Bleacher Report - Articles by Kyle Langan

Where Will Super Bowl Hero David Tyree Land?

Kyle Langan — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:25:08 -0400

On Sept. 5, 2009, David Tyree's storied career with the New York Giants came to an end.

After being placed on injured reserve for the 2008 season, Tyree attempted to make a comeback in 2009.

Injuries and inconsistency plagued Tyree over the course of training camp, and the addition of two rookie receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, along with Derek Hagan heightened the competition for the receiver position on New York's roster.

Though Tyree's career with The Giants has come to an end, his NFL career surely has not. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2005 as a special teams player and is a legitimate depth receiver. There are plenty of teams in need of such a player.

Here are some possible destinations for Tyree:

1. The New York Jets

Behind Chansi Stuckey and Jerricho Cotchery, The Jets don't have a lot of depth at receiver. David Clowney may have some potential, but has yet to prove much. Tyree would fill in nicely as a number three or four receiver in New York and form a dangerous tandem with Brad Smith on special teams coverage.

Besides, Tyree is a Montclair native and already has residence in North Jersey.

2. The Washington Redskins

A division rival of The Giants, The Redskins also lack depth at the receiver position They have Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly behind Santana Moss and Antwan Randel El, but Kelly and Thomas are inexperienced. They have a ton of talent and will definitely round out the top four receivers for this season and beyond, but behind them a good veteran presence would be nice for Washington, especially if that player can come through on special teams.

Tyree would be a good leader for the special teams and would contribute nicely to Washington's receiver depth.

3. The Baltimore Ravens

Similarly to Washington, behind their starting receivers Baltimore doesn't have much at the receiver position. Mason is really the only legitimate wide out Baltimore has. In Baltimore, Tyree would have the opportunity to compete for the number three of four position along with contributing on special teams, something that Baltimore always values. Being a good special teams player and a good veteran presence is something that The Raven organization always looks for.

4. The Kansas City Chiefs

As this off season demonstrated, The Chiefs are looking for veteran players to help them out. They recently brought in Toomer before cutting him, and have also brought in Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas. Tyree is a very good veteran in a pass oriented offense who would bring a ton of special teams intensity.

Keep your ears open the next few days on this subject.

Though it pains me to acknowledge that Tyree could land in any of the aforementioned places, it is very possible. Division rivals love to scoop up each others players, and Tyree is also a good fit. It is tough to see such a warrior and inspiring presence leave your team.

Regardless of what the future holds, Tyree will forever hold a place in Giants lore.

Giants Fans, Brace Yourselves

Kyle Langan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:51:36 -0400

With the first week of camp nearly in the bag, it would be an understatement to say that there has been a lot of news on The Giants' front.

Between Antonio Pierce not being indicted and Eli Manning's contract, there has been quite a buzz around the campus at The University of Albany.

Too bad that isn't the buzz this piece concerns though.

There are several Giants who seem to have been left out of everyone's calculations whom I believe will make a massive impact in 2009 and beyond.

Bryan Kehl—Each and every day thus far in camp Kehl has stepped his game up, stopping the run, defending the pass, and just flat out making his presence felt.

To be quite honest, I wasnt all that excited about the signing of Michael Boley this offseason for the simple fact that his presence would detract from Kehl's playing time.

In limited duty in 2008, Kehl was (by definition, via tackle, pass defended, sack) in on 33 percent of the plays he was on the field for, behind only Justin Tuck.

In week 17 against Minnesota, Kehl was spectacular, with nine tackles and a sack. Kehl is one of a few players who actually have me feeling excited about New York's linebacking core for the first time in a number of years.

Sinorice Moss—Ever since the spring, this guy has been doing it all. Thus far at camp, it would not be an exaggeration to say he has been wide open on every play. The defensive backs even asked him to "slow down" on one occasion.

Moss has been around for a while now in New York, entering his fourth season. Though his opportunities have been slim, Moss has been fairly impressive.

In 2008, he had 12 passes thrown his way, and caught 12.

Just wait, Moss will emerge as a major weapon for New York in 2009. Mark my words.

Jay Alford—Since signing Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, Alford has really been a forgotten man. He spent his offseason working out with Osi Umenyiora in Atlanta, and also had surgery to fix a lazy eye.

While working out with The Chief himself, Alford has apparently been clued into his "secret" about opponent's snap counts. Umenyiora is notorious for getting off the ball before anyone else on the field even moves, and now Alford knows how the secret works.

Umenyiora wouldn't divulge much about this secret other than the fact that "it's in the eyes."

True or not, both Umenyiora and Alford have been unstoppable off the snap at camp. Justin Tuck claims that Alford will be the starting nickel defensive tackle, and with this news, things are looking even scarier for New York's defense.

The Secondary—Two words: Kenny Phillips.

Whether it be taking on Brandon Jacobs head on, or tracking the ball all over the field, Phillips has done it in every practice session thus far.

Another impressive member of this group has been Terrell Thomas. Of all of the corners, none have stayed on the hip of the receivers like Thomas thus far.

The type of fierce competition going on in the secondary is going to yield some major results for The Giants this season. If this unit performs to the level it has thus far, the defense will be catapulted into a whole new dimension in 2009.

Other Good Notes

—Steve Smith is looking like more than an average slot guy these days, he runs his routes like a true pro and has been wide open.

—Eli Manning really picked up his game today, hitting every receiver he threw to in stride with room to run. The Giants have speed, and if Eli can tap into it like he did today, the Giants offense will be damn near unstoppable this season.

—Clint Sintim is looking like a fantastic selection, he has looked great in coverage and has absolutely blown people up in the backfield.

He did lead the nation (NCAA) in sacks from the linebacker position this past season. If his play against the run continues to excel, he may start over Danny Clark.

—Chris Canty should be nicknamed Megatron. Hes about as big, and if his facemask (http://blog.nj.com/giants_impact/2009/07/large_cantyquestionnaire) doesn't scream " I'm from the future and I'm gonna kill you" I don't know what does.

Between the flow of good reports, and the pads popping, I'm excited for football season.

If these players emerge in 2009, brace yourselves for a fun ride.

Eli Manning, Giants Agree On Historic Contract Extension

Kyle Langan — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:46:27 -0400

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports is reporting that The New York Giants and quarterback Eli Manning have agreed to a six-year extension worth $97.5 million.

Factoring in Manning's 2009 salary, it is essentially a seven-year, $106.9 million deal.

Discounting Julius Peppers franchise tag, Manning will now earn the league's highest per-year salary in history.

Lastly, Manning will make $35 million guaranteed.

Though a majority of fans will view Manning as undeserving of this type of contract, it is the market which dictates the salary of players, not their skill.

Defensive tackles and corners are now receiving over $15 million per year.

When dealing with a franchise quarterback under the age of 30 who has won it all and led his team to the playoffs four straight years, The Giants' front office must pay him what he deserves.

Here is an excerpt from my piece Eli Manning, Misunderstood:

Since his arrival in New York, Eli Manning has been one of the most intriguing (if nothing else) figures in all of sports. The younger brother of all-world quarterback Peyton Manning and son of southern legend Archie Manning, Eli entered the league with much to live up to.

The expectations surrounding Manning were largely due to the stigma that comes from being the first overall pick in the draft.

After leading his team to the playoffs four straight years, winning one Super Bowl, and commanding the NFL’s highest scoring offense for the better part of the 2008 season, the debate as to Eli’s stature as an NFL quarterback rages on.

It is in my belief that a large part of the hostility towards Eli on behalf of Giants fans is a product of Eli’s personality. Each and every press conference, Eli responds to questions by saying “I just need to make better decisions.”

People like closure. People want to hear him acknowledge that his performance against Philadelphia was horrid, but that just isn’t Eli’s personality. This friction that Eli generates with the media and New Yorkers often causes him to be the target of their ire.

Every single football fan in America, not just Giants fans, know Eli’s dumb puppy-dog expression as he walks off the field following an interception.

Three of the four times that The Giants have been to the playoffs with Eli Manning they were bounced without winning a game, and fans say “Eli has been one and done three times.”

People are determined to make Eli the scapegoat so much so, that I have heard that “The Giants won it all In spite of Eli” or “David Carr Could have led the Giants to the record they had last year”.

Such notions are utterly ridiculous and are surely rooted in the fact that people just don’t understand Eli as a person.

Understanding why someone behaves the way they do goes a long way in terms of how you perceive them, and I can’t name one person who understands Eli Manning.

When I hear disparaging comments about Eli, it isn’t exactly like he has all-world stats to formulate an argument around in order to counter what people say about him. Which brings me to my point: when judging Eli Manning as a quarterback, the most important factor is perspective.

For Example (for all you stat people out there):

- Drew Brees’ Quarterback rating on the road (or outdoors, where Eli plays every game) is an 80.3, worse than Kyle Orton, John Kitna, and Jason Campbell. Eli’s is an 86.5.

- Eli has lost in the playoffs three times, whereas Peyton has lost six times (at least four of which were one and done as well)

- Eli’s career passer rating is a 76.1. Joe Namath’s is a 65.5, Terry Bradshaw’s a 70.9, Troy Aikman’s an 81.6, and John Elway’s a 79.9. The latter group is considered some of the greatest of all time, while Eli draws comparisons to Dave Brown.

- Eli has engineered 18 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, doubling the rate of the all time leader Brett Favre.

Probably the most important thing to consider when judging Eli is the events which have transpired around him over the course of his career. It all started with a punk tight end who wore No. 80 (who shall remain nameless) who undermined Eli game in and game out, chewing his ear off on the sidelines.

Then, the year of the venerable one: Tiki. The list of things he said about Eli and the team goes on. Most recently, the receiver half of the most dynamic quarterback-receiver tandem in the league (since 2005) shot himself in the leg. Eli has also has seen the firing of one offensive coordinator.

On the other hand, Peyton Manning now has nine first round draft picks at his disposal on his offense. Tom Brady? One of the greatest coaches of all time, as well as one of the greatest receivers (granted he didn’t always have Moss but as Brady achieved all-world status he did).

Eli? The only first round pick on his offense right now is Hakeem Nicks.

Simply put, there is zero stability surrounding Eli.

Turmoil, lack of stability, whatever you want to call it. In the midst of it, Eli has led the Giants to the playoffs 4 straight times.

Despite what many may think, this contract is not so much about what Eli has done, but what the Giants believe he will do.

Ask Brady or Peyton. A quarterback's prime is age 30.

Signing Of Giants Rookies Is Next Step In Jerry Reese's Growing Legacy

Kyle Langan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:04:39 -0400

Just one day prior to the opening of training camp, The Giants signed first round selection Hakeem Nicks to what is reportedly a five-year deal worth up to $12.5 million.

The Giants also recently signed both Clint Sintim and William Beatty to deals of four years in length.

There is something in particular worth noting about the contracts of these players: they are a fairly decent length all things considered. I believe that Jerry Reese is making an incredible move here by doing so.

If any of the three emerge as big time players, rather than fork over $10 million per year for their services, The Giants have secured them for a number of years at a discount price. Of course the market for contracts grows each year, but with the top picks from this season signed for a number of years, Reese can examine just how the market behaves before considering what type of extension to award these players.

Consider the big time positions (tackle, receiver, outside linebacker) that the players play, and the type of money that players usually demand at those positions, i must commend Jerry Reese for not balking at the idea of swinging a trade for a receiver who would almost certainly demand a greater salary than these players combined.

