Giants Daily Blitz Blog

Rookie Randle looks forward to more career firsts

Ramses Barden wasn’t the only receiver to benefit from the bump up after Hakeem Nicks (foot) and Domenik Hixon (concussion) were scratched from Thursday night’s game against Carolina.

Rueben Randle, the Giants’ second-round draft choice, got his first career catch under his belt. While it officially went down as a quiet four-yard pickup late in the first quarter of a 36-7 road win, every stat line has to start somewhere.

“It is worth something being a rookie and getting your first catch,” Randle said on Monday. “But I’m just looking forward to more.”

His first reception was also the first time he had been targeted by Eli Manning this season, and Randle knew there would be a good possibility of it coming in Charlotte given the injuries at the position.

“I just went through it like a normal week,” Randle said. “I just go out every day and get better and try to continue to build trust each and every week with the players around me and also the coaching staff.”

He added: “I’m picking up each and every week, that’s my objective. I’m just trying to progress through things and play faster each and every week as the season goes along. Then hopefully by midseason I’ll be clicking.”

Meanwhile, returning punts has helped the LSU product build a comfort level on an NFL field despite the lack of reps on offense. Randle assumed the role in Week 2 after the coaching staff went with the veteran Hixon in the opener. He has returned three punts for an average of 9.7 yards with a long of 12 (in addition to four fair catches).

“I enjoy returning punts,” Randle said. “That’s a big play for your team. It just gives you confidence that your team has the faith in you to field the ball, get the ball back to the offensive end. That’s a big bonus.”

Rookie Blog: CB Jayron Hosley

Cornerback Jayron Hosley was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round this past April. Throughout the season, the Virginia Tech product and Florida native will provide an inside look at his journey of making it in the NFL. This week’s post begins with the Giants’ first road trip of the season to Carolina, where Hosley made his second start and notched an interception before halftime of the 36-7 victory over the Panthers on Thursday night.

It’s a business trip. From the flight down to meetings at the hotel, everyone basically focuses in on the game. It was good to get on the road. You want to go on the road and get a win, and we went out there with that mentality. We had a short week so we didn’t get as much time to prepare, but we spent a lot of time getting in a lot of mental work. We were ready. I was ready. It was our first official road game and I was looking forward to it. I think it went pretty well.

Coming to the Giants, I knew they were road warriors and I liked that. Like in college, I always look forward to going with my boys into another team’s territory and getting a win. When you’re at home, you’ve got to defend your home. But when you go on a road trip, you want to make that your home, too, in a sense. It’s just one of those things that everyone wants to compete and fight. When you go to another team’s territory, it’s like we’re here to take something.

It was a game that, being that it was my second start, I felt like I have to go out here and prove something. I still have a lot to prove, and I was just doing my job. Everyone was just doing their job. Everybody was playing with one accord. It just so happened that it opened up for me to get the interception. We had great pressure up front, which allowed me to make that play. I think overall it was a pretty good second start for me and something to grow off of.

When I was drafted, I couldn’t say that I’d already have two starts in the NFL, not at all. Really for me, it was just making the team and making my name on the team and kind of getting that respect by doing what’s expected. It played out well for me though and I’m just continuing to work. Keep it humble. Keep it focused.

» Rookie Blog Week 2: First NFL action

» Rookie Blog Week 1: Anticipating NFL Kickoff

» Rookie Blog Training Camp: Making a name for yourself

» Rookie Blog Training Camp: Arrival

You can also follow Jayron on Twitter @hosley_jayron

Daily Blitz: Coughlin profiled in ‘A Football Life’

If you’ve ever seen or heard a Tom Coughlin press conference, you know he doesn’t reveal much. That’s why A Football Life is must-see TV this week as the Emmy-nominated series profiles the Giants’ two-time Super Bowl champion head coach. The Coughlin episode premiers on Wednesday, September 26 at 8 PM ET on NFL Network.

