Train-a Thought

This Week: Giants (5-3) vs. San Diego (4-3)

Ever since their losing streak commenced, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been placing more of an emphasis on the fundamentals. Thus far, however, his team hasn’t responded, given the results, but there might be reason to be optimistic that things are about to get better this weekend when New York hosts the San Diego Chargers in their final game before the bye.  

It’s not going to be easy though as the Giants offense, which has struggled to take care of the ball and to put point up, is going against a Chargers defense that boasts a pair of dangerous pass rushers in Shawne Merriman and Shaun Philips. 

“They are very talented on defense. It is not a team that we play very often so you’ve got to watch a lot of film, see some of their tendencies and what they like to do,” said QB Eli Manning. 

Merriman in particular is of concern to the Giants offense given how the Chargers use them. “He is an outside linebacker who they will put on different sides of the ball. He is not always to a certain side, they like to rotate him around, move him around, try to get him one on one. He is a talented, talented pass rusher, but they’ve got a couple of guys who can get to the quarterback and cause some problems, so we have to block them all.”

For the Giants, who are trying to stop a three-game slide, they have placed a bigger emphasis on the “one game at a time” concept.  Yet while some players view this weekend’s game as a do-or-die, Manning said that you have to keep some perspective.

“You don’t always like to put too much pressure on one game, but I think in this scenario, that is kind of what you have to do. We need to get a win going into the bye week and get back to playing our style of football and winning games. Performing better than what we have been, so we’ve got to prepare well all week and go out there and we’ve just got to play. Don’t think too much about it and just go do our jobs.”

If they do that, they can limp into their bye week with a healthy 6-3 record as they await the return of some of their season-long injured players to complete their recovery.

KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Run the ball. Like the Giants, the Chargers have had some injuries which have weakened their run defense, which is allowing opposing rushers 4.2 yards per carry and which is ranked 27th against the run. Seriously, the rushing game has been the one aspect of the offense that has had any type of success, however minute it might be. And if the game of football is a about exploiting the opponent’s weaknesses, we’d like to see the tandem of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Danny Ware take control of things, set the tempo and help the passing game work its way out of its funk. 

2. Continue to Get Kevin Boss involved. See what happens when you use ALL your weapons in the passing game? The Giants finally looked to Boss last week, and he rewarded their confidence with three catches for the team leading 70 yards and the receiving game’s only touchdown. Boss needs to continue to be used in the passing game, as his size gives him a nice advantage over the Chargers’ safeties.

3. Put Pressure on Phillip Rivers. In a classic case of “what came first, the chicken or the egg?”, it’s been hard to determine if the Giants’ defense has struggled because of a lack of pass rush or because the secondary just hasn’t been up to snuff. If we were to take a guess, it would be the former given the fact that the Giants front office opted to not shore up its depth in the secondary, perhaps hoping that a strong pass rush would cover for a lot of sins. Well, the pass rush hasn’t been there consistently, so this would be a good week for it to finally remind people that it exists. The possible return of DT Chris Canty could go a long way of helping that come to fruition.

GIANTS INJURY REPORT
OUT: CB Aaron Ross (hamstring)  
DOUBTFUL: None
QUESTIONABLE:  DT Chris Canty (calf); LB Michael Boley (knee).
PROBABLE: RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle/foot); WR Mario Manningham (shoulder); QB Eli Manning (foot); TE Kevin Boss (ankle); WR Sinorice Moss (foot)

SAN DIEGO INJURY REPORT
OUT:   C Nick Hardwick (ankle)
DOUBTFUL:  LB Tim Dobbins (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: LB Kevin Burnett (ankle); DT Ogemdi Nwagbuo (ankle)
PROBABLE: TE Antonio Gates (foot);  S Steve Gregory (ankle); DE Travis Johnson (groin);  LB Shawne Merriman (foot); P Mike Scifres (groin);   

ACROSS THE FIELD: THE TRADE HEARD ROUND THE WORLD  
The date was April 24, 2004. After months of speculation siring around the Giants’ plans for taking a franchise quarterback, then General Manager Ernie Accorsi finally got the phone call he had been hoping for from his colleague in San Diego, AJ Smith.

The deal, in a nutshell, was that the Chargers would send their first round draft pick (and number one overall), who turned out to be QB Eli Manning, to the New York Giants in return for the Giants first round pick (Phillip Rivers) and third round pick in 2004, and their first and fifth picks in 2005.

“I was right there at my mom and dad’s house in Raleigh,” Rivers said when recalling the events leading up to his selection and trade by the Giants. “When the Giants took me, I never spoke to anyone from the Giants front office, so I knew something was up.  Usually you at least talk to somebody.  So as the next half-hour, hour, took its course – obviously we know what happened after that.”