The value of Hakeem Nicks, William Beatty, Clint Sintim, Travis Beckum, and Ramses Barden far outweighs the value of one over priced receiver who is years older than they are.

With a stellar performance on the part of and of the aforementioned players in 2009, the legend of Jerry Reese will continue to grow in New York.

NY Giants' 2008 Demise May Prove To Be Their Greatest Asset in 2009

Kyle Langan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:26:55 -0400

With training camp just around the bend, one thing regarding the New York Giants is for sure: They are motivated.

After Big Blue's miraculous victory in Super Bowl XLII, Tom Coughlin was hard pressed to find a motivating message for the 2008 season.

After all, knocking off a previously unbeaten team in The Super Bowl can create quite a hangover.

Coughlin fared just fine though, as the general told his troops simply to turn the page, and they did just that, to the tune of an 11-1 start to the season.

Entering 2009, Coughlin and the Giants are singing a different tune.

"They need to think long and hard about the disappointment of January in terms of what we have created for ourselves and how badly we want to prioritize our 2009 season," were the words of Coughlin.

Brandon Jacobs offered up his view on the matter as well, saying "We have a very bad, bitter, disgusting taste. It hurts more than anything. We know how good we were last year and the opportunity we had in front of us. We did not take advantage of it the way we were supposed to."

Last year's loss to Philadelphia was not like playoff losses of the past though.

In the Giants' 2005 loss to Carolina and 2006 loss to Philadelphia, The Giants were severely out-manned and were decimated by injuries. Heck, Tiki Barber even thought the Giants were out-coached.

In 2008 though, The Giants were Goliath, and the Eagles were David.

Philly needed a Sunday of miracles in week 17 to even be in the playoffs. But they took advantage of their opportunity.

The Giants have now had plenty of time to reflect on what it feels like to play both the roles of David and Goliath.

With the veteran leadership of players like Brandon Jacobs, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Eli Manning, and Antonio Pierce, Big Blue has plenty of players which the team can look to when the chips are down.

From week one through the postseason, 2008 will be on the Giants' mind.

Note To Giants: Fly Air Manning

Kyle Langan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:36:25 -0400

Every time the Giants' offense is mentioned, people are inclined to think about a power running game, and rightfully so.

Power running is what the Giants are all about; it's what they have always been about.

In the NFL though, defenses respect balance: The ability to both run the ball and throw the ball at any given time.

As the 2008 season drew to a close, the Giants lacked that balance. None of the young receivers (or veterans for that matter) emerged as a reliable target for Eli Manning.

That said, the Giants continued to employ their "power running" strategy to no avail. Teams were able to stuff the Giants' running game at will.

So to all you "power running game" apologists, I’m going to offer up an "I’m sorry" beforehand.

The Giants need to spread it out and air it out in 2009.

With both Hixon and Smith entering their third seasons, Sinorice Moss reportedly progressing rapidly, and the addition of the physical Hakeem Nicks, it is imperative that the Giants force defenses to respect them from day one. Their best chance at doing so is utilizing all of the aforementioned receivers together.

In 2008, the Giants were afforded the luxury of running out of two tight end formations (and other power formations) while facing seven man fronts.

No more.

The skill sets that all of the Giants current receivers bring to the table will be amplified as they line up next to one another.

The speed of Domenik Hixon and Sinorice Moss, the route running skills (and even the speed) of Steve Smith, and the physicality of Hakeem Nicks will all work better as two or more of them face nickel and dime corners as well as zone coverage.

The best part of all of this is the degree to which using these receivers together will amplify the running game.

Draw plays, sweeps, and even dive plays from single-back sets will all be more effective with three and four receivers on the field. Teams must respect the skills of the receivers out there if they hope not to get burned.

By no means am I suggesting that the Giants abandon the running game, I am simply stating that both the running game and passing game will be better out of more three and four wide receiver sets as opposed to two tight end sets.

Don’t believe this will work? Take a look at the San Diego Chargers.

Once upon a time they were entirely predicated on a Ladainian Tomlinson running game, then they put the ball in the hands of Phillip Rivers and like magic, with no real notable receivers spare Antonio Gates, the Charger offense became a passing offense.

What really sparked this thinking process was the fact that 2009 is Eli's contract year.

If the Giants are really going to make Eli the league's highest paid player (and trust me, they are) they must put the ball in his hands. Eli must be afforded the opportunity to prove that he is worth it with no restrictions whatsoever.

In the sunny months of September and October, it is absolutely imperative that the Giants shake the stigma which says that they can’t throw the ball. Once they do that, they can go about their merry way pounding Jacobs into the heart of defenses in December and January.

There are bigger things going on here than what philosophy best defines the Giants over the course of their history.

Jerry Reese and The Maras are sitting on a 28 year old quarterback who has lead their team to the playoffs four years in a row, won a Super Bowl, and made a Pro Bowl, but still has so much to prove.

Even before the 2004 Draft, The Maras were losing sleep over whether or not to pick Manning. Accorsi demanded it, but John Mara proved a road block. The debate raged on like fire within the organization for almost a year prior to the 2004 Draft.

In one of the organizations most defining moments of all time, the Giants traded for Manning. They traded a lot for him.

Now the story has come full circle, and if Eli does not perform like the best player in the league in 2009, the Maras may lose even more sleep at the prospect of forking over $120 million to an average player.

To conclude, not only does opening the passing game up offer more options offensively, it is a must in an underlying plot to determine how much longer Eli Manning will be the face of the New York Giants.

The Maras have been running a franchise for over 85 years, they know what they are doing.

As for Jerry Reese, we already know based on his small body of work that he is one of the best there is.

That said, the organization knows that the Giants are a very young team whose window is opening, not closing.

2009 is about one thing, and one thing only: Determining the value of Manning.

With that in mind, my ideas about the offense are not so much a suggestion as they are a warning of what is about to happen.

There are always underlying plots within organizations which we don't know about as fans. But fear not, the "underlying plot" of determining Manning's value will soon rise to the surface.

Like usual, Manning seems un-phased by these serious circumstances.

We are about to find out if that’s because he has a quiet confidence which none of us can understand, or if he is too dumb to understand what exactly is going on here.

All I know is, whenever the chips have been down in his career, it’s been the quiet confidence which emerged.

Speaking of chips, mine are all in on Manning.

NY Giants: Highlights of Hope from the 2008 Season

Kyle Langan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:25:50 -0400

Though The New York Giants had a forgettable ending to the 2008 season, there was still plenty of good to be drawn from the season as a whole.

The Giants played nine games in total last season minus the presence of Plaxico Burress.

In the final five games, the Giants were a miserable 1-4 including a post season loss to Philadelphia.

But prior to Burress shooting himself, the Giants were 4-0 in his absence. Beating Pittsburgh (Burress did not start, but played sparingly late) Seattle, Arizona (Burress played one play), and Washington (the day of his shooting).

If The Giants were able to beat those teams minus Burress, there was surely something else missing in the final portion of the season that caused them to stumble.

Against both Dallas and Philadelphia, the Giants were without Brandon Jacobs for the most part, as he went down midway through their second bout with Philadelphia.

Defensively, the Giants surrendered 13 third down conversions in that same game against Philadelphia.

The following week, the Giants lost both Rich Seuburt and Kareem McKenzie during the game.

All of these seemingly small details contributed more to New York's demise than Plaxico Burress, in my opinion.

Let’s examine some of New York's best performances (contained in hyperlinks) minus Plaxico Burress in 2008.

NFL-GameDay-Seahawks-vs-Giants-highlights">Week Four: Giants rack up over 350 yards in the first half.

Week 12: Hixon shows his abilities against Cromartie and as a returner.

Week 13: Eli throws for 267 in the first half.

As the 2009 roster shapes up, third down receiver Steve Smith, who recorded 57 catches in 2008 while only playing one down, will be inserted into the starting lineup alongside Hixon. Both are in their magical third seasons as receivers and should see vast improvement.

Should Hixon struggle against players like Terrance Newmen (as he did), the Giants can opt to utilize first round selection Hakeem Nicks (talk about physicality) as a more physical presence in certain situations.

The receiver-by-committee may just yield New York's best passing game in years, provided that camp goes well for Eli and the Giants.

Brandon Jacobs: Tony Romo's "Not That Good"

Kyle Langan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:48:30 -0400

In a recent interview with 1050 ESPN Radio, Brandon Jacobs offered up his not-so-flattering thoughts on Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

"I don't think he's that good a passer, to be honest with you," Jacobs said of Romo. "His luck will be gone sooner or later. If you were to keep [him] in the pocket. he's not that effective."

Jacobs has a point. When Tony Romo sees and feels pressure and is forced to stay in the pocket, he isn't nearly as good a player.

The 2009 season will be critical for Romo (and it may be his last in Dallas) as he will be without Terrell Owens. In their time together, Owens was responsible for 39 touchdown receptions.

Maybe the stigma that's most important for Romo to shake is that he is a chronic choker.

In his career he has recorded zero playoff wins.

Did I mention 2009 would be critical for Romo?

New York Giants' Offseason Roundup

Kyle Langan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:56:39 -0400

In what has been an offseason full of headlines for just about every NFL team, the New York Giants managed to slip under the radar in terms of their activity.

New York bolstered their defensive line, rid themselves of the distraction that was Plaxico Burress, and got some fresh young weapons on offense.

Here is a summary of how it all went down.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/138067-how-the-new-york-giants-put-the-nfc-east-in-a-bind

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/153912-a-giant-task-how-new-york-can-improve-without-adding-a-receiver

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/162507-giants-nail-down-draft-call-on-nicks-to-be-the-future

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/163805-giants-2009-draft-class-will-be-key-in-super-bowl-xliv-chase

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/171216-eli-manning-misunderstood

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/180781-for-big-blues-offense-change-is-in-the-air

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/206846-how-justin-tuck-can-propel-new-yorks-defense-to-greatness

Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson: The Great Debate

Kyle Langan — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:10:20 -0400

Looking back at the 2008 season, it became pretty clear that either Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson is the best receiver in football.

Johnson did his thing all year to the tune of 115 receptions for 1575 yards and eight touchdowns, while having six games over 130 yards receiving.

Fitzgerald, on the other hand, had 96 catches for 1431 yards and 12 touchdowns, all before having an other-worldly post season.

So still the question remains: Who is better?

For Fitzgerald, he has two other legitimate receiving threats alongside him in Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, both of whom racked up over 1000 yards receiving in 2008.

Furthermore, he has Kurt Warner under center, who is said to be a Hall of Fame candidate.

Arizona as a team, though, has a very weak running game.

In Houston, Johnson does not have as strong a threat opposite him in Kevin Walter as Fitzgerald does in Anquan Boldin, making Johnson the primary target all the time.

Houston, though, has a fantastic running back in Steve Slaton which can draw some attention to the line of scrimmage.

Matt Schaub is nowhere near as good as Warner is, nor was Sage Rosenfels during his tenure with Houston.

Now, the question remains: Who is the better player?

Both have fantastic route running ability, a physicality matched by few others, are willing to lay out in an effort to make any catch, can win just about any jump ball, and both have breakaway speed.

Between the two of them, I have to give Johnson the nod in the physicality and the breakaway speed categories.

