About New York Giants

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2/25/15: The New York Giants struck gold in the NFL Draft last year with their first round selection of wide receiver Odell Beckham. Beckham missed the first month of the season rehabbing from injury, but hauled in 91 passes and 12 touchdowns. It was reported that he did this while playing with not one, but two hamstring tears. GM Jerry Reese does not believe that claim by Beckham, saying "I think he's trying to be a hero.". Regardless, Beckham had a monster season. Not just for 12 games or for a rookie, but by any measurable for a wide receiver.

2/18/15: The Giants may be close to contending once again - and if the offensive break-through at the end of last season is any indication, they might be close. They will have to progress without the services of long-time cornerback Terrell Thomas, however. Thomas decided to hand up the cleats last week at age 30. He played in 60 games for the G-Men from 2008-2013, though missed all of 2011 and 2012 with torn ACLs. In that time, he recorded 298 tackles and 12 interceptions. He was a strong talent that suffered some terrible injuries, and that is always a sad story.

2/11/15: The Giants offense took some time to come together last season. It was a new system for QB Eli Manning and a new offensive coordinator in Bob McAdoo. But they did end up clicking in the second half of the season as rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. got healthy and involved in the offense. He went on to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award - and rightfully so especially with his amazing catches. Fellow wide receiver Victor Cruz should be back next season and that will make the Giants offense even more potent. This may be one of the more underrated units in the NFL next season.

2/5/15: As it has gone for the past few seasons, there continues to be speculation that THIS will be the Tom Coughlin's last season as an NFL coach. He has to retire at some point, right? Only Coughlin knows the answer to that, but he will be back for 2015. And it looks like the Giants will be taking a page from the Dallas Cowboys. New York looks to have a solid offensive line next season, with four of the five starters already written in ink. NFL offenses have become video games over the last few seasons, but the Cowboys reminded everyone how a dominant offensive line opens up the running game, something that seems to have been forgotten in the past few years.

1/28/15: He got off to a late start, but once wide receiver O'dell Beckham Jr. took the field, he was an unstoppable force that made the Giants offense relevant. Beckham, while at the Pro Bowl, admitted that he played the entire 2014 with two tears in his hamstrings. He even went so far as to say that he still is not healed yet. Assuming that he heals completely this offseason, it will be amazing to watch this young man grow and develop. There is no ceiling on his talent right now and he may end up being the best wide receiver in the NFL within a few years.

1/21/15: There will likely be a lot of talk over the next two weeks about those Giants defenses that shut down Tom Brady and the Patriots in a pair of Super Bowls, and the Giants deserve to be proud of those units. The team is getting the architect of the 2007 defense back, and perhaps he can bring them back to glory. The Giants announced they hired Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator. He was also the DC in 2007, before being hired as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams. He beat out Pepper Johnson and George Allen for the job.

1/14/15: What's old may be new again for the New York Giants. New York is currently without a defensive coordinator since head coach Tom Coughlin fired Perry Fewell (on a side note, it was not long ago that Fewell was considered a top head coaching candidate). The Giant are set to interview both Steve Spagnuolo and Pepper Johnson for the job. Spags was the DC when the Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2008 - finally solving the Patriots offense, while Johnson was a linebacker for the Giants from 1986 to 1992.

1/7/14: The New York Giants are among the most stable of organizations in the NFL. Despite missing the playoffs for the past couple of years and finishing this past season with a disappointing 6-10 record, there are no major shake-ups in the franchise. Tom Coughlin will return as head coach - which shows the type of goodwill that two Super Bowl titles will buy. The team looked pretty good the last few weeks of the years, once they started to master OC Bob McAdoo's offense and rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. burst on to the scene with monster performances and amazing catches.

12/3/14: The Giants seemed to hit a wall recently and the cure appeared to be a road trip down to sunny Jacksonville, Florida. While head coach Tom Coughlin received a warm reception to his former home stadium, the rest of the Giants did not. Instead of racking up an easy victory, New York lost their seventh straight game. The Giants were up 21-0 at one point before Jacksonville came storming back. While Eli Manning did not throw any interceptions, he is still now showing his true talent. New York is now 3-9 on the season and stays on the road this week with a visit to Tennessee.

