In 2011, Nicks quietly put up one of the most productive receiving seasons in franchise history, collecting the sixth most receiving yards of any Giant all-time. Though Victor Cruz’s incredible year puts him first on that list, one could argue that it was Nicks’ reputation that caused defenses to shift their focus to him, giving Cruz the opportunity to have so much success. In any event, the Giants are a much more dangerous team offensively with both of their dynamic wideouts healthy, and today was a huge step towards that goal.

 ”Mike Jenkins will not practice while the Cowboys are in California and his availability to start the regular season is in doubt.”

The lack of depth on the Cowboys is stunning.  They signed former Jet safety Brodney Pool this offseason, and then cut him this week.  Signing a Jet safety probably wasn’t the best idea, and Pool proved he’s not interested in working hard.  Thaf leaves Gerald Sensabaugh and Barry Church as the starters right now.  No wonder Hakeem Nicks is working so hard to get back healthy for opening night.  Behind them are listed 5 guys with a combined 4 years of experience.  The dream of having a shut down secondary might have to put on hold for a while.  Add to this the fact that Morris Claiborne is already hurt, and Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick were the guys you wanted to replace, are the backups.

On offense it doesn’t look any prettier: Dez Bryant, who is one wild weekend away from a suspension, and Miles Austin are the starting wide-outs.  Miles managed to get into 10 games last year because of injuries, while Bryant played in 15.  Behind them?  Kevin Ogletree at 6′ 1″ and 190 and Dwayne Harris at 5’10″.  At running back they have DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones.  Murray had a great season last year, but was injured the final 5 games and registered just 17 carries for 63 yards in that span.  Felix finished the season with efforts of 4/24 against Philly and 11/30 versus the Giants in must win games.

The new NFL is a pass first league.  The Cowboys seem ill prepared for such a journey.  They seem to have no available answers for the 4 and 5 wide sets they will see against most teams.  They also seem like they are one nagging injury away from a losing season.

Hakeem Nicks is a special player.  He is Michael Irvin without the attitude and the antics. He is big, strong, and has huge hands.  Hakeem is a match-up nightmare for most teams, and coupling him with a few other special players has made him, and will continue to make him, a dangerous threat anywhere on the filed.

Victor Cruz had the best year any wide receiver has ever had for the New York Giants.  Just that statement alone takes a minute to digest.  An un-drafted free agent who had to sit his first year due to injury, not only made the team, but made the team better and more explosive. Cruz has medium speed, but a quickness and shiftiness that allows him to beat anyone at anytime.

Ramses Barden is 6′ 6″ receiver that was originally supposed to play the role of Plaxico Burress.  Ramses entering his 4th year has a total of 15 receptions and seems to be having trouble not only staying healthy, but learning to play big time football on a consistent basis.  Playing wide receiver in the NFL requires more than catching a ball, it is precise route running, running hard to influence players away from the intended target, and effective blocking on running plays.  Ramses often has been a healthy scratch from games, leading one to believe his practice sessions or film grading is not up to Giants standards.

Domenik Hixon is entering his 7th season, but has missed many games due to injury.  Hopefully Domenik can return to the team fully healthy this year and not only add to his receiving numbers, but bolster the return game as well.

Jerrel Jernigan is a 5’8″ 189 pound speedster out of Troy.  He showed some flashes in the return game towards the end of this season and will look to bolster those numbers this season.  He should make the team easily and add great depth to the Giants  passing attack.

Added to the equation for this training camp are the following: Brandon Collins 5’8″ a rookie out of SE Louisiana, Dan DePalma, 5’11″ from West Chester, David Douglas 6’1″ from Arizona, Julian Talley 6’1″ from Massachusetts, and they welcome back Isaiah Stanback a four year man from Washington at 6’2″.

The big addition here is Rueben Randle 6’2″ 208 from LSU.  Randle showed very well in mini camp.. He is hands catcher, and will compete with Hixon and the others to replace Mario Manningham who now resides in San Francisco

The Giants receiving corps will be a strength again this year.  With Hakeem Nicks taking it a bit easy and slow in the upcoming training camp, not only will more guys get reps in camp, but in the pre-season games as well.  This will be another great watch in camp.  Who will step up this year?

On a night where past and present New York Giants gathered for a good cause, it was the future that was on the minds of the Giants.  Eli Manning has recently said that he is going into the 2012 season looking at the 2011 Giants as a 9-7 team, and not as the Super Bowl champions.  His teammates apparently share in that attitude and are looking to improve–and repeat–in 2012.

I think this is the biggest break (all puns intended) for Hixon.  He will get most of the reps in practice and see plenty of pre-season game action with Nicks out.  The others will get a chance to show what they can do, and in some different positions.  Now, we know that a Victor Cruz story doesn’t come out of every camp, but sometimes it’s because there is no opportunity for it to happen.  Well the opportunity has been created, let’s see if anyone can step up.

