6
Mar
2010
Giants Sign Antrel Rolle to 5-year, $37 million deal
Antrel Rolle is a Giant
The New York Football Giants made an aggressive entry into free agency on Friday with the signing of Cardinals S Antrel Rolle, making him the highest-paid safety in the game.
The 27-year-old Rolle fills a HUGE position of need for the Giants, who lost Kenny Phillips to injury last season and were abused in the defensive secondary down the stretch. Rolle – who had 4 interceptions last year – was widely regarded as the best available safety in FA, and GM Jerry Reese wasn’t going to let him leave the Meadowlands with out a deal. Even if it meant overpaying a bit. The Giants are hopeful that Rolle will team with Phillips (his fellow U of Miami alum) to make one of the best safety tandems in the league.
“The best in the league, hands down,” Rolle said on a conference call with reporters this morning. “Without a doubt. … I mean, The sky’s the limit for us. We’re definitely going to go out and make things happen.”
“I was extremely excited when this opportunity presented itself,” Rolle said. “Being back there with a fellow University of Miami guy, and a guy I know that his potential going to be maximized. My potential is going to be maximized with him. We’re going to be a dynamic duo.”
Of course, that largely depends on how well Phillips recovers from his knee injury. Even though the Giants say KP is ahead of schedule, his status for 2010 is still unclear, making the Rolle signing even more crucial for the Giants.
Rolle, who started his career at CB, is a bona fide play maker with 4 career TDs and a knack for gaining big yardage once he gets his hands on the ball … something the Giants secondary is desperately in need of.
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF ANTREL ROLLE AFTER THE JUMP
6
Jan
2010
Pepper Johnson to be the next Giants Defensive Coordinator?
Pepper Johnson could bring some fire to the Giants defense (Photo: Barry Chin/Boston.com)
The NY Daily News is reporting that former New York Giants LB and current Patriots DL coach Pepper Johnson is in the mix for the vacant Giants Defensive Coordinator position. Johnson – who played 13 seasons in the NFL (7 as a Giant) and has spent 10 years as a defensive assistant under Bill Belichick – is reported to be “very interested” in the position.
I can’t help but be excited about the prospect of Pepper returning to New York. He was one of my favorite childhood players, and the passion he brings to the game could be just what the Giants D needs right now. Plus, Johnson has 5 Super Bowl Rings – 2 as a player, and 3 as a coach – which would command the respect of his players right away.
“Yeah, definitely, it would be instant respect,” said Carl Banks, the former Giants linebacker and a teammate of Johnson’s from 1986-92. “But even if they know nothing of his history and care nothing about Giant tradition, they’ll respect his knowledge of the game. They’ll respect the success he has in this league and the teams he’s coached.”
The Giants are reportedly interviewing former Bills DC Perry Fewell for the position on Thursday, and other names that have been mentioned as candidates include Romeo Crennell and Dick Jauron. All of these guys would be excellent choices, and might make more sense as coaches with more proven track records, but the kid in me is rooting for Pepper.
Unfortunately, there’s a surprising lack of Pepper highlights on the interwebs, but he was a bad man during his prime … part of the best Giants LB corps of all time. And I’ll never forget him dancing at midfield with Williams Roberts after Super Bowl XXI. My senior year of HS, I waited in line at a card show in White Plains, NY to get Pepper’s autograph, which still hangs on my bedroom wall at home. So maybe I’m a little biased here.
3
Jan
2010
Giants Defense Disgraceful; Sheridan Must Go
The Giants defense should be embarrassed (Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)
UPDATE - Sheridan was fired on Monday. Hooray.
This is just ugly. This afternoon in Minnesota, with nothing to play for (I mean, except for pride and all those millions of dollars they’re making) the New York Giants defense has put on another embarrassing display of football, and trail the Vikings 31-0 at the half. Along the way, the Giants have given up over 300 yards and 20+ first downs, allowing Brett Favre to find Vikings receivers running free all over the field, and looking a lot like a high school football team in the process.
Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan should be out of a job by Tuesday, and Tom Coughlin should be looking over his shoulder as well. The Giants went from 5-0 and early Super Bowl favorites to one of the more pathetic units in the league. Granted, the defense was hit with some big injuries – namely to Kenny Phillips and Antonio Pierce – but with as much talent as is still on the Giants roster, there’s simply no excuse for giving up over 400 points this season (which has only happened twice before in franchise history), and missing the playoffs entirely.
Giants Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan is as good as gone (Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)
Michael Strahan just observed on the FOX halftime show that the Giants “mailed it in weeks ago”, which appears to be true on every level. The individual effort of the players has been disgraceful, but the schemes have been awful, and that all goes back to the coaching staff. I doubt Coughlin is going anywhere after winning the Super Bowl so recently, but someone has to take the fall, and that person is going to be Sheridan. The way he has mishandled this defense in taking over for Steve Spagnuolo – alienating Osi Umenyiora along the way – is reminiscent of the way Rod Rust replaced Bill Belichick in ‘91/’92, turning a once powerful unit into a shell of its former self. It’s a low point in the history of the franchise.
For his part, earlier this week, Sheridan said he wasn’t concerned about his job security, but after today’s miserable display, and after allowing 40+ points in 3 of their last 4 games, there’s simply no way that Giants ownership doesn’t make wholesale changes to the coaching staff and roster. And if there’s any justice in the world, the Sheridan era is over in New York.
Watch the game lowlights after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
28
Dec
2009
Panthers’ Steve Smith breaks arm, Giants’ backs in win (video)
Giants fans would probably like to forget the last game played at Giants Stadium (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
There really isn’t too much to say about the horrendous display put forth by the New York Football Giants yesterday. In their final home game at Giants Stadium, Big Blue were trounced 41-9 by the Carolina Panthers, ending their playoff hopes and leaving fans wondering how this team ever won 5 straight games to start the season.
It was so bad, it even left pro bowl DE Osi Umenyiora wondering if this wasn’t his last home game in a Giants uniform:
“I couldn’t really explain what I’m feeling right now, disappointment is an understatement, in everything, the way everything has played out this year has been absolute nonsense, very disappointed, disheartened, discouraged, whatever you want to call it. I feel all those emotions. On a day like this, for us to come out and perform like that is unbelievable to me. I don’t even know what else to say.”
“It’s an unbelievable situation, man. Last game at Giants Stadium, probably as a Giant, just the way everything has unfolded has been unbelievable.”
Needless to say, things are going to get ugly in New York over the next few weeks, and don’t be surprised if Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan loses his job as a result of his unit’s collapse this season.
The highlight of the otherwise ugly game came on this play early in the 3rd quarter. After going into halftime up 24-0, the Panthers came out and squashed any hope of a Giant comeback with a 4 play, 71-yard scoring drive, culminating with this TD strike from Matt Moore to Steve Smith. Watch after the catch as Smith takes a hit from S Michael Johnson, but hangs onto the ball and continues into the end zone. We would later learn that Smith broke his left arm on the play:
Say what you will about the man, but that Steve Smith is one tough S.O.B.
24
Dec
2009
Carl from ATHF on the True Meaning of Christmas (Video)
Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force is just hilarious on many levels. In his most recent rant, he breaks down the Giants season, and gets down to the true meaning of Christmas:
22
Dec
2009
VIDEO: Brandon Jacobs vs Albert Haynesworth
Last night’s Giants/Redskins game was pretty much over before it started, with the Giants dominating from the opening kickoff to remain in contention for the final NFC wild card spot.
One of the more contentious moments of the evening came at the start of the 4th quarter, when most people had probably already stopped watching. The teams got into a bit of a fracas, ultimately ending with punches being thrown by both Giants RB Brandon Jacobs and Redksins DT Albert Haynesworth. Predictably, the fight starts when DeAngelo Hall goes at Jacobs after the whistle (hmmm … where have I seen that before?). After Hall gets dumped to the ground, Haynesworth runs in to defend his teammate, swinging wildly at anyone who gets in his way. Meanwhile, Jacobs takes a boxers stance and squares off with both Hall and Haynesworth.
