Possible First-Round Giants Playoff Opponents

 Posted by
Dec 272016
 
Victor Cruz, New York Giants (November 20, 2016)

Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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POSSIBLE FIRST-ROUND GIANTS PLAYOFF OPPONENTS…
As the 5th seed in the NFC, the New York Giants will play one of the following teams in the first-round of the playoffs:

  • Seattle Seahawks: The Giants play at Seattle if the Seahawks lose to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, regardless of whatever else happens.
  • Green Bay Packers: The Giants play at Green Bay with a Green Bay win or tie AND a Seattle win or tie.
  • Detroit Lions: The Giants play at Detroit with a Detroit win AND an Atlanta win or tie AND a Seattle win.
  • Atlanta Falcons: The Giants play at Atlanta with an Atlanta loss AND a Seattle win AND a Detroit win.

JASON PIERRE-PAUL MIGHT RETURN SOON?…
ESPN.com is reporting that defensive end Jason Pierre Paul, who had surgery to repair a sports hernia and his groin (core muscle) earlier this month, might return for the January 7th or 8th playoff game. There appears to be more confidence that he would be ready for the next playoff game if the Giants were fortunate enough to get past the first round. Pierre-Paul injured his groin in the team’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 4th.

PRACTICE SQUAD TRANSACTIONS…
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed running back Russell Hansbrough off of the New York Giants Practice Squad. Safety Christian Bryant was also signed off of the Practice Squad by the Arizona Cardinals. The Giants signed quarterback Keith Wenning, running back Jacob Huesman, and safety Ryan Murphy to the Practice Squad.

The Giants signed Hansbrough to the Practice Squad in December 2016. Hansbrough was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Buccaneers after the 2016 NFL Draft. Hansbrough spent time on both Tampa Bay’s Practice Squad and 53-man roster before being cut in late November.

Bryant was signed to the Practice Squad in late November. Bryant was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. The Rams waived him in September 2016. He then spent time on both the Practice Squad and active roster of the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals waived him in November. Bryant has played in 11 regular-season games with no starts.

Wenning was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He has spent time with both the Ravens (2014-2015) and Cincinnati Bengals (2015). Wenning has decent size and a good arm with a quick release. He is not terribly mobile. Wenning is smart, hard-working, and tough.

Huesman is a former quarterback who the Giants are converting to running back. He was not drafted in 2016, and not signed after the draft despite working out for the Steelers and Titans. Huesman had a brief stint with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. He has good size for a running back and was productive in college running with the football as a quarterback.

Murphy was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks waived him in their final round of cuts in September 2015. He spent time on the Practice Squad of the Denver Broncos in both 2015 and 2016. Murphy has a nice combination of size and athletic ability.

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 Giants return to practice on Wednesday to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

November 30, 2016 New York Giants Injury Report

 Posted by
Nov 302016
 
Odell Beckham, New York Giants (November 27, 2016)

Odell Beckham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NOVEMBER 30, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants held a jog-thru practice on Wednesday. Safety Nat Berhe (concussion), linebacker Mark Herzlich (concussion), and defensive end Owa Odighizuwa (knee) did not participate.

Left guard Justin Pugh (knee), offensive lineman Brett Jones (calf), offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse (knee), and wide receiver/returner Dwayne Harris (wrist) practiced on a limited basis.

“I think it depends how I come in tomorrow,” Pugh said. “I feel like tomorrow, if I can do more at practice, we’ll see how it goes from there. My goal is just to feel good every day, and keep building off that. And I think we’re heading in the right direction. I’m going to be back sooner or later.”

Although he currently remains on Injured Reserve, running back Shane Vereen returned to practice on Wednesday. Vereen was placed on IR in late September after suffering a triceps injury that required surgery. The Giants now have 21 days to activate Vereen to the 53-man roster, or his season will end on Injured Reserve.

“It was good to get him back out here in the mix with the team,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “He caught some balls…When (the medical staff) deem him ready, we’ll take a look at bringing him back.”

“Physically, I feel good. If it was just up to how I felt like, then I would have been back, but there is a lot that goes into it and we have to be smart,” said Vereen.

GIANTS SIGN SAFETY TO THE PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed safety Christian Bryant to the Practice Squad. Bryant was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. The Rams waived him in September 2016. He then spent time on both the Practice Squad and active roster of the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals waived him on Monday. Bryant has played in 11 regular-season games with no starts. Bryant lacks ideal size and speed, but he a good athlete and an aggressive player with fine intangibles.

JASON PIERRE-PAUL NAMED “NFC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK”…
New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been named “NFC Defensive Player of the Week” for his performance against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. In that game, Pierre-Paul was credited with seven tackles, three sacks, three QB hits, three tackles for losses, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery that he returned for a 43-yard touchdown.

This is the third time this year a New York Giants defensive player has won the award. Safety Landon Collins earned it twice earlier this season. This is Pierre-Paul’s fourth “NFC Defensive Player of the Week” award in his career. Only linebacker Lawrence Taylor (9) and defensive end Michael Strahan (5) have more in team history.

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 Giants practice at 12:20PM on Thursday.