11/19/14: The Giants' long season got even longer last Sunday as the team fell 16-10 to the visiting San Francisco 49ers. It was the fifth consecutive loss for Big Blue and dropped their season record to 3-7. This was not a day for offense. The 49ers scrapped together about 330 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Eli Manning threw for 280 yards and one score, but the story of the day was his five interceptions. He is clearly not the QB that he was during the Giants' two Super Bowl runs, though he could use some help on the offensive line. New York stays at home for the Sunday Night Game against Dallas, who is coming off of a bye.

11/12/14: This game had so much promise for the Giants. They were at Seattle, which is a tough place to play, but were tied at 17 going into the final quarter. That is when the defense fell apart and Seattle scored three touchdowns to win 38-17. Eli Manning was decent. He was 29 of 54 passing for 283 yards, one TD and one INT. But the real problem was the running game, which only managed 54 yards compared to Seattle's 350. The loss drops the Giants to 3-6 (only one more win than the Jets). At least they are home this week to host the 49ers.

11/5/14: The Giants have been in a tailspin for the last few weeks and any real chance to save the season rested on them upsetting Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts at home on Monday Night Football. Unfortunately, New York simply could not get much offense going unti the second half, but it was too late by then as the Colts prevailed 40-24. QB Eli Manning had a good game statistically with 359 yards passing, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Of course, the ground game continued to struggle with only 89 yards total. The Giants go across the country this Sunday to face the Seahawks in Seattle.

10/29/14: The Giants had their bye week in Week 8, which is a nice halfway point in the season. The team is coming off of two losses, so this is a good time to regroup and focus on the second half of year. At 3-4, the Giants are losing ground to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, but they are not done yet. While the season-ending injury to wide receiver Victor Cruz hurts, the team has enough depth to overcome that loss. The offense has shown promise during a three game winning streak and will have the chance to show what they can do this Monday against the Indianapolis Colts.

10/22/14: The New York Giants have enjoyed a lot of success playing in Dallas over the past few years, but the Cowboys took back their home field advantage last Sunday. The Giants let a late 14-7 late second quarter and ended up falling 31-21. QB Eli Manning was actually pretty strong with 248 yards, three TDs an not interceptions. However the running game totaled only 104 yards, with Andre Williams leading the way with 51 yards on 18 carries. That is simply not good enough to win in the NFL. The Giants fell to 3-4 on the season. They get a chance to regroup with a bye this weekend.

10/15/14: The New York Giants strung three impressive victories after an 0-2 start, and that gained them a lot of attention. That attention may subside for a bit after they were routed 27-0 by the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday night. The Giants could not get their offense going, gaining only 311 total yards. Wide receiver Victor Cruz, who was finally starting to play up to his standards, suffered an injury that will keep him out several weeks if not the entire season. New York is now 3-3 on the season, two games behind both Philadelphia and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. Speaking of Dallas, the Giants head to Big D this Sunday for another division game.

10/8/14: Maybe it is not time to fire Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. The Giants lost their first two games of the season, leading to speculation that Coughlin's time was over. But the Giants have won three games in a row now, and the NFC East is surprisingly strong. The Giants beat the visiting Atlanta Falcons 30-20 by rallying to score 20 points in the last 17 minutes of the game for the win. Giants fans got their first glimpse of rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham, who caught a 15 yard touchdown pass to give New York the lead in the fourth quarter. The 3-2 Giants visit the 4-1 Eagles this Sunday night.

10/1/14: The speculation on the demise of the New York Giants has been wildly exaggerated. The G-Men proved that last Thursday by absolutely destroying Washington 45-14. Quarterbacks will get too much credit or too much blame, depending on the outcome, though Eli Manning threw for 300 yards, four touchdowns and (only) one interception. Little known tight end Larry Donnell caught three of those TD passes in the first half (he is probably already gone in your fantasy league now). The defense did their part by undressing Kirk Cousins in the big division win. The Giants are now 2-2 on the year and 1-1 in the division. They host Atlanta this Sunday.

9/24/14: After starting the season 0-2, and the offense not working at all, many were worried that the team would fall into the same problems as last season when they started the season 0-6. But the Giants got their act together against the Houston Texans, coming away with an impressive 30-17 win. The star of the game was running back Rashad Jennings. He ran for 176 yards and a score. Eli Manning was 21 of 28 passing with two touchdowns and (most importantly) no interceptions. At 1-2, the Giants are in better shape than a year ago. We'll see if the defense holds up this Sunday when New York visits Washington.