Anything involving hands has to go to Fitzgerald, and thus the jump ball category, as well as the ability to lay out for any ball must go to him.

It comes down to who is the better route runner between the two of them, which is excruciatingly difficult to determine.

In my opinion, despite Fitzgerald's post season, I must give the nod to Johnson as the better player.

Six games over 130 yards receiving is too difficult to ignore, especially when opposing teams know that you are their only receiving threat. Throughout the season, Johnson dominated on a slightly more consistent basis than did Fitzgerald.

One thing is for sure: both are incredible to watch.

Just recall Johnson's fourth down reception against Miami late in the fourth quarter when he reached in front of the defender to pull the ball out of his grasp 30 yards down field, or Larry Fitzgerald's dive for the pylon in the divisional playoffs.

Hopefully, the friendly competition between these two will motivate them to settle the debate once and for all in 2009, and provide us with some major fireworks in the meantime.

Why the Brett Favre Addition Legitimizes the Vikings

Kyle Langan — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:35:04 -0400

After glancing at the above headline, one may be inclined to ask how a 39 year old quarterback could legitimize an NFL team, especially considering that same 39 year old quarterback failed legitimize another team the prior year.

Well folks, there really is no comparing The Jets and The Vikings here.

When Brett Favre went to the New York Jets, he joined the team in mid-August after training camp had already gotten underway. While in camp, he had to learn an entirely new system of plays and signals.

For a guy who had 17 seasons already under his belt, learning a new system isn’t that big of a deal, football is football. Even at that though, Favre struggled at the outset of the season while getting accustomed to his new surroundings and system.

In Minnesota, Favre won’t have to worry about any of that.

Word on the street is Favre will be signed before August, and the west coast offense Brad Childress runs is near identical to the one Favre used for over a decade in Green Bay. Childress is a student of Andy Reid, who was a student of Mike Holmgren.

Needless to say, Favre's transition may be a bit easier.

Even with Favre stumbling out of the gates, The Jets started 8-3 and handed unbeaten Tennessee their first loss of the season. After that, The Jets stumbled to a 9-7 finish and Favre looked like he no longer belonged in The NFL.

But, (and this is a big but) the Jets don’t have Adrian Peterson.

The Jets attempted to ride Favre down the stretch in 2008, but should Favre begin to stumble in Minnesota, Peterson is more than capable of carrying that team down the stretch.

The Vikings already have one of the league's best defenses, best offensive lines, and best running backs. It isn’t so much a matter of Favre being a stellar player that pushes Minnesota over the top, it’s the simple fact that the Vikings have everything in place except a quarterback.

Throw Favre into the mix with a stellar line, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian, and you have a recipe for a stellar offense.

All Favre needs to do is throw check-downs and bombs, he won’t be asked to do much, just distribute the ball and get out of the way.

Lastly, Favre now has revenge in his sights. It is Ted Thompson who Favre wants to spite, and if he keeps that in the back of his mind he will be motivated.

Should be an interesting 2009.

Giant Impact: How Big Blue's Backs Can Ignite Their Offense

Kyle Langan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:34:35 -0400

As the 2009 season approaches, there is little we know about the Giants’ offense.

One thing is for sure: they have a ton of young talent.

Since Plaxico Burress' departure, the receiver position has been the primary object of concern. Finding a playmaker to replace his production will be difficult.

But what if the running back position holds the playmaker New York is looking for?

At the conclusion of the 2008 season, the Giants lacked a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and that included at the running back position.

Teams stacked eight men at the line of scrimmage not so much because they feared Brandon Jacobs, but because they knew that the Giants lacked big-play ability across the board.

Jacobs and Ward were models of consistency in 2008, but were no threat to go all the way at any moment.

With Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware set to battle it out for the No. 2 job behind Jacobs, the Big Blue may be sitting on a gold mine.

That said, there are a number of ways that Bradshaw and Ware can improve New York’s offense in 2009.

1. Rotate Early and Often

Though it would be great to see Jacobs hammer away at opponents all day long, wouldn’t it be better to watch him do it in the first and fourth quarters for the entire season rather than all game for about 10 weeks?

With Bradshaw and Ware behind Jacobs, he should be afforded more rest time than he was in 2008. Both Ware and Bradshaw need touches to get going, and both have explosive ability when that happens.

If Big Blue’s offense is in a jam, one big play or two from these guys and they are back in business, regardless of how the passing game is working. Furthermore, if the game is on the line at the start of the fourth quarter, I want a fresh Jacobs to drain what remains of the opponent’s energy.

2. Split Ware and Bradshaw Out Wide (or Just Throw It to a Running Back)

Splitting running backs out wide may not seem like a big deal, but it causes major matchup problems for defenses.

Even throwing to Bradshaw and Ware out of the backfield will provide a major boost for the offense.

It is a great way to get the ball into the hands of the teams playmakers in space.

3. Use Travis Beckum the Right Way

New York's Offensive coordinator stated that Travis Beckum would serve as a slot receiver for the most part.That said, it would be ideal if he were inserted into that role on first and second down.

Why?

Based on how the defense chooses to defend Beckum, Manning can select a play which puts the Giants in the best position to gain yards.

Beckum should be able to block a safety out wide, and if a linebacker covers him, then a completion to Beckum will be quick and easy.

On third down, players like Moss and Nicks can move into the slot receiver roles where they can cause a whole separate set of matchup problems for a defense.

The flexibility Beckum brings to the table, along with the explosive abilities of Bradshaw and Ware are major pluses for New York’s offense.

After looking broken down on offense at the end of 2008, the massive talent pool the Giants have built up may help them become a better offense than ever before.

The New York Giants' 2009 Training Camp Preview

Kyle Langan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:27:43 -0400

Its getting close to that time of year—football season.

Prior to the start of each year, teams gather in the heat of August to begin their preparations for the coming season.

After such an exciting offseason for the Giants and their fans, training camp is sure to draw a ton of interest.

Before getting into the pivotal aspects of camp itself, let's examine some spring trends which need to continue.

Moss steps up

Reports out of just about everywhere reflected that Sinorice Moss was doing fantastically at mini-camp. If this trend continues, he is sure to become a serious threat to go deep every time he is on the field.

Pierce back to old form

With Bill Sheridan taking over the defensive play calls, it will be up to middle linebacker Antonio Pierce to maintain a feel for the flow of the game.

He will need to make the right audibles in order to put Big Blue's star-studded defense in a position to make a play.

Eli doing his Peyton impression

Now that the egos have been cleared out and Eli is able to work with his receivers on a more consistent basis, he is one happy camper.

Eli can now simply read and react, as he has a great relationship with his receivers. As talented as Plaxico Burress was, he was rarely on the same page as Eli was—resulting in a ton of intercepted balls intended for Burress.

With the speed New York has, Eli will have to make less reads and rely on his speedsters to simply go long or make a play after the catch.

The Key positional Battles

Wide Receiver: The beginning of a new era

Since Eli Manning’s arrival in New York, it has been nearly a foregone conclusion that Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress would lined up at the receiver position.

Those days are over.

With Toomer unsigned and Burress facing jail time, there is an open competition at the position.

One thing is for sure when it comes to the New York receiving core—they are young. The elder statesman is David Tyree at age 28 (seven years pro), and the next longest tenured receiver is Sinorice Moss, who is entering his fourth season.

Moss was not too shabby in limited duty in 2008, catching 12 out of 12 passes thrown his way. The 5’8” speed demon does bring an intriguing skill set to the table, as he can certainly stretch the field.

Every time Moss has stepped foot onto the field in his career, the corner has lined up ten or more yards off of him, fearing his ability to get down the field. With a strong camp showing, he could end up as high as third on the depth chart.

Mario Manningham, the second year player out of Michigan, is a player the Giants hold in very high regard.

When asked about how the Giants’ passing game would compensate for the loss of deep threat Plaxico Burress, Eli Manning stated, “I think we’re hoping Mario Manningham can do that for us and be one of those guys who has speed and can run and make those deep catches."

Manningham was an electric playmaker at Michigan, averaging over 17 yards per reception, and could be a candidate for one of the two starting slots.

Steve Smith, the third year player out of USC, is undoubtedly the leader of the receiving core for New York as of now.

Smith’s cat-like quickness, coupled with his superior route running, give him the potential to be a Marvin Harrison-like target in terms of reliability and clutch play.

I fully expect Smith to be an every down player, starting out wide while moving into the slot in three wide receiver sets.

Domenik Hixon, a starter for six games this past season, showed flashes of his big play ability against Seattle and Arizona. He racked up 596 total yards receiving on the season.

Hixon’s lack of reliability late in the season in 2008 may cause him to lose playing time in favor of younger players whom the organization believes have a higher ceiling.

This may prove to be a good move for all parties, as it allows Hixon to focus on kick return duties while younger, more dynamic receivers like Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks get the majority of the snaps out wide.

The rookies, Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, may very well be the most interesting pieces to the puzzle that is the New York Giants receiver position.

Nicks was selected in the first round for his big play ability and knowledge of the pro-style game, and both are assets that Big Blue’s receiving core could use immediately.

The last of the receivers is David Tyree, the seventh year man out of Sryacuse. Tyree will secure his usual place as a special teams ace, but his sneaky reliability as a receiver may incline the coaching staff to move him as high as third on the depth chart.

I envision Hixon and Smith in starting roles, with Moss in the slot and Nicks seeing a lot of time as the No. 4 guy—as well as a major go-to guy in the red zone.

Furthermore, I believe that Manningham will take over as the primary returner, which

will give him six or seven opportunities a game to show off his skills. This distribution of the workload gives each of New York's playmakers plenty of touches.

Strong Side Linebacker: Will youth trump experience?

One of the most intriguing positions in Big Blue’s front seven is the strong side linebacker position. The outside linebacker position for the Giants has seen little stability in the past few years—Chase Blackburn, Danny Clark, and Bryan Kehl all start at some point in 2008.

The acquisition of Michael Boley should provide some much needed stability at the weak side, but the strong side is still up for grabs.

The candidates to start at the strong side are Danny Clark, Chase Blackburn, Bryan Kehl, and Clint Sintim. Both Kehl and Blackburn are natural weak side linebackers, whose job is typically to run and chase, as opposed to engaging opposing blockers.

This leaves Clint Sintim and Danny Clark as the remaining candidates.

Clark had to make the transition from a 3-4 defense after arriving from Houston, which is something that Sintim will have to do as well. Clark’s experience in making the transition may help the young Sintim do just the same.

I believe that experience is key here, and that Clark may gain the edge because he has just that. Furthermore, there are some red flags concerning Sintim which may limit him early on as he transitions to the NFL.

While playing at Virginia, opponents ran nearly 70 plays directly to Sintim’s side, and he allowed almost 400 yards—a very poor rate. In all fairness to Sintim, he was matched up against right tackles in majority of those cases—a task he won't be asked to do much in the NFL.

On the other hand, Sintim did lead the nation in sacks from the linebacker position in 2008, and possesses a superfluity of pass rush moves and combinations.

Sintim’s pass rush abilities will prove to be an asset to the Giants' defense, and his skill set will eventually help him win the strong side job for good.

But I expect Danny Clark to be penciled in as the week one starter. Sintim has a great chance to steal some playing time early on, though. And if he impresses, he could win the starting job by mid-season.

