The 49ers acquired ex-Giants, Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs, after they had great success with big blue for many years. At the time, it seemed like a big loss for the Giants, but was expected after Manningham’s “Tyree-like” performance in the Super Bowl. So far this season, it is looking more like a blessing than a curse. The Giants have not missed them one bit with Rueben Randle and Andre Brown stepping up to fill the holes left.

Last night was Jacobs’ first game active this season, having one carry for one yard. Manningham, who was thought to become a huge part of the Niners offense, has only one touchdown this season through twelve weeks. He is averaging just 11.4 receiving yards a game.

There are still a few weeks to go in the regular season, but if San Francisco was smart, they would start using these players more often during their playoff run like the Giants did. Let’s hope that letting these players go will not haunt the Giants in the playoffs.

August 18, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mario Manningham (14) on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE

As quoted in a New York Post article, Mannigham was far from being kind to his old colleagues

Oh man, that’s a player’s dream — to go out and beat their old team,’’ Manningham said. “That’s a player’s dream. We play the Dolphins (later this season) and that’s Ted’s (Ted Ginn Jr.) old team. We played Minnesota and play New England and those are Randy (Moss’) old teams. Now my time is up.

“I’m going to go out there and play my butt off, plain and simple. Do I have a grudge? No. But am I motivated? Yes. I’m motivated by this game. Who wouldn’t be motivated by playing their old team?’’

Manningham was further quoted as saying

“I couldn’t ask for a better team, better teammates, a better coaching staff, better equipment managers,’’ Manningham said. “Everyone over here is real good and down to earth.’’

May 16, 2012; Manhattan, NY, USA; The Super Bowl rings of New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck (not pictured) at the Super Bowl ring ceremony at Tiffanys in New York. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via US PRESSWIRE

I guess the Giants are not down to earth and we have rude equipment managers. However, maybe our equipment managers are just overworked by polishing the Super Bowl Championship rings every four years or so.

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1. The Top name free agents: These players like Mario Williams and Peyton Manning this year are courted by a multitude of teams, and command big bucks.  They also seem to sign pretty quickly after the start of free agency.

2. The Middle of the road guy: These are guys that flirt with a few teams and look for someone to overpay them because of how they fill a void on that team.  Think of guys like Brandon Carr who signed a 50 million dollar deal to play CB for the Dallas Cowboys, or Cortland Finnegan who got the same thing to move from the Titans to the Rams.

3. The guys who overestimated their worth:  Generally about this time players start to re-sign with their old team when they realize the demand just isn’t there.  Tedd Ginn, Anthony Collins, and even players like Mario Manningham who don’t quite get what the thought they were worth.  I think Brandon Jacobs will fit into this category as time passes.  You will start to see more players re-sign when they realize their own team can replace them and isn’t chasing, and the interest wanes as the draft approaches.

Ross, an alum of the University of Texas, was an integral part of the New York Giants defensive corps for five years.

He was the New York Giants first round pick in 2007, and racked up three interceptions in his rookie campaign. If not for injuries, Ross could have been one of the premier corners in the NFL.

New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross (31) at Super Bowl XLVI press conference... Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Ross is the second “core” New York Giant to leave this week. Mario Manningham signed a deal with the Niners to play alongside Randy Moss and Michael Crabtree.

His departure is not a surprise to most Giants fans. The plan is for Prince Amukamara to step into his place and become a shut down corner along with Corey Webster and newly re-signed Terrell Thomas.

The loss of Ross may hurt initially, but by mid-season, the Giants should be able to fill the void left by his departure.

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Mario will add a dimension to the offense in the bay area, except he seems to fill the same role as Moss, a speed guy that stretches the defense.  Moss of course has better hands, and if healthy will be the bigger threat, which will help Mario and Davis. The problem right now in SF is who will the QB be?  Alex Smith seems a bit upset at the courting of Peyton Manning, and is exploring other options.

