Die Hard Sports Fan

The Giants flew out to Glendale, AZ where they won Super Bowl XLII and outscored the high octane Cardinals offense. I must admit that I was nervous for a few days prior to kick off. The first reason was because the G-MEN are due for a loss, and the second reason was because they have not had to defend a high-flying offense like this maybe since the Super Bowl. This victory along with a Titans loss now puts the Giants and the Titans in a tie for the best record in the NFL, 10-1, with five games to go. Who team will finish the ‘08 season with a better record? We’ll see, but I do know that Big Blue will move up to the #1 spot on all of the Power Rankings.

Offense

The Giants offense consisted of a whole lot of passing yesterday. Eli Manning had a great game as he went 26/33 which is a 78.79% completion percentage and threw for 240 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs. This is the first time he threw for over 200 yards since the Seattle game. Every time the Cardinals scored, Eli marched the team right down the field for a score never giving the Cardinals the opportunity to take the lead. Manning spread the love by throwing his 3 TD passes to 3 different receivers which included Amani Toomer, Madison Hedgecock, and Kevin Boss. Domenik Hixon replaced Burress after the first series and led the team in Receptions and Receiving Yards with 6 and 57 respectively. Earth, Wind, and Fire were not able to show themselves off as a trio to the Cardinals defense because Jacobs was inactive. Ward and Bradshaw were not as successful without the big man. Derrick Ward led the ground game with 20 touches for 69 yards and 1 Rushing TD. The running game only amassed to 87 yards on 27 carries. The Giants’ offense put up 28 of the 37 points.

Defense

The Giants defense was solid even though they gave up 29 points. The defense came out and pressured Kurt Warner throughout the game and the defensive backs were extremely physical with the Cardinals’ receivers. Justin Tuck got the only sack of the game as well as a forced fumble. Rookie Kenny Phillips had his best game yet with 7 Tackles. It seemed like Phillips was involved in every play, and his best play of the game was when he punched the ball out of Larry Fitzgerald’s hands in the end zone for what would’ve been a TD. Ross was also playing very physical, but too physical for the Refs because they kept throwing flags out on the field. The other rookie, Terrell Thomas, got a pick. The Giants have been allowing an average of 17 points per game so they were fortunate that they got the win after allowing 29 points. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 37 points.

Special Teams

John Carney returned and was 3/3 (perfect again) in Field Goal Attempts. I already mentioned how Hixon filled in really well for the injured Plaxico, but he was even better on special teams. Domenik Hixon had 201 return yards which constantly gave the Giants’ offense great field position which they took advantage of. Most of Hixon’s return yardage came on a 83-yard return and a 66-yard return. Hixon left the game with 269 total yards so props to him. The Giants’ special teams put up 9 of the 37 points.

Heading into this weekend, I felt like all four NFC East teams were going to win because there were not any head-to-head games or really challenging opponents. The three teams with the better records won while the Eagles with the worst record lost. I was hoping that either the Redskins or Cowboys would’ve lost rather than the Eagles. The Giants won their tenth game which makes them 10-1. How will Big Blue fair in the next 5 games? They have the toughest schedule remaining of any team in the NFL. I predicted them to be 9-2 after the first 11 games, and they are 10-1. I got 3 games wrong so far because I had the Giants beating the Browns but losing to the Steelers, and then I had the Giants and the Eagles splitting the season series with each of them winning at home. I predicted the Giants to be 3-2 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Giants will make a trip to the nation’s capitol to take on the Redskins on Sunday.

