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.

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.

OTAs will be held between the two camps: May 23-24, May 30-June 1, June 4-5 and June 7-8.

Clubs are permitted to hold a rookie minicamp on one of the first two weekends after the NFL Draft and conduct one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. Clubs with new head coaches, however, are permitted to conduct one additional voluntary minicamp for veteran players. There is no restriction on the number of minicamps a club may hold for rookie players.

So, let the talk begin…who will show for Mini Camp? What will it mean for the Giants season? Will Osi be a Giant? Can Ahmad Bradshaw ever get healthy?  Stay Tuned!

 Cat: I see you’ve been busy these last couple of days – I even saw you on the morning news earlier today. You must be exhausted!

 JPP: Definitely, but I think I’ve been doing a great job

 Cat:  It’s an honor to be interviewing you, I’m a Giants fan and obviously have become a huge fan of yours over the last couple of years.

JPP: That’s what’s up.

Cat: So here we are on the eve of the draft, could you tell our readers a little about your draft day experience?

JPP: Let me take you back. First of all, I didn’t know where I was going. It didn’t really matter if it was the first round or second round, either way I would’ve been the player I am today. The Giants picked me at the 15th pick and they made a great pick, and I am happy to be here today. Honestly, draft day is crazy, but I wasn’t nervous at all.

 Cat: Well, you knew you were getting drafted early didn’t you?

JPP: Nah I didn’t. I didn’t know if I was going first round or second round. I didn’t really care—like I said I still would’ve been the player I am today. Once they put me out there I was going to do what I had to do.

Cat: How has New York been to you so far?

 JPP: It’s been great. New York is a crazy place to stay, a lot of people walking around, I love it. I like the fans too, they’re crazy. I’ll tell you one thing though, once you do something wrong they will let you know, they will boo you. Otherwise the fans are great here you’ve got to love them.

 Cat: I was actually at the parade this year. How was that experience for you?

JPP: That was a hell of a parade. I thought it was never going to end. It was a long parade I actually jumped down and went into the stands. It was fun, I hope we have one this year.

Cat: How does it feel to have contributed so much, not only to the Giants but to the NFL, this early in your career? You made the Pro Bowl, you have a Super Bowl ring, what’s next for JPP?

JPP: What’s next for me? Keep hitting it. I want to get better and better—if you think I was good this year than wait until next year. I want to see more 90 jerseys in the stands – you know how that goes, you don’t want to buy a jersey until you see what that player can do.

Cat: Has there been a player that has been like a mentor to you?

 JPP: I’d say all the guys have been mentors to me, I’m not even going to lie.  Especially in the D-line room, we know we’re the heart of the defense so we talk a lot. So, one mentor, no, we all talk a lot and we help out each other and go out and play hard every week.

Cat: Given the rumors flying, do you think by this time next week Osi will still be a Giant? 

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?

Osi was asked by some reporters yesterday about such nonsensical issues as “Are you going to come to the voluntary workouts Monday?” “Are you happy with your situation and still no contract extension?” “Do you expect to be a Giant?”

Osi, of course, gave the same old answers to the same old questions.  First of all, I will be surprised if many or any  veterans show up at a voluntary workout, that even in Coach Coughlin’s world is voluntary. If he did show, that would have been the shock!

Asking Osi contract questions is the biggest waste of space possible.  I understand it’s the off-season and filling a column, or conducting an interview is not easy on a daily basis.  But the deal is very simple.  Osi is under contract, he has one year left on that contract.  He can ask to be traded, again, but that probably won’t happen.  He can play like a monster and get a big deal from a different team next season.  Or he can sit out, which is the worst option for him since the new CBA signed last year allows for mega fines for players not showing up for camp.

Osi is also the victim of fans and sportswriters using terminology that has been outdated in the NFL.  Asking Osi if he wants to “Start” is a question from the 80′s.  Every player today is a situational player, especially on defense.  Does him not playing on first and ten against a run first team really hurt his feelings that much?  Wouldn’t he rather be put in a position to use his strengths and excel?  That’s what coaches do, they use their personnel in their strongest position and create positive match-ups.  Starting is for conversations of the past, be a pass rusher, get strip sacks, be dominant at what you do best!

Osi loves this team, this coach, and also loves the fact that he has won 2 Super Bowl Rings.  He will either decide to stay and sign an extension, for a big bonus, or play like a beast and win the lottery in another city.  Either way the Giants have gotten Osi’s best, and he will always be a Giant, even if he finishes his career in a another uniform.  We all want to see our heroes stay forever, but either way Osi has given us some great moments.