While the one-hour show does chronicle Coughlin’s football career, it also captures a rare glimpse of his off-field life, highlighting his wife, Judy, and his devotion to his charity, The Jay Fund.

Aside from Coughlin’s, here is a list of some of the voices included in the episode:

Judy Coughlin – Tom’s wife

Kate Snee – Tom’s daughter

Bill Parcells – Former New York Giants head coach

Michael Strahan – Former New York Giants defensive end

Jim Boeheim – Syracuse University men’s basketball coach

Larry Csonka – Hall of Fame running back

Fred Taylor – Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back

Ernie Accorsi – Former New York Giants general manager

Doug Flutie – Played for Tom Coughlin at Boston College, 1981-83

CLICK HERE TO VIEW TRAILER

Following are select quotes from Tom Coughlin: A Football Life:

- “When people are sick or in need, that’s when his emotions, his faith, his strength shows the most.” – Judy Coughlin

- “I’ve gone from a guy who wouldn’t play for him for one year, to a guy who wouldn’t play for anybody else if I had to go back and play football. He wants to win. That’s his bottom line, and he’s had to change his methods to get there. I’m glad he changed it, that we were able to get to the mountaintop with him.” – Michael Strahan

- “When you win in New York, it’s something special and the people never forget you.” – Bill Parcells

- “At Syracuse, he kept notes on everything. [He is the] first person I ever saw in athletics that kept notes on everything. A few years later after I left Tommy’s presence, I met a guy that was just like that. His name was [Don] Shula.” – Larry Csonka

- “I could be rude [with the media]. I could pull some of the [Bill] Parcells stuff, but I couldn’t get away with it. I wasn’t Parcells. They make light of it, but they’re not making light of it with me.” – Tom Coughlin on his relationship with the New York media early in his Giants head coaching tenure

- “When John Madden calls you, it brings it right to mind again that that’s really what football is: it’s sport. What is sport all about? We’re trying to win. That’s what this league is about, is competitive greatness and always putting your best foot forward.” – Coughlin

QUICK HITS

» Thursday Night Football’s Giants-Panthers most watched game on cable TV; fifth highest-rated game ever on NFL Network.

» Marvin Austin: ‘I’m an NFL player now‘ [Matt Ehalt, ESPNNewYork.com]

» Buy ‘A Hero Remembered‘

Steve Sabol’s life’s work changed the way that we watched football forever. Honor him, and help aid brain tumor research, by purchasing the single “A Hero Remembered” on iTunes.

Giants Broadcasters Fantasy Challenge

The gauntlet has been thrown down.

The Giants broadcast and print crew has finally decided to engage in the ultimate contest of football knowledge (and good fortune): Fantasy Football!

Each week Bob Papa, Howard Cross, Roman Oben, Paul Dottino, Jeff Feagles, Anita Marks, John Schmeelk, Lance Medow, Dan Salomone and the man crunching all the numbers, Dave Melroy, will go head to head to prove who is the best (and luckiest) fantasy football player around.

Every week dollar values are assigned to each player based up on their ranking on NFL.com – and our players choose their team while maintaining a $40 budget.

Tune into Big Blue Kickoff Live every weekday morning from 9:30-10:30 to talk Giants Football and track this year’s New York Giants fantasy football league.

Fantasy Primer: Week 3

The views expressed in this article are not of the New York Football Giants but those of an independent Fantasy Expert.

Start

Michael Bush

Week 2: 14 carries , 54 yards vs. GB

Bush had a decent last week.  With Forte’s health in question for the next few weeks, Bush will be a great fill in and a legitimate starter for weeks to come.  As long as he’s starting for the Bears, he should be starting for your team.

Brian Hartline

Week 2: 9 catches, 111 yards vs. OAK

Hartline and Tannehill look to have found something to build off of after an impressive 35-13 win vs. Oakland Raiders.  An abundance of Hartline’s catches came off of back shoulder throws from Ryan Tannehill, which shows signs of confidence between the two.  Facing a banged up Jets secondary, expect more of the same in the first meeting of the two AFC East meetings.

Lance Moore

2012 season : Eight catches, 150, TD

Moore had a solid Week 1 and then slipped into fantasy oblivion once again, shortly after only having two catches for 30 yards in the Saints’ 35-27 loss to the Panthers last Sunday.  The Chiefs have the 22nd ranked defense vs. Wide outs this season and the Saints have Drew Brees, Winner= Lance Moore.

Ben Tate

Week 2: 12 carries, 74 yards, two TD’s vs. JAC

After only having five carries for six yards in Week 1, Tate went off scoring two touchdowns and added on 74 yards from 12 carries.  Arian Foster’s 110 yards and TD .  One of most explosive and best running back duo’s in the league, watch for Tate to see more action.

Randy Moss

2012 Season: Four catches, 61 yards, TD

Moss contributed with a lonely one catch for 14 yards, in last week’s 27-19 win over the Detroit Lions.  Moss will visit Minnesota for the first time since his playing days there, when he was un-coverable. I see Smith finding Moss in the back corner of the end-zone for one last rendezvous at the place where it all started.

Best Defense: 49ers Defense

After holding the Packers to just 22 points in Week 1, they held the Lions to 19 in Week 2.  Now the Vikings enter the picture in Week 3 and though they do have Adrian Peterson on their side, he’s not all the way back healthy as his snap count would best indicate that. Vikings Quarterback, Christian Ponder, throughout  these past two seasons has shown some nice poise and pocket presence when being held under duress, don’t count on this being one of those times.

Bench

Vincent Jackson WR TB

Jackson had an impressive Week 2 with five catches for 128 yards and a score.  However, in Week 1 he had a measly four catches for 47 yards.  The Cowboys haven’t had too much consistency thus far this season.  The one thing they have shown is that they have a secondary (fourth vs. opposing wide-outs) who can play with the best of them. With the additions of veteran corner, Brandon Carr and highly touted rookie, Morris Clairborne, the Bucs’ flankers may be in for a rough afternoon.

Shonn Greene NYJ RB

Greene’s Week 1 match-up vs. Buffalo, had a productive  27 carries for 94 yards and a rushing touchdown.  This last weekend, when the Jets took on the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had 11 carries for 23 yards. Greene is hit or miss type of running back, this week feels like a miss.

Raiders D

Not only did the Raiders defense give up 35 points to a very average and inexperienced Miami Dolphins offense but Reggie Bush rushed for 177 yards (Mia 249 total rushing yards), two TD’s and Tannehill had two scores of his own.  Oakland has had some tough injuries all over the defensive side of the ball including defensive studs, Rolando McClain and Richard Seymour, but nothing worse than their secondary problems (Spencer, Francies).  Big Ben, Antonio Brown and the sixty-second man  Mike Wallace) may have another pass happy game, as they prepare to attack the young and vulnerable Oakland Raiders defensive-backs.

Jacob Tamme Den TE

Tamme had a nice start to the season with five catches, 43 yards and a touchdown.  Last week vs. Falcons he had only two catches for 13 yards. Peyton looked his way a few times last week with drops that quickly followed.  The Denver tight end now faces the Houston Texans defense, who are currently ranked first vs. Tight ends in the 2012 season.

Matt Schaub QB HOU

Schaub’s first two games are tough to grade.  In both contests, the Texans were up in dominant fashion and continued to show the rest of the league their ground and pound offensive mentality with Foster and Tate at the helm.  Week 1, 266 yards passing, TD and Week 2, 195 yards passing and zero Touchdowns.  Denver is known for their shut down corners, in future first-ballet hall of famer, Champ Bailey and underrated, under-appreciated, Tracy Porter.  Conclusion, this doesn’t look like the game for Schaub to have a break out game.  Week 4 vs. Titans looks good.

Vote for Player of the Game

Following the Giants’ 36-7 win in Carolina, it’s time to vote for the Giants “Extra Effort” Player of the Game. Along with Eli Manning, a pair of first-time starters, Ramses Barden and Andre Brown, boosted the offense to a quick lead and took off from there.

