Justin Tuck was hurt for the first time in his career this season and still was healthy enough to dominate some teams.  Hopefully he will be able to get his neck and other issues under control and return to being the pillar of strength and the consistent player he has become.  He will be wearing a new facemask this year to help keep offensive lineman from twisting his neck and head.

Marvin Austin was drafted last year and suffered an early injury.  At 6’2″ 312 pounds he is a natural defensive tackle that should provide run stopping ability and pressure up the middle of the field.  We will see.

Rocky Bernard played in all 16 games this season and had 15 solo tackles, 15 assisits, 3 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble and recovery.  He is the veteran in the middle, holding the place until Joseph and Austin are ready to dominate.

Linval Joseph had a nice season starting 15 of the 16 games and recording 49 tackles and 2 sacks.  He is set to play the middle for a while here in New York.

Chris Canty signed away from the Dallas Cowboys after the 2008 season played in all 16 games and showed why the Giants and Jerry Reese wanted him so badly.  47 tackles, 4 sacks, one for a safety.  Canty is another very valuable asset up the middle for the Giants.

Dwayne Hendricks did play in one game this year.  At 6’3″ and 305 pounds, he is another young player for the Giants to develop.

Jason Pierre-Paul is now the media star of this team.  He is the Victor Cruz of the defense.  The great thing about JPP is he defers to Tuck and Osi and the true leaders of this team, he is not too big for his britches as they say, and will be a star in the NFL for a long time to come.

Justin Trattou is entering his second year with the Giants and will benefit greatly from all the off season training he missed last year.

OSI….He has reached one name status.  Osi missed a number of games last year with a knee issue and some say a bad attitude.  Since Osi came back full force, he proved his worth as a pass rusher.  He still gives up the edge too quickly on running plays and can be schemed against when he is in the game.  As a pass rusher he is relentless and adds a dimension to this line that would be missed if he didn’t stay with the team.  Having the luxury of moving JPP to the opposite side, add Justin Tuck and Canty up the middle, and third and long becomes impossible for the opposing teams.  Osi is a free agent at the end of the season, and will want to show exactly what he con offer to teams in the future.

Also in the mix here are Matt Broha a Defesnsive End drafted out of Louisiana Tech, Dwayne Hendricks, Defensive Tackle from Miami, Markus Kuhn Defensive Tackle out of N.C. State, Craig Marshall Defensive End from South Florida, Adewale Ojomo Defensive End also from Miami, and Martin Parker out of Richmond.  These are all young players that the Giants will look to develop through the system and hopefully fond some hidden gems.

Shaun Rogers was also signed this offseason from the Detroit Lions, but he is having a lingering issue and it still needs to be proven that he can contribute to this team.

This group is in good hands and has plenty of depth to withstand some minor injuries throughout the year.  This unit should continue to dominate most games.

Perry is looking for answers....

The New York Giants enter their day off today as the leaders in the NFC East. However, all is not rosy in East Rutherford. The Giants may be in first place, but everyone knows the Giants cannot make a run in the playoffs with the defense playing the way they are.

Here are some of the awful statistics that represent and define who the Giants are defensively:

• Ranked 30th in Yards Allowed Per Game at 391.6
• Ranked 27th in Points Allowed Per Game at 26.8
• Ranked 22nd in Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game at 127.9
• Ranked 29th in Passing Yards Allowed Per game at 263.7
• Ranked 10th in INTs with 15
• Ranked 6th in Sacks with 36
• Ranked 26th in Total TDs allowed with 26.

In his weekly press conference today Perry Fewell seemed to bring more heat than his defense has in the past few weeks.  When asked what he had told his troops this week Fewell didn’t hold back:

“Obviously we need to play with more energy. We have to play with more passion. That was a game against a playoff football team, we have aspirations of being a playoff team. Sometimes it’s just the will. It’s the will to get it done. We didn’t will ourselves to get it done. ”

When asked how he felt about the teams play last Monday in New Orleans where they surrendered 49 points:

“I was pissed, okay. I was getting them going Monday night and we’re getting going this week. Player friendly or not, it’s all about winning. It’s all about being successful on the football field. I think that they got the message and we all understand what’s on the line for us.”

