Nov 252019
 
Jabrill Peppers, New York Giants (September 29, 2019)

Jabrill Peppers – © USA TODAY Sports

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JABRILL PEPPERS FRACTURES BACK; CONCUSSION FOR GOLDEN TATE…
The New York Giants announced on Monday that safety Jabrill Peppers suffered a transverse process fracture in his back in the game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The team also announced that wide receiver Golden Tate suffered a concussion on his 4th-and-18 touchdown reception.

“I don’t consider (Peppers’ injury a season-ender),” said Head Coach Pat Shurmur. “I guess he can return, it’s kind of relative to pain tolerance. So, I would say no.”

MONDAY PAT SHURMUR CONFERENCE CALL…
New York Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur addressed the media by conference call on Monday to discuss the team’s 19-14 loss to the Chicago Bears:

Q: We saw the injury update on Jabrill (Peppers). Do you expect that to be a season-ender?
A: I don’t. My understanding, his too, in terms of the evaluation of it, as I knew yesterday he had a sore back. I guess he can return, it’s kind of relative to pain tolerance. So, I would say no.

Q:  He’ll be able to practice and play if he can tough through it?
A: Well, I mean today obviously we’re less than a day removed from the game, so he’s sore today. We don’t practice until Wednesday, so we’ll just have to see what the week brings.

Q: What do you think is going on with Saquon (Barkley) in the running game? I think the number is 88 yards on his last 44 carries over three games. If it’s not his ankle, why do you think we’re seeing a different Saquon production-wise than last year?
A: Again, I think some of it, we’re talking about a game where we did not run the ball very well. I thought we ran the ball better yesterday than we certainly did against the Jets. When you’re trying to establish the running game against a defense that is pretty much known for the way they pass rush, you’ve got to try to maximize the amount of yards you get on each run. I think that’s sort of it. Everything comes back to, (when) you clip them all out and watch them like we do— one thing here, one thing there.

Q: Not to focus more on Saquon, but how uncharacteristic was that drop and how did he handle it on the sideline? The pass that could have been a big gain.
A: Yeah, that is uncharacteristic of any player. I thought it was a good throw. We had a chance to, obviously, that would’ve been a third down conversion. That would’ve been an explosive play. (Chicago Bears Linebacker) Roquan Smith was trying to cover him, he was a little behind him. He would’ve been in the position there to make the safety miss for a big gain, maybe a touchdown. Those are the things that obviously are rare, but when they happen, and it’s obviously also magnified because it was a third down. But you just keep playing. I think he did have an impact on the game beyond that.

Q: What did you like, or did you like, the rotation with (DeAndre) Baker and (Sam) Beal and how did that work out for you?
A: As I mentioned last night, some of those changes in the secondary were intentional coming off the bye. I thought Sam had some good plays and I liked the fact that he was healthy and able to be in the game playing corner. We get to see some of what we really liked about him. He had some good reps. He certainly, they caught the deep in-ball on him and it ended up being a penalty, but I thought he battled and for the most part was pretty effective.

Q: How do you think Baker handled it? Sometimes players don’t take it well when their reps are cut like that.
A: Yeah, you don’t see much response from DeAndre in those types of situations. When he’s out there playing, he’s playing, and when he’s standing there, he’s watching attentively.

Q: Is Russell Shepard close to maybe coming back?
A: Potentially. He’s in the designated to return kind of setting, so we’ll just have to see at some point here.

Q: Would that be an option with Golden (Tate) obviously dealing with his concussion?
A: Potentially. That’s one option. I think we may have to consider, if we do something, with regard to the return game being that Jabrill and Golden are both returners. So, let’s just see.

Q: Is there going to be any movement in the sense of bringing in another kicker to pick up the intensity on Aldrick (Rosas) or are you just going to go with him?
A: We’ll talk about that as we go. I’m sure if we do bring any kickers in, it’ll be made public. Certainly, it’s unacceptable to miss the kicks like we did. But I think it’s important that the guys that are here continue to improve. In all areas, become more consistent with what they do. I think that’s the focus with Aldrick at this point.

Q: I’ll ask kind of a big picture question. With seven weeks of losses, in the absence of wins, what do you point to for the fans or to anybody in the building for progress, for signs of progress? How do you say, ‘we’re making progress’?
A: I’ve answered this question. I see the young players improving. I see us competing in games, we’re just falling a little bit short. Most of the games, unfortunately, are within a score for most of the game, or we’re ahead and somehow, we just can’t find a way quite at the end. But I do think that there’s improvement behind the scenes. It seems like each week we add another young player to the mix of guys. Then they go out and do some good things, and then they do some things that remind you that they’re young. That’s part of it. But there’s no excuses for any of it. We need to do what we need to do to win the game.

