Sep 012022
 
Blake Martinez, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

Blake Martinez – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS CUT BLAKE MARTINEZ, CLAIM TYRE PHILLIPS, RE-SIGN THREE VETERANS…
The New York Giants have terminated the contract of inside linebacker Blake Martinez. The team also claimed offensive lineman Tyre Phillips off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens. ESPN is reporting that Martinez’s release was a mutual decision by both parties.

In addition, as expected, the New York Giants re-signed three vested veterans who they cut yesterday in temporary roster-juggling moves. In order make room for the four players the team claimed off of waivers on Wednesday, the Giants had terminated the contracts of TE Tanner HudsonOG Max GarciaDL Nick Williams, and ILB Austin Calitro. Three additional roster spots became available as soon as the Giants were allowed to officially place OG Shane Lemieux, OLB Elerson Smith, and CB Rodarius Williams on short-term Injured Reserve.

Since all four players who were cut were vested veterans, they did not have to pass through waivers. Hudson, Williams, and Calitro were the players who were re-signed to the 53-man roster. Garcia was signed to the Practice Squad.

The Giants also waived TE Ricky Seals-Jones (toe) off of Injured Reserve with an injury settlement.

The Giants placed Blake Martinez on Injured Reserve in late September 2021 with a torn ACL in his left knee. He only played in three games and finished the year with 23 tackles. The Giants signed Martinez as an unrestricted free agent from the Green Bay Packers in March 2020. He had a major impact on the defense in 2020, starting all 16 games and playing in 97 percent of all defensive snaps. Martinez finished the season with a team-high 151 tackles and also accrued nine tackles for losses, three sacks, six quarterback hits, five pass defenses, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. The 6’2”, 237-pound Martinez was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Packers.

The 25-year old, 6’5”, 330-pound Phillips was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Ravens. In his first two years in the NFL, Phillips has played in 22 regular-season games with 13 starts, despite suffering an ankle injury in 2020 and a torn ACL in 2021. He has experience playing both guard spots and right tackle.

The Giants placed Seals-Jones on Injured Reserve on August 23rd with a toe injury that he suffered early in training camp. The Giants signed Seals-Jones in March 2022 as an unrestricted free agent from the Washington Commanders.

MORE PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
As previously reported in yesterday’s update, the Giants signed 15 players to their 16-man Practice Squad on Wednesday. On Thursday the team added six more players and released five from the Practice Squad.

Signed to Practice Squad:

  • WR Kalil Pimpleton
  • OG Max Garcia
  • OG Wyatt Davis
  • DL Henry Mondeaux
  • LB Charles Wiley
  • S Tony Jefferson

Released from Practice Squad:

  • WR Jaylon Moore
  • OT Roy Mbaeteka
  • OT Garrett McGhin
  • CB Darren Evans
  • S Nate Meadors 

Garcia was cut by the Giants from their 53-man roster yesterday.

The 23-year old, 5’9”, 172-pound Pimpleton was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. The Lions waived him on Monday. Pimpleton has experience returning punts.

The 23-year old, 6’4”, 315-pound Davis was originally selected in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Davis spent time on both the 53-man roster (6 games with no starts) and Practice Squad as a rookie. The Vikings waived him on Tuesday.

The 26-year old, 6’5”, 280-pound Mondeaux was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New Orleans Saints after the 2018 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Saints (2018), Kansas City Chiefs (2019), and Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-2022). The Steelers waived him on Tuesday. Mondeaux has played in 26 NFL games with two starts, accruing 21 tackles and two sacks.

The 24-year old, 6’2”, 251-pound Wiley was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. The Ravens cut Wiley on Tuesday.

The 30-year old, 5’11”, 211-pound Jefferson was originally signed as undrafted rookie free agent by the Arizona Cardinals after the 2013 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cardinals (2013-2016), Ravens (2017-2019, 2021-2022), and San Francisco 49ers (2021). The Ravens cut Jefferson on Tuesday. Robinson has played in 104 regular-season games with 66 starts. However, he has not started a game since 2019, when he tore his ACL mid-season. Robinson has only played in six regular-season games since 2019.

GENERAL MANAGER JOE SCHOEN AND HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Joe Schoen’s and Brian Daboll’s press conference on Thursday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf) did not practice. RB Sandro Platzgummer also missed practice with a concussion that he suffered in the preseason finale.

TE Daniel Bellinger (concussion) participated in non-contact drills.

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 from Friday through Sunday. Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media via Zoom on Monday.

Jul 272022
 
Kadarius Toney, New York Giants (July 27, 2022)

Kadarius Toney – © USA TODAY Sports

JULY 27, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their first summer training camp practice on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The training camp practice was open to the public for the first time since 2019.

DENNIS HICKEY TO SERVE AS UNOFFICIAL DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING…
General Manager Joe Schoen announced on Wednesday that Assistant Director of Player Personnel Dennis Hickey, who was hired by the team this offseason, will in effect serve as the director of college scouting without the title in 2022.

We interviewed probably three or four candidates for (director of college scouting), and we’re just going to move forward without one for the season,” said Schoen. “Dennis Hickey will fill that role primarily for this year, and we’ll evaluate it after the year. But between him, (Director of Player Personnel) Tim (McDonnell), (Assistant General Manager) Brandon Brown, will kind of head up the personnel department. (Director of Pro Scouting) Chris Rossetti will be doing the pro department. All those guys are outstanding additions, all the new guys.”