Both Fewell and Head Coach Tom Coughlin praised the play and hustle of Jason Pierre-Paul.  They explained that that is how the entire team needs to play to be successful, not just one player.  He stated that he thought his players did not go all out on every play. When asked if he saw his players stop short on a few plays: (more…)

Let’s take a look at who many believe to be the top teams in the league and how they are faring defensively:

Green Bay: Ranked 30th in total defense averagng over 393 yards per game allowed

New England: Ranked 32nd in total defense

New Orleans: Ranked 25th in total defense

Chicago: Ranked 23rd

Houston, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore rank 1st to third in that order…….so if you still believe that Defense Wins Championships…One of those three teams will be wearing the crown come February.

Offense:  The 9ers are a pure running team.  They find all sorts of ways to get Frank Gore in good positions.  Their two running backs have a total of 999 yards on the ground so far this year.  They have a young and talented offensive line whose athleticism has proved to be it’s strength.  In my opinion Alex Smith, the QB, is still not ready to win at this level.  He has been kept under wraps, been given safe throws to make, and has not been asked to win a game without his running attack.  He has thrown for less that 1500 yards this season with a completion percentage of 64% and has been sacked 19 times.  The San Francisco team has some talent to catch the ball in Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and Tedd Ginn Jr. however Smith’ accuracy on anything too far down the field is still a problem.  The 9ers will throw to backs, TE’s, and even some offensive tackles, in order to keep the opponent guessing, and to provide Smith with quick short throws.

Defense: Ranked number 1 against the rush, and first in points allowed with just 14.  They haven’t played many good scoring teams, and therefore that rank might be a little optimistic.  They are an impressive +12 in turnover ratio and have 22 sacks.  They are a strong 3-4 defensive team against the run, but rank 30th against the pass.

Specials:  Here comes another explosive special teams layer in Tedd Ginn Jr.  He has kickoff and punt returns for T.D’s, and can ruin any game in a hurry.  They have ex-Eagles kicker David Akers who is 19 of 21 with a long of 55.  With Alex Smith being a liability the 9ers don’t hesitate to call on Akers to put points on the board.

The call here for the Giants is simple.  Make Alex Smith beat you.  While looking out for play action passes the Giants will face their toughest task to date stopping the run.  The 9ers run the ball an average of 30 times a game while averaging 59 plays a game.  Look for the Giants to stack the box, play the three safeties a lot, and do whatever they can to force San Francisco into third and long.

As of this writing it looks like the Giants will be without Ahmad Bradshaw again this week, but Hakeem Nicks seems on track to go.

On Offense: Tom Brady……I could stop there, but they do rush for 112 a game over and above the absurd number of 325, which is what Brady averages a game, to go along with 28 points.  They have two players that they call tight ends.  They are nothing more than big, fast receivers.  The just line up a little differently.  The Giants might have an edge on other teams though, since they routinely play three safeties and don’t rely on line backers to cover tight ends that much.  The right side of their offensive line has been rebuilt, but old friends Mankins and Light remain on the left.  The same left side Justin Tuck and Michael Strahan had so much success against in the Super Bowl.

On Defense: Here’s the good news for Giants fans.  The Patriots and Bill Belichick actually rank last in passing yards and total yards allowed.  They yield 23 points a game.  They have made some adjustments going forward, but Eli should be able to continue at his high level of performance he has shown this year.  The short to intermediate passing game is key to keep the chains moving, the clock running, and the Patriots offense off the field.

 Key Injuries:  As of this writing their were some significant injuries on both sides.  Wes Welker has continued to miss practices and might be limited on the game.  The Patriots injury list as most people know is a joke.  They list everyone who has ever had an injury basically because Belichick doesn’t believe it’s his job to inform the other teams of the status of his players.

On the Giants side, Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw are questionable.  Without them look for names like D. J. Ware, Da’Rell Scott, Ramses Barden, Devin Thomas, Michael Clayton and ,oh yeah, some guy named Jacobs to play roles in this Sundays contest.

The Giants as we all know face opponents with a record of 39-25 the rest of the way.  What really matters is that no one, except Green Bay, has a better record than the Giants themselves.  Keep fighting, play smart, get healthy, and FINISH.