Q: A lot of times when you talk to coaches, they say the best and most productive way to teach and grow is when you win. Correcting mistakes and things like that. Without the winning now, is it more difficult for you and the coaching staff to kind of get some shots to improve and learn because there’s really not a lot of success that they can take out of it?
A: I think when you look at it, you’re always looking for ways to improve in everything you do. You try to tweak and change things within the way you do things. Our guys practice extremely hard. There’s good attention to detail. Some of these guys are doing it this year for the first time at this level. The challenge then is to make it happen on Sunday. There was a lot of really good things that happened yesterday in the game, especially against a team that was a playoff team a year ago. Defensively, we did a lot of good things. We still gave up some big plays and there are areas that we need to improve. We had some critical errors that affected us. But we had a couple of turnovers and got a stop at the end that gave us the ball with a chance to go down and score. Offensively, they’re a tough team to throw against. We knew that, but I thought we created opportunities for ourselves, and some of them we didn’t take advantage of. But you have to put that all together and do it in a way where you win a football game. That’s obviously the challenge.

Q: On the offensive line, just considering how many veterans are there, where are they? It seemed like they got off to a faster start and they’ve regressed a little bit. Do you feel that way about the offensive line?
A: No, I don’t think I see regression. We did start out, as a unit, pretty well together. Then we had some injuries in the last couple of weeks. That set things back a little bit. I think they’re fighting as a group. It really is no different for that position group as any other position group. A lot of good things and just some critical errors that affect the outcome of the game.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players return to practice on Wednesday.

Nov 202019
 
Nate Solder, New York Giants (September 22, 2019)

Nate Solder – © USA TODAY Sports

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NOVEMBER 20, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Tight end Evan Engram (foot) and tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday.

Left tackle Nate Solder (concussion/non-contact) was limited in practice.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion), center Jon Halapio (hamstring), right tackle Mike Remmers (back), and cornerback Janoris Jenkins (concussion) fully practiced.

All four players with concussions are still in the protocol. “You’re in the protocol until you’re not,” Head Coach Pat Shurmur said. “A lot of the times, what happens is they get cleared at the end of the week, with the anticipation that they will be cleared. I hope that’s clear.”

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed linebacker Tuzar Skipper off of the Giants’ Practice Squad on Tuesday. To fill that open spot, the Giants signed cornerback Derrick Baity to the Practice Squad.

The 6’3”, 246-pound Skipper was originally signed by the Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants claimed Skipper off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers in September 2019. They waived him and signed him to the Practice Squad in October. Skipper played in six games for the Giants this year with no starts, being credited with three tackles and 0.5 sacks.

The 22-year old, 6’3”, 188-pound Baity was originally signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Texans waived him in late August.

HEAD COACH PAT SHURMUR…
The video of Pat Shurmur’s press conference on Wednesday is available at Giants.com.

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

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

Nov 182019
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (November 4, 2019)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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NOVEMBER 18, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
While the Giants were not required to issue an official injury report on Monday, tight end Evan Engram (foot) and left tackle Nate Solder (personal matter) did not practice.

Tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion) was limited to individual drills.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion – non-contact jersey), center Jon Halapio (hamstring), right tackle Mike Remmers (back), and cornerback Janoris Jenkins (concussion – non-contact jersey) were on the field during the portion of practice open to the media.

Head Coach Pat Shurmur was asked if any of the players with concussions have come out of the concussion protocol. “They’re still going through it, so we’ll see what the week brings,” Shurmur responded. “But we’re encouraged that they’ll make it through.”

Regarding Engram, Shurmur said, “He’s out of the boot and he’s trying to get back going again.”

Engram does think he may be able to play this weekend. “It’s definitely possible, I feel good,” said Engram. “We’ll see where we’re at (in the) middle to the end of this week.”

GIANTS RE-SIGN EVAN BROWN TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants re-signed center/guard Evan Brown to the Practice Squad last Tuesday after cutting him from the 53-man roster last Monday. Brown had been added to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad on November 9th. The Giants originally signed Brown as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft.

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

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

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

Nov 102019
 

The Giants found their destiny.

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NEW YORK JETS 34 – NEW YORK GIANTS 27…
In a crapfest game to determine which team is the worst in New Jersey, the New York Giants earned that “honor” by falling to the New York Jets 34-27 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Giants have lost six games in a row and are now 2-8 on the season.

