From a 10 year old Giants fan point of view….written by Peyton Napoliello,

The New York Giants have been coming out to an ok start this
year but now having to face the Jets will be another tough contest for them.
With both teams on the bubble to make the playoffs  this year this is an extremely big game for
both teams.

Giants Players to
look for:

Victor Cruz: after coming off not so great games expect big
plays out of him. Remember in the preseason 2 years ago.

Jason Pierre-Paul-: He has been a beast this whole year and I
could see him bring some heat on Mark Sanchez.

Eli Manning: He has been pretty productive this year and
could definitely find his wide outs well in this game.

Jets players to look for:

Plaxico Burress: His first game against the giants he will definitely
want to make it count expect at least 1 td maybe 2.

Mark Sanchez: He will want to put some coal in the Giants
stoking this Saturday.

Darrelle Revis: Revis has been sitting on his island some
days tanning but sometimes playing football this week he won’t be tanning.

Predictions:

I will predict the GMEN to get a win in this one but it won’t
be a slice of pie it will be a tough game.

I will say the player of the game will be Victor Cruz

And the score will be 31-28 Giants!

Where to watch:

The game will be kicking off at 1:00 eastern time and on FOX
network at MetLife stadium

Enjoy the game.

Suffice it to say that this off season has been the craziest ever, a complete sprint to get  to the best Free Agent’s out there. We all know that the Eagles have been making some huge NFC East splashes in the off season by acquiring the likes of Nnamdi Asomugha, Vince Young, Cullen Jenkins, Ronnie Brown etc. and it sure  seems like the Giants have only been jogging. Let’s take a closer look and compare their Super Bowl 2007 off season and draft to the current 2011 one. Yes, you can argue that the last time they won the Super Bowl in ’07 they did exactly the same thing retained their own players, drafted outstanding prospects and only lost  a few small pieces to the puzzle such as Visanthe Shiancoe and Frank Walker. In fact it was the draft picks in 2007 that made an impact. So is 2011 going to be the same? It is eerie how similar the drafts are; out of 8 picks both years they selected (2 DB’s, 1 DL, 1 WR, 1 OT, 1 RB,) Both years the first pick was a premier DB from a Big time conference, the first three picks were spent on a CB, WR and DT and the last pick was on a speedy running back. Coincidence Mr. Reese, I think not.

Free Agent Class

So while it appears that GM Jerry Reese has been napping during Free Agency, I would submit that he is imploring the same judgment and skill that he used to build a Super Bowl winning organization. It cannot be by coincidence that he drafted almost identical, filled key needs, got younger on both lines and signed many of his own free agents. Jerry signed 13 FA’s this off season and it feels like he didn’t do much because we lost some key name players, but just look at the 2007 FA class and please tell me the big name that they reeled in that year? If he can nail down Steve Smith and Kevin Boss, get rid of Osi or get him in line, get the #1 pick in camp and if some of his draft picks step up the way they did in 2007 than this would be a great off season once again. I wouldn’t buy the plane ticket just yet to Indy, but hopefully while the Eagles are winning the newspaper back pages, maybe the G Men will quietly sneak up on everyone again and win where it counts.

While the owners and players keep battling it out to see if we will have an NFL season this year, one thing is for certain that we will have the NFL draft this spring. For many people, spring is when everyone starts feeling better about their lives,  the sun starts to shine brightly, the flowers start to bloom, the grass gets green again, fathers and sons have a catch in the back yard, and genuinely all is good in the world again. Except for those people that are rabid, thirst quenching, NFL draft nicks, that want to sit on the couch, grab a dozen donuts, choose their favorite beverage (coffee for the first round, beer for the rest of the rounds) and whose spring is only complete after watching endless footage of Mel Kiper and Todd Mcshay discussing the 40 times, techniques and the wonderlic test results for the college elite and NFL bound players.