9/17/14: Two games into the season and there is obviously some big concerns for Big Blue. The Giants were thoroughly overwhelmed by the visiting Arizona Cardinals in a 25-14 loss. Even worse was that the Cardinals were without starting QB Carson Palmer and were forced to start Drew Stanton. QB Eli Manning threw two more interceptions, though he did throw two touchdown and 277 yards. But the Giants could not run the ball and were limited to just 81 yards as a team on the ground. New York will try to get their first win of the season this Sunday at home against the Houston Texans.

8/28/14: Relax, Giants fans. It is only the preseason. There is a lot of hand-wringing in Big Apple and New Jersey these days as it relates to the Giants offense. The unit has not looked sharp in their preseason games so far. It really seems like they are having trouble grasping the new offense from new OC Bob McAdoo. QB Eli Manning has been in the same offense for the past decade and simply looks uncomfortable with the new scheme. That being said, it is still the preseason. On top of that, the NFC East is entirely winnable because no team really stands out at this point.

8/21/14: The Giants are not the favorites to win the NFC East, that honor goes to the Philadelphia Eagles. But the Giants have experience and a quarterback that has won two Super Bowls. They also have a new offensive scheme that is being installed b new offensive coordinator Ben McAoo. Sometimes, it takes a while for new offensive schemes to take hold, and that seems to be the case in New York. QB Eli Manning went 1 for 7 for only six yards in his third game in the new offense. The good news is that the team has two more preseason games to work out the kinks before the regular season

8/14/14: It has to be tough working for your father-in-law in any situation. It has to be tougher when your father-in-law is Tom Coughlin. But offensive lineman Chris Snee did that for a decade, and he did it pretty well. He retired from the game a few weeks ago, meaning the Giants are rebuilding their offensive line. Now comes news that lineman Eric Herman is suspended for four games for PED use. Herman was a rookie last year and spent that time on the practice squad. So while this incident does not affect the starters, it certainly hurts depth for a quarter of the season.

8/7/14: Former Giants defensive lineman Michael Strahan was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio over the weekend. Strahan is known for two things - sacking a lot of quarterbacks and a big gap between his two front teeth. The honor of induction into the Hall of Fame recognized his greatness on the football field. And the bust of Strahan that will represent him in the Hall does indeed show his big gap between his teeth. He had a fine career on the field and is doing well as a TV host today. Of course that skips over his awful comedy series that was on the air for a little while a few years ago.

7/31/14: Among the more interesting story lines for the Giants during this training camp season is who will run the ball. The team has a stable of them, but no one has been given the desired 'number one back' designation yet. David Wilson certainly has talent, but had a few too many fumbles for head coach Tom Coughlin's liking. There is also journeyman Rashad Jennings. Jennings had a great season with the Raiders last year and is expected to be the starter. There is also rookie Andre Williams, who may emerge as the prime rusher if he is given a chance. While passing may be en vogue in the NFL right now, smart coaches like Coughlin know that an effective running game is a major key to success.

7/24/14: Despite starting 0-6 and failing to make the playoffs again last season, head coach Tom Coughlin is not on the proverbial hot seat, at least according to owner John Mara. Two Super Bowl victories will earn that kind of long leash. Coughlin's contract covers two more years. While Mara is not contemplating replacing Coughlin, he does not feel that the coach has the right to pick his departure date. Basically, Mara is reserving the right to replace Coughlin should he want to. So he is not on the hot seat, unless he is - and really, almost every coach is on some kind of hot seat.

7/17/14: For the first time in a long, long time, Giants QB Eli Manning has to learn a new offense. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as Manning himself claims that being forced to study and learn new terminology and new plays has "reenergized" him. The team wants to take some pressure off of him this season so he can cut down on the interceptions that have plagued him, particularly in the last few years. He has spent time recently at the Manning Passing Academy and even had new wide receiver Odell Beckham around so they could get some one-on-one practice in before training camp.

7/10/14: Former Giants defensive end and soon to be hall of famer Michael Strahan was the intended victim of an assault that police stopped. A 25 year old homeless man was arrested outside of ABC's Times Square studios as he planned to kill Strahan. Strahan has turned to a life in the media since retiring from football and was co-hosting ABC's daily morning show Good Morning America. Strahan was never in any danger. Incidentally, the suspect's name is Andre Johnson. The Texans' Andre Johnson may be a no-show for training camp, but probably is not stalking former players.

