“He should, he should. The New York Giants have been whupping his ass for a long time. I mean it has got to be tough on the outside looking in on all these championships lately.”

This little back and forth between the Cowboys’ owner and the Giants’ players has been a cute storyline leading to Wednesday’s season opener between the two teams. But for all their bluster and tradition, I’d be surprised if any Giants fan was honestly afraid of the Cowboys heading into this season.

Dallas has some very good players, including a quarterback coming off of a career year. They have a young and talented coach. They have an owner who’s willing to win at all costs. They certainly have all the pieces for a long run into the postseason, and at least one “expert” at ESPN has picked them to win the Super Bowl (which is one more than chose Big Blue to repeat). But as a Giants fan, how can you take them seriously?

The Cowboys always have some very good players. Somebody always picks them to win the Super Bowl. But these are not the Cowboys of Aikman, Irvin and Smith. This franchise, in it’s modern era, hasn’t won a thing. The Cowboys have one playoff win in the last 15 years. They have only won the NFC East twice during that span. And every offseason, the “experts,” and often the Cowboys themselves, tell us this year will be different.

I’m not buying it. The teams that win championships in today’s NFL are the ones with stability, professionalism and leadership. The Patriots have those qualities. The Packers have those qualities. The Giants have those qualities. The Cowboys make headlines for putting their players in time out.

Jerry Jones desperately wants to believe that his current Dallas team is just as good as they were in the glory days of the early 90s, but they’re not. Look again at the quote by Kiwanuka: “It has got to be tough on the outside looking in on all these championships lately.” I started following the Giants in the early 1990s. Too young to remember Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor, not young enough to miss our bitterest rival’s run of three championships in four years. I was deeply jealous of the Cowboys in the 90s. Kiwi’s line is so appropriate because it’s easy to imagine Jones saying the same about the Giants back then.

But his time has passed. Whether anyone outside of New York cares to acknowledge it, the Giants have a talented roster and the coaching staff and front office to maximize its success. For once, it’s the Cowboys who are jealous. They should be.

“I’m just happy, I’m happy all that’s over with,” said Umenyiora. “It’s time to get back to work. It was definitely frustrating (not being on the field this spring), but hearing some of the things they said, whether it was Kiwi or (Justin) Tuck or JPP (Jason Pierre-Paul) or Antrel (Rolle) – hearing the way they supported me, it made me want to come back even more and be around them. Those guys really stepped up for me. I really appreciate it and I’m happy to be here with them.”

This has been difficult for Osi because he loves the Giants and did not want to leave his teammates or the fans. 2012 will be his ninth season with the Giants and has played with no other team in the NFL.  Recently, other defensive players have been given contracts larger than the 2007 $41 million dollar extension he agreed to. This was the catalyst for Osi’s requests for more money. He was to make $3.975 million in the 2012 season. He has not been practicing with the team during the contract negotiations. Details of the new agreed have not yet been released.

“This gives me peace of mind, definitely,” Umenyiora said. “We just resolved a situation. It really was affecting me in a bad way. Because I didn’t like all the negativity that was surrounding the whole situation. I couldn’t stand it, because if you know me, you know I’m not that type of person. I’m just happy all that is over with and I’ll be there. I’ll play out this contract, I’ll play this year and I’ll play my heart out.”

“I appreciate Osi’s patience and effort through this process,” stated Giants GM Jerry Reese. “We talked it out, and it makes sense for everybody involved. We are very pleased, excited and looking forward to seeing number 72 on the field at Monday’s OTA.”

In his career, Umenyiora has made 333 tackles, 69 sacks, 30 forced fumbles, and recovered 13 fumbles. Last season he played 9 games and made 25 tackles, 9 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.

Aug 2, 2010; Albany, NY, USA; New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell holds up a play card for his players during training camp in Albany. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray/THE STAR-LEDGER via US PRESSWIRE

As OTA’s get started and training camp right around the corner, what are the keys to watch for this season? For the Giants to get a playoff birth and make another run at the title they will need to fill the holes of outgoing players and upgrade at a few other areas.