If you are one of those NY Giants spring junkies then this blog will try to give you a sense of where the Giants can help their team on April 22nd-24th that starts tonight at 8PM on ESPN. The Giants have the 19th pick overall. The top 3 needs for the Giants are:

1st immediate need: Outside Linebacker. The Giants need a LT type pass rushing LB’er again and I am tired of waiting to see when the next big time player will be here. This draft must be the one where Jerry Reese pulls the trigger in the first round and gets the Giants a franchise player. I would love to see them move up and take stud pass rusher Von Miller from Texas A&M, however he is projected to be a top 10 pick so you might have to give up some good players. I think Mathius Kiwanuka and Brandon Jacobs should be on the trading block. Some other great choices are Aldon Smith of Missouri and Robert Quinn of UNC (LT’s alma mater). If the Giants pass on a LB in the first round again, then I really like Sam Acho out of Texas in the 2nd round.  Please see a link to a Walter football list of the top LB’ers this year.  http://walterfootball.com/draft2011OLB3-4.php

2. Offensive line-The Giants are starting to get old on the line with Kareem McKenzie, Rich Seubert and Shaun O Hara have 31 years of wear on their bodies and have battled too many injuries (insert Shawn Andrews in this class as well). Time to think of an upgrade here and if the Giants don’t go for the LB’er in the first round then I would like to see the Giants go for the versatile Mike Pouncey out of Florida who can play both guard and center. The guy I would really keep an eye on is OT Anthony Castonzo from Boston College as we know coach Tom Coughlin has a pipeline in to the talent of BC Eagle football players being a former coach and having a Pro Bowl son in law Chris Snee come from there. I can hear the NY’ers now after a missed tackle Seinfeld cat calls will commence when you hear a reverberating Can’t Stand Ya echoing the new Meadowlands stadium. Anthony is a beats and can be an instant plug in to the ailing and elderly Giant line so I wouldn’t be worried about those calls as he could be an immediate help.

3.  Running Back/TE- As we get closer to the Giants 19th pick  of this draft this evening there seems to be some noise that the Giants are interested in Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram from Alabama. Ingram could be a great addition to the Jacobs/Bradshaw tandem. He had a an average 40 time at the combine at 4:58, but he was an ultra-productive college back with a nose for the goal line getting in for 42 TD’s and 3261 yards an average of 5.7 yards per carry during his career.  As long time Giants fans recall, going for this type of player has proven to be busts for the G Men where the likes of Ron Dayne, Tyrone Wheatley and Butch Woolfolk all former first round picks that never made the NFL grade. Ingram could be different as his father Mark Ingram was a very productive player for the G Men and helped them win the Super Bowl with some amazing acrobatic plays. The Giants need a TE and while it won’t be in the first round, someone that is on their radar is Kyle Rudolph out of Notre Dame. He has great hands and proved that with 90 receptions in three years for the Fighting Irish.  Travis Beckum has not emerged yet for the Giants and while Kevin Boss has been a nice player, he not made anyone forget about the legendary Mark Bavaro. Where did Bavaro play college ball again, oh that is right Notre Dame.

Lockout or not it is hard to not get excited for the NFL season when the yearly spring event is upon us. Tonight will shape the future for the Giants playoff and Super bowl hopes, so get ready to watch the draft and look for the Giants to fill some immediate needs. the giants have long prescribed to the theory of taking the best available athlete at the time of their pick as evidenced by last year’s selection of Jason Pierre Paul the athletic DE phenom that we didn’t need at the time so don’t be surprised if they trade down and collect more picks or select another DE tonight.

 My 1st three round Mock draft is

1st round: Anthony Castonzo, OT Boston College

 2nd round: Sam Acho, LB Texas

3rd round: Kyle Rudolph TE, Notre Dame

Enjoy the draft everyone. Let’s go Giants!

