Tag: Brandon Jacobs

Retired Giants great says they would have beaten Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII

Retired New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs believes they would have beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.

In 2008, the New York Giants were the defending Super Bowl champions and were off to a smoking 10-1 start. They were headed for the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a full head of steam.

Then, something bizarre happened. Star wide receiver Plaxixo Burress shot himself in the leg accidentally in a New York City nightclub and the fallout was insurmountable.

The Giants managed to improve to 11-1 that Sunday, defeating Washington without Burress, who was arrested, hospitalized and suspended after the incident.

December would not be kind to the Giants. They posted a 1-3 record to finish 12-4. They clinched the top seed in the NFC, but it was clear they had no juice or momentum heading into the postseason.

They would host the rival Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round and were a one-and-done team after getting clobbered, 23-11, sending them home for the winter.

The Arizona Cardinals, behind former Giant quarterback Kurt Warner, would win the NFC Championship and face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.

Former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, reflecting on that season with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden on the All Things Covered podcast, believes the Giants would have beaten both Super Bowl teams that season.

“Yup. We would’ve beat y’all in the Super Bowl. We were the No. 1 seed.” Jacobs said. “There’s no way the Arizona Cardinals coming from Arizona, playing in 30-degree, 20-degree weather to win an NFC Championship Game. That wasn’t going to happen.

“We whooped them earlier in that season in Arizona and it was a convincing win for us. I think y’all were the closest game we had throughout that season, I think we would’ve played y’all again in the Super Bowl and beat y’all.”

Jacobs obviously remembers events differently than most Giant fans. The truth is, the Giants peaked way too early and the Burress incident was too great for them to overcome. They were listless down the stretch and their performance against the Eagles in the playoffs was nothing short of pitiful.

Had the Burress incident not happened, however… Things might have may have gone the way Jacobs suggests.

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Giants great Eli Manning says these two players were his toughest teammates

New York Giants legend Eli Manning reveals who were the two biggest badasses he played alongside during hi 16-year NFL career.

Throughout his 16-year career, New York Giants legend Eli Manning played alongside plenty of tough guys. In fact, Manning himself was among the toughest players on the field even though it wasn’t well-represented through his quirky personality.

But who would Manning say are the biggest “badass” teammates he played alongside?

While there are plenty of options, Manning narrowed it down back in September.

“We had a couple running backs with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs,” Manning told Kevin Clark on This is Football. “Both of those guys, if I were ever to go into a fight I’d want those guys on my side. I think you would have to literally kill them to get them to stop coming after you.”

Manning specifically recalled Jacobs’ truck-stick hit on Green Bay Packers defensive back Charles Woodson in the 2007 NFC Championship Game.

“Brandon Jacobs… We’re in Green Bay (in the) NFC Championship Game,” Manning said. “We run outside and he meets Charles Woodson about four yards down the field. And I think Brandon — it’s like he never even knew Charles Woodson was there. Just totally ran right through him; Woodson kind of bounces off and it just set the tone for that game.”

Manning shared a similar memory of Bradshaw, who flattened New York Jets defensive back Brodney Pool en route to the endzone back in 2011.

“I think Ahmad, obviously, he had one versus the Jets in 2011,” Manning said. “He runs right through a safety at the goal line and just plows through ’em and goes into the endzone for us to kind of take the lead and keep the lead and to win that game.”

Both of those runs helped propel the Giants to Super Bowl titles. And there’s no denying just how badass both Jacobs and Bradshaw were.

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Giants’ Dexter Lawrence to host celebrity softball game for charity

Giants NT Dexter Lawrence will host a celebrity softball game benefitting St. Christopher’s Inc. on May 18 and tickets are still available.

New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, taking over for former Giants safety Landon Collins, will host a 2024 Celebrity Softball Game with proceeds benefiting St. Christopher’s Inc. for disadvantaged youth.

The Landon Collins Celebrity Softball Game was the greatest gathering of New York Giants, former and current, to ever assemble in one place at one time. In 2019, the last time the event was held, Dexter Lawrence was a rookie for the New York Giants. Not only did he play in the games, Dex went into the crowd and signed countless autographs. He remarked, “This was one the best events I’ve ever been to.”

Now five years later, he is the host. WE’RE BACK… WITH A NEW HOMERUN HITTER!

The game will feature Team Lawrence against Team Jacobs, led by retired Giants running back and fan favorite, Brandon Jacobs.

The event, which will be held on Saturday, May 18 at Clover Stadium in Pomona, New York, will be a star-studded affair with scheduled appearances by Eli Manning, Shaun O’Hara, Amani Toomer, Justin Tuck, and many other legendary Giants.

Those Giants greats will be on the side of Team Jacobs while current Giants such as Kayvon Thibodeaux, Deonte Banks, Brian Burns, Daniel Jones and more will join Team Lawrence.

