May 092022
 
James Bradberry, New York Giants (October 18, 2020)

James Bradberry – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS CUT JAMES BRADBERRY…
As had been anticipated for some time, the New York Giants have terminated the contract of cornerback James Bradberry in a cost-cutting move. Bradberry was scheduled to count $21.864 million against the 2022 NFL salary cap. But cutting him, the Giants save $10.136 million against the cap with $11.728 million in dead money.

The Giants are now believed to be around $16.3 million under the cap, but the team needs around $12.8 million to sign the rookie class.

The New York Post is reporting that General Manager Joe Schoen has tried for months to trade Bradberry. He apparently had a couple of deals worked out, but they were contingent on Bradberry agreeing to a new contract with the team acquiring him. No new deal could be agreed upon so Bradberry was released.

Bradberry did not play as well in 2021 as he did in his first year with the Giants in 2020 when he made the Pro Bowl. Bradberry played in all 17 games with 16 starts (99 percent of all defensive snaps), and finished the season with 46 tackles, 17 pass defenses, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery. Those stats were comparable to his 2020 season, but Bradberry was not as consistently strong in coverage in 2021. He was also flagged five times. Bradberry was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Panthers.

REPORTS – GIANTS ADD TWO TO FRONT OFFICE…
While not officially announced, InsideTheLeague.com is reporting that the Giants have hired Dennis Hickey and Scott Hamel.

Hickey has extensive NFL experience, including:

  • 2017-2022: senior college scout, Buffalo Bills
  • 2014-2015: general manager, Miami Dolphins
  • 2011-2013: director of player personnel, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • 2004-2010: director of college scouting, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • 1998-2003: college scout, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • 1996-1997: pro personnel assistant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bergen Record is reporting that Hickey will serve as the Giants’ new assistant director of player personnel. Hickey worked with General Manager Joe Schoen in Miami and Buffalo.

Hamel has been a scout with the Chicago Bears since 2015. While his exact role is not yet known, The Bergen Record is reporting that Hamel will serve as an area scout for the Giants.

The Giants fired Director of College Scouting Chris Pettit, Senior Personnel Executive Kyle O’Brien, Senior Pro Scouting Executive Ken Sternfeld, and Senior Pro Scout/Football Systems Analyst Matt Shauger last week.

Jan 072022
 
Will Hernandez, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

Will Hernandez – © USA TODAY Sports

JANUARY 7, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Friday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were QB Mike Glennon (wrist), WR Kadarius Toney (shoulder), and WR John Ross (knee). All three have been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team.

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), FB Cullen Gillaspia (knee), WR Darius Slayton (shoulder/COVID ramp up), WR Collin Johnson (hamstring), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), OT Andrew Thomas (shoulder), OG Will Hernandez (ankle), NT Austin Johnson (foot), and LB Lorenzo Carter (illness).

Gillaspia, Johnson, and Hernandez are “questionable” for the game.

DL Dexter Lawrence (personal/COVID ramp up), NT Danny Shelton (COVID ramp up), and OT Korey Cunningham (COVID ramp up) fully practiced.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Friday 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…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Saturday. The team plays the Washington Football Team on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Jan 022022
 

CHICAGO BEARS 29 – NEW YORK GIANTS 3…
The Chicago Bears, one of the NFL’s worst teams, absolutely bitch-slapped the pathetic New York Giants 29-3 on Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. It was the fifth loss in a row for the Giants, who are now 4-12 on the season with one game left to play. The Giants have been out-scored 141-49 in their last five games.

You want to know how bad the day was for the New York Football Giants? Starting quarterback Mike Glennon played the entire game and completed FOUR passes for 24 yards. He threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball twice, losing two to the Bears. In other words, he was responsible for as many turnovers as completions.

The Giant finished the game with -10 passing yards, the lowest in franchise history!! The team’s longest play from scrimmage was a 13-yard run by Glennon in the 4th quarter. Chicago players were spotted literally laughing at the Giants.

For all intents and purposes, the game ended on the first play from scrimmage. On 1st-and-10, Glennon was sacked by an unblocked rusher. He fumbled and the Bears returned the loose ball 12 yards to the New York 2-yard line. On the very next snap, the Bears scored the game-winning points with an easy 2-yard touchdown run. The game was basically over in 18 seconds.

The rest of the “contest” was just viewing punishment for fans of the Giants. Five plays after the Bears’ first touchdown, Glennon threw his first interception. Two drives, two turnovers. Seven plays after that, Chicago scored their second touchdown on 4th-and-1. Bears 14 – Giants 0.

After both teams exchanged punts twice, the Giants’ only scoring drive of the game came in the 2nd quarter with a 10-play, 35-yard drive set up a 38-yard field goal. All ten plays on this drive were running plays. Bears 14 – Giants 3.