Hickey has extensive NFL experience including serving as pro personnel assistant, college scout, director of college scouting, and director of player personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2013) as well as general manager for the Miami Dolphins (2014-2015), and senior national scout for the Buffalo Bills (2017-2022).

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have signed offensive tackle Garrett McGhin and waived offensive tackle Kamaal Seymour.

The 26-year old, 6’6”, 302-pound McGhin was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Buffalo Bills after the 2019 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Bills (2019, 2020),  Carolina Panthers (2019-2020), Jacksonville Jaguars (2020-2021), and New Jersey Generals (2022). McGhin has only played in two NFL games with no starts, both with the Panthers in 2019.

Seymour was just signed by the Giants yesterday. The 6’6”, 319-pound Seymour originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Las Vegas Raiders after the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent all of his rookie season on the Practice Squad of the Raiders and missed all of 2021 with an Achilles’ tendon injury. The Raiders waived him with a non-football injury in April.

INJURY REPORT…
The following players began training camp on injury lists:

  • Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List: WR Sterling Shepard (Achilles), OC Nick Gates (leg), and OT Matt Peart (knee).
  • Reserve/Non-Football Injury (NFI) List: LB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring)

“Everybody is pretty much a full go besides guys that are on PUP or Azeez,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “We will manage who we need to manage, but there’s no red jerseys, we are ready to go.”

TE Daniel Bellinger (quad) passed his physical and was activated off of the PUP List.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The players will not be in pads until next Monday.
  • The starting offense to open practice was QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley, WR Kenny Golladay, WR Kadarius Toney, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, TE Daniel Bellinger, LT Andrew Thomas, LG Shane Lemieux, OC Jon Feliciano, RG Mark Glowinski, and RT Evan Neal.
  • Giants second-team offensive line: LT Devery Hamilton, LG Josh Ezuedu, OC Jamil Douglas, RG Marcus McKethan, and RT Matt Gono
  • Giants third-team offensive line: Giants 3rd O line: LT Roy Mbaeteka, LG Josh Rivas, OC Ben Bredeson, RG Max Garcia, and RT Markus McKethan
  • The starting defense to open practice was DL Leonard Williams, DL Dexter Lawrence, OLB Kavyon Thibodeaux, OLB Jihad Ward, ILB Blake Martinez, ILB Tae Crowder, CB Adoree’ Jackson, CB Aaron Robinson, CB Darnay Holmes, S Xavier McKinney, and S Julian Love.
  • When 11-on-11 drills began, Darrian Beavers replaced Martinez at inside linebacker.
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott broke up a pass in the end zone. Flott later prevented a touchdown pass intended for WR Robert Foster by shoving him out-of-bounds while he was the process of catching the ball.
  • CB Aaron Robinson knocked down a pass as well in 11-on-11 drills.
  • QB Daniel Jones scored on a quarterback draw in the first full-team, 11-on-11 session.
  • QB Daniel Jones hit RB Saquon Barkley for a touchdown, although OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux might have had a sack on the play.
  • QB Daniel Jones threw another touchdown strike to WR Kadarius Toney, who made an excellent catch, despite tight coverage from CB Aaron Robinson.
  • CB Darnay Holmes picked off a pass from QB Daniel Jones to RB Saquon Barkley in the red zone.
  • QB Daniel Jones threw a fade pass to WR Wan’Dale Robinson for a touchdown against S Xavier McKinney.
  • RB Matt Breida ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass from QB Tyrod Taylor.
  • QB Tyrod Taylor also threw touchdowns to WR David Sills, WR Richie James, and RB Antonio Williams.
  • QB Davis Webb threw touchdown passes to TE Ricky Seals-Jones, WR Austin Proehl, and WR Marcus Kemp.

    GENERAL MANAGER JOE SCHOEN AND HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
    The transcript of Joe Schoen’s and Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday 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 at Giants.com:

    WHAT’S UP NEXT…
    The New York Giants practice Thursday morning (10:00-11:45AM). The practice is open to the public. Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will also address the media.

    Apr 042022
     
    Adoree' Jackson, New York Giants (November 7, 2021)

    Adoree’ Jackson – © USA TODAY Sports

    NEW YORK GIANTS OFFSEASON PROGRAM BEGINS…
    The New York Giants offseason program began on Monday. Because the Giants have a new head coach, the team can start their voluntary offseason workout program two weeks before other teams with returning coaches. The 9-week program is intended to provide players with training, instruction, and physical strength and conditioning.

    We’ve had good attendance,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll. “Obviously, everything’s voluntary, we understand that. But there was a packed house… I’m not going to get into who was, who wasn’t (here), I’d just say we’ve had good attendance and I told the guys how much I appreciate that, knowing that it’s all voluntary.”

    • April 4: New York Giants offseason program begins.
    • April 19-21: New York Giants voluntary mini-camp (allowed for teams with new coaches).
    • May 16-17: New York Giants OTA #1 and #2.
    • May 19: New York Giants OTA #3 (media access).
    • May 23-24: New York Giants OTA #4 and #5.
    • May 26: New York Giants OTA #6 (media access).
    • May 31-June 1: New York Giants OTA #7 and #8.
    • June 2: New York Giants OTA #9 (media access).
    • June 3: New York Giants OTA #10.
    • June 7-9: New York Giants mandatory mini-camp.