Attendance is subject to change but both rosters have significant numbers and fans will not be disappointed.

The event, organized by Giants superfan Joe Ruback, aka License Plate Guy, will also feature a dodgeball game, home run derby, and autograph signings for those in attendance.

For more information on the event, you can visit SexyDexyGame.com. You can also purchase tickets directly from the official website.

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Son of Giants great Brandon Jacobs commits to Clemson

Brayden Jacobs, a four-star offensive lineman and son of New York Giants great Brandon Jacobs, has announced his commitment to Clemson.

Brayden Jacobs, the son of retired New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, is headed to Death Valley.

On Sunday, Brayden officially confirmed his commitment Dabo Swinney, Matt Luke, and the University of Clemson in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive lineman chose Clemson over a multitude of other programs, including Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, N.C. State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina.

There were also others.

247Sports ranks Brayden, a four-star recruit, as the No. 14 offensive tackle (No. 17, 247Sports Composite) in the 2025 class. They also have him ranked as the No. 123 overall prospect (No. 174, 247Sports Composite).

Brandon was a fourth-round pick of the Giants in the 2005 NFL draft and spent eight of his nine NFL seasons in East Rutherford, picking up Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI rings along the way.

In 109 games (49 starts), Jacobs rushed for 5,094 yards and 60 touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He also caught 82 passes for 743 yards and three touchdowns.

Jacobs, who fans remember as a bulldozer, holds the franchise record for rushing touchdowns and is fourth all-time in rushing yards.

The Giants will likely still need offensive line help in 2028 at their current pace, so it will be interesting to see how Brayden develops.

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Ex-Giant Brandon Jacobs: If NFL won’t respect RBs, eliminate the position

Retired Giants RB Brandon Jacobs says the NFL should eliminate the position if there’s no longer any respect for it and Derrick Henry agrees.

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There is a growing sentiment among the NFL fraternity of running backs that they are outliving their usefulness in the eyes of the powers that be.

One player who made that argument is retired New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.

As the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term contracts expired Monday, three superstar backs — Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, Dallas’ Tony Pollard and last year’s NFL rushing leader, Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders — did not reach agreements with their current teams, meaning they will have to play for the one-year franchise tender price of $10.1 million this year.

Very few fans feel sorry for any of them. $10.1 million — fully guaranteed, mind you — is not chicken feed by any means. But the trend is nothing new. It is consistent with the league’s attitude towards the position.

This offseason, the bottom fell out of the running back market in free agency to the point where even the most productive backs were being undervalued. Teams are simply leaning towards the ‘running back by committee’ approach.

Anyone who is tuned into the NFL knows this. Teams are winning with this approach. Ask Kansas City, New England, Buffalo, the Rams, and Philadelphia. They have all proved that you don’t need a ‘bell cow’ back to win.

Running backs are fighting back, but appear to have little leverage.

The grave facts are that running backs are more susceptible to injury and have a very short career prime as opposed to the other offensive skill positions. There’s no denying it.

Running backs’ best years are usually their first four, which incidentally, is the length of a rookie contract. Backs earning a second contract from the team that drafted them is becoming more rare.

The case of Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott is pointed to as the test case. Elliott was inked to a six-year, $90 million deal by the Cowboys three years into his career. Many panned the move as an excessive overpay for a running back by the Cowboys.

Teams are no longer making these long-term commitments to running backs. It’s unfortunate for them, but the game — and the business — are changing.

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Brandon Jacobs wants to see Giants RB Saquon Barkley get paid

Retired New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs can see Saquon Barkley’s side of things and hopes he eventually gets paid.

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The New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley remain mired in a contract dispute that recently spilled over. Barkley expressed frustration with leaks and said he just wants to feel respected.

Barkley also refused to commit to signing the franchise tender and left open the possibility of skipping the season.

“I think that’s a conversation, like you said, that’s a card I could play,” Barkley said, via the New York Daily News. “That comes up in conversation if something doesn’t get done by July 17. And we got a little bit of time in between there. So when that date comes up, then I’ll have to sit down with my team and my family and make decisions, see what we’re gonna do, what’s the game plan, what’s the next move.”

Neither the Giants nor Barkley hope it comes to that.

In an ideal world, Barkley would get paid exactly what he wants and everyone would be happy. But that’s simply not the nature of business in the NFL and certainly not when it comes to the running back market.

“Nobody wants to pay running backs,” retired Giants running back Brandon Jacobs told the New York Post. “I want all running backs to get what they think they’re worth.

“We’re going through something here with Saquon at the moment.”

Jacobs went through a similar situation with the Giants back in 2009 but he wasn’t seeking a top-of-the-market deal. He was fine with the franchise tag knowing that a long-term contract would eventually get done.