With less than eight minutes to play in the 2nd quarter, the Bears responded with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that took 6:44 off of the clock and ended with a 21-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-3.

If you already thought the game was an embarrassing for the Giants, it got worse in the last minute of the half. Returner Pharoh Cooper misjudged the kickoff that he thought was going to bounce into the end zone. It didn’t and he was forced to scramble for the loose ball at the 2-yard line and was tackled at the 5. The Giants lost four yards on the next two offensive snaps before running back Devontae Booker was tackled in the end zone for a safety. Then, after the free kick, the Bears were able to drive 39 yards to set up a 44-yard field goal with no time left. And for those keeping track, the Giants have now been out-scored 76-0 in the final two minutes of games this season.

At the half, the Bears led 22-3.

The Bears received the ball to start the 3rd quarter and immediately proceeded to put the final points of the day for either team on the scoreboard. Chicago drove 75 yards in 11 plays, tacking on another touchdown. Bears 29 – Giants 3.

New York’s final six possessions of the game resulted in two punts, two turnovers by Glennon (another interception and another fumble), a turnover on downs, and the end of the game when the Giants were just running out the clock to end their misery.

On the day, the Giants ran just 55 offensive plays. They were 1-of-11 on 3rd-down conversion attempts (9 percent) and 0-of-1 on 4th down. The Giants finished the game with just 151 total net yards (-10 passing, 161 rushing).

The Bears’ last five possessions resulted in three punts and two interceptions. The Bears were held to 249 total net yards (87 rushing, 162 passing).

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated S Julian Love from the Reserve/COVID-19 List to the 53-man roster.

WR Alex Bachman and DL Woodrow Hamilton were activated from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster for this game. In addition, the team activated WR Pharoh Cooper, WR David Sills, OT Derrick Kelly, and DL David Moa from the Practice Squad as COVID-19 replacements.

Missing the game due to COVID-19 were WR Darius Slayton, OT Korey Cunningham, DE Dexter Lawrence, and NT Danny Shelton.

Inactive for the game were WR Kadarius Toney (shoulder), WR John Ross (knee/COVID ramp), WR Collin Johnson (hamstring), OL Billy Price (personal), and LB Oshane Ximines.

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:

POST-GAME NOTES…
The Giants did not score a touchdown for the third time this season and the third time in their last five games. They have scored 72 points in their last seven games and four touchdowns in the last five games.

The Giants lost their sixth consecutive road game and finished 1-8 as visitors.

The Giants finished with minus-10 net passing yards, which is the lowest in franchise history.

DAN REEVES PASSES AWAY…
Dan Reeves, who served as head coach of the New York Giants from 1993 to 1996, passed away on Saturday at the age of 77. In his four seasons with the Giants, Reeves was 31-33  in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs. Legendary quarterback Phil Simms and linebacker Lawrence Taylor played their last seasons on his 1993 playoff team.

“Dan Reeves had a legendary NFL career as both a player and a coach,” said team President/CEO John Mara. “He made an indelible mark on the League and all of the people he played with, coached and worked alongside. He was one of the finest men I have ever been around in this business.”

“He was a great coach, great man,” said former running back Rodney Hampton, who rushed for 4,161 yards in four seasons under Reeves. “He’s going to be truly missed… He was a teacher, too. He taught us how to be men.”

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

Dec 312021
 
Darius Slayton, New York Giants (November 28, 2021)

Darius Slayton – © USA TODAY Sports

DECEMBER 31, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Friday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not on the official injury list, but also not practicing due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List were WR Darius Slayton, OL Korey Cunningham, NT Danny Shelton, DE Dexter Lawrence, and S Julian Love.

We’re still expecting Love back in the building on Sunday,” said Head Coach Joe Judge. “Danny Shelton, we’ll see where he is in terms of the game. I wouldn’t rule him in or out at this point. We’ll see how he is and the trainers will deal with him.”

Not practicing were WR Kadarius Toney (shoulder), WR John Ross (knee/COVID ramp up), WR Collin Johnson (hamstring), and OL Billy Price (personal). Toney, Ross, and Johnson have officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears; Price is “doubtful” for the game.

I know (Price) posted something on social media,” said Judge. “That’s his to disclose, that’s not mine to talk about. We fully support Billy, fully support Billy as an organization, him and his wife as just individuals and their family and what they’re going through right now. We left the door open to Billy in a lot of ways in terms of whatever he needs from us… He’s dealing with something that a lot of us have been blessed that we haven’t had to deal with. He’s going through something personally that we’ve got to make sure we account for and give him support as an organization, as a person. I wouldn’t fully rule him out at this moment, but he has not been at practice with us. He’s not been in-person in the meetings. The Zoom’s been available to him, but we’re letting him and his wife right now have the time they need and fully supporting him in what they’re going through.”

