New York Giants Injury Report; Good News and Bad

August 23, 2010

Hey all you Giants fans! Bet you’re getting sick of injuries huh? Well me too! Here is a quick list of new developements with injuries. I stress new because I am not going to repeat the same old ones everyone already knows.

  • Eli Manning will resume practice this week, he had the tweleve stitches removed.
  • Coughlin says Manning will practice in a baseball cap for the first day or so but should be ready to go for the Ravens game. The quarterback will be non-contact in drills for now.
  • Ramses Barden has a stress fracture in his lower back, Ohm Youngmisuk is reporting. Aparently he has had back pain since before the Jets game. He will be out for the Ravens game.
  • Michael Johnson is also reporting back pain and is expected to be out.
  • Brandon Jacobs is indicating he is feeling better and should be ready to go.
  • Aaron Ross is dealing with plantar fasciitis, some may remember Manning dealing with this last season. Ross was having a good camp and even returning punts; this will slow him down and he is expected to be week to week.
  • Rich Seubert is expected back this week; he has been dealing with a broken bone in his left hand.
  • Jim Sorgi is expected to miss another week or maybe two with his shoulder injury
  • Chris Snee is expected to return from his knee issues.
  • D.J. Ware and Sha’reff Rashad (safety) both suffered concussions in the Steelers game, they will have further testing done.
  • Lastly, good news, Shawn Andrews is expected to practice after not playing since the second game of the 2008 campaign.

The injury list is long and ominous, not the way Tom Coughlin wanted to start the 2010 season. Injuries were largely attributed to the failures in the 2009 season so having such a long list already is not a good sign. I am still hopeful that the Giants will be able to pull everything together. Luckily Terrell Thomas can step up very well for Ross, Victor Cruz may find more opportunities with Barden out, and Bomar will get a greater NFL experience with the loss of Sorgi. The Giants do have some depth this seasons, something they showed very well against the Jets. I am confident that they will still have a successful season.

Josh Berman- nygreporter.com

1 Comment | 2010 New York Giants, 2010 NFL Preseason, Big Blue, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Injuries, Giants Roster, Giants Training Camp, Josh Berman's Update, New Jersey, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG BREAKING NEWS, NYG Exclusive, NYG Injury Report, NYG Preseason, NYG Reporter, NYG Reporter Sports Special, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Update, NYG Website, Tom Coughlin | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Josh Berman

New York Giants, Victor Who? Victor Cruz!

August 16, 2010

The highly anticipated first game in New Meadowlands stadium had some seriously surprising story lines. None more surprising than WR Victor Cruz. Cruz entered the game with the second team offense and burned the opposing Jets defensive backs for 6 catches 145 yards and 3 touchdowns. All three touchdowns looked very athletic and impressive. His first touchdown was a 64 yard bomb from backup quarterback Jim Sorgi in which Cruz made significant contact with Jets defenders, even wrapping his arm around a helmet but the touchdown counted. Cruz is an undrafted rookie out of the University of Massachusetts and is vying for a shot at the 53 man roster. With no clear-cut return man decided, the elusive Cruz has a real shot of being there when its all said and done. Under achievers such as Sinorice Moss are hogging rosters spots, but I feel a new wind blowing and Victor Cruz may be forcing these dead weights out.

The 6 foot 1, 200 pound, Cruz even talks a big game. On August 13th espnnewyork.com published a video interview of Cruz in which he claimed,  in jest, that he wanted to “kick the crap” out of  the Jets. Well it is no joke now, he delivered. In a contest that had a lot of smack talk back and forth, Cruz pulled through and embarrassed the opposing secondary. Keep in mind he played against second and third strings, but in a night where Ramses Barden (who is pushing to become the third receiver against Mario Manningham) dropped a sure ball, anything is possible.

It begs the question, who will be the Giants receivers? With Hixon out for the season there is roster room, I do foresee Moss missing the cut this season, and very possibly Smith and Nicks will be the starters with Barden (because of his unique height and style) pulling in at the three spot. That leaves Manningham, Hagan, and Cruz. Manningham is almost a sure bet to get a spot on the roster, but maybe he will become the return man with Cruz taking over the fourth slot and Hagan either heading to the fifth or sixth spot. These are all merely predictions but it will be interesting to watch a somewhat renewed wide receiver group battle it out.

Other notes from tonight’s game, QB Eli Manning left the game to receive 12 stitches in his head, after colliding with RB Brandon Jacobs on a botched play. The early reports indicate that he did not have a concussion and a statement from Eli indicated he was fine and ready to go; according to ESPN analysts. I do not want to go into more detail because I truly believe ESPN is milking the footage for all it is worth while hyping the incident to a larger importance than it has.

Also, Matt Dodge looked rather unimpressive. He had his first punt blocked and his next few were nothing special, he will need a lot of work before season starts.

Antrel Rolle looked good in his Giant debut picking off Mark Sanchez’s first pass of the new season and returning it to the one yard line after a 59 yard run.

Chase Blackburn left the game early with an injury, he is primarily a special teams linebacker and he hasn’t missed a game in his entire career, so we hope he can return soon. We all know the story of the Giants offseason injuries highlighted by their lone active tight end (Pascoe) in tonights game. They do not need any more injury concerns, although Bear did play well. We will continue to monitor the injuries and the progress of all players, as training camp and the preseason continues.

Josh Berman – nygreporter.com

4 Comments | 2010 Fantasy Football, 2010 New York Giants, 2010 NFL Preseason, Big Blue, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants History, Giants Injuries, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Josh Berman's Update, Justin Tuck, Monday Night Football, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG BREAKING NEWS, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Injury Report, NYG Preseason, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Update, NYG Website, University of Albany | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Josh Berman

Josh Berman’s Giants Update: Edition 4

June 19, 2010

This week, the New York Giants began and completed minicamp activities. We here at the nygreporter, have gotten some excellent coverage from our very own Robert Domaine and already there are a lot of topics to cover. By far, the biggest story making headlines is the loss of WR Domenik Hixon for the season. Hixon tore his ACL during practice on the new turf of New Meadowlands Stadium. Hixon was not an intricate part of the offense, although he was second in the league last season in punt return average. The true story behind the story here is the safety of the turf. Safety Antrel Rolle and wide receiver Steve Smith both seem to believe the turf is to blame for Hixon’s injury, however GM Jerry Reese respectfully disagrees. Rolle claims to have seen the injury and remarked that Hixon “…didn’t make a cut or anything”. Smith thought the turf was “real slippery”, a sentiment Rolle also expressed saying, “I was slipping on each and every play”. Reese and Coughlin both expressed their belief that Hixon did not get caught on the turf and that “it could happen on any surface”. Either way, it will be a developing story to watch for the remainder of the offseason.

Osi Umenyiora has stated that he does not want to be a distraction in camp this season and that what has really been hurting is his pride. According to ESPN, Osi wants the best man to play this season. Osi, who was benched for the last four games of last season, spoke publicly about his unhappiness with his role in the team. Since then, Osi has gotten very quiet. I truly believe he and the rest of the defensive line, will have a good, productive, and effective relationship this season. If they can work together, the returning linemen and the new additions should be poised for a very good season, as Perry leads them back to an attacking pass rushing force.

Amani Toomer is still making headlines even in his retirement. Amani plans to run the New York Marathon this year; he will be running for the New York Road Runners youth program. Timex has sponsored Toomer, promising to donate 1 dollar for every runner he beats. Amani will be the first NFL player to run since Lynn Swan did so in 1993.

One final note, I was thrilled to see the Philadelphia Flyers lose the Stanley Cup. As I told you in my last edition, being close to Philly (as the city is affectionately called) is painful enough, but the comparisons to the Flyers’ post-season run to the Giants’ Super Bowl run was unbearable. Seeing a different outcome was a wonderful, and selfish, surprise.

Josh Berman- nygreporter.com

2 Comments | 2010 New York Giants, Big Blue, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Front Office, Giants Injuries, Giants Mini Camp, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Jerry Reese, Josh Berman's Update, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NYG, NYG Charity, NYG Injury Report, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Update, Perry Fewell, Tom Coughlin | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Josh Berman

Josh Berman’s Giants Update: Edition 3

May 25, 2010

Well for this week Giants fans, I thought I’d show off a little of my hometown roots. By that I actually mean I’m going to show my disgust with the fact that the Philadelphia Flyers actually made it into the Stanley Cup. We don’t usually discus other sports here at NYGReporter.com but if you’re curious I am a Giants fan (duh), a Nets fan (unfortunately), a Devils fan, and a Yankees fan. To see the Flyers crush my guys in the beginning was hard enough, but there are so many band wagon fans down here that it is almost unbearable. To make matters worse, I have heard on several accounts how “similar” the Giants run to Super Bowl XLII was in 2007 to the Flyers run this year. I mean it is a little, the Flyers have key injuries the Giants had key injuries, blah blah blah. I don’t want to hear Philly fans compare themselves to Big Blue, unless of course they have a no-name guy head out on the ice and bounce the puck of his head and into the goal. Until that happens, the Giants will always be first and best.

In other more important news, reports are coming in that Justin Tuck, the Giants all-star defensive end, who was recently referred  to as the Giants best defensive play (commence arguing among yourselves) is doing great and the shoulder is feeling better by the day. Tuck suffered a torn labarum from an intentional trip by former Cowboy Flozzel Adams, and depending on who you ask, Tuck was playing at about 60% all season long in 2009.

Continuing with Tuck, the defensive end was somewhat vocal in questioning the Giants early picks in Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph, fellow defensive linemen. Since then Tuck has had a chance to see them do drills and really work out and he has changed his mind. He indicated that he was biased in his early opinions, but now acknowledges their incredible athleticism and welcomes them with open arms to the Giants family.