Share This

Before I begin, allow me to provide you with this disclaimer…I hate the Cowboys more than any professional sports franchise. Jerry Jones flew his pathetic, injured team to New York, and the Giants showed America how small his Cowboys are. When it rains, it pours…and it’s pouring in Little D. The Cowboys began the game with their second string quarterback, Brad Johnson, and finished it with their third string quarterback, Brooks Bollinger. Johnson was unable to put together a successful drive, and Bollinger only put together one successful scoring drive in the 4th Quarter when he found the wide receiver that was crying after Giants beat the Cowboys in the Divisional Playoffs, yeah T.O. Do you remember when Troy Aikman said the Cowboys have a “great defense” during the Cowboys-Cardinals game? Of course you do. This “great defense” was ranked 10th in the NFL in yards allowed (298.6) and 17th in points allowed (23) prior to kickoff. When was the last time you saw a “great defense” give up over 20 points per game? I guess the last time you watched a game through the eyes of Troy Aikman. I have no idea how Aikman is able to not only keep his job when speaking in absolutes without anything to back it up. FOX Sports doesn’t even remove him from their #1 team. The Giants’ offense put up all 35 points on the Cowboys’ “great defense”. Now the team that was already crowned the Super Bowl Champions before the season began already has 4 losses, it forces them to have to go at least 6-1 after their bye week to have any hopes of winning the NFC East. It doesn’t look like that is happening. Oh well…I cannot wait to hear what Jerry Jones has to say to his pathetic team this week. I absolutely loved how the Giants never let up when they were down, and I hope that Big Blue can continue to dominate the rest of their opponents in ‘08.

Offense

The Giants offense was extremely productive yesterday, but they did have a few miscues worth noting. The offense found the end zone 5 times, but they turned the ball over 3 times. Eli Manning had decent statistics as he went 16/27 which is a 59.26% completion percentage and threw for 147 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. I was really pissed off when Eli threw the interception because of where they were on the field which made it way to easy for Mike Jenkins to return it 23 yards to the house. Besides the interception, the Cowboys’ defense had 3 Sacks and 2 Forced Fumbles which were recovered by them. WR Steve Smith had 5 receptions for 29 yards while WR Plaxico Burress had 3 receptions for 34 yards. Eli threw his 3 Touch Down passes to Kevin Boss, Steve Smith, and Amani Toomer. The Cowboys didn’t want any part of stopping the Giants’ rushing attack because the Giants rushed for 200 yards on 34 attempts which is 5.88 yards per carry. Brandon Jacobs led with 117 yards on 17 carries. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward each had 1 rushing TD. The Giants’ offense put up 35 of the 35 points.

Defense

The Giants defense put on another show for America yesterday. They were just nasty for all four quarters. The Giants’ defense had 4 Sacks, 3 INTs, and 1 Forced Fumble. Justin Tuck had 2.5 Sacks, Mathias Kiwanuka has 1 Sack, and Jay Alford had a 0.5 Sack. Corey Webster had 2 Interceptions during the game, and James Butler had 1 interception. Antonio Pierce stripped the ball out of Terrell Owens’ hands which made me laugh. I was surprised that AP did not give T.O. any popcorn. You cannot ask for better stat lines than this against one of the best teams in the NFL. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 35 points.

Special Teams

Carney was 0/0 in Field Goal Attempts which shows you how much of a lead the Giants had. The Cowboys also didn’t have any field goal attempts. Domenik Hixon along with the defense gave the Giants great field position all day. The Giants’ special teams put up 0 of the 35 points.

So the Giants won their seventh game which makes them 7-1. How will Big Blue fair in the next 8 games? I predicted them to be 7-1 after the first 8 games, and they are 7-1. I got 2 games wrong so far because I had the Giants beating the Browns but losing to the Steelers. I predicted the Giants to be 5-3 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Giants will travel to Philly to take on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football.

Share This

The best part of yesterday’s game between the Seahawks and the Giants was when the G-MEN roughed up Matt Hasselbeck on the first drive of the game making him ineffective and providing him with an early exit. It was similar to the last Giants game when they roughed up Carson Palmer, and the Cowboys should thank us for that since they squeaked by the Bengals yesterday. Imagine what a healthy Palmer would’ve done to the poor Cowboys defense. The Cowboys should also thank us for ending Drew Bledsoe’s time in Dallas because who knows when Tony Romo’s opportunity would’ve came if not for our nasty defense. The Road Warriors won their third home game in as many games in the early 2008 season. These are the Road Warriors that could barely win at home in ‘07.

Offense

Eli Manning had a pretty good game statistically. He went 19/25 which is a 76.00% completion percentage and threw for 267 yards and 2 TDs…in only 3 Quarters. David Carr was able to come in lead the team to a 4 Quarter Touch Down as well. The last time we saw Carr was against the Rams for a couple of minutes, but he played an entire quarter today. We knew that Eli was not going to have his favorite weapon in Plaxico so everybody needed to step up, and they did just that. Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer, and Steve Smith led the team in Receptions. Hixon had 104 yards in the 1st Half before leaving the game at Halftime due to a concussion, and I would’ve loved to have seen what he could’ve done by playing the entire game. Surprisingly, Sinorice Moss had 2 TD Catches, and Domenik Hixon had 1 TD. Earth, Wind, and Fire had an outstanding day as they steamrolled the soft Seattle defense for 241 yards on 33 attempts which is an average of 7.3 yards per carry. WOW! Jacobs led in rushing yards with 136 and 2 TDs. The Giants’ offense put up 35 of the 44 points.