The Giants quickly fell behind 14-0 in the 1st quarter. The Jets drove the ball the length of the field on their opening drive, going 75 yards in 13 plays and finishing with a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Sam Darnold. After a three-and-out by the Giants, the Jets marched 50 yards in nine plays with Darnold throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jamison Crowder.

The Giants got back into the game in the 2nd quarter. The team drove 75 yards in eight plays on their second drive of the game, aided by a 15-yard pass interference penalty on 3rd-and-10. The possession ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Darius Slayton. After forcing a punt by the Jets, the Giants scored again. On 4th-and-4 from the Jets’ 39-yard line, Jones hit Slayton over the middle on play that went the distance for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the extra point attempt was botched. Jets 14 – Giants 13.

Neither team scored the rest of the half. The Jets went three-and-out. At the 2-minute warning, Pat Shurmur decided to go for it on 4th-and-1 from his own 39-yard line. Jones was stuffed, turning the ball over on downs. However, the Jets could not take advantage of the Giants’ futility as they failed to pick up a first down and then missed the 54-yard field goal attempt. The Giants then went three-and-out and the half ended.

The Giants received the ball to start the 3rd quarter, but that ended with disaster when on the third play, safety Jamal Adams ripped the ball out of Daniel Jones’ hands and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Jets 21 – Giants 13.

The Giants quickly cut into that lead. On 3rd-and-9, Jones threw a screen pass to wide receiver Golden Tate who broke the play for a 61-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion was called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Tate. Place kicker Aldrick Rosas then missed the extra point. Jets 21 – Giants 19.

For a brief moment, it looked like the Giants may pull the game out. The defense forced a three-and-out. The offense then drove 64 yards in nine plays, with Jones throwing his fourth touchdown of the game, this one from 15 yards out to Tate on 3rd-and-3. The 2-point conversion attempt to wide receiver Bennie Fowler succeeded and the Giants were up for the first time on the day, 27-21.

The Giants’ defense started to falter again, first giving up a 9-play, 46-yard drive that ended with a 53-yard field goal. The Giants now led 27-24. Not to be outdone, the Giants’ offense now came up small, going three-and-out. It only took the Jets three plays to travel 70 yards, the big play being a 33-yard pass interference penalty called against cornerback Deandre Baker. On the next play, running back Le’Veon Bell scored from one yard out. The Jets were back up for good, 31-27.

The Giants picked up one first down and then punted on 4th-and-2 from their own 44-yard line. Aided by a 47-pass play, the Jets got into field goal range and extended their lead to 34-27 on a 35-yard field goal with about seven and a half minutes remaining in the game.

Again, the Giants picked up one first down but were forced to punt. The Jets went three-and-out and the Giants got the ball back at their 12-yard line with 4:17 left to go. Pass protection was eroding and the Giants went three-and-out, punting on 4th-and-19 from their own 3-yard line. The Jets did not pick up a first down, but by the time the Giants got the ball back, there was only 18 seconds left in the game. The game ended with a fumble by Tate.

Offensively, Jones was 26-of-40 for 308 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was also the team’s leading rusher with just 20 yards. Jones’ fumble led to a defensive touchdown and he was sacked SIX times and hit 10 times. Running back Saquon Barkley was held to ONE yard rushing on 13 carries as the Giants only rushed for 23 yards as a team. Jones’ leading target was Slayton, who caught 10 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense allowed 27 points (three touchdowns, two interceptions) to a team that had struggled to score most of the season. The Jets rushed for 76 net yards and passed for 218 net yards. Nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and linebacker Markus Golden picked up sacks. But the defense did not force a turnover.

On special teams, the Giants failed on two extra point attempts.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
Inactive for the Giants were WR Sterling Shepard (concussion), tight end Evan Engram (foot), center Jon Halapio (hamstring), right tackle Mike Remmers (back), QB Alex Tanney, OT/OG Chad Slade, and LB Chris Peace.

Left tackle Nate Solder and cornerback Janoris Jenkins both left the game with concussions.

EVAN BROWN ADDED TO 53-MAN ROSTER, OLSEN PIERRE WAIVED…
On Saturday, the New York Giants signed center Evan Brown from the team’s Practice Squad. To make room for Brown on the 53-man roster, the team waived defensive end Olsen Pierre.

The Giants originally signed Brown as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. While he made the team, Brown was never on the active, game-day roster in 2018. Brown has experience at guard and center.

