Get To Know The Giants

Justin Stine — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:27:14 +0000

Continuing with our weekly feature of getting together with an opposing team’s blogger for a little Q & A, this week I talked with Andrew Ilnicki of GMen HQ about the upcoming Monday night contest with the Giants. He are some of his answers to my questions, and as always, if you want to see what I had to say about the matchup, follow the link and head over to the Giants site to check it out.

1. The Giants are coming off a loss in a game they probably expected to win going in against the Redskins. How is the confidence level of the team and of the fans after falling to 0-1?

The fans for the most part are pretty concerned that the Giants have looked as flat as they have this whole offseason, preseason, and last week. The loss of two fan favorites in WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss are not going to be forgotten easily or soon, especially when the offense cannot move the chains for half the game.

I think the players are confident in themselves and realize they need to execute a lot better on both sides of the ball. If the Giants get off to a good start and show they really prepared and overcame some things this week, the fans will feel a lot better about the season.

2. How did the running game look last week? The Bradshaw/Jacobs tandem seems pretty fomidable, so are they both looking good so far?

There was one drive last week that featured the run heavily that ended in a TD. Beyond that it’s hard to say since Jacobs only got 6 carries and the Giants only ran the ball 6 times total in the second half. Together they feel like they can dominate anyone, feel like they’re the best backs in the league — offensive line miscues don’t exactly make it easy. If the Giants offense can overcome some of those mistakes and find a way to stay with the run this week it will be the first time we’ll see the Giants look like the Giants in 2011.

3. Eli Manning has received plenty of praise and criticism in his career. What is your take on the Giants’ QB, and where would you rank him in relation to other quarterbacks in the league?

Less praise than criticism by a wide margin. But he is a top 10 QB right now. I did a post earlier in the year that ranks him at #8, and I think that’s about right. He’s not a top 5 guy – in most people’s eyes. However, he’s a great student of the game, has developed his offense well the past 4 years through a major change in personell and scheme, and has shown a lot of toughness both in dealing with the overly critical media and not getting hurt, knock on wood. I think if he simply minimizes the mistakes (INTs, Turnovers) like he did when the Giants won their championship in 2007 and in 2008 when they were so hard to stop offensively, the Giants will be in good shape.

4. The Giants’ pass rush has been very good for a long time, so how is the group looking this season?

Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck are both injured… Tuck may play Monday night. Osi won’t so that’s still a big loss. Mathias Kiwanuka is playing OLB this season, not defensive end — he can still get to the QB though depending on what DC Perry Fewell wants to do with his coverage. JPP is going to be a beast, he’s already showing signs of dominance. I’d like more consistency from him this season than last season, I think he’ll get it with improved technique and a year under his belt. The central push is the thing that really creates opportunities for the Giants though — if Canty and 2nd year player Linval Joseph and establish that push and collapse the pocket it will get ugly. All in all, the Giants are a little shorthanded but I think in coming weeks they’ll be back to 100% effectiveness.

5. The Giants, like the Rams, have been hit hard by the injury bug as well this season. How is the team coping with those injuries and who are some of the new faces we should look out for?

There were so many, including their first and second round picks from this spring, that the Giants already have an uphill battle ahead of them. But truly devastating injuries to CB Terrell Thomas and MLB Jon Goff were very hard to swallow…. so Aaron Ross will be starting at corner and rookie Greg Jones will be captaining the middle of the defense. Both players NEED to make an impact this season, if not the Giants are fighting for an 8-8 record and pride.

Offseason Preview: Running Backs

Justin Stine — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:27:50 +0000

Moving ahead with our offseason preview, we are up to the running back position. Obviously, we have Steven Jackson in the fold already, but it’s no secret that the depth behind SJ39 leaves plenty to be desired. Now, as much as I would love to see the Rams sign a top-notch guy, I highly doubt that it would be economically feasible. I think the move here is for the Rams to look for veteran who is reasonably priced and who can catch the ball and spell Steven, and then use the draft to get his heir-apparent either this season or next. Here is the list I came up with, and although these aren’t some of the top names that could be available, they are the guys who are the right fit for us right now.

Darren Sproles – Once again, I like to start it off with my number one choice. Sproles would be a perfect fit here for several reasons: First, he is small and quick, a perfect compliment to SJ39. Second, he is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, which is exactly what we need. Third, he should be reasonably priced and he isn’t the kind of back that needs a ton of touches in a game. Finally, he is exceptional in the return game, which means he gives us a boost in more than one position. I’ve already heard Sproles’ name mentioned in connection with the Rams, so keep a close watch on him in the coming months.

Leon Washington – I admit that the chances of taking Washington out of Seattle are slim, but I would love to have him here in St. Louis. We should have gotten him last offseason, but that’s a different story. Washington is a game-breaking talent in the return game, and he can be effective out of the backfield when given the chance.

Pierre Thomas – Thomas really fell off the map this season thanks to some injury troubles, but that could be a blessing in disguise for a team like St. Louis. The Saints are rich at the running back position with Chris Ivory and Reggie Bush, so they don’t need to keep Thomas in the fold. He has proven to be capable of being a top guy when healthy, and a limited workload behind Jackson could spell a rejuvenation for the former Fighting Illini back.

Ahmad Bradshaw – We know Spags loves ex-Giants, and New York was frustrated by his lack of ball-security this season. I think he would be a nice fit here despite those problems because of the talent he brings to the table, but I doubt he gets out of New York.

Ramblin' Fan » Ahmad Bradshaw

Get To Know The Giants

Offseason Preview: Running Backs