As I pondered what really happened to the Giants season this year, and thought of what I would fix if I was General Manager Jerry Reese, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my list was fairly short. So I give you my top 5 list for 2011:

1. Special Teams-we need a bonafide punt and kick returner. The Giants ranked 24th out of 31 teams combined for kickoff and punt returns and they had an embarrassing 6.1 yards punt return average which was the worst in the league. A healthy Domenik Hixon will help that, but we need a game changer here in the draft  or free agency. Love to see the Giants go after San Diego’s free agent Darren Sproles to solve their kick and punt return woes.

2. Special Teams-punter Matt Dodge was given an awfully long leash in 2010; in fact I have never seen a team stay with a rookie that made so many mistakes.  When you dust off the 2010 league books, Dodge doesn’t stand out as a glaring need as they were 19th in the league in punting with a 37.3 net average. When you take into consideration one blocked punt, the Eagles Desean Jackson return that killed their season and the 535 opponent punt return yards which was the 4th worst in the league, we need to be thinking quickly in 2011 if this trend continues early on. Veteran free agent punter Daniel Sepulveda from Pittsburgh is worth a look.

3. Linebacker-The Giants need a true leader and game changer at linebacker. The LB crew in 2010 was just average again and while the defense registered 5th in the league in sacks with a total of 46 only 2 of them came from the LB’s. Michael Boley had a nice season leading the team with 86 tackles; however the entire LB unit combined for 4 turnovers (2 interceptions both from Keith Bulluck and 2 fumble recoveries). Boley and Goff are keepers, time to get rid of Gerris Wilkinson, Keith Bulluck appears done, Kiwanuka gets hurt too much, Clint Sintim has one more year to show something and Blackburn is a great back up. We need at least two big time LB’s from free agency or the draft. The Giants should look at free agents  at OLB, Chad Greenway from the Vikes, Lamarr Woodley from Steelers, Tamba Hali from KC,  ILB’s David Harris of the Jets and Paul Posluszny of the Bills.

4. RB’s-While the Giants were 6th in the league with 220 rushing yards, they had another huge issue with turnovers and RB was one of the big reasons with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs losing 6 out of the 7 fumbles they had combined. While Bradshaw had a breakout year with over 1500 yards from scrimmage he is a free agent in 2011 so the G Men have some decisions to make. I would like to keep Bradshaw, but don’t think he can be the #1 guy rather a great 2nd option. I think we do need to get a solid #1 RB and I don’t think it is Jacobs anymore as he failed for the second year in a row to go over 1000 yards ending with 823. Some potential options here are free agents: breakout fantasy star Arian Foster of Houston who rushed for 1616 yards, the often hurt DeAngelo Williams from the Panthers and Cedric Benson from Cincinnati who had his second year over 1000 yards. I like Sproles from SD for kick returns, but also as a change of pace back for the G Men too.

5. QB Coach-Eli Manning showed flashes of brilliance this year as he was tied for third in the league with 31 TD’s the best of his NFL career, but he also finished second worst in the league with 25 interceptions. You could argue that Eli looked great when he had all his weapons until every receiver on the team got hurt and the Giants had to look to the streets for anyone who can run a route. I would argue that his mechanics seemed off as he reverted back to throwing off his back foot like he did his rookie year. The Giants lost QB coach Chris Palmer who made a big difference for Eli and I would like to see the Giants get back to working on Eli’s footwork and pocket presence. The Giants had many batted balls up in the air from their own WR’s that resulted in interceptions so a strong WR’s coach won’t hurt us either here.

