October 1, 2017)

Justin Pugh – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Linebacker Jonathan Casillas (neck/wrist) has officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders. Offensive lineman Justin Pugh (back) is “doubtful” and defensive tackle Damon Harrison (elbow) is “questionable” for the game.

Cornerback Eli Apple (hip) was added to the injury report late on Friday and is officially also “questionable” for the game.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (illness), linebacker B.J. Goodson (ankle), and linebacker Calvin Munson (quad) are unofficially “probable.”

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with Head Coach Ben McAdoo are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the New York Giants on Saturday. The Giants play the Raiders in Oakland on Sunday afternoon.

Nov 292017
 
John Mara, New York Giants (October 15, 2017)

John Mara – © USA TODAY Sports

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JOHN MARA SPEAKS ABOUT ELI MANNING BENCHING…
New York Giants President/CEO John Mara addressed the media on Wednesday to discuss the team’s decision to bench quarterback Eli Manning in favor of Geno Smith. The transcript of Mara’s press conference is available in The Corner Forum.

JANORIS JENKINS PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE…
New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been placed on Injured Reserve with an ankle injury that has nagged him most of the season. He aggravated the injury on his touchdown interception return against the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving. The NFL Network is reporting that Jenkins will reportedly undergo ankle surgery today and that the recovery process is expected to be three months.

To fill that roster spot, the Giants signed defensive tackle Khyri Thornton. The 28-year old, 6’3”, 315-pound Thorton was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He has spent time with the Packers (2014), New England Patriots (2015), and Detroit Lions (2015-2017). He was suspended for the first six games of the 2017 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The Lions cut him on November 21. Thorton has played in 23 regular-season games with six starts (those starts all coming in 2016 with the Lions).

The Giants may also be activating defensive end Romeo Okwara from Injured Reserve shortly. The team changed the status of reserve injured/designated for return. Okwara was placed on Injured Reserve with a knee injury that he suffered in practice in October 2017.

The Giants have also waived J.T. Thomas off of Injured Reserve. The Giants placed Thomas on Injured Reserve in late September 2017 with a groin injury. Thomas was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. The Bears waived him in August 2013 and he was claimed off of waivers by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Giants signed Thomas in March 2015. In 2015 with the Giants, Thomas played in 12 games with 11 starts, missing four games with an ankle injury. The Giants placed Thomas on Injured Reserve in September 2016 after he suffered ligament damage to his left knee in the regular-season opener.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Offensive lineman Justin Pugh (back), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (elbow), and linebacker Jonathan Casillas (neck/wrist) did not practice on Wednesday.

Linebacker B.J. Goodson (ankle) practiced on a limited basis.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (illness) and linebacker Calvin Munson (quad) fully practiced.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’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:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice on Thursday at 12:20PM. The team’s coordinators and select players will also address the media after practice.

Nov 242017
 
Eli Manning, New York Giants (November 24, 2017)

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY UPDATE…
New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo said on Monday that the injuries suffered by linebacker Curtis Grant (knee) and cornerback Donte Deayon (fractured forearm) will end their season. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (ankle) may miss some time as well.

MONDAY BEN MCADOO CONFERENCE CALL…
New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo addressed the media by conference call on Monday to discuss the team’s 20-10 loss to the Washington Redskins:

Q: What did you think of the overall effort in last night’s game?

A: I thought we played the game hard. I thought we played the game physical at times. There were times when we were the more physical team. That wasn’t consistent over the course of the ballgame, but I thought the players played hard.

Q: At 2-9, where does the team go from here?

A: I guess the normal procedure would be to start taking a look at more younger players, but we’re doing that, really, already, with the way things have come out injury-wise. We have a lot of young players playing out there and last night was an example, young players playing on a short week and they played like it. We need to get more out of the young players on our roster. We took a step backwards there. Everything’s correctable and I’m confident that we’re going to get it corrected, but we need better there. The players are going to get a couple days away from it and we need to come back and attack this last month head on.