On Defense they have a total of 14 sacks, with Cameron Wake having 5 of those.  Their starting secondary has a total of zero interceptions, with the team totaling only two.  They allow an average of almost 380 yards a game while yielding over 24 points per contest.

The good news for the Giants this week is the health of their players.  Justin Tuck is back. Chris Snee is back.  The entire team is healing in time for the second half push.  While this is one of those games where the Giants might start slow, and look a little sluggish, I am hoping that the Seattle disaster a few weeks ago is fresh in their minds.  I hope they start quick, get the Dolphins down early, and cruise to an easy win before their schedule turns brutal.

The Offense (B):  The Giants offense is starting to click at the right time.  Although the running game has not quite reached the level they will need it to, the overall offense is moving in the right direction.  When you see Eli feel comfortable with the likes of Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard you know the offense is working.  It is great to see guys step up and make plays.  Yes, teams will start to keep an eye on Ballard now, but that only opens up opportunities to get the ball to the backs, and to the other wideouts.  The O-Line continues to be the victim of injuries, but again this builds depth for the rest of the season.  All in all this offense which ranks 9th in points and 7th in passing is moving in the right direction.  The running game will prove to be the final piece of any success they enjoy this season.

The Defense(C):  It seems the defense has been struggling since day one.  They must rely on pressuring the QB and have to find a way to limit the running games of opponents.  Hopefully Justin Tuck will return in the next week or two and be able to stay healthy the remainder of the season.  This is a big piece of the puzzle.  The pressure that a healthy D-Line puts on the offense is key.  Not only in the passing game, but against the run.  Hopefully the second half sees the beginning of the career of “The Prince”.  Prince Amukamara will allow the safeties to return to their natural positions and should strengthen the defense overall.  Health is the key for this defense.

Special teams(B):  The most pleasant surprise here has been Steve Weatherford. Top ten in average and top 5 in return yardage against is a big reason the specials have been better.  Aaron Ross has stabilized the punt return position.  I still would look for Jerrel Jernigan to get a shot somewhere here this season.  He did dress for his first game last week.  The kickoff returns have been so-so, but no turnovers in either category is a goal achieved.  Lawrence Tynes has been stellar on kickoffs, but the confidence certainly isn’t there on the field goal front.

The Outlook:  30-16….That is the combined record of the teams the Giants will face after the Dolphins leave town.  Not only do the Giants face some traditionally good teams, they play them at all the wrong places and times.  IN New England, IN New Orleans on a Monday Night, IN San Francisco, IN Dallas on a Sunday Night, add to that home games against Green Bay and the cross town rival Jets.  This is a tough challenge.  Now, you never know what a team will look like when you finally play them, but it lays out as a very tough road.  Maybe the best thing that happens for the Giants this year is Philly, Dallas and Washington stay mediocre to poor, and the path gets a bit easier.  The Good news is this team can only get healthier.  Hopefully they will continue to improve on this front and have a complete team to compete with going forward,

On Offense the Bills rank third in points scored with almost 33.  They are 4th in rushing yards and 13th in passing.  They are led by Ivy League (HARVARD) QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who seems to have found a system he can work within.  Head coach Chan Gailey has turned this part of the team around.  Fitzpatrick  now completes 66% of his passes.  He has 10 TD’s with 4 INT’s.  He has not fumbled the ball so far this year.  He is a possession Qb with the ability to throw the ball deep.  Again the stats say he averages 7 yards a throw, but he has only been sacked three times, and has thrown for a total of over 1200 yards.  Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson are the stars of this offense.  The Bills know how to spread the ball around through the air, and can pound you on the ground.  This is a true west coast offense, one that can give the Giants fits if they are not careful.

Finally we face a team without a Special teams nightmare waiting to happen.  The Bills average 7 yards a return on punts with a long of 10, and 24 yards on kickoffs with a long of 25.  Hopefully the Giants can win a field position battle this week.

Giants need to avoid the turnovers this week, and turn both of the sack stats of Buffalo around.   The Giants should be able to keep Eli upright against a team with a total of 4 sacks, and hopefully can have Ryan Fitzpatrick visit the Meadowlands turf more times this game than he has all year…it would go as a big plus towards winning this game.