7/3/14: Justin tuck was a key member of two Super Bowl winning teams with the Giants, and he will always be associated with them. At the same time, he is an Oakland Raider now and he still seems surprised by that turn of events. The Giants did not make him much of an offer to stay in New York, and that really only seemed like lip service. Big Blue may have wanted a bit of a home town discount from Tuck, but goodwill works both ways. So Tuck is now in Oakland with a two year, $11 million deal. He may have lost a step to age, but is still a quality defender.

6/26/14: Giants QB Eli Manning has had the blessed fortune of running the same offense for a decade. And it has generally served him well. He has two Super Bowl rings on his hand and is well respected around the league. Of course, Manning and the Giants struggled last season, a lot. Now there is a new offensive coordinator in town and a new offensive scheme. Head coach Tom Coughlin believes that the new scheme will benefit Eli. He will be forced to study and take a more cerebral approach to the game. And while Eli does not have the gaudy stats of his older brother, he does have twice as many rings.

6/19/14: The Giants cannot afford another 0-6 start this season and the odds are that they will not take almost half the season to find their way in the next campaign. But a key member of the defense, Jon Beason, is still recovering from a foot injury. The good news is that his recovery time is expected to be about three months. The first game for the Giants in the regular season is on September 8, and Beason is expected to be healthy by then. He is optimistic about playing in the opener. There is one catch, of course. Being physically healthy and being in game shape are two different things, so he may be playing himself into shape during the season.

6/12/14: The Giants secondary took a big hit last week, but it was a hit that team management must have felt was worthwhile. The team released safety Will Hill following his third drug related suspension in just three seasons. It could be challenging to replace Hill, and the team is going to make some adjustments to do so. The initial idea is that the Giants will keep Thurmond and three cornerbacks on the field for 80% of the plays from scrimmage. At least that is the idea today. Give it a couple months, especially when teams start cutting high priced veterans in training camp, and the Giants may be able to scrounge up a suitable replacement.

6/6/14: Just five weeks after signing him, the Giants cut QB Josh Freeman. The Freeman story is kind of unreal. He went from being the undisputed starter in Tampa to out of the league in just nine months. And this is a young man, still in his 20's, that was a pro-bowler a few years ago. He clashed with former Bucs head coach Greg Schiano and was cut. He signed with the Vikings, played one awful game on no preparation, and was cut after the season. Now he has to find work again. He is young and talented and a former first round pick. Someone will grab him soon.

5/29/14: There is always a fly in the potato salad at a picnic and there is always one person who tries to spoil everyone else's fun. In today's case, it is Giants owner John Mara who opposes a proposed playoff expansion to seven teams per conference. Most of the NFL and the players would like it, not to mention the fans. The proposed format would give the top team in each conference a bye in the playoffs and would help give teams like the 2008 Patriots (11-5) and the 2013 Cardinals (10-6) playoff births, which they likely deserved.

5/22/14: Call it good PR or whatever, but head coach Tom Coughlin is putting a positive spin on the shortened offseason due to the late NFL draft. Like the Cincinnati Bengals, the Giants are skipping their traditional rookie minicamp. The reasoning is that with two weeks left to get the team prepared, it makes sense to throw the rookies in with the veterans and get on with practice and learning a new offensive scheme. It is an unusual approach. However, it the NFL decides to keep with the late draft, and the Giants and Bengals are successful, then we may see more teams doing the same thing in the future.

5/15/14: The Giants lost wide receiver Hakeem Nicks to free agency a few months ago, so there was a need to give QB Eli Manning another weapon. The Giants did that by selecting wide receiver Odell Beckham from LSU. Beckham was the third highest rated WR in the draft, and the best available when the Giants picked at #15. Sammy Watkins went fourth overall to the Buffalo Bills and Mike Evans went seventh overall the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Beckham is a different type of receiver than Nicks, but hopefully will be on that stays on the field instead of on the trainer's table.

5/8/14: Regardless of the draft and the 'endless bounty' that it may bring, the Giants have other issues going on. First off, the team picked up the fifth year option on Prince Amukamara. Prince was a first round pick in 2011, and (according to the current CBA) the Giants had the option of locking him down for the 2015 season after just three seasons of service. He has performed pretty well, so this is no surprise. Another bit of good news is that starting QB Eli Manning is ahead of schedule in his ankle rehab. A healthy Eli can win Super Bowls. An injured one means the Giants have no chance.

