Tag: joe judge

Lawrence Tynes on Giants’ injury woes: Players were over-worked

Lawrence Tynes believes the New York Giants’ recent history with injuries stems from players being over-worked.

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New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen says one of his first orders of business will be doing a “deep dive” into the team’s recent history of injury.

“Some of the issues around here in the past have been injuries. We need to do a deep dive into that and make sure we’re doing everything we can so these players can put their best foot forward on Sundays,” Schoen told Tiki and Tierney.

It will also be important for the next head coach to make sure the injury issues are capped.

“Are you going to listen to Ronnie Barnes and the guys downstairs? Are you going to listen to the strength coach? Are you going to listen to the sports performance when they tell you we need to pull back and don’t keep pushing?” Schoen said.

But retired Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes doesn’t necessarily believe there needs to be a deep dive. He remains plugged into the organization and claims the injury issues are the result of something very obvious.

Although former general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge repeatedly said they made decisions in the players’ best interest, several did seem to return early. And being overworked on top of that likely stemmed from a paper-thin roster.

But that only explains the previous two years. The Giants’ injury issues extend well beyond that and all the way back to the Tom Coughlin era in 2009. Since then, the Giants are the league’s most-injured team, having players miss over 3,000 combined games due to injury.

No one else in the NFL has reached the 3,000-game threshold over that same span.

Many maintain that Ronnie Barnes and the Giants’ medical staff are the best in the business, but the results no longer seem to reflect that. Even if you can explain away the injury issues from the previous two years, there is still more than a decade of unanswered injury questions.

The Giants hope Schoen is able to uncover something that has clearly been missed. Something beyond being overworked the previous two years.

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Report: Giants will interview Patrick Graham for head coaching position

The New York Giants are expected to interview Patrick Graham for their vacant head coaching position.

When the New York Giants fired head coach Joe Judge, it stood to reason that defensive coordinator Patrick Graham would likely follow him out the door.

Not so fast.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Giants will interview Graham for their vacant head coaching position.

Graham has become a hot name in head coaching circles over the previous two years. He turned down the New York Jets in 2021, stating that it was his “dream job” to coach Big Blue’s defense. He went on to sign an extension with the team.

However, Graham’s status with the Giants became understandably uncertain with the departure of his close personal friend, Joe Judge. And while Graham is likely a long-shot for the head coaching job, the interview shows the organization still has a profound respect for him.

Perhaps if the Giants were to hire Brian Flores as their head coach, Graham could be coaxed into remaining the defensive coordinator. Of course, that’s assuming he generates no other head coaching interest — something that would be a shame for a very deserving man.

In addition to Graham, the Giants are also expected to interview Dan Quinn, Brian Flores and Leslie Frazier. They have already completed an interview with Brian Daboll.

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Giants set to hire Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen to replace Dave Gettleman

#NFCEast news: #Giants set to hire #Buffalo #Bills executive Joe #Schoen as the new GM

The Giants appear set to name a new general manager and the organization could be set for an AFC East-style shift in philosophy after Joe Schoen beat out two other candidates.

Schoen’s journey isn’t your typical route to the NFL, as the 42-year-old landed his first job as a ticket office intern with the Panthers in 2000.

After holding various jobs around the NFL, including stops as a player personnel guy with the Dolphins before joining the Bills front office in 2017.

After learning on the job next to Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane, he’ll lead another Giants coaching change and his hiring could see former Dolphins coach Brian Flores return home to New York City as a head coach.

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3 candidates Chargers could consider to fill special teams coordinator vacancy

A look at some potential candidates, as the Chargers look to replace former special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II.

After just one season, the Chargers let go of special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II and assistant special teams coordinator Mayur Chaudhari.

Despite making strides during the season’s final stretch after the additions of returner Andre Roberts and kicker Dustin Hopkins, Los Angeles finished the season 28th in special teams EPA and DVOA.

Now, the search for their replacements begins. With that being said, here are four candidates that Brandon Staley could consider hiring.

Joe Judge

Before being relieved by the Giants as their head coach, Judge spent 2015-2019 with the Patriots as the special teams coordinator. Under Judge’s guidance, New England’s special teams ranked in the Top 10 in each of his five seasons as coordinator, according to Pro Football Focus. New England’s special teams was key in winning Super Bowl LIII, as the punt coverage team forced the Rams to start three of their drives inside their own 10-yard line. In 2019, the Patriots ranked first in average starting field position (32.7) and in opponent starting field position (25.1). They blocked two that were returned for touchdowns. New England never allowed a punt to be returned for 20+ yards.

Chris Tabor

Familiarity is a major factor when considering position vacancies, and Staley knows Tabor dating back to his time when he served as the Bears’ outside linebackers coach in 2018. Tabor is one of the more established special teams coordinators to the point where he’s being considered for a head coaching position (Panthers). But his resume speaks for itself, so it’s no surprise. The Bears ranked seventh in special teams EPA and DVOA. Chicago’s punt-return unit finished in the top 10 three of his four seasons with the team. Further, Chicago finished fourth in the NFL in punt-return average in 2021 (11.7 yards per return), 12th in kickoff-return average (23.1 yards) and they were one of just two teams with a punt return for a touchdown, with the other being the Rams.

Jeff Rodgers

Staley and Rodgers were a part of the Bears’ staff in 2017, the year the team tied for the most three special teams touchdowns (3). There are also some family ties as Jeff is the brother of Chargers defensive line coach, Jay Rodgers. Rodgers has 20 years of coaching experience under his belt, having spent time with the 49ers, Panthers, Broncos, Bears, and currently the Cardinals, as special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. After overtaking Arizona’s department in 2018, it ranked fifth after finishing 30th the year before. In 2019, kicker Zane Gonzalez ranked fourth in the NFL in both total points (127) and made fields (31) while punter Andy Lee ranked second in the NFL with a 47.8-yard punting average, according to the team’s website. The Cardinals ranked 12th in punt-return average (9.2) and 13th in kickoff-return defense (21.05) this season.

 

Emotional Joe Judge thanks Giants for coaching opportunity

An emotional Joe Judge thanked the New York Giants, their coaches, players and fans for his two-year ride in East Rutherford.

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The New York Giants fired head coach Joe Judge earlier this week, bringing an end to his two-year tenure with the organization. There was no goodbye ceremony, no final press conference and no hoopla.

Instead, in a blink, it was over and the Giants moved on.

Outside of a beer and pizza delivery scoped out by TMZ for some reason, Judge quickly vanished from the public eye. But he briefly resurfaced on Thursday, releasing an exclusive statement through Art Stapleton of USA TODAY.

“As I reflect on my tenure with the Giants, I want to express how truly grateful I am for the opportunity to be the head coach of the New York Giants,” Judge said. “Thank you to the Mara and Tisch families, to the organization and incredible support staff and to the fans — proud, loyal fans who rival any fanbase in sports with their passion and devotion. It was a privilege to represent these people during the past two years. Thank you for showing up week-in and week-out to support our team.

“I also want to express my appreciation to the coaching staff. They put in long nights and early mornings to help the players be successful. Their work is often behind the scenes, but the dedication and love they invest into these players and team is the foundation for anything that happens on the field. I am proud to have worked with the group of men we had and grateful for each and every one of them.

“Finally, to the players — both present and former — thank you. To the alumni players who helped invest in our program, thank you for believing in and helping develop these young men. You set the Giants standard and you continue to lead the way.

“To the current Giants players, thank you most of all. When I became the head coach, I said that we would ask you to come in and give everything you had every day. And you did. I am so proud of you, grateful for you, and I believe in you.

“On behalf of me and my family, we leave New York with the utmost gratitude for the community, the organization, the people and the team. Thank you.”

Things got rough at the end, but Judge ultimately leaves in classy fashion.

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Report: Giants’ Steve Tisch pushed John Mara to fire Joe Judge

New York Giants CEO John Mara was inclined to give Joe Judge a third year but reportedly changed his mind due to pressure from Steve Tisch.

The New York Giants have wasted their fans’ time the past five years by thinking they could put band-aids on gunshot wounds hoping that some divine intervention they would turn them back into winners.

Heading into the 2022 season, the Giants are devoid of talent with 60 percent of their salary cap dedicated to seven players, none who can be considered a “franchise” player.

Co-owner Steve Tisch apparently pleaded with his partner, John Mara, to ‘blow up’ the model two years ago and start from the ground up. Mara balked and stayed the course, giving general manager Dave Gentleman a vote of confidence and Joe Judge was hired as the head coach.

You know the rest. The Giants have been going downhill with no brakes ever since. They finally crashed last week when they were embarrassed by a marginal Washington team at home in a game that saw the coaching staff basically circle the wagons and surrender.

Gettleman chose to retire before the team got a chance to fire him but Mara waffled on Judge, who was clearly in over his head after finishing 10-23.

This time around, Tisch convinced Mara it was time to let go of the past and move forward, reports Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.

Co-owner Steve Tisch did not talk and has no plans to do so, outside of Monday’s statement that it’s an “understatement” to say he is “disappointed.”

Tisch should have to answer for coach Joe Judge’s firing in particular, because sources say Mara was the one who initially wanted to give the coach a third year, but Tisch pushed to blow it up after failing to achieve a full reset two years ago.

Mara knew that firing Judge after two years saddled by 19-46 GM Dave Gettleman — despite hiring him for a long-term rebuild — was not only moving the goalposts on his coach. It was ripping them down.

Mara was fully prepared — and maybe still is — to continue doing things the way he’s done the past decade. Had Tisch not stepped in, the Giants would be conducting their GM search with Judge in tow, and that would have made the job a lot less appealing. Some top candidates would have stayed away. Instead, there are nine very qualified people interviewing for the position.

“I just feel given where we are right now, on the verge of bringing in a new general manager, we have to give that person the flexibility to bring in the head coach that he wants,” Mara told reporters on Wednesday. “And I think that was a large part of the decision here in making a change.”

That’s correct. The tail can’t continue to wag the dog in East Rutherford. It’s time for a real football person to come in and install a 21st century NFL infrastructure to this once proud franchise.

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Washington terminated another coach Sunday

Three seasons in a row, losing to Washington led to a coach’s firing.

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The Washington Football Team has made it three in a row, three seasons in a row.

When Washington defeated the NY Giants 22-7 in their 2021 season finale, the Giants Tuesday, fired head coach Joe Judge.

You are probably thinking, “Big deal, he deserved to be fired. The guy was a bull in a china closet and didn’t produce a winner.”

Oh, I concur, but what is interesting is at the conclusion of the 2020 season, Washington traveled to Philadelphia, won the season finale 20-14, clinching the NFC East and Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was fired.

All Pederson had done in Philadelphia was win the division in 2019, earn a wild-card berth in 2018 (while additionally winning a playoff game), and march through the NFC in 2017, before defeating the Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII.

Even more, three seasons ago, Washington went to Carolina in 2019 and defeated the Carolina Panthers 29-21. Although it was only week 13, only December 1, their coach was fired, not permitted to coach the final four games of the season. That coach was Ronald Eugene Rivera.

Three consecutive seasons, you lose to Washington, boom, you are gone. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been to the playoffs three consecutive seasons and won a Super Bowl (Pederson), or if you’ve been to a Super Bowl (Rivera), or just a loose cannon like Joe Judge.

So, in summary, three separate NFL owners in the last three seasons, have lost late to Washington and determined they must start all over with a new head coach.

What must other NFL owners think of the Washington franchise?