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), TE Chris Myarick (hip), OT Nate Solder (COVID ramp up), OL Ben Bredeson (ankle), DL Austin Johnson (foot), CB Adoree’ Jackson (quad/COVID ramp up), and CB Keion Crossen (COVID ramp up). Myarick, Solder, Johnson, and Jackson are “questionable” for the game. The rest are expected to play.

FB Cullen Gillaspia (shin), DL Raymond Johnson (illness), and PK Graham Gano (illness) fully practiced and are expected to play.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Friday 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…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Saturday. The team plays the Bears in Chicago on Sunday.

Dec 162021
 
Julian Love, New York Giants (November 28, 2021)

Julian Love – © USA TODAY Sports

DECEMBER 16, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were OG Ben Bredeson (ankle), NT Austin Johnson (foot), LB Reggie Ragland (illness), and S Steven Parker (illness).

Not on the official injury list, but also not practicing due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List were WR Kadarius Toney, WR John Ross, LB Cam Brown, LB Oshane Ximines, CB Aaron Robinson, CB Adoree’ Jackson (also dealing with a quad injury), and S Xavier McKinney. Jackson was added to the Reserve/COVID-19 list today.

Limited in practice were QB Daniel Jones (neck), RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), LT Andrew Thomas (ankle) and DE Leonard Williams (triceps). The Giants have already announced that Jones will not play on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

PK Graham Gano (illness) fully practiced.

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have activated OG/OC Wes Martin from the Reserve/COVID-19 List. Martin was placed on that list on December 6th. The team also activated WR/return specialist Pharoh Cooper from the Practice Squad as a COVID-19 replacement.

The Giants signed OC/OG Evan Boehm to the Practice Squad. The 28-year old, 6’3”, 321-pound Boehm was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He has spent time with the Cardinals (2016-2018), Los Angeles Rams (2018), Indianapolis Colts (2018-2019), Miami Dolphins (2019), Buffalo Bills (2020), Jacksonville Jaguars (2021), Detroit Lions (2021), and Miami Dolphins (2021). Overall, Boehm has played in 55 regular-season games with 21 starts.

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. Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will also address the media.

Dec 052021
 
Oompa Loompas

New York Giants offensive line in action!

MIAMI DOLPHINS 20 – NEW YORK GIANTS 9…
For all intents and purposes, the New York Giants’ season ended on Sunday when they were decisively beaten by an unimpressive Miami Dolphins team 20-9. With the loss, the Giants fell to 4-8 with five games left to play in the 2021 regular season.

The dreadful New York offense looked even worse with Mike Glennon subbing for the injured Daniel Jones at quarterback. The Giants scored a season-low nine points. (The team has scored more than 20 points this year in only four games). After the game, Glennon was diagnosed with a concussion.

Overall, team stats were comparable with the Dolphins holding slight advantages in offensive plays (68 to 64), first downs (19 to 16), total net yards (297 to 250), and time of possession (30:40 to 29:20). The Dolphins held a significant advantage in net passing yards (229 to 159), while the Giants out-rushed the Dolphins (91 to 68). Miami also won the turnover battle, 1 to 0.

The Giants only gained six first downs and scored three points in the first half, the results of their drives being:

  • 6 plays, 28 yards, 1 first down, punt
  • 7 plays, 45 yards, 3 first downs, interception
  • 7 plays, 16 yards, 1 first down, 39-yard field goal
  • 6 plays, 23 yards, 1 first down, punt
  • 1 play, 7 yards, end of half

It wasn’t much better in the second half, as the Giants only gained 10 first downs and six points (5 of those first downs and 3 of those points came when the game was out of reach):

  • 10 plays, 69 yards, 4 first downs, 34-yard field goal
  • 3 plays, 0 yards, 0 first downs, punt
  • 3 plays, 8 yards, 0 first downs, punt
  • 6 plays, 2 yards, 1 first down, punt
  • 3 plays, -8 yards, 0 first downs, punt
  • 10 plays, 25 yards, 2 first downs, 51-yard field goal
  • 6 plays, 32 yards, 3 first downs, missed 56-yard field goal

Glennon finished the game 23-of-44 for just 187 yards (4.25 yards per pass play) with no touchdowns and one interception. He was sacked three times and was credited with a 53.9 quarterback rating. In terms of catches, running back Saquon Barkley was his “leading” receiver with six catches for 19 yards. Tight end Evan Engram caught four passes for 61 yards. Barkley rushed 11 times for 55 yards and Devontae Booker rushed six times for 36 yards.