5/1/14: Is this selfishness or pragmatism? Giants' wide receiver Victor Cruz says the team should not target a wide receiver in the draft next week. The Giants, of course, lost WR Hakeem Nicks to free agency - he signed a one year 'prove it' deal with the Colts. So it looks like the Giants could use a big red zone threat. The other side of that is that the Giants have a lot of holes to fill other than WR. The NFC East is much improved over last season (except the Cowboys), So maybe the Giants could use another target in the end zone.

4/24/14: The New York Giants have a new backup quarterback and this could be a great move for them. The Giants signed former first round pick and starter in Tampa, Josh Freeman to carry the clipboard and back up starter Eli Manning. Freeman had some success in Tampa, and some may say he was undermined by former Bucs coach Greg Schiano. Last season was an unmitigated disaster for Freeman and perhaps his confidence is shot. This is a great chance for him to learn more about the position and get back to a starter's role. It also gives the Giants an experienced QB in case Eli goes down.

4/17/14: It happens every offseason. Several teams, particularly those with entrenched starting QBs shuffle through the files and try to find a new backup quarterback. The Giants are in that position right now, and reportedly have interest in Josh Freeman (Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay last season) and Matt Flynn (Packers, Bills, Raiders, and Seahawks). Freeman was once a first round pick and had a couple solid seasons in Tampa. Flynn is more interesting since he has shown that he is not effective outside of the Packers' offensive scheme. If given the chance, Freeman would likely be a good option and get the chance to revive his career.

4/10/14: Rather than trolling the internet or Twitter the Giants latest moves, veteran safety Antrel Rolle says his mother serves as his eyes and ears about transactions the team is making. So far, the team gets a strong passing grade from Rolle. Indeed, the Giants have made been pretty active this offseason and even have a new offensive coordinator. Rolle calls the moves 'explosive' and thinks they will make the Giants better. The NFC East is still ripe for the taking. There is a good chance the Giants would have made the playoffs last year if they did not start out so terribly.

4/3/14: Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is almost assuredly at the tail end of his career, so it is fitting to take a look at his accomplishments. If you have not been paying attention, Coughlin has had quite a career as a head coach. He rose to prominence as the head coach of Boston College, and got his break as the first head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in the mid 1990's. He led the Jags to the AFC Championship Game in only their second season. Then he came to the Giants, where he won two Super Bowls. He thinks that is enough to earn consideration for the Hall of Fame, and he is right.

3/27/14: There has been a lot of speculation around the talking heads that the NFL may alter or do away with the point after touchdown. Commissioner Roger Goodell brought this issue to the media several weeks ago, which is a good way to keep people talking about the league in slowest of offseason times. Proposed changes include automatically awarding seven points for a touchdown to moving the kick further away to closing the width of the goal posts. Giants owner John Mara, among the more influential owners in the NFL, now says that it is most likely that there will be no change in the near future.

3/13/14: Kevin Gilbride is no longer the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants. He may have been fired after the Giants' lousy 2013 season, which was one of their poorer offensive showings in recent years. Instead, he opted to retire, and the Giants tabbed Bob McAdoo, a Green Bay Packers offensive assistant, to be the next head of Big Blue's offense. Gilbride is now making a few comments, but not bad about the team. He feels that if they could have been healthy then they would have been better. Not really ground breaking insights on the team, but there is probably some merit to his remarks.

3/20/14: The Hakeem Nicks era ended in New York as the team did not re-sign him and Nicks signed on with the Indianapolis Colts. Nicks was drafted in the first round a few years ago, 10 spots behind Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles). Both put up good numbers for three years. Maclin missed all of last season to injury. Nicks played but was hurt and relatively unproductive. Maclin re-signed with the Eagles for $5.5 million per year. Nicks got a one year deal for $3.5 million. That indicates that Maclin who is coming off of major injury is more valuable than Nicks, who has a Super Bowl ring. Interesting thought processes by NFL GM's.

3/6/14: The Giants retained the services of Tom Coughlin for at least one more season, and that makes sense considering he has led the team to two Super Bowl titles in his tenure. Longtime OC Kevin Gilbride retired after last season and has been replaced with former Green Bay Packers assistant Bob McAdoo. McAdoo has been stressing the need for a better tight end. That seems to indicate that the Giants may take a high draft pick on a tight end, which would give QB Eli Manning additional protection as well as give him a safety valve to dump the ball off to when needed.

2/27/14: The Giants signed head coach Tom Coughlin to a one year extension, ensuring that he will not be a lame duck coach this season. There is a lot of hesitation among teams to having a coach with a contract that will expired at season's end, primarily because players could realize that and quit if the season goes south. Coughlin is a bit different, though. He is getting near retirement, so he would not be searching for his next job, just a fishing hole or golf course. In any case, Coughlin is with the Giants for the next season and possibly beyond.