The Giants signed Pierre as an unrestricted free agent from the Arizona Cardinals in March 2019. The 6’5”, 293-pound Pierre originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Chicago Bears after the 2015 NFL Draft. The Bears cut him in August 2015 and he then signed with the Cardinals. In three seasons with the Cardinals, Pierre has played in 24 games with eight starts, accruing 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks. This year, Olsen played in nine games with the Giants with no starts, being credited with eight tackles and two sacks.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Pat Shurmur will address the media by conference call on Monday. Select players will be available to the media on Tuesday.

Nov 062019
 
Evan Engram, New York Giants (September 8, 2019)

Evan Engram – © USA TODAY Sports

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NOVEMBER 6, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion protocol), tight end Evan Engram (foot), and center Jon Halapio (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday.

“Evan Engram has a mid-foot sprain,” said Head Coach Pat Shurmur. “He’s in a boot. We’ll just take him day to day, week to week, see where he goes. Halapio has a hamstring, and then Sterling Shepard did not participate today. He’s getting further evaluated for that concussion being that he’s in the protocol.”

“It’s a low-grade foot sprain,” said Engram. “It could be a lot worse, I guess around the Lisfranc area, I don’t know all the details. I just have to go with the routine, roll with the punches. (I have to) trust the training staff, we are going to be ready and good to go and just attack treatment each and every day.”

When asked if the injury was a Lisfranc injury, Engram responded, “No, that was the worry, that there was a real severe injury there. It’s not that bad. I don’t know all the medical terms, but it could be a lot worse… we’ll take it this week and we have the bye week next week and see where we are.”

Right tackle Mike Remmers (back) was limited.

GIANTS ADD SAM BEAL TO 53-MAN ROSTER, CUT SEAN CHANDLER…
On Tuesday, the Giants added cornerback Sam Beal to the 53-man roster. Beal had been on Injured Reserve for the first nine games of the season with a hamstring injury. To make room for Beal, the team waived safety Sean Chandler. The Giants also terminated the Practice Squad contract of left-footed punter Sean Smith.

The Giants placed Beal on Injured Reserve in September 2019 with hamstring and groin injuries. The Giants selected Beal in the 3rd round of the Supplemental Draft in July 2018. He missed all of his rookie season when he was placed on Injured Reserve in July 2018 with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

The Giants signed Chandler as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. Chandler made the team and played in all 16 games with no starts. He finished the year with 18 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass defense. This year, Chandler played in all nine games with no starts, accruing just five tackles.

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

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

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

Oct 272019
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 27, 2019)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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DETROIT LIONS 31 – NEW YORK GIANTS 26…
The New York Giants lost their fourth game in a row, falling to 2-6 on the season, with their 31-26 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on Sunday. On the plus side for the Giants, rookie quarterback Daniel Jones had a strong performance, throwing for 322 yards and four touchdowns.

The game started off in sloppy fashion. New York’s initial drive ended with a punt. The Lions responded by gaining 47 yards and moving to the Giants’ 40-yard line before cornerback Janoris Jenkins picked off an errant deep throw from quarterback Matthew Stafford. However, three plays later, Jones was hit as he attempted a throw to the flat to running back Saquon Barkley. The errant pass was ruled a lateral and returned for a touchdown by former Giants linebacker Devon Kennard.

After a three-and-out on New York’s third “drive,” the Lions appeared to take command of the game by driving 71 yards in six plays, culminating with a 49-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open wide receiver Marvin Hall. Detroit now led 14-0.

The Giants got back into the game early in the second quarter on their fourth possession with a 10-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jones to rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton. After the Lions missed a 53-yard field goal, the Giants tightened the game even further with an 8-play, 57-yard effort that finished with another touchdown pass from Jones to Slayton, this one from 28 yards out on 3rd-and-7. However, place kicker Aldrick Rosas missed the extra point and the Giants trailed 14-13.

Unfortunately for New York, the Lions were able to extend their lead before halftime. After it had appeared the Giants had stopped Detroit near midfield, linebacker David Mayo was flagged with a bogus running-into-the-kicker penalty on 4th-and-4. This kept alive a 14-play, 41-yard drive that ended with a 52-yard field goal with 20 seconds left. The Giants returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards and might have had a shot at a long field goal, but Slayton dropped a deep pass from Jones.

At the half, the Lions led 17-13.

The Lions once again appeared to take command of the game on their initial possession of the second half, driving 75 yards in 10 plays with Stafford throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Lions 24 – Giants 13.

To New York’s credit, the team responsed with a 10-play, 78-yard effort of their own, with Jones throwing his third touchdown of the day, this one for two yards to tight end Evan Engram on 3rd-and-goal. However, the 2-point conversion failed. Lions 24 – Giants 19.

