OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>New York Giants: A Closer Look
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
Eli Manning
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Tom Casale
Date: Aug 12, 2005
The Browns opponent on Saturday night has reloaded at wide receiver, and is looking for Eli Manning and Michael Strahan to lead them to a better year. Tom Casale takes a look at the Giants, and offers his thoughts about the team we'll see taking on the Browns at the Stadium...
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
The long wait for Browns’ fans is almost over. After waiting all summer for the Romeo Crennel era to begin, the season finally kicks off Saturday night when the New York Giants come to Cleveland Browns Stadium to face the Browns. This will be the first preseason game for both teams.
There is a lot of excitement around Browns’ camp but the same thing can be said for the Giants. 2005 will mark the first full season with Eli Manning under center, and the Giants' coaching staff has been saying positive things about the second-year QB.
To say that Manning struggled last year as a rookie would be generous. Manning hit only 48.2% of his passes for 1,043 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also lost his first six starts before leading a late touchdown drive in the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys for his first NFL win.
Manning went through the typical growing pains that most rookie quarterbacks face in their first season. The Giants’ coaching staff expects this season to be a lot different. Reports out of Giants’ camp are that Manning is much more comfortable so far this year and that he has more chemistry with his receivers. Coaches say that Manning is picking up things much quicker this year. Despite his struggles last season, the Giants are expecting big things out of Manning for 2005 and beyond.
One of the reasons the Giants are so confident that Manning can have a solid second season is the state of their running game. Tiki Barber is coming off a career year in 2004 where he led the NFL with 2,096 total yards from scrimmage. Barber also scored a career high 15 touchdowns last season. The versatile Barber is just as dangerous out of the backfield. Tiki was second on the Giants in receptions last year with 52.
As good as Barber is, most of the talk coming out of Giants’ camp this summer has been about rookie running back Brandon Jacobs. The 6’4, 265 pound Jacobs has been the star of training camp. Whether it has been running over defenders or using his 4.4 speed to run by them, Jacobs has caught the eye of Giants’ fans and coaches.
Jacobs started his college career at Auburn but after being stuck behind Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown on the depth chart, he decided to transfer to 1-AA Southern Illinois for his senior season. It was believed that he would be the Giants’ short-yardage back when they drafted him in the fourth round but he has been so impressive in camp that the team is trying to find more ways to get him on the field. Getting Jacobs more playing time will help keep the 30-year-old Barber fresh. The Browns can expect to see a good two quarters worth of the mammoth Jacobs on Saturday night.
Youth wasn’t the only factor that contributed to Manning’s struggles as a rookie. A depleted receiving corps was another reason. Amani Toomer battled a hamstring injury for most of the season and Ike Hilliard was ineffective. The Giants replaced Hilliard this offseason with a player Browns’ fans are familiar with; former Steeler Plaxico Burress. The Giants believe that Burress is a big upgrade over Hilliard and the combination of Burress, Toomer and Tim Carter gives the team their best group of receivers in years.
While the Giants may be excited about their receivers, their top option in the passing game is usually tight end Jeremy Shockey. Despite leading the team with 61 receptions and six receiving touchdowns, Shockey had a down year in 2004. He dropped a lot of key passes and he didn’t always appear to be focused. Coaches say Shockey is having his best camp since he has been in New York and he has a nice rapport with Manning. Shockey is a tough matchup for opposing defenses because of his combination of size and speed, much like Browns’ fans are hoping Kellen Winslow will be some day in Cleveland.
The offensive line was a weak spot for the Giants in 2004 so it’s no surprise there is heated competition in training camp for some starting jobs entering the season. Rich Seubert is returning from a compound spiral fracture of his right tibia, fibula and ankle that cost him the second half of the 2003 season and all of 2004. Seubert was considered one of the NFL’s best young guards before his injury. Now Seubert is in a battle with David Diehl to be the starter at left guard.
At left tackle former first round pick Luke Petitgout is getting some unexpected competition from 14-year veteran Bob Whitfield. Petitgout has been inconsistent the past couple of seasons and if he has a poor preseason, the Giants may opt to start the year with Whitfield and see if he can hold up for an entire season. The right side of the line is much more stable with Chris Snee at guard and Kareem McKenzie, who came over from the Jets, at tackle.
The Giants’ defense finished 13th overall in the NFL last season but they were a disappointing 28th against the run. Defensive end Michael Strahan missed half of the 2004 season with a torn pectoral muscle. Strahan is back to 100% and having a good camp. This is good news for the Giants because his return will be a huge lift to their defense. In Strahan’s absence last season, Osi Umeniyora emerged as a strong pass rusher, registering seven sacks. The Giants are hoping that with the development of Umeniyora, Strahan will see fewer double teams in 2005.