2/20/14: The Giants 2013 season was a complete train wreck. The team got off to an 0-6 start and could never recover. They almost did, though that was due in large part to playing in the weak NFC East. They have several holes to fill this offseason, and that may start with the offensive line. Any NFL QB can be successful when he has the time to make good decisions and throw the ball. And every NFL QB is terrible when he has no protection (look at Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl). The Giants are not tipping their hand on their draft plans, but do not be surprised if they draft an O-lineman in the first round, and follow that up with a few more during the draft.

2/13/14: Like many other NFL teams, the Giants have some big decisions to make on some key players. No one towers over those discussions like defensive lineman Justin Tuck. Tuck really struggled (as the entire Giants team did) for the first 10 weeks of the season. At that time, he only had one sack. He was a decent run defender, but looked like he was washed up. Then Tuck went on a defensive rampage with 9.5 sacks in the last six games, and showed his old form. So do the Giants keep him or cut bait? Fans may want him to return, but this is a tough decision for the team braintrust.

2/6/14: If there has been one thing that has been learned during head coach Tom Coughlin's career, it is that to never count him out. Coughlin has been coaching a long, long time. He knows how to adapt. He took the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC Championship game in their second year of existence. He won two Super Bowls with the Giants after they had been discarded by popular opinion. He is at it again to rebuild the Giants (again), and get them back to the playoffs and beyond. He still has Eli Manning at QB and a great group of receivers. In short, let Coughlin do his thing and New York will be happy.

1/30/14: Giants' QB Eli Manning will have a new coach next season. Actually, he will have a couple. The Giants hired Bob McAdoo as offensive coordinator after Kevin Gilbride retired. And now the team has hired Danny Langsdorf as the QB coach. Langsford has been the offensive coordinator for Oregon State, and may bring a fresh and up-tempo philosophy to the job. In other news, head coach Tom Coughlin is not going anywhere, and owner John Mara says that he wants Coughlin to be in charge for several more years to come. Coughlin is getting on in years, but is still a top tier coach with two Super Bowl rings.

1/23/14: The Giants' sputtering offense in 2013 resulted in the retirement of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and provided the big break needed for Ben McAdoo. McAdoo had served as the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers, which means he Aaron Rodgers' handler. He was just hired as the Gilbride's replacement and has the charge of bringing in a more uptempo and attacking offense. One difference that is likely to manifest is the speed of the offense. The Packers went no-huddle on 22% of plays while the Giants finished at only 2%. That can lead to more plays and catching the defense off-guard.

1/16/14: The Giants seemed to have dodged a huge public relations bullet by not having to fire offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. They were lucky in that he simply retired. Many Giants fans may want the same for head coach Tom Coughlin - and it is true that he has led the Giants to the playoffs only once in the last five years - but that playoff appearance was capped by a Super Bowl victory (and another in 2008). Simply put, Coughlin isn't going anywhere unless he wants to. But New York is primed for a better season, even if Hakeem Nicks leaves.

1/9/14: Since the Giants won two Super Bowls in five years (in years they probably should not have won either), it is easy to overlook that the team has only made the playoffs once in the past five years (the year they won the Super Bowl). That means that the goodwill with the players and coaches is wearing off. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride would likely have been fired, but he retired instead. The Giants had one of their worst offensive years in the Tom Coughlin era, so change was bound to come. More changes are expected, including the possibilities of firing QB coach Sean Ryan and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn.

1/2/14: The Giants finished a disappointing 2013 campaign on a high note by defeating Washington in their final game. The win boosted their record to 7-9, which is impressive considering that they lost their first six games. The speculation about head coach Tom Coughlin's future is over. The Giants want him back and he says that he wants to return. They may be looking for a new offensive coordinator, as Kevin Gilbride could be on the hot seat. Eli Manning was hurt in the final game, but he should be fully recovered by the time 2014 comes around.

12/26/13: The Giants season is essentially over. They will not make the playoffs and they will not play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium. It has been a tough season the G-Men. They started out 0-6 and eliminated themselves from the playoffs early. They did get a nice victory over Detroit (23-20) to knock the Lions out of the postseason. The big question in New York is if head coach Tom Coughlin will return next season. He has won two Super Bowls in 11 years, however the Giants have made the playoffs only once in the last five years.