It wasn’t until 2005, though, that the Giants and Chargers first met since making that blockbuster deal. In that game, which San Diego won 45-23 Manning was the Giants’ starting quarterback and actually had a decent showing, going 24 of 41 for 352 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Rivers, however, was the backup that day to Drew Brees, and didn’t see any action.

This week, the two quarterbacks who were at the cornerstones of one of the biggest trades in recent NFL history, will finally lead both of their teams into battle against one another.

“I think it is fun, however, anytime you compete against each other,” Rivers said. “Obviously I have to worry about that Giant defense and playing and managing the football game.  But certainly any time you are going against a team led by a quarterback regardless of whether you are linked or not.”

Manning was perhaps a bit less sentimental, understandably so given that his team is stuck in the middle of a three-game losing streak in which he hasn’t been paying his best ball.

“I don’t get into playing other quarterbacks,” Manning said. “I have to worry about San Diego’s defense. Their offense is powerful and they score points and we have to do a good job offensively to try and keep them off the field.”   

But Manning, who first met Rivers when he attended the Manning Family’s Passing Academy when he was a senior in college, did admit that there’s a bond between him and the man who might have been the Giants quarterback were it not for that famous trade.

“It’s a fraternity between quarterbacks. I have known Philip since college when we did some things together. He is a great player, great person and we always kind of keep up through texts over the years.”

“I would like to think it has worked out for both of us,” Rivers added. “You are always going to be linked in some ways to guys in your draft class, maybe even more so because of how that went down.  But certainly a heck of a quarterback and a player.  And obviously, he is still an ascending player.  He has obviously accomplished a lot already but seems to still improve year to year.”

PERSONNEL-LY SPEAKING
LT David Diehl.   Last week, Diehl went against DE Trent Cole, a speed rusher. This week it doesn’t get any easier as he’ll square off against Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman. 

Eli Manning. He doesn’t want to admit he’s been in a slump, but until he presents another suitable word to describe this funk he’s been in which has seen  him throw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns, he’ll be a player worth watching as the Giants can’t win with him making back-breaking decisions with the ball.

DT Chris Canty. He could very well see his first action this season since week one. Will his fresh legs be an advantage to a Giants pass rush that has been inconsistent all season?

TE Kevin Boss. His bum ankle has flared up again. this week, he’ll probably be asked to provide some chip blocking help, so will he be able to get the push he needs t provide that help?

S Aaron Rouse. Can he help stop the bleeding in the defensive secondary? Certainly he can't be any worse, right?

MOLLY’S PICK (6-2)
Molly knows a thing or two about being in a tailspin. As I’ve shared with you before, my beloved pooch was uprooted from her original home when her previous family fell upon financial hardship. As a result, she and her three puppies were placed in an overcrowded animal shelter somewhere deep in the heart of Georgia where, had they not been adopted after seven days, they would have been put down.

Thankfully, a worker at the shelter recognized that the four dogs would make wonderful family pets. He contacted a local shelter here in New Jersey and arranged to have the dogs transported north. However, although they were in no danger of being put down, their living conditions could have been better as they were kept outdoors in a barn like structure during the unpredictable weather period of late March-early April.

Molly must have been miserable as twice she tried to dig her way out of that yard to the road to freedom. However, she was unsuccessful and had no choice but to wait and hope that things would get better. 

When my husband and I first met Molly, she was tethered to a big oak tree and was filthy from head to tail. When she saw my husband and me, she started to come forward, wagging her tail gently and with a sad look on her face as if to say, “Take me home with you, please?”

That was the beginning of a long and happy relationship we have with our pooch.  Since we’ve brought her home, she hasn’t once tried to escape back down to the life she knew before. And I wouldn’t dream of giving her up for adoption, even if tomorrow I found myself living on the street because she’s just meant that much to us.

The moral of this story is that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel; you just have to not give up hope. Molly might not understand about hope or just how dire her situation really was, but she is a perfect example of how if you stay the course, things will eventually work themselves out. So that’s probably why this week’s pick is the Giants. Molly is a great example of finding the light at the end of the tunnel. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Giants were to follow her lead and find the light at the end of their darkened tunnel with a big win over San Diego to give them a respectable 6-3 won-loss record prior to the bye.

P.S. Molly’s three puppies were also placed in loving homes.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING 
Prior to this year, the Giants have only faced the AFC West one season (2005) since divisional realignment took place in 2002. New York is 5-1 vs. AFC West opponents, including victories over Oakland and Kansas City earlier this season.

The Giants are 8-2 vs. AFC opponents since 2007.

DID YOU KNOW?
The Giants and Chargers met in Berlin, Germany for a preseason game in 1994. The Giants won 28-20.

TELEVISION/RADIO COVERAGE
CBS (Channel 2 in New York)
Play by Play: Jim Nantz
Analyst: Phil Simms

WFAN (660 AM) will be carrying the game live starting with the pregame show at 2:15 p.m. Russ Salzberg will be handling the pre and post game show. Bob Papa will call the game with Carl Banks providing the color commentary. Howard Cross will handle the sideline reporting.

