Giants
Coach
Serby NYP: The Pat Shurmur era is finally starting to take shape for Giants
“I think the future’s bright because of the players that we’re accumulating,” he said. “This team knows how to persevere. In a game where toughness and resiliency are demanded, our players have that. And so, if you believe that hard work gets you where you want to go, then I think we’re on the right track. The disappointment is shared by everybody in our building that we didn’t win enough games early in the season. I think we’re starting to play the way that we want to play now at the back end of the season.
“And then the other thing I would say is everything’s connected. So let’s go under the assumption that a lot of these players that we’re playing with now through the back end of the season, are gonna be part of our team next year. Being able to learn from the perseverance and the pushing through the back end of a season is something that you can build on. So I do think years are connected.”
https://nypost.com/2018/12/09/the-pat-shurmur-era-is-finally-starting-to-take-shape-for-giants/amp/
Glauber Newsday: Is Giants' Pat Shurmur setting stage for coaching greatness?
https://www.newsday.com/amp/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/is-giants-pat-shurmur-setting-stage-for-coaching-greatness-1.24353710
RB
Schwartz NYP: The Giants running back fans can’t wait to see leave the field
https://nypost.com/2018/12/09/the-giants-running-back-fans-cant-wait-see-to-leave-the-field/amp/
OL
Schwartz NYP: It’s no coincidence the Giants improved along with their O-line
https://nypost.com/2018/12/09/its-no-coincidence-the-giants-improved-along-with-their-o-line/amp/
DE
Dunleavy NJ.com: This Giants rookie other than Saquon Barkley is on pace to make team history | What about Lawrence Taylor?
https://www.nj.com/giants/2018/12/this-giants-rookie-other-than-saquon-barkley-is-on-pace-to-make-team-history-what-about-lawrence-taylor.html
SS
Rock Newsday: Opportunity for Sean Chandler comes from hard knocks
https://www.newsday.com/amp/sports/football/giants/sean-chandler-giants-safety-1.24357308
NFL
Volin Boston Globe: Sunday Football Notes:
December in the NFL also means coach, GM dismissals are imminent
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2018/12/08/coaching-carousels-are-getting-warmed/xj34UnUhE7M3dkOORc1KHJ/story.html
Gramling MMQB: Why NFL Wants More Holding Calls, Seahawks Running Back to Glory Days, Niners Have Shot at Embarrassing Record
http://amp.si.com/nfl/2018/12/09/holding-penalties-ereck-flowers-seahawks-run-game-brian-schottenheimer-leveon-bell-steelers-offer
Breer MMQB: Cam Newton’s Shoulder Is the Issue Carolina Will Keep Dealing With
https://amp.si.com/nfl/2018/12/09/week-14-news-notes-cam-newton-shoulder-injury-todd-bowles-jets-season-firing
Weinberg Press of Atlantic City: Absecon's Joe Callahan always prepared for next NFL opportunity
https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/extra_points/absecon-s-joe-callahan-always-prepared-for-next-nfl-opportunity/article_742bcd96-a8ac-5516-bf1c-77b0119d8dca.amp.html
ARIZONA
McManaman AZ Central: Cardinals edge rusher Chandler Jones could feast on sacks against Lions
https://amp.azcentral.com/amp/2246774002
ATLANTA
McClure ESPN Atlanta: Steve Sarkisian doesn't feel need to validate his coaching to critics
http://www.espn.com/blog/atlanta-falcons/post/_/id/33624/steve-sarkisian-doesnt-feel-need-to-validate-his-coaching-to-critics?
BUFFALO
Skurski Buffalo News: Inside the Bills: A closer look at Buffalo's youth movement
https://buffalonews.com/2018/12/08/buffalo-bills-josh-allen-tremaine-edmunds-sean-mcdermott-jets-new-york/
CAROLINA
Henson Panthers.com: DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel: Fast receivers and faster friends
https://www.panthers.com/news/dj-moore-and-curtis-samuel-fast-receivers-and-faster-friends
CINCINNATI
Page Cin Enquurer: Cincinnati Bengals' John Ross, Alex Redmond return home against Los Angeles Chargers
https://amp.cincinnati.com/amp/2225183002
CLEVELAND
Cabot Cleveland Plain Dealer: Is Mike McCarthy a frontrunner for the Browns' head coaching job? Hey, Mary Kay!