The Giants’ defense forced their first three-and-out of the day on Detroit’s second drive of the half. The Giants could not take advantage of the opportunity and punted the ball away as well. The Lions made the Giants pay by easily driving 80 yards in five plays, scoring on a 41-yard flea flicker from Stafford to Golladay. With just over 12 minutes to play, the Lions now led 31-19.

The Giants gained 52 yards in 11 plays on the ensuing drive but turned the ball over on downs at the Detroit 39-yard line with 6:25 left in the game. New York received a faint glimmer of hope when safety Jabrill Peppers forced Golladay to fumble, with safety Antoine Bethea recovering at the Detroit 38-yard line. However, the Giants once gain turned the ball over on downs, this time at the Detroit 14-yard line with 3:27 left to play.

After a three-and-out by the Lions, the Giants made things a little bit interesting by driving 50 yards in four plays with Jones throwing his fourth touchdown of the game, this one a 4-yarder to running back Saquon Barkley. With just over a minute left to play, the Giants onside attempt went out of bounds, effectively ending the game.

Offensively, the Giants gained 24 first downs and 370 net yards. Jones finished 28-of-41 for 322 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 124.2 quarterback rating. His leading targets were wide receiver Golden Tate (8 catches for 85 yards) and Barkley (8 catches for 79 yards). Barkley only rushed for 64 yards on 19 carries.

Defensively, the Giants allowed 17 first downs and 375 net yards, 316 of which came through the air. The Lions were 8-of-14 (57 percent) on 3rd-down conversions. The Giants did sack Stafford four times, with cornerback Grant Haley, linebacker Markus Golden, linebacker Lorenzo Carter, and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson all picking up sacks. The Giants forced two turnovers, the interception by Jenkins and the forced fumble by Peppers.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
WR Sterling Shepard (concussion), CB Corey Ballentine (concussion), QB Alex Tanney, OT Eric Smith, OT/OG Chad Slade, LB Tae Davis, and LB Devante Downs were inactive.

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

  • Head Coach Pat Shurmur (Video)
  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • WR Golden Tate (Video)
  • CB Janoris Jenkins (Video)
  • CB Deandre Baker (Video)
  • S Jabrill Peppers (Video)
  • S Antoine Bethea (Video)

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

Oct 232019
 
Rhett Ellison, New York Giants (October 20, 2019)

Rhett Ellison – © USA TODAY Sports

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OCTOBER 23, 2019 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. He is still in the concussion protocol.

Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) and wide receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion) practiced on a limited basis. Shepard remains in the concussion protocol, wearing a non-contact jersey.

“Saquon was limited today,” said Head Coach Pat Shurmur. “Just some game soreness. I expect him to play this week though.”

“(Shepard is) been out there practicing pretty much full,” said Shurmur. “But he’s still in the protocol.”

Wide receiver Cody Latimer (quad) and linebacker Lorenzo Carter (ankle) fully practiced.

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

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

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

Oct 212019
 
Pat Shurmur, New York Giants (October 20, 2019)

Pat Shurmur – © USA TODAY Sports

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MONDAY PAT SHURMUR PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur addressed the media on Monday to discuss the team’s 27-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals (the video is also available at Giants.com):

Opening Statement: Obviously, we went through it all. Coached it up with the players, and can’t have turnovers like we did, can’t have penalties that negate long plays. I think early in the game, we have to do a much better job against the run. That contributed to them scoring. They had a couple of long runs that became scores, and those were off of turnovers. I think there were 17 points there. It put us behind a little bit. We fought our way back into it and then didn’t get it done. We have to coach better, we have to play better, and we have to do everything necessary to tidy that up and get ready to play Detroit. That’s where we’re at. I’ll take your questions.

Q: Is there anything with regard to Daniel’s (Jones) ball security? Is there anything you’re coaching him as far as two hands on the ball in the pocket when he’s getting hit that is not carrying over or things that you maybe have to reinforce or change about getting that message through?
A: Yeah, we have to continue to do that. Certainly, ball security is primary, especially for the quarterback. He got it swatted out of his hand on a screen. He was trying to hold off, Saquon (Barkley) popped a little bit late. But generally speaking, yeah, he has to secure the ball better.

Q: When you studied him, was that something you looked at and said he was a little sloppy with that in college or has this kind of cropped up?
A: I think as you study quarterbacks, they all have issues at times. But it’s certainly something that we’ve got to get fixed.