 

Giants to Start Aaron Rouse Over C.C. Brown

Head coach Tom Coughlin today confirmed that the team is going to start Aaron Rouse over CC Brown on Sunday against San Diego.

“We are going to start Aaron Rouse, yes,” Coughlin said. “We are just going to try to maneuver around a little bit and defend the deep ball better – that’s all. 

Rouse was claimed off waivers from the Green Bay Packers on September 24. While he’s had his share of problems in the Giants’ sub packages, the Giants are hoping that a change will put an end to some of the communication problems that have popped up on defense in recent weeks.

“He has done okay,” Coughlin said about Rouse’s performance thus far with the Giants. “He is still trying to fully understand what is expected and what the new language is – the new language of our defense and what his responsibilities are. But I see a tall, fast athlete that can certainly contribute.”

While Rouse is glad for the promotion, he said he’s always prepared himself as though he were going to start, so the news wasn’t too much of a shock to him. “It is something that I pride myself on, practicing hard. When coach finalized it, it wasn’t a big deal. I make sure that’s how I practice and carry it over to the game.”

One of Rouse’s goals this weekend and moving forward will be to not give up the big play. “Play solid football and get back to the things we were doing weeks one through five,” he said of his objectives. “Playing the ball well, running to the ball and making sure that we don’t give up big plays.

Rouse, who has three tackles this season for the Giants (all solo), admitted that it’s been a challenge learning a new defense, but credited his fellow defensive backs and position coach David Merritt for giving him support during the transition. “You go from three different coordinators in three years it is going to be different,” he said. “When you have teammates out there that constantly talk to you and make sure that you are on the same page, it works out well. I completely feel up to speed. If I wasn’t, I don’t think the coaches would make me a starter.”

Brown, who has started for Kenny Phillips since Week 3 of the season, has struggled with exec cutting his assignments. At least once per game during the Giants three-game losing streak, Brown has been beaten for a big gain.

Brown’s transgressions have included a 36-yard touchdown catch and run by New Orleans receiver Robert Meachem. In last week’s loss against Philadelphia, Brown admitted that he missed an audible call by defensive leader Antonio Pierce resulting in him giving up a 54-yard touchdown to DeSean Jackson. 

Brown has 48 tackles (39 solo), two passes defensed, and one forced fumble. He is expected to continue seeing time in the Giant’s sub packages.

* * *

In addition to the lineup change at safety, don’t be surprised to see LB Michael Boley, who had knee surgery a couple of days after the Kansas City game, back on the field this Sunday.

Boley, who is listed as questionable on the Giants injury report, said today that his knee is still not 100 percent. Still, he has been able to increase his practice workload gradually and has moved around without any noticeable signs of a limp or without any problems. 

Boley has done individual drills with the first team linebackers in the parts of practice open to the media, and has taken about 50% of the snaps during the team part of practice.

The thought is that if Boley is able to play on Sunday, he could get the start at weak side linebacker over chase Blackburn on Sunday, but Coughlin wasn’t quite ready to commit to that.

“We’ll see,” said Coughlin. “It wouldn’t necessarily have to be that way, but we’ll see.”

* * *

DT Chris Canty is another of the walking wounded expected to be back in the lineup sooner than later. Canty, listed as questionable, has reported no problems the day after practice and would be a welcomed addition to the Giants defensive line rotation that has been unable to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

* * *

Rounding out the rest of the Giants’ injury report, CB Aaron Ross (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday. Ross has been targeting a return to action for the game against Atlanta in two weeks.

QB Eli Manning (foot), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot/ankle), TE Kevin Boss (ankle), WR Mario Manningham (shoulder) and WR Sinorice Moss (foot) are all listed as probable for Sunday.

Letters to the Editor: November 6, 2009

Maybe you know of something I don't regarding Bradshaw's injury. My reasoning for wanting to have him placed on I.R. is based upon the following ideas. From what I read, his injury will not get better until he has surgery. By not practicing, his conditioning will get worse. His injury seems to be more severe than Burress' was in 2007 and Plaxico had his height and his ability as a decoy to help the team.

Of course there are things Bradshaw could be doing to maintain his condition, such as deepwater pool running with a flotation device. This type of exercise now available to everyone was first developed for the world class sprinters at the University of Tenn. It is very effective.

However, I haven't read anything about his conditioning efforts. Also, the idea that his injury can't get worse by playing seems to be wishful thinking. all medical knowledge is based upon probabilities, and there can be no clear statement about this unless it is stated in terms of probabilities.

So, hopefully you can shed some light on what is going on with him. Also, there are always players out there. There are always players out there. If a player were clearly out for the season, the Giants would sign someone. – Albert M.

Albert, here is the reality of the situation. Every year at the end of the season, we find out that numerous players undergo surgery for some sort of injury. These include players who have been on the injury report as well as guys who never appeared on the injury report. That’s just the way it works in the NFL.