The Giants will have everyone except Mark Herzlich available for Sunday Playoff game In Lambeau Filed.

I re-watched the game this morning on television, and was surprised at some of the things Fox missed.  This was a game of key turning points and great game planning on behalf of the Giants.  It was also a game where the aggressiveness of a coach may have cost his team a chance at a win.  Here are the keys as I saw them:

First Quarter:  The tone for this game was set immediately by the Giants defense. (11:43)  On the first possession by the Falcons Justin Tuck gets a big hit on Matt Ryan as he releases the ball.  Many Giants players feel that this early hit sped up the clock in Ryan’s head.

9:49 At this point the Falcons look to get Tony Gonzalez into the game.  The Giants defense however has the answer.  On successive plays both Tuck and JPP line up over Tony.  Ryan takes the snap and looks immediately to his side, except he is lying on the ground.  Tuck and JPP dominated Tony G. all day, pushing him back on running plays, and denying him from running his routes.

5:20 J.P.P. again dominates Tony G. and stops Michael Turner for a loss.

:44 Just before the end of the quarter Tuck again gets a nice hit on Ryan.  Then Snelling goes nowhere on 3rd and 1…and then the first mistake by the Falcons coaching staff.  You need to get points…be the first on the board…show something for your efforts.  Instead the Falcons try to draw the Giants offsides with multiple shifts and hard counts.  The idea is to get the Giants to relax and hang back, not wanting to jump offsides.  When Ryan snaps the ball, the Giants are ready and make the crucial stop.

The second quarter begins with the Giants corners being very physical with the wideouts of Atlanta.  Many times you can see Ryan take a quick step and then hold the ball.  The timing of the Falcons was completely thrown off by the Giants defensive plan.

9:00 The leader of the Giants all year has been Eli Manning, and again today it took a play by him to get things going.  The 14 yard run for a first down energized his team, and the stadium.

8:30 Brandon Jacobs runs over the Falcons safety and again gets the crowd and his teammates fired up.

6:30 Eli makes another heady play avoiding a sack by flipping the ball to Bradshaw.

5:56 A great moment for all Giants television watchers.  As Joe Buck extolls the virtues of the Falcons defensive front, and states: “for all the talk about the Giants defense, it’s been the Falcons front that has dominated so far” At this very moment Brandon Jacobs breaks one for 34 yards.  Timing is everything Joe!

5:10 Bradshaw appears stopped in the backfield, but breaks tackles and runs for 9 yards.

3:37 4th and one. As the ball is handed to Jacobs off tackle, the gentleman standing in front of me at the game says ” I hate this play” and with that Jacobs spins off the linebacker and falls forward for the first down.

2:47 All the running pays off as Eli play actions, and finds Nicks in the end zone for the TD. 6 runs and a play action pass.

Halftime:

I guess Mike Smith made two statements at halftime that were very telling.  He said they are blitzing more than normal, and that the crowd noise is affecting a man they call “Matty Ice” a nickname yet to be earned. (more…)

The amazingly short injury list for the New York Giants.  Only real question should be Herzlich.

Plan remains the same…No Herzlich, No Ballard.  Everyone else says they are ALL IN!

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.

Here is the early early look at the Giants and Redskins injuries for the week according to NFL.COM.  Good news for Giants fans is the participation of Kenny Phillips even on a limited basis.

Washington Redskins  at  New York Giants
Name	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
WAS
Jammal Brown	T	Groin	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
LaRon Landry	S	Groin	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Mike Sellers	RB	Elbow	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Donte’ Stallworth	WR	Illness	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Stephen Bowen	DE	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	–
Reed Doughty	S	Rib	Limited Participation in Practice	–
London Fletcher	LB	Ankle	Limited Participation in Practice	–
Saverio Rocca	P	left Ankle	Limited Participation in Practice	–
NYG
David Baas	C	Neck	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Travis Beckum	TE	Chest	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Ahmad Bradshaw	RB	Foot	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Mark Herzlich	LB	Ankle	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Derrick Martin	S	Back	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Justin Tuck	DE	Toe	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Osi Umenyiora	DE	Ankle	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Spencer Paysinger	LB	Hamstring	Limited Participation in Practice	–
Kenny Phillips	S	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	–

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.

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.