1. Who will be the Victor Cruz of 2012? When Steve Smith departing last offseason there was a huge question mark at the WR position. Thankfully out of virtually no where Cruz emerged and had a monster season finishing behind only Calvin Johnson in recieving yards in the NFC.  With Mario Manningham gone to the left coast and now a question mark on Hakeem Nicks season the WR position has yet again become a problem area. So, who will step up? As of now we have Cruz, Domenik Hixon coming off injury, and rookie Rueban Randle as the likely top 3. After that it’s  Ramses Bardan and Jerrel Jernigan both of which have yet to show any promise. Hopefully Nicks can return to form by week 4 or 5.

2. The linebacker position seems to be the opposite of last year at this time. With Chase Blackburn being re-signed and emerging as a force in the middle and the signing of Keith Rivers from Cincinnati really will solidify the LB corp with Boley and Kiwi flipping between LB and End. And the experience that Williams, Jones and Herzlich gained last year filling in now makes this a strength and no longer the weak link of the defense.

3. The running game had an extremely lack luster year in 2011. Being non existent for most of the year only emerging in the latter part of the regular season and the playoffs, mainly due to the respect for Eli and fear of the big play, needs to be better. With Jacobs joining Manningham in SF and DJ Ware and Da’rel Scott showing very little last season it was clear that Bradshaw would need help. The Giants turned to the Draft and picked David Wilson. With Bradshaw always fighting injuries from his running style and Wilson being a rookie it would appear the G-Men will probably go to a 3 headed running attack with Bradshaw, Ware and Wilson. But this area will be a question with only 1 back That is battle tested.

4. The Offensive Line had an up and down year in 2011, giving good protection in the passing game and poor run blocking. The one constant on the line has been and will be Chris Snee at right guard. With Kareem McKenzie not being re-signed mean that Will Beatty and James Brewer fighting for right tackle, off season signing Sean Locklear with provide depth. The left side appears it will be David Diehl at LT and Kevin Boothe and Mitch Petreus battling for RG. Petreus would add needed toughness and help for the running game. David Baas had a rough start, but seemed to settle in at the center position nicely.

These questions should be answered by the end of training camp and will be key areas that will need to be solid for the Giants to make another run to the playoffs and possible championship.

Fernando Medina/US Presswire

The Osi Umenyiora vs Jerry Reese battle is heating up and getting ready to blow. Osi is apparently upset by the latest contract offers from the Giants. Umenyiora upset with Reese saying recently ” Osi has been offered an extension two years in a row now”.Osi replied In an email sent to the Post  ”yes, they offered an extension this year,” Umenyiora wrote “guaranteeing half of what Kiwi was guaranteed. So him telling you guys they offered an extension is technically the truth. And I’m very greedy for turning down half of what Kiwi just got.” LoL. Osi also believes Reese is trying to make Him look like a “Greedy Pig.”

Kiwi was guaranteed $10.75 million, which would mean if Osi is  correct, he was offered a guarantee of $5 million. Osi is in the last year of a 7 year $ 41.5 million contract. Umenyiora believes someone of his pass rushing ability is worth $10 million a year. And is due $3.975 million this hear. He is looking for a 4 year deal with $15 to$17 million guaranteed.

It has become clear to everyone that these two men will not agree on a contract, too many bridges have been burned between them. No matter who you feel is right or wrong in this, bottom line is that it can disrupt a football team. And Osi has said he will no longer talk publicly about this matter. So it is unclear if he will demand a trade. Considering how well this has gone the last 2 years, I think a trade would be good for both sides.

’

Last year was a career year for the 29-year-old linebacker and he played in all 20 games. He played strongside linebacker for first and second downs and lineman for passing situations. Kiwanuka finished the season with 84 tackles (fourth on the team), 3.5 sacks, 13 tackles for losses, 9 quarterback hits, an interception, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Mathias Kiwanuka had a neck injury in 2010 and missed most of the season. As a result, he did not get a large contract when he re-signed a two-year agreement in the offseason. His career year last season convinced the front office to offer a longer more lucrative contract.

Now I’m no fortune teller and I’ve been called crazy on many occasions but I am getting the feeling that the Giants are filling all defensive positions with the intention of trading Umenyiora to fill vacant or weak positions. Is anyone feeling the same thing?

