Coughlin: Jacobs’ Fumble Can’t Happen Again

By Ryan G. Murphy, WNBC.com

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin stressed the importance of Brandon Jacobs not fumbling like in last Sunday’s game against the Jets. During Jacobs’ second carry of the game, Jets safety Kerry Rhodes stripped the ball from Jacobs and ran it back 11 yards for a touchdown.

A criticism of Jacobs’ bruising running style is that he refuses to go down even when the play appears to be over.

“It certainly isn’t very pleasant to have [a fumble like that] take place. We talk all the time about ball security. He comes back in and it is a critical third and short and, quite frankly, he gets himself in not a very good position and the second people on the ball strip the ball and it comes out,” Coughlin said.

Coughlin said he talks endlessly to Jacobs about defenses ripping for the ball out since he stays up so long during runs.

“He is up a lot because he is a powerful man and the power is moving,” Coughlin said. “Whenever that occurs, you obviously give the opposition a chance to get more people in grabbing for the ball and stripping for the ball, which is something that will happen this week, which Atlanta does. You have to be very careful.”

Coughlin said he doesn’t encourage Jacobs to ever go down, because the play might not really be over.

“He might come out the other end,” Coughlin said. “You saw what Ward did the other day when it looked like a pile that he wasn’t going to come out of. He came out of that.”

Coughlin noted that he’s been pleased so far with the two-back effort from Jacobs and Ward.

NOTES:
Coughlin said Osi Umenyiora would return to practice on Friday after nursing a sore back for much of the week. On Monday night, Umenyiora will line up against Falcons’ rookie left tackle Renardo Foster. Umenyiora leads the NFL with seven sacks.

Gameday Blog: Final Thoughts

By Ryan G. Murphy, WNBC.com

The sun is setting over Giants stadium. Every seat in the stadium is empty and reporters are tick-tick-ticking away at their keypads inside the press box trying to make deadline.

I’ve filed copy for the night and for the first time today I can sit back and say, “damn this one feels good.” For the first time today, I can go back to being a fan.

It wasn’t pretty for the Giants on Sunday, but then again it rarely is for Big Blue.

For the third week in a row, Giants fans can wake up Monday morning and feel no sting from a gut-wrenching loss on Sunday. That’s a good feeling. Between us Giants fans, doesn’t this one feel especially good since it was against the Jets? It really feels better than beating the Eagles, in a “I just kicked my little-brother’s butt” sort of way.

I have no hard feelings about Gang Green – my talented colleague Jim Scott has shown me that not all Jets fans are bad people – but again, this one feels darn good (first half aside!)

I’ll admit, the Giants did not look good on Sunday, and the Jets lost Sunday’s game more than the Giants won it, but the truth of the matter is that the Giants have won three straight. Five weeks ago, you would have called me absurd if I told you the Giants would be 3-2 right now. We’ve managed the best-case scenario, and things are looking up, but it’s important for the Giants ,as a team, and we, as fans, to understand that this is not yet a Super Bowl team. It’s not even close.

I’d like to see a lot more consistency from the Giants offense. I’d also like to see our recent defensive success repeated. On Sunday, the Jets found the Giants’ weakness, the middle of the field. And while we didn’t get burnt, a better offensive team might have torched us.

Did anyone see how fast Leon Washington took back that kick to the house in the second half? I didn’t. All I saw was a flash of white and green light. The Giants are going to need to learn how to stop such sources of light.

From my view, Manning looked so-so, aside from the pick at the end of the first half. That was a horrible decision. It reminded me of Giants vs. Arizona a few years ago when Kerry Collins threw a pick for touchdown to end the half. There’s no need to push when you are that deep in your own territory. Coughlin shouldn’t have made the call, Eli should use his head. We dodged a bullet. Phew.

It’s hard not to be impressed with Aaron Ross performance. Two picks is a great game. Two picks and a TD to seal the game is a phenomenal game. Kudos to him for a job well done.

Plaxico Burress just continues to get it done. He’s on pace to be a pro-bowl receiver this season and he’s the reason Eli Manning is not in Chad Pennington’s shoes right now…

Congrats to Tom Coughlin for winnning his 100th professional game and thanks for sticking with me today on WNBC.com for the Gameday Blogs. I’m looking forward to doing more for future Giants’ games.

Gameday Blog: Third Quarter Update – Jets 24, Giants 21

Lots of action in the third!!!

SCORING ALERT: The Giants offense came out of the gate smoking to start the second half, marching on a quick 6-play, 80-yard drive highlighted by a 33-yard-pass from Manning to Burress and a 19-yard touchdown run from Brandon Jacobs, making the score: Jets 17, Giants, 14.