Q: Do you have to get him to get rid of the football quicker? It seems like it’s been a trend the last couple of weeks, he holds onto the ball in the pocket. He had the three fumbles yesterday.
A: Yeah, the one I mentioned was on a screen. He was trying to hold it off and then the edge on the opposite side got him. Then there was another one where we had seven-man protection and two deep routes. But yeah, that’s always something that they have to do. They have to get the ball off on time, and most of the time he does. But those couple of plays he doesn’t, we have to get those fixed.

Q: I’m curious, when you make the decisions, the third and 18, the fourth and 15 at that time, how much is your decision-making analytics and how much do you incorporate feel into that?
A: I think there’s both. Then you think of the players involved. It’s all part of it. It’s all part of it.

Q: How do you factor in the analytics part of it in that short time span? Do you have someone in your ear talking about that kind of stuff? Do you go over it beforehand?
A: We do it beforehand, and then certainly as we play the game out, it happens in real time.

Q: What did you see on that third and 18 play? Not the decision but the actual play. Why did it only go for three yards?
A: Well, that was a draw play. It was a pass that went into a draw if the look was clean. I felt like it was… Saquon took that same play and went for 68 yards against Dallas last year, so I wanted to make sure he stayed involved. It popped through the first level. We didn’t probably block it as well as we needed to at the second level, and then that created a minimal gain instead of a large gain.

Q: One thing I think some people, I guess me included, would say as far as the third down and the fourth down, when you say ‘We’re going for it. This is two-down territory,’ is there nothing that could change you or shake you off that after the third down play did not gain that chunk that you wanted?
A: Yeah, anything could change anything as you go along. The flipside of it is if you punt the ball away, you may never see it again. That’s the flipside. The reality of it was we didn’t make it, so I’m here standing here with the scrutiny of not making it. I get that. But the reality of that was we then stopped them. We had two timeouts and the two-minute warning.  We did stop them and made them kick a field goal, and we still had another opportunity to go in there and win the game. I get that.  We all live with the decisions we make. The ones that we make that don’t work, we have to live with it and you try to learn from it.

Q: Would you do the same thing the next time?
A: In the moment, that’s the decision I made. When you sit back and you look at it after the fact, you always evaluate it. That’s hypothetical right now.

Q: What do you like about Daniel? Where has he improved? We see a lot of things where it seems like he’s regressing a little bit. Where do you see him improving?
A: I think he made a lot of nice throws in the game yesterday. Obviously, that was a tight throw to Rhett (Ellison) in the end zone for a touchdown. He’s aggressive. He made another one down the sideline to Evan (Engram) that would have put us in scoring position. He made some other really good throws. He’s tough, he’s resilient and I think he has a bright future. That’s what I like about him.

Q: Do you see growth in his decision-making over the past five games?
A: Yeah, I do. I see growth in everything. I think that’s part of playing as a rookie. There are going to be some things that pop up that you see for the first time and you react to it.

Q: He’s been making a lot of those tight throws, like a really high percentage of tight window throws. Is that just a product of him being aggressive? What other factors do you put into that?
A: No, he is aggressive, and I think he has a downfield focus, which is good. That’s sometimes why he holds onto it, because he’s waiting for his guy to get open. But there’s a fine line there. There are times when we’ve all talked about quarterbacks that will just quickly check it down and not look down the field. Then there’s criticism that goes with that. We want guys that are aggressive. It all comes back to the players and them trying to get the most out of every play. But also being smart, and I think he’ll learn as he goes along here.

Q: Would you like him to check it down a little bit more though?
A: I don’t want him to hold the ball and take a sack if that’s what you’re saying. Sometimes, the right thing to do…

Q: I’m just saying, did you see opportunities with those sacks where he could have done check downs?
A: A couple of times, yeah.

Q: Just because it’s been floated out there in a couple of quadrants, would you consider a quarterback change if the turnovers don’t improve or the play doesn’t improve?
A: No. I think Daniel is going to learn from everything that’s going on. Just like all the other rookies and their playing, they’re going to learn from the things that happen. But you have to learn and you have to win games, and I’m well aware of that. I’m totally well aware of that.

Q: From a developmental standpoint, it seems like there are two sides to the coin right now. You have to win games, but also you’re developing a young quarterback. How do you deal with the growing pains but not accept them?
A: Well, you look for mistakes that aren’t repeated. We’ve highlighted one that needs to get fixed, and that’s ball security in the pocket. So, we’ll just keep working on that. You just get back to work and try to fix all of those things. But we live in the real world. The real world is you need to win football games, and I understand that. I’m well aware of that.

Q: A couple of players talked about how slow of a start you guys had. What do you attribute to that yesterday?
A: They had a long drive. As the game started out, I think it was like seven minutes they took off the clock on that first drive. The offense doesn’t get out there, and then we had to punt. We really didn’t get any negative plays in that first drive. They were kind of just a little bit methodical, and then they would execute their third downs. Then they scored, obviously, on the run. That’s not something that we want. Then certainly, we have to get them off the field so we can get out there and play.

Q: What did you see in the pass protection that contributed to eight sacks?
A: There were times when Daniel has to get rid of the ball. Then there was just a mixture of things. Nothing significant. Nothing that you could point to, ‘Hey, it was this guy or that guy.’ I think everybody kind of had their mistakes.

Q: Do you need your edge guys to play better though? I’m talking about your tackles.
A: Our guys have fought all year long. Giving up sacks is just like stopping the run. It’s just like being good in the run game. It’s a team thing. It’s all coordinated. Guys have to get open, guys have to block, the quarterback has to make good decisions.

Q: They’ve given up 50 pressures already, the two tackles. How detrimental is that to a quarterback’s development? Is there anything you can do to maybe give those guys some help on the tackle spots?
A: Well, we try to at times. I’m not aware of that stat. But I think what’s important is, and again, I don’t know how people characterize what a pressure is. Sometimes the ball gets out and the guy gets touched, so I don’t know. I don’t know how to answer that. We do do things to change up the protections and we’ll continue to do that.

Q: When you look at teams, you look at records. When you talk about Daniel being young, how much of that, of the record, is the whole team being young?
A: Oh, I don’t know. I think we’ve all made that point, that we’re very young. There are a lot of rookies out there. I don’t know. We have to win games, and we have to find a way to do it this week.

Q: As you review and evaluate, do you need to make any major personnel changes or schematic changes? Does something drastic have to change in your mind to change the results?
A: Well, we’re constantly making changes to everything. I don’t know how drastic they would be. We’re always looking at making changes personnel wise. We’re always looking at things schematically. The touchdown throw was a new play that we hadn’t run yet. Then there are other plays that we have run that we executed well, and other plays that we have run that we didn’t execute well. There are coverages and pressures that we ran. Some we executed well, some we didn’t. We constantly go through that process.

Q: I was talking about adding players or selling off players, something like that.
A: You’d have to give me specifics, because we work with the players that we have and try to get them, as coaches, in the best position to have success.

Q: When you watched the film, did Saquon look like Saquon?
A: Yeah, he did a lot of really good things yesterday. I thought he did.

Q: How does he feel today?
A: I think he’s a little bit sore, what you might expect for a first game back.

Q: And Evan Engram, his knee?
A: He’s fine. I think he’s fine.

Q: (Lorenzo) Carter?

A: He had an ankle, but I think he’s going to be okay.

Q: Was he the only one?
A: I think so, yeah. There were not really any injuries to speak of from yesterday.

Q: What did you think of Golden Tate not making an effort for that ball?
A: That was tight, that was a hole coverage and the hole player was there. We have to be better at throwing and catching that, both sides of it.

Q: Is Sterling (Shepard) still in the protocol?
A: He is.

Q: In hindsight, are you still okay with (Darius) Slayton taking that ball out and not knowing if you get a touchback there, you possibly get in two plays before the two-minute warning?
A: I’m okay with it because it was one yard. The reason I say that is, I do believe in the players and their ability to make a play. If that was way deep in the end zone, then absolutely, we stay in. Had he run it back for a touchdown, we’d all be talking about something else right now. The things that happened at the end of the game did not work out in our favor, so we’ll evaluate it and move on. I do believe in our players, I trust that we are going to try to put them in position to make plays and I trust that they will.

Q: (Chase) Edmonds is not a brand name back in this league and he had a career day. Does anything concern you, particularly how the defense took the field yesterday, knowing you guys had a few extra days off?
A: I don’t know if the days off mean anything. When you strap it up and play a game, it doesn’t really matter how many days you’ve had prior to the game. I think they hit some explosive runs and they were for different reasons. I’m concerned when we have a slow start but defensively, we found a way to settle down, especially in the second half.

Q: At some point, do you have to make decisions based on what people are doing on the field rather than your hope for what they will do?
A: I think you keep it all into consideration from analytics, to feel, to the players. Handing Saquon the ball can be a really good thing. We had executed some long third downs, we executed a fourth down in the game. I think you just trust the players all the way through it. You try to make decisions that are best, and I think we all as coaches understand when things don’t work out, you are open to criticism. When you don’t win games, you’re open to criticism. We get that. The only thing you can do is get back to work and try to win the next one. I think that’s the real deal.