12/19/13: With another loss (this time, 23-0 to the visiting Seattle Seahawks) the calls for Tom Coughlin's head coaching job are getting louder. The Giants looked simply lost against the best team in the NFC. QB Eli Manning managed only 195 yards and threw five interceptions on the day. New York's leading rusher was Andre Brown, and he only managed a paltry 17 yards on 11 carries. The loss may improve their draft position, but that is not what the players and coaches are focusing on. The Giants (5-9) visit the Detroit Lions this Sunday in Week 16.

12/12/13: The Giants started the season by losing their first six games. They briefly rebounded to put themselves in the discussion of the NFC East crown, but that was shoved to the side when Dallas beat them for the second time this year. Now, it appears that they are just playing out the string. They did not offer much resistance against the San Diego Chargers last Sunday, losing 37-14. The only good thing was they got out of the brutal northeast weather to sunny Southern California for a few days. The Giants are now 5-8 and head home to face the 11-2 Seahawks.

12/5/13: Justin Tuck was easily the most dominant defensive player in the league last week. He sacked Washington QB Robert Griffin III four times in a span of seven plays. The Giants defense was pretty solid all night and limited RG3 to very little. Meanwhile, the New York offense started humming an put up 24 points in the 24-17 win. The Giants have climbed back to 5-7 on the season after an 0-6 start. The playoffs are probably out of reach barring some major shakeups in the standings over the next month, but the team has reached a level of respectability and put a hurting on a tough divisional rival.

11/28/13: Many people thought that the Giants season was over when they started off with six consecutive losses. But they are lucky enough to be in the NFC East, which has been terrible all season. After winning four in a row (all against backup quarterbacks), the Giants had a real shot to make a playoff run when they hosted the Cowboys. Dallas got off to the early lead and the Giants got impatient. Bad penalties kept several drives alive as the Cowboys won 24-21. New York's playoff hopes are probably over with their seventh loss. The Giants head to DC to face Washington this Sunday night.

11/21/13: Everyone knows that the Giants started off 0-6, which is pretty much deathknell for a team trying to make the playoffs. But the Giants play in the NFC East, which has all the strength of a soggy paper towel. New York has been the beneficiary of some incredible luck lately, as they have not faced the regular starting quarterback of any team they have played in their four game winning streak. The latest was going up against third string QB Scott Tolzien of the Green Bay Packers. The Giants easily dispatched the Pack with a 27-13 win an moved to 4-6. Its odd to say, but they are in the thick of the division chase now. The Giants host the 5-5 Cowboys next Sunday, and will finally see what it is like to play against a starting QB again.

11/14/13: A win is a win in the NFL, even if it is against the Oakland Raiders. The Giants continued their winning streak and moved to 3-6 on the season (after losing their first six games) with a 24-20 victory over Oakland. Neither QB was effective in the game. Eli Manning threw for only 140 yards and a touchdown while Terrelle Prior managed only 122 yards and zero TDs. But the Giants defense did have a score in the third quarter, and that was the difference in the ballgame. The Giants are not out of the NFC East race and are only two games back of Dallas and Philadelphia. They host the 5-4 Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

11/7/13: The New York Giants had their bye in Week 9, sitting on only two wins on the season. The strange thing is that at 2-6, they actually still have a shot at the playoffs. The NFC East has been so week this season that Dallas is the division leader at 4-4. The Cowboys should be running away with the division but cannot seem to close out games (the Detroit game was not Romo's fault). The Giant's schedule gets a bit easier now. They still have several games in the division and return next week to host the Oakland Raiders (3-4). Now might be a good chance to get Reuben Randle more into the offense, especially since Hakeem Nicks probably will not be with the Giants next season.

10/31/13: The Giant are now on a two game winning streak after knocking off NFC East division rival Philadelphia Eagles 15-7. It may have been one of the duller games of the week as the Eagles offense again failed to live up to expectations. Eli Manning threw for 246 yards and running back Peyton Hillis added 70 on the ground. All of the Giants' scoring come from place kicker Josh Brown, which was a career high. The Giants defense limited the Eagles to only 201 yards. The Giants are back in the division race as the Cowboys lost so New York is only two games back. Giants on a bye this weekend.