Q: What did you think when you looked at the offense on tape?

A: Well, I was disappointed in the way that our offense looked. Really, as a team, we didn’t handle the ball well enough to win the game. We didn’t throw it well enough, we didn’t catch it well enough, we didn’t punt it well enough, we didn’t kick it well enough and that was a big part of the ballgame. Last night we had a lot of unforced errors. They were both ways in the game and that’s usually how it goes. On a Thursday Night game, you’re going to have some of that and we just weren’t able to overcome it.

Q: Is there anything that you would have changed going into the game, preparation-wise, to compensate for the challenge of having young players play on a short week?

A: Yeah, we’re going to take a look at it. We have some ideas that we put down and we’re going to take a look at it in the future and see if there’s any adjustments you can make to maybe getting some speed work.

Q: Has ‘next man up’ been a little unrealistic, especially heading into a short week, to have guys step in right away and expect them to play at a high level?

A: Both teams went through it last night. We had a lot of players who had to step in and go and play pro football at a high level. And that is a challenge, but that’s part of the game. We played hard, we weren’t detailed enough, we didn’t execute the way that we’re capable of executing, but we went out and played the game hard.

Q: Do you think your players might have been pressing a little bit, knowing it was a short week?

A: I thought there were some examples, maybe. I thought maybe [tight end] Evan [Engram] was pressing a little bit in the pass game, especially after he dropped the first one. Other than that, I’m not sure if there were any other signs of it.

Q: What is the latest on wide receiver Sterling Shepard?

A: Sterling, he’s still on the injury report. There’s no change from yesterday.

Q: Is it still migraines with Shepard?

A: He’s listed as a migraine, yes.

Q: Do you have any updates on injured players from last night?

A: [Cornerback] Janoris [Jenkins] has an ankle [injury], it’s painful. [Linebacker Curtis] Grant has a knee [injury], a right knee. [Cornerback] Donte Deayon has a forearm fracture. [Linebacker Deontae] Skinner has a hamstring [injury] and that’s what I have right now.

Q: Is Deayon’s injury something that he can play through, or will it end his season?

A: He won’t be able to play through that, no.

Q: Shepard is not in the concussion protocol, correct?

A: Correct.

Q: Any concern that Jenkins’ injury is long-term?

A: He’s in some pain right now, so there’s a possibility.

Q: Is Grant’s knee injury going to end his season?

A: It looks that way, yes.

Q: Is there anything you can do to help Engram come back in the passing game?

A: Yeah, he bounced back in the ballgame. He had the drop on the first third down of the game and that was an easy throw and catch, should’ve been. And he just didn’t have good fundamentals there. He surrounded the ball, something that we don’t like to do, and when it gets chalky and cold, the ball can be hard to handle. He doesn’t have a lot of experience playing in that weather, but that’s part of it. He bounced back on the vertical play down the middle, it would’ve been a very tough throw and catch, [quarterback] Eli [Manning] got some pressure, had to get the ball out, he wasn’t expecting the ball probably that quickly, but made a nice play on the ball and just couldn’t hold it going to the ground. But came back on a deep cross, showed good fundamentals, good concentration, good focus and made a nice play. So, he’s able to rebound during the course of a game. I did have conversations with him during the course of the game and let him know that he can still make a big impact in the ballgame, in the way the ballgame was going. He just needs to stick with it and focus on the details and the little things.

Q: Do you find Engram is receptive to those in-game conversations?

A: Yeah, he’s phenomenal on the sideline. He plays the game with a clear mind.

Q: In your eyes, was cornerback Eli Apple missing two practices last week what contributed to him being inactive last night?

A: He hasn’t played football in awhile and that’s why I chose the decision I made.

Q: Missing two practices for a guy who has played a lot of football is a deal breaker?

A: I don’t know what deal you’re talking about, but he didn’t practice last week, except for Wednesday. He did not play in the game and didn’t get any speed work this week, that’s why I chose to not dress him.

