Tag: New York Giants

Stock up, down after Giants’ 34-27 loss to Jets

Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ loss to the New York Jets in Week 10?

The emotions are still settling in after the New York Giants lost to their equally inept co-tenants, the New York Jets, 34-27, on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Several players flashed while others crashed. Here’s quick rundown from Sunday’s game.

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Up: Wide receiver Darius Slayton

Slayton, coming off a down week against Dallas (one reception for six yards), exploded all over the Jets’ secondary grabbing 10 of 14 targets for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

Slayton, a fifth round pick out of Auburn in this year’s NFL Draft has forged a sold rapport with quarterback Daniel Jones and now has five receiving touchdowns on the season, tied for the NFL lead among rookies.

Stock Down: Running back Saquon Barkley

No question Barkley’s performance is concerning. He’s been back from his high ankle sprain for three games now and does not appear to have fully recovered from the injury.

Barkley carried the football 13 times against the Jets, gaining just one yard and his pass blocking, an aspect of his game he prides himself in, has taken a step back. He was blown up twice by Jets safety Jamal Adams, with both plays resulting in fumbles by Daniel Jones. One was recovered by Barkley. The other was taken on for a touchdown by Adams.

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Giants’ Saquon Barkley couldn’t hide frustration following latest loss

A clearly frustrated Saquon Barkley could not hide his emotions following the latest New York Giants loss.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was visible and uncharacteristically frustrated following a 34-27 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, refusing to answer certain questions and deliberately avoiding others while appearing completely dejected.

“We just have to get better. The Jets played a heck of a game. We get to go on a bye week, get to reflect on myself and move on,” Barkley curiously stated when asked how he was feeling physically.

In addition to a high ankle sprain that continues to hamper him, Barkley was sent for X-rays on his shoulder following the Week 10 defeat, but he had literally no interest in discussing it when pressed.

“Next question,” Barkley said bluntly.

Barkley finished the game with a career-low one yard rushing on 13 carries, which included -13 yards before first contact and 11 of his 13 carries leading to a hit in the backfield. He was routinely running up the back of his offensive linemen and was unable to get himself into space at any point.

“Frustration, disappointment, anger, everything you said. No one wants to be 2-8, no one wants to have a losing record. Everyone’s upset, everyone’s frustrated,” Barkley said of his emotions.

Outside of his poor offensive production, Barkley was an obvious liability in pass protection, finding himself spelled by Wayne Gallman on obvious pass plays later in the game.

One of Barkley’s missteps included being run over by Jets safety Jamal Adams, who proceeded to walk right up to Daniel Jones, yank the ball out of his arms and return it for a touchdown.

“Jamal Adams beat me, it’s as simple as that. He’s a heck of a player, all pro. I didn’t really want to switch jerseys with him at the end of the game, I jokingly told him that,” Barkley said. “[He’s] one of my good friends, one of my boys. He’s a hell of a player, much respect to him. I have to be better there.”

It’s clear that Barkley is currently a shell of himself and is being hampered by injuries and an offensive scheme that simply doesn’t match his style of play. At this point, it might behoove the Giants and Barkley to shut things down for the season and start again fresh in 2020.

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Giants nominate Golden Tate for Salute to Service Award

New York Giants WR Golden Tate is the team’s nominee for the 2019 Salute to Service Award presented by USAA.

Wide receiver Golden Tate has been named the New York Giants’ nominee for the 2019 Salute to Service Award, which is presented to the “league member who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community.”

From the NFL and USAA, which sponsors the award:

Golden Tate has shown his passion and dedication to those who have served in the United States military through the creation of his foundation, the Golden Future Foundation. In 2014, Golden and his wife, Elise, created the Golden Future Foundation. This foundation is set up to enhance the lives of American heroes and their families. Golden Tate also participated in the 2016 NFL-USO Tour.