https://www.cleveland.com/expo/sports/erry-2018/12/2774d503bf392/is-mike-mccarthy-a-frontrunner.html
DALLAS
Stevenson Fort Worth Star Telegram: With Cowboys’ winning, Cole Beasley quietly hopes targets come back around
https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article222857095.html
DENVER
Fredrickson Denver Post: Broncos Game Plan: How Denver matches against the 49ers, injury report and predictions
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/08/denver-broncos-san-francisco-49ers-game-plan-week-14-nfl/amp/
Fredrickson Denver Post: Punter Colby Wadman developing into critical Broncos special teams weapon
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/08/denver-broncos-colby-wadman-special-teams-weapon/amp/
DETROIT
Birkett Detroit Free Press: Who is to blame for Detroit Lions' disappointing season?
https://amp.freep.com/amp/2248912002
GREEN BAY
Wilde State Journal: What’s it like be fired as the Packers coach? ‘You feel like you let people down,’ Mike Sherman says
https://madison.com/sports/football/professional/what-s-it-like-be-fired-as-the-packers-coach/article_44baf5ea-670e-538c-bc86-54b6366f03cd.amp.html
HOUSTON
Smith Houston Chronicle: 2018 Texans try to raise the bar after a franchise history of falling short
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/columnists/smith/amp/2018-Texans-try-to-raise-the-bar-after-a-13452218.php
McClain Houston Chronicle: Texans vs. Colts: John McClain's scouting report
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/texans/amp/Texans-vs-Colts-John-McClain-s-scouting-report-13449946.php
INDIANAPOLIS
Wells ESPN Indianapolis: 'Phenomenon' Andrew Luck, 'genius' Frank Reich a perfect match for Colts
http://www.espn.com/blog/indianapolis-colts/post/_/id/23950/phenomenon-andrew-luck-genius-frank-reich-a-perfect-match-for-colts?
JACKSONVILLE
La Canfora CBS Sports: Will Tom Coughlin coach the disappointing Jaguars in 2019? It's a real possibility
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/will-tom-coughlin-coach-the-disappointing-jaguars-in-2019-its-a-real-possibility/amp/
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Miller LA Times: Chargers hope for better first quarter against Bengals after recent late rallies
https://www.latimes.com/sports/chargers/la-sp-chargers-bengals-20181208-story.html
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Biggs Chicago Tribune: Scouting report on Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks: 'He can reach top speed extremely fast'
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-bears-scouting-report-rams-brandin-cooks-20181208-story.html
MIAMI
Kelly Sun Sentinel: After frustrating 2017 season, Dolphins LT Laremy Tunsil's growth provides building block
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-sp-dolphins-laremy-tunsil-20181208-story.html
MINNESOTA
Tomasson Twincities.com: Vikings’ Eric Kendricks calls it ‘special’ facing brother Mychal after NFL suspension over
https://www.twincities.com/2018/12/08/vikings-eric-kendricks-calls-it-special-facing-brother-mychal-after-nfl-suspension-over/amp/
Hartman Minn Star Tribune: Harrison Smith remains a marvel in Vikings secondary
http://m.startribune.com/harrison-smith-remains-a-marvel-in-vikings-secondary/502277651/
NEW ENGLAND
Reiss ESPN Boston: Here are some quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and the NFL: Patriots' Trey Flowers helped deliver his daughter, returned for sack vs. Vikings
http://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4815971/patriots-trey-flowers-helped-deliver-his-daughter-returned-for-two-sack-vs-vikings%
Gasper Boston Globe: Here are the top five toughest potential playoff opponents for the Patriots
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2018/12/08/here-are-top-five-toughest-potential-playoff-opponents-for-patriots/DeitWPjePsHFh5fnhOzOGK/amp.html
Princiotti Boston Globe: How the Patriots use the jet sweep in their offense
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2018/12/08/how-patriots-use-jet-sweep-their-offense/VpL5o0fLXlaOedOOYeBPLN/amp.html
Princiotti Boston Globe: John Simon a good fit for Patriots defense
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2018/12/08/john-simon-good-fit-for-patriots-defense/9TCvgEL4Ltz3FoEhVbt1aJ/amp.html
NEW ORLEANS
Katzenstein Nola.com: Saints center Max Unger providing security, comfort for Drew Brees the past 4 seasons
https://www.nola.com/saints/2018/12/saints-center-max-unger-providing-security-comfort-for-drew-brees-the-past-4-seasons.html