Q: There is a lot of speculation that he was inactive for another reason, but that is not the case?

A: I didn’t say it was.

Q: How do you feel about the way the offensive line played last night?

A: I thought that the 16-play drive was a good drive for them. We mixed the pass, we mixed the run, had some good plays, overcame some adversity during that drive. But the physicality of the run game wasn’t as good as it’s been, so we dropped off there a little bit and our protection wasn’t good enough.

Q: What was your message to the players before they got away for a couple of days off?

A: Come back on time with your weight right. That’s a good start.

Q: Because of all the young players playing more, are you teaching more?

A: We need these guys to grow up. It’s part of coaching, it’s part of playing. We don’t have time to wait, it’s got to be now.

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

LANDON COLLINS ON ESPN RADIO
The audio of Monday’s ESPN Radio interview with New York Giants safety Landon Collins is available at ESPN.com.

POST-GAME NOTES…
The Giants did not score an offensive touchdown for the second time this season, both in division road games. They were held to three points in Dallas in the season opener.

The Giants had one first down in the second half and seven in the game, their lowest total since they had six in a 30-7 loss to New Orleans on December 24, 2006.

The Giants’ 86 net passing yards was their lowest total since they threw for 49 yards in a victory against the Miami Dolphins in London on October 28, 2007.

Quarterback Eli Manning’s 113 passing yards was his lowest total since he threw for 111 yards at Buffalo on December 23, 2007. He passed for 36 yards on the Giants’ final series.

The Giants employed their eighth different starting offensive line this season, tying them with the Green Bay Packers for the NFL high.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no scheduled media availability the New York Giants until next Tuesday, when select players will address the press. The players are off on Sunday and Monday.

Nov 242017
 

Thanksgiving Day Disaster

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WASHINGTON REDSKINS 20 – NEW YORK GIANTS 10…
Two terrible teams played a terrible football game on Thanksgiving night, with the more pathetic New York Giants falling to the Washington Redskins 17-10 at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. With the loss, the Giants fell to 2-9 on the season.

New York’s offense was a train wreck against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. The Giants accrued only three offensive points, seven first downs, and 170 total net yards (84 yards rushing, 86 net yards passing). Given those statistics, predictably, the Redskins dominated the time of possession by almost 10 minutes.

Despite the impotent offense, the game was tied 3-3 at the half and 10-10 in the 4th quarter because the defense kept the Giants in the game, including a 53-yard, pick-6 interception return by cornerback Janoris Jenkins.

Not counting the kneel down before halftime, the Giants had 12 offensive possessions in the game. These 12 possessions resulted in nine punts, a turnover on downs, an interception, and a field goal. Quarterback Eli Manning was a shadow of his former self, completing just 13-of-27 passes for 113 yards, being sacked four times. Giants’ wide receivers only caught five passes with Roger Lewis “leading” the pack with three catches for 26 yards. Running backs Wayne Gallman and Orleans Darkwa combined for 67 yards on 20 carries.

The Giants only had one drive all night that gained more than one first down. That was their 4-first down, 10-play, 60-yard possession in the second quarter that set up their only offensive points – a 30-yard field goal. The Giants had only three other first downs on their 11 other possessions, with eight of their possessions not making one first down.

To the credit of the New York defense, they kept the Giants in the game until late in the fourth quarter. The Redskins punted four times in the first half, turned over the ball once, and scored their only points of the half off a 4-play, 38-yard drive that resulted in a 28-yard field goal right before halftime.

In the second half, after forcing another punt, the Giants allowed a 6-play, 50-yard drive that was highlighted by two passes from quarterback Kirk Cousins to wide receiver Jamison Crowder, the first for 33 yards and the second a 15-yard touchdown strike on 3rd-and-goal. But after another New York three-and-out on offense, the defense tied the game at 10-10 on Jenkins’ 53-yard interception return.

