Charles Curtis

After last year’s wildly successful draft that saw Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Jay Alford, Kevin Boss and Ahmad Bradshaw all contribute to the Giants’ Super Bowl run, New York could afford to take some risks. This year’s edition was more about creating depth and looking toward the future.

Overall, the Giants addressed the few concerns they had, especially after an off-season that saw them lose three starters on defense. What they received were prospects with the raw talent to produce but some gaping holes in their skill sets. But they are Super Bowl champions, and they clearly aren’t setting out to remake the team right away.

Drafting Miami safety Kenny Phillips with their first pick will soften some of the blow of Gibril Wilson’s defection to the Oakland Raiders. Phillips is athletic and smart and has the kind of speed to cover wideouts as well as the agility to make open-field tackles. The knock on him is that he’s a little raw in reading coverage, but with New York signing Jaguars veteran Sammy Knight to shore up the safety position for the next few years, Phillips can develop and mature.  read more »

Can the Giants repeat in ‘09? What does General Manager Jerry Reese have to do to keep the Giants’ momentum going this year and beyond?

Here’s how the world champions can accomplish both as they approach the offseason:

Re-sign Kawika Mitchell and Gibril Wilson

With a reported cap space of nearly $20 million, the Giants shouldn’t spend all their cash on the star-power coming on the market. Instead, the GM should cultivate his home field. Mitchell struggled at times this season as he attempted to get comfortable in Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. But by Week 16 in Buffalo, the hard-hitting outside linebacker began fitting in nicely, showing some speed off the edge in blitz packages. Wilson could see what the rest of the league has to offer after showing versatility both against the run and in pass coverage. If the Giants aren’t able to show the former fifth round pick a long-term commitment, he might be on the way out. If that scenario occurs, plugging the gap at safety will become their new focus. Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin would be a great replacement if Wilson decides to leave.  read more »

Where to begin giving credit for the Giants’ monumental upset of the New England Patriots?

The defensive line, maybe: Their ferocious pass rush knocked Tom Brady on his back all night, preventing the Patriots’ passing game from getting off any huge plays. From Michael Strahan’s jersey-grab to Jay Alford’s body slam with 25 second to play, the Giants were relentless. Even in the fourth quarter, when Brady began to break through the blitz with throws in the flat to Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk, the Giants kept up the pressure.  read more »

Nothing has been more amazing to witness during this memorable Giants campaign than the spectacle of Eli Manning putting together an entirely new skill-set in the space of his last four games.

As the Super Bowl looms, he’s turned from a shaky, inconsistent signal-caller into an elite quarterback capable of taking charge of a game. And each week, starting with the final regular-season game and continuing through the playoffs, Manning added something new.  read more »

The Giants proved they belong.

With an NFL-record 10th straight win away from the cozy confines of the Meadowlands, New York played like a team that deserves to be in the Super Bowl.

It starts with their versatility. The Giants faced one of their toughest tests yet, as Green Bay’s offensive line shut down their pass rush and gave Brett Favre time to work in the pocket. That meant that the secondary needed to play at its best and running back Ryan Grant had to be stopped. The linebackers and safety Gibril Wilson took care of the latter, holding Grant to 29 yards and forcing the Packers to rely on Favre’s arm. The Giants had trouble in the first half containing Donald Driver, especially when he tossed aside defensive back Corey Webster at the line of scrimmage and turned a short pass route into a 90-yard score. Nevertheless, they held Favre to short throws underneath on third downs (of which the Packers converted only one of 10 attempts).  read more »

The old economic adage, “Past returns don’t indicate future performances,” applies perfectly to Sunday’s NFC Championship.

The Giants team that faces Green Bay in a rematch has gone through major changes after the Packers spoiled New York’s home opener in Week 2. And it’s those added weapons that will give New York a real shot at beating yet another elite team on the road.  read more »

The theme of this season, and yesterday’s 21-17 victory in Dallas, is role reversal.

Ask the typical NFL fan in September of 2007 which Manning they thought would be in a conference championship game. The answer, inevitably, would be Peyton. But the older brother came up short Sunday against San Diego, and the kid brother is in the NFC finale.  read more »

Despite losing both regular season matchups against the Cowboys, the Giants are hardly an underdog against the NFC East champions this Sunday.