The big problem for the Giants has been the defensive tackle position. Former first round selection William Joseph has been a huge bust so far. Joseph is currently practicing with the third-team defense and is just fighting just to make the team at this point. Fred Robbins is a solid player but other than him the Giants are looking for depth at the defensive tackle position. It will take most of the preseason for the Giants’ coaching staff to evaluate players and figure out the rotation at defensive tackle.
The biggest addition for the Giants this offseason on the defensive side of the ball was stealing middle linebacker Antonio Pierce away from division rival Washington. Pierce had a breakout year in 2004 with 114 total tackles. Pierce has become a leader for the Giants’ defense during training camp and the team is hoping that he can help sure up their porous run defense.
The Giants finished eighth against the pass last season but there is some uncertainty in the secondary entering their first preseason game. Rookie cornerback Corey Webster out of LSU was supposed to battle for a spot in the Giants’ nickel defense. Webster has not only nailed down that job, he is now competing with incumbent Will Allen for a starting position. Allen was burned at times last season but his starting job wasn’t considered to be in jeopardy. However, the strong play of Webster has the rookie in the hunt to be a starter on opening day. This will be one of the most closely watched battles of the preseason for the Giants.
Will Peterson is solid at the other corner and Gibril Wilson is emerging as a playmaker at safety. In only eight games last year, Wilson recorded 56 total tackles, three sacks and three interceptions. Wilson is a player the Giants’ coaches are really excited about for the upcoming season.
Since this is the first preseason game for both teams, the starters won’t see a lot of playing time. Burress has been a little banged up so he may be held out and if Barber plays he will only see one or two offensive series. Fans will see a lot of Jacobs at running back and Jessie Palmer at quarterback. In case you are wondering come Saturday night, the answer is yes, Palmer is the same guy who was on The Bachelor.
Excitement is in the air in Cleveland. Since Crennel was named the head coach, he has totally changed the attitude of the team. It kind of reminds me of when Marvin Lewis took over the Bengals. I’m not comparing the two because they are two of only six African-American head coaches in the NFL but when Lewis arrived in Cincinnati, the losing feeling surrounding the team went away almost instantly. That same kind of attitude is now in Cleveland. Romeo Crennel wants to lead the Browns to the promise land and bring the first Super Bowl title in team history to Cleveland. His journey begins Saturday night against the Giants and Browns’ fans couldn’t be happier.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
Eli Manning
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Tom Casale
Date: Aug 12, 2005
The Browns opponent on Saturday night has reloaded at wide receiver, and is looking for Eli Manning and Michael Strahan to lead them to a better year. Tom Casale takes a look at the Giants, and offers his thoughts about the team we'll see taking on the Browns at the Stadium...
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
The long wait for Browns’ fans is almost over. After waiting all summer for the Romeo Crennel era to begin, the season finally kicks off Saturday night when the New York Giants come to Cleveland Browns Stadium to face the Browns. This will be the first preseason game for both teams.
There is a lot of excitement around Browns’ camp but the same thing can be said for the Giants. 2005 will mark the first full season with Eli Manning under center, and the Giants' coaching staff has been saying positive things about the second-year QB.
To say that Manning struggled last year as a rookie would be generous. Manning hit only 48.2% of his passes for 1,043 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also lost his first six starts before leading a late touchdown drive in the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys for his first NFL win.
Manning went through the typical growing pains that most rookie quarterbacks face in their first season. The Giants’ coaching staff expects this season to be a lot different. Reports out of Giants’ camp are that Manning is much more comfortable so far this year and that he has more chemistry with his receivers. Coaches say that Manning is picking up things much quicker this year. Despite his struggles last season, the Giants are expecting big things out of Manning for 2005 and beyond.
One of the reasons the Giants are so confident that Manning can have a solid second season is the state of their running game. Tiki Barber is coming off a career year in 2004 where he led the NFL with 2,096 total yards from scrimmage. Barber also scored a career high 15 touchdowns last season. The versatile Barber is just as dangerous out of the backfield. Tiki was second on the Giants in receptions last year with 52.
As good as Barber is, most of the talk coming out of Giants’ camp this summer has been about rookie running back Brandon Jacobs. The 6’4, 265 pound Jacobs has been the star of training camp. Whether it has been running over defenders or using his 4.4 speed to run by them, Jacobs has caught the eye of Giants’ fans and coaches.
Jacobs started his college career at Auburn but after being stuck behind Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown on the depth chart, he decided to transfer to 1-AA Southern Illinois for his senior season. It was believed that he would be the Giants’ short-yardage back when they drafted him in the fourth round but he has been so impressive in camp that the team is trying to find more ways to get him on the field. Getting Jacobs more playing time will help keep the 30-year-old Barber fresh. The Browns can expect to see a good two quarters worth of the mammoth Jacobs on Saturday night.