The game remained tied midway through the fourth quarter, but the Redskins then embarked on their 8-play, 60-yard, game-winning drive that was aided by a questionable defensive holding call on cornerback Ross Cockrell, wiping out a 3rd-and-3 sack. After a 17-yard gain from another Cousins-to-Crowder pass, Cousins threw a 14-yard strike to wide receiver Josh Doctson for the touchdown two plays later with 3:31 left in the game. The Giants turned the football over on downs at their own 19-yard line after Manning was sacked. The Redskins kicked a 33-yard field goal with less than two minutes to play. The game all but ended with a Manning interception.

The Redskins were held to 17 first downs and 323 total net yards. The Giants came into the game with a league-low 14 sacks. The Giants sacked Cousins six times with defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul (2) and Olivier Vernon (1.5) leading the way. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (1), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (0.5), and linebacker Devon Kennard (1) also were involved in sacking the quarterback.

Video highlights are available at NFL.com.

INACTIVE LIST AND INJURY REPORT…
Inactive for the game were wide receiver Sterling Shepard (illness), guard D.J. Fluker (toe), guard/tackle Justin Pugh (back), linebacker B.J. Goodson (ankle), linebacker Calvin Munson (quad), cornerback Eli Apple, and quarterback Davis Webb.

Linebacker Curtis Grant (knee), linebacker Deontae Skinner (hamstring), and cornerback Donte Deayon (jaw/forearm) all left the game with injuries and did not return. The Bergen Record is reporting that Deayon broke his right forearm.

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins injured his ankle but returned. Jenkins was in a walking boot after the game.

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

  • Head Coach Ben McAdoo (Video)
  • QB Eli Manning (Video)

LANDON COLLINS NAMED NFC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK…
New York Giants safety Landon Collins was named “NFC Defensive Player of the Week” for his 14-tackle, 1-interception performance against the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. This is Collins’ third “Defensive Player of the Week Award” in the last two seasons.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Ben McAdoo and select players will address the media by conference call on Friday.

Nov 212017
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (November 12, 2017)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (illness), guard D.J. Fluker (toe), guard/tackle Justin Pugh (back), linebacker B.J. Goodson (ankle), and linebacker Calvin Munson (quad) did not practice on Tuesday.

“Sterling is not feeling well,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “We kept him in the training room and they’re taking a look at him. They’re looking at all the possibilities…Yeah (it might be something different than migraines). They’re looking at it right now. They’ll let me know when they know.”

Running back Orleans Darkwa (hamstring), defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (knee), defensive end Olivier Vernon (shoulder), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (ankle), defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (ankle), and linebacker Kelvin Sheppard (groin) were limited in practice.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’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:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the New York Giants on Wednesday. The team plays the Washington Redskins in Maryland on Thursday night.

Nov 202017
 
Orleans Darkwa, New York Giants (November 19, 2017)

Orleans Darkwa – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants did not practice on Monday, but since the team has a short week because of Thursday’s game against the Washington Redskins, it was required to issue an injury report.

Guard D.J. Fluker (toe), guard/tackle Justin Pugh (back), defensive end Olivier Vernon (shoulder), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (ankle), linebacker B.J. Goodson (ankle), and linebacker Calvin Munson (quad) would not have practiced today. According to multiple press reports, Fluker will not play on Thursday and could be out longer.

Running back Orleans Darkwa (hamstring), wide receiver Sterling Shepard (illness), defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (knee), defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (ankle), and linebacker Kelvin Sheppard (groin) would have been limited.

MONDAY BEN MCADOO CONFERENCE CALL…
New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo addressed the media by conference call on Monday to discuss the team’s 12-9 overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs:

Q: What’s the schedule like this week?

A: Today, we had some meeting time. We had a walk through on the field and we were quick on and off today. No helmets or anything like that. Want to make sure we give the players enough time to recover from this last game getting ready for the next one. So, mental preparation will be big. Sleep will be huge. Have to recover.

Q: Is tomorrow like a regular full practice?