Final Depth Chart Prediction- Danny Clark, Clint Sintim, Bryan Kehl

Other Key Battles

Second Tight End

Kevin Boss should easily retain his starting job, while new addition Travis Beckum will have his own role as an H-Back.

This leaves Lee Vickers, Michael Matthews, and George Wrighster to battle it out for the second job. Wrighster should give Matthews a run for his money, as he is a three year veteran—coming off his best season yet with 39 receptions.

If Wrighster shows that he has what it takes, he may win the job. Vickers is a solid blocker, but Wrighster is just as good with more upside as a receiver.

Running Back

With Derrick Ward out of the picture, the opportunity is wide open for one of the younger backs to get the lion’s share of the carries after Jacobs.

Ahmad Bradshaw showed everyone his big play ability down the stretch in the 2007 season, but struggled in 2008. After spending some time in jail, Bradshaw gained weight and developed a fumbling problem—propelling him to Tom Coughlin’s dog house.

Former Georgia running back Danny Ware has a lot of fans excited about his big play ability, and he will really give Bradshaw a run for him money. One fumble here or there could decide this battle.

Lastly, don’t count out the new guy: Andre Brown. Brown has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and is very tough in short yardage situations, so he is also breathing down Bradshaw’s neck.

Nothing will be handed out at this position, but the job is Bradshaw’s to lose.

The myriad of skill sets at this position, coupled with the big play ability, offer even more flexibility to an already flexible offense.

In mini camp, Tom Coughlin articulated his message well, telling the team to use last January's demise as motivation.

If the Giants can take his message to heart, they will be able to make enough plays to put themselves in the position they need to be in come January. Let's hope Tom continues to drill this message throughout camp.

Justin Tuck Can Propel New York's Defense To Greatness

Kyle Langan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:47:36 -0400

By this point in his career, its no mystery that Justin Tuck is one of the top defenders in The NFL.

It isn't a matter of how good of a player he is, but rather, how good he is going to become.

In the 2007 playoffs, and particularly Superbowl XLII, Justin Tuck burst onto the scene and became arguably the most important player in New York's pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy.

What most fail to realize is that over the course of the 2007 season, Tuck recorded 70 tackles and ten sacks while only playing a single down. The fact that this production came from the defensive tackle position should not be overlooked, either.

With Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora attacking off the edge, Tuck was able to wreak utter havoc on opposing offenses—slicing through their offensive lines and causing almost instantaneous pressure on quarterbacks.

In 2008, Strahan gone and Umenyiora out for the season with a meniscus injury; Tuck was left to fend for himself, and in the process, he saw double and triple teams. With no real defensive end depth to speak of behind Tuck, he was forced to stay on the edge, and the entire defense suffered as a result.

2009 will be a different story, though.

With Osi back, and the likes of Matthias Kiwanuka, Chris Canty, and Clint Sintim available as edge rushers, Tuck will be free to complete his quest to revoloutionize the rush defensive tackle position.

The prognosticators are right to believe that the return of Osi Umenyiora will help The Giants, but I'm not so sure they realize the magnitude to which it really will help New York.

The Superbowl was just the beginning.

By the conclusion of The 2009 season, Justin Tuck very well may have established himself as the NFL's most versatile and skilled defender.

Good luck, NFC East—you will need it.

Previewing The 2009 New York Giants: Defensive Edition

Kyle Langan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:42:57 -0400

Projected Starting Lineup

Defensive End- Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora

Defensive Tackle- Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard

Middle Linebacker- Antonio Pierce

Outside Linebacker- Michael Boley, Danny Clark

Safety- Michael Johnson, Kenny Phillips

Cornerback- Corey Webster, Aaron Ross

Unit By Unit Breakdown

Defensive Line- As the 2008 season concluded, it was painfully obvious how gassed Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka were.

In the final four games, they registered a single sack between the two of them. To compound the problem, defensive tackle Fred Robbins was not healthy, as he had two broken hands and a fractured shoulder.

With Osi Umenyiora absent and the remaining troops banged up, the Giants simply could not muster up the ability to stop their opponents when they needed to.

That said, New York was still one of the better defensive units in the NFL in 2008, and a big part of the reason why was the defensive line.

The same line which led New York to a top ten finish defensively in 2008 saw the additions of former Cowboy Chris Canty and former Seahawk Rocky Bernard, not to mention the return of Osi Umenyiora.

The amount of flexibility and depth which this new-look defensive line brings to the table for New York is a very scary thing for opponents.

If Justin Tuck is able to remain fresh throughout games and rotate down into the defensive tackle spot during pass rush situations, he will be as dangerous as any defender in the league, especially when he is flanked by the likes of Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka.

Linebackers

Probably New York’s weakest unit in 2008, the linebackers, may have quietly improved as much as the defensive line did through the addition of Michael Boley.

It’s a league of matchups, and in the NFC East, not even the best pass rush can stop opposing quarterbacks from checking the ball down to the likes of Brian Westbrook, Chris Cooley, and Jason Witten.

Boley will provide some much needed speed out in the flats where the aforementioned players seem to thrive. This is not to say that he can cover them one on one, but the amount of support Boley provides underneath in comparison to someone like Chase Blackburn is significant.

Couple his presence with the youth the Giants have at the safety position, suddenly Witten and Westbrook just got slightly less scary.

Antonio Pierce and Danny Clark are both returning parties, and should both be in for better seasons than they had in 2008. We all know what Pierce is capable of when he plays up to standard, and it stands to reason that someone as prideful as Pierce would bounce back from a sub-par 2008 campaign.

As for Clark, simply having another season in the 4-3 as opposed to Houston’s 3-4 should benefit his performance.

Secondary

Maybe one of the most exciting and young units in the league is the secondary of New York. Led by fifth-year pro Corey Webster, the secondary is primed for a big season.

In the past, lethargic, underachieving players like James Butler occupied starting roles, but times have changed for the Giants.

The dynamite second-year player Kenny Phillips will now start at safety alongside third-year player Michael Johnson, who is also developing exceptionally well.

Corey Webster and Aaron Ross will be the two starting corners, and Webster is coming off of a stellar performance in 2008, allowing just over 200 yards receiving on the season. If Webster can improve upon that, he is well on his way to being one of the better corners in the game.

Ross still has some improving to do, but he can become an asset to the secondary as well.

Predictions- Webster, Tuck, Phillips, and Osi will achieve Pro- Bowl status.

- Kenny Phillips will have six or more interceptions

- Michael Boley will record 100 tackles

- Justin Tuck will record 15 sacks

- The defense as a whole will eclipse 55 sacks and finish in the top 3 defensively

The New York Giants Will Be Getting "Defensive" in 2009

Kyle Langan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:34:38 -0400

When I think New York Giants, the word underdog comes to mind. Ironic, considering that talking heads on just about every sports site, paper, and network alike have already written New York off as a championship contender.

Even Jets’ safety Kerry Rhodes has deemed Gang Green’s defense the best in the NFL in 2009.

Suddenly the word underdog has taken on a whole new meaning.

Truth be told, The Giants wouldn’t have it any other way. They sit quietly in the swamps of New Jersey, waiting for the season to arrive.

Led by veterans the likes of Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs, Corey Webster, Steve Smith, and Eli Manning, New York is more than equipped to play the role of the hunter yet again. Playing hunter is what New York does best. There is no replacement for motivation, and the Giants are clearly motivated.

Need proof?

-Eli Manning is building some serious chemistry with the new-look receivers.

-Kevin Boss has looked to Mark Bavaro for inspiration.

-Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham are seriously coming together.

-Hakeem Nicks is looking to push for some playing time this year.

-Kenny Phillips is ready to take on a bigger role.

-The defense is looking to be the rock of the team.

-As if they weren’t provided with enough motivation, New York will be using last

season’s conclusion as fuel.

Naysayers pontificate as you may, the New York Giants are hungry and ready to assume their role as underdogs of the league.

That makes them dangerous.

New York Giants May Have Secret Offensive Weapon

Kyle Langan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:14:49 -0400

Speed.

Despite the perception that the New York Giants have little going for themselves offensively, they may be in as good a shape as they have ever been in.

With players such as Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, Steve Smith, and Mario Manningham, the Giants have one of the speediest receiving corps in the NFL.

With the spotlight on the subtraction of Plaxico Burress, the new look receiving corps has slipped under the radar, and many have already deemed it inadequate to lead the Giants back to the promised land.

Eli Manning has other ideas, though. He seemed excited in a recent interview about the prospect of having so much speed on the field. In the NFL, defenses respect the balance of opposing offenses.

It isn't all about having the star power of someone like Plaxico Burress, who can bail a team out on sheer talent alone. During his tenure with the Giants, Burress was an essential cog in creating balance, as he would often draw the attention of multiple defenders on a play-to-play basis.

With as many speedsters as the Giants currently sport, defenses will not know who to rotate coverages to, leaving the door open for Eli and his receivers to take advantage of single coverages and single-high safeties.

If New York’s opponents choose to stack the line of scrimmage with eight defenders early and often against Big Blue, one among Smith, Hixon, Moss, and Manningham will be able to burn the undermanned secondary deep downfield for an easy score.

Hakeem Nicks Primed To Help the G-Men Come Championship Time

Kyle Langan — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:41:23 -0400

There are many questions surrounding New York’s current receiving corps, even with the additions of Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden.

Can they be consistent?

Can they draw double teams?

Can Eli continue his winning ways with such raw receivers?

The answers to these questions will be crucial in determining how far New York will go in 2009.

Of all the players New York could have drafted, Hakeem Nicks is the one who will help them most in December and January.

Though Hixon and Smith are currently penciled in as the starters, there is no doubt that New York will start Nicks should he perform well in training camp.

There are several aspects to Nicks’ game that will help him thrive in The NFL early and often.

North Carolina’s Pro-Style Offense

People talk about how Nicks came from a pro-style offense, but the importance of it is simply not emphasized enough.

Throughout college, Hakeem Nicks watched Eli Manning and New York’s offense for hours every week, as his quarterbacks coach was a big fan of Big Blue’s offensive system.

Furthermore, Nicks knows how to adjust every route, move defenders, gain leverage on them, and find open spaces on the field.

The reason that so many wide receivers struggle to make it in the NFL—especially early on—is because they have yet to do any of those things over the course of their career.

Physicality

After watching Brandon Jacobs flatten defenders week in and week out, Giants fans have a special affinity for the physical aspect of the game.

That being the case, Hakeem Nicks may quickly become a fan favorite.

Nicks has incredible ability in the underneath passing game, as he shields defenders off of his body with ease and plays much bigger than he is.

Down the stretch in the 2008 season, opponents used six and seven-man blitz packages, as they did not respect New York’s underneath passing game. The only real presence Big Blue had underneath was Kevin Boss, who could easily be eliminated with the proper coverage.

Furthermore, most of Smith’s routes took too long to develop and Hixon was shut down in man coverage.

This left Eli with nowhere to go with the ball on a number of occasions.

Nicks is a player who can play the underneath game as well as anyone, he can become Eli’s security blanket over the middle which he severely lacked in games against Philadelphia and Dallas.

When the wind is swirling and the temperatures are freezing, an inside physical presence is crucial to offensive success.

In December and January, the skills of a player like Nicks come in very handy. Nicks alone may not force opponents to move their safeties off the line of scrimmage, but he will be a crucial part of the offensive balance which will eventually force opponents to do so.