Q: What do you see from your players these days when you are going over film sessions? Is it anger, or business as usual?

A: They are very matter of fact about it. They’re very good about saying, ‘Hey, I screwed this up,’ or ‘I could have done this better.’ We do the same thing on our end as coaches.

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

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

Oct 202019
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 20, 2019)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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ARIZONA CARDINALS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 21…
The New York Giants saw their season all but officially slip away on Sunday by losing 27-21 to the Arizona Cardinals at a rainy MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants are now 2-5 on the season, losing their last three games.

The Giants sleepwalked through the first quarter and quickly found themselves in a 17-0 hole at the start of the second quarter. The Cardinals drove 75 yards in 13 plays on their opening drive, converting on a 4th-and-3 at the Giants’ 35-yard line, and finishing up with a 20-yard touchdown run by running back Chase Edmonds. The Giants then gave the ball right back to the Cardinals on quarterback Daniel Jones’ interception into double coverage, returning the ball to the Giants’ 32-yard line. Three plays later, Edmonds scored his second 20-yard touchdown run. New York went three-and-out on their second drive and the Cardinals gained 54 yards in nine plays to set up a successful 47-yard field goal.

Down by 17, the Giants quickly got back into the game. First, New York drove 79 yards in just four plays, including a 20-yard run by running back Saquon Barkley, a 20-yard reception by wide receiver Golden Tate, and then a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jones to tight end Rhett Ellison.

The Cardinals muffed the ensuing kickoff and began their drive at the 14-yard line. On 3rd-and-5, quarterback Kyle Murray was sacked by defensive lineman Olsen Pierre for a 15-yard loss. Arizona attempted to punt out of the endzone, but safety Michael Thomas came clean up the middle and blocked a punt that running back Elijhaa Penny recovered in the endzone for a touchdown. All of the sudden, the game had tightened to 17-14.

Both teams had long drives before halftime, but neither got close enough to attempt a field goal. At the half, the Cardinals continued to lead by three points, 17-14.

Both teams exchanged three-and-outs to start the third quarter. On New York’s second possession of the half, the Giants reached the Arizona 37-yard line. But on 2nd-and-8, Daniel Jones was sacked for a 12-yard loss, losing the ball to Arizona in the process near midfield. Three plays later, Edmonds scored his third touchdown of the day, this time from 22 yards out. The Cardinals were now up 24-14.

The Giants responded with a 12-play, 49-yard drive that included a 4th-and-6 conversion on a 15-yard pass from Jones to Tate. Unfortunately, the possession ended with a missed 37-yard field goal by place kicker Aldrick Rosas as the third quarter was closing out.

New York got the ball back with just under 13 minutes left to play and tightened the game again with an 8-play, 82-yard drive. Barkley scored from seven yards out to cut the score to 24-21 with just over eight minutes left.

The Cardinals gained one first down but then were forced to punt. The Giants were only down by three points with 4:23 left on the clock. However, a porous offensive line that allowed eight Cardinals’ sacks on the day, could not protect Jones. Head Coach Pat Shurmur oddly called a running play on 3rd-and-18, and followed that up with a 4th-and-15 pass attempt that resulted in another strip-sack fumble recovery at the New York 17-yard line. The Cardinals settled for a 35-yard field goal with just over two minutes left in the game.

The Giants had one final shot to win the game. But nothing went right. Wideout Darius Slayton only reached the 12-yard line on the kickoff return. Jones was sacked two more times and the game ended with a 4th-and-29 incompletion.

Against what had been the NFL’s 30th-ranked defense, the Giants only gained 263 net yards and scored 14 offensive points. The Giants were 4-of-12 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down. Jones completed 22-of-35 passes for 223 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He was also sacked eight times (hit 12 times), losing 67 yards and fumbling three times in the process (two of which were recovered by the Cardinals). In addition to the sacks, Cardinals also had seven tackles for losses. Tate was the leading receiver, with six catches for 80 yards. No other receiver had more than 35 yards. Barkley carried the ball 18 times for 72 yards and a touchdown.

The defense “only” allowed 245 net yards, including 89 net yards passing. But the Cardinals rushed for 156 yards and had three easy 20+ yard touchdown runs by Edmonds. The Giants did not force a turnover on defense. Olsen and linebacker David Mayo had the only sacks for the Giants.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
WR Sterling Shepard (concussion), CB Corey Ballentine (concussion), QB Alex Tanney, TE Garrett Dickerson, OT Eric Smith, OT/OG Chad Slade, and LB Chris Peace were inactive.

LB Lorenzo Carter injured his ankle but returned to the game.

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

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

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

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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