SCORING ALERT: The Giants’ quick second-half start was quickly neutralized as the Jets’ Leon Washington took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a score that silenced the Giants’ Stadium crowd and gave the Jets another 10-point lead.

SCORING ALERT: After a punt from the Jets, Eli Manning came out firing, spreading the ball around to several different receivers on a 9-play, 5:06 drive. Manning capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey – his first of 2007 – putting the Giants down 24-21.

NOTES: Until the last offensive drive, Eli Manning has locked like the Eli of 2006 – not good. It was good to see him come through to end the third quarter.

Gameday Blog: First Quarter Update – Jets 7, Giants 0

It was a slow start to the game as both the Giants and Jets went three and out to start. The Jets took the ball first after winning the coin flip.

Pennington came out throwing, but the Jets managed only four yards on third and 10 from their own 28 to start the game.

The Giants did not fair much better on their first possession as Manning’s would-be-first-down pass to Shockey was broken up by a nice play from the Jets’ Eric Smith.

The Jets’ next possession featured a little trickery as a direct snap to Leon Washington earned the Jets 10 yards and a first down on 3rd and 4. Pennington tried a QB sneak on 3rd and 1 but came up short. It looked as though the Jets might go for it on fourth down, but Pennington took a delay of game penalty trying to draw the Giants defensive line offside.

JETS SCORING ALERT: A nice punt from Ben Graham downed the Giants at their own 8-yard-line. After an incomplete pass to Burress, Brandon Jacobs got his first carry since opening night, taking the pile ahead for 9 yards.

On 3rd and 1 it looked as though Jacobs would gain a first down after running hard left, but Jets safety Kerry Rhodes stripped the ball from the Giants’ back, picked the ball up at the 11-yard-line and ran it into the east end zone of Giants stadium giving the Jets a 7-0 lead after an extra point from Mike Nugent.

The Giants went three and out on their next possession after two unproductive runs from Derrick Ward and a short completion to Giants’ backup tight end Michael Matthews.

After a punt, the Jets took over on their own 39-yard line and marched on a 10-play drive to the Giants’ 24-yard-line, highlighted by a 17-yard pass from Pennington to a wide-open Chris Baker, and a 4-yard Pennington run on 3rd and 3.

The Jets drive stalled, however, when the Giants’ Matthias Kiwanuka smothered and broke up a screen attempt on 3rd and 7. The drive was wasted when Nugent missed a 42-yard field goal.

NOTES: Neither team looks impressive, the Giants less so than the Jets.

Gameday Blog: Just before kickoff…

The Jets came out to a swarm of boos from the home crowd Giants even though the stadium was not yet filled to capacity. Conversely, the stadium sounded more than packed as the home-team Giants exited the tunnel, particularly as Plaxico Burress was announced. I’m quite surprised the defense wasn’t announced today after last week’s performance….

…Derrick Ward is getting the start at running back for the Giants.

Gameday Blog: Are You Ready For Some Football, New York Style?

It’s a beautiful October day for football in New York, and don’t let the players fool you, this one means a lot to both teams.

Some of the Giants are currently going through their pregame warm ups on the field. Eli Manning and Amani Toomer are getting in some work around the 40-yard line. Jared Lorenzen is tossing with Sinorice Moss and Jeremy Shockey – both have yet to catch a touchdown this season

On my way into the stadium today, the parking lot was packed with Giants blue with some Jets green mixed in. We’ll see how much home field advantage the Giants have come kickoff.

NOTES:

The Giants and Jets have shared Giants Stadium for 25 years. They’ve played 10 times during the regular season and the Giants lead the series 6-4. The Jets lead the preseason series 20-18-1.

The last Giants/Jets meeting was in 2003, a thrilling OT victory for the Giants on Brett Conway’s 29-yard field goal. Will Allen blocked a 51-yard field goal attempt from the Jets’ Doug Brien.

The Battle For New York

By Ryan G. Murphy, WNBC.com

As it stands right now, both the Jets and Giants are mediocre teams. At best, they are maybeish division contenders facing uncertain futures.

Enter stage left, Sunday’s game.

To say this Sunday’s game is important for both teams is like saying that Catherine Zeta Jones is kind of good looking.

The Giants need a win because:

It would put them over .500 – after three straight wins

It’s a home game – remember, it’s called GIANTS Stadium

It would prove that the D is for real – playing against decent pass protection

It’s the flipping Jets for crying out loud!

The Jets need a win because:

It gets their season back on track…sort of

It gives Chad Pennington a chance to be the QB of New York – assuming he comes through

Jets D needs will prove it can stop a potent (albeit inconsistent) offense

Beating the Giants in their own stadium would look like beating up your older brother in front of all his friends

My gut feeling tells me the Giants will win this game, but I’ve been wrong in the past (see vs. Green Bay 2007; vs. Philadelphia in 2006 playoffs; etc. etc.)