Hakeem will be back, and hopefully healthy for the entire regular season.  This is not ideal, but better than it could have been

Lin has taken the sports world by storm by becoming the starting point guard of the New York Knicks and turning the teams fortunes around.  They have now won 6 straight games with Jeremy Lin in the starting line up.  He has been the undisputed star of every one of those games, and is now the the center of attention of a star driven league.

Victor Cruz, of course, was an undrafted free agent out of Umass.  He made his mark in the pre-season for the New York Giants, and when injuries forced him into the starting lineup he made the most of the opportunity.  Victor Cruz was the talk of the league for most of the second half of the NFL season and helped the Giants win Super Bow 46.

Now Lin and Cruz are alike in a few ways.  They are both from minority descent, they were both undrafted out of college, they both made the most of their opportunity when it presented itself, and they are both very nice young men that know that the Team comes first.  Of course, Lin has a long way to go to be part of a Championship team, but he certainly has the attitude and the drive to make himself a success in the NBA.  Two great stories. Two great kids. Two underpaid athletes. Two New York Underdogs for the fans to root for, and we all know how New York loves an Underdog.

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

After a stunning 37-20 win over Green Bay, the New York Giants will head into San Francisco to avenge themselves after they lost to them in the regular season 27-20. The connections to the magical 2007 Super Bowl Run is unprecedented. Never have I ever seen a team look so similar to a former team that it’s scary. Let’s focus on the win yesterday, though. History was made by the Giants in more ways than one. Here’s a breakdown of the history made last night:

WR Hakeem Nicks joins WR’s Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald as receivers with 100+ yards and 2 TD’s in the playoffs in the same year.

Giants QB Eli Manning has 1,904 passing yards in the playoffs, which is now the leader in Giants history during the playoffs.

For the first time EVER, a 15 win regular season team is one and done.

Now on to the history that will be made if the Giants win next week:

Eli Manning will become the all-time road wins leader in the post-season with a win next week.

Giants HC Tom Coughlin will tie the NFL record for most road-wins in the playoffs with seven. He is currently 6-4.

*****

Giants C David Baas is heading back to California. Baas was with the 49′ers before the Giants signed him to a large contract this off-season. Baas, who missed several games with a neck burner, could be a key factor in next Sunday’s matchup.

I sat down with Spreecast Producer Chris Delgado and discussed some of the keys for the upcoming matchup this Sunday at Lambeau Field.  Click the link below to see the whole show.

Giants Packers Playoff Preview

Well here we go folks, the New York Giants are in the playoffs. After weeks of stressing and wondering: “Will the Giants collapse late in the season again?”, “Will Coughlin be fired?”, “Will they make a playoff run?”, we now know, the Giants have extended their season and have a shot at the crown, and based on what we have seen over the last couple of weeks, they should not be automatically counted out. There has been improvement on both sides of the ball, while some of the most reliable players continue to shine. So, let’s break this one down.

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Here is the rather short and promising Giants early injury report.  The thought is the only players who will miss the game are Herzlich and Ballard.

‘Twas the day before Christmas when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

The bunting was hung by the sidelines with care

In hopes that the playoffs soon would be there

The fans were nestled all snug in their Keds

While visions of Super Bowls danced in their heads

While Tom in his headset, and Rex in his vest

Had just settled their brains for a long winters test

When up in the stands there arose such a clatter

We sprang from our seats to see what was the matter

When, what to our wondering eyes should we see

But Fireman Ed leading a spelling bee

With a tight hot spiral, so lively and quick

We knew that Eli would soon be making him sick

More rapid than eagles the Giants they came

As Eli whistled, and audibled, and called them by name

Now Ballard! now Bradshaw!, now Jacobs! and Vic!

On Osi, on Jason, on Webster and  Nicks

To the back of the endzone to the top of the wall

Now run away, Run away, Run away all

Tom’s eyes how they twinkled! His dimples so Merry!

His cheeks were like roses , his nose like a cherry

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow

As his players and fans enjoyed all the show

Rex was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know we may have something to dread

He spoke every word and went straight to his work

And blitzed poor Eli while Revis did lurk

While playing a hunch they tried a big close

He gave a quick nod and struck a bold pose

Rex sprang in the air, to his team gave a whistle

And away they all flew like Jets they did sizzle

But I heard him exclaim, as they flew out of sight

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

The Giants will make a trip to Texas Sunday Night to begin what they hope to be a successful run to the playoffs;  And a run is what they will need.  The Giants got a nice effort from the running game yesterday and that will need to continue for the foreseeable future. Eli Manning has backed up his words with his actions this season.  He is an Elite QB and definitely in the top 5 or 6 in the league.