The focus on this game starts with the question mark surrounding Terrell Owens and his high ankle sprain, an injury that usually takes longer than two weeks to heal completely. While the 12-year veteran’s capability is projected at only 65-70 percent of full recovery, even at that level he’s a serious threat. Fans might remember Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, when Owens was still recovering from surgery for a similar ankle injury: he had nine receptions for 122 yards in a loss to the Patriots. If it’s a meaningful game, Owens will not just play but will find a way to torture the Giants’ secondary all game.  read more »

With a surprisingly comfortable 24-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Giants showed a facet of their game unseen throughout the regular season: the ability to adapt.

They opened their Wild Card playoff matchup in Raymond James Stadium attempting to play to their strengths: they gave the football to Brandon Jacobs to set the pace and tone with a power ground game and rushed Jeff Garcia with blitzes. The Buccaneers responded in kind, crowding the line with eight defenders and utilizing quick routes and screens from Garcia to avoid the rush.  read more »

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may look beatable with a 37-year-old quarterback and an aging defense, but both on the field and on the sidelines, they’re one of the smartest teams in the NFL.

In other words, when the Giants play in Florida on Sunday, it’s going to be a tight game with virtually no room for mistakes.

Jeff Garcia has turned back the clock to lead the Buccaneers without being flashy. While he’s racked up only 13 touchdowns all season, the former 49er and Eagle has thrown only four interceptions in 327 attempts and lost two fumbles throughout the year.  read more »

How did it take the Giants 17 weeks to figure out how to click on both sides of the ball, especially against the juggernaut Patriots? Maybe all it took was the extra motivation that came from the chance to stop a team from going 16-0.

While the perfect Patriots finally figured out how to break through the Giants’ blitz and aerial attack in a close, tense and entertaining 38-35 win, the hope is that New York will take what it has displayed in this game and maintain its physical intensity as the playoffs begin.  read more »

It’s true, technically, that the Giants could sit their starters this week against the Patriots.

But they shouldn’t.

Although a loss wouldn’t affect the Giants’ playoff spot, they need a win, or at least a good battle.

The Giants, who face a first-round matchup against Tampa Bay, must send out their starters and show that they can beat an elite team.  read more »

Call it a pre-Christmas miracle, but the 10-5 Giants are now a playoff lock after overcoming four turnovers to win a windy, rain-soaked game 38-21 in Buffalo.

Most importantly, the Giants rediscovered their identity, which they misplaced after their six-game winning streak earlier this season. The Giants defense, helmed by imaginative coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, returned to a constant blitz, something they haven’t had much success with in their past three games, when they lacked the pressure to force turnovers.  read more »

As New York heads to the frozen city of Buffalo this Sunday, the football gods have set up a harsh game away from home that could end up costing New York more than just one loss in the standings.

Although the Giants have a 6-1 record on the road, they’re going have to deal this time with the elements at Ralph Wilson Stadium: sloppy with expected rain showers and plagued by swirling 20 MPH winds that will give kickers (and passers) fits. What all of that translates into is a game that will be won on the ground with gritty, physical play.  read more »

How ironic that on a night that Tiki Barber used halftime to revisit his stinging comments regarding Eli Manning’s leadership last August, the Giants lost 22-10 in a game in which they needed him the most.  read more »

Last week, against a subpar Eagles team, Eli Manning was able to eke out a victory by getting back into rhythm with banged-up wideout Plaxico Burress, who caught seven passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. But because Philadelphia pressured Manning throughout the game, tight end Jeremy Shockey was asked to stay at the line to block.  read more »

What makes the Giants so effective on the road, where they are now 6-1 this season?

Yesterday’s 16-13 win over the Eagles answered that question somewhat, but not completely.

The Giants were able to take the Lincoln Financial Field crowd out of the game by keeping the Eagles’ best weapons in check and denying Philadelphia a chance to take advantage of the Giants’ ninth and tenth turnovers in their past three games. Similar to the last time these teams met, New York was able to contain Philadelphia’s explosive offense, ranked fifth in the league in total yards.  read more »

If Eli Manning thought the pressure was unbearable last week in Chicago, wait until he faces the Eagles this Sunday.

When the Giants last beat Philadelphia in a Week 4, 16-3 victory, they struggled to put points on the board against a tough but banged up Eagle defense, ending the game with a scant 212 total yards. And that was when the Eagles were missing two playmakers in their secondary: cornerback Lito Sheppard and possible Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins, both out due to injury.