Every single one of those players is banged up to a certain degree, and by continuing to play, they’re obviously not going to get any better and they risk getting worse. So again, I’ll ask you, why would you want to put Bradshaw on IR when he can still function and contribute? The idea makes no sense. Further, you say there are always players out there –do you honestly think that if someone was out there that was any good, he would still be available?

After reading all of the letters posted on November 4th (including mine), I apologize for going "off the deep end". The one thing I and all of you venting have in common is our love for our team and our profound wish for their success. We have had some bad times over the years but far more good times measured in success and victory for the greatest franchise in all of professional sports. And yes, the real troubles of the world would be with us whether the Giants were 8-0 or 5-3. And redemption is always one victory away when things are going badly.

I did not read the commentary about the "leadership council" but applaud Coach Coughlin taking this action. And if the magical ride of 2007 was really just catching "lightning in the bottle"....guess what ? That greatest victory in the history of the Giants will always be there. Unlike the mighty Yankees, we have 1956,1986,2000 and 2007 in the modern era. But unlike the mighty Yankees, the difference between the Steinbrenners and the Maras makes the accomplishments of the Giants very profound. -- Dan H.

Thanks Dan.

I am really tired of reading all the comments from wannabe offensive coordinators the last three weeks criticizing the lack of runs called. Our running game is not doing that well even if the average run per carry is ok. We have had a large number of runs for losses, no gain or 1 yard, let alone the ton of 3 yards and a pile of dirt type plays.

It is the inconsistency on offense that is killing us. We cannot win with 10 runs of 10+ yards that don't score TDs and 20 runs of no gain (to slightly exaggerate). Too many 3 and outs puts too much pressure on the defense, pressure which they can clearly not deal with. In the past we could be more patient with the running game because the defense kept us in the game.

Now by the time we have "worn them down" we are down too much to continue running. This isn't a free pass for Gilbride for his play-calling or Eli for his audibles but in my mind just calling more runs is not the answer. Execution, whether it is running plays or passing plays is the answer! If there are 8 or 9 guys in the box, we should be able to punish the defense with well executed passes and play action. The inability to do that is the real problem. – Jeff S.

Thanks Jeff.

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Giants Hoping Solid Practice Week Helps End Three-Game Skid

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs came into work on Wednesday morning determined to take control of a situation and make a difference.

“I said on Wednesday morning that I was going to be that guy to come in and jump on people’s backs when it doesn’t look like they’re working hard and about 40 other guys had the same mentality. It was crazy.”

Crazy or not, it’s worked so far as with two days of preparation in the books for their Sunday matchup against the San Diego Chargers, Jacobs and his teammates said they’ve noticed a definite change in attitude, preparation and attention to detail that might not have always been there during the last three weeks.

“I think yesterday and today were both solid days of practice,” Jacobs said. “Guys had a lot of energy and were flying around and making some plays. I think this will be a good week for us.  A lot of guys are willing to step up and go make plays.”

Cornerback Terrell Thomas said it was all a matter of going back to square one after realizing that the habits formed in practice the last three weeks were not getting them anywhere.

“Going into this week, we were like going to revamp everything and treat it like week one,” he said. “We were going to run to the ball and do whatever we need to do to change things around because obviously what we’ve been doing hasn’t been working.” 

The changes have been working so far as players have noticed a significant improvement in the little things. “Our attention to details is what’s stood out to me most,” said DE Mathias Kiwanuka. “Everyone is focused and ready to go as you’re doing the little things and trying to get everything right the first time, and that’s important to us in practice.”

Jacobs, who was sporting a T-shirt that was emblazoned with “LEADER” on the front and “FOLLOWER” on the back, agreed that some of the team’s urgency and fun has been lost during the three-game losing streak. But this week, the clouds are slowly dissipating as the Giants are remembering how much fun it is to play football again.

“I see it coming back --  there’s been a lot of laughs, a lot of giggles, and a lot of plays are being made,” he said. “I see a lot of guys who are ready to play football.  We have guys running around, flying around, making a lot of noise and everyone has been ‘that guy’ to get on someone else when they’re not doing it right.”

Despite the general consensus that the practice week has been productive, it won’t mean anything unless it transfers over to the playing field on Sunday. And that’s something that is impossible to gauge given the practices are not quite run at game speed. 

“You’ll never know,” Thomas allowed. “All you can do is practice good habits. When the ball is in the air, attack it. Turn the ball back on the run, run to the ball – all the fundamentals in practice you just want to keep harping on them and hopefully on Sunday by practicing better during the week it’s going to show on Sunday.”

“It was all pretty easy to correct once we knew what we needed to correct,” added Kiwanuka. “There were a lot of corrections that were made, so we’ll see this Sunday whether everyone really took it to heart.”