The Seahawks Offense:  Led by old friend QB Tarvaris Jackson, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, and RB Marshawn Lynch.  Saying the offense hasn’t hit it’s stride yet would be an understatement.  They currently rank at or near the bottom in every offensive category, and this week they may be without a big weapon in Mike Williams.  Williams suffered a concussion last week and hasn’t practiced as of this writing.  Also not practicing were CB Marcus Trufant, and LG Robert Gallery.  The ‘Hawks start two rookies on the right side of their line, and now with Gallery out, it becomes a very young line, and one that has a few people out of position.  The job of the Giants will be to fix their run defense this week.  Marshawn Lynch is a very capable, strong runner with some speed.  He will test the Giants defense this week.  While Tarvaris certainly has the arm to throw it down the field, and Sidney Rice has the talent to get open, the Giants will have the luxury of not having to cover Mike Williams.  They should be able to do as they have done the past few weeks and keep the receivers in front of them.  Not giving up big plays to this team will be the key.  They should be incapable of sustaining long drives if the run defense does a decent job, and then exploit the young O-Line on passing downs.

The Seahawks Defense: The ‘Hawks play a 4-3 defense with an undersized linebacking core.  The team has only recorded 5 sacks this season, and has given up an average of 5.1 yards per play.  If they are indeed without their CB Marcus Trufant, it could be a long day for the ‘Hawks defense if Eli Manning remains hot.  The Giants will do their usual plan of attack in using the run to bring down the safeties, and then exploit them with play action passes down the field.  The Seahawks are a -4 in turnover ratio.

Special Teams:  Usually I don’t put a section on Special Temas, but this week it is relevant.  Former Jet Leon Washington returns to the Meadowlands as an explosive and very intelligent return man.  He also is used on third downs and even in some wild cat formations.  Leon is about the only thing that could wreck the game plan for the Giants this week.  Look for the Giants to force the ball deep on kickoffs, and to completely neutralize him on punt returns.

The Giants take care of business in this first of three straight at home.

1.  After an Ahmad Bradshaw fumble, the Cardinals started in the Red Zone (the Giants 16), and got three points.

2. After forcing the Giants to punt, Arizona got the ball at their own 48, and turned the ball over in the Red Zone( Giants 17).

3. 15 plays 80 yards 9 minutes of possession, and got three points.

The first half defense by the Giants, and their uncanny knack of denying points from point blank range, put the team in position to win the game in the end.

Last week I mentioned how statistically equal these two teams were.  Well yesterday did nothing to change that.  Here are some stats:

Total Plays: Giants 65  Cardinals 70

Total Yards: Giants 360 Cardinals 368

Turnovers: Two each

First Downs: Giants 24  Cardinals 22

The Cardinals had lost two games by a total of 4 points…now it’s three by 8 points.

Not much is different about these teams except the Giants have shown the ability to finish games this year, something the Cardinals still need to perfect.

On Offense: The Cardinals have struggled so far to gel as an offense. New Qb Kevin Kolb, whom the team acquired from Philadelphia in the off-season, has struggled in his decision making. He has not yet found a chemistry with his teammates. He has thrown for 5 TD’s while also throwing 3 picks, and fumbling once. He has also been sacked 8 times in this young season. Of course the Cardinals have All-World WR Larry Fitzgerald on their team, and he can be instant offense for any QB. Fitzgerald is capapble of making any catch against any number of defenders. We can only hope this isn’t the week Kolb and Fitzgerald find the same page. Also back in the mix for the Cardinals is running back Beanie Wells. Wells was out last week, but says he’s ready to go for the game on Sunday. Wells has 32 carries for 183 yards in 2 games, a great average, but if he only carries the ball 15 times, the Giants will have done their job. The Cardinals are a veteran team that have not learned how to work together.

On Defense: The Cardinals play a 3-4 defense. They are very strong up front and have an active Line backing corps. They are particularly strong on the left side with Darnell Dockett, Joey Porter, and rookie CB Patrick Peterson. Once again they are a veteran group, except at the two corner spots. Second year man A.J. Jefferson joins the rookie Peterson in the defensive backfield, however they are backed up by 18 years combined experience at the Safety spot in Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes. Look for Rhodes to blitz off the corner on third downs. The Giants must establish some dominance in the running game to neutralize the safeties. The more the Giants can run, the better chance they will have to throw it over the top of the defense for some big plays.