Defense

Mike Holmgren developed a pretty good game plan because Big Blue was only able to get 2 Sacks which is the lowest since the Giants opened up the season against the Redskins. With that said, the hit that Justin Tuck laid on Matt Hasselbeck on the first drive of the game, which wasn’t even a sack, was enough to make him a non-factor as the Seahawks didn’t score any touch downs. Mathias Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson were the two players that actually got to Hasselbeck. I was extremely impressed with Kevin Dockery’s pick and 46 yard return. That was the last we saw of Hasselbeck. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 44 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts, and he hasn’t missed a field goal yet this season. It will be interesting to see what the coaches do when Lawrence Tynes is healthy and ready to return. I would suggest that they ride out it out until he misses and then put Tynes in. The Giants’ special teams put up 9 of the 44 points.

So the Giants won their first four games which makes them perfect through the first quarter of the season. I picked them to do exactly that. The last time the Giants went 4-0 was in 1990 when they won Super Bowl XXV against the Bills. This game was over after the 1st Half. When was the last time you saw both starting Quarterbacks taken out of the game after the 3rd Quarter? The team that has so much trouble coming off of the bye week had no problem in 2008. The Giants travel to Cleveland next week to take on the Browns on Monday Night Football.

Share This

The Giants dominated the Seahawks as they scored 4 TDs and 2 FGs on their first 6 possessions of the game which was enough for both coaches to pull their starting quarterbacks out after the 3rd Quarter giving Big Blue their fourth win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

During the opening drive of the Seahawks, Tuck took down Matt Hasselbeck which required medical attention on his knee, and the drive ultimately led to a punt.

During the Giants first possession, Eli Manning handed the ball off to Jacobs three times for 64 yards before he hooked up with Domenik Hixon in the left side of the end zone for a 32-yard Touch Down reception with 11:21 remaining.

Hasselbeck marched the Seahawks 56 yards to set up a 30-yard Field Goal Attempt which was made by Olindo Mare with 7:09 remaining.

The Giants second possession began at the 25 yardline, and Manning got Toomer involved with 3 receptions on this drive before handing the ball off to Brandon Jacobs who ran it up the gut for a 3-yard Touch Down run with 3:39 remaining.

2nd Quarter

Manning aired out a 41-yard pass to Hixon which got the Giants to the Seahawks’ 18 yardline, and John Carney made a 29-yard Field Goal Attempt with 14:50 remaining.

Manning sprinkled in some Smith, some Hedgecock, and some Manningham as he led the team 73 yards to the end zone, and he capped off the drive by handing the ball off to Brandon Jacobs who jumped over the pile for a 1-yard Touch Down run with 7:23 remaining.

On 2nd and 5, Patrick Kerney sacked Eli Manning on his blindside and knocked the ball out as well, but Kevin Boothe recovered it so the Giants did not turn the ball over. Manning got Hixon, Moss, and Ward involved as he marched the Giants into field goal range, and John Carney made a 33-yard Field Goal Attempt with 0:47 remaining.

Hasselbeck, along with a couple of bad facemask penatlies by the Giants, was able to march the Seahawks into field goal range before the 1st Half concluded, and Olindo Mare made a 29-yard Field Goal Attempt with 0:03 remaining.

3rd Quarter

Eli Manning handed the ball off Jacobs, one of which was a 28-yard run, and Ward before firing a 23-yard Touch Down pass to Sinorice Moss in the middle of the end zone with 11:58 remaining to cap off an 80 yard drive (The Giants reported that Dominek Hixon and Kareem McKenzie left the game due to concussions).

The Giants seventh possession resulted in a Punt which was the first non-scoring drive of the game for them.

