February 2010...It feels like a long off season already. However, as winter turns to spring, I get fired up for some new raw talent that are ready to suit up for Big Blue.
Who do we want? What do we need? How can we find that sleeper pick? Yes, the draft and mandatory mini-camp will never come too soon. I need to get the taste of 2009 out of my mouth.
Enclosed you will find some analysis on a few hot prospects...
Nate Allen, University of South Florida S ( 6'2" 190 pounds)
One of the top safeties on the board and one of the most accomplished defensive players in the history of USF football. This very experienced player started the last 39 games of his college career, including Bowl [...]
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In 1986, the New York Giants drafted linebacker Thomas Johnson in the second round from Ohio State. Thomas, better known as "Pepper" Johnson, was notorious for putting black pepper on his breakfast cereal.
The name stuck with him his whole life.
Johnson was a damn good player. A two time pro bowl linebacker who loved to hit you in the mouth, while filling a hole. He was big, nasty, and athletic. He played seven great seasons for the Giants and was a member of both the Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV [...]
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I stopped playing college football in 1991 and I have never looked back. I rely on the experts to educate me on who, what and why for the NFL draft.
Recently I have had two dozen people tell me that the Giants need LB Brandon Spikes from the Florida Gators. Excited about a big time linebacker...I looked up his stats.
Brandon Spikes, is the cousin of Takeo Spikes who has been a linebacker in the NFL for 11 years with the Bengals, Bills, Eagles and currently the San Fransisco 49ers. Brandon has done some nice things for the Gators; including coming back for his senior year instead of entering the draft as a junior.
Brandon is no doubt a very good football player; however, I was concerned that his production slipped every year since his sophomore season at Florida. He [...]
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Not in any particular order I have accumulated a list of names....
Harry Carson, Junior Seau, Zack Thomas, Ray Lewis, Jack Lambert, Patrick Willis, Mike Singletary, Sam Mills, Jon Beason, Chris Spielman, Dick Butkus, Brian Urlacher. What do they all have in common?
They all played middle linebacker.
Whatever decade they played in...they played the position angry.
They lived to stuff running backs and deliver punishment.
This is what the Giants need anchoring their defense...anger, dedication, and athleticism!
Remember the days when Giants defense was stout and the man in middle was Harry Carson? I can picture Carson and his blood stained white pants as he [...]
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With the number 1 seed securely in the hands of the Saints, the personal department has let it be known that quarterback Drew Brees as well as a some of the other starters with not play in order to insure their health for the playoffs. I know the fantasy of a perfect season is behind us now, but I firmly believe that the Saints are a team that needs momentum, energy, mojo in order to play to their fullest. When the road Saints square off against the Carolina Panthers it will be crucial for whomever is out on that field with a Saints jersey to make sure they give it their all so that when the playoffs start that the Saints have their swagger back.
The last act for the Saints in the regular season is to end their season on a 3 game skid. The Panthers' have shown us that despite being out [...]
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December 25, 2009 by
Craig Santucci |
2009 rookie of the year,
Eli Manning,
Football,
Hakeem Nicks,
Kevin Boss,
Mario Manningham,
New York Giants,
NFC East,
NFL receivers,
steve smith,
Tom Coughlin
Has anyone taken the time to appreciate Eli Manning this year?
Sure, No. 10 is flying below the radar, and I'm sure everyone likes it that way, but we should at least muster up a round of applause or a pat on the back for Mr. Eli Manning.
Yes, it's not over...but what an impressive campaign to date!
What do Nicks, Boss, Manningham, Smith, Hixon, Hagan, Bradshaw, Beckum, Jacobs, and Pascoe all have in common?
They all caught passes from Eli Manning in the thumping of the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. That's nine different receivers!
Yes, Eli Manning is having a career year, and his grasp of this offense and his personnel have matured through spreading the ball around.
Eli currently has career highs in completion percentage and yards per attempt, and by [...]
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December 22, 2009 by
Lars Hanson |
Andy Reid,
Brett Favre,
Dick Vermeil,
Eagles,
interview,
Jim Zorn,
Mike Holmgren,
Monday Night Football,
New York Giants,
Redskins,
Vince Papale
It took a couple of emails back and fourth to get the time and the date to work for both Vince and myself but I finally got the chance to interview one of my most inspirational football players ever, former Eagles Wide Receiver Vince Papale.
It was a 45 minute phone interview and our topics varied from Papale's era to modern day to the controversial Brett Favre. With that being said here is my interview with Vince Papale.We are both watching the Giants-Redskins game on MNF while the interview took place.
Lars: Hey Vince
Vince: Hey Lars whats up, give me one second.
Vince: You [...]
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Everybody and their uncle knows the Giants are in a slump. The once 5-0 Giants have taken a turn for the worse and the once Super Bowl contenders are now fighting to make the playoffs, standing at 5-4 with a myriad of problems.
Fortunately, they are on the bye this week and it couldn't come at a better time. They have a huge game versus Atlanta, a team who they are battling with to make the payoffs, in Week 11 in what is a must win game. As of now the Eagles and Falcons hold the wild card positions and a loss next week would be crushing, giving the Falcons the tiebreaker over the Giants.
With that said here's what the Giants need to fix to get back on track:
1. Get Healthy
This one should take of itself. Last week the Giants finally got their two [...]
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Week Nine of the NFL season is a little early to place a playoff’s worth of importance onto a game, but that is exactly what the contest with the San Diego Chargers was for the New York Giants. Don’t look at me, it wasn’t my idea—it was the Giants' themselves.
According to the New York Daily News:
"I think the message is clear," quarterback Eli Manning said before the game. "I think we know what we've got to do and what's at stake, how important this game is. We've got to turn this thing around."
Said defensive end Justin Tuck: "There is a sense of urgency. We feel like we're pretty close to the bottom right now."
Coach Tom Coughlin was calling this a “one-game season,” and Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce called it their “Super [...]
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October 24, 2009 by
Michael Ellis |
Courtney Roby,
Drew Brees,
Jabari Greer,
Jeremy Moore,
Justin Tuck,
Lance Moore,
Marques Colston,
New Orleans Saints,
New York Giants,
Osi Umenyiora,
Pierre Thomas,
Roman Harper
The Saints stay undefeated...YaHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Completely pushing the New York Giants around this past Sunday in the Super Dome 48-27. The Saints (5-0) used their bye week from week 5 and had an excellent game plan prepared to make a Giants team - thought to be one of the contenders in the whole NFL, appear to be pretenders against the Saints. The Saints were running on full cylinder and now should start to receive more of the spotlight when the talk swings to legitimate title contenders.
Lets get right into the Star Studded Saints from Week 6...
Drew Brees quarterbacked a perfect game....even his quarterback rating was near perfect (however the heck that thing is tabulated). Brees threw for 367 yards against a fierce Giants defense. Brees also completed 23 of 30 passes, four of [...]
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