Here are this week’s candidates and a look at their performances:

QB Eli Manning

27/35, 288 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT, 110.2 RTG

Taking the opening drive 80 yards on eight plays – capped by a 14-yard touchdown to Martellus Bennett – Manning’s performance on Thursday night was as efficient as they come. Completing all but seven of 35 passes, Manning led the offense to scoring drives on eight of its 10 possessions. VOTE NOW

WR Ramses Barden

9 REC, 138 YDS (15.3 AVG), 23 LG, 10 TGTS

In all of 2011, Barden totaled nine receptions for 94 yards. He eclipsed those numbers in one game as he stepped up in place of injured Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon. While he would not find the end zone, Barden led the team in all other receiving categories, including 10 targets. VOTE NOW

RB Andre Brown

20 CAR, 113 YDS (5.7 AVG), 2 TD, 3 REC, 17 YDS

Making his first career start in his home state of North Carolina, Brown received the opportunity he’s been waiting for since coming into the NFL in 2009. He powered the Giants’ rushing attack with 113 yards on 20 carries for an impressive 5.7-yard average. He also had two touchdowns from the goal line and added three catches for 17 yards out of the backfield. VOTE NOW

Final Postgame Stats

Giants vs. Panthers Live Blog: 4th QTR

FINAL: Giants 36, Panthers 7

6:36 — Stevie Brown intercepts Cam Newton and returns it 44 yards.

9:42 — TOUCHDOWN GIANTS. Andre Brown scores his second touchdown of the night on a one-yard dive into the end zone. XP is GOOD. NEW YORK 33, CAROLINA 7 (Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards in 3:50)

13:42 — Boley snags his third interception of the season in as many games.

13:47 — Jason Pierre-Paul teams up with Michael Boley for the Giants’ second sack of the game.

15:00 — Panthers start the fourth quarter with the ball on their own 45.

Giants vs. Panthers Live Blog: 3rd QTR

0:00 — GIANTS 26, PANTHERS 7

0:53 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes adds a 36-yard make, his fourth of the game. NEW YORK 26, CAROLINA 7 (Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards in 5:35)

2:56 — Bennett hauls in his fourth catch of the night (57 yards). Giants eating up some clock with a 16-point lead.

*Brown now has 104 yards on 17 attempts.

6:28 — TOUCHDOWN PANTHERS. Cam Newton up the middle for a one-yard score. NEW YORK 23, CAROLINA 7 (Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards in 6:24)

12:49 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes adds a 30-yard field goal. NEW YORK 23, CAROLINA 0 (Drive: 4 plays, 8 yds in 1:26)

15:00 — LB Spencer Paysinger forces and recovers a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half.

*Giants will kickoff to begin the second half.

*Martellus Bennett became the first Giant to record a touchdown in each of his first three games.

Giants vs. Panthers Live Blog: 2nd QTR

0:00 — GIANTS 20, PANTHERS 0 

1:29 — Jayron Hosley intercepts Cam Newton.

3:17 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes makes a 49-yarder, the longest of his season. NEW YORK 20, CAROLINA 0 (Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards in 5:59)

6:45 — With that 23-yard catch, Barden eclipses the century mark in the first half with 107 yards.

9:49 — Osi Umenyiora sacks Newton for a loss of nine yards. It was Umenyioa’s first of the year.

11:57 — Pierre-Paul bats down another Newton pass. Newton is 1/6 for 23 yards  so far.

12:08 — TOUCHDOWN GIANTS. Giants capitalize on the goal line as Brown pushes in for a one-yard score. XP is GOOD. NEW YORK 17, CAROLINA 0 (Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards in 4:39)

13:50 — Barden picks up his fourth catch of the night, totaling 63 yards. Barden one of many capitalizing on opportunities early in the game.

15:00 — Giants will begin the second quarter with the ball on the Carolina 45.