On 3rd and 5, Matt Hasselbeck scrambled and threw an interception to Kevin Dockery at the Giants’ 23 yardline, and Dockery returned it to the Seahawks’ 31 yardline. The Giants were unable to get into the end zone, but John Carney made a 25-yard Field Goal Attempt with 1:38 remaining.

4th Quarter

Seneca Wallace replaced Hasselbeck on this drive, and Mathias Kiwanuka sacked Wallace for a loss of 9 on 3rd and 10 with 14:11 remaining.

David Carr replaced Manning on this drive, and Carr kept handing the ball off to Bradshaw until they got to the Seahawks’ 5 yardline where Carr hit Sinorice Moss in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard Touch Down pass with 9:25 remaining.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 19/25 and threw for 267 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing Attempts and Rushing Yards with 15 and 136.

Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer, and Steve Smith led in Receptions with 4, and Domenik Hixon led in Receiving Yards with 102.

Brandon Jacobs had 2 TD Runs, Sinorice Moss had 2 TD Reception, and Domenik Hixon had 1 TD Reception.

John Carney went 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts.

Aaron Ross led the team in Tackles with 6.

Mathias Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson had 1 Sack.

Kevin Dockery had 1 INT.

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

Share This

The best part of yesterday’s game between the Giants and the Bengals was the simply the fact that the G-MEN won by a score of 26-23 in overtime. The Road Warriors won their second home game in as many games in the early 2008 season. These are the Road Warriors that could barely win at home in ‘07.

Offense

Eli Manning did not have a good game statistically. He went 26/43 which is a 60.47% completion percentage and threw for 289 yards and 1 TD. Even though Eli may not have helped out your fantasy team, he was able to counter every scoring drive that the Bengals had. If not with touch downs then with field goals. The Bengals played a much better game then I thought they were going to play, but I guess that’s how NFL teams are going to come to play the Champs. The Giants did not score on their opening drive in OT, but they did not go 3-and-out either. Manning was able to move the chains a bit before they were forced to punt. Eli also marched the Giants down the field when it mattered most during their second possession in overtime which set up the game winning field goal. Steve Smith and Amani Toomer both were key contributors in the Giants aerial attack as they combined for over 120 receiving yards. Manning hooked up with Kevin Boss for a TD to give the Giants the lead before the Bengals tied the game at the end of regulation. In OT, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer made huge catches for gains of 30+ yards which allowed the Giants to attempt the game winning field goal. Earth, Wind, and Fire had a decent outing as they combined for 115. Derrick Ward had 80 yards on only 9 carries. The Giants’ offense put up 14 of the 26 points.

Defense

Big Blue was able to apply pressure on Carson Palmer all day, but Palmer kept on fighting to get the Bengals points and stay in the game. Fred Robbins was the beast of the day and finished the day with 3 Tackles, 2 Sacks, and a few batted balls at the line of scrimmage. Corey Webster, Barry Cofield, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Dave Tollefson were all able to get to Palmer as well. The Giants defense had 6 sacks for the second game in a row which is sweet. Antonio Pierce was all over the place as he ended up with 10 tackles. Even though the Giants were able to get to Carson all game, the Bengals were able to put up a bunch of points. Palmer took the hits and kept on going kind of like Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII. The Big Blue Wrecking Crew were able to make some keys stops at the right time which made it easier for the Giants’ offense to keep pace with the Bengals. The Giants did not allow the Bengals to score in the 3rd Quarter, but you can see how hard they were trying to force the Bengals to punt. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 26 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 4/4 in Field Goal Attempts. Reuben Droughns was effective on kickoff and punt coverage. Domenik Hixon was solid returning Kickoffs and Punts. The Giants’ special teams put up 12 of the 26 points.

So the Giants won their first three games. The last time the Giants went 3-0 was in 2000 when they lost Super Bowl XXXV to the Ravens. Do you remember last year when nobody knew if the Patriots got the good Randy Moss or the bad Randy Moss? After the Pats went 3-0, all of that undefeated chatter began. I haven’t seen a Sports Illustrated cover stating that the Giants are going undefeated. Our boys in blue get less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. This game was a back-and-forth offensive showdown that Big Blue was able to pull out in overtime. The Giants have a Bye Week in Week 4 so next on the schedule are the Seattle Seahawks.

Share This

Wide Receiver Domenik Hixon joined Joe and Evan of WFAN to talk about the upcoming game against the Bengals. To hear the interview in its entirety, click here.