    Each NFL team may also hold a rookie football development program for a period of seven weeks, which in 2022 may begin on May 16. During this period, no activities may be held on weekends, with the exception of one post-Draft rookie mini-camp. The Giants will hold their rookie mini-camp on May 13-15.

    Per the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), teams are only allowed to hold voluntary offseason activities over the course of a 9-week period in three phases:

    Phase One: Activities during this 2-week period are limited to to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only.

    Phase Two: On-field workouts during this 3-week period may include may include individual or group instruction and drills, as well as “perfect-play drills,” and drills and plays with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, conducted at a walk-through pace. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.

    Phase Three: Activities during this 4-week period include 10 days of organized team practice activity (OTAs) and a mandatory veteran mini-camp. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

    GIANTS RE-STRUCTURE ADOREE’ JACKSON’S CONTRACT…
    The New York Giants have re-structured cornerback Adoree’ Jackson’s contract. Jackson signed a 3-year, $39 million deal with the Giants last offseason after he was cut by the Tennessee Titans. The team has now converted $8.965 million of that contract into a signing bonus with a void year added, creating $5.98 million in cap space. 

    The Giants are believed to be about $7 million under the current salary cap. They will need that amount and more to sign their draft picks after the 2022 NFL Draft.

    APRIL 4, 2022 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
    New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday to discuss the start of the team’s voluntary offseason program. The transcript 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:

    Mar 112022
     
    Blake Martinez, New York Giants (September 27, 2020)

    Blake Martinez – © USA TODAY Sports

    According to multiple media sources, the New York Giants and inside linebacker Blake Martinez have reached an agreement on a pay cut. The financial details of the new contract are not known.

    Martinez had one year left on his current 3-year, $30.75 million contract. He was set to $14.025 million against the 2022 salary cap with $8.425 million in salary. Had the Giants cut him, the team would have saved $8.525 million with $5.5 million in dead money.

    The Giants placed Martinez on Injured Reserve in late September 2021 with a torn ACL in his left knee. He only played in three games and finished the year with 23 tackles. 

    The Giants signed Martinez as an unrestricted free agent from the Green Bay Packers in March 2020. He had a major impact on the defense in 2020, starting all 16 games and playing in 97 percent of all defensive snaps. Martinez finished the season with a team-high 151 tackles and also accrued nine tackles for losses, three sacks, six quarterback hits, five pass defenses, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

    The 6’2”, 237-pound Martinez was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Packers.

     

    Sep 292021
     
    Wes Martin, Washington Football Team (August 20, 2021)

    Wes Martin – © USA TODAY Sports

    SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
    The New York Giants held a light, walk-thru practice on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

    Not practicing were WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), and OG Ben Bredeson (hand).

    Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (knee), FB Cullen Gillaspia (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (hip), TE Kaden Smith (knee), CB Keion Crossen (elbow), S Logan Ryan (hamstring), S Nate Ebner (quad), and LS Casey Kreiter (knee).

    The Giants have also designated wide receiver John Ross (hamstring) for return from Injured Reserve. The Giants placed Ross on Injured Reserve in early September 2021. The Giants have three weeks to activate Ross or keep him on Injured Reserve.

    GIANTS SIGN WES MARTIN, PLACE BLAKE MARTINEZ ON IR…
    The New York Giants signed guard Wes Martin off of the Practice Squad of the Washington Football team on Monday. The 25-year old, 6’3”, 315-pound Martin was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL Draft by Washington. Martin played in 25 regular season games during his first two seasons, with 10 starts (five at right guard and five at left guard). Washington waived him in late August 2021 and signed him to the Practice Squad the following day.

    As expected, the Giants have also placed linebacker Blake Martinez, who tore the ACL in his left knee last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, on Injured Reserve. His season is over.

    PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
    The New York Giants have signed OC/OG Sam Jones and LB Omari Cobb to the Practice Squad.

    The 25-year old, 6’5”, 305-pound Jones was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He has spent time with the Broncos (2018-2019), Arizona Cardinals (2019-2020), Indianapolis Colts (2020-2021), and Atlanta Falcons (2021). Overall, Jones has played in five regular-season games with no starts.

    The 24-year old, 6’4”, 223-pound Cobb was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent most of his rookie season on the Practice Squad of the Chiefs, but did play in one regular-season game in December. The Chiefs cut Cobb in late August 2021, signed him to the Practice Squad the next day, and then cut him from the Practice Squad in mid-September.

    The Giants terminated the Practice Squad contracts of WR Matt Cole, OT Foster Sarell, and DL Willie Henry.

    HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
    The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

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

    WHAT’S UP NEXT…
    The Giants practice again on Thursday afternoon (12:30-2:30PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

    Sep 272021
     
    Blake Martinez, New York Giants (September 26, 2021)

    Blake Martinez – © USA TODAY Sports

    BLAKE MARTINEZ OUT FOR THE SEASON WITH TORN ACL…
    A bad season keeps getting worse for the New York Giants. Linebacker Blake Martinez tore the ACL in his left knee in the game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He is out for the season.

    PRACTICE SQUAD MOVE…
    The Giants have re-signed cornerback Jarren Williams to the Practice Squad. The 5’10”, 187-pound Williams was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft. The Giants signed signed Williams in early August 2020 after he was waived by the Cardinals. He spent most of 2020 on the Giants’ Practice Squad, but did play in two games exclusively on special teams. The Giants Jarren Williams on Injured Reserve with a quad injury in August 2021 and waived him with an injury settlement shortly thereafter.

    SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 JOE JUDGE PRESS CONFERENCE…
    New York Giants Head Coach Joe Judge addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 17-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons:

    Q: Wondering if you have anything on (Wide Receiver) Sterling Shepard and (Wide Receiver) Darius Slayton and where you go from here at the receiver position.

    A: We’re actually waiting on both guys. Both guys came off yesterday with leg injuries. We’ll see where they are in terms of their doctors and follow-ups today. Hopefully, we’ll get some news by the end of the day. I think both guys’ (injuries) are really different. I don’t think either one is the same deal. In terms of the receiver position, there’s a lot of things we can do with the guys we have right now. Saw a lot of guys make plays. I was pleased with the progress I saw from (Wide Receiver Kadarius) Toney and (Wide Receiver) Collin Johnson yesterday at the receiver position. Obviously, (Wide Receiver) Kenny (Golladay) was making a lot of plays for us. (Wide Receiver) C.J. Board made some nice plays for us. At some point, we’re hoping to get (Wide Receiver) John Ross (III) back off IR. We’ll see where he’s at health-wise in terms of if that’s sooner or later. But that, combined with the tight ends and skill players, it’s our job to make things work and function with who we have available. Obviously, we’re without Shep or Slayton. Those are two key parts of our offense that we don’t want to be without, two leaders on our team and hard workers, but we have confidence in guys in the locker room and guys on the roster to turn around and use these guys to keep going forward.

    Q: A lot of people are asking me, do you expect any significant changes coming out of this game, specifically with the play-calling?

    A: In terms of who’s calling it? In terms of how we’re calling it? What’s it specific to?

    Q: How about both?

    A: Obviously, game plan-wise, we’ll make some adjustments, we’ll do some things that we think we can improve more. We’ll obviously dive into a couple of focal points to make sure that we finish in the red zone – that’s been something we have to do obviously better as a team. In terms of who is going to be calling the plays – directly to answer your question – in terms of offense, defense, kicking game, the coordinators will still be making the play-calling this week.

    Q: Is Kadarius Toney ready to take on a larger role in the passing game if he has to with these two guys out?

    A: I’d say two things, he’s working very hard and making progress every week. I think obviously this guy has made some strides for us the more football he has played. If you’re asking specifically (if) he’s going to take over for Slayton and Shep, I think those are guys who (have) a lot more time in the league, so to say someone is going to just jump in and just replicate completely what we do with those guys, I don’t think that’s something we’re going to look to do. It’s going to be more about playing to his strengths, giving him the opportunity to get the ball in his hands and make some plays. I was pleased with how he played yesterday, pleased with the progress he’s making, but I think he’s definitely ready to keep progressing within our offense and find ways to get him the ball.

    Q: Do you need to get him the ball more? Does the ratio of touches to snaps have to get closer?

    A: It’s something we’re focused on right now. We’ve got to get him the ball and we definitely want to. I think we saw yesterday a couple of glimpses of just him with the ball in his hands. He’s got the ability to make some guys miss in space, he runs hard and he competes. He comes off the ball with a different level of speed than a lot of guys, so in terms of trying to get him the ball, that’s definitely a focus for us going forward. I’m not going to say we’re going to manufacture 50-60 snaps artificially with him, but in terms of how the Saints are playing going forward and if the opportunity presents itself, we’ll definitely try to get him the ball.

    Q: You mentioned John Ross. With him and (Linebacker) Elerson (Smith), is there a chance that they’ll be activated this week or are they still a little ways away?

    A: I’d say with both guys eligible to come off, there’s a chance for either guy or both guys to come off this week. I’d say today being Monday, Wednesday would be kind of the day we look to get them really rolling with the team, so we won’t make any decision immediately, but we’ll see where those guys are over the next 36 hours leading into Wednesday.

    Q: Can you take me inside your fourth down process? Say it’s the play from yesterday, it’s fourth-and-four from their 39, are you thinking numbers there? Who is in your headset? How do you decide what you’re going to do in that moment?

    A: Do we have people talking to me? Yeah, I’ve got people that I reference up top in terms of some situational awareness, but I make the decisions. In terms of that fourth-and-four that we punted the ball down there, it was simple. I wanted to make sure we maintained the field position at that point. Did I want to be aggressive and go for it on offense? Yeah, there’s an opportunity to go ahead and push it, but then in terms of knowing the flow of the game and how your defense at that point is playing – I had confidence to go ahead and put those guys down there inside their 10-yard line and we ended up putting them down there inside the five-yard line. Then, play to your defense. At that point in the game, not only was it field position, there was a strong wind blowing into that end zone, so even if you have to punt coming out of that end zone – and we had to in the first half – you’re not going to get much for the coverage game. You’re almost ensured of playing on a short field if you can go ahead and hold them on defense. My thought process on that fourth down was go ahead and make sure we maintain the field position and give ourselves an opportunity to get seven off that.

    Q: What happened yesterday with (Tight End) Evan Engram was not common. Players get booed, but it was especially pointed towards him with booing and cheering when he walked off the field. Do you find the need or have you taken Evan aside and talked to him and counseled him on what happens next here?