2012 started off on the right foot for the New York Giants and their fans as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys for the second time this season by a 31-14 margin to clinch the NFC East title, guaranteeing at least one more week of New York Giants football in perhaps the sweetest fashion possible. The Giants will face the Atlanta Falcons in New York next Sunday in the first round of the playoffs.

Thoughts from the game-

-Surprise, surprise- Victor Cruz came up big once again. What else is there left to say about him that hasn’t already been said?

-Hakeem Nicks get a lot of attention for his receiving talents (and rightly so). But he also deserves to get some props for the job that he does when it comes to blocking downfield for his teammates. If he doesn’t make the blocks that he did on Cruz’s touchdown catch and Ahmad Bradshaw’s first tally, those guys might not have scored.

-Travis Beckham really needs to work on his blocking. He struggled last week against the Jets and again tonight against Dallas. The Giants are definitely missing Jake Ballard in that regard.

-My fondness for Henry Hynoski continues to grow. It’s nice to have a fullback with hands, isn’t it?

-Eli Manning’s touchdown to Nicks was his fifteenth of the season in the fourth quarter- a new NFL record.

-Speaking of Eli Manning, it was mentioned tonight that his pocket awareness and movement has been so much better this year than in previous seasons, and that has a lot to do with his success this year. I could not agree more.

-It’s amazing how much better the entire Giants defense plays when the defensive line dominates. And it wasn’t just Jason Pierre-Paul getting pressure tonight. Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Chris Canty all contributed. New York managed six sacks tonight and Tony Romo never really got much of a chance to get comfortable.

-The Giants did manage to get a few breaks tonight, managing to recover one fumble and then DeMarcus Ware being flagged for jumping offsides when the Cowboys recovered another Giants fumble.

-The offensive line has consistently played well as a whole in the past week or two. Jay Ratliff and Ware hardly got a sniff at Manning all night. The Giants running game still isn’t a strong as I’d like but they’re definitely better off running the ball to Kevin Boothe’s side when he’s in at guard.

-It was, once again, an overall team effort, with both the offense and defense playing well. The defense managed to contain the Cowboys well and the offense was able to score when needed. The Giants are on a bit of a hot streak right now and if they play like they did tonight, they can beat just about any team they’re up against.

From Tom Coughlin, to Eli Manning, to Justin Tuck, and the suddenly vocal Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants appear to be ALL IN.  Even Lawrence Taylor chimed in this week, saying only the Giants were capable of beating the Giants in this contest Sunday Night at Giants Stadium against the Cowboys of Arlington.  The Giants will hand out towels to all fans Sunday that have the phrase ALL IN Printed on them, and it seems to reflect the mood around Giant camp this week.

No bold predictions, but a confidence that they know if they play together, play smart, they can accomplish anything.  They are at home playing for a division title, they are coming off a dominant defensive win, their first of the year, and they think they can continue with that effort.  Let’s take a look at some of the match-ups.

Giants D-Line vs. Dallas O-Line:  The Giants will have a full complement of defensive linemen to rotate into the game Sunday Night.  Osi is back, Tuck is healthy, and J.P.P. has gotten better every week.  The rotation of healthy pass rushers and run stoppers is phenomenal.  Chris Canty, Rocky Benard, Linval Joseph and Dave Tollefson will all contribute.  The Cowboy offensive line is perhaps the weakest part of their team.  Costa at center has been injured, and is inconsistent at best.  Not just his blocking, but snapping the ball in shotgun formation is always an adventure.  Tony Romo, with his bruised hand, figures to be in shotgun a lot Sunday, so look for this to be factor at some point.  Montrae Holland, the starting left guard, was placed on IR last week ending his season.  J.P.P. lines up against Doug Free, who he beat repeatedly last time they met, and now next to him is either Daniel Loper or  rookie Kevin Kowalski.  Kosier and Smith are pretty good on the right side, but Justin Tuck missed most of the previous Dallas game, and he will be back in force to challenge this side of the line.  The Giants should have no problem getting pressure on Tony Romo Sunday night.