Source

News and Notes Out Of Big Blue's OTAs

Kyle Langan — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:51:25 -0400

This past Monday, The New York Giants held their third organized team activity, or OTA.

To the delight of Tom Coughlin, the only missing member of the 80-plus man roster was kicker Lawrence Tynes, who was attending his charity golf outing.

Outside of the spectacular attendance, there was much to be excited about surrounding Big Blue.

- Osi Umenyiora is back and better than ever. Even more eye-popping than simply seeing Osi back on the field for New York was his massive new physique. Hopefully Osi can continue to follow in the steps of Michael Strahan, who returned from a season of injury in 2006 to have one of his best seasons as a pro in 2007.

- Eli Manning, one of the most reserved men in professional sports, was happy about the full attendance at camp.

- During an interview, Manning may have taken a shot at Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey by stating “Everybody’s the same, no one’s getting special treatment, special attention. I think we have a great group of guys here. They come in and work. No one has an ego about anything. We’re here to practice hard and have some fun also.”

In the past, Shockey and Burress would work out on their own in Miami rather than with the team at OTAs.

- Mario Manningham looked impressive in the passing game.

- Despite not having suited up during the loss to Philadelphia, Umenyiora can’t wait to get his shot at the Eagles. He stated: "I was on the field, but I wasn't playing and I saw the way it ended. It was a team we should have beat and it was a team that, if the opportunity arises again, I think we will beat."

- Manning is comfortable with his young receivers.

2009 Giants Draw Comparisons to 2000 Baltimore Ravens

Kyle Langan — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:07:15 -0400

Most modern-day New York Giants fans are familiar with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

After winning the 2000 NFC Championship under the hot hand of Kerry Collins and the play-making abilities of Tiki Barber, Ike Hilliard, and Amani Toomer, The New York Football Giants were utterly dismantled by the aforementioned Ravens squad in Superbowl XXXV.

After such a humiliating loss, many Giant fans cared not to examine what made the 2000 Ravens such a great team. Years later, though, with the pain of loss a distant memory, it becomes more and more evident how much the 2000 Ravens can be likened to the Giants of 2009.

Defense, Defense, Defense

It’s no mystery that the success of the Baltimore Ravens as a team was predicated on a stifling defense. Led by the fiery Ray Lewis, The Ravens stopped opponents dead in their tracks both on the ground and in the air.

After hanging 41 points on The Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game, New York couldn’t muster but a single offensive point against Baltimore’s defense.

Though the Ravens were led by Lewis, their defense sported players like Tony Siragusa, Rod Woodson, Duane Starks, and Peter Boulware. There was also a lot of young talent on the roster to complement the veterans, such as Chris McAllister and Adalius Thomas.

The Giants of 2009 currently possess a ton of veteran leadership in the form of Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Antonio Pierce, Corey Webster, and Fred Robbins. Younger players such as Kenny Phillips, Clint Sintim, Michael Johnson, and Terrell Thomas will form the young nucleus of playmakers which can be invaluable (as proven by the 2000 Ravens) to a defense.

Though Umenyiora and Tuck may not have the same level of passion as Ray Lewis vocally, the level of personal pride they possess is as high as anyone’s in the league, if their Superbowl XLII performance is any indication. If the veterans play with pride, and the young players step up, the 2009 Giants’ defense can be just as dangerous as the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

Weapons

The 2000 Baltimore Ravens did not have a “No. 1" wide receiver on their roster, but then again neither do The 2009 Giants (as it stands).

What both teams possess, though, are playmakers.

In 2000, Brandon Stokley was one of the better slot receivers in the game, as is current New York receiver Steve Smith.

Furthermore, Jermaine Lewis was a fantastic kick returner, something that Domenik Hixon has proven that he can be given the opportunity.

Both The Ravens and The Giants sport a bull of a running back which can wear defenses down (Brandon Jacobs and Jamal Lewis), and use that to lead a stable of backs, all of whom make plays in the running game.

Baltimore did an excellent job in the stretch run of the 2000 season to get the ball in the hands of players like Stokley, Lewis, and Shannon Sharpe.

New York’s 2009 mission is to find was to maximize the skill sets of Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Kevin Boss, Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss, Hakeem Nicks, and Travis Beckum.

Though not one among the aforementioned group currently stands out as a playmaking talent, each may only need to make one or two plays a game to grab New York a lead and let the defense go into attack mode.

Fiery Leader

The leadership abilities of Ray Lewis are well documented, as he is one of the most vocal players in the game today, but the Giants may have a passionate leader of their own: Brandon Jacobs.

Jacobs is just as much a force at his position as Lewis is at his, and though they play different sides of the ball, their ability to motivate is an asset to every player on their respective rosters.

What About The Quarterback?

It may be a stretch to say that the Giants of 2009 are comparable to the 2000 Ravens on every level, but what the Giants lack in some areas, they make up in others, mainly the quarterback position.

Trent Dilfer was the definition of a caretaker, something that many have referred to Eli Manning as.

Manning is far better than a caretaker, as he has lead his team to the playoffs in four straight seasons in the limelight of New York amidst a ton of locker room turmoil.

If The Giants fail to match Baltimore in the play-maker category offensively, they trump Baltimore in the quarterback category.

If Eli can connect with any number of his young targets, New York will be a team to be reckoned with in 2009.

Ten Players Who Need To Take "Giant" Steps in 2009

Kyle Langan — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:52:25 -0400

After a strong free agency period and draft weekend, The New York Football Giants have many believing that they have what it takes to return to the promise land. For any given NFL team, the opportunity to win a championship does not come around often. After bringing home The Lombardi Trophy in 2007, Big Blue set out to do it again in 2008. Adverse circumstances caused The Giants to faulter town the stretch, and they were robbed of a second chance. Today is a new day though, and the 2009 season is on the horizon. The great blend of experience and youth present on The Giants' roster has them in great position heading into the 2009 season, and the spotlight is on several players to give Big Blue the boost it needs to reign supreme yet again.

Begin Slideshow

For Big Blue's Offense, Change Is "In the Air"

Kyle Langan — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:56:11 -0400

In 2008, The New York Football Giants didn’t pull any punches offensively; they ran the football directly at their opponents en route to sporting the NFL’s best running game.

Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw each did their part, and both Jacobs and Ward finished with over 1,000 yards rushing.

In terms of the passing game, Eli Manning was as good a field general as there is, as he led Big Blue to a 12-4 record while having his best statistical season as a pro (21 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 3,238 yards, and a rating of 86.4).

The passing game was largely predicated on the talents of Plaxico Burress, as he would frequently, if not always, draw double teams.

The manner in which opponents went about defending Plaxico Burress often dictated the Giants approach to the passing game, and New York utilized the sneaky Steve Smith, Kevin Boss, as well as Amani Toomer in order to move the chains.

Due only to his detrimental actions, Plaxico Burress is no longer with the team, nor are Amani Toomer and Derrick Ward.

The absence of these players, particularly Plaxico Burress, begs the question of how New York will move the ball in 2009. In order to move it effectively, there will have to be changes within New York’s playbook.

In the NFL, opposing teams respect balance: the ability to either run or pass effectively at any given time. In order for The 2009 Giants to achieve that balance (a balance which had them ranked as the number one offense in the league for the better part of 2008), they will need to make some key changes to the passing game.

Two among Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Domenik Hixon will be the starting wide-outs. In examining these players, none possess the same skill-set as Plaxico Burress, but together they are all Plaxico was and more.

Plaxico Burress demanded double teams because he was big, fast, had route running savvy, could run after the catch, and could win any jump ball (particularly in the red zone).

Allow me to examine which of the aforementioned skills the current Big Blue receivers possess, and how a new look passing game can best take advantage of them.

Steve Smith—Route Running savvy, fast

The speedy Steve Smith has become Eli Manning’s favorite target over the past two seasons, and in 2008, Smith accounted for 22 first down receptions.

The reason for Manning’s affinity for Smith as a target is simple: he gets to where Eli expects him to be.

Both Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress struggled mightily with the ability to consistently be where Eli expected them to be, leading to a number of interceptions on the part of Manning.

At this point, Smith is nearly a lock to be in the top two on the depth chart, and Manning should be able to take advantage of Smith’s great instincts more consistently in 2009.

Mario Manningham—Fast, Run after the catch

Mario Manningham has the potential to be one of the most dynamic receivers New York has ever had. In college he averaged over 17 yards per reception, and made spectacular play after spectacular play.

Super Mario may just be the deep threat New York has been searching for, and with a strong camp, may be able to win a starting job.

Domenik Hixon—Fast, Run after the catch

In six starts in 2008, Hixon showed both the ability to be a spectacular playmaker, and how little experience he had.

The better performer in camp between he and Manningham should emerge with a starting job.

Hakeem Nicks—Big, Run after the catch, Route running savvy

Hakeem Nicks is a better addition to New York’s lineup than most think. Nicks possesses a presence in the underneath passing game and down the seams, which can be a tremendous asset to Eli Manning in the windy Giants’ Stadium.

Maybe Nicks’ best asset though, is his reliable hands. Eli Manning needs receivers who know where to be and have good hands. Hakeem Nicks fits the bill.

The Wild Cards

Ramses Barden—Big, Can win any jump ball

The monstrous Barden (6’6”) out of Cal-Poly may or may not crack the top four on the depth chart, but he will be an asset in the red zone. Any attempt to defend him in the red zone while he was at Cal-Poly was comical.

Defensive backs are marginally better in The NFL, so if defending Barden goes from comical to pretty difficult, the Giants have an incredible weapon at their disposal.

Travis Beckum—Big, Route running savvy, Run after the catch

The addition of Travis Beckum as an H-back may have been the primary indicator that a change was imminent in terms of the offensive playbook.

Beckum has the ability to play any down, and lineup anywhere. That’s what an H-back does.

The key with Beckum is that he begins the play in the backfield then moves around. This will force the defense to keep an eye on him with a safety, or if they dare, a linebacker.

Beckum is essentially the “eighth man mover”, as he will keep safeties away from the line of scrimmage.

What does it all mean?

In terms of play calling, it would seem as if by adding players who have a presence underneath, down the seams, and down the field, that Big Blue will be adopting a very “West \Coast-like” offense.

The West Coast offense has a slogan: We throw check downs and touchdowns.

The reliability of players like Steve Smith (and possibly Nicks and Beckum) will enable Manning to fire the ball out very quickly (the check downs) , while the speed of Manningham and Hixon will stretch defenses on a consistent basis (the touchdowns).

The skills of the current Giant receivers can be deadly, as they spread defenses out. If rookies such as Beckum, Nicks, and Barden step up, the sheer number of options Eli has at his disposal will generate a balance which teams will respect.

The key to achieving the balance will be utilizing quick passes over the middle as well as long bombs down field at the right moments.

As one can see, Big Blue is more than equipped to absorb the loss of Plaxico Burress, especially if the right changes are made within the playbook.

The 2007 New York Giants: Defined By a Moment

Kyle Langan — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:32:22 -0400

I can still remember the sensations—the tingly feeling in my feet as the blood rushed to my heart, the taste of the stale Glendale air as I breathed deeply, and the sight of the blinding myriad of colors that surrounded me as I stood in University of Phoenix Stadium on Feb. 3, 2008.

It was 3rd-and-5 from the Giants' 44-yard line; there was a minute and 15 seconds remaining.