Walker NO Advocate: Super Demario: Saints' LB Davis making his mark on, off field in first season in New Orleans
https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/sports/saints/article_810cc15e-fb12-11e8-b51d-fbab5d8dd8c8.amp.html
OAKLAND
Kawahara SF Chronicle: Raiders see similar trait in Chiefs’ Mahomes, Steelers’ Roethlisberger
https://www.sfchronicle.com/raiders/amp/Raiders-see-similar-trait-in-Chiefs-Mahomes-13452047.php
PHILADELPHIA
Fierro Allentown Morning Call: Eagles place Jalen Mills on injured reserve to make room for Bruce Hector
https://www.mcall.com/sports/football/eagles/mc-spt-eagles-jalen-mills-20181208-story.html
PITTSBURGH
Dulac Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Jet lag: Steelers look to turn around West Coast struggles
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2018/12/08/Jet-lag-Steelers-look-to-turn-around-West-Coast-struggles/stories/201812070113
Adamski Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Four Downs: Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger not holding onto ball
https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/14383207-74/four-downs-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-dont-hold-onto-ball-long
Fowler ESPN Pittsburgh: Steelers see injuries as chance to discover new standouts
http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/29571/steelers-see-injuries-as-chance-to-discover-new-standouts?
SAN FRANCISCO
Branch SF Chronicle: 49ers run defense headed ‘back to the drawing board’?
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/amp/49ers-run-defense-headed-back-to-the-drawing-13452044.php
Ostler SF Chronicle: If 49ers defended Reuben Foster, as alleged, they’re knee-deep in muck
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/amp/If-49ers-defended-Reuben-Foster-as-alleged-13452083.php
SEATTLE
Condotta Seattle Times: Doug Baldwin a game-time decision against Vikings, plus a surprise addition to Seahawks’ injury report
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-saturday-notes-doug-baldwin-again-a-gametime-decision-rashaad-penny-has-a-new-injury-malcolm-smith-and-jarran-reed-fined/?
Bell News Tribune: Seahawks feeling good about guard Jordan Simmons’ second career start because of his first one
http://amp.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article222843230.html
TAMPA BAY
Bassinger TB Times: The biggest difference between the Saints and Buccaneers isn’t what you think
https://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bucs/2018/12/08/new-orleans-saints-tampa-bay-buccaneers-drew-brees-alvin-kamara-jameis-winston-sound-smarter-bassinger/?
TENNESSEE
Bacharach The Tennessean: Titans' Taylor Lewan on antics vs. Jalen Ramsey, Jaguars: 'I live in the drama'
https://amp.tennessean.com/amp/2242191002
WASHINGTON
Steinberg Washington Post: ‘Nobody should be comfortable at Redskins Park’: After another loss, a week of outrage ensues
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/sports/2018/12/09/nobody-should-be-comfortable-redskins-park-after-another-loss-week-outrage-ensues/
Colleges/Draft
Hansen South Bend Tribune: Notebook: Brian Kelly gets real about dealing with players' NFL dreams
https://www.ndinsider.com/football/notebook-brian-kelly-gets-real-about-dealing-with-players-nfl/article_d27009e2-43f5-5e02-8d00-0ee334db3883.html
QB
Braziller NYP: Heisman finalist wouldn’t mind being next Giants quarterback
https://nypost.com/2018/12/08/heisman-finalist-wouldnt-mind-being-next-giants-quarterback/amp/
Rapoport NFL.com: Boras: Kyler Murray won't play pro football
https://amp.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000997035/article/scott-boras-heisman-winner-kyler-murray-wont-play-pro-football?
History
In Remembrance and Memoriam 2018
Ben Agajanian PK FA-LA AAFC 1949, W-LA 1954 NYG 1949, 1954-1957 Born 8-28-1919 Died 2-08-2018
Schmitt BBI:
“The Toeless Wonder” Ben Agajanian is one of the most unique and influential kickers in pro football history. After losing four toes on his right foot in an elevator accident when he was in college, Agajanian had a cobbler fabricate a squared-off cleat for kicking. This actually may have provided an advantage for him as with the straight-ahead style he was able to get more surface area of his kicking foot onto the ball than other kickers. Agajanian broke his arm in a 1945 preseason game with Pittsburgh and became a kicking specialist for the remainder of his career. He spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC before joining the 1949 Giants.