Defensively, the Giants performed decently, but they yet again gave up a touchdown drive right before halftime as the Dolphins drove 84 yards in 14 plays to take a 10-3 halftime lead. Two of Miami’s first-half drives resulted in points. The defense also allowed a 7-play, 61-yard touchdown drive early in the 4th quarter that all but sealed the game with the Dolphins now up 17-6. This was after the defense had forced four straight punts in the 3rd quarter. When the Giants cut the score to 17-9 with five minutes left in the game. The defense could not hold again, allowing a 10-play drive that ended with a field goal. Overall, the defense did not force a turnover and was credited with two sacks.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants signed S Steven Parker to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. In addition, the team elevated WR/returner Pharoh Cooper and CB Jarren Williams from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were QB Daniel Jones (neck), WR Kadarius Toney (quad), WR Sterling Shepard (quad), CB Adoree’ Jackson (quad), OG/OC Wes Martin, and LB Oshane Ximines.

WR Kenny Golladay injured his ribs in the game, but later returned. After the game, QB Mike Glennon was diagnosed with a concussion.

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

  • Head Coach Joe Judge (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (Video)
  • CB James Bradberry (Video)
  • S Logan Ryan (Video)

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

Nov 292021
 
Darnay Holmes, New York Giants (November 28, 2021)

Darnay Holmes – © USA TODAY Sports

NOVEMBER 29, 2021 JOE JUDGE PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Joe Judge addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 13-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles:

Q: I’d like to talk to you about (Safety) Xavier McKinney. Could you talk about his progress from last year, where he missed so much time and played a little bit at the end of the season, up to this point? How much of a safety net has this kid become for you and (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator) Pat (Graham) when you guys go into that cover 3 and he’s playing that deep half?

A: I think that’s critical. You’ve got to have someone back there in the deep part of the field, number one, who has the range and ability to go ahead and play the deep part of the field sideline to sideline, but then also someone who has the awareness and instincts to get there and get a good jump on it. The reality is that the arms of the quarterbacks in this league are better than the feet of the guys tracking them down in the deep part of the field, so you’ve got to make sure you get a good jump on it, take the right angles, and have the ball skills to finish. I’d say in terms of the overall development, Zay is a very, very intelligent player. Very intelligent. He’s a guy that when you evaluated him coming out of college, you saw him all over the field making plays, blitzing, playing the deep part of the field, matching up in man. He’s got a really, really, big skill set. For us, we can use him in a lot of different ways. At this point, the most effective thing we can do with him for the betterment of the defense is playing a lot of the deep part of the field. That being said, yesterday, we also moved him down towards the box in different schemes, things of that nature. (Safety) Julian (Love) does a good job in the deep part of the field when Zay’s not back there, as can (Defensive Back) Logan (Ryan), as well. But this guy really has done a good job overall for us working within the scheme of the defense, really developing in his ability as a signal caller. I’d say for the last two weeks with Logan not being available, it’s an opportunity for a young guy to really go ahead and develop his voice within the defense in terms of on the field command and tying things together. He’s a guy that when you put him out there, he’s not afraid to open up and he’s not afraid to play fast. This guy plays aggressive, makes a lot of plays and he plays very confident. I’d say that really ties into how he practices and prepares throughout the week, so really pleased in the way he’s working, really pleased in the development he’s having as a player. I’m really pleased with how he is to the coaches and the teammate he is within the locker room. That’s something you don’t always see on the field or on cameras, but this guy is really a tremendous guy to have in the building.

Q: I’m sure if we asked the guys on defense, they’d say, ‘Give us 10 points and we’ll try and hold them and win every game.’ I’m guessing that you don’t think that that’s a sustainable formula for victories in this league?

A: No. Look, we’ve got to keep trying to score more points. I was pleased with the way the offense came together last week in terms of working together, coming up with a plan. I was pleased with the way our players responded and went out there and were able to get the ball in the hands of a lot of guys. Had some plays to push it down the field – I think we had eight or so plays over 17 yards, so we were able to go ahead and move the sticks and spread the field a little bit. That being said, no one’s ever satisfied. As coaches, you always strive for the perfect game. I’ve never seen one of those that exists, but that doesn’t stop us from preparing every week and demanding execution and perfection in terms of how we go about it. The offensive staff is in here right now already preparing, getting on to Miami and looking for the best ways for us to go ahead and put the players on the field to go out there and make plays. We go very thoroughly through the game from the day before, make sure that we go through everything, not only what we did, but also what the other teams are watching, how they’re going to try to match us up and take advantage of things we put on tape, so we correct those. That being said, to speak directly and answer your question, we’re going to try and score as many points as we can as an offense. Some weeks it may be more than others, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to be satisfied with not scoring a lot.

Q: Obviously, we made a big deal about last week being a short week. Now that you have a more traditional week, will there be more of a chance for the guys to put more of a thumbprint on the offense and change even some more things up?