    A: I think Evan’s an extremely mentally tough player. To answer your question directly, have I talked to Evan? Yeah, I talked to him yesterday on the sideline, I talked to him in the locker room. I talk to these guys all the time. Two things on that – one, it’s our job to give the fans something to cheer about. We talk about it all the time, about you better embrace the pressure and the atmosphere in New York because it’s absolutely great. You’ve got to work for the respect of people here, but it’s that much more valuable when it’s a game. Secondly, in terms of the players, I’m always going to make sure our players stay focused in the middle of the game and throughout the game and understand that when things aren’t going right externally, we’ve got to make sure we show internal support for our teammates and our players and keep it moving forward.

    Q: Having said that, that was his second touch in his first game of the season and the ball got stripped for a fumble. Obviously, you can’t accept those turnovers, so how do you juxtapose that with supporting him, but also saying, ‘Look, you just got on the field, you can’t lose the ball for us here’?

    A: I don’t think having support for your players has anything to do with not correcting them and not making sure that the mistake doesn’t continue. I think you can do both equally effective and that’s what our focus is, to show support for him, but also at the same time correcting mistakes that players make and keep moving forward.

    Q: How did you think (Linebacker) Tae Crowder handled the play-calling yesterday at middle linebacker? With (Linebacker) Blake (Martinez) now out for the season, do you think you have someone on your roster to handle that day in and day out at the middle linebacker position? Does the green dot go back to (Defensive Back) Logan (Ryan)? Are you guys still deciding that? Where are you with all that?

    A: In terms of who will have the green dot directly this week, it will be a mix of either Tae Crowder as he wore it yesterday or working with either (Linebacker) Reggie Ragland, (Linebacker) Justin Hilliard or any other linebackers at the game. Overall, I thought Tae played a good game yesterday. There were some things we want to clean up here or there, but I thought in terms of him jumping into the position as a signal caller, it was something we work on during the week to make sure he’s ready if it comes up. I thought he did a good job of that. We had the one communication issue where the headset went down in the game and we had to call a timeout. Other than that, he was very good with making sure everyone had the call, got it directly, got his guys lined up. I thought he played well. I thought he showed some physicality, some real aggressiveness with how he played, so I was really pleased with what Tae did yesterday in the game. Obviously, losing Blake, you hate it for Blake because he’s a guy that brings a lot of leadership and passion to this team. He’s a guy that really loves being on the football field at the end of the day and really works hard and is a tremendous leader on this team. I think everyone on our team, when you see a guy like him and a guy like (Center) Nick Gates get hurt and lose the rest of their season, everybody hurts for them because they know what they put into it in terms of their own performance, but also to really help the team going forward. We’re going to keep both those guys, Blake and Nick, involved going forward as leaders and keep them involved with the team, but I was very pleased with the steps Tae took yesterday.

    Q: To follow up on the question about play-calling from earlier, based on what you’ve seen from the offense these last two years, I know you know you’re towards the bottom of the league in scoring. I’m just curious, why do you think that (Offensive Coordinator) Jason Garrett is the right man to keep calling plays for this team?

    A: We’re going to stay consistent with what we’re doing and keep improving as a team. There’s a lot of things we need to clean up coaching-wise, execution-wise, but we’re going to stay on the track with it and make sure we get those things right before making any radical changes.

    Q: Why do you think it is that this defense, even last year when it was playing really well, struggles so much in the two-minute or the four-minute drill at the end of halves and games? It seems like that’s when teams are most effective against you. Secondly, (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive coordinator) Pat Graham had said that with so many guys back, he was able to do a lot more with the defense this season. He said that in training camp. I’m wondering is there any way the defense has gotten too complicated for the guys?

    A: I’d say first off on the second part of that question, no, we’re always working to make sure that our guys can execute and trim down whatever we have to throughout the weekly plan. You always start out the week with a little bit more in your volume than what you’re going to carry into a game and a lot of that is just kind of trial and error with some schemes and things you want to see if it works in the game plan. Sometimes it doesn’t work personnel-wise, sometimes it doesn’t work just effectively, not putting too much on players’ plates. We always look to trim that down before going into the game on Sunday. In terms of the two-minute stuff, that’s something we have to be better on all sides of the ball. It’s something we had show up yesterday in terms of finishing drives, playing complementary football in the kicking game and getting off the field defensively, so we’ve got to keep on working with that right there. There were some times last year towards the end of the year where we improved greatly in the two-minute. We’ve got to make sure that we execute the techniques involved and then coaching-wise, put the players in the right position. Look, it’s a focus of ours obviously every week. It’s become a greater focus of ours the last couple of games and we’ll keep on that track to make sure we get it right. I was very pleased with the way the defense responded yesterday at the end of the first half to go out there and take a stand the way they did after the turnover, go three-and-out and then end third down with a turnover of our own. The aggressiveness that they played with right there, that was really the theme of what we want to go forward with. We’ve got to make sure we keep doing a better job coaching and executing on the field to make sure we get off the field.

    Q: One quick one and one real question. With Blake, was that a non-contact injury? It looked like he really didn’t hit anybody?

    A: It was a non-contact injury.

    Q: And the second one I have is did you report any plays to the league? I know you don’t like to criticize officials, but there were a number of plays when I went back and looked (that) there seemed to be an inconsistency there.