Their passion for giving back to the military is because Golden’s grandfather and both of Elise’s grandfathers served in the military. They believe that the true American heroes in our country are often overlooked, and they deserve our utmost respect, appreciation, and resources to get acclimated back into society after serving our country. Through the foundation, Golden and Elise have dedicated their resources, energy and time, to help provide a Golden Future for our true American heroes. Golden has hosted numerous events to show his support for the military as well as raising funds for his foundation to assist veterans reacclimate to everyday life once returning home from service to our country. From coat drives to bowling events, Golden has contributed his time and resources to insuring that members of the military receive the respect, honor, and appreciation they deserve.

Tate and his wife created the Golden Future Foundation, which aims to improve the lives of U.S. military members.

Finalists for the award will be announced in January, and the recipient will be recognized at the NFL Honors awards show in Miami on Saturday, Feb. 1.

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Dr. Oz wants to see Sterling Shepard’s brain

Dr. Oz wants to see the brain of New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard and discusses whether or not the youngster should consider retirement.

Every time an NFL player suffers a well-publicized injury, doctors from across the country rush to have their voices heard, and the extremely popular Dr. Mehmet Oz is no different.

Prior to the New York Giants’ Week 10 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, Oz was asked about Sterling Shepard, his multiple concussions and what he might recommend for the wide receiver.

“Sterling Shepard may join other very talented athletes who retire early from their sport because of concussions,” Oz told TMZ Sports. “Professional athletes feel more pressure to perform physically, but Shepard has a long career ahead of him doing other things, but his mind has to remain intact.

“But I wouldn’t rely on whether you’ve had a concussion or not to determine if you retire. You want to actually look to see if there are cognitive changes — are you thinking differently?

“If Sterling Shepard’s brain is still functioning as a young man’s should, then I’m fine with it. If it’s not, he should be reconsidering returning to the gridiron.”

By all accounts, Shepard’s cognitive processes remain the same despite the presence of concussion-like symptoms, but there has been some pressure from his inner circle to potentially consider walking away from the game.

“Biggest advice for [Shepard] today would be start taking your omega-3 fats because we know they make your brain cells more fluid and help them become more resilient to injury,” Oz added. “More importantly, go through some of the simple and basic testing.”

Oz concluded by leaving a standing invitation for Shepard to meet with him at his New York offices.

The Giants have not placed Shepard on injured reserve, and despite the persistent issues, remain hopeful he can return to the field this season.

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Giants out of NFC East race where leaders are 5-4

The New York Giants have been out of divisional contention for a month, and that speaks volumes since the leaders are a measly 5-4.

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The New York Giants dropped the 2-8 on the season following a 34-27 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, moving them that much closer not just to the basement of the NFC East, but to the basement of the NFL.

Think about it… The co-leaders of the division — Dallas and Philadelphia — are each 5-4, just a measly game over .500, but the Giants are so bad that they’ve effectively been out of contention for a month.

That speaks volumes about just how bad these Giants are and it’s a tough pill to swallow.

Dallas Cowboys (5-4)

The Cowboys believed the black cat at MetLife Stadium provided them some luck moving forward, but that backfired in spectacular fashion on Sunday night as they were downed by the Minnesota Vikings, 28-24. Three of Dallas’ four losses have come against teams above .500, while they have just one win over a team with a winning record (Eagles).

Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)

The Eagles pulled into a two-way tie atop the NFC East while enjoying their bye on Sunday, but that shouldn’t excite them too much as they were unable to keep up with the Cowboys previously. They return in Week 11 against the New England Patriots and then have a date with the Seattle Seahawks the following week. Good luck, Philly.

New York Giants (2-8)

What is even left to say about these Giants? Their Sunday loss to Gang Green isn’t just a low point of the season, but a low point for this team since the 1970s. John Mara stormed out of the stadium completely steamed and is likely talking himself down from firing every single person inside the organization. Should he, though? We’ve reached a rock and a hard place scenario and something has to break.

Washington Redskins (1-8)

Like the Eagles, the Redskins enjoined a bye week in which they didn’t fall further behind. In fact, they inched closer to the Giants for third place in the division and with a game remaining, actually control their own destiny (in terms of avoiding a last-place finish).