Share This

The best part of yesterday’s game between the Giants and the Rams was the final score which was 41-13. The Road Warriors went out to St. Louis seeking their 11th consecutive road win, and 12th if you include the Super Bowl. The G-MEN dominated the Rams in every way except for points during most of the game.

Offense

Eli Manning had a solid game as he went 20/29 which is a 68.96% completion percentage and threw for 260 yards and 3 TDs. Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress both were key contributors in the Giants aerial attack as they combined for over 150 receiving yards. The ‘running back by committee’ had a solid outing as they combined for over 200 yards. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward wore down the Rams’ defense. In the 4th Quarter, Ahmad Bradshaw ran into the end zone untouched once for a 31-yard TD run. The Bradshaw TD run was beautiful to watch because nobody got a hand on him. With all of that said, the Rams were able to keep the Giants from not getting into the end zone too much until the 4th Quarter when the Giants torched them for 3 TDs, one of which was a defensive touch down. The Giants’ offense put up 28 of the 41 points.

Defense

Big Blue was able to apply pressure on Marc Bulger all day. Justin Tuck was a beast as usual and finished the day with 3 Tackles, 2 Sacks, and 1 Interception that he returned for a Touch Down. Fred Robbins also had 2 Sacks which were his first sacks of the season. Antonio Pierce and Jay Alford also got to Bulger once. I really enjoyed the AP sack also because nobody even touched him as he went right up the middle. The Rams’ offense was unable to stop the Giants’ defense. The Giants’ defense put up 7 of the 41 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 2/2 in Field Goal Attempts. Domenik Hixon was solid returning Kickoffs and Punts. The Giants’ special teams put up 6 of the 41 points.

So the Giants won their first two games. Big Blue turned this one into a blow out. You would’ve never known how close this game was in the 4th Quarter by looking at the final score. Next on the schedule are the Cincinnati Bengals.

Share This

The New York Giants beat the Cleveland Browns by a score of 34-37.

1st Quarter

The Giants won the toss and elected to receive on the opening possession. The Giants first possession resulted in a Punt.

With 13:24 remaining, Anderson dropped back and completed a pass to Winslow on the right side for a 10-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Anderson handed it off to Lewis who ran up the gut for a gain of 9. On 2nd and 1, Anderson handed it off to Lewis who ran up the middle for a 3 yards. On 1st and 10, Anderson scrambled to the right side and connected with Ali for a 5-yard completion. On 2nd and 5, Anderson handed it off to Lewis who ran up the gut for no gain. On 3rd and 5, Anderson from shotgun threw an incomplete pass to Stallworth in the middle of the field. On 4th and 5, Phil Dawson made a 56-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Browns 3 - Giants 0.

With 9:59 remaining, Manning dropped back and aired it out down field to Moss, but Pass Interference was called on the play which advanced the Giants 53 yards. On 1st and 10, Manning handed it off to Jacobs who ran to the left for a gain of 6. On 2nd and 4, Manning overthrew a pass to Hixon near the left corner of the goalline. On 3rd and 4, Manning scrambled to the right for a 10-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Eli Manning from shotgun fired an 11-yard Touch Down pass to Domenik Hixon in the right corner of the end zone. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 3 - Giants 7.

The Browns second possession resulted in a Punt.

With 7:22, the Giants third possession began at the Browns’ 49 yardline due to a 15-yard Interference penalty committed by the Browns during the punt. On 1st and 10, Manning completed a short pass to Moss on the right side to for an 8-yard gain. On 2nd and 2, Manning handed it off to Jacobs who ran to the left and Jones knocked the ball lose, but the ball bounced forward and it was recovered by McKenzie one yard shy of the first down marker. During the play, the Browns were called for a 15-yard Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty which advanced the Giants 15 yards. On 1st and 10, Eli Manning from shotgun fired 24-yard Touch Down pass to Domenik Hixon in the back of the end zone. During the play, the Browns were called for an Offsides penalty which was declined. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was blocked but still made it through the uprights making the score Browns 3 - Giants 14.

The Browns third possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants fourth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Browns fourth possession resulted in a Punt from their own 1 yardline. Joshua Cribbs ended up kicking the ball into his own teammate Thomas so the Giants ended up with a Safety making the score Browns 3 - Giants 16.