With those two back on the turf at Lincoln Financial Field, Manning will continue to feel the heat as he tries to rebound from an error-filled start last week against the Bears. Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson employs a strategy that relies on blitzes from all different angles, with an ever-changing rotation of personnel thrown at the quarterback at unpredictable times.  read more »

Has the Giants’ coaching staff lost its faith in Eli Manning?

Following their 21-16 victory this weekend against the Chicago Bears, it may be hard to imagine that they’re considering taking the ball out of Manning’s hands.

But up until the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter, that’s effectively what they did. The reasons for Coach Tom Coughlin’s lack of confidence were, once again, obvious: On the Giants’ very first drive, Manning picked up where he left off last week, attempting to force another pass down the middle of the field, resulting in an easy interception for Bears’ linebacker Brian Urlacher.  read more »

When the Giants step on to the hallowed ground of Soldier Field on Sunday, they’re going to be facing a one-man wrecking crew.

Chicago’s Devin Hester, the awe-inspiring punt and kick returner, is in his second year, but already has ten special-teams touchdowns in his career. He’s also the same player who burned the Giants last season with a then-record 108-yard return of a botched field goal.

Luckily, the Giants have weapons in their corner to neutralize Hester and keep him out of the end zone.  read more »

Here we go again?  read more »

Anything is possible, says that old adage about “any given Sunday.”

But this isn’t Sunday, it’s Thursday, Thanksgiving, a holiday the 9-1 Dallas Cowboys have celebrated over the years with a 24-14-1 record.

While the odds aren’t exactly in the Jets’ favor, it should be some small comfort that there was nothing but skepticism about their chances against the Steelers last week—until they pulled off their 19-16 overtime upset. The Jets need to repeat that performance, and then some, against Dallas.  read more »

In New York’s 16-10 win on Sunday over a tough Detroit Lions team, two truths became clear. One is that the Giants can no longer depend on Plaxico Burress to make the big play. The second is that it might not matter.

The success of their revised aerial attack, one that doesn’t center around setting up Burress for the long pass-and-catch, will now comes down
to the trustworthy hands of a veteran and the speed of a burgeoning young receiver.  read more »

In last week’s disappointing loss to the Cowboys, the weakness in the Giants defense was exposed by Tony Romo’s fleet feet as he scrambled away from every New York blitz package. And Terrell Owens was able to get behind the one-on-one coverage presented by New York’s corners all game long. In short, Dallas exploited the flaws in what had seemed an impressive Giants defense.

When coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sends Giants defenders out on to Ford Field against the 6-3 Lions, they’re going to deal with a similarly potent passing offense that they’ll have to contain in a must-win game.  read more »

As the Giants pass the midway point of the 2007 season, they’re starting to understand their identity. In their 31-20 loss to the Cowboys, they learned they have a quarterback who can’t remember to watch the play clock and a secondary that can’t be left to cover star receivers without help.

Going forward, they’re figuring out that that the key to winning football games and competing for a playoff spot is a flourishing running game, the alleged glaring weakness at the beginning of their 2007 season.  read more »

After a post-Wembley bye-week, the Giants open the second half of their surprising 6-2 season with a vital game against the 7-1 Dallas Cowboys, who won the season opener between the two teams by a score of 45-35.

Here are five match-ups that will decide the outcome of Sunday afternoon’s battle:

Giants CB Sam Madison vs. Cowboys WR Terrell Owens  read more »

Despite the team’s 1-8 record, there may yet be some good to come out of this season for the Jets.  read more »

The bad news: It’s mid-season and the Jets are in a nosedive, fighting to stay out of last place in the AFC East.  read more »

The most important thing for the Giants, one supposes, is that they won.

Their sloppy, rain-soaked 13-10 win in London allows them to go into a bye week having extended their win streak to six, thanks to a hard-working running game and a hard-hitting defense.

But the way in which they prevailed over a truly bad Dolphins team made one continuing problem glaringly obvious: Eli Manning. Manning completed only eight of his 22 passes for a mere 59 yards. (Yes, 59 yards.)  read more »

As television coverage of the Giants hosting the hapless 49ers in East Rutherford began yesterday, the first image we saw was gap-toothed Michael Strahan’s pre-game speech, with the obligatory request for a “New York Giants on three.”

The next shot was of Osi Umenyiora, Strahan’s partner at the other end of the defensive line. Realizing the camera was focused on him, Umenyiora winked, as if the NFL sacks leader knew what was about to transpire.  read more »