The Cowboys have been a very inconsistent team this entire season.  For the first part of the season they had no running attack, then they found DeMarco Murray.  Murray has rushed for 5.4 yards per carry in the 10 games he has played.  Now they have a more balanced attack, but make no mistakes this is a team that wins and loses with Tony Romo.  Even when the defense has had exceptional days, Romo can put points on the board for either team at any time.

The Giants defense should be able to get pressure on the Cowboys Qb this week.  They have allowed 25 sacks this year, that’s two a game against teams that have half the pass rushing talent of the New York Giants.  The Cowboys allow 100 yards a game rushing and 5.5 yards per play on defense.  They still have a weak secondary that the likes of Nicks, Cruz, Ballard, Beckum, Manningham(?) and others should be able to exploit.  The question will be can the Giants run the ball effectively enough to keep Eli upright.  If the Giants go back to being a one dimensional team, they will be eaten up by the Cowboys pass rush.  Stay balanced, hit big plays, and keep Romo under pressure and force him into mistakes.

Injury Update:  This of course will change as the week progresses but initially it looks like Kenny Phillips will be missing for the next two weeks and Osi is still out. OL Stacey Andrews will be out for the remainder of the season with blood clots that moved from his legs to his lungs.

Giants 100 yards rushing:  The Giants finally showed a semblance of a running game.  The re-made Offensive Line looked good, the tight ends blocked well, and the wide receivers got into the act also.  The difference Ahmad Bradshaw makes is palpable.  He even made Brandon Jacobs look like his old self.

Packers leading rusher is Rodgers: The Giants knocked RB Starks out of thegame, and held Ryan Grant to 13 carries for 29 yards.

Eli was 23/40 for 347 and 3 TD’s: Eli throws the long ball as good as anyone, and he used it all night to move the Giants down the field.  He also has great touch and chemistry near the goal line with Hakeem Nicks. Victor Cruz continues to impress as he went over 1,000 receiving tonight, and Jake Ballard is just tremendous at times.

Giants were 6/12 on offensive drives:  The Giants scored on 6 of their 12 offensive drives.

All in all the game WAS as close as the score:  The Giants had 447 total yards, The Packers had 449.   Third down conversions, one extra turnover, and having some inexperience on the field prevented a Giant win.  When the game was on the line Green Bay threw against a rookie linebacker, a third string corner that shouldn’t even be on the team in Wil Blackmon if everyone is healthy.  Give them credit, they had a minute to beat us and they did.  the Giants need to play with this focus, passion, and urgency on their last 4 games.  The Wild Card is still in play, and the Cowboys have beaten the Redskins in OT, beat Miami by one, and lost to Arizona in OT.  The Giants need to continue to show how good they can be.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves and focus on this messy game.

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Good News:

• Justin Tuck worked out just about everything today in practice, he will participate but be listed as limited
• Prince Amukamara is slightly ahead of schedule and did some light jogging straight ahead yesterday with minor soreness.

Bad News:

• Hakeem Nicks made good progress, we’ll see what the doctors say before he suits up
• Travis Beckum did not practice, and Coughlin is not happy about it.

Videos of Tuck, Nicks, and Amukamara discussing their progress after the jump

via the Daily News

Hakeem Nicks has “just a bone bruise” Coughlin said. Nicks won’t practice today. Coughlin has “no idea” if he’ll be ready for Monday night.

The snake bite continues to spew its venom….

To which I say, Hoorah! For the New York Giants and their awful special teams coverage, but overall it could hurt the game of football, but worse it could roster sports for a lot of players in the league. Players like the Redskins Brandon Banks who are on a team just to return kickoffs would have a more difficult time making rosters if there were going to be a propensity for kickoffs. It also could cost guys who are wedge busters their jobs in favor of backup offensive and defensive line help, or rotational players.

With the proposed rule change, the league is also conceding that a touchback will now put the team at the 25 yard line instead of the 20 yard line.

There’s an old addage if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Which is clearly something the N.F.L. has never heard, despite how old most of the people who run teams are.

What do you guys think?

I think, clearly this would not be a bad thing for teams like the Giants and Colts who suck on Kickoff returns and coverage (and touchbacks so Tynes is rooting for this, I think), but it could be a bad thing for some other teams and their players (the Chicago Bears is one that comes immediately to mind).

Other Giants news is few and far between right now

Not specifically Giants news, but the league has said that teams may trade for future draft picks “at their own risk” according to profootballtalk. Basically, if a team trades this year’s second for next year’s first (a practice that occurs often), but the lockout continues and there is no draft in 2012, that team will not be rewarded a 2013 draft pick, they will just lose the pick.

Also, Hakeem Nicks is the Giants representative for the Madden Cover Bracket Challenge right now he’s up vs Brian Orakpo.

Did Madden get it right, Should it be Nicks, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck?