Tag: Jerome Henderson

Report: Marquand Manuel will also serve as Giants’ defensive pass game coordinator

Recently hired New York Giants secondary coach Marquand Manuel will also serve as the team’s defensive pass game coordinator.

The New York Giants filled their coaching vacancy in the secondary with Marquand Manuel this week.

NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that Manuel will also serve as the team’s defensive passing game coordinator under returning defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

Manuel was hired to replace the recently fired Jerome Henderson, the cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator. Safeties coach Mike Treier was also terminated at the time.

The 45-year-old Manuel was a former NFL safety for eight seasons with six different teams and played in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XL loss to Pittsburgh to close out the 2005 season.

Manuel began his professional coaching career with Seattle in 2012 as their assistant special teams coordinator. He was a defensive assistant for the Seahawks in their Super Bowl victory over Denver after the next season.

After leaving Seattle in 2015, he has spent time as a defensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles and, most recently, the New York Jets.

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Giants may target Marquand Manuel for coaching role in secondary

The New York Giants reportedly have an eye on former Atlanta Falcons DC Marquand Manuel for a coaching role in their secondary.

The New York Giants shook things up on Wednesday, firing defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Mike Treier.

Now the hunt is on to replace both assistants and USA TODAY’s Art Stapleton reports that the Giants could be honing in on Marquand Manuel for one of those roles.

The 45-year-old Manuel was a sixth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2002 NFL draft. In total, he spent eight years in the league and made stops with six different teams.

Manuel appeared in 116 games (58 starts), recording 368 tackles, two QB hits, one sack, 16 passes defensed, two interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.

After retirement following the 2009 season, Manuel took a year off and then entered the coaching ranks as an intern at Florida. He joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2012 and held multiple assistant roles before moving on to the Atlanta Falcons in 2015.

Manuel initially served as the secondary coach in Atlanta before being promoted to defensive coordinator under Dan Quinn in 2017.

Manuel also spent the 2020 season as the defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and served as safeties coach for the New York Jets over the past four seasons.

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Giants fire Jerome Henderson, Mike Treier; make other staff changes

The New York Giants have fired Jerome Henderson and Mike Treier, while several other assistants have opted to leave the team.

After an ugly 3-14 campaign for the New York Giants, someone would have to fall on the sword even if it wasn’t general manager Joe Schoen or head coach Brian Daboll.

That answer came on Wednesday when the team dismissed defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, as well as safeties coach Mike Treier.

Both men have been with the Giants for five seasons, preceding current head coach Brain Daboll.

It’s an odd move considering the Giants’ pass defense was not their biggest problem on defense this season. The Giants finished 24th in total defense, allowing 346.8 yards per game.

The run defense was the real culprit, allowing 136.2 YPG — the fifth most in the league — while the pass defense came in at No. 9 versus the pass this season (210.6) yards per game.

This was the team’s first year under defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who was once thought to be on the hot seat. However, the team apparently will return with new coaches directing the defensive backfield.

The Giants also apparently had several other members of Daboll’s staff defect this week, reports The Athletic’s Dan Duggan.

Defensive assistant Ben Burress: Burress had been with the Giants since 2019 in a variety of roles, most recently as a defensive assistant working with the OLB the past two seasons. He also had a front office/analytics role during the 2022 season. He is leaving for an offensive assistant role at South Carolina.

Director of strength and conditioning Frank Piraino: Hired in February as part of a revamped strength staff, Piraino is leaving to re-join Mike Vrabel in New England. Piraino had been with Vrabel in Tennessee.

Director of sports and performance nutrition Steve Smith: No word on the reason for his departure. He had been with the Giants in his role since 2020.

The Giants promised that changes were coming. So far they haven’t been at the top, where many felt they should have been made. It remains to be seen if more cuts and departures are in the wings.

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Giants rolling with CB Deonte Banks: ‘Gives us the best chance to win’

The New York Giants will return CB Deonte Banks to the starting lineup after his Week 8 benching: “Gives us the best chance to win.”

New York Giants second-year cornerback Deonte Banks will be back in the lineup this week against the Washington Commanders after getting benched at halftime on Monday night in Pittsburgh.

Banks was once again cited for substandard effort by the coaching staff who made a decision to replace the 2023 first-round pick with Greg Stroman for the remainder of the game.

“I think he’ll be ready to go,” head coach Brian Daboll said this week.

“Obviously, a tough challenge with No. 17 (Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin) over there who’s done a great job. He’ll have a good week here.”

Giants defensive backfield coach Jerome Henderson told reporters on Friday that he thinks Banks has “hopefully gotten the message” from the benching.

“Because we think he gives us the best chance to win,” Henderson said when asked why the Giants are going back to Banks this week, via NJ Advance Media.

“Otherwise, why would we not start him? Hopefully, he got the message from the Pittsburgh game, and we’ve moved on. We’re going to give him a chance to go out and show the player that he is.”

Banks will be charged with traveling with McLaurin again this week. He got the better of the Washington star in the first meeting, holding him to 22 yards on six receptions.

There was no clear-cut reason what the last straw was that led to Banks’ benching. Was it the George Pickens play in the end zone that Dexter Lawrence was critical about? Or perhaps the play where Najee Harris hurdled Banks?

It appears to have been a series of events going back weeks. Henderson had seen enough and decided to make a change.

“Just didn’t feel he was — or he has — consistently played up to the expectations the organization has for him, drafting him where he is. So wanted to really get his attention (with the benching), that we expect more,” he said.

“I want to see him in those moments be brighter, be bigger. That’s why we drafted him. That’s what I know he has in him. I want him to do it consistently and at a high level all the time. He has it in him to do it. It’s my job to get it out of him.”

Typical Giants. Taking two steps back before taking a step forward. Hopefully, for them, this will be the last we’ll be hearing about Banks’ effort.

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Deonte Banks thinks he could have made Jalen Hurts tackle but decided, ‘Nah’

New York Giants CB Deonte Banks says he could have made a tackle on Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts but decided, “Nah.”

There was a lot to unpack after the New York Giants were humiliated by Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon but one instance stood out because of the uncharacteristic nature of it.

It was the lack of effort and hustle on the part of cornerback Deonte Banks as he pursued a scrambling Jalen Hurts on the first play of the fourth quarter.

From Dan Duggan of The Athletic:

A lack of effort can never be excused. Especially not from second-year cornerback Deonte Banks, who already was called out by defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson for not hustling after giving up a 55-yard touchdown catch to Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb in Week 4.

Yet, there was Banks, jogging as Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambled 16 yards for a first down on third-and-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter. This wasn’t the type of loafing that is only revealed after watching film. It was obvious immediately, as evidenced by Henderson’s outburst on the sideline in real time.

The Eagles were ahead, 21-3, at the time of the run. They would take a 28-3 lead at the end of that drive on a “brotherly shove” that sent Hurts into the end zone.

In reviewing the tape, I gave Banks the benefit of the doubt. Hurts was teetering along the sideline and a hit could have landed him a personal foul penalty. But after hearing his reaction to why acted the way he did, I’ve changed my thinking.

“I think I could have made it, but sometimes when you’re in that moment, you just think like, ‘Nah.’ But I think I could’ve made a tackle,” Banks said, per Duggan.

What? This is the NFL. There is no half-speed.

Banks, the Giants’ first-round pick in 2023, appears to have made a business decision. In a business where winning is the goal, it was a bad one.

Henderson did attempt to address the issue with Banks along the sideline, but the tape shows Banks blowing him off.

After the game, head coach Brian Daboll danced around the issue but as of Monday, he had not assessed it with Banks.

“I kind of saw Jalen (Hurts) scramble. Then I saw Jerome (Henderson) right away on the sideline, and I know they talked about it in between series. So, it’s something that yesterday I said had been addressed. We’ll address that privately and get that better,” he said.

Asked if the lack of effort was acceptable, Daboll said it was not.

“Obviously we want maximum effort on every play. So, again, we’ve addressed that. We’ll continue to address it, and we’ll make sure it’s better,” he said.

What form that discipline will take is still to be determined.

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Giants’ Deonte Banks owns lack of effort: ‘Let emotions get best of me’

New York Giants CB Deonte Banks once again owned his lack of effort, claiming emotions got the best of him against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Facing a third-and-7 early in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts shook New York Giants linebacker Matthew Adams and took off down the field.

As he reached the first-down marker, he casually cruised by Giants cornerback Deonte Banks, who could have made a play on Hurts. Or the ball.

Instead, Banks did neither.

On the sideline, defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson erupted. Before the play was even whistled dead, he was screaming at Banks.

It’s not the first time that situation has played itself out this season. In Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, Banks had another no-effort moment that drew the public ire of Henderson.

Banks took ownership of his lacking effort against the Cowboys and did the same following Sunday’s 28-3 loss, but it came with a little something extra this time.

“I really just thought he was gonna slide or whatever, but it was a bad play by me, bad effort play by me. I think I could have made it,” Banks said, via the New York Daily News. “I play this game because I love this (expletive). Sometimes you get frustrated out there when (expletive) not going your way. That’s me just letting the emotions get the best of me.”

That was just one play for Banks, however. There were at least two others on the same drive where he showed a complete lack of effort.

Asked about Banks after the game, head coach Brian Daboll deflected.

“We’ll take a look at all that stuff and whatever we need to address, we’ll address. But, the guys are putting effort into it each and every week. We’re just, unfortunately, not getting the results and it’s a results business,” he told reporters.

“I’m not going to get into the sideline or coaching part of it. But, none of it was good enough today. I’ll leave it at that.”

Banks was one of two players (Tyler Nubin) who took 100 percent of the defensive snaps, although it could easily be argued that he didn’t play 100 percent of the actual game.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll mum on effort of Deonte Banks, who quit in Week 7

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll refused to address the play of CB Deonte Banks against the Eagles after he appeared to quit on plays.

The New York Giants were embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-3, at home on Sunday afternoon but what may have been the most embarrassing moment was when cornerback Deonte Banks backed off on tackling Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Hurts took off out of the pocket on the first play of the fourth quarter and zipped up the right sideline. Banks was bearing down on Hurts but appeared to intentionally whiff as Hurts went on to gain more yards before going out of bounds.

Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, who publicly called out Banks for a lack of hustle earlier this season, screamed at the young cornerback from the sideline.

Two other times on the same drive, Banks appeared to shy away from engaging on a play.

Head coach Brian Daboll was questioned about Banks’ effort after the game but had little to offer.

“We’ll take a look at all that stuff and whatever we need to address, we’ll address. But, the guys are putting effort into it each and every week. We’re just, unfortunately, not getting the results and it’s a results business,” he told reporters.

When it was suggested that Banks’ actions needed to be addressed at the moment on the sidelines.

“I’m not going to get into the sideline or coaching part of it. But, none of it was good enough today,” Daboll said. “I’ll leave it at that.”

Losing has begun to seep into the psyche of this team. There may be very little Daboll can do at this point to turn things around. But that won’t prevent him from trying.

“No one was happy about the result,” said Daboll. “I think we have a strong group. You need to have a strong group in this league. There’s a lot of ups and downs. Unfortunately, we’ve had more downs. But, our guys will come back. We’ll regroup and we’ll do everything we possibly can do, like we do each week, to be at our best on Monday night.”

The Giants are now 2-5 on the season. If they lose to the Steelers next Monday night in Pittsburgh and drop to 2-6, it will be the seventh time in the past eight years that they will begin the season with two or fewer wins at the halfway mark.