Overall, the Giants had a good season by many standards finishing with 10 wins and top 10 rankings in every statistical category (6th in rushing, 8th in opponent rushing yards, 9th in opposing passing yards and 10th in passing yards), but the Giants measure their success in playoff and Super Bowls wins and so 2010 was another bust. The Giants for the past two consecutive years have faltered down the stretch after starting 11-6 in their first 17 games; they finished 7-8 in their last 15 games. Head coach Tom Coughlin has come under scrutiny for their late collapses, but the Giants made the right decision by keeping the fiery coach as the leader of Big Blue. I believe the absence of some real field leadership is the true issue as Justin Tuck appears to be the only field general.  Big Blue is in good shape as they go into 2011. The WR crew is one of the best young bunch in the league (The Giants must resign free agent Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks had 11 TD’s with 79 catches for 1052 yards), the defensive line is one of the most ferocious in the league knocking out 7 QB’s in 2010, the offensive line did a tremendous job keeping Eli healthy once again and was a literal MASH unit all year. The OL is an area where the Giants need to get younger with some key draft picks, as Rich Seubert, Shaun O Hara and Kareem McKenzie have a combined experience of 31 years while battling key injuries in 2010. The Giants seemed to have solved their secondary issues of 2009 with the return of Kenny Phillips and the addition of Antrell Rolle, but it was CB Terrell Thomas who became the leader of the backfield with a team leading 101 tackles and 5 interceptions. All in all, if it wasn’t for the collapse against Philadelphia I am certain that the Giants would have been in the playoffs. A few key acquisitions, the insertion of special team’s help, field leadership and a focus on taking care of the ball should land the Giants back in the playoffs in 2011. Who’s ready for the April draft?

If you watched the first 52.5 minutes of the game between the Giants and Eagles for first place yesterday and then shut the TV off, you would surely be thinking today the Giants are atop the NFC East soundly in first place as they were leading by 21 points with a score of 31-10.  But as they say in this league, you have to play all 60 minutes to win in the NFL and whoever they are must be right as the Eagles came all the way back to score 28 points in the final seven and a half minutes to beat the G-Men 38-31 in what is now being coined the new miracle in the Meadowlands.

The Giants through the years have suffered some devastating losses to the Eagles, anyone remember the original miracle in the Meadowlands back in 1978 when then Giants QB Joe Pisarcik, fumbled a kneel down play having the ball bounce right into Eagles Herm Edwards for an incredible loss. How about more recent history such as 2003 when Eagles RB Brian Westbrook returned a punt with less than a minute to play to beat the Giants once again. Mark the date down, December 19th, 2010 has erased all the history and replaced it with the worst loss of all time for the Giants and Eagles rivalry.

The Giants dominated in this game from the opening kickoff, with an offensive display led by Eli Manning who threw for 4 TD’s (Mario Manningham with two TD’s, Hakeem Nicks and Kevin Boss with one a piece). The defense dominated Michael Vick and the Eagles offense shutting them down to only 74 yards (33 passing from Vick) when the Giants in the same time frame had 222 yards and a 24-3 lead in the first half. The third quarter was more of the same as the Giants held a 31-10 lead with 7:12 to play in the game, but then it started to unravel. The Eagles simply kept plugging away and scored one 65 yard TD from Vick to TE Brent Celek, then they tried and recovered an onsides kick that the Giants weren’t even expecting (How is that possible?) and the tides started to turn. Michael Vick then took over the game showing everyone why he is undoubtedly the NFL MVP rushing for 94 yards in the fourth quarter capped off by a 4 yard TD run with 5:28 remaining. The Giants still were up by 7 with the ball and were driving but stalled at the Eagles 40 yard line. A punt to the 12 yard line started the drive for the Eagles where Vick finished with a 13 yard strike to Jeremy Maclin tieing up the game at 31 points each stunning the Giant crowd. The Giants abandoned the run when they needed it most keeping the Eagles in the game and it was three and out for the Giants with 12 seconds left in the game. So you would think kick it out of bounds and the game will go to overtime, not so fast as punter Matt Dodge finally decided all his terrible punts this year were not enough for the Giants fans to endure, he chose this time to do the unthinkable and kicked the ball on a line drive to Desean Jackson who returned it 65 yards all the way to the house rubbing it in the Giants faces by taunting them with a slow sideline to sideline run on the 1 yard line before scoring the winning TD with no time left on the clock.