A: I think as we go through the remainder of the season, there’s going to be a little bit of evolution just with the usage of our players and the personalities of some of the coaches within the play calling and the development of the game plan will probably come on out. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it’s going to be flipped on its head immediately, but over the course of time that will naturally take place. That being said, having a normal week does allow a lot more freedom to kind of get in there and kind of dig into some different things. Yesterday being, obviously, a transition week and the first week of doing this for the coaches as well as the players, you couldn’t go in there and really radically change it too much. There are some little things that you found schematically to make a difference. That all being said, on a short week it’s not realistic that we go in there and just flip everything over.

Q: (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley) had that big run the other day that looked pretty good, but his overall numbers obviously don’t really jump off the page the last two weeks. I’m curious how you think he’s looked coming off that ankle injury and if he’s close to being back to himself?

A: I see Saquon doing a lot of things and he looks like an explosive athlete. I’m pleased with the way he’s working and preparing and getting ready for the games. I’m really proud of the way he’s being a leader on the team. For a guy like Saquon, you’ve got to find a lot of ways to get him the ball. For a running back, obviously, naturally you want to hand the ball off to him as much as you can, but also with a guy like him it includes being used in the passing game and also how he can be used in different elements of the game, being an effective blocker, things he does when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. His overall contribution to the team will be significant and that’s obviously a big focal point in terms of getting him involved in the game and letting him get the ball as many times as he can to make an impact.

Q: You and (Dolphins Head Coach) Brian Flores obviously spent some time together in New England. When people say about you and about Brian and about some others in that group, you’re a part of the (Patriots Head Coach Bill) Belichick coaching tree, the whole coaching tree deal. Do you cringe at that? Do you embrace that? Do you say there’s more to it than that? That whole deal, you and Brian coming together here.

A: I think some of the tightest relationships you have in this business are the relationships you have when you’re broke, grinding with somebody. Brian came into this league the same as I did in kind of a bottom of the totem pole type of position. We were given the opportunity to work and had the opportunity to work our way up. He certainly did that and I had the opportunity as well to do that. I think it’s when you’re kind of grinding through those long hours and stressful times and going through some adversity together is when you really form strong bonds with people. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Flo, I really, really do. He’s very, very intelligent, he’s got great command, he’s a great leader, his players play the right way, they respond the right way, he pushes through adversity. I think he does all the right things. In terms of the whole question on the coaching tree, I don’t think we talk too much about that specifically. I think it’s just guys you’ve worked with you learn how they think and you learn what makes them tick. You can see their personality come out in their players. You can see it when they demanded it as a position coach, when they demanded it as a coordinator. You can obviously see it being demanded as a head coach, as well. Tremendous amount of respect for Brian. We worked together for a significant amount of time. When you work with somebody, you go against them at the same time within practices at different points in your career, compete with it, you talk a lot in meetings, you talk philosophy and strategy, you talk personnel leading up to the draft – that’s probably some of the best conversations I’ve had with Flo. He was evaluating linebackers and safeties and I was working heavily with special teams throughout a large part of that, so we have a lot of crossover with a lot of players. To be able to sit down with each other in terms of how you see the players, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, how you see them really kind of fitting and making an impact in the organization or what would limit them from being in a significant role. So, really having those conversations were really beneficial for, I think, both of our developments because you have to hear different perspectives to learn how different people see things and it really kind of opens your eyes to different avenues. In terms of that whole coaching tree question, there are a lot of guys that we worked together that I take a lot of pride in watching them have success. We’re playing the Dolphins this week, but there are a lot of guys, and Flo being one of them, that when we’re not playing them and they’re on the other side of the other conference, I do root for. I do pull for those guys.

Q: When I look at the Dolphins, I see a team that’s really invested in the secondary. When I see you guys, I see a team really invested in the secondary. You guys are both maybe top-6 in defensive back spending on the salary cap. How much of that comes from New England, where you had (Falcons Safety Duron) Harmon and (Former Patriots Safety Patrick) Chung and (Patriots Safety Devin) McCourty? I think a lot of people think you build a defense front to back and it looks like maybe you, New England and Miami build it back to front. I assume that’s not a coincidence.

A: No, that doesn’t happen by accident. That kind of ties into what I said a second ago in terms of philosophy and what you believe in. Ultimately, it’s a passing league and there are different ways of affecting the quarterback. When you talk about building a team and you talk about building a defense, building your defense really builds two-thirds of your team. It’s your defense and your kicking game. The majority of your players in the kicking game are going to be defensive players because by nature that’s what they do, they run, they hit, they play in space. When you look at the structure of the defense, it’s no secret Miami, New England as well, and us, we play a lot of sub defense, so a lot of nickel, dime and things of that nature and that’s a heavy matchup defense in a lot of ways. To be able to be truly fluid through game plans, you have to have a variety of skill sets and body types to go out there and have depth to be able to play it, and really that starts in the secondary. You can use the secondary to supplement different parts of your team, as well. If you’re light on linebackers, how are you using some of your bigger safeties? If your pass rush is an issue, how are you using your secondary to either slow down the release of the quarterback or also be part of the pressure? That just kind of ties into the philosophy and the construction of the team as a whole. Good safeties, good corners – in this league, can’t have too many of them.