Having players quit in plays certainly doesn’t help — not in results or in optics. Perhaps some discipline is in order.

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Giants assistant questions Deonte Banks’ effort vs. Cowboys: ‘He failed’

New York Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson calls out a lack of effort by CB Deonte Banks in Week 4: “He failed.”

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks had a less-than-stellar performance against the Dallas Cowboys last Thursday night.

Banks surrendered three receptions on three targets for 76 yards and one touchdown — a 55-yard catch-and-run courtesy of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who put Banks’ effort to shame.

“It was a bad finish by me,” Banks told reporters on Friday. “After I saw the film, I didn’t really feel it in the game. But I could have definitely finished more. I maybe could have even tackled him. But we’re passed it now.”

The lack of hustle drew the ire of long-time assistant coach Jerome Henderson, who interviewed to become Brian Daboll’s defensive coordinator during the offseason before the hiring of Shane Bowen.

The usually subdued Henderson was so frustrated by what he saw that he got loud with Banks.

“I’ve always been coachable. He don’t really do too much yelling, but I’ve been yelled at by a coach at a young age. So, I kind of learned that as a kid,” the second-year corner said.

Henderson didn’t coddle Banks publicly, either. He wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts with reporters before the team’s final practice of Week 5.

“Didn’t like it,” Henderson said, via the New York Post. “Liked nothing about it.

“When your man catches a ball, you have to break your legs — not literally, but figuratively — to get him on the ground. I thought there was room to do more. We expect it from him and he expects it from himself, but in that moment he failed.”

Rookie safety Tyler Nubin also took a bad angle to the ball carrier and the play ended up going for 33 yards over expected, per NextGen Stats. It was seven points that shouldn’t have been on the board.

The Giants lost, 20-15.

“I expect more from myself. So, it is what it is. It’s coaching,” Banks said.

Things get no easier for Banks this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks when he’s slated to go up against the much more physical DK Metcalf. Any lack of effort will be exposed, so expect Banks to come in motivated to right his wrong.

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Giants promote Mike Kafka to assistant head coach, announce staff changes

The New York Giants have promoted three assistants, including Mike Kafka to assistant head coach, and announced other staff additions.

The New York Giants have promoted offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to assistant head coach, secondary coach Jerome Henderson to defensive passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney to offensive passing game coordinator.

All three will continue in their previous roles while taking on the additional responsibilities.

In addition, Charlie Bullen was hired as the new outside linebackers coach, and Zak Kuhr was added as a defensive assistant.

The moves should complete the Giants’ coaching staff for the upcoming season.

Earlier this week, the Giants hired Shane Bowen as their new defensive coordinator, replacing Wink Martindale, and Mike Kelly to assume the open tight ends role after Andy Bischoff left to join Joe Harbaugh’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Both Bowen and Kelly came from Tennessee, where they served under the now-former head coach Mike Vrabel.

Kuhr also comes from Tennessee — first as a quality control coach in 2020 and then worked with the Titans’ defense under Bowen, becoming their inside linebackers assistant in 2021.

Bullen was most recently with the Arizona Cardinals (2020-22) as their outside linebackers coach. Before that he was with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-2018, working with the linebackers and defensive line. He will assume the roles held by Drew Wilkins, who was let go last month.

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Giants’ options for defensive coordinator beginning to dwindle

The New York Giants have been thorough in their search for a new defensive coordinator but their options are beginning to dwindle.

After an ugly falling out between head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, the New York Giants were thrust into the hunt for a new DC.

Their search has been thorough but thus far, has yielded no fruit.

Earlier this week, general manager Joe Schoen said he’d like to have a DC in place over the coming days but that clock is ticking.

Nearly a month after the Giants and Martindale “parted ways,’ the Giants are still without a defensive coordinator and following a recent spate of hirings, their options are beginning to dwindle.