The Giants did the unthinkable, they lost a game they almost couldn’t lose with first place in the NFC East, the 2nd seed in the playoffs and a least one home game in the playoffs on the line. They simply cannot beat the Eagles as this is the 6th consecutive loss to the hated rival from down the NJ Turnpike. This kind of a loss will either galvanize a team around a common cause changing a season for the good or will destroy the season and probably the head coaching job for Tom Coughlin as well.  We should know pretty early on where they stand next week against the GB Packers. The Giants still control their destiny for a wild card birth. A win against the Packers all but assures them a playoff spot. One day after this horrific game, the Giants are saying and doing all the right things. Eli Manning for the first time ever in his career held a players only closed door meeting today where he was the lone speaker and spoke of only looking ahead to GB and getting ready to get back on track. This game hurt a lot, but it is time for the Giants to not let it linger. If the Giants don’t make the playoffs, it will be this game that crushed their hopes and will go down as the worst loss in their storied franchises history, but if they get back on track next week this game can be a mere footnote in the history books. It is up to the players to respond; only time will tell.

The game tonight against the Minnesota Vikings was historic on many levels. The NY Giants made the record books by being the team that ended the 18 year streak for legendary and future hall of fame quarterback Brett Favre who could not play tonight ending his consecutive games played at 297. While that would be enough for most teams, not for the  G Men as they also made the record books by winning a game against the Minnesota Vikings in Detroit as the game had to be moved due to a blizzard in Minnesota that blew a hole through the roof of the Metrodome. Eli Manning also started his 100th game in a row who now is part of an elite club of five  that includes Favre (297), his brother Peyton the now leader at 205 consecutive starts, Ron Jaworski (116), Tom Brady (111) and Joe Ferguson (107).

At 9-4 on the season, the win for the Giants brings them to a first place tie with the Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East with a 1 PM show down at the Meadowlands next week for all the marbles. As for the game tonight, the Giants won decisively 21-3 largely in part to the running game of Jacobs and Bradshaw who both ran for over 100 yards on the game. Jacobs had a run of 71 yards finishing with 116 yards, 1 TD on 14 carries while Bradshaw had 103 yards and a TD on 11 carries. The Giants also had three key weapons return in this game as David Diehl returned however he allowed the only sack of the game ending a five game sack less streak for the Giants. Starting wide receivers Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks also returned. While Smith was still dusting the cob webs off  with only one catch for 12 yards, his partner Nicks was back to form catching 7 balls for 96 yards. The only cause for concern in this game was a few injuries to Clint Sintim (knee), Bradshaw (wrist) and Mario Manningham (leg), however most Giants fans see the real issue being the play of Eli Manning who added to his league leading 19 interceptions with 2 in this game and who missed some wide open receivers for sure TD’s all night long. Manning must step up his play if the G Men are going to make a run at it this year.

The defense also looked solid once again with four sacks, an interception from Keith Bullock and another QB knockout of Tavaris Jackson which is their 7th QB knockout of the year. The Big Blue D also kept in check the best running back in the game limiting Adrian Peterson to 26 yards on 14 carries.

The Giants hope to start a new streak next week ending their 5 game losing streak that they have going against the Eagles. December football is here and once again it comes down to Coughlin versus Reid, should be an exciting one.

David Diehl the outstanding NY Giants offensive linemen who started every game as a rookie in 2003 and who recently had his streak of consecutive games played end at 127 games due to a leg injury was all over the radio and press last week talking about how he deals with another nagging problem of his; heartburn. I had the pleasure to speak with the recent pitchman for Prilosec OTC for a one on one Q & A conversation.

Question: I know you suffer from heartburn and Prilosec OTC helps you off the field, but what about on the field who is the defensive player who has given you the most heartburn through the years as an opponent. Who was the hardest to block against?

Diehl: Good question, I would have to say Julius Peppers from the Chicago Bears (formerly the Panthers) and Richard Seymour of the Raiders (formerly the Patriots). Peppers is just a beast, he is so quick, so athletic and has rare strength, and he is always a tough opponent. Seymour is very strong and has many moves that you need to prepare for.