Letters to the Editor: November 5, 2009

You've fielded the panic letters this week quite admirably. What is your prediction concerning safety for the rest of the season? – Tim G.

Tim, thank you for the compliment. This week was by far one of the toughest ones for LTTE as obviously I have to bite my tongue a lot of times.   try my best to not be curt with readers, no matter how much they make sense or fail to make sense as the case were.

As for safety, sadly I think that ship has sailed. Hindsight is 20-20 and certainly you never want to think you’re going to have injuries, but Jerry Reese’s failure to really address the safety depth has come back to bite this team hard. CC Brown is a disaster and I’m not sure Aaron Rouse is that much better.

At this point I suppose they could look to bring in a veteran who has been out of the game for a while – I had mentioned R.W. McQuarters as a possibility, as McQuarters might not be as fast as he used to be, but at least he knows what to do. However, McQuarters would need a few weeks to get himself into “football” shape and at this point in the season, I have to wonder if it’s really worth it to make a move.

My hope is that when Boley returns to action, that will fix a lot of the problems this team has had in coverage. I think it will, but maybe I’m being unrealistic with my expectations.

I have watched the Giants for over 40 years and seen both good and bad times. This new crop of Giant fans the ones calling for Coughlin’s head and blaming Jerry Reese wanting to trade Eli, Well this is for them. What a spoiled bunch of Bandwagon babies! Yes in the past we had injuries and yes the replacement came in and took right up. Instead of realizing how special that was you have chosen to think that is the way it should be. I know we have had injuries before but I do not believe we have had so many key players out at one time. This team is struggling but we are still 5-3 and we will get some of the key players back. For you fans that think we should have a "David Tyree" moment in every game, grow up join the real world. Win or Lose they are my team and that won't change because of a few rough games! – Kevin A.

That’s the spirit Kevin! Can you imagine how people would be reacting if we were stuck in the “15 years of lousy football” era?

You are doing a fine job. I have been (every year and forever) a giant fan since 1959 after our parish priest claimed that "sam huff was the greatest football player in the world". I have been an inside football subscriber )on and off as my finances allow) since the single sheet days! I wrote to the founder as "the guiding light of lost souls". My only football thought is that sheridan does back off when he should attack. But my main reason for writing is that you should relax and not let "fair weather" fans get to you. There are more troubles in our lives (eg. In washington - the government, not the redskins). Keep up the good work ... The giants will improve!! – john c.

I know John. Part of my problem is I care too much about my job.

I thought your comments of moving Ross to FS has alot of merit. However Ross has been unable to get on the field. Is it worth considering moving Terrell Thomas to FS and getting Bruce Johnson more involved at CB?

On a different note, things haven't got well for the Giants lately (putting it mildly), but there is still half the season to go and we are tied for first place in the division. Things certainly have to improve, and I can guarantee everyong is working hard towards that end. It isn't like this team is falling apart, it is just miss-firing alot at the moment - with some fine tuning this team will be humming again. A good example is the Eagles, the lose to the Raiders, work on things and get things back on track. There is no reason the Gmen can't to the same. The other thing to remember is that we have the bye week coming up, which is the best time in season to overhaul some things.

The bye is a little later this year, but it gives us the chance to sort this out, get players healthy and get some momentum going into the back half of the season. It is disheartening the way we have lost the last 3 games, but at this stage it is just 3 games in a 16 game season. I guess the things fans have to do is have patience, have faith, remain optimistic and just take it one game at a time. There is no gimme's in the NFL, on any given sunday any team can win. – Peter M.

Peter, the Giants are in third place in the NFC East thanks to their loss to Philly.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that I thought the Giants would be 10-6, even after losses to NO and Arizona. I must admit the last blowout has me wondering if 9-7 or 8-8 might be more likely. The whole team seems to be in quite a malaise -- players and coaches. It sure appears as if the DC hasn't distinguished himself (why would you call a defense that would have Webster give a free release of Jackson to CC Brown?) but the players have performed poorly too (missed tackles?????).

On offense, I have always thought that Gilbride gave up on the run too soon, but now I read that Eli has been audibling out of runs. Whoever is calling the plays, please no more deep heaves on third and short. I would recommend that the Giants try the old tried-and-true approach of simplifying things this week. Run, run, run the ball, so they wear down the opposition come the fourth quarter (as they used to do). And bring pressure on defense ... what the heck about leaving the secondary exposed since the results can't be much worse. A close loss this week would be bad, but another blowout could be a harbinger of a very long and disappointing season. – Mike M.

Not to mention another blowout is going to really put people who participate in this forum over the edge.

It has been stunning to see how quickly the Giants have unraveled. Right now it is hard to be optimistic about the rest of this season. The defense's playing like its 1967 and seems incapable of stopping any team in the GREEN ZONE! Eli seems to have a injury to brain not his foot. The secondary is playing like its afraid of catching the H1N1 virus and Brandon Jacabs looks like he is practicing for Dancing with the Stars. It has been an ugly three games. There is no question that injuries have taken there toll. Giants have been dropping like flies since July.