    A: There’s a number of plays that we’ll turn into the league and just ask for clarification. Again, any time we turn plays into the league, I think there’s that fine line in turning something in to complain and whine about it. Look, my thing is always, just tell me how you’re ruling this and how you’re officiating it so I can teach the team properly. That’s all I want. Just give me the clarification that I can put the players in the position and they can operate with the knowledge and play aggressively. So, when we turn plays in, I don’t want an apology, I just want a clarification. That’s all I want.

    Q: Was there any one call that bothered you?

    A: There were a couple pointed ones and I’m going to keep those kind of between us and the league right now and not go out and air any grievances in the media.

    THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
    Transcripts of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum:

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

    Sep 122021
     
    Daniel Jones, New York Giants (September 12, 2021)

    Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

    DENVER BRONCOS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 13…
    The New York Giants got crushed by the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, losing 27-13 in a game that was not as close as the final score. The Giants start the season 0-1. This is the 10th time in the past 11 seasons the Giants have started off 0-1.

    The Broncos out-gained the Giants in first downs (24 to 19), total net yards (420 to 314), net yards rushing (165 to 60), net yards passing (255 to 254), and time of possession (35:08 to 24:52). Both teams turned the football over once. Denver was 7-of-15 (47 percent) on 3rd-down conversions and 3-of-3 (100 percent) on 4th-down conversions.

    The game was actually close in the first half. The Giants received the football to start the game. On 3rd-and-5, quarterback Daniel Jones connected with wide receiver Darius Slayton on a 42-yard completion to the Denver 30-yard line. However, two negative-yardage plays pushed New York back, resulting in a punt into the end zone.

    After both teams exchanged punts, Denver put together a long, 15-play drive that gained 62 yards, taking almost nine minutes off of the clock, but only resulting in a 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Broncos led 3-0.

    The Giants impressively responded with a 7-play, 75-yard drive that was aided by a defensive pass interference penalty on 3rd-and-7. Four plays later, Jones hit wide receiver Sterling Shepard for a 37-yard run-and-catch play for a touchdown. For a moment, the Giants held their only lead of the game, 7-3.

    It appeared that the Broncos would easily regain the lead on their next possession, gaining 71 yards and reaching the Giants’ red zone. But safety Logan Ryan forced the tight end to fumble after a 6-yard gain to the New York 4-yard line, also recovering the ball in the process. However, it was only a temporary stay as the New York offense only gained three yards before punting. With 2:25 left before the half, Denver easily drove 57 yards in seven plays and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to give the Broncos a 10-7 halftime advantage with just eight seconds left on the clock.

    The roof collapsed on the Giants in the second half. Each team had four second-half drives.

    Denver:

    1. 16 plays, 75 yards, 4-yard touchdown pass.
    2. 10 plays, 69 yards, 36-yard field goal.
    3. 4 plays, 94 yards, 70-yard touchdown run by Melvin Gordon.
    4. 3 plays, 4 yards, punt.

    New York:

    1. 10 plays, 60 yards, fumble by Jones at the Denver 13-yard line.
    2. 14 plays, 69 yards, turnover on downs at the Denver 6-yard line.
    3. 7 plays, 31 yards, turnover on downs at Denver 21-yard line.
    4. 8 plays, 64 yards, touchdown with no time left on the clock.

    A close game at halftime quickly turned into a blowout with a meaningless New York touchdown at the end.

    Jones finished 22-of-37 for 267 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and one killer fumble. His leading receiver was Shepard, who caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Jones was also the leading ground gainer for the Giants, with just 27 yards on six carries and a touchdown. Running back Saquon Barkley was held to 26 yards on 10 carries.

    Defensively, the Giants not only allowed 165 yards rushing, but Bridgewater was able to complete 28-of-36 passes for a 115.7 quarterback rating.

    Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

    PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATION, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
    WR C.J. Board was activated from the Practice Squad for this game.

    Inactive for the game were TE Evan Engram (calf), WR Collin Johnson, LB Quincy Roche, LB Justin Hilliard, CB Sam Beal, and CB Josh Jackson.

    The Giants reported no injuries from the game.

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

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

    Sep 092021
     
    Adoree' Jackson, New York Giants (August 22, 2021)

    Adoree’ Jackson – © USA TODAY Sports

    SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
    The New York Giants practiced on Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

    TE Evan Engram (calf) is the only player who did not practice.

    RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), TE Kyle Rudolph (foot), TE Kaden Smith (knee), LT Andrew Thomas (ankle), NT Danny Shelton (neck), LB Justin Hilliard (foot), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle), and CB Josh Jackson (calf) were limited in practice.

    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 Giants practice again on Friday (11:30AM-1:15PM). Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will also address the media.

    Aug 292021
     
    Blake Martinez, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

    Blake Martinez – © USA TODAY Sports

    NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 22 – NEW YORK GIANTS 20…
    The New York Giants fell to the New England Patriots 22-20 in the preseason finale for both teams. The Giants finished the preseason 0-3. This was the only game of the preseason where New York’s starters saw extended playing time, playing until intermission.

    The bad news for the Giants offensively was two-fold. First, tight end Evan Engram (calf) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (ankle/foot) both left the game with injuries, as did guard/center Ted Larsen (knee), who actually started the game at left guard. Second, the first-team offense struggled for most of the first half with poor offensive line play, no running game, and a bad interception by quarterback Daniel Jones.

    Perhaps the most telling sign of the night was the starting offensive line. Nate Solder started for Matt Peart at right tackle, while Larsen started for the injured Shane Lemieux at left guard. That said, the Giants ran all kinds of offensive line combinations throughout both the first and second halves of the game.