Question: There is much being made these days about how the Giants primarily start fast, but then fade at the end of the regular season. Why is that and why will this year be different?

Diehl: I’m not sure why that is, but I can tell you we felt really terrible about it last year and vowed that we wouldn’t allow that to happen to us again. I think this year will be different because of our veteran leadership, we all worked out really hard in the off season program, everyone is very motivated to not let our fans down again, we know how hard it has been on them and we are too good of a team for that to happen.

Question: What was the best advice a player or coach ever gave you?

Diehl: It may sound cliché, but I have lived my life with the advice that you must believe in yourself, work really hard and never let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. I was told I was too slow, not strong enough during my life and that I would never make the pros. As an athlete, you cannot be scared to dream and believe in yourself. I firmly believe that you have to create your opportunity.

Question: What was a bigger accomplishment, being drafted out of Illinois by the Giants, winning the Super Bowl in 2007 or making the Pro Bowl?

Diehl: Without question it was winning the Super Bowl. As a kid growing up in Chicago I dreamed of someday making that catch to win the Super Bowl or play in the bowl like most kids dream and it was so surreal being in the big game. I have always been a fan of football first and it was so exciting winning the game and being able to hold that trophy knowing that we earned it, we worked really hard to win it and it was so special.

Question: What did you do after you won the game?

Diehl: Oh man it was crazy. We did some team dinners after the game, but it was just a crazy time. The parade and pep rally were really special to see the fans and celebrate with them. There were so many dinners; a bunch of us went to a Knicks game. It was fun, but hectic my phone and my wife’s phone did not stop ringing and texting for a month. We eventually got away for a nice vacation, just my wife and I to relax in the sun a little bit.

Question: What was the first thing that went through your mind when you held the Super Bowl trophy?

Diehl: My father passed away two years before and he was such a big influence in my life. I gave the trophy a big kiss, I looked up in the sky and smiled and said Dad this was for you. We did it and we really worked hard to get there and it was such a proud moment that I shared with my Dad.

Question: What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you during a game?

Diehl: I completely blew out of my shoe in a game. Someone stepped on my foot and I came right out of the shoe. My toes came right through my shoe and I was flapping down the field. My foot came right through where the shoe lace holes should be and I had to come off and get it taped up.

Question: My 9 year old son plays OL for his football team, any advice that you can impart to him or kids around the world that play the position?

Diehl: Wow, he started early, that is great. I didn’t start playing football until I was in high school. I was always a basketball player. The most important thing as an offensive lineman is that the game is being played mostly behind you so you cannot see the action, so you never are sure where the play is. You must finish your block, finish all the way to the whistle.

Question: How do you like the new stadium? Which stadium do you like to play in more?

Diehl: I absolutely love the new stadium; it is an amazing facility with such high tech amenities. The locker room is great. I love both, I really loved the old Giants stadium, it was such an intimate place for the fans and it had special meaning to me as that is where I started my career and so many great memories. Now it is time to make new memories in the new stadium

Question: So how are you feeling? When are you coming back? What has it been like to be out after having been in 127 consecutive games?

Diehl: Oh man it has been tough on me. I don’t like it at all. I have a warrior mentality and have never gotten hurt so it has been frustrating. I really miss my teammates; I’m doing the film work and trying to get back. I’m feeling much better and hope to get back soon. I haven’t even started running and if you hear the news from some of these interviews they would tell you I am back for this game. Not sure where that is coming from, as I need to be smart about it as it is a long season and we plan on going far into the season this year. I hope to be back this week, but I’m not sure about it until I start running on it and see how it feels.

Question: Do you have to block differently for Bradshaw versus Jacobs because of their different running styles?