Nevertheless, I am really disappointed in the quality of the play by a team that has played some very smart football over the past two seasons. As a fan, it is really hard to explain what is gong on. I have heard lots of theories, but one group that deserves some scrutiny in my opinion is the coaching staff. Tom Coughlin called on the team leaders to be lifters. Of course this is true.

But in my opinion, Tom Coughlin and his staff need to be accountable and look at themselves and not just the players. I am just a fan and no expert, but it seems to me that this team has become very predictable, especially when the pressure in on. I can� t help but think this trickles down to the players. It is important to say this is a very smart and experienced coaching staff. Kevin Gilbride is a well regarded and very knowledgeable coach (regardless of what some fans think).

Bill Sheridan would have been a defensive coordinator for Spags if Tom did not promote him. This entire staff seems to be very high character guys and gifted teachers. Nevertheless, there are times you have to adjust and think creatively and I am not sure the staff is doing this. The season is half over. There is an opportunity if we can get healthier and our young players continue to improve. It is better to be hot at the end of the season not the beginning. But the coaching staff also needs to step up to the plate. In my opinion its not just the players who need to lift their game. --  Todd C.

I don’t think anyone disagrees with you, there,  Todd.

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Ask the Official: November 5, 2009

AN NFL PUNT RETURNER SIGNALS FOR A FAIR CATCH. THE BALL LANDS IN HIS ARMS, BUT BOUNCES UP OFF HIS CHEST IN THE AIR, JUST ABOVE AND IN FRONT OF HIM. IS THE BALL "FAIR GAME" TO ALL, AS SOON AS IT BOUNCES OFF HIS CHEST, OR MUST IT TOUCH THE GROUND FIRST! – John C.

The punt receiver must be given a clear opportunity to catch the punt. If it hits his hands or his body and pops up directly in front of him, the kicking team members must give him the opportunity to complete the catch. As a result they can not touch the ball (or the returner attempting to catch the ball) until the ball hits the ground or is caught by the returner. On the other hand, if it were to hit his shoulder pads and bounce 10 yards behind him and there was no other return team member in the area, a kicking team member could catch the ball before it hits the ground. In this event, the ball can not be advanced by the kicking team because it was a "muff" and not a "fumble."

College football. On 4th down, the offense lines up with clear intent to punt. During the kick, the defense blocks the punt. A fortunate (for offense) bounce sent the ball back into the punters hands, who took two steps and kicked again sending the punt down field. The punter was then tackled by the defense after kicking. Two questions: 1. Is the second kick legal? If so under what rule? 2. Is the kicker protected under rules regarding runnning into or roughing the kicker on the second kick? – Mark L.

This is a complex play and I would have to see the play in question to give you a definitive answer but here are the involved rules:
 
1. Rule 6-3-1 (a) states that: "A scrimmage kick that fails to cross the neutral zone continues in play. All players may catch or recover the ball behind the neutral zone and advance it."
 
2. A ball legally in possession of the offensive team may be advanced by running, passing or kicking it.
 
3. Rule 9-1-4 (a) - "When it is obvious that a scrimmage kick will be made, no defensive player may run into or rough the kicker.  ... This protection ends when he carries the ball outside the tackle box before kicking."
 
So, if the kick in question was blocked behind the neutral zone and the ball never went beyond the neutral zone, it may be recovered by the offensive team and advanced by running with it, passing it, or kicking it a second time. If the kicker has clearly indicated that he will be kicking the ball i.e., typically this requires him to stop in an open area and make it clear that he will kick the ball), he can not be contacted by the defense until he has had a reasonable chance to regain his balance.

On the other hand, if he attempts to kick the ball while on the run or has gone outside the tackle box, he is not afforded such protection. In addition, even if he is on the run and/or gone outside the tackle box, the Referee may call a personal foul if in his opinion the defense made a deliberate attempt to injure the kicker, hit him around the head, or made any other action intended to injure the player.   

Submit your rules question to the Ref.

 

Pierce Calls Self “Biggest Culprit” in Defensive Woes

Giants MLB Antonio Pierce is a prideful individual who’s never been shy with sharing his thoughts.  But this week, Pierce said he’s done talking off the field and is instead focusing on revving up his game in hopes of being one of the contributing factors to help turn around a Giants defense that has been embarrassed beyond words the last three weeks.

“We don’t need to talk; we can talk on Sundays,” Pierce said. “Right now our talk is doing nothing for us so we have to go back to what Coach Coughlin preaches – ‘Talk is cheap, play the game.’ We have to go out there this Sunday as it’s one of our biggest games of the year.”