Assuming the Giants’ defensive performance last Sunday was not a complete anomaly, it’s hard to see the Jets consistently moving the ball on the Giants. I’m not sold yet on Pennington or Thomas Jones. That said, I’m not entirely sold on the Giants D either.

Sunday’s game will be very telling for Big Blue, who is, according to some reports, “on the way up.” I’d really like to see a convincing victory from the Giants to consider them “contendas” in the NFC East.

Prediction:

Giants 17, Jets 13

Remember: I’ll be covering Sunday’s game from the stadium so check in for updates.

Sacktastic!

On the same day that Michael Strahan broke Lawrence Taylor’s franchise record for career sacks, it was another defensive end, Osi Umenyiora who stole the show for Big Blue Sunday, leading the Giants to a 12-sack, 16-3 victory over the Eagles.

From a fan’s perspective, this was one of the better games I’ve ever attended. Nothing gets a stadium more jacked up than a sack in a big spot. The Giants had 12 of them on Sunday. Twelve! Add to that a defensive touchdown and two punts downed inside the five and you’ve got a formula for success. The offense stalled a bit (see interception inside the red zone, missed 34 yard field goal, missed extra point), but if we’ve learned anything as Giants fans, solid defense wins games. Period.

Is this the same Giants D that gave up 80 points in the first two weeks?

Granted the Eagles looked like a high school team without Brian Westbrook and a slew of pro-bowlers – so I’m not entirely sold on the Giants D just yet – but they sure have looked impressive over the last two weeks. Our attacking defense has arrived…maybe.

And here’s another thing – is Plaxico Burress playing like a man possessed or what? This guy has come down with a big TD catch for the Giants every week, despite ailing from ankle and thumb injuries. We’ll see if he can keep this up. I’d also like to see Eli getting the ball to Shockey in rollout situations a little more.

What do we think about a possible return of “thunder and lightning,” with Brandon Jacobs coming back from injury and Derrick Ward flashing some Tiki-like moves over the last few weeks?

Starting this Sunday we’ll be starting something new on WNBC.com. I’ll be covering the Giants-Jets game from inside the press box, so make sure to check in for some in-game blogs and a game story following this Sunday’s “Metro Bowl.”

Could It Be? I’m Just Throwing It Out There…

I’m just throwing this idea out there, but could Jared Lorenzen be the Giants’ next season savior?

Think about it. When Phil Simms went down in 1990 against the Bills with a season-ending injury we all thought it was over. I was in third grade and I remember my dad and grandfather coming home from the game as if they’d just been to a funeral. Season over, Phil Simms is out.

About a month later I spilled sour cream dip all over the rug after Scott Norwood missed wide right to give us the Super Bowl. What’s the common link here? Sour cream. No, it’s that the underdog has always got a chance.

Does anyone remember who took us to the Super Bowl? Through Chicago and San Francisco? I’ll give you a hint – his last name rhymes with Motletler. Yes, I’m talking about good old #15 Jeff Hostetler.

We don’t even know if Lorenzen is going to be the starter Sunday, but wouldn’t it be something if he came in and got the job done. Granted we’re missing a workhouse running back in O.J. Anderson, and one of the best Giants’ defenses of all time, but you see where I’m coming from, right?

I’ve spent all week listening to naysayers give me agita about how the Giants season is already over. My point is this – there are so many things (including the emergence of a backup – ie – Derrick Ward or Lorenzen) that could help us out. Don’t give up yet.

Giants by a field goal this weekend.

Who Is Anthony Mix?

Anthony Mix is a 24-year-old undrafted free agent (2006).

He’s a 6-5 receiver (looks like a tight end) out of Auburn who weighs in at a whopping 252 pounds.

Against the Jets Saturday Mix had 7 catches for 45 yards with a touchdown.

On August 11, Mix had one reception, a touchdown for 10 yards. Against the Ravens on August 19 he pulled in 5 catches for 43 yards.

In 2005 playing for the Auburn Tigers, Mix had 23 catches for 288 yards with two touchdowns. A year prior he had 19 catches for 294 with 3 touchdowns.

Mix is in his second year with the Giants. He spent 2006 on the Giants practice squad. I’d look for Mix to be among the mix of Giants wide receivers this year. He’s impressed coaches in practice and in preseason games and his size and speed and reason enough to keep him around. Tom Coughlin would like to see Mix play a more active role on special teams, but it the Giants receivers go down this year with injuries, Mix might get his chances.