Diehl: No not at all, you block the exact same way, but I think they are such different runners. Bradshaw is harder to find behind us and can hit the hole sometimes before he is noticed, with Jacobs they see him coming as he is as big as us on the offensive line. So he can’t hide, he just needs to pound the hole. Blocking is blocking though, so you just need to block your assignment, open up big holes and let the runner do the work.

Question: Your flexibility has been a huge help for the line. Do you have a preference of what position you play either guard or tackle?

Diehl: Not really, I just want to play and try to help the team win. Wherever the coaches need me, I’m willing to play.

Last Question: So I know you have been talking about Prilosec all day and that it has helped you deal with heartburn since college, anything that you want me to share for you?

Diehl: No, you are good my man. I appreciate your time.

My conversation with David Diehl proved to me how lucky Giants fans are to have him on their team. What a great example for kids, as well as some of those selfish athletes that he plays against  to learn from. He was an absolute great guy, very humble, does whatever it takes to win, is a great teammate, family man and overall a true pleasure to talk with. Get back soon David; the Giants need your ability and leadership down the stretch.

To learn more about David and Prilosec OTC click the following link to learn more about his campaign: http://www.prilosecotc.com/en_US/consumer/PromotionsDiscounts/Pages/Nfl.aspx

Well if you thought losing the NFC East lead was bad, now we find out that second year WR phenom Hakeem Nicks will be out three weeks with compartment syndrome in his right leg. The loss of Nicks is just one of many at the WR spot for the G Men as they still have Steve Smith (pectoral muscle) out for another two weeks along with Ramses Barden (ankle) and preseason standout Victor Cruz (hamstring) both out for the season.

The loss of Nicks is particularly daunting as he is 2nd in the NFL in 4 major categories (Receptions-62, Yards-800, TD’s-9 and 1st downs-41). The G-Men are left with Mario Manningham and Derek Hagan (who was brought back for the Eagles game after being cut by the Giants in training camp) as the projected starters with rookie Duke Calhoun as the only true options at WR.

Understanding their bleak situation, the Giants moved quickly and signed former Buccaneers wide receiver Michael Clayton who comes to them from the UFL after he was cut by Tampa Bay in training camp this year. Clayton has some skills as in his rookie year back in 2004 he had  8o receptions for 1,193-yards receiving and 7 TD’s, however hasn’t been able to come close to those numbers in the past 5 years. The Giants hope his stint in the UFL wakes him up and brings him back to his rookie form.

The Giants have a big game ahead of them against the Jaguars on Sunday as they need to stop the bleeding from a two game losing streak. Coach Coughlin is hoping Clayton can bring some veteran leadership to calm the WR storm. If he catches the ball and holds on to it they will be way ahead of the game as the eye popping stat of the week is the Giants have 30 turnovers in the past 10 games (an average of 3 turnovers a game). Eventually that will kill you and in the last two weeks it certainly has.

Look for my next blog as I will detail my Q & A session with OL David Diehl where he gives insight into why this year the Giants will not collapse down the stretch along with many other fun topics.

The NY Football Giants take on the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday night at 8 PM EST for a battle for 1st place once again. These two proud franchises seem to always be there at the end, but this game is very different than many others from the past. For starters, Donovan “The Giant Killer” McNabb and Brian “I get hurt a lot, but I always deliver against the Giants” Westbrook are gone. Enter Michael Vick and Lesean McCoy. Now I might be in the minority, but I find it awfully hypocritical that the NFL asked for Michael Vick’s jersey this week after his historical night against the Redskins where he threw for four TD’s and ran for two others in a 59-28 victory. Everyone has Vick on a pedestal now and I for one have not forgotten that this man did some heinous things to get the deserved reputation he had before this year. Not long ago, there were cries of “Hide your Beagle, Vick’s an Eagle” and now the Hall of Fame wants his jersey?  Vick and his teammates have looked very impressive and seem to really be coming into their own, but this is exactly the type of game that the NY Giants relish; the underdog role where it is the Giants against the world. The Giants have never thrived with prosperity under Coach Coughlin and here they are again as the underdog in this game. When everyone makes the Giants the best in the NFL, they usually skid hard as evidenced by the last few years where they have opened the years strong and then played sub par 500 ball the rest of the way. Everyone has been anointing the Giants the chosen team of 2010 and then they lose to the 1-7 Dallas Cowboys at home and now everyone thinks they don’t have a chance against the Eagles. I think the Giants are right where they need to be going into this game minus a hurt offensive line and only three healthy WR’s. The biggest reason the Giants are ok is because they have a classy QB who just stays calm and wins,  who has had time all year to make whatever Wide Receiver that is out there look great. So while Vick is explosive I will take steady Eli’s leadership on my team any day. Let’s breakdown how the Giants can win this game.