The Giants are hoping to steady a ship that has seen its defense repeatedly gashed and embarrassed by opponents. According to Pierce,  the problems on defense have extended beyond the Xs and Os. There have been mental errors, miscommunications, and guys not knowing where they’re supposed to be. In short, the Giants defense has made numerous mistakes that have resulted in their being knocked hard off their pedestal where earlier in the season, they enjoyed their position amongst the league’s top ranked defenses. 

“I think it’s about our star payers or who people considering to be our star players playing like stars. They guys who are solid and contribute need to contribute even more. Everyone needs to do a little more right now. Obviously what we’re doing right now isn’t working.

“It has nothing to do with Xs and Os. Sometimes you have to go above the Xs and Os, play a little harder and do the little things , have energy and show some kind of energy and passion about the game because it passes you by pretty quick and we don’t want to see the season pass us by.”

To his credit, Pierce acknowledged his partin the defense's problems.  “I’ve probably been the biggest culprit of everything,” he said. “If I’m the guy they call the leader of the defense , then I need to do a better job, and I plan on doing that this week.”

In the meantime, head coach Tom Coughlin said he plans on challenging his leaders to look within and do some constructive self scouting in terms of identifying what they can do better. Pierce, however, said it’s unnecessary for the coach to do so because the circumstances that have come about thanks to their three-game losing streak are all the challenge they need.

“We’re on a three-game losing streak, and we’re turning into pretty much the laughing stock as far as how we play on defense,  so he doesn’t need to call any of us out this week,”  he said. “We had a very good practice today. Guys were focused and energetic, just what we needed – probably one of our best Wednesdays so far. This is a big game coming up. We’re going into our bye week and the second half of our season, and we need to change things and get back on the winning track.”

* * *

LB Michael Boley, who is coming off knee surgery, estimated that he took about 50 percent of the snaps in today’s workout and he was optimistic about his recovery. However, Boley stopped short of saying that he would be ready to go this weekend when the Giants host the San Diego Chargers.

“It’s a young season. It’s not one of those cases where I say I’m rushing to get back.  The season is still young and we still have another half of the season. There’s no hurry.”

Boley though, didn’t deny that he was encouraged by the progress he’s made. “It was great to be able to run around a little bit with my teammates instead of working on the side with the trainers. If it were up to me, I’d play every week. But I think this is a big step forward. I think it’s one of those things where in my mind that starting with today and seeing how things go throughout the week, I could play, it’s possible but then again, we’ll have to see how things go."

Certainly the Giants would love to have Boley’s athleticism back in the lineup and Boley admitted that he’d like to be back in there. But he knows that he has to continue to be smart with managing his injury lest he suffer a setback.

 “I don’t think I suffered any setbacks today as far as the things I’ve done," he said. "The only thing I can do is take whatever my knee gives me. I can’t sit here and say I’m 100% right now, but we’ll see how the week goes.”

While Boley didn’t rule himself out for Sunday, he dismissed the notion that he would wait until after the bye week to return to action regardless. “I’m not going to look at the bye week as another chance to have a week off; that’s not what I want at all,” he said. “There’s no guy in here that will say he wants an extra week off from the game.”

* * *

Normally the Giants look at the season as a sprint rather than a marathon, which means they don’t place any extra emphasis on any one game. However, this week is the exception given what’s at stake, at least according to QB Eli Manning.

“You don’t like to put too much pressure on one game, but I think in this scenario, that’s what you have to do,” Manning said of the need for his team to snap its three-game losing streak. “We need to get a win going into the bye week and get back to paying our style of football and performing better than we have been. Don’t think too much about it; just do our job.”

Manning, meanwhile, continues to insist that he’s physically fine and that his foot has not been a factor in his performance when it comes to his mechanics. “I think my mechanics are fine,” he said. “You can get off a little bit, but it’s all repetition and getting back to it in practice. You can see something from week to week you want to fix.

“I think for the most part, I’m throwing the ball pretty accurately. There are always a few throws you want to have back but for us, it’s about getting back to being consistent and getting into our rhythm and not getting so down that we get out of our style of offense.”

* * *

DT Chris Canty said that as far as he was aware, he participated fully and he’s hoping that like in days past, he’ll come in tomorrow no worse for the wear.

When he does return to game action, Canty feels that one advantage he’ll have is his fresh legs. “I think that’s one of the biggest things I have going for me,” he said. “I haven’t through the grind of the last eight week like everyone else, so I have to use that to my advantage. There are some things I have to work on and there’s a lot of football I’ve missed. I have to use whatever I have going for me in those circumstances.”

Canty dismissed the idea that the defense has been missing a swagger during the losing streak. “I’m not going to say that. I think it’s just a matter of everyone getting on the same page and going out there and executing. We have some tremendous football players on this team in all three facets of the game. I really think it’s just a matter of going out there and playing together as a team.”

One challenge that still remains for Canty is getting into ‘football shape.’ “That definitely comes from the game,” he said. “Even though we try to simulate the game speed and temp in practice, there’s nothing like the game speed, game tempo.”