10/24/13: The Giants got their first notch in the win column last Monday by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 at home. It was the first time in Monday Night Football history that the two teams playing had only one combined win through six weeks of the season. Offenses were optional in this game. QB Eli Manning only threw for 200 yards and one TD, but had no turnovers. Running back Peyton Hillis led Giants rushers with only 36 yards and a score. The Giants allowed the Vikings to beat themselves, and it worked. New York (1-6) heads down to Philadelphia (3-4) in Week 8.

10/17/13: The New York Giants continue to struggle, and fell to 0-6 on the season with a loss last Thursday night to the Chicago Bears. The Bears defense allowed 21 points, which showed that the Giants offense was able to get in the end zone. Of course, the Bears defense also had three interceptions on the night, including a pick-six. Eli Manning and the offense simply have not been on the same page this year, and the inevitable shouts for his job are sure to come shortly. The Giants are back on primetime to host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night on October 21.

10/10/13: The nightmare season for the New York Giants continues. Aside from the fact that the team is generally not playing well, the injuries are mounting up. Six starters were inactive for the game against Philadelphia due to injury. The team did trade for John Beasly from Carolina, but that did not help last Sunday as the Eagles won 36-21. Eli Manning looked better than he had earlier in the season with two touchdowns and 334 yards passing. Still it was not enough as the Giants fell to 0-5. It gets worse though. The Giants travel to Chicago to face the Bears (3-2) on the Thursday Night game - a game that typically favors home defenses.

10/3/13: The season keeps getting tougher for the New York Giants. The Giants fell 31-7 at Kansas City, dropping their record to 0-4 on the year. The defense could not stop Alex Smith effectively and special teams gave up a punt return touchdown to Dexter McCluster. Eli Manning was essentially ineffective, tallying 217 yards passing, one TD and one pick. The only silver lining is that the NFC East is weak this season and the Giants still could win the division. Dallas leads the division with a 2-2 record. New York returns home to host the Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) in a divisional showdown on Sunday.

9/26/13: Had this been a few years ago, the Giants' faithful would be calling for head coach Tom Coughlin's head. However, he has a bit of equity built upon two Super Bowl victories, so he is probably safe for now. The Giants fell to 0-3 by losing to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday 38-0. It was the worse loss in the Coughlin Era and the Giants had nothing going for them. Star WR Hakeem Nicks was upset after the game because he only had one target and no catches. The Giants are certainly better than the 0-3 record they have posted so far and all they need is one win to get going. They can get that this week on the road when they face the Chiefs (3-0) in Kansas City.

9/19/13: The New York Giants have already dug themselves a bit of a hole by starting out the season 0-2 with losses to the rival Dallas Cowboys (on the road) and Denver Broncos (at home). The Broncos game matched up the Manning brothers, Eli and Peyton. Peyton is now 3-0 against Eli, though Eli leads in Super Bowl rings 2-1. Eli threw for 362 yards and a TD, but turnovers doomed the Giants. Eli had four picks to go with the six turnovers against Dallas. The Giants go back on the road in Week 3 for a Sunday game against the Carolina Panthers (0-2).

9/12/13: The Giants committed six turnovers and lost. That type of charity usually results in a win, but the Giants actually had a chance to beat the Cowboys in their opener. Eli Manning, like his brother Peyton and 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, threw for over 400 yards. In the end, the turnovers were too much to overcome as the Giants lost in Cowboys Stadium 36-31. Should the Giants learn to control the ball, then next time they should win. New York will get its chance to redeem itself on Sunday , though it will be tough going, when they host Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos (1-0).

9/4/13: The Giants let Ahmad Bradshaw walk in the offseason because they felt they could rely on David Wilson and Andre Brown as an effective running back tandem this season. Brown sustained a fracture in the same leg he broke late last year, and is out for some time now. That means they lose they best pass protector back and goal line threat. Brown may be back in a few weeks, but will likely miss the opener against rival Dallas. In the meantime, Wilson now has the opportunity to show that he can be an every down back and a goal line rusher.

8/29/13: If David Wilson had not wrapped up the starting or primary running back job, then his first play from scrimmage should have done so. Wilson took a handoff from Eli Manning and promptly ran 84 yards through the Jets defense for the touchdown. Wilson and Andre Brown will probably split carries, with Wilson getting a few more touches. They are replacing Ahmad Bradshaw who is now in Indianapolis. Injuries derailed the Giants 2012 season, so keeping the skill players healthy is especially important this season, including wide receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, and of course, Eli Manning.

8/22/13: There is no question that the Giants were disappointed in last year's performance. At the time, they were the defending Super Bowl champions and