  Here are three keys to the game for the Giants to win:

1. Make them beat you with their legs. The Eagles have tremendous weapons down the field in Maclin and Jackson at the WR spot, but McCoy hasn’t made anyone forget Westbrook yet and Vick on the run has been great, but he can be flustered too and if he doesn’t have people open he will take off. The Giants are a quick defense this year especially at the linebacker position which they haven’t been fast in this position for years.
2. Pound the ball down their throats with the two headed monster of Bradshaw and Jacobs. In fact this might be the biggest game of Jacobs’s career as he can do some serious damage if he wears down their defense by pounding the ball and keeping the Eagles explosive offense off the field.
3. Blitz, Blitz, Blitz, Pressure, Pressure, and more Pressure as the weakness to the Eagles offense is their offensive line and the Giants pass rushing ends can make Vick have to think very fast. Everyone has Vick in the hall of fame after last game, but let’s be honest against the Skins there were times in that game where he could have made a sandwich with the time he had. The Redskins are not the Giants on defense and it is time to get after it and knockout QB #6 this year and get to another backup QB. Well that might be harsh, but so is betting on one dog to kill another. So not sure if I will lose too much sleep if a few Giants get those new penalties the NFL is handing out.

Well the game is here and a lot is on the line, namely first place in the NFC East for the winner. If you couldn’t tell from this blog already, I am fired up to see the Giants clip the Eagles wings. Nothing like a hated rivalry for first place on a Sunday night in front of the world to get the juices flowing. Who’s ready for some Giants Football?

I can hear Billy Joel singing a new verse, “The night the lights went out on Patterson Plank Road”. That’s right Billy,  replace the word Broadway with the new meadowlands stadium as in the 3rd Quarter the lights literally shut down and suspended play because a transformer blew out and darkness eroded the playing field. As the Giants fans knew much earlier though, the lights went out when Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks had a cross up in execution and instead of the Giants taking the lead from the Dallas 1 yard line early in the first half, Eli threw a 101 yard interception which changed the momentum and shut down the first place Giants all night long. The odds makers didn’t see this one coming as the Giants were 14 point favorites, but this one should have been as clear as the nose on your face. The Cowboys this week fired head coach Wade Philips and promoted offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and with it removed the cloud of loserdom they had hanging over them all these years. The Giants played their worst game of the year and still had so many chances to get back into the game such as the 43 yard TD to Hakeem Nicks in the 4th Quarter but was called back because of a holding penalty on second team replacement OL Kevin Boothe or the second interception in the Dallas end zone thrown by Eli Manning with a little more than 2 minutes remaining in the game which again would have brought the Giants within 6 points. So the Jason Garrett era begins with a big 33-20 win for his Dallas Cowboys. The G -Men have some work to do especially on the defensive side of the ball this week, but Giants fans don’t fret as many of the reasons they lost this game had as much to do with injuries to a much depleted offensive line and the loss of key possession receiver Steve Smith who should be back soon.  The Giants remain in first place of the NFC East for now and look to bounce back next week against the Philadelphia Eagles who with a win Monday night against the Redskins could share the lead with the Giants for an amazing Sunday first place show down.