Archives for October 2011

””Nah, no regrets,” Smith told The Post yesterday as the surprising Bills prepared to visit the Giants on Sunday. “I’m just excited to be with a team that’s winning games.”‘

‘Q: Has your team surprised you? A: No. I think if you’re a coach and you’re a leader of any sort you’re not surprised by success, you’re surprised by failure. I expect us to win every time we walk out there, I don’t care who we’re playing or when we we’re playing. You expect to win. Everything you do, every practice rep that you take, every meeting minute that you spend is done with the idea that you’re going to win. You’re surprised when you lose, not when you win.’

Speedy Rookie Is a Hit in the Giants’ Defense (New York Times)

NY Giants move Mathias Kiwanuka around, wait for Osi Umenyiora & D-Line to fire on all cylinders (New York Daily News)

NY Giants were aware of Jimmy Kennedy’s possible suspension before signing, DT remains silent (New York Daily News)

Prince Amukamara practices with Giants special teams, NY Giants await doctor’s ‘OK’ for Chris Snee (New York Daily News)

Much-improved Bills are out to erase all doubt (New York Post)

Smith has ‘no regrets’ leaving Jets for Bills (New York Post)

Ball security a must vs. Buffalo (New York Post)

Coughlin revives players’ council (New York Post)

Coughlin knew of failed drug test (New York Post)

Baas: Giants gotta run (New York Post)

Giants have to play keepaway vs. Bills ‘D’ (Newsday)

Giants knew ban was possible for DT Kennedy (Newsday)

Giants vs. Bills: Jake Ballard, Bear Pascoe, Scott Chandler playing a variety of roles (Newark Star Ledger)

Eli Manning, Giants focused on avoiding turnovers against Bills (Newark Star Ledger)

Giants work out a pair of long snappers as possible fill-ins for injured Zak DeOssie (Newark Star Ledger)

Giants’ Jacquian Williams, featured in ESPN documentary on agents, to hire Drew Rosenhaus (Newark Star Ledger)

Giants fullback Henry Hynoski accepts neck burner as hazard of ‘something I love doing’ (Newark Star Ledger)

Giants’ Brandon Jacobs, Justin Tuck still out of practice with injuries (Newark Star Ledger)

Giants know Bills ‘D’ has nose for the ball (Bergen Record)

Kennedy suspension no surprise (Bergen Record)

Giants need to be wary of Bills’ pick-proficient defense (Trenton Trentonian)

Ball security key for Giants against Bills (ESPN)

Giants knew Jimmy Kennedy had issue (ESPN)

Snee, Jacobs, Tuck unable to practice (ESPN)

NFL fines Giants’ Kenny Phillips $20K (ESPN)

Giants’ run game is fizzling, ranked 28th in NFL (AP)

NFL fines Giants S Kenny Phillips $20,000 for hit (AP)

Tuck, Jacobs, Snee, Umenyiora all miss practice for Giants (The Sports Network)

Giants can’t afford turnovers against hot Bills (The Sports Xchange)

Strategy And Personnel (The Sports Xchange)

Weatherford can always count on Carney (The Sports Xchange)

Jennie Finch Visits Timex and the Giants (Giants.com)

Behind Enemy Lines (Giants.com)

Healthy Baas rejuvinates run game (Giants.com)

Mark Herzlich Journal (Giants.com)

S Antrel Rolle (Giants.com)

WR Mario Manningham (Giants.com)

C David Baas (Giants.com)

CB Prince Amukamara (Giants.com)

QB Eli Manning (Giants.com)

Buffalo Bills Coach Chan Gailey (Giants.com)

Coach Tom Coughlin (Giants.com)

Wednesday’s injury report (Giants.com)

‘With Donald Jones expected to miss up to six weeks with a sprained ankle, the Bills’ No-Name receivers are preparing to add another layer of anonymity. Naaman Roosevelt, anyone?’

‘Gailey, though, is concerned about Fewell’s familiarity with Buffalo after he spent four seasons there as defensive coordinator and served as interim coach for the final seven games of 2009. “Well, he certainly knows a lot of the people that are on this team,” Gailey said. “He knows what some of the strengths and weaknesses are of some of our players. I think that’s probably a little bit of an advantage for him to be able to talk about personnel.”‘

‘”I’ve always felt like if I get the touches I can do it,” said the humble Jackson, a 2007 Bills free-agent signing, about putting up big numbers and leading the league in all-purpose yardage. “We’ll see how it goes. I think if I continue to get the touches, then I’ll have a great shot at it.”‘

‘With Kelsay out last week against Philadelphia, Moats rotated at outside linebacker and made some noise with three tackles and a QB hit on a blitz that forced one of Michael Vick’s four interceptions. Now he’s given the coaching staff something to think about.’

‘Buffalo leads the NFL with 12 interceptions. The team had 11 all of last year. Fueling the barrage of picks were four-interception games vs. New England’s Tom Brady and Philadelphia’s Michael Vick. Several of the interceptions have come from good fundamentals, tipping passes and stripping techniques. “We talked about it, we work on it, we have turnover drills for it,” coach Chan Gailey said. “Fundamentals is what wins. Just like we have ball security drills on offense, that’s huge.” On the flip side, Buffalo has just five turnovers.’

‘With all the injuries and player movement, the Bills are now down to just four classic wide receivers. Starter Stevie Johnson, slot-man David Nelson, Buffalo-native Naaman Roosevelt, and the virtually unknown Ruvell Martin.’

‘Besides Williams, the other five starters that missed the session was Donald Jones, Shawne Merriman, Andy Levitre, Demetrius Bell and Chris Kelsay.’

‘The Bills have several options once they get inside the red zone this season. Perhaps the biggest addition has been tight end Scott Chandler. All four of his touchdown catches this season have come in the red zone. “The emergence of Scott Chandler in the red zone that’s really helped us a lot, because you can still run the ball,” said Gailey.’

‘”Yeah, there are more opportunities now. Be in there more to make plays. I’m just ready for this opportunity, I’m excited, and ready to have fun,” says the second year player.’

‘On finding ways to use RB Fred Jackson and getting him involved: I don’t think we create things, I think you plug him in wherever you need him and he performs and makes the plays. He can be a receiver, he can protect and he can run the football obviously. He is such a versatile football player. It really is easy to have him because he doesn’t restrict you in any way. There are some people that restrict you. He restricts you in no way, shape or form.’

‘”It started in April and it went all the way through training camp,” said Wilson, who made the risky decision to learn a position he had never played before in an effort to finally make an NFL roster. “What Jim helped me to do was look at the playbook in its simplest form as far as what’s my responsibility? How do I get lined up? What’s my adjustment based on what the offense does? And then making sure everybody in the secondary is on the same page. That’s what Jim helped me to do. He helped me to simplify all of the diagrams and all of the terminology to learn it in a way where I could spoon feed it to other guys when they had questions.”‘

‘"I like the versatility aspect of [knowing both positions]," Moats said, "but mentally, it is a little tougher having to play both. Inside, it’s more of a thinking game, where outside everything is more physical, it’s happening faster."’