Youth wasn’t the only factor that contributed to Manning’s struggles as a rookie. A depleted receiving corps was another reason. Amani Toomer battled a hamstring injury for most of the season and Ike Hilliard was ineffective. The Giants replaced Hilliard this offseason with a player Browns’ fans are familiar with; former Steeler Plaxico Burress. The Giants believe that Burress is a big upgrade over Hilliard and the combination of Burress, Toomer and Tim Carter gives the team their best group of receivers in years.
While the Giants may be excited about their receivers, their top option in the passing game is usually tight end Jeremy Shockey. Despite leading the team with 61 receptions and six receiving touchdowns, Shockey had a down year in 2004. He dropped a lot of key passes and he didn’t always appear to be focused. Coaches say Shockey is having his best camp since he has been in New York and he has a nice rapport with Manning. Shockey is a tough matchup for opposing defenses because of his combination of size and speed, much like Browns’ fans are hoping Kellen Winslow will be some day in Cleveland.
The offensive line was a weak spot for the Giants in 2004 so it’s no surprise there is heated competition in training camp for some starting jobs entering the season. Rich Seubert is returning from a compound spiral fracture of his right tibia, fibula and ankle that cost him the second half of the 2003 season and all of 2004. Seubert was considered one of the NFL’s best young guards before his injury. Now Seubert is in a battle with David Diehl to be the starter at left guard.
At left tackle former first round pick Luke Petitgout is getting some unexpected competition from 14-year veteran Bob Whitfield. Petitgout has been inconsistent the past couple of seasons and if he has a poor preseason, the Giants may opt to start the year with Whitfield and see if he can hold up for an entire season. The right side of the line is much more stable with Chris Snee at guard and Kareem McKenzie, who came over from the Jets, at tackle.
The Giants’ defense finished 13th overall in the NFL last season but they were a disappointing 28th against the run. Defensive end Michael Strahan missed half of the 2004 season with a torn pectoral muscle. Strahan is back to 100% and having a good camp. This is good news for the Giants because his return will be a huge lift to their defense. In Strahan’s absence last season, Osi Umeniyora emerged as a strong pass rusher, registering seven sacks. The Giants are hoping that with the development of Umeniyora, Strahan will see fewer double teams in 2005.
The big problem for the Giants has been the defensive tackle position. Former first round selection William Joseph has been a huge bust so far. Joseph is currently practicing with the third-team defense and is just fighting just to make the team at this point. Fred Robbins is a solid player but other than him the Giants are looking for depth at the defensive tackle position. It will take most of the preseason for the Giants’ coaching staff to evaluate players and figure out the rotation at defensive tackle.
The biggest addition for the Giants this offseason on the defensive side of the ball was stealing middle linebacker Antonio Pierce away from division rival Washington. Pierce had a breakout year in 2004 with 114 total tackles. Pierce has become a leader for the Giants’ defense during training camp and the team is hoping that he can help sure up their porous run defense.
The Giants finished eighth against the pass last season but there is some uncertainty in the secondary entering their first preseason game. Rookie cornerback Corey Webster out of LSU was supposed to battle for a spot in the Giants’ nickel defense. Webster has not only nailed down that job, he is now competing with incumbent Will Allen for a starting position. Allen was burned at times last season but his starting job wasn’t considered to be in jeopardy. However, the strong play of Webster has the rookie in the hunt to be a starter on opening day. This will be one of the most closely watched battles of the preseason for the Giants.
Will Peterson is solid at the other corner and Gibril Wilson is emerging as a playmaker at safety. In only eight games last year, Wilson recorded 56 total tackles, three sacks and three interceptions. Wilson is a player the Giants’ coaches are really excited about for the upcoming season.
Since this is the first preseason game for both teams, the starters won’t see a lot of playing time. Burress has been a little banged up so he may be held out and if Barber plays he will only see one or two offensive series. Fans will see a lot of Jacobs at running back and Jessie Palmer at quarterback. In case you are wondering come Saturday night, the answer is yes, Palmer is the same guy who was on The Bachelor.
Excitement is in the air in Cleveland. Since Crennel was named the head coach, he has totally changed the attitude of the team. It kind of reminds me of when Marvin Lewis took over the Bengals. I’m not comparing the two because they are two of only six African-American head coaches in the NFL but when Lewis arrived in Cincinnati, the losing feeling surrounding the team went away almost instantly. That same kind of attitude is now in Cleveland. Romeo Crennel wants to lead the Browns to the promise land and bring the first Super Bowl title in team history to Cleveland. His journey begins Saturday night against the Giants and Browns’ fans couldn’t be happier.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