We wish Mario the best as we do all that leave our beloved Giants to explore other options. San Francisco seems like its on a good path to success, if the front office and head coach don’t get in the way. Congrats Mario and we will see you soon!

This is the apex of a football season for a fan. The Super Bowl is the ultimate prize and nothing can top the day, well, except the parade down the Canyon of Heroes. The parade took place on February 7th, two days after the win. The emotional high that a fan experiences during a Super Bowl run is unlike anything else. Four consecutive wins and a parade to boot? It can’t get any better than that.

What is soon to follow is known as a crash. Most diehard football fans live and die with the team throughout the season. A loss can be soul crushing and a win can be as joyous as having your first child (depends on the individual of course). But, what about the offseason when everything is seemingly taken away?

While the Giants paraded down to City Hall, the media already began speculating as to where the possible landing spots of free agents would be. The Giants could not even bask in glory for two whole days without someone metaphorically raining on their parade.

The Giants have 20+ free agents in this year’s crop. They also have the never content Osi Umenyiora to worry about. Reese sure does have a lot on his plate, but do you expect any less for a G.M.? Do not let anyone fool you, the front office loves having problems like this. They just won the Super Bowl, so naturally every player is going to get a boost in worth. Victor Cruz has already asked for a pay raise, Mario Manningham looks destined for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it is going to be a hassle for players to restructure to get under the cap.

With all of this information getting leaked to the fans, hysteria will ensue. Last offseason, Jerry Reese was criticized for letting Kevin Boss and Steve Smith bolt via free agency. As the year progressed, Reese looked like a genius for these moves. Does the praise last long? Absolutely not. The minute Reese lets a beloved player walk this year is the minute the hate mail will flood in.

As a writer, I implore the fans to just hold out on judgment until at least Week 3. I know we all want to be general managers, but there is a reason we are reading about players and they are out there actually signing the players.

Have faith in Reese. I know we got hit with Linsanity as soon as the Super Bowl ended and the Rangers suddenly became relevant again, but this offseason we are in the spotlight.

Sit back, enjoy the draft, watch some NFL network and ESPN, and try not to let the offseason make you crash as hard this year. I know I sure won’t.

Steve Tisch (left) and general manager Jerry Reese react after Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Kirby Lee of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

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Jan 22, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham (82) runs up field against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter of the 2011 NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

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If this ends up being true, the best part is that he is not going to Philly, Dallas, Washington, 49ers, Falcons, and/or the Packers. Mario’s talents may be wasted in Tampa. They are an organization that has a lot of turnover and a QB that took a significant step backwards in his second season at the helm. The Bucs are also looking at a new coaching staff. However, this staff does have former Giants Asst. Coach Mike Sullivan as an Offensive Coordinator. Hopefully, Mario enjoys Tampa more than Derrick Ward did.

Stay tuned to GmenHq for updates on this developing story.

Most superstars are neutralized to a degree when opposing coaches have two weeks to figure out how to game plan against their strengths.  The greatest of the greats still make things happen, while others shrink under the pressure.  Every now and then however there is a Jack Squirek , a Rod Martin, a Larry Brown, a David Tyree, or a Timmy Smith that completely changes the path of the game.

Who do you think will be that person this year?

1. Mario Manningham: With Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham all healthy, could Super Mario live up to his nick name?

2. Julian Edelman: Julian has been singled out all week as having the toughest assignment on the field, and having to play out of position.  Could Julian make a few plays that turn the tide?

3. Travis Beckum: Travis has struggled with his health and with the playbook.  Could this be the day we see the potential of the TE out of Wisconsin turn into the reality?

4. Stephen Ridley: Ridley is a young running back with the Patriots and I believe the running game of the Patriots is a key to their success in Sunday.  Could Stephen Ridley be that guy?

Who do you think will be this years David Tyree?

