Tag: Antoine Bethea

Giants fall to Packers: Winners, losers and those in between

The New York Giants fell to 2-10 with a 31-13 loss to the Packers in Week 13, and here’s a look at the winners and losers from that game.

The New York Giants fell to the Green Bay Packers, 31-13, on a snowy Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, extending their losing streak to eight consecutive games and officially eliminating them from the playoffs.

The game itself wasn’t as lopsided as many anticipated initially, but it got a little out of hand later on in the fourth quarter. And while that does represent some progress, as head coach Pat Shurmur would say, you don’t get any prizes for trying hard.

Here’s a look at some winners and losers from Week 13:

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Winners

Sterling Shepard: Because of the weather, Shepard wasn’t targeted as many times as he would have been under sunny skies, but he made sure to remind Giants Nation how valuable he can be when he’s on the field. He hauled in three receptions for 40 yards and one beautiful touchdown, and was open several other times throughout the game, but the Giants were simply unable to get him the ball. He did have one drop, but that shouldn’t define his performance.

Darius Slayton: Slayton is rapidly becoming a consistent weekly force and Sunday was no different. Ironically, he actually played better than his stats would indicate as one of his long receptions was called back due to a penalty. He finished the game with six receptions for 44 yards.

Janoris Jenkins: Jenkins entered the Week 13 game feeling quite confident and all but guaranteeing he wouldn’t give up a touchdown, and true to his word, he did not. In fact, Jenkins didn’t give up a single reception to a receiver in which he was covering one-on-one, and even had a pass defensed that prevented a score.

Others: Buck Allen, Aldrick Rosas, Kaden Smith

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Several Giants throw their support behind Colin Kaepernick

Several more members of the New York Giants expressed support for Colin Kaepernick this week and suggest he’s being blackballed.

The New York Giants had every intention of scouting free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick last week in Atlanta when the former San Francisco 49ers star was scheduled to participate in a Pro Day-style workout for two dozen or so NFL teams.

When the workout was moved 60 miles south of the Atlanta Falcons’ headquarters in Flowery Branch, the Giants were one of the many teams that could not make the trip. So, they missed out. Only eight teams were able to attend the rescheduled event.

The 32-year-old Kaepernick, who last played in the NFL in 2016, has yet to receive an offer from an NFL team even though he proved at his workout that he is in fine physical condition and could certainly still play in this league.

Who knows if the Giants were genuinely interested in Kaepernick or if they were simply showing their due diligence. This way they can at least say they tried even though in all likelihood they had no intention of signing him. Several Giants spoke out about the Kaepernick situation this week.

From the New York Daily News:

Not everyone was willing to talk on the record or at all about Kaepernick. This was a reminder of how sensitive this matter remains. Outside linebacker Markus Golden, for example, said he had no opinion and could not speak on it, but he’d answer football questions.

Kaepernick’s original protest of racial oppression and police brutality, though, continues to inspire support from the rank and file.

“What he represents I fully support, with what’s going on in our country as far as people of color being treated unfairly,” safety Deone Bucannon said. “I’m an African-American man, as well. I’m in his corner … He’s working hard. As a football player and a person, I respect him.”

Beal reminded that Kaepernick never wanted to stop playing. “What he did was freedom of speech,” cornerback Sam Beal said. “So you basically punished him for his own opinion, for what his personal beliefs are.”

Once Saturday’s workout happened, though, even with all the drama, veteran safety Antoine Bethea said at least one thing came out of it.

“I don’t know all the facts,” the veteran safety said, “but I do appreciate that he was given an opportunity to showcase his abilities. I think it should have been done a long time ago.”

Whether or not Kaepernick ever gets his shot to play again remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though — he’s made an impact on this league, this game, its players, its owners and its fans as well as on American society.

There is no one in this country that doesn’t have an opinion on him or his actions — one way or the other. His point has been made, like it or not. Football is just the backdrop for his story.

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Giants’ Julian Love suddenly receiving first-team reps

New York Giants rookie defensive back Julian Love is suddenly getting some first-team reps — could a change at safety be coming?

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Through 10 weeks of the season, New York Giants rookie defensive back Julian Love has been on the field for a grand total of three defensive snaps, but that could be poised to change when the team returns from the bye week.

Although the Giants will be off from Thursday through Sunday, they did have a practice closed to the media on Tuesday and will have another on Wednesday. And one of the interesting notes from that dark practice is Love suddenly seeing first-team reps.

When the Giants selected Love in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, many viewed the pick as a legitimate steal and heaped praise upon general manager Dave Gettleman.

However, Love experienced some growing pains during the spring and summer, seeing his reps moved from cornerback to free safety, essentially slowing down his learning curve.

However, as veteran safety Antoine Bethea continues to struggle save for one game against the Dallas Cowboys in which he played exceptionally well, the calls for Love (or basically anyone else) have begun to mount.

The Giants already lead the league in rookie snaps by leaps and bounds, so it’s not as if thrusting Love into the fray would change much. The team is losing consistently and many of their problems come on the defensive side of the ball, so getting Love some live game experience ahead of the 2020 season makes sense.

We’ll know for sure if Love is getting a push when the Giants return to East Rutherford ahead of Week 12, but at this point, it should be encouraged. Throw everything against the wall at 2-8 and see what sticks.

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