Q: And then yesterday you end the game, that last drive you had (Cornerback) Aaron Robinson and (Defensive Back Steven) Parker and rookies and practice squad guys stepping up there on that last drive. What does that say to you in the secondary?

A: It’s all about the development of your players. I talk all the time about how we’re going to have a number of young guys develop and a number of guys who may have started on practice squad and it’s their job to be ready and to develop, so it’s our job to put them in a position and go out there and execute. Look, I’m happy with the way a lot of these young guys are really developing and working. Through the course of the time, it’s a long season, you need everybody on your roster, and that includes your practice squad, to be ready to play because at some point you know they will.

Q: We ask you so much about earning the respect of the fan base. Yesterday it felt like there was an energy in the stadium that I haven’t felt in a while. Did you guys feel it and what did you think of the way the stadium was yesterday?

A: I thought it was awesome, I really did. You wake up and all of a sudden, the cold air is hitting your face. It feels a whole lot more like football season, you know what I mean? You go out there and it’s got a gray overcast, it’s cold, it’s got that damp feeling. You’ve got people in the stands wearing their knit hats and heavy coats and stuff. It kind of looks a whole lot more like football season to me. Great energy, great passion. It should be that way when you play an NFC East home game. That’s the way it should be. We’ve got to give the fans something to cheer about. I say it all the time, we wanted to make sure we went out there yesterday and had the guys fighting for 60 minutes and put the guys in a position to be successful. I’m proud that we were able to go ahead and finish the game the right way and give the fans something to cheer about.

Q: With Julian Love, how rare is it for a guy –I know you love your versatility and your multiples on the backend, but Julian can go from free to strong to play the nickelback. He’s all over the field, but not just week to week, it’s seemingly play to play. What about his game allows him to do that?

A: I think it starts with his intelligence because you can’t have that kind of versatility if you mentally can’t handle it. It’s actually a lot to ask, it really is, for someone to kind of have the flexibility that he brings, and we want to build that in, that versatility. He’s a guy that when we first got here, we hit him with that and what we wanted to do with him as far as the plan and he really embraced it right away. You don’t always know where it’s going to go when you first get a player for the first time and you start going through it. He’s definitely a team-first guy, so whenever you come to him on Wednesday and say, ‘Hey Jules, here’s your plan for the week.’ All he says is, ‘Yes sir,’ and he just gets rolling to it. He goes out there and he practices tirelessly and does everything he can. Then within the game, he has the ability to change matchups, change positions, change schematically. He doesn’t have a lot of hesitation with that. He’s very confident in knowing he’s an intelligent player and he sees the big picture, and then he’s got a skill set. He’s played corner. He’s played the star. He’s played safety in the deep parts. He’s played safety in the box. This guy’s done a lot of stuff defensively, so he’s really prepared to play all those things. He’s good in zone with good vision, understanding where he’s got to be. He’s good in man because he’s got that corner background. So, his versatility, it really is rare, and you try to build on it. Some guys have two-position versatility. Jules is really a guy that you say any position back there, he’s got to be ready and available to play. He’s done a really good job for us stepping in the last couple of weeks and playing and he’s shown a lot of improvement, and because as he keeps improving, he allows other guys to have more flexibility in what they do, as well. That ties into guys like Zay and guys we were talking about earlier. The other thing about Jules is that that guy’s going to be the special teams player of the week or one of the special teams players of the week for us. The guy went down there and had multiple tackles, really covered fast for us. He’s a personal protector on punt team. He’s a signal caller and that’s basically the quarterback, the MIKE linebacker of the special teams. This guy’s got a lot of responsibilities on his plate, so to balance it from defense to the kicking game, there’s a lot of things on his plate. He just comes in on Wednesday, gets the plan, prepares and goes out there on Sunday and he’s one of those guys on a Saturday night you don’t lose any sleep over.

Q: I’m going to ask you real quick, you talked about the offense before. I want to know when you went back and looked at the tape – you mentioned the mini chunk plays, but you didn’t really get the real downfield, big downfield plays and it didn’t correlate to points. So, I’m wondering what you saw that kept you from scoring points? And then I’ll ask if you don’t mind the obligatory injury question to finish.