“They franchised me with the intent to do a deal and we got a deal done,” Jacobs said. “They did it to keep me off the market. I wanted to be here so it really didn’t bother me and it was going to be more than they were offering me per year anyway. I didn’t mind it. I showed up, I did everything I needed to do.

“There was nowhere else I could go and work out so I needed to come here and do that.”

To Barkley’s credit and despite his vague threats, he has continued to work out and train ahead of the 2023 season. He’s preparing as if he’s going to play and has remained in close contact with his teammates, even joining them in Arizona earlier this offseason.

Ultimately, Barkley just wants his payday and that’s something Jacobs completely understands.

“I see a dynamic, generational talent even still at this age he is, I still see that guy,” Jacobs said. “I still see him being super explosive, making stuff happen. I’d say he’s devalued because he feels he’s devalued.

“I think the dollar amount they’re offering is great — $13 million a year. I think he wants most of that money front-loaded in his contract, he wants most of it guaranteed. I think that’s the problem we’re dealing with now. I can’t say he’s wrong.”

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Bill Parcells, Michael Strahan and Brandon Jacobs visit Giants during minicamp

The Giants had a handful of visits at camp on Tuesday, including Brandon Jacobs, Michael Strahan and Bill Parcells, who addressed the team.

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The New York Giants were out on the field on Tuesday afternoon, the first of their two mandatory minicamp sessions this week that will be open to the media.

Star running back Saquon Barkley was not in attendance as he is not currently under contract but several other notables were, such as Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan and two-time Super Bowl champion running back Brandon Jacobs.

Former Giants public relations man, Avis Roper, who is now a member of the league office, also stopped by.

Parcells, 81, has been retired from the NFL since 2011. His last job was as the Executive Vice President of Football for the Miami Dolphins. One of his top scouts was a young man by the name of Joe Schoen, who is now the general manager of the Giants.

Schoen accompanied his former boss around the practice field as the Giants ran through some drills.

Parcells also stepped by to converse with the current Giants head coach, Brian Daboll.

After practice, Parcells addressed the team as a group on the field. His main message: unity.

 

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Giants minicamp: Notes, videos and highlights from Day 1

News, notes, highlights and a few videos from Day 1 of the New York Giants’ 2023 mandatory minicamp.

After canceling their final two practices of organized team activities (OTAs) due to poor air quality, the New York Giants were back at it on Tuesday. This time for their mandatory two-day minicamp.

Running back Saquon Barkley, who has not yet signed his franchise tender, is not permitted to take part in team-related activities and was not in attendance per NFL rules. He will not be fined for his absence.

On the schedule were press conferences with the team’s defensive assistants, head coach Brian Daboll and assistant general manager Brandon Brown. Select players also spoke with members of the media following a two-hour practice.

Here’s a look at some notes, highlights and videos from Day 1.

Son of former Auburn RB is building relationship with current staff

Cadillac Williams is using personal connections in his recruiting effort for this 2025 offensive tackle.

Auburn football is known for its historical staple of running backs. Now, the son of one of those backs is in the beginning stages of his recruitment.

Auburn wants in.

[autotag]Brayden Jacobs[/autotag], a class of 2025 offensive tackle from Alpharetta, Georgia and the son of former Auburn running back [autotag]Brandon Jacobs[/autotag], is working on building a relationship with the new staff at Auburn. In turn, Auburn hopes that he will follow in his father’s footsteps.

In a recent interview with AuburnUndercover, Jacobs says that his current talks with the staff have been successful, and says that coach Cadillac Williams has stayed in contact with him the most.

“He’s a coach at Auburn and I know he knows my family. We have personal connections,” Jacobs said of Williams. “I also know he’s a good player and coach.”

Auburn became the ninth program to offer Jacobs on May 19, 2022. Since then, Jacobs has fielded 13 offers, with Ohio State being the most recent. Jacobs is listed at 6-4, and 265 pounds, and has yet to receive a ranking from 247Sports and On3, but has a four-star rating from Rivals.

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4 ex-Giants will serve as coaches for NFLPA Bowl

Four retired New York Giants players will serve as coaches or coaching interns for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl game on January 28.

Several former New York Giants players will be on the sidelines during this weekend’s NFLPA Bowl.

Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Dockery, Keith Bulluck, and Rich Seubert will all serve as coaching interns or assistant coaches.

 

The 11th Annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl game will take place on January 28 at the legendary Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

About the NFLPA Bowl:

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is the premier postseason all-star game for any draft-eligible college football players. More than just a game, this week-long experience provides players with the opportunity to showcase their game to NFL scouts and coaches, while learning from the best in the business. The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl not only prepares players for the speed and intensity of professional football, but also for the business and lifestyle changes that come with it.

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