With 0:21 remaining, Domenik Hixon returned the Kick Off 82 yards for a Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 3 - Giants 23.

With 0:09 remaining, Steptoe returned the Kick Off 90 yards to the Giants’ 9 yardline to set up the Browns with great field position to begin the 2nd Quarter.

2nd Quarter

With 15:00 remaining, Anderson connected with Ali on the right side for an 8-yard gain. On 2nd and Goal, Anderson handed it off to Jamal Lewis who fumbled the football, and James Butler picked it up and returned it for a 98-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 3 - Giants 30.

The Browns sixth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants seventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Browns seventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants eighth possession resulted in a Punt.

With 6:04 remaining, Quinn fired it to Heiden along the right sideline for a 9-yard gain. On 2nd and 1, Quinn handed it off to Ali who ran up the gut for 3 yards. On 1st and 10, Quinn dropped back and overthrew the pass to Wilson along the right sideline near the goalline. On 2nd and 10, Quinn handed it off to Harrison who ran up the middle for a 23-yard carry. On 1st and Goal, Brady Quinn threw a backword pass to Syndric Steptoe on the right side who ran it in for a 7-yard Touch Down run. The Extra Point Attempt by Phil Dawson was good making the score Browns 10 - Giants 30.

With 7:02 remaining, Wright from shotgun launched the ball to Moss for a 46-yard gain on the right side. On 1st and 10, Wright handed it off to Bradshaw who ran it up the gut for a gain of 3 yards. On 2nd and 7, Wright fired it to Hixon over the middle for a 12-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Wright threw an incomplete sidearm pass to Matthews near the right hashmarks. On 2nd and 10, Wright dropped back a lobbed the ball to the right side of the end zone, and Hixon made the catch but came down with only one foot in bounds. On 3rd and 10, Wright from shotgun threw the pass through the hands of Bradshaw in the middle of the field. On 4th and 10, Lawrence Tynes made a 33-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Lions 7 - Giants 3.

The Giants ninth possession came to an end as Anthony Wright threw an Interception into the hands of Eric Wright who ran it into the end zone for a 14-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Phil Dawson was good making the score Browns 17 - Giants 30.

The Giants tenth possession came to an end as the First Half came to an end.

Halftime

3rd Quarter

With 14:54 remaining, Quinn threw an incomplete pass to Heiden in the middle of the field. On 2nd and 10, Quinn tossed it back to Harrison who ran it to the right side for a 3-yard gain. On 3rd and 7, Quinn from shotgun gunned it to Heiden on the right side for a gain of 9. On 1st and 10, Quinn dropped back and connected with Ali on the left side for a gain of 7 yards. On 2nd and 3, Brady Quinn off play action aired it out to Steptoe along the right sideline, but Dockery got his hands on it first and somehow Syndric Steptoe got it back and ran it into the end zone for a 44-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Jason Reda was good making the score Browns 24 - Giants 30.

With 12:47 remaining, Ware returned the Kick Off 58 yards to the Browns’ 41 yardline. On 1st and 10, Carr threw it sideway to Thorpe on the left side, and Thorpe picked up 9 yards along the left sideline. On 2nd and 1, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran up the middle for a gain of 2. On 1st and 10, Carr gunned it to Jennings along the right sideline for a 7-yard gain. On 2nd and 3, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran up the gut for 5 yards. On 1st and 10, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran to the right for a gain of 3. On 2nd and 7, Carr dropped back and connected with Bradshaw near the right hashmarks for a 10-yard gain. On 1st and Goal, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran left picking up 3. On 2nd and Goal, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran to the left for a yard. On 3rd and Goal, Carr overthrew Thorpe in the right corner of the end zone. On 4th and Goal, David Carr handed it off to Ahmad Bradshaw who jumped over the pile at the goalline and into the end zone for a 1-yard Touch Down run. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 24 - Giants 37.

The Browns eleventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants twelfth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Browns twelfth possession resulted in a Punt.

4th Quarter

The Giants thirteenth possession resulted in a 42-yard missed Field Goal Attempt by Huston.