As I stated earlier these two teams are statistically similar. Let’s take a look:

Offensively the Giants rank 10th in the NFC, the Cardinals 8th. Yards per play, and total yards are almost identical. The Giants hold the edge in points per game and also in the all important turnover category. The Giants are +4, while the Cardinals are -1. On Defense the Giants currently rank 8th, while the Cardinals are at 14. However yards per play and points scored are virtually identical.

This contest will be all about turnovers, and pressuring a Qb in Kevin Kolb that hasn’t quite grasped his new system. Kolb will throw some prayers against pressure, the Giants have to hope Larry Fitzgerald doesn’t answer those prayers. Controlling the running game and forcing Kolb to look across at JPP, Tuck, Canty, Osi, Kiwi, and Michael Boley all day on third and long should prove a successful formula for the Giants. If this team were coached by anyone other than Tom Coughlin I would warn against the long travel, and a let down after last weeks big win. I don’t feel these are concerns. Giants should prevail, but this game is closer than most people think.

On Offense:  The Giants, for the second week in a row, face a team that plays poorly against the run.  In what is admittedly a small sample, the Eagles give up an average of 5.3 yards per rush.  Unlike the Rams, the Eagles are extremely weak at the Linebacker position.  To back-up this claim, the Eagles have re-aligned their much maligned Linebacking corps.  The Eagles drafted Casey Matthews purely on name recognition alone.  He is not an NFL Middle Linebacker.  He has now been moved to the outside and is replaced by second year man Jamar Chaney.  Andy Reid is saying the change is being made for the matchup against the Giants, in other words he’s searching for an answer to a huge defensive problem.  The Eagles play a scheme with their front four, as we all heard Sunday night ,called The Wide-Nine.  Their Rush ends are split wide, about 4 and a half yards away from their interior tackles.  Their sole job is to rush upfield and turn everything back to the inside.  The linebackers are supposed to fill the holes, and make the plays in the gaps….they haven’t.  The Giants will need to find some blocking schemes to exploit this alignment that the Eagles employ on almost every down.  Getting a back one on one against a linebacker on the Eagles is a good thing, Bradshaw and Jacobs will need to carry the load this week.  The Giants will run, run, run, setting up the over the top passes as they did last week when the secondary drops down to help.

On Defense:  The Giants cannot cover all the speed the Eagles can employ in their offense.  The pressure on Michael Vick must be relentless.  Keeping Vick in the pocket, or forcing him to his right will be a key element in this game.  The Eagles of course have also learned that Vick cannot throw when running right, so look for their line to move the pocket left from the snap.  The Eagles also employ lots of screens, swing passes, and mis-direction runs.  When trying to put maximum pressure on a Qb, it is very difficult to fill all the lanes on the back side.  The Giants must remain disciplined in their attack, send pressure from the secondary, and do their best to keep the receivers in front of them.  A few long drives by the Giants offense would go a long way in making the defense a success.

The key to this game should come down to turnovers and penalties.  As an official, I can tell you that penalties stop more drives than anything else.  Penalties on Special Teams are especially tough.  The Giants need to play smart and avoid unnecessary penalties.  The other key is winning the turnover battle.  Michael Vick is prone to fumbling.  He fumbles when sacked, and can be stripped when he runs.  The Giants defense must win the turnover battle this Sunday for any chance of success in this division match-up.

This is an early tough test for the G-Men on the road within the division….One thing I look for is for the Giants to play a full 4 quarter battle.  The Falcons kept fighting last week, stuck to their plan, and came back for 14 points to win.  FINISHING is the KEY.