So does he think he'll be ready for Sunday? “Absolutely,” he said without hesitating.

* * *

CB Aaron Ross said he is optimistic of being able to return to at least individual drills next week during the team’s bye. Ross has been running and stretching on the sidelines and reported that he’s had no pain or soreness of late, which has him optimistic about his chances for a return. “I won’t know completely until there’s a guy standing in front of me,” he said about his precise progress, “But I do feel good right now.”

Coughlin Counting on Leadership Council to Help Right the Ship

The New York Giants are stuck in the midst of a three-game losing streak which despite all good intentions, has sapped some of the energy from the locker room. However, head coach Tom Coughlin is hoping that his leadership council will come through as beacons of light in what’s otherwise been a dark three-week period.

The leadership council, first established by Coughlin a few years ago, is a group of 14 veteran players who are the go-between the head coach and the rest of the team. 

“I usually have a lot of information to share with them, and then there’s a point in which they can ask me questions about it. For as long as we’ve been doing this, it’s an information sharing thing from me to them and then they try to understand what I’m saying and they ask questions about it.”

Coughlin said that the players on his leadership council, which consists of consists of QB Eli Manning; OL Shaun O’Hara, Rich Seubert, David Diehl, and Chris Snee; DL Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka,  and Fred Robbins; RB Brandon Jacobs;  P Jeff Feagles;  LB Antonio Pierce;  CB Corey Webster;  and WR Domenik Hixon, have done a good job of getting the desired messages across.

“They’re good,” he said. “Whatever the discussion is about, that’s their role to communicate it to the other players so that when I begin to talk about it, they’ve heard about it, they have interpreted it and they know exactly what I mean by it.  We’ve always done a pretty good job of that.”

However when times are tough, such as when a team is in the idle of a three-game losing streak that has included two embarrassing blow-out losses, even the toughest of leaders won’t have it easy.   One of their biggest challenges is keeping the morale up so that the practices and team meetings can be productive.  Another is nipping any finger pointing or excuse making in the bud before it develops into a full-blown locker room cancer.

“The number one thing I think is anytime you lose, you’re down,” Coughlin said when asked what message he’s asked his leadership council to emphasize in the locker room. “We talked about that it’s realizing that it’s normal but having to be above that.  Having to look at what are the problems and go about our business of rectifying them. We’re not an excuse outfit. I think you have to understand that things have to improve.”

The Giants coach, however, is confident that his leaders can keep the spirits up and help the rest of the team remain focuses in the weeks ahead as they attempt to right the ship. 

“Leaders are lifters,” Coughlin said. “Normally what has to happen when a team does fight its way out of a problem is your best players have to show the way. The guys that are in the role of foot soldiers will play and work their tails off, but what ultimately shows is that the guys who are recognized as your quality players, they have to play themselves into a position where they’re showing the way.”

“We’re also halfway through the season,” he continued. “The message really is it’s a one game season for us. We have a bye coming up – fortunately it was where you’d like to have a bye. So use it properly and utilize everything we possibly can to put ourselves in a position to win. If and do we do win, then the bye can be something that helps us, reinforces us and gives us a lift when we need it.”

* * *

Coughlin was asked if there were any roster moves on the immediate horizon. “They’re our 53; they are  our team,” he said of the current roster. “We have to get it done.”

* * *

Here’s a statistical oddity for those of you in the “Fire Bill Sheridan club” to chew on. Despite their problems on defense, the Giants are still the top-ranked defensive unit in the NFC going into this weekend’s game. Overall, they’re the NFL’s third best, though in terms of the league ranking, they’re 19th against the run and third against the pass.

Want more statistical oddities? The Giants have the league’s fifth best offense. New York is ranked seventh in the rush and 11th in the passing game.

 

Wednesday Pre-pratice Injury Report

Here is your pre-practice injury report...

• LB Michael Boley (knee)
• TE Kevin Boss (anke)
• RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ank;e/foot)
• DT Chris Canty (calf)
• WR Mario Manningham (shoulder)
• WR Sinorice Moss (foot)
• CB Aaron Ross (hamstring)

Good news for Domenik Hixon, who suffered a hip injury./ Hixon is well enough to not be on the report, which lines up with what he tod me on Monday. So he should take the full workload today. 

I'l tweet updates from Coach Xoughin's presser with any specifics.

Ask the Official: November 4, 2009

In one game in Week 7, a flag was called for a receiver lining up at the line of scrimmage? Are they supposed to line up behind it? – Lisa B

Without more information, I can not give you much of an answer. I know that in one of the games that I was watching, a receiver was flagged for being on the line outside of the tight end who was also on the line. In this case, the Tight End was considered to be "covered up" and this is a foul for illegal formation (or illegal procedure). In this instance, the wide receiver should have been off the line.
 
If you can give me more information on exactly what occurred, I will be glad to give you more of an answer. 

Submit your rules question to the Ref.