Dallas running game vs. Giants D:  The Giants have struggled against the run all year.  Except for the odd play calling last week, the Giants really haven’t stopped anyone from running against them this season.  The Cowboys however are down to one healthy running back in Sammy Morris, and one that is listed as questionable in Felix Jones.  If the Giants can just limit the running game it will go a long way towards defeating the Cowboys.  Not having to drop the safeties down, or worry about the corners giving too much run support will help this defense perform better as a whole.

Both Passing Offenses vs Pass Defenses:  The last few times these teams have met they have scored plenty of points.  The passing games of both these teams can be lethal.  The pure speed of Miles Austin going one-on-one against Aaron Ross.  The height and strength of both Hakeem Nicks of the Giants and Dez Bryant of the Cowboys can be unstoppable.  The playmaking ability of Victor Cruz and Laurent Robinson can be devastating.  If these two quarterbacks get time, they WILL complete passes, and for big plays.

Giants running attack vs Dallas D:  The Giants running attack awoke three weeks ago in Dallas.  Brandon Jacobs always seems to run hard against Dallas.  I think he likes running over their undersized safeties and little corners.  Ahmad Bradshaw is fresh and running fierce.  D. J Ware has found a role as a pass catcher, a very good blocker, and two point specialist, and Henry Hynoski is healthy and opening holes.  If the Giants can have a balanced attack, and run the ball for a nice average, Eli will have a big day.

The weather seems like it will be a non-factor, of course the wind current will play games at times, but should only affect the kicking game.  Turnovers, Penalties, and Special Teams will be all important in this one as always.  Sunday Night at Home for all the marbles, and a chance to get into the playoffs and maybe make a nice run.  ALL IN!

The talent is there. I know we lost Steve Smith, Kevin Boss and Barry Cofield in the offseason, but that doesn’t change that fact. (honestly, I think everyone is freaking out WAY too much about this. Aside from Steve Smith I don’t think we lost any player that was above average. And in Steve Smith’s case, we lost a player at a position that we have an abundance of talent)

Focusing on the defense, I think we can all agree that the Giants showed how dominant of a unit they could be at times last season. Remember, for a while they were ranked as the number one unit in terms of total yards allowed, and they finished the season with the most takeaways in the league. So why don’t we remember how dominant they were? Because they choked down the stretch and gave up a billion points in the time it took to blink. (those numbers were only slightly exaggerated)

This season the Giants will have the same defensive system and coordinator for the first time in three years. A system and coordinator that the players like and respect. If they can keep themselves motivated they have a chance of replicating what the Ravens did back when they terrorized Kerry Collins for 60 minutes. (and subsequently made us forget how magnificent he was against the Vikings a game before)

Now I could bullet the reasons why the defense should be dominant, but I think they showed that at times last year. Instead let’s look at the reasons this defense could fail to live up to these lofty expectations.

1. Poor depth in the secondary

This is something that troubled me last season, as I thought they only had three starting caliber corners (Webster, Thomas, and Ross) and a single injury would leave them exposed. Luckily the Giants did not have a single significant injury in the secondary last season. The problem is, with Prince injured the Giants are in the same predicament. Bringing back Deon Grant helps stabilize the safeties, but the corners are once again an injury away from getting torched on a weekly basis.

2. Lack of talent at linebacker

Right now the three starting linebackers are Michael Boley, Jonathan Goff and Mathias Kiwanuka. While Kiwi spent some time at linebacker before, he is more a defensive end than a linebacker. Boley has been with the team for two seasons and has failed to make a big impact. Finally, Goff was average at best in his role, and did so little to impress the coaches last season that his spot hasn’t even been guaranteed.

3. Without Osi and Cofield the defensive line won’t be as dominant

Osi recently elected to have surgery (so he gets a second opinion, is told he is cleared to play. tells everyone he is going to play so he doesn’t let his teammates and coaches down, then has a surgery that will keep him off the field for weeks, and let his teammates and coaches down. I don’t get it. Either say right after the second opinion I’m going to have the surgery, or don’t have the surgery. Don’t claim you are going to be the bigger man, then a few days later act like a child in a pissing match with your parents) and Cofield left in free agency. Those two players were two of the most productive players on the line, how do the Giants replace their production?