No words could ever do justice to what followed, when Eli Manning completed what is possibly the most important pass in New York Giants history, and to the most unlikely of candidates: David Tyree.

Though it seems cliché, the play itself embodied everything that the 2007 New York Giants were.

Within the play, there were moments of doubt, weakness, and failure—but when all was said and done, determination, resolve, and perseverance reigned supreme.

The 2007 New York Giants are my favorite team for so many reasons, not the least of which are all the incredible traits they embodied.

The primary reason that the 2007 Giants are my favorite team of all time is that their journey as a team paralleled mine as a fan.

In April of 2004, I attended the Giants’ draft day party at Giants Stadium. The day itself proved to be one of the most significant in Giants history, as they traded for Eli Manning.

From the moment that Eli came over from Radio City Music Hall to Giants Stadium, I knew that my fanhood would largely be defined by his success. As a fan, I was forever linked to Eli Manning. I cringed at every interception while rejoicing at every touchdown.

The following spring, I encountered David Tyree for the first time. After hearing his amazing story, I just knew that Tyree was a special individual. Meeting him affirmed my notions, and by the spring of 2005, I had formed a special appreciation for both David Tyree as well as Eli Manning.

In 2007, the tale of these two legendary Giants came full circle, as Manning and Tyree teamed up to carry out the most significant play in Giants history en route to defeating the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Though Tyree and Manning were the leaders of such an incredible triumph, players like Justin Tuck, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Corey Webster, Domenik Hixon, and Brandon Jacobs all had incredible stories that were completed with a victory in Super Bowl XLII.

As fans, each and every one of us hold certain players in high regards, and that is a fact that none of us can ever shake. Every fan will remember the game, the event, or the championship run that completed the story of some of their favorite players.

As a fan, my path is one which will forever be parallel to Manning and Tyree’s, and there will forever be the landmark upon that path that is Super Bowl XLII. The careers of Eli Manning and David Tyree and the tale of the 2007 Giants, as well as my fanhood, will forever be defined by the moment that was "Manning to Tyree."

Big Blue's Top Training Camp Battles of 2009

Kyle Langan — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:26:09 -0400

Each and every summer, in the deadly heat of August, players from NFL teams across the country battle for the rights not only to play, but to make their respective teams.

After a strong 2008 campaign, The Giants got right to business in free agency, signing linebacker Michael Boley along with defensive linemen Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, bolstering what had already proven to be one of the top defensive fronts in the NFL.

With 11 selections in the draft, The Giants turned their attention to the offense, adding wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden along with offensive tackle William Beatty, tight end Travis Beckum, half back Andre Brown, and quarterback Rhett Bomar.

Big Blue continued to address the defense through the draft as well, adding linebacker Clint Sintim out of Virginia.

With the number of young and talented players added to the roster, no job will simply be handed out in 2009. Players up and down New York’s roster will battle it out for jobs in the 2009 season, both starting jobs and backup jobs.

Wide Receiver

Storyline- The beginning of a new era

Since Eli Manning’s arrival in New York, it has been nearly a foregone conclusion that Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress would lined up at the receiver position.

Those days are over.

With Toomer unsigned and Burress facing jail time, there is an open competition at the position. One thing is for sure when it comes to the New York receiving core: they are young. The elder statesman is David Tyree at age 28 (seven years pro), and the next longest tenured receiver is Sinorice Moss who is entering his fourth season.

Mario Manningham, the second year player out of Michigan, is a player that The Giants hold in very high regards.

When asked about how The Giants’ passing game would compensate for the loss of deep threat Plaxico Burress, Eli Manning stated, “I think we’re hoping Mario Manningham can do that for us and be one of those guys who has speed and can run and make those deep catches."

Manningham was an electric playmaker at Michigan, averaging over 17 yards per reception, and could be a candidate for one of the two starting slots.

Steve Smith, the third year player out of USC is undoubtedly the leader of the receiving core for New York as of now.

Smith’s cat-like quickness coupled with his superior route running ability give him the potential to be a Marvin Harrison-like target in terms of reliability and clutch play. I fully expect Smith to be an every down player, starting out wide while moving into the slot in three wide receiver sets.

Domenik Hixon, a starter for six games this past season, showed flashes of his big play ability against Seattle and Arizona, while racking up 596 total yards receiving on the season. Hixon’s lack of reliability late in the season in 2008 may cause him to lose playing time in favor of younger players whom the organization believes has a higher ceiling.

This may prove to be a good move for all parties, as it allows Hixon to focus on kick return duties while the younger, more dynamic receivers like Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks get majority of the snaps out wide.

The rookies, Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, may very well be the most interesting pieces to the puzzle that is The New York Giants receiver position. Nicks was selected in the first round for his big play ability and knowledge of the pro-style game, and both are assets that Big Blue’s receiving core could use immediately.

If Nicks produces in camp, he will be the frontrunner for the number one slot. Barden on the other hand, is a big (6’6”) target out of Cal Poly with a ton of potential in this league, but will at the very least begin the season as a dangerous red zone target.

Final Depth Chart Prediction- Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham , Ramses Barden, David Tyree (significant snaps at flanker in relief of Nicks), Domenik Hixon (kick returner)

Odd Man Out: Sinorice Moss

Strong Side Linebacker

Storyline- Will youth trump experience?

One of the most intriguing positions in Big Blue’s front seven is the strong side linebacker position. The outside linebacker position for The Giants has seen little stability in the past few years, and in 2008 saw Chase Blackburn, Danny Clark, and Bryan Kehl all start at some point.

The acquisition of Michael Boley should provide some much needed stability at the weak side, but the strong side is still up for grabs.

Clark had to make the transition from a 3-4 defense after arriving from Houston, which is something that Sintim will have to do as well. Clark’s experience having made the transition may help the young Sintim do just the same.

While playing at Virginia, opponents ran nearly 70 plays directly to Sintim’s side, and he allowed almost 400 yards, a very poor rate. In all fairness to Sintim, he was matched up against right tackles in majority of those cases, a task he wont be asked to do much in The NFL.

On the other hand, Sintim did lead the nation in sacks from the linebacker position in 2008, and possesses a superfluity of pass rush moves and combinations.

Sintim’s pass rush abilities will prove to be an asset in the Giants' defense, and his skill set will eventually help him win the strong side job for good, but I expect Danny Clark to be penciled in as the week one starter. Sintim has a great chance to steal some playing time early on though, and if he impresses he could win the starting job by mid-season.

Final Depth Chart Prediction- Danny Clark, Clint Sintim, Bryan Kehl

Other Key Battles

Second Tight End- Kevin Boss should easily retain his starting job, while new addition Travis Beckum will have his own role as an H-Back. This leaves Lee Vickers, Michael Matthews, and George Wrighster to battle it out for the second job. Wrighster should give Matthews a run for his money, as he is a three year veteran coming off his best season yet with 39 receptions.

If Wrighster shows that he has what it takes, he may win the job. Vickers is a solid blocker, but Wrighster is just as good with more upside as a receiver.

Running Back- With Derrick Ward out of the picture, the opportunity for one of the younger backs to get the lion’s share of the carries after Jacobs is wide open.

Ahmad Bradshaw showed everyone his big play ability down the stretch in the 2007 season, but struggled in 2008. After spending some time in jail, Bradshaw gained weight and developed a fumbling problem, propelling him to Tom Coughlin’s dog house.

The former Georgia running back Danny Ware has a lot of fans excited about his big play ability, and he will really give Bradshaw a run for him money. One fumble here of there could decide this battle.

Nothing will be handed out at this position, but the job is Bradshaw’s to lose.

Third Quarterback- In 2008 The Giants drafted Andre Woodson out of Kentucky as somewhat of a project at the third quarterback position.

Needless to say the Giants weren’t pleased with the development of the project, as they drafted Rhett Bomar out of Sam Houston State. Simply put, whoever performs better among the two will end up on the roster, while the other will not be so fortunate.

The Five Most Lethal Offensive Plays for the New York Giants

Kyle Langan — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:32:54 -0400

Identity: The set of characteristics that somebody recognizes as belonging uniquely to himself and constituting his or her individual personality.

In the NFL, teams who establish a distinct identity typically find the most success on the field. In 2008, The New York Giants were one of only three teams to be ranked in the top ten in both offense and defense, a testament to the strong sense of identity which The Giants had.

As a part of that identity, The Giants ran a distinct group of plays on a regular basis, regardless of situation, opponent, or personnel. Some people call these plays “bread and butter” plays. Regardless of name, the success of said plays is derived from the ability of the play to properly utilize the strengths of the players on the field.

The counter play

Formations run out of: I, Strong I, Weak I, Single back (one or two tight ends)

In seven of 16 games in 2008, The Giants’ longest run came on some variation of the counter play. The counter play is predicated on two distinct ideas: taking advantage of an over-aggressive opponent and utilizing the skill sets of unusually fast linemen.

The anticipation that The Giants will employ a power running game will frequently cause opponents to be very aggressive at the line of scrimmage, which generates just the over- aggressive approach that the counter play is designed to take advantage of.

With opponents ready to react to any movement The Giants make, Big Blue then calls upon their agile linemen to take advantage.

Typically, one of the guards (Rich Seubert or Chris Snee) will take one step in the opposite direction that the runner will be headed, drawing the defense in that direction, then proceed to “pull” (or run laterally before engaging a defender) in the opposite direction.

The quarterback fakes handing the ball off in the direction that the guard initially pulled in, and then quickly flips and hands the ball off the opposite way.

All the Giants need is for opponents to make one wrong step and they may find daylight.

On a typical counter play, the tight ends or full back engage the defensive ends, while the pulling guard takes on a linebacker. The center and an offensive tackle (on the same side as the pulling guard) take on the defensive tackle, before the center peels off to engage the safety.

The remaining tackle (typically the left tackle) then takes out the last remaining player in the opponent’s front, the second defensive end. Like any successful play in the NFL, it is the subtle adjustments within the play that make it so effective.

For example, on Nov. 30 against Washington, the Redskins had their sight set on stuffing the Giants run game, and had effectively done so throughout the game.

Just then, the Giants ran a variation of the counter which yielded their longest run of the day (23 yards). Rather than have Chris Snee (the guard) pull, they used center Shaun O’Hara in that role instead, and Snee barreled straight forward and took linebacker London Fletcher out of the play.

The sheer number of different formations The Giants run the play out of coupled with the subtle adjustments within the execution of the play make the counter play as deadly as any for New York.

The Draw Play

Formations run out of: Shotgun (two backs or one back, three wide receivers or four)

The draw play is yet another deadly running play which is used on a regular basis by New York. The draw play is designed to take advantage to two distinct things: a defensive line with wide gaps between each player which is committed to defending the pass, and an undersized defensive personnel grouping which may include up to seven defensive backs.

With defensive linemen wide in the stances, The Giants’ interior offensive linemen can then quickly team up on each of the interior defensive linemen (creating a gaping hole up the middle), and then engage the smaller defensive backs.

Essentially, the play begins by mimicking a pass play, with the quarterback looking down field, the linemen pass blocking, and the receivers running routes. All of those components to the play are centered around decompressing the defense before going into attack mode.

Derrick Ward was the primary beneficiary of this play, as he saw most of his duties on third downs as well as in the second half of games (when the draw play is employed most often).