Agajanian had an excellent first season in New York. He set the Giants field goal record with eight, and his 35 point-afters were just one short of tying Younce’s 36 from the previous season. However, he was released after the season. A kicking specialist was considered an impractical luxury on a 32-man roster. Versatility was still the rule of the day...”
A rosters expanding to 33 created another opportunity for the specialist Agajanian, who had returned from retirement to kick for the Los Angeles Rams in 1953. During that season, Baltimore Colts Bert Rechichar set a new record for field goal length when he connected on a 56-yarder at Memorial Stadium against the Bears.
Agajanian seemed determined to redefine exactly what it meant to be a specialist. He maintained a house in California and wanted to be with his family and keep an eye on his private business interests as much as possible. Agajanian proposed to Howell that as a pure kicker he did not need to be present for the full week of practice. Howell complied, and Agajanian flew home on Sunday nights and returned to New York on Thursdays throughout the regular season.
No one had ever seen anyone as meticulous with his craft as Agajanian, which is probably why he was befriended by the analytical Landry. Agajanian broke down every aspect of kicking to a science. He was the first to insist the center snap the ball to the holder with the laces facing forward, even noting the number of revolutions the ball should make during its flight. He instructed holders on how to simultaneously turn the ball as they set it to the ground, straight up-and-down. Agajanian would only have the holder set the ball on an angle if there was a strong wind.
He also designed the bowed-line formation, with the outside blockers at the wing position, to kick-protect. Later, during his 24-year career as a kicking coach, Agajanian would develop the three-steps-back, two-steps-to-the-side set for the sidewinder approach to the ball. Landry said Agajanian did more to advance kicking than any other individual in history.
The acquisition of Agajanian in 1954 paid immediate dividends for New York. Agajanian advanced the Giants single-season field goal record to 13, and he twice kicked three in a game. Prior to the 1956 season, team management became disenchanted with his absence during the week and rescinded his traveling privileges. Agajanian retired from kicking, but agreed to coach his potential replacements Gifford and rookie punter Don Chandler during training camp. They struggled with the additional responsibilities during the first three weeks of the regular season and the Giants acquiesced on Agajanian’s demands and brought him back to New York. Not only did Agajanian retain his special dispensation to leave for the West Coast during the week, but he was reprieved during games as well. Chandler continued to handle kickoffs, as he possessed had a powerful leg. Agajanian’s role was refined to handling only field goals and point-afters.
Agajanian wore a tennis shoe on his planting foot and removed the cleats from his specialized kicking shoe to neutralize the effects of the frozen Yankee Stadium field during the NFL Championship Game against the Bears on December 30. His two first quarter field goals gave the Giants a 13-0 advantage on their way to a 47-7 rout, New York’s fourth championship and first in 18 years. He was cited in The New York Times game summary for his performance: “Then, too, there was 38-year old Ben Agajanian, whose exclusive assignment with the Giants is place-kicking. His talented toe accounted for 11 points. He booted five of six conversions – the lone failure was his first as a Giant – and two field goals.”
https://www.bigblueinteractive.com/2014/12/31/history-new-york-giants-place-kickers-drop-kicks-placements-sidewinder/
Roger Anderson RT/LDT D7-Virginia Union 1964, W-CFL 1967 NYG 1964-1965, 1967-1968 Born 11-11-1942 Died 3-21-2018
Roger Anderson started on both offense (RT) and defense (LDT) for the Giants. He played for the Giants on two separate occasions, as a rookie from Virginia Union in 1964 and after being selected by Atlanta in the expansion draft in 1966 he returned to the Giants after playing in the CFL.
In 1964 he replaced the aging Jack Stroud as starting RT for the Giants. When returned from Montreal of the CFL he shared time at LDT with Sam Silas in 1968.
Later in life he dealt with the
As Ed Miller in the NYT wrote in 2008:
“The football body is broken.
The old player's right hand grips a cane. His right shoulder is bisected by a surgical scar. His left hip is ceramic, his left knee titanium. His right knee and his back ache constantly, but he wants no more surgeries.