Now that we’ve outlined the three biggest problems surrounding the Giants defense why don’t we show why they aren’t a big deal. Let’s start with the easiest one. The Linebackers:

This is another issue I think is talked about way too much. With the way the Giants like to play defense, the linebackers are not impact players. For starters, teams almost always trot out three wide receivers, which means three corners and two linebackers. Keith Bullock was the third linebacker last year and he barely saw the field. Secondly, the Giants prefer to play with three safeties than three linebackers. For those two reasons, it is rare to have more than two linebackers on the field, and there are plenty of formations with just one. But what about the lack of talent? Michael Boley is a better player than people give him credit for. He was hurt his first season, and actually played pretty well last year. Boley, combined with the play of Grant and the safeties, were the reason why the Giants defended the tight end position so well. For Kiwanuka, he looked fantastic in this same role early last season. He had four sacks in the first three games before getting injured. I remember I was so excited about his development last season, and it was a huge blow when he was injured. I am not worried about his play at all. For Goff, he had a solid season. I’ll admit it wasn’t great, but it was leaps and bounds better than what I thought he would do. With a season under his belt I expect him to play even better than he did last year. In short, I am not saying the Giants have amazing linebackers. What I am saying is I don’t see the position as this great weakness that will hinder the Giants potential to be a dominating defense.

Now the second easiest question, the defensive line:

Yes, Cofield and Osi played well last season. No, their contributions won’t be impossible to replace. For one, I don’t see Cofield as being anything special. He is a good player, but good players are replaceable. Linval Joseph and Marvin Austin are more talented than Cofield was. Will they be able to showcase those talents on the field? We’ll see. I strongly believe at least one of them will, and let’s not forget, we still have Chris Canty, who has played well for the Giants. For Osi, he will be back with the team probably before the midpoint of the season. In the meantime, JPP has looked great. (While I say this I am terrified he is going to have some freak injury that costs him the season. It seems to happen every year with a player that is about to breakout. Kenny Phillips, Victor Cruz, Kiwanuka…twice) While it would be ideal to have Osi in the rotation, I don’t think it will destroy the team to be without him for part of the season.

Finally the hardest question, the secondary depth:

This is probably the thing that worries me the most. If there is an injury to Corey Webster or Terrell Thomas, I have no idea how the Giants will fare. I guess we’ll have to watch the rest of the preseason to see if someone emerges, but for now it worries me. Prince should be back at some point this season, so hopefully he can come back and add some much needed depth. (or perhaps his injury appeased the sports gods enough that we don’t need to lose another player to injury?) I am worried about a corner coming in without any training camp and having a screw in his foot, but on the bright side, how well do you need to know the playbook to play man-to-man, and if he is cleared to play hopefully that injured foot isn’t bothering him. Still I can’t help but think of this issue as the biggest problem the Giants face.

Still, looking back on these issues and last year’s performance, I think it is fair to say that if the Giants can stay motivated, they can be a top 5 unit in the NFL. Basically, just like Dan said in his article, the biggest thing keeping the Giants from being a top unit is themselves. So this season will tell us one of two things: the coaching staff is incapable of motivating these players, or the Giants have a bad locker room and need to completely overhaul their roster. Something tells me the coaches will go first.

While this was not my expectation, I can’t say that I’m really surprised. Kiwankuka had a similar role last season, and was making a big impact before his injury. I understand that was in a very limited amount of time, but the coaching staff has always been confident that Kiwanuka can make the transition to linebacker, and I am sure Perry Fewell will make sure that Kiwanuka’s primary role will still involve taking the opposing quarterback down.

As for Sintim, you have to wonder if this means the coaching staff has lost confidence in him. Recently linebackers coach Jim Hermann has come out to say that isn’t the case, but there must be some truth to it. If Sintim was performing at the level his draft status indicates, the coaching staff would want to do anything in their power to get him on the field. The fact that the Giants would rather give the snaps to Kiwanuka, even though Osi Umenyiora is currently on the sidelines, has to indicate some kind of displeasure with where Sintim currently is in his development.