Feb 3, 2008; Glendale, AZ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree (85) make the catch over New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison (37) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium. New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots with a final of 17-14. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE

Keep in mind that even with this horrendous loss, the Giants are still in contention for the NFC East division title, hard as that may be to believe. They will have to win both of their remaining games against the Jets and Cowboys if they want to play postseason football, and they’re going to have to come out full force and show the world that they deserve to be a playoff team.

Thoughts from the game: (more…)

 Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin today gave an injury update that had some good, and some bad news.  LB Mark Herzlich has been ruled out with an ankle injury.  On the other hand, LB Michael Boley practiced on a limited basis.  RB Ahmad Bradshaw did not practice and said he felt better and hopes to play Sunday.  WR Mario Manningham still has swelling in his knee and has not shown much improvement.  He might be out as well this Sunday.

So the beat goes on for the Giants…One thing we know for sure is that the New York Giants will not be at full strength for another week of the season

Defensively, the Giants came out of the game banged up a little, with Osi and Michael Herzlich sporting sprained ankles. Generally, the G-Men got little to no pressure on the QB, falied to cover the receivers, and the result was a number of big plays for the Saints offense. Special Teams were OK, and we can’t blame Steve Weatherford for failing to pick up the first down. The snap was low, and the effort to generate some offense was necessary.

From the standpoint of preparation, Kevin Gilbride appears to be unable to establisha running game, Perry Fewell seems to be unable to come up with a solid defense, and Tom Coughlin will again be forced to deal with the prospect of another late season collapse. The Giants are now a game behind Dallas, with five games to go. The only positive is that two of the games are against the Cowboys, but Dallas has been playing very well of late. Next up: the undefeated Packers are coming to town. Once again, a tough opponent looms, and the Giants are behind the eight ball.

We have landed at the halfway point of the 2011 season. Every team in the NFL have played out their first 8 games. Only two teams have played into the second half of a 16 game schedule, the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. The second half is upon us and the playoff brackets are beginning to take shape.

The NFC East has always been a competitive division, in and of itself and outside of the conference/division. The first impressions that many had of the NFC East have been blown out of the water. Regardless of record, any team in this conference is capable, at any time, of making the opposition sorry for mistaking a losing record for terminal weakness. We’ve got the grades and projections for the remainder of the season right here. Welcome to the NFC EAST Midseason Report Card! Check it out!
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In his postgame interview, New York Giants’ LT David Diehl said,

“It’s a determination. We knew in order to win this football game, you can’t settle for field goals down there. So, we had that determination – “Hey we get it down there, we’re putting touchdowns up” and that was the case today. It was an awesome win.”

There is bittersweet irony in that statement. The obvious, the Giants were forced into kicking 3 FGs yesterday against a solid Buffalo Bills defense, one of which was blocked from 50 yards out. The not so obvious, the Gmen are dead LAST in the FG department throughout the league. That might sound jarring, if it were any other category. But our Boys In Blue have been very successful down in the red zone thus far in the season and have been registering more touchdowns this year than those, quite often, disappointing 3 pointers. Is this the secret to their overwhelming, under the radar success? Read on my friends.
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It’s the day after, the day after the New York Giants gave the Philadelphia Eagles a lesson in humility, aka “a good spanking.” This particular Big Blue victory tastes just as sweet today as it did on Sunday. There are no taunts or tirades coming from Eagles country. In fact, if you listen closely you can hear the tumbleweeds blow by as the GIANT cold front continues to gust throughout the quieted ghost town of Philly.

The Giants did more than just beat the Eagles (29-16 for those of you who just love saying it) on Sunday. They poked holes in the self proclaimed…something or other…nickname that Philly bestowed upon themselves. The Gmen did more than just add another win to their record. They caused the NFL world, Eagles organization and its fans to question their entire offseason, acquisitions and decisions not to re-sign some of the birds who flew the coop. Only two short weeks ago, the Eagle Nation were sitting on top of the NFC East drooling over another fabled Super Bowl win. Today, they question whether or not the foundation of their team has been built on shaky ground.
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