    Jones and the first-team offense had five possessions in the first half:

    1. The first ended with a 3-and-out after Jones was sacked on 3rd-and-5 and LT Andrew Thomas was cleanly beat.
    2. The Giants moved the ball on their second drive, reaching the New England 34-yard line, but on 2nd-and-7, Jones was sacked again and New York could not overcome the 3rd-and-13. Punt.
    3. The Giants moved the ball again on their second drive, gaining 40 yards and reaching the Patriots’ 1-yard line. RB Devontae Booker was stuffed on 2nd down. On 3rd down, Jones badly missed Engram and his pass was intercepted in the end zone.
    4. The Giants gained one first down on their fourth drive before a holding penalty on Thomas put them in a 2nd-and-17 hole that they could not recover from. Punt.
    5. With 2:30 on the clock before halftime, Jones led the Giants on a 9-play, 58 yard scoring drive that resulted in a perfectly-thrown 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kaden Smith.

    Meanwhile on the defensive side of the ball, the Giants held the Patriots to just seven first downs and 106 total net yards in the first half. Two drives did result in field goals, from 41 and 48 yards out. Linebacker Blake Martinez ended one possession with a remarkable interception 35 yards down field when he stole the ball away from the intended receiver.

    At the half, the Giants led 7-6.

    The Giants appeared to use the second half to get a gauge on defensive bubble/fringe players and it showed as the Patriots easily took control of the contest as their second-team offense shredded a largely third-team defense in the 3rd quarter. In their first two possessions of the half, the Patriots first drove 75 yards in six plays to go up 12-7 (2-point conversion failed) and then 50 yards in four plays to extend their advantage to 19-7.

    The Giants second-team offense went three-and-out on their first possession. After driving 52 yards on their next possession, place kicker Graham Gano missed a 41-yard field goal. The Giants forced the Patriots to punt and New York finally responded late in the 3rd quarter and early in the 4th quarter with a 7-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mike Glennon to wide receiver Alex Bachman. Fullback Eli Penny gained 32 yards on three carries on this possession.

    Unfortunately for the Giants, New England extended their lead to 22-14 on their next possession, driving 58 yards in 12 plays, taking 6:32 off of the clock, and finishing with a 37-yard field goal. Glennon was sacked twice on New York’s next drive, resulting in a punt.

    The Patriots had a chance to put the game away, but missed a 54-yard field goal with 27 seconds left. After gaining 13 yards on one passing play, Glennon then connected with wide receiver Damion Willis on a 43-yard Hail Mary pass to cut the score to 22-20 with just seconds left on the clock. The 2-point conversion attempt, a pass from Glennon to wideout Dante Pettis fell incomplete.

    Offensively, Jones finished 17-of-22 for 135 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked twice. Glennon finished 9-of-17 for 147 yards and two touchdowns. He was also sacked twice. The leading receiver was Sterling Shepard with 5 catches for 42 yards. The leading rusher was Eli Penny with 35 yards on four carries. Overall, the Giants gained 96 yards on the ground in 22 carries.

    Defensively, Martinez intercepted quarterback Cam Newton. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, linebacker Lorenzo Carter, linebacker Trent Harris, and defensive lineman Willie Henry were all credited with sacks. 

    Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

    INJURY REPORT AND HEALTHY SCRATCHES…
    RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (unknown), WR John Ross (hamstring?), WR Austin Mack (hamstring?), TE Kyle Rudolph (foot), OG Shane Lemieux (knee), NT Danny Shelton (unknown), LB Elerson Smith (hamstring), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle), CB Aaron Robinson (PUP – core muscle), and CB Josh Jackson (unknown) did not play.

    DE B.J. Hill and QB Brian Lewerke were the only healthy scratches.

    TE Evan Engram (calf) and WR Darius Slayton (ankle/foot) left the game in the first half and did not return. OG/OC Ted Larsen left the game late with a left knee injury.

    RYAN ANDERSON SUSPENDED…
    The NFL has suspended without pay linebacker Ryan Anderson for the first six games of the regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program on Performance Enhancing Substances. If Anderson makes the team, he will be eligible to return to the Giants’ active roster on October 18, following the team’s Week 6 game against. the Los Angeles Rams.

    GIANTS RE-SIGN DEFENSIVE BACK…
    The Giants re-signed safety Jordyn Peters on Friday. The 22-year old, 6’1”, 200-pound Peters was originally signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2021 NFL Draft. The Jets waived him in early July. The Giants then signed him shortly before training camp in July 2021 and cut him on August 13th.

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

    WHAT’S UP NEXT…
    Head Coach Joe Judge will address the media on Monday.

    Aug 262021
     
    Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (August 19, 2021)

    Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

    AUGUST 26, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
    Thursday was the second of two days of joint training camp practices between the New York Giants and New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Giants play the Patriots on Sunday in the team’s third and final preseason game.

    Today is going to be very situational, we’re almost going to jump right into team from the beginning,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “We’ll have some brief individual periods, we’ll have a quick seven-on-seven, get the guys juiced up and rolling, then what the rest of today is going to look like is we’re going to create a situation and just play it out – all fourth quarter situations. We’ll start with the ball in four-minute offense mode. We’re going to manufacture some things to make sure we get in the situational part of the game, so you may see a manufactured penalty or a manufactured first down or whatever it may be, or an ignored sack for both sides at some point to make sure we manage to get the emphasis of the drill, to build in more of the two-minute mode, the end of game situations, the substitutions and everything that comes with it.”