With 10:03 remaining Dorsey passed the ball to Thomas on the left side for a yard, but the Browns were called for a Holding penalty which backed them up 10 yards. On 1st and 20, Dorsey dropped back and aired it out to Hill along the right sideline for a 34-yard completion. On 1st and 10, Dorsey hit Dinkins over the middle for a gain of 18. On 1st and 10, Dorsey hit Thomas on a screen in the middle for no gain. On 2nd and 10, Dorsey tossed it back to Thomas who ran it up the middle for 3 yards. On 3rd and 7, the Browns were called for a False Start penalty which backed them up 5 yards. On 3rd and 12, Dorsey from shotgun threw it incomplete to Dinkins in the middle. On 4th and 12, Jason Reda made a 44-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Browns 27 - Giants 37.

The Giants fourteenth possession resulted in a Punt.

With 5:18 remaining, Dorsey from shotgun fired it to Dinkins over the middle for 23 yards. On 1st and 10, Dorsey from shotgun had his pass batted down at the line of scrimmage. On 2nd and 10, Dorsey from shotgun connected with Hubbard on the right side for a gain of 8. On 3rd and 2, Dorsey handed it off to Thomas who ran it up the gut for 3 yards. On 1st and 10, Dorsey from shotgun completed the pass to Dinkins on the left side for a 9-yard gain. On 2nd and 1, Dorsey threw an incomplete pass to Thomas on the left side, but the Browns were called for a Pass Interference penalty which backed them up 10 yards. On 2nd and 11, Dorsey from shotgun aired it out to Leggett along the left sideline for 28 yards. On 1st and 10, Dorsey from shotgun connected with Sanders on the right side for a gain of 5. On 2nd and 5, Ken Dorsey from shotgun connected with Lance Leggett in the left side of the end zone for an 8-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Jason Reda was good making the score Browns 34 - Giants 37.

The Giants fifteenth possession came to and end as the Second Half came to an end.

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

Share This

The Giants had to go back to work today, unfortunately. Below you will find a bunch of notes and reports assembled by a variety of beat writers. The Giants play their first game on Thursday so make sure you watch it.

The Star-Ledger

• Since Plaxico Burress has been unable to practice, he is contributing as an adviser to the Giants’ young receivers. Plax is taking on the mentor role even if the young guys don’t ask for it.
• Mike Garafolo assembled an in-depth 8/3 morning practice report worth checking out. Below is a sample of the entire report. There’s much more where that came from so go check out the source.
  • DEs Justin Tuck (foot) and Osi Umenyiora (hip), WRs Plaxico Burress (ankle), Amani Toomer (leg), Mario Manningham (groin) and David Tyree (knee/PUP), LBs Zak DeOssie (back) and Gerris Wilkinson (knee/PUP), CB Sam Madison (sports hernia), RT Shane Olivea and S Craig Dahl (knee) did not practice.
  • There we go again: first play of team drills was a bomb. Again from QB Eli Manning to WR Domenik Hixon. Great tackle on the play by CB Aaron Ross. Too bad it was way before the ball got there. That’s a 40-yard pass interference penalty on Ross.
  • QB Anthony Wright and WR Michael Jennings hooked up for deep in.
  • WR Craphonso Thorpe got the crowd excited with a spinning, toe-tapping catch on a fade to the left side from Wright. Dockery was in coverage on the play.
  • Hall ran a nice route to catch a hook from QB Andre’ Woodson in front of Webster. Hall later went deep on Pope, but the ball from Wright was overthrown and out of bounds.
• Mike Garafolo assembled an in-depth 8/3 evening practice report also worth checking out. Below is a sample of the entire report. There’s much more where that came from so go check out the source.
  • WRs Plaxico Burress (ankle), Steve Smith (groin), David Tyree (knee/PUP) and Mario Manninghan (groin), LBs Gerris Wilkinson (knee/PUP) and Danny Clark (sports hernia), CB Sam Madison (sports hernia) and OT Shane Olivea (back) did not practice..
  • CB Corey Webster would have none of WR Domenik Hixon catching a fade on the left side. He stayed all over Hixon and knocked the ball away. Webster also stayed stride for stride on a go from QB David Carr to WR Sinorice Moss. Webster had such good position it almost looked like he was the intended receiver. Webster knocked it away for a PD.
  • Hixon ran a perfect comeback to get separation from CB R.W. McQuarters and make a diving catch. McQuarters bounced back with a PD a few plays later when WR Craphonso Thorpe ran the same pattern.
  • LB Chase Blackburn keeps making plays. I mean, this guy couldn’t get a job after the draft a few years ago and now he’s a steady backup in my mind. Tonight, he stayed with Boss on a post into the end zone and wrestled with him to grab a ball from Wright for an INT.
  • WR Brandon London made his first nice grab in a few days on a skinny post over CB Kevin Dockery. Not a bad ball at all from Woodson. London then did a great job of accelerating to at least get his hands on a deep incompletion from Manning. The ball was overcooked and I didn’t think London had a prayer of getting there, but he dove and almost made the catch after getting past CB Terrell Thomas.
• Plaxico Burress did some light running for the first time since training camp.