As for Osi, this move indicates to me that the Giants are confident he will be on the field for them opening day. If they had any reservations about that, they would have Kiwanuka taking snaps at defensive end since he is the logical replacement for Osi in the starting lineup.

Welcome to December Giants fans. Forget what you knew. Forget the last 11 games. This is a NEW season, a 5 game season and one whose road is not paved to perfection. In fact, buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!
I am by no means a numerologist. Yet, I could not help but notice that the number 5 has reared its mysterious head throughout Big Blue’s 2010 season. The New York Giants went on to win 5 consecutive games after losing 2 straight earlier in the year. What every Giants fan is hoping for is DEJA BLUE. That has already begun – another 2 straight losses and the beginning of another possible 5 game winning streak. Last Sunday’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars brought in the first of this very hopeful winning streak.
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I will leave you to pore over the rankings yourself if you so choose, but I wanted to highlight a few things myself.

Chris Snee, with an overall 96, is the highest rated player, followed by Justin Tuck at 92 and Shaun O’Hara at 91. Corey Webster and Eli Manning both tie with 89.  The player rating team in Madden 2011 didn’t seem to know how to handicap the race opposite Tuck for Defensive End, as both frontrunners for the position, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka both scored 83 overall.

Derek Hagan and Ramses Barden have beat out Sinorice Moss as the roster’s last two WRs.  After Domenik Hixon, Antrel Rolle, Aaron Ross, and Steve Smith all tie for the highest Return rating on the team.  Matt Dodge, the punter currently tasked with taking over for the retired Jeff Feagles, is at 66.  Manningham and Hixon both have Jeremy Shockey disease according to the game, which much higher rating for their spectacular catches as opposed to catches in traffic.

Antrel Rolle, Brandon Jacobs, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham all have 88s in the all important swagger rating, the highest on the team.

There’s lots of other meaningless other ratings on there that are fun to look at (Eli is a better run blocker than pass blocker, evidently), so take some time out of your day and look around.

Justin Tuck is pretty firmly entrenched in his starting spot. He has spent his 5 seasons racking up accolades and injuries. A first team All Pro and Pro Bowler, as well as a Pro Bowl alternate last season, Tuck is a force to be reckoned with. It figures to reason that his job is relatively safe. Also, in certain pass rushing situations Tuck can be moved inside to accommodate an extra DE coming in on the end.

Opposite Tuck is the real race here, and it boils down to two players: Kiwanuka vs. Umenyiora. Umenyiora is a 2 time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro selection once, and holds the record for most sacks in a game for the team. Kiwanuka can’t match that level of pedigree. But there’s something else Kiwanuka can’t match: controversy. It’s been well-documented- the battles with Spagnola, the threatening to retire if he didn’t start this season. On the flip side, Kiwanuka has been an admirable teammate, switching between linebacker and defensive end based on injuries and team needs. Early in camp it seems that Kiwanuka has the lead, and it’s very possible this could lead to clubhouse problems. Remember, when the Giants drafted Jason Pierre-Paul many viewed it as a sign they were tired with the tremendously talented but troubled Umenyiora.

That being said, with Tuck moving inside on select pass rushing downs, that could present all three being on the field at the same time, and you would be hard pressed to find three better pass rushers on the field at the same time. There’s also the possibility Tuck could move inside to make room not for Osi but for JPP to unleash his athleticism. Pierre-Paul might be the most interesting player in this group- old school scouts love his combine stats and physical gifts, new school scouts and number gurus project him as an immediate bust. The benefit for the Giants is that, more than any other position, there is tremendous depth at defensive end, so he can expect to only play in pass rushing situations at first, maximizing his strengths and allowing him to slowly grow into the NFL. In a few extreme circumstances during training camp, the Giants actually employed all four defensive ends to rush the passer. The thought of those four getting upfield with a full head of steam has to excite any Giants fan.

The favorites for the ends are Tuck and Kiwanuka, with Umenyiora rotating in consistently. Whether Umenyiora accepts this role remains to be seen, and his reluctance could force Pierre-Paul into immediate duty, something of a worst case scenario.