Through the first six weeks of the season, Ward was averaging 7.2 yards per carry, and finished tops in the league (min 100 attempts) at 5.6 yards per carry (also tied for third all time).

As a testament to the draw itself, in the second half, Ward was also tops in the league (min 50 attempts) at 6.4 yards per carry. Ward was also fifth in the league in rushes over 10 yards with 35. While not all of Derrick Ward’s runs were draws, he successfully ran the draw play for massive chunks of yardage in key spots throughout the season.

Against Cincinnati, when the Giants needed a touchdown to take the lead late, the Giants ran the draw to Ward who bounced the run outside to his left for a massive gain that kick started the drive. Something similar occurred against Carolina in overtime, as Ward broke off a draw play (on a third down) which put The Giants in field goal range.

Eventually Big Blue would pound it in for a touchdown with Jacobs, but it was Ward who got the job done in a big time situation.

The Slot Option

Formations- Shotgun and single back (must have three wide receivers)

The New York Giants employ what it referred to as a streak-read offense, where each receiver reads the opponent’s coverage and chooses a route from a pre-determined tree. The quarterback reads the coverage as well, and will throw a pass based on which route he believes the receiver selected.

This is one of the most difficult offenses in the league to execute, but Eli Manning and his slot receiver Steve Smith have this down to a science.

Essentially, every route in the Giant’s passing scheme is an option route, but where it becomes most crucial is for the slot receiver. On third downs when The Giants are in need of a first down, Steve Smith (the slot receiver) will choose from a grouping of routes designed to take advantage of soft zones which are occupied by linebackers and safeties.

Typically the grouping of routes will include a hitch, a slant, and a corner route (or a route designed to go towards the sideline). The hitch route can take advantage of zones which are occupied by linebackers, the slant takes advantage of blitzes, and the corner route is a cover two killer.

In the cover two, cornerbacks stay in the flat and the safeties stay over the top, leaving the sidelines most vulnerable.

As a testament to Steve Smith’s aptitude in executing this play, he was fourth in the NFC with 22 receptions for a first down. Eli Manning led the NFC in completion percentage for a first down in third and long situations (seven or more yards) and also sported an 84.3 rating when there are were three receivers on the field.

In conclusion, every passing play with three receivers can be considered a slot option, as there are always several routes to choose from. The variations and plethora of different routes make The Eli Manning/ Steve Smith duo a tough one to stop.

The Skinny Post

Formations- Shotgun, I, Strong I, Weak I, or Single back (one or two tight ends, two, three, or four wide receivers)

The skinny post is a route that The Giants have used from just about every formation and a number of different players have successfully run the route. The number of different formations from which New York employs the skinny post make it very tough to defend on a consistent basis.

Over the course of the season, Plaxico Burress, Kevin Boss, and even Sinorice Moss have caught touchdown passes while running this route.

The skinny post itself is designed to do one of two things: undercut the safeties who are playing deep, or beat safeties over the top who bite on shorter routes.

The size of Plaxico Burress and Kevin Boss coupled with the speed of Sinorice Moss make them ideal candidates to run this route.

On a weekly basis The Giants ran this play to Plaxico, as it was often a way to get him the ball independent of the coverage. Plaxico could use his big physical body to snatch the ball out from in front of the safety and shield himself from the cornerback.

The first offensive passing play the Giants ran in the Super Bowl was a skinny post to Burress, displaying the type of trust The Giants have in the play itself. Burress scored in week two this past season against St. Louis while running this route, and he has seen a lot of success while running it over the years.

In 2008, Kevin Boss scored a touchdown in a key moment against Arizona while running this route, as he snatched the ball away from the underneath coverage and jogged into the end zone. Sinorice Moss on the other hand, scored his first career touchdown in week four against Seattle while running this route over the top of the defense.

Though The Giants are a running team, the skinny post was their bread-and –butter passing play.

Off Tackle Left

Formations: I, Strong I, Weak I, Single back, or Goal-line

Running off tackle is essential to Big Blue’s identity as a power running team, as it is a very simple and straightforward play which pits blocker against defender.

After David Diehl moved to left tackle, many a fan were concerned as to how well Diehl would perform. What most people forgot to take into account is the fact that Diehl had been The Giants’ most dominant run blocker. At left tackle, Diehl became dynamite at the point of impact when running left.

Referencing the off tackle play in particular, the zone blocking scheme that The Giants run allows for there to be a blocker directly on a defender. The running back then heads left with the intention to run outside the left shoulder of David Diehl, but can run wherever he sees daylight.

The play is so effective because it is so simple, the key is to overpower opponents, and that is what The Giants do best. If each linemen can overpower his assigned defender, the play will be a success.

In conclusion, each of these plays proved essential to The New York Giants success offensively in 2008. Within each of the plays, it is the “wrinkles” or different ways to run the play (in terms of both formation and personnel) which allow the plays to be so successful.

Twenty Questions For Osi Umenyiora: A Chat With the Chief

Kyle Langan — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:22:23 -0400

After suffering a season-ending knee surgery in August of 2008, the one time defensive captain of the Giants was reduced to the sideline. Amid a tumultuous 2008 season, many have forgotten about The Chief quietly waiting in the wings, ready to return to football. In 2009, Osi returns, and he is shaping up to be one of the key players in Bill Sheridan's new defense.

The Giant's pass rush seemed to fade down the stretch in the 2008 season, but with Osi back in the fray, as well as a number of other key additions, the pass rush seems to be primed for an incredible season.

The new defensive personnel coupled with a season away from football begs the question of what is going on inside the mind of Cheif Osi.

Here are some questions I would pose to the All-Pro defensive end:

1. How has a season away from the game of football changed your perspective on the game itself?

2. How did seeing your team-mates fall at the hands of Philadelphia affect you emotionally?

3. How did your injury change your training regimen?

4. Do you think Bill Sheridan will impact the defense in any negative capacity?

5. From the perspective of Steve Spagnuolo's defense, how much do you see your role personally changing in Bill Sheridan's defense?

6. Do you view the new additions of Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard as more of a threat, or more of an aid to you?

7. What aspect of your game do you believe The Giants missed most in 2008?

8. From a personal perspective,what was the most significant play in your career?

9. Do you believe that between yourself, Justin Tuck, and Antoni Pierce that there is enough emotion and attitude to carry you through the 2009 season?

10. What is the best way you can describe quarterback Eli Manning?

11. Outside of your six sack performance, what was the best game of your career?

12. In terms of total sacks, what is your goal for the 2009 season?

13. Does the team have a goal in terms of sacks for 2009?

14. What event in your career had the most impact in terms of how you approach the game?

15. Who is the toughest left tackle you have faced?

16. What is your bread-and-butter pass rush move?

17. What new member of the Giants do you believe will have the biggest impact?

18. What game are you most looking forward to in the 2009 season?

19. Of the three other NFC East teams, who do you enjoy beating the most?

20. Do you believe that the Giants can win more championships under Eli Manning?

All of the answers to the questions will undoubtedly reflect a lot about the pulse of Osi Umenyiora and the Giants' locker room.

A Tribute to a Giant Hero: David Tyree

Kyle Langan — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:30:33 -0400

When people discuss feel-good stories within the NFL they typically begin with Kurt Warner, a supermarket employee turned Super Bowl MVP. Maybe the most overlooked member of the “feel-good” club though, is David Tyree.

Born in Livingston, N.J., on Jan. 3, 1980, to Thelma Tyree, David had grown up in a broken household, with his parents separating only six months after his birth.

That proved only the beginning for David and his siblings Jessica and Tara, as they faced a seemingly insurmountable amount of turmoil in their youth.

Shortly after a move to Jamaica (where the Tyree family would be staying with his mother and her “friends”), David suffered beatings at the hands of his cohabitants, as he was accused of stealing their money.

In any attempt to defend their brother, David’s sisters were subjected to beatings as well. Eventually, they contacted their mother (who was back home on business) in an effort to escape such a horrific situation.

After being transported back to America, Tara entered the military, and David was enrolled in middle school in East Orange. After some time, David transferred to the Montclair school system where he first started to emerge as an athlete.

Despite the ray of light in the form of a better school system, David still struggled with drugs, alcohol, and even attitude. Growing up in South Orange can create quite a chip on one’s shoulder.

Athletics was David’s No. 1 escape, his No. 1 way to remove himself from the on-goings of his everyday life. By his senior year of high school, David was one of the best track runners in the state and he also received a scholarship to play receiver at Syracuse University.

At Syracuse, Tyree earned a reputation as an amazing special teams player, blocking six punts in his time at SU. The New York Giants were intrigued by this, and selected him in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

Tyree made an immediate impact in the NFL on special teams, recording 19 tackles his rookie year, but that would prove not be the most memorable part of his rookie year, as he was arrested and jailed for possession of marijuana in the offseason.

I particularly remember reading on the back page of a local news paper that Tyree had been arrested. As a fan, I was more than disgruntled. The team had just experienced a 4-12 season, and I can remember thinking to myself “Wow, at least I used to be able to count on my favorite team off the field”.

No more.

I viewed The Giants as a team that prided itself on high character players, and now I was questioning that.

What happened next changed the course of Giants history.

David Tyree vowed to change his life, becoming a man of God and committing to the mother of his child, Leilah.

The Giants made a key decision as well, choosing to keep Tyree in spite of his recent troubles.

In 2005, Tyree went on to make the Pro Bowl on special teams, and also proved to be a reliable receiver throughout his career.

In February 2008, the story that is David Tyree reached new levels, as he made one of the most improbable catches in football history, propelling The Giants to a world championship. No words can do justice to the events which took place during the play itself.

The outline I gave of his life is a brief one, as David has accomplished much more in his amazing life.

What makes David Tyree such a hero?

In the end, David Tyree is a man who embodies traits that we all must possess in order to thrive as human beings. More importantly though, David’s life conveys the message that it’s not about the destination, but rather the journey.

Determination, resolve, passion, and dignity are all qualities that David embodied after facing such tumultuous circumstances throughout his life.

As people, each and every one of us are focused on self betterment, and in my personal journey of self betterment, my model of success is David Tyree.

This man deserves every ounce of recognition he has received, and I hope and pray that he continues to earn it.

God knows, the Giants need his leadership and skill set now more than ever.

Eli Manning: Misunderstood

Kyle Langan — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:41:56 -0400

“Beautiful as an Eli Manning pass.”

Those are the lyrics from acclaimed rap artist The Game featured in the song “Touchdown”. If ever I were to write a song about the young Manning, it would surely be titled “Misunderstood.”

Unfortunately, both Little Wayne and Bon Jovi beat me to the punch.

Since his arrival in New York, Eli Manning has been one of the most intriguing (if nothing else) figures in all of sports. The younger brother of all-world quarterback Peyton Manning, and son of southern legend Archie Manning, Eli entered the league with much to live up to.

The expectations surrounding Manning were largely due to the stigma that comes from being the first overall pick in the draft.

Every single football fan in America, not just Giants fans, know Eli’s dumb puppy-dog expression as he walks off the field following an interception.

Three of the four times that The Giants have been to the playoffs with Eli Manning they were bounced without winning a game, and fans say “Eli has been one and done three times.”

Such notions are utterly ridiculous and are surely rooted in the fact that people just don’t understand Eli as a person.

Understanding why someone behaves the way they do goes a long way in terms of how you perceive them, and I can’t name one person who understands Eli Manning.