The Offense:  The Giants moved the ball very well against the Jets. Now the Jets are not very good against the run, as Pittsburgh proved last year in the playoffs, but they are a top defensive team in the league and it was a good measuring stick.  Brandon Jacobs looked solid and ran committed.  He ran over a few Jets on his way to 51 yards on 10 carries, and more importantly ran well in short yardage situations.  This also shows the O-Line is starting to come together and working as a unit.  The receivers however, as a whole, look confused.  Hakeem Nicks made some nice catches against a very good secondary, and Mario Manningham was open a few times, but Eli failed to make the throw, and this is where the problem lies this off-season.  I think Eli has had to take too much on his shoulders what with a new O-Line, in particular a new center, and new receivers.  On certain plays Monday night Eli seemed to have to speak to every player on offense individually.  he would call the protections, then move the backs, then look at each receiver, then try and get people to move or go in motion at the proper time.  While I think Eli is a good Qb, he is going to need help as the season progresses.  I think some of these receivers are doing a great job, but at times they forget where they are.  They have taken penalties for illegal motion, illegal formation, they have not read blitzes correctly, and have run some bad routes.  It is all part of the growing pains of playing in the NFL, but these guys are going to need to step it up, become professionals, and be consistent on every play.  Travis Beckum, Victor Cruz, Devin Thomas, and Domenik Hixon are going to have to contribute something for this sesaon to be a success.

The Defense:  This will be another strong unit this year.  Even with the loss of Terrell Thomas, the Giants proved the other night that they are deep enough and talented enough to be a top defensive team this year.  Aaron Ross continues to play like he did his rookie year.  Antrelle Rolle quietly, well quietly for him, has moved to the nickel corner in passing situations and looked good on Monday night.  The defensive line has learned to get pressure using just the 4 linemen, and that is a big key to success.  If you can rush a QB in this league using just the four guys upfront, your chances of success go way up.  Of course the addition of Osi and “The Prince” down the line will only improve this unit.  The much maligned linebacking core has even looked good this pre-season, and will continue to improve as we move forward.  Giant fans love their Defense, and this unit will make you proud this year.

Special Teams:  And now for the bad news.  Wow, as good as they seemed to look the week before, that’s how bad they looked this Monday night.  A step back for most units.  The punt return situation has remained the same….awful.  As a Giant punt returner your main job has always been to secure the ball first and foremost.  That became a major challenge Monday night.  I think Thursday night will be a test for some young players, and some veterans, to see what we can accomplish in this area.  I am hoping it was just an off night by a young player trying to impress. We will see. Kickoffs will be returned by Devin Thomas, and he will be a major upgrade over the 17 yard average from a year ago.  The punting competition continues, and the health of Lawrence Tynes will determine who the place kicker will be.

So, Thursday night will be a last ditch effort by some players to show something, but I imagine the final 50 if not 53 has already been determined.  Stay tuned to GMENHQ.COM for all roster moves when they are announced on Saturday, and as always, enjoy the game!

Mathias Kiwanuka is a versatile player, and there’s no question that the hybrid DE/LB knows how to get to the QB when given the opportunity. To when the Giants Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell lined him up at SLB at the start of training camp – Kiwanuka knew what Fewell had in mind. Stop the run and get after the QB.

About Fewell, Kiwi had this to say:

“He knows how to use his personnel. People refer to my versatility but that has a lot to do with the fact that Perry is going to put people in the position to make plays and he’s done a good job at that. Perry is all about wanting to get the quarterback, stopping the run the way it should be done, and he’s going to use whatever means he has to get it done.”

The beginning of last year brings back very fond memories of the Giants defense. You had a great rotation of pass rushers playing multiple positions in multiple subpackages. Deception was the name of the game — tons of variables for the offense to process. The only constant was pressure IS coming. Devastation was around the corner at every snap, particularly from Mathias Kiwanuka. Kiwi had 4 sacks in 3 games and looked to only be getting started when he went out for the season with his herniated disc. During the offseason, he kept himself at a specific weight in between a LB and DE to be that versatile weapon once again for any team that required his services.

“People were looking at me as a linebacker, so I tried to keep my weight so it split the difference between where I would play as a defensive end and where I would play as a linebacker.”

Smart move. And although he wasn’t signed as a Giants to begin this season – it sounds like NY is where he wanted to be all along, as he had some more good things to say about Fewell and the rest of the defensive unit:

“There’s tremendous potential here. We have a great core group of guys. Everybody obviously worked hard during the offseason, Everybody’s in great shape. I think the thing that puts us in the best position is having Perry. You know he’s going to call the right numbers at the right time. If we live up to our potential, we’ll dominate.”

Glad he’s back in blue, and hopefully he can get back on track with his sack numbers — right where he left off in 2010.

[quotes via Giants.com]