A: So, I’ll answer the injury one right now. To be honest with you, we’re still waiting on kind of some of the finals from the doctors. Really, with all the guys coming out, there are some little bumps and bruises. A couple guys, obviously, like (Cornerback) Adoree’ (Jackson) was removed from the game, (Linebacker) Trent Harris was removed from the game, they didn’t return. Trent came back and then was back out again. For most of those guys, including (Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard) Shep, (Wide Receiver Kadarius Toney) KT, (Tight End Kyle) Rudolph, guys that weren’t active for the game, it’s going to tie more into just when we see them Wednesday and Thursday and how they move around. So, we’re going to have to see these guys and can they get on the grass and how they feel. We don’t have anything right now that we would rule anybody out. We’re hopeful for all the players right now. All the guys that weren’t active this week all made progress throughout last week, so it puts us in a position that as we start game planning, they’ll be part of the game plan until we’re told otherwise. In terms of the offense and the points, I was pleased with the way we did push the ball down the field and we got some things going. Some of the bigger ones will come with time, but Philadelphia did a really good job of really playing deep over top on a lot of things and taking that away. I thought Daniel did a good job of hitting some of the underneath things that weren’t necessarily just checkdowns, but some of the underneath routes that were in-cuts with (Wide Receiver Kenny) Golladay or hitting the slant right there when he was lined up as number two in a trips formation to give us an opportunity for a play that could have been a big breakout play. Saquon on the iso, hitting that thing down the sideline for a big chunk run for us, so there are some plays that came here or there. In the red area, there are some opportunities with Kenny in the end zone right there. We’re going to keep on having guys that are going to go ahead and start leaning to Kenny and maybe open up other opportunities for us. We’ll see what the defense presents us with right there, but those things will come in time. We’re not going to be sitting back here on our heels and waiting for them to show up for us, but well look for opportunities to get our players in a position to force it down the field. Not afraid at any point to go ahead and throw that thing down the field, I assure you on that right there. I was pleased with the progress the guys made. Guys are in here working hard right now, so when the players show up on Wednesday, they’ve got the best plan going forward.

Q: Real quick, is Logan coming back this week?

A: He’s in the building today.

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.

Nov 242021
 
Joe Judge, New York Giants (November 22, 2021)

Joe Judge – © USA TODAY Sports

NOVEMBER 24, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were FB Cullen Gillaspia (calf), WR Kadarius Toney (quad), WR Sterling Shepard (quad), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), TE Kaden Smith (knee), and DB Nate Ebner (knee).

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR John Ross (quad), LB Lorenzo Carter (ankle), and CB Adoree’ Jackson (quad).

GIANTS ONE TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The Giants have re-signed TE Jake Hausmann to the Practice Squad. This is the third time Hausmann had been added to the Practice Squad this year. The 6’4”, 255-pound Hausmann was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Detroit Lions after the 2021 NFL Draft. The Giants claimed Hausmann off of waivers from the Lions in early August 2021.

MICHAEL STRAHAN ADDRESSES THE MEDIA…
Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning addressed the media on Wednesday in advance of his jersey being retired. The transcript is available in The Corner Forum.

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…
Because of Thanksgiving, there is no media availability to the Giants on Thursday.

Nov 172021
 
Joe Judge, New York Giants (November 7, 2021)

Joe Judge – © USA TODAY Sports

NOVEMBER 17, 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. However, since the team does not play until next Monday, the Giants are not required to issue an injury report until Thursday.

Absent from practice, working on the side with trainers, or appearing limited to stretching activities were RB Devontae Booker (hip), WR Sterling Shepard (quad), TE Kaden Smith (knee), LT Andrew Thomas (foot/ankle), OLB Lorenzo Carter (ankle/illness), S Nate Ebner (ankle), and PK Graham Gano (illness).

Gano will not be in the building today,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “Him and Lorenzo Carter have a stomach bug type of thing, so we kept them out of the building to keep it away from everybody else.”

Thomas was officially designated to return to practice from Injured Reserve, initiating the three-week window where he will either have to be activated to the 53-man roster or remain on Injured Reserve.

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) participated in today’s walk-thru practice.

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. The coordinators, position coaches, and select players will also address the media.

Nov 072021
 
Xavier McKinney, New York Giants (November 7, 2021)

Xavier McKinney – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 23 – LAS VEGAS RAIDERS 16…
The New York Giants’ defense led team to a 23-16 upset win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the victory, the Giants improved their overall record to 3-6.

Statistically, the Raiders held big advantages in first downs (24-16), total net yards (403 to 245), and net yards passing (286 to 96). But the Giants out-rushed the Raiders (149 to 117) and won the all-important turnover battle (3 to 1). The Raiders were also a dreadful 1-of-6 in red zone efficiency.

The Giants’ lone offensive touchdown of the game came on their first possession as New York drove 75 yards in seven plays to take a quick 7-0 lead. Running back Devontae Booker broke off a 16-yard run on 3rd-and-1, and two plays later, quarterback Daniel Jones threw a perfect deep sideline pass to tight end Evan Engram for a 30-yard touchdown.