Giants’ John Mara holds year-end press conference: 11 takeaways

New York Giants co-owner John Mara held his year-end press conference on Wednesday and here are 11 takeaways from the bizarre ordeal.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara jumped on a Zoom conference call with local beat writers on Wednesday and expectations for substance were high.

That was dashed immediately, however.

Moments before the call went live, the Giants informed NFL Network, WFAN and other outlets that the conference call was not to be livestreamed. Meanwhile, reporters who were on the call were informed they would be allowed only a single question. No follow-ups.

Fellow co-owner Steve Tisch was not on the call and as things currently rest, is not scheduled for any availability.

So, what did Mara say? Here are several quick takeaways.

What does Joe Judge’s termination mean for Giants QB Daniel Jones?

With Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge gone, the future looks murky for New York Giants QB Daniel Jones, but don’t close the door on him just yet.

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Now that Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge are gone and the New York Giants are reportedly ready to join the rest of the NFL in the new millennium, the tough questions need to be asked.

That starts with….is Daniel Jones the Giants’ future at quarterback?

The answer is…we don’t know yet. A new general manager will be hired in the next few weeks and they will hire a new head coach. They will then sit down and decide if they will hitch their wagon to Jones.

Jones has shown he has ability to make plays. His mobility is a plus and he is one of the more successful deep throwers in the NFL. The past two seasons, however, the Giants’ game plan has not capitalized on those traits.

Jones’ downside is threefold. First, he has propensity for turnovers that he kind of showed signs of breaking out of. Next, he’s horrible on third down and in the red zone.

Then, there is Jones’ durability. He missed the final six games of this season, two last season and three in 2019 due to injury. Sure, you can blame the offensive line and scheme to a degree, but the new GM is going to take this into account when making any decision.

With two very high first round picks in the upcoming NFL draft, the Giants have a lot of options. They may decide to try and land a veteran signal caller such as Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson via a trade.

They also could select a QB in the draft if they believe that there is one in this class worth taking that high.

Either way, Jones is no longer considered a cinch to be the Giants’ face of the future. We will find out for sure soon when the new GM and coach arrive and  announce their plans.

The Giants have to make a decision on Jones’ fifth-year option for 2023 by May but a decision should be in place way before that. Free agency opens in mid-March and the NFL draft will be held the final weekend in April.

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Aaron Rodgers slams Joe Judge on his way out Giants’ door

Shortly before the New York Giants fired head coach Joe Judge, Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers took aim at him over play-calling.

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It’s open season on Joe Judge not only here win New York, but around the NFL as well.

The New York and national media have been harpooning the beleaguered New York Giants head coach, who was finally fired on Tuesday after a disastrous 10-23 tenure.

Green Bay Packers quarterback and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, Aaron Rodgers, joined in the fun during an appearance on Pat McAfee’s show on Monday (transcription courtesy of NJ.com):

Rodgers: “You play to win the game. Nobody wants to be part of, like, kneeling the [expletive] out to take a tie. I would lose my mind. You know what would make me lose my mind maybe as much as that? Third and nine on the minus five, let’s go in goal line personnel and run a QB sneak.”

McAfee: “You’d call a timeout there? Audible?”

Rodgers: “Call that one in, (Packers coach Matt LaFleur), and you’ll see what happens. That [expletive] ain’t flying. The breakdown that (Dan) Orlovsky had on that was pretty amazing.”

Of course Rodgers is referring to Judge’s decision in Sunday’s game versus Washington to call a QB sneak with Jake Fromm on a third-and-nine deep in Giants territory in a 3-0 game.

Rodgers was only one of many critics around the country who took shots at Judge, who had a meltdown after the the Giants’ 29-3 loss in Chicago two weeks ago. He should have been fired right then and there.

The Giants are in the process of hiring a new general manager who will apparently have broader powers and will be in charge beginning with finding a new head coach.

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