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There’s no rhyme or reason to Giants’ defense

The New York Giants have the worst defense in football and there appears to be no rhyme or reason to their approach.

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The New York Giants have surrendered 289 points in 10 games this season, the most in the NFL. There are a ton of reasons and theories behind the huge step back they’ve taken in Year 2 under defensive coordinator James Bettcher.

Many say the scheme is at fault. Others point to the dearth of talent while some blame the organization for stocking the roster with too many rookies and inexperienced players.

No matter which of those are the culprit — and all three are salient points — there isn’t much the team can do about it 10 weeks into the season. To install a new scheme would take as many weeks as they have left in the season.

Adding players isn’t a real option mid-season (although they’ve been doing that where they can) and as for gaining experience, we all know there’s only one way to accomplish that — by playing the rookies.

There have been some interesting nuances this season and a few moves that had fans and pundits questioning the team’s direction.

Last year as a rookie, B.J. Hill was a budding star, playing in all 16 games (starting 12), racking up 5.5 sacks, eight QB hits, six tackles for a loss and two passes defensed.

This year, Hill has been invisible, especially on the stat sheet. Through 10 games, he has no sacks, no QB hits and no tackles for a loss.

When the Giants traded for Leonard Williams two weeks ago, we suggested that Williams was not going to be added to the defensive line rotation along with Hill and the others, but rather as a replacement for Hill. So far we are right about that. Hill’s snaps are way down since the trade.

Duggan also points out the decreasing usage of the Giants’ prized third-round pick, linebacker Oshane Ximines, and the fact that they continue to play packages that favor speed over bulk.

Deone Buccanon was picked up because he is a Bettcher disciple from their days in Arizona, but he hasn’t made any type of impact. He was released by Tampa Bay for a reason and now we know why. He doesn’t appear to be the same player he was a few seasons ago.

The scheme might be too complicated for some of the young players. Most defenders are trained to attack. The Giants haven’t shown much aggression on defense. Instead, they are usually on their heels, conceding way too much yardage underneath in fear of surrendering big plays, which they’ve ended up doing anyway. More than any team in the league in fact.

No doubt, there will be more changes to this defense in the offseason. A bona fide pass rusher would go a long way, as would a solid addition at each level of this defense. Granted, doesn’t every team need that?

A return to the “get after it” style would benefit this group rather than having a slew of young players standing around wondering what their assignments are.

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3 takeaways from Giants’ Week 10 loss to Jets

Here are three takeaways from the New York Giants’ Week 10 loss to the New York Jets, which dropped Big Blue to 2-8.

The New York Giants fell to the New York Jets, 34-27, on Sunday dropping their record to 2-8 on the season.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Although it is warranted, no one will be fired

Losing to the Jets a team that couldn’t get out of its own way for the first eight games gave fans a sinking feeling and left them wondering if this coaching staff is the right one for the team to move forward with. Head coach Pat Shurmur was asked about the state of the team.

“The state?” he’s asked. “We are disappointed we haven’t been able to win a game for six, right? That’s the way it works. We’re disappointed that we didn’t win this game. That’s where it’s at. The state of the team, that’s where we’re at.”

Losing to a lesser team leads to all type of questions, but the Giants, even though CEO John Mara was visibly angry over the loss, won’t be doing anything drastic — yet.

Shurmur said after the game that there will be no staff changes.

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Giants brace for change following humiliating loss to Jets

Following a humiliating loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, the New York Giants are bracing for change entering the bye week.

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The New York Giants knew that a Week 10 game against the New York Jets was considered a must-win by many, so after coming up short in a 34-27 loss, they recognize that change could be on the horizon.

“I just worry about what I can control. We all know this league is a business and winning is everything in this league. When you don’t win, everything starts to look different. I’m worried about going out there each and every week and putting the best football I can on tape, do whatever I can to help my team win,” safety Jabrill Peppers told reporters.

Although he’s remained relatively confident in his job status leading up to Sunday, head coach Pat Shurmur sounded completely defeated after the Jets loss and appeared to accept the reality that his employment was no longer a sure thing.

“My concern is putting a team on the field that’s going to win a football game — that’s my concern. It’s always a one-week concern getting ready to play the next opponent and put a winning performance on the field. That’s my concern,” Shurmur said after the game.

Shurmur acknowledged that there would likely be some bye week evaluations with team ownership, but made it clear the media would hear absolutely none of those details.

“Well, obviously, anything that I speak about behind the scenes would be behind the scenes stuff. I wouldn’t share any of that with you, especially at this point,” Shurmur said.

Like Shurmur, superstar running back Saquon Barkley also looked and sounded defeated following the loss, uncharacteristically providing misdirected answers or quick one-liners.

“Only the thing I can focus on is coming in and being the player for my team. Just focused on this bye week, it’s a week where it gives everyone a chance to get healthier, not only myself but the whole team. We get to reflect on our season so far and try to be a better team than we were in the first half,” Barkley said.

It’s clear the Giants expect some change, but how might that manifest itself? Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are unlikely to fire Shurmur, and Shurmur has already stated that Mike Shula and James Bettcher are safe, so what now?

We’ll all find out together over the next 7-10 days.

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Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones offer hope for the future of New York football

Both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones showed everyone how they can be the next franchise quarterbacks in New York.

The future shined a little brighter for the Jets and Giants on Sunday.

It’s hard to see positives amid such a disappointing season for the Jets and the Giants, but Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones both showed their abilities to play competitive games. Darnold displayed all of his athletic mobility without any of his signature turnovers to throw for 230 yards and two scores on his way to the win, while Jones found holes in the Jets defense to finish with 303 passing yards with four touchdowns. 

Neither the Jets nor the Giants fielded even a remotely good pass defense, so this game won’t paint a perfect picture of either Darnold’s or Jones’ potential. But there were enough bright spots from both quarterbacks to give New York fans a glimmer of hope once the rest of the roster is fixed.

Darnold needed to have a good game after a horrendous three-game stretch, and he finished with his first turnover-less game since Week 1. He was in much better command of the offense and looked every bit as good a quarterback as he could be.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Darnold’s game – and the one that’s gotten him into trouble with turnovers as well – is his ability to go off-script and find his receivers by extending plays with his legs outside the pocket. Recently, those plays have resulted in costly turnovers for the Jets. But against the Giants, Darnold played mistake-free and led three touchdown drives by making throws you only see from the best.

Darnold didn’t back down from adversity and consistently poor pass blocking. He rebounded and didn’t change his game despite a month-stretch of mistake-ridden play.

Jones, meanwhile, went toe-to-toe with Darnold and matched him almost point-for-point most of the afternoon. He hit Darius Slayton on two second-quarter touchdowns to draw within one point and then found Golden Tate on back-to-back touchdown drives to take the lead. Jones continues to improve every week for the Giants and seemingly always finds ways to make the big play. Sunday’s loss was Jones’ second game with at least 300 passing yards and four total touchdowns.

Jones played well but also fumbled the ball three times – one of which resulted in Jamal Adams’ incredible strip-sack touchdown. He’s shown the ability to be the Giants’ franchise quarterback but, like all young quarterbacks, needs to hold onto the ball. Coincidentally, Darnold has the same problem for the Jets and has looked atrocious at times with inexcusable mistakes. Darnold corrected a lot of problems from the past three weeks to finish the game with a clean sheet – Jones just needs to do the same. 

Again, this isn’t a final judgment call on the abilities of Darnold and Jones. They bother played against very weak defenses. But even against bad teams, they performed well enough to give hope in a city that hasn’t seen much in recent years when it comes to competent quarterback play. Both quarterbacks obviously still have issues, primarily when it comes to holding onto the football. But this first duel between Darnold and Jones could signal a shift in New York football, one that could feature two long-term solutions at quarterback if each team learns from the mistakes of its past to build a solid roster around the two.