The lead did not last long as the Raider too scored their only offensive touchdown of the day on their first possession. Las Vegas drove 73 yards in 10 plays, culminating with a 2-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Derek Carr. The game was tied at 7-7.

After both teams exchanged punts on their respective second drives, the Raiders immediately got the ball back when Jones was strip sacked. Las Vegas recovered at the New York 30-yard line. The Raiders reached the 6-yard line but could get no further and settled for a 25-yard field goal to give themselves a 10-7 advantage.

Both team exchanged punts again. The Giants’ offense finally put together another scoring possession by moving the ball 43 yards in nine plays to set up a 35-yard field goal by Graham Gano to tie the game at 10-10. Unfortunately for New York, the defense yet again this year allowed the opposition to score points on their final drive before halftime. With 3:17 left on the clock, the Raiders drove 56 yards in 10 plays and kicked a 32-yard field goal with less than 10 seconds before the break.

At the half, the Raiders led 13-10.

Momentum began to switch in New York’s favor right from the start of the 3rd quarter. On 3rd-and-7 from their own 35-yard line, Carr threw a pass towards the left sideline that was picked off by safety Xavier McKinney, who returned it for a 41-yard touchdown. The Giants were quickly back up 17-13.

The Raiders scored their final points of the game on their ensuing possession, a marathon, 15-play, 85-yard, 8-minute drive that was halted at the New York 7-yard line. Las Vegas picked up five first downs on this possession, including a 4th-and-1 conversion. Place kicker Daniel Carlson kicked his second 25-yard field goal of the game (and third overall) to cut the score to 17-16.

The Giants responded with a 13-play, 62-yard possession. While it only resulted in a 32-yard field goal by Gano, the drive did take take over six minutes off of the clock and put New York back up by four points, 20-16, early in the 4th quarter.

The Raiders were able to once again drive the field on the ensuing possession, their third of the second half. Las Vegas picked up four first downs and drove 70 yards in eight plays to reach the New York 7-yard line. Carlson was sent in to kick his third 25-yard field goal of the game, but this one he missed wide left. With 9:28 left to play, New York still held a 4-point advantage.

The Giants were able to pick up two first downs before being forced to punt, pinning the Raiders at their own 12-yard line. Three plays later, McKinney picked off his second pass from Carr, this one a toe-tapping, sideline interception at midfield with 5:12 left. Fullback Eli Penny, subbing for the injured Devontae Booker who left the game with a hip injury, picked up 25 yards on three straight carries. The Giants could not pick up their third first down on this possession and settled for a 38-yard field goal to give them a full-touchdown advantage at 23-16.

The final possession of the Raiders began at their own 25-yard line with 3:21 left to play. New York’s bend-but-don’t-break defense made things interesting, allowing Las Vegas to to pick up 52 yards and four first downs, reaching the Giants 13-yard with 44 seconds left in the contest. But on 2nd-and-10, linebacker Quincy Roche beat the left tackle and sacked Carr, causing a fumble that defensive lineman Leonard Williams recovered at the 23-yard line. Jones knelt on the ball one play to bleed the clock and end the game.

Jones was under heavy pass pressure when he dropped back and finished the game 15-of-20 for 110 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. Only three of his completions went to a wide receiver. He was officially hit six times, sacked twice, and fumbled once. Jones also carried the ball four times for 17 yards. No pass target had more than four catches or 38 yards. Booker carried the ball 21 times for 99 yards before leaving the game with a hip injury. Penny carried the ball five times for 35 yards.

Aside from generating three turnovers and holding the Raiders to 1-of-6 in red zone efficiency, the defense also held Las Vegas to 4-of-12 (33.3 percent) on 3rd down. Carr was only sacked once, but the hit by Roche caused the game-winning turnover.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated LB Elerson Smith to the 53-man roster from Injured Reserve.

The Giants also elevated WR Pharoh Cooper and LB Trent Harris to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Sterling Shepard (quad), LB Lorenzo Carter (ankle),S Nate Ebner (ankle), and LB Oshane Ximines.

TE Kaden Smith (evaluated for concussion) and RB Devontae Booker (hip) both left the game with injuries. Booker was asked about his hip after the game and he responded, “It’s great. Went back, got x-rayed on it and everything was good.”

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:

POST-GAME NOTES…
The Giants did not allow a second-half touchdown for the third consecutive game.

The Giants have one of the NFL’s best records in a game prior to a regular-season bye: 22-11 (.667).

The Raiders became the seventh opponent to score against the Giants in the final 1:33 of the first half and sixth in the final 36 seconds.

QB Daniel Jones tied his career-high by completing 75% percent of his passes. Jones completed all nine of his passes in the first half, the first Giants quarterback to do so since Phil Simms in 1993.

The Giants and Indianapolis Colts are the only teams with a takeaway in every game this season.

PK Graham Gano has made 19-of-21 attempts this season.

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