    RYAN SANTOSO TRADED TO PANTHERS…
    The New York Giants have traded back-up kicker/punter Ryan Santoso to the Carolina Panthers for a conditional 7th-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. If Santoso plays for at least two regular-season games for the Panthers, the Giants will receive the pick.

    Santoso was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Lions (2018-2019), Montreal Alouettes (2019, 2020), and Tennessee Titans (2019). Santoso spent 2020 on the Giants’ Practice Squad after the team signed him in early September. Santoso has only played in three NFL games, solely as a kickoff specialist.

    INJURY REPORT – MINOR ANKLE SPRAIN FOR ADOREE’ JACKSON…
    CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle) remains on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

    WR Kenny Golladay (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (unknown), WR John Ross (hamstring?), WR Austin Mack (hamstring?), TE Evan Engram (unknown), OG Shane Lemieux (knee), NT Danny Shelton (unknown), LB Tae Crowder (unknown), LB Ryan Anderson (unknown), LB Elerson Smith (hamstring), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle sprain), and CB Josh Jackson (calf) did not practice on Thursday. Lemieux, Shelton, and Crowder were left behind in New Jersey for treatment.

    According to multiple press reports, Jackson’s injury is a “minor” low-ankle sprain and he is expected to be ready for the regular-season opener. “We’re going to check to see how he is today,” said Head Coach Joe Judge. “He’ll be with the trainers a little bit, we’ll see where we can ramp him up to. Looks like we dodged a bullet right there, but we’ll see day by day how it is and we’ll move him around a little bit today with the trainers.”

    When asked what is wrong with Toney, Judge responded, “I’m not going to get into anybody’s individual medical right there, but this guy is getting better every day. He’s working with our trainers and doing everything they ask him to do, so I’m pleased with the progress he’s making. He’s doing everything we ask him to.”

    RB Saquon Barkley (knee), TE Kyle Rudolph (foot), and OT Nate Solder (shoulder?) practiced on a limited basis.

    PRACTICE NOTES…
    Some snippets from various media sources:

    • CB Rodarius Williams received reps with the first team at cornerback, starting with the walk-thru.
    • In 7-on-7 drills, WR Sterling Shepard made a one-handed, diving catch at the sideline. In the same drills, RB Saquon Barkley (wearing a red, non-contact jersey) caught a pass in the left flat from QB Daniel Jones and scored. Barkley also cleared out room for Shepard to score.
    • In 7-on-7 drills, QB Mike Glennon made a nice throw to WR David Sills for a touchdown.
    • TE Kaden Smith dropped a pass at the goal line.
    • LB Azeez Ojulari flashed on the bull rush in 2-on-2, pass-rushing drills.
    • In 11-on-11 drills, the Giants’ offense started with a three-and-out after a run and two short passes to WR Sterling Shepard. QB Daniel Jones actually may have been “sacked” too on one of these plays.
    • On next drive, the offense was worse with a short completion to WR Darius Slayton and then back-to-back sacks (one given up by LT Andrew Thomas and the other by RT Matt Peart, who also held on the play). After a reset, the first play was a false start. The offense finally turned things around with long completions by QB Daniel Jones to WRs C.J. Board, Darius Slayton, and Dante Pettis. Drive was completed with a 1-yard touchdown pass to FB Eli Penny.
    • In 11-on-11 drills, the first-team Patriots’ offense drove 80 yards and finished the possession with a RB Damien Harris touchdown run. CB James Bradberry dropped an interception on this drive.
    • On next drive, S Xavier McKinney broke up a pass from QB Mac Jones. That was followed up with an interception by S Logan Ryan on a seam route. Slot corner Darnay Holmes was replaced by Julian Love after Holmes was called with defensive holding.
    • CB Sam Beal forced two incompletions by QB Mac Jones, but Beal finished this possession by allowing a touchdown in the corner of the end zone and then the 2-point conversion. This drive would have ended earlier if not a practice as there were sacks by S Jabrill Peppers, LB Lorenzo Carter, and LB Ifeadi Odenigbo. CBs James Bradberry and Rodarius Williams also broke up passes.
    • Giants’ offensive line had issues in next team drill. RT Matt Peart in particular struggled, giving up another sack and multiple pressures. QB Daniel Jones did throw a deep seam pass to TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart. RB Corey Clement finished the drive with a touchdown. RB Saquon Barkley was in for two plays on this possession.
    • In next 11-on-11, 2-minute series, RB Saquon Barkley caught two slants from QB Daniel Jones, including one that would have gone for a big gain (possible score). Jones then connected with TE Jake Hausmann and WR Darius Slayton to set up a 49-yard field goal by PK Graham Gano.
    • On the day, QB Daniel Jones unofficially was 23-of-29; QB Mike Glennon 1-of-3; QB Cam Newton 4-of-6; and QB Mac Jones 9-of-20. RB Saquon Barkley received eight snaps in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.
    • For a good in-person review of the action, see Thursday’s camp report from BBI poster “mittenedman.”
    • Giants.com also provided a camp report on today’s practice.

      HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
      The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Thursday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

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

      WHAT’S UP NEXT…
      The Giants return to New Jersey and will practice at MetLife Stadium on Friday.