And now the news you’ve all been waiting for, the league will vote tomorrow as to whether or not New Meadowlands will host a Bowl in 2014, and looks as though chances are better than good. John Clayton of ESPN is even calling them 100%. Although it won’t be the first time in recent memory that a Super Bowl will be played in a cold weather city, it will be the fist time in a long time that it will be played outside. The game would be very beneficial to paying off some of the leftover financial obligations the stadium brings, and even maybe bring in some naming rights competitors. Overall I think it will be great for the city and really open up the game to any climate, as it should be. What do you think the back lash will be if it snows during the game in 2014 when being held at the New Meadowlands Stadium? Should be interesting!

Josh Berman- NYGReporter.com

1 Comment | 2010 New York Giants, Big Blue, G-Men, Giants, Giants Draft, Giants Stadium, Giants Super Bowl History, Giants Training Camp, Josh Berman's Update, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Super Bowl, NYG, NYG Reporter, NYG Super Bowl | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Josh Berman

Josh Berman’s Giants Update: Edition 2

May 5, 2010

Not too much in the news this week Giants Fans. Rookie mini camp was this past weekend, but surprisingly not much news came out from it.  Matt Mosley reported on the progress of Linval Joseph. The second round defensive tackle out of East Carolina apparently had a very impressive weekend. Supposedly, he was great at encouraging teamates throughout the camp, so maybe on a defense that is really looking for a voice of leadership this kid can provide a spark.

Speaking of defensive leadership, I think it may be the one issue no one is talking about. Who is going to step up and replace Pierce’s voice? Osi certainly won’t and Tuck has never been out spoken. I personally am hoping Rolle can step in, or maybe Boley, whoever starts at MLB or maybe even Joseph.

Back to this past weekends camp, reports indicate that Jason Pierre-Paul is athletically impressive but that Linval should have a more immediate impact. I think the best case scenario is for JPP to really learn this year and then next year, when either Osi or Kiwi leave, (and one of the certainly will) he can step into the rotation and play a big role.

Final note, Herm Edwards appeared on ESPN after a “Sports Nation” poll revealed Giants’ Fans believe the team will go 12-4 this season. Herm disagreed believing the NFC East will be too strong and the middle of the schedule will be too brutal. He seems to believe the team will be a 10-6 wild card team. Sounds reasonable. In the next edition I’ll try and give a very early schedule break down and maybe do a few more as the offseason progresses.

Josh Berman – NYGReporer.com

1 Comment | 2010 New York Giants, Big Blue, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Roster, Giants Training Camp, Josh Berman's Update, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Playoffs, NYG, NYG Draft, NYG Playoffs, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Update, Tom Coughlin | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Josh Berman

Josh Berman’s Giants Update: Edition 1

April 29, 2010

It feels so good to be back and writing about the New York Football Giants. For any of you who have been able to follow my writing over the last year or so you have probably noticed that sporadic is an understatment. Don’t get me wrong I love talking football, and that never stops (ask my friends, they take motrin because of me), but I’m not always good at getting my ideas down on….paper for lack of a better noun. Point is, I herby solemnly swear to update you with breaking news, thoughts and opinions as they form, hence the “Weekly Update: Edition 1”. P.S. you can follow me on twitter for more frequent notes: http://twitter.com/Josh_Berman

Anyway on to this weeks post!

Draft is done, I’d like to tip my hat to Rob for some truly excellent draft coverage, and to the Giants for a truly excellent draft. We have a few projects but the coaching staff is well equiped to bring these guys along. If you wanted my honest, pessimistic, realistic opinion I’d tell you the Giants are not Super Bowl bound in 2010. I think the draft did one very important thing however, it set the Giants up for glory in 2011. Looking ahead to that year, the G-Men will almost defiantly lose a defensive end (probably Osi), but now they can afford too, and it sets them up to draft offensive line and running back in the next draft making the team complete and frankly; scary!

Moving on to update number two, I attended the Big City Lacrosse Classic 4/10/10 in the new stadium, and let me tell you the stadium is huge. Dwarfing Giants Stadium, which is right next door, and looks well…awesome! It really has a unique exterior look which will be identified with Big Blue for years and years. The interior was somewhat sparse, and the third concourse wasn’t quite finished as it was still sectioned off, but it’s a lacrosse classic…can’t expect much. Food pricing wasn’t as awful as reports indicate, however I don’t know about beer (not 21). But if you think about it they make the prices high so fans don’t get totally trashed, I mean come on, you’re telling me if beer was $2 you wouldn’t have like 6? All in all it was a great experience, I even stood on the sideline for a little (turf felt nice). Plus, Syracuse destroyed Princeton so my day was complete!

So that’s all for now, again sorry I haven’t written more, been doing a lot of college prep/finishing senior year stuff (I’m heading to Syracuse University next year just as a side note haha). I promise I will update weekly or you can come and yell at me all over the comments thread. Bye for now!

Josh Berman – NYGReporter.com

12 Comments | 2010 New York Giants, Big Blue, Chris Mara, G-Men, Giants, Giants Draft, Giants Roster, Giants Transactions, Josh Berman's Update, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NYG, NYG Draft, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Update | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Josh Berman

Next Entries »