Aug

30

2008

(8) Comments

Blue Corner - 2008 Giants Roster Predictions

07:13AM by PLam

NFL teams are hard at work cutting their rosters down to 53 players this weekend.  Here are my predictions for who makes the team:

Aug

28

2008

(2) Comments

Preseason Week 4 Review - Giants 19, Patriots 14

09:57PM by PLam

The fourth preseason game is always hard to make much sense of.  Starters usually play for a series with an emphasis on not getting hurt, so there is a sense that the players aren’t really going all-out.  When the backups come in, there is usually a little more sense of urgency and effort, but only by those players who are on the bubble.  Tonight’s game between the Giants and Patriots was pretty much right on target with this script.  The Giants won, 19-14, but the score wasn’t of any consequence. 

Aug

23

2008

(0) Comments

Preseason Week 3 Review - Giants 7, Jets 10

09:54PM by PLam

The third NFL preseason game is general regarded as a “dress rehearsal” for the regular season.  It’s the final tune-up for the starters to get timing down and go full-speed for two quarters.  In this Giants vs. Jets preseason game, I think we saw pretty good execution from the starting lineups of both teams.  Jets officially won the game, 10-7, but neither team scored with the starters playing.

Aug

19

2008

(0) Comments

Preseason Week 2 Review - Giants 37, Browns 34

07:16AM by PLam

Ah, much better.  After a sluggish preseason opener last week, the Giants’ starters shook off the rust and looked like a team that wanted to defend its Super Bowl title.  The final score of Giants 37, Browns 34, did not tell the story of the starters, where the Giants dominated with a 23-3 first quarter blowout.

Aug

13

2008

(6) Comments

Did Eli “turn the corner”?

03:33PM by PLam

Ever since the Giants went on their magical run to win Super Bowl 42, everyone from Giant fans to “expert” analysts have remarked about how “Eli Manning turned the corner” in his development, raising the level of his play to lead his team at just the right time as the Giants faced tough competition in the 2007 playoffs.  But did he really change?  Here is my perspective on Eli Manning’s performance from last year and how it might project into this year.

Aug

7

2008

(6) Comments

Preseason Week 1 Review - Giants 10, Detroit 13

10:04PM by PLam

Well that sucked.  It’s preseason football:  Giants lose to the Detroit Lions, 10-13.  And the Giants’ first team offense and defense looked pretty bad.  But the game is overall pretty meaningless, and it was a great opportunity to see a lot of the young players that we have been reading about in the training camp reports over the last couple of weeks.  Here’s my review of the game.

Aug

6

2008

(4) Comments

Training Camp Preview

12:45PM by DAGlazer

Training camp for the SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS has started. It feels great to type those words. I have not been this excited for a season since 1990. This year’s team is deep and talented. It has a proven quarterback and a stable of running backs that is the envy of most teams. It has an offensive line that has played together for years where the whole is better than its individual parts. Of course, there are some issues that need to be resolved, but that is what training camp is for.

Aug

5

2008

(0) Comments

Blue Corner - Wide Receivers

12:57PM by PLam

One of the big position battles going into this year’s training camp is at wide receiver.  Our starters - Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer - are pretty much set, and it’s clear that Steve Smith makes the roster.  But after those three, which receivers make the final cut is up for grabs.  The criteria for keeping receivers at the #4-6 spot (assuming we only keep 6 on the active roster) will be a combination of receiving skills and special teams contributions.  From our roster last year, the contenders are David Tyree, Sinorice Moss, and Dominque Hixon.  Rookies and players from last year’s practice squad include Mario Manningham, Brandon London, DJ Hall, and Craphonso Thorpe.  That’s 7 players vying for 3 spots.

Aug

4

2008

(6) Comments

Blue Corner - My view on the New York Giants

12:44PM by PLam

Welcome to the inaugural entry to my New York Giants blog!  I’ve been bleeding Blue since the early 1980s, having seen every game save a half-dozen sprinkled throughout the last 25 years or so.  In this blog, I’ll offer my thoughts on various Giant topics as well as providing pre- and post-game reviews.  As some of you know, I’ve been a participant on various Giants online message boards since 1993, and for the most part have been acknowledged as a Giant optimist/rosetint/homer.  While I do admit to trying to take a positive spin on things, I do feel like I temper my optimism with some realistic expectations.  For my first blog entry, I’ll give all of you a brief rundown of my Big Blue Fandom with some thoughts about each coaching era of the Giants since 1983.