Enjoy the MMA action:
Now, clearly both players should have been penalized (not just Haynesworth), and there’s no doubt that Jacobs will receive a fine from the NFL. But these are two of the biggest, baddest men in the game today, and there was definitely something thrilling about watching them go toe-to-toe with one another.
It’s too bad that was the most fight the Redskins showed all night.
7
Dec
2009
Flozell Adams is an unqualified “dirtbag”
Cowboys OT Flozell Adams and Giants DL Justin Tuck have a long and heated rivalry, as two pro-bowl players who face off twice a year in the fierce NFC East. Earlier this season in the teams’ first match-up, Adams injured Tuck when he blatantly tripped him after getting beat, prompting Tuck to say that he would “punish” Adams the next time they met. And there’s no doubt that he and the NY defensive line came to play … but within the rules.
Yesterday, Adams continued to prove himself as a classless punk when he took a cheap shot on Tuck while his back was turned at the end of the first half, which sparked a sideline altercation when the Giants stepped in to defend their teammate. Strangely, Adams went un-penalized, but the play is now under review by the NFL, who will undoubtedly be handing out a fine.
Here’s video of the incident, including Adams’ previous indiscretions along with Tuck’s post-game comments, in which he pulls no punches in calling Adams a “dirtbag”:
6
Dec
2009
Brandon Jacobs tip-toes his way to 74-yd TD
The New York Football Giants finally showed signs of life in completing a season sweep of the Dallas Cowboys, and put themselves right back into the playoff hunt with a 31-24 win at the Meadowlands this afternoon.
During the Giants’ recent slide, Giants RB Brandon Jacobs has been criticized for tip-toeing at the line of scrimmage, and not running with the straight-ahead power that he’s known for. And while he only had 39 yards rushing, Jacobs reached the end zone twice, including on this critical play toward the end of the 3rd quarter. Manning hits Jacobs in the flats and he goes 74-yards to the house for a go-ahead score. Watch the burst of speed in the open field, and then watch Jacobs use those very same tip-toeing skills along the sideline to keep himself in bounds and finish off the run:
6
Dec
2009
HASSELHOFF-LIKE WEBINAR-OFF
Like Baywatch and Knight-Rider before it, this week’s Webinar-Off is a timeless match-up between the forces of good (Cowboys) and evil (Giants). Dallas puts the flailing, frailing, and failing Giants out of their misery today because:
1. The Giants don’t have Vince Young to bring off the bench- The first time these two teams played, the Giants played with the same confidence that the resurgent Tennessee Titans are playing with now. Mario Manningham ate the Cowboys’ secondary for lunch, catching 10 passes for 150 yards and a score on a 49 yard bomb from a sharp Eli Manning. Steve Smith added 134 more yards and a score. That game was emblematic of the Giants 5-0 start as they answered every punch the Cowboys threw with one of their own. The Giants were a down-hill running, aggressive in the passing game, confident team on offensive that played well-enough on defense to corral the Cowboys’ big play threats. Evenly matched in terms of talent, the difference was that the Giants imposed their will on the Cowboys when it counted. The Giants simply aren’t that team anymore. Since that game, Manningham has put up pedestrian numbers (only one game with 100+ yards receiving), Manning has regressed, Brandon Jacobs has become “tip-toe” Jacobs, and the Giants’ defense has been so lackluster that Usi Umenyiora and Fred Robbins are being benched. The Giants are morphing into what the Cowboys were: soft. Injuries are part of it, but whatever it is, this team has lost its edge and there are no signs that the Giants will get it back in time to win today’s game or salvage what was once a promising season.