A: No. No. We’re not going to hit much, if any. Speed this week.

Q: Is this a good thing that you have a short work week coming off of a win when it comes to building on the momentum?

A: I think it gives us an opportunity to stack two ‘W’s in five days. That’s good. It’s tough for the guys to get ready to play. The players, you know, they poured their hearts out in the overtime game yesterday. So, it’s a quick turnaround for the players. That’s always tough on them, but we don’t make the schedule. We just got to play it, so we’ll be ready to go.

Q: Did the overtime game cause you to make tweaks to the schedule or was it pretty much set before that?

A: Our schedule was pretty much set before that. We have a plan going in. We’ve done a version of it here since I’ve been here and it’s – got to get the players fresh, got to get them recovered from the last game so they’re ready to fire on all cylinders on Thursday night.

Q: Do you expect Eli Apple to be a full participant and ready to go Thursday night?

A: He was here today and went through practice. Yes.

Q: Will it be a normal week for him then?

A: It’s a normal week for Eli, yes.

Q: Was the decision with him just that he didn’t think he had enough time in practice to be ready to play?

A: Yeah. It was a coach’s decision.

Q: Do you expect D.J. Fluker and Justin Pugh to be able to go on Thursday and if not, who will go in at guard?

A: Yeah. You know I’m not going to tell you that. Fluker – if we were to practice today, he would not have practiced. It was more of a walk through-type day today. But, he did not go. Would not have been able to go. If we had to play today he would not have played.

Q: If you have to make a change at guard, how confident are you that John Greco is ready?

A: He’s played a lot of football in his career. He’s been around a long time, been in a lot of different systems. So, we’re confident that John will be able to go and be able to step in for us.

Q: What was your assessment of Chad Wheeler?

A: Yeah, you know, Chad is – like I said yesterday, I think the best way to describe it is you didn’t notice him a whole heck of a lot. He was physical in the run game. I thought he did some good things in pass protection. Now, the challenge for Chad is there’s film of him now. So, when the opponent has film and they know who’s playing, they can go study the tape. So, Chad needs to study himself as well as the opponent this week and take steps to improve.

Q: Did you already address Sterling Shepard?

A: You’re late?

Q: 6:29.

A: You got to be on NYG time, but Sterling Shepard would have been a limited participant in practice today if we had a normal football practice and not just a walk through-type practice.

Q: When a guy has migraines like that do you put them through a concussion protocol to make sure that it’s just migraines?

A: That’s a better question for medical, but right now he is not in the protocol.

Q: Has he had migraines in the past?

A: That’s a better question for Sterling.

Q: Did he mention it though?

A: Better question for Sterling.

Q: Any concerns about the ability of others you added to the injury report?

A: Yeah, I mean, it’s a short week, so it’s tough to recover. That’s the biggest challenge going from a Sunday overtime game to a Thursday night game. We have a lot of guys who are banged up. They’re going to have to fight through some things and possibly Calvin (Munson) and OV (Olivier Vernon). It is a concern.

Q: Now that you’ve evened up with Mike Sullivan when it comes to play calling, how do you assess the change and how it’s looked thus far?

A: I think our run game is coming. It’s coming along. You’re seeing some physicality in the guys up front. I think the tight ends are making progress and they’re fitting in. We added a couple new pieces there as well as the offensive line. They’re working well together. I think the backs are making some progress, so the run game is probably the most encouraging thing. What you’re seeing – third down is a challenge for us right now. That’s an area where we spend a lot of time and we want to continue to improve and work to improve. But, I think Sully has done a tremendous job there calling it. It’s not an easy chore. But, we’re making some progress especially in the run game. He sticks to the run, which I like.

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

LANDON COLLINS ON ESPN RADIO…
The audio of Monday’s ESPN Radio interview with New York Giants safety Landon Collins is available at ESPN.com.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players return to practice on Tuesday in preparation for Thursday’s night game against the Washington Redskins. There is no media availability to the team on Wednesday.