Big Blue Blog

• Paul Schwartz assembled his own morning practice notes. Below is a sample of his notes, but there are not too many more.
  • On Manning’s second pass, Ross made another aggressive play, storming in to bat away a pass in the flat. Unfortunately for Ross, the ball was picked out of the air by RB Derrick Ward for a completion.
  • David Carr could not have thrown a better pass on a deep toss to Sinorice Moss, who had a step on two rookies, S Kenny Phillips and CB Terrell Thomas. The ball floated down perfectly to Moss … who watched as it slid right through his arms and to the grass. Moss looked up to the sky in bewilderment.
  • TE Kevin Boss, who has caught virtually everything thus far in camp, could not make the grab on a lunging attempt from Manning over the middle.

Inside the Giants

• Tom Rock believes that Sinorice Moss is basically playing for his Giants career in this camp so he’s been under the microscope this first week and a half. That means every drop is written about, and to be fair, there have been a lot of them. Moss had a pretty good practice tonight.

The Blue Screen

• Mike Garafolo put together another morning report and another evening report.

Share This

If you want see what the media is saying about our boys in blue while they are at Training Camp up in Albany then take a look below:

Newsday

• Tom Rock of Newsday stated that Kevin Boss is making the most of taking Jeremy Shockey’s place. Boss caught just about every pass that came his way during the first week of training camp, and he’s working on his blocking.
• The first fight of training camp took place yesterday. It was between Rich Seubert and Danny Clark, but he said that it, “was more a dance while holding on to each other’s face mask than a brawl.”
• MIA from practice: S Kenny Phillips did not participate in either practice with a sore hamstring, Plaxico Burress (ankle), Amani Toomer (leg), and Mario Manningham (quadricep).
• Players worth Noting: WR Domenik Hixon had another outstanding practice in the morning, though it came at the expense of CB Corey Webster, who covered Hixon most of the session … Undrafted rookie S Nehemiah Warrick had a second straight practice with an interception in the morning, playing with the second unit in place of Phillips.

New York Daily News

• Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says Sinorice Moss is as disappointed as anyone by the way his first two NFL seasons have gone. He suffered a few injuries, but he’s not ready to give up on himself yet. And neither are the Giants.

New York Post

• According Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, “Tom Coughlin gave permission for [Dave] Tollefson to go home to be with his wife, Megan, for the birth of the couple’s first child, a son they plan on naming Tucker. Megan is due on Aug. 15, but will be induced to accommodate Dave’s football schedule. A day or two later, Tollefson will return to camp and hopes to continue his development at defensive end.

The Star-Ledger

• Dave Tollefson cherishes each moment he is on the field.
• Mike Garafolo compiled some notes about Giants training camp.
• Tom Coughlin is still going to be kind and gentle in 2008.
• Mike Garafolo assembled an in-depth 8/1 evening practice report worth checking out.

Sports Illustrated

• Ben Reiter, a writer at Sports Illustrated, recently provided a Giants camp rundown at SI.com. In Reiters “Three Observations”, he writes this of the secondary:
  • I spent several moments observing what I assumed to be the Giants’ linebacking corps huddled up next to the practice field — until I realized the group was actually the team’s secondary. These guys are monsters (only cornerback Sam Madison is under 6 feet), but the most physically impressive of them all is safety Kenny Phillips, the team’s first-round pick out of Miami.

The good news is that everything mentioned about Big Blue is positive. That’s not the norm so enjoy it while it lasts. As mentioned above, Dave Tollefson’s wife is expected to give birth on August 15 so we wish them a healthy child.

Share This