2. Mike Jenkins has reported for duty- The last time they matched up, the Cowboys started Orlando Scandrick opposite Terrence Newman. That was the last game Scandrick started, in part because of how he performed against the Giants but also because of the emergence of Mike Jenkins. Jenkins has, in the eyes of many, usurped Newman’s role as the best corner on the team– flashing the ability and aggressiveness that made him a first round talent two years ago. Jenkins has every reason to be motivated for today’s game if for no other reason than to avenge his much-discussed terrible tackling effort against Derrick Ward in his rookie season. Though Jenkins’ and Newman’s ability to cover has not resulted in as many turnovers as one would expect, it has allowed Dallas the opportunity to put more pressure on the quarterback. It has also allowed Dallas to simplify its schemes on defense, which has allowed the Cowboys to avoid the big play breakdowns that killed them against the Giants. Without a legitimate running threat, look for the Cowboys defensive to be more stout today as Jenkins and Newman make matters tougher on their receiving counterparts.
3. The Cowboys have Miles to go- As with Jenkins, Miles Austin has emerged since the Cowboys-Giants first match up. Austin leads the NFL with six touchdown catches of 20 yards are more and has helped take the heat off of Roy Williams. Coupled with the Barber, Choice, and Jones triumverate in the backfield, and the ever-reliable Witten, Austin gives the Cowboys the stretch-the-field weapon that they need to test the Giants’ thin secondary. Also look for Dallas to do more of what they did against the Raiders on Thanksgiving– crossing patterns with Austin– to see if Aaron Ross & Co. can keep up with the speedy Austin.
4. It’s December- The Giants need this win to save their season. Believe it or not: the 8-3 Cowboys do also. Dallas’ struggles in December are well-documented. If Dallas wants to be a team that matters in the playoffs they need to start by showing that they can put teams like the Giants away. Dallas has been focused on their performance in this season’s final month all year– as Bradie James said this week, the time is now to show everyone that this is not the same old fold ‘em Cowboys. Look for the Cowboys to match the Giants intensity today.
5. The Giants will be tighter than Tiger Woods on his wedding anniversary- The Giants look and feel like a team on the verge of imploding. While I don’t think that will happen today, I do think the Giants remind me a bit of last year’s Cowboys. When the going get tough, they play tight, fall behind, and just don’t have enough gumption to win in the end.
Dallas 24, Giants 21.
Fufkin: you agree?
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR ARTIEFUFKIN’S RESPONSE
28
Nov
2009
Broncos vs Giants Thanksgiving Game – Photo Essay
When the 2009 NFL schedule was announced, I was thrilled to see that my favorite team, the New York Football Giants, were coming to my adopted home state of Colorado to play the Denver Broncos this season. Not only would it be the first time I would get to watch my Giants play at Mile High – the site of some classic match-ups from the ’80s-’90s (remember the Gary Reasons goal line hit on Bobby Humphrey in the snow?) – but it would be on Thanksgiving Night!
I immediately put out feelers for game tickets, and invited my parents to spend Thanksgiving at my new home in Colorado. It seemed like a perfect holiday plan. And up until Thursday night at about 6:20pm MT, it was. It was at that point that my beloved Giants decided to crap all over our Thanksgiving celebration, by not even showing up for the game and putting on one of the more miserable displays I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing in person. If you watched the game, you already know, and I’m not going to get into a breakdown of what went wrong (hint: everything. lowlights here). For me, it was just brutal, while for the Broncos fans in the house, it was a full-on party.
But the holiday wasn’t a total loss, and I still have much to be thankful for. We were blessed with box seats and pre-game field passes by the Denver Post – clearly a signal of our growing influence in the sports blogosphere. Or maybe my girlfriend got them for us. Whatever. In addition to free food and booze throughout the game, we were able to snap some decent photos from field level during warm-ups. Here are the best of those shots, with some commentary as to what you’re seeing. I hope you enjoy it more than I enjoyed the game.
All photos by ArtieFufkin.
Pre-game field passes = extra special surprise. Much thanks to the Denver Post team for taking such good care of us!
Aaron Ross fielding punts. Moments after this pic was taken, an errant punt bounced out of bounds and into my hands. As I handed it back to Aaron, I looked him square in the eye and said "Go get 'em Aaron!" He said nothing ... there was a general sense of lethargy from the Giants the entire night
Plenty of Giants fans in attendance for this game ... a short time later, they would all be miserable
And the Broncos take the field ... for warm-ups
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE BRONCOS/GIANTS