For Example (for all you stat people out there):

- Drew Brees’ Quarterback rating on the road (or outdoors where Eli plays every game) is an 80.3, worse than Kyle Orton, John Kitna, and Jason Campbell. Eli’s is an 86.5.

- Eli has lost in the playoffs three times, whereas Peyton has lost six times (at least 4 of which were one and done as well)

- Eli has engineered 18 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, doubling the rate of the all time leader Brett Favre.

Eli? The only first round pick on his offense right now is Hakeem Nicks.

Simply put, there is zero stability surrounding Eli.

Turmoil, lack of stability, whatever you want to call it. In the midst of it, Eli has led the Giants to the playoffs 4 straight times.

The the locker room personalities, the New York media, and the stardom, none of it bother Eli Manning. And to think people take issue with “Easy E’s” demeanor. He’s just a regular guy who goes to work, and yet for some reason that isn't okay.

Maybe the key to Tom Brady’s popularity is his affinity for Victoria Secret models, because Eli went toe to toe with him in the Superbowl and “It was all the defense”.

Sigh.

Be careful what you wish for Giant fans. You want colorful personalities?

You can have Chad Johnson, Ryan Leaf, or Brett Favre maybe. Farve’s got some personality alright. Its so great that even he can’t imagine the world of football without it.

In the end, Tom Brady is over 30 with a serious knee issue, Brees is inept outdoors, been hurt, and isn’t clutch at all. Peyton is also on the wrong side of 30.

That said, if I had to start a team right now and I could pick any quarterback, it would probably be Eli. Hes young, healthy, clutch, and he has shown that he can go all the way.

Things have never looked better for Eli. He has finally gotten his No. 1 and one a targets for the rest of his career in Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, and he is entering the prime of his career at the age of 28.

Here's to Eli’s best season as a pro.

As for my fellow Giant fans, if you don’t like this, then don the hat of a different team for all I care.

I'm a fan of The New York Giants, and I'm a fan of Eli Manning.

New York Giants' 2009 Draft Class Will Be Key in Super Bowl Chase

Kyle Langan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:22:59 -0400

Heading into the NFL Draft, it was my belief that receiving prospect Hakeem Nicks was very underrated. Many compared him to Anquan Boldin, who caught 85 percent of his passes this past season within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

Nicks, in my opinion, brings a lot more to the table than that.

North Carolina head coach Butch Davis weighed in on how he views Nicks: “He’s so different. We were were blessed when I was at Miami. We had some great guys in Andre Johnson, Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne. And they’re all a little bit different.

"You don’t want to put the burden on a kid coming in his rookie year, but a lot of his physical attributes are very similar to Michael Irvin. He’s big, he’s physical, he catches the ball over the middle, he’s got the ability to play physical when people are draped all over him as they’re going to be in the National Football League.

"The corners are so good they’re going to stick to you like glue, so you’ve got to be able to separate yourself, not only with speed, but you’ve got to be able to be physical enough. I just think he’s a very, very talented, good player.”

Nicks ran every route that pro teams run while at UNC, and at a very successful level. Here is a breakdown of Nick’s performance in the pro route tree:

Route Type	Att	Comp/Pen	Yds	YPA	Success Percent
Hitch	5	5	31	6.2	100.0 percent
Quick Out	2	1	7	3.5	50.0 percent
Slant	5	4	44	8.8	80.0 percent
Deep Out	11	7	143	13.0	63.6 percent
Hook	6	5	101	16.8	83.3 percent
Comeback	4	2	25	6.3	50.0 percent
Deep In	7	4	103	14.7	57.1 percent
Corner	4	4	140	35.0	100.0 percent
Post	3	2	113	37.7	66.7 percent
Go	5	1	25	5.0	20.0 percent
Seam	1	1	74	74.0	100.0 percent
WR screen	4	4	39	9.8	100.0 percent

As you can see, Nicks is more than just an underneath presence—he knows how to get open down the field. The comparison to Irvin is much more accurate than is the Boldin one, because Irvin, like Nicks, caught passes all over the field.

Timed speed means little. When someone averages 35 yards per catch on corner routes, he knows how to utilize the double move and get open down the field.

Plaxico Burress relied on his physical prowess to run by defenders and get open. But he also was injured often. So while many people believe Burress is “irreplaceable,” I believe he can easily be replaced by someone who can stay healthy, be passionate about the game, and utilize his skill set to his advantage.

Nicks is not the only piece that the Giants added on offense from this draft. They also added receiver Ramses Barden out of Cal Poly, who, at 6'6", is even bigger than Burress.

Barden caught 50 touchdowns at Cal Poly and will be expected to become an immediate red zone target. With a tree like Barden out wide, opponents will be forced to consider moving another player out to defend the receiver in the red zone. Barden should compete for time as the "X" receiver as the season goes on as well.

The next addition is Travis Beckum, who played tight end at Wisconsin but will convert to H-back, a new position for the Giant offense. The H-back can line up anywhere—the backfield, on the line, or out wide. This will force the defense to decide whether to place a safety or a linebacker on him.

For those curious about the position, Redskins tight end Chris Cooley is an example of an H-back.

All told, the Giants will sport a deep threat over the middle, a monster red zone target, and a player who will cause fits for opposing defenses in terms of how they choose to defend him.

I would take all that over a receiver like Boldin who has been injured all but two seasons in his career, and catches most of his passes within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

Boldin is very talented, but also demands an unreasonable salary. The same can be said for Braylon Edwards.

The Giants did not make the “wrong decision” by not bringing in either of those two players—it was never possible in the first place. Any link the team had to them was simply rumor.

In conclusion, I concede that it may take time for rookies to adjust, but I also believe that they will be major contributors from day one.

UNC's Davis went on to discuss on what he expects Nicks to do for the Giants:

“You know, I think all rookies struggle in some respects. I think the thing that will help almost any rookie is the team. Fortunately for him, the Giants are a terrific team. They’ve got a great defense, they can run the football, and anytime you can do the things they can do, that will help him."

"Now, I think one of the things that hopefully will help him from a mental standpoint is he’s been in a pro-style offense now for the last two years. Everything that we’ve done here (at Carolina) is pretty similar to the things we did when I was with the Cowboys and the Browns and Miami."

"So I think the volume of things he’s going to have to learn won’t intimidate him. Certainly learning to play at the pace and the speed and the length of the season that it is, all rookies are going to go through that."

"But absolutely, I think at the end of his rookie year I think he’ll have certainly earned the respect of being worthy of a being a first-round draft choice.”

The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers home-grew all of their receivers. None were “scary” at the outset of the 2008 season, but now Santonio Holmes is a legitimate threat because of the team’s willingness to develop him.

In 2009, someone among Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, Ramses Barden, and Travis Beckum will become that “scary” threat that defenses must account for, and will help the Giants in their chase for another Lombardi Trophy. Bank on it.

New York Giants Nail Down Draft, Call On Hakeem Nicks To Be The Future

Kyle Langan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:43:46 -0400

Jerry Reese has done it again. In the first day of the 2009 Draft, he stood his ground and landed impact players at positions of need.

With their first selection, The New York Giants selected Hakeem Nicks. My scouting report for Nicks offers high praises:

"After examining the skill-sets of each of the prospective collegiate receivers, Hakeem Nicks is one of the players who stand out the most.

He stands at 6' 3/4" and ran a 4.5 second 40-yard dash. Neither are overly impressive numbers, but his skill set will make everyone forget about those numbers very soon. Nicks plays the game of football at a very fast pace and also plays much bigger than he is.

On a consistent basis, Nicks catches the ball with the hands away from his body, using his long arms and strong hands to pluck the ball away from defenders and out of the air.

He makes tough catches away from his body, and can also leap for passes in the red-zone, all perfect evidence of the way he uses his body and his speed the way an NFL receiver should.

His concentration is unmatched by any receiver in this draft, as he once caught a pass behind his back and attempted to pass it between his legs while on the run with a defender hot on his trail.

In that same game, he tipped a pass to himself in double coverage and dragged the defender 15 yards into the end zone with him en route to a 200 yard performance.

It may have been that very game against West Virginia that put Nicks on the map, and rightfully so.

Possibly Nicks’ greatest trait though, is going over the middle of the field and displaying toughness. Not many receivers even in the NFL can go over the middle and make as many tough grabs as Hakeem Nicks.

He also possesses a trait that few on the Giant’s roster currently do, which is the ability to run after the catch. Nicks gets away from defenders at any cost, whether it is spinning, trucking, or jumping, he makes the play.

I have been outlining these traits in regards to Nicks for some time, and fully believe that he can come into the league in Anquan Boldin-like fashion and blow up opponents, suddenly striking fear into the hearts of defenses. He has to be used in the right way by Kevin Gilbride for this to occur though."

Taking into consideration everything Nicks brings to the table, his usage within The Giants' offense will be paramount to his success. Tom Coughlin, Jerry Reese and the Giants' personnel staff seemed to recognize this, and sounded positive regarding his assimilation into the offense.

"We got a very good player. We like him a lot," Jerry Reese said. "Big, strong kid. Very productive, strong-bodied type you like, a lot of production. We feel very good about picking Hakeem at 29."

As I outlined, Nicks played in a pro style offense at North Carolina, making him an intriguing option to contribute immediately.

"That was one of the things that was most intriguing was we felt he was 'NFL-ready,'" (Marc)Ross said. "He played in a pro-style offense, he lined up in various different spots, he helped the other receivers get lined up and just the way he plays the game he has a savvy feel for getting open. ... We thought his style would easily transfer to our level, whereas some of the other guys played in spread offenses or the 'Wildcat.'"

All in all, I envision Hakeem Nicks being a very solid contributor in 2009, starting accross from Steve Smith, while Mario Manningham plays the slot. The way Coughlin and company speak about Nicks really speaks to how determined they are to get the passing game on its feet and shake the stigma that they have surrounding their offense. The Giant offense will be dangerous in 2009.

On to one of the steals of the draft: Clint Sintim.

Sintim played on the outside as a 3-4 linebacker in Virginia’s system, but he projects very well on the strong side in a 4-3 or even in the middle.

His strength lies in his physicality—he takes on blocks very well, works well in traffic, and has a non-stop motor. He can struggle in space at times, but he makes up for that with incredible pass rush skills. His intensity and physicality are exactly what New York is looking for in their linebacking corps.

Lastly, Tom Coughlin and Virginia head coach Al Groh go way back in their friendship.

With Sintim in the fray, New York may begin to move to a hybrid 4-3 defense, introducing some 3-4 looks in passing situations. Osi and Sintim (or the ever versatile Kiwanuka) would play the rush linebacker spots, where their skillsets would be magnified, while Tuck and Canty will play the 3-4 ends. Tuck has proven that he can play anywhere and would be a stud in that spot. Tuck pushing the pocket for Osi or Kiwi is very scary for opponents.

New York's third selection, William Beatty, was not a player whom I connected to the Giants in any of the draft previews, but thats only because I believed that he would be a first round selection.

Beatty is a 6'-6" 307 pound monster with very long arms. This selection is amazing on the part of Jerry Reese, as Beatty is a great prospect to groom behind Kareem McKenzie or David Diehl. He may even start by the end of 2009 while Diehl moves back to guard. This pick has incredible potential.

Heres to an amazing day two of the draft.

In Reese we trust.