Roger Anderson stands in the doorway of his Portsmouth home, chest heaving. It has taken him several minutes to answer the doorbell, as he warned a visitor it would.
“He is a well-read man who likes jazz festivals and art shows, but with the price of gas and his many medications, he hasn't gotten out much lately. His ancestry is African American and Cherokee Indian. In his prime, he was quick and powerful at 270 pounds, long before players trained with weights.
"I just had that natural country-boy strength," he said. "I was just out there like a big oak tree, that's all."
He was pure country, born in Bedford, the youngest of seven children and the only boy. Orphaned at 7, he and three sisters were sent to live with one grandmother in Oxford, N.C. Three other sisters went to Lynchburg to live with another.
Doted on by his sisters, Anderson was shy. He withdrew into sports and books, reading about his football heroes like Lou "The Toe" Groza, Gino Marchetti and Jim Parker. He wanted to be a kicker like Groza but outgrew the position.
He played football at Virginia Union, where both his parents had graduated, and was drafted by the Giants in 1964.
A late-round pick from a small college, he learned early to keep his mouth shut and play, even when hurt. Miss a game with an injury and you might lose your job. Dare sign with an agent and you might be traded.
Players had little leverage or bargaining power. And by today's standards, medical care was crude.
Players were smaller then, but the game was dirtier. Asked if he remembers any specific plays that were particularly painful, Anderson laughed.
"I remember them all," he said.
His aching knees? The result of chop blocks, or blocks below the knees, legal in those days.
The ruined shoulder? It makes Anderson recall Hall of Fame tackle Bob Brown, the toughest player he ever went against. Brown, 280 pounds, loved to club an opponent's shoulders with his forearm.
Bouts of forgetfulness? Anderson's signature pass rush move was to ram his opponent with his head. Helmets then were thin and flimsy by modern standards.
One of Anderson's most painful injuries was a hematoma that kept his arm locked at a 45-degree angle. To straighten it, a trainer rigged a weight to a rope.
He underwent no surgeries during his playing days. Those were reserved for star players, he said. Reserves like Anderson?
"You were just another piece of meat, thrown away after they used you," he said.
Anderson's NFL salary peaked at $27,000, good money in the late 1960s but not the set-for-life money players make today. Like most players, he maintained one home in the city in which he played and another in his hometown.
After football, Anderson coached at I.C. Norcom High and Norfolk State. He also worked as a corrections officer in a state juvenile prison until hip replacement surgery forced him to leave in the early 1990s, he said. He became a licensed massage therapist. He drove for Hampton Roads Transit until about five years ago.”
Wayne Berry HB D7 Washington State 1954 NYG 1954 Born 8-2-1931 Died 10-05-2018
From his obituary:
“He was recruited in college and played football for four years at Washington State University. Drafted by the New York Giants in 1954, he played in ten NFL games as a defensive half back. His coaches were Lombardi, Noll, and Landry.
Loving golf since college, he became the IGA’s director in 1980 before joining the PGA Tour as a rules official in 1991. He became Tour Director of what was originally called the Ben Hogan Tour and retired on the Nike Tour in 1998. He was very proud to bring the PGA Boise Albertson’s Tournament home every year.”
Gene Ceppetelli C W-PHI 1969 NYG 1969 Born 7-28-1942 Died 6-14-2018
Gene Ceppetelli who had a brief Giants career consisting of 6 games in 1969
“Gene graduated from Villanova University Class of 1963, where he also excelled at football. After Villanova, Gene played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Montreal Alouettes, where he won multiple Grey Cup Championships. He is a member of the Sudbury Ontario Hall of Fame. He also played center in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants from 1968-1969.”
He was signed by the Giants to replace injured LS Chuck Hinton as the snapback man on punts.
Lindon Crow LDH/KCB/LS TR-CHI CARDS 1958 NYG 1958-1960 Born 4-4-1933 Died 10-25-2018
Linden Crow was acquired along with Pat Summerall from the Chicago Cards in 1958; lined up at LS and LDH/LCB for the Giants from 1958 until 1960.
He had 11 interceptions over three seasns with the Giants and was a Pro Bowler in 1959. In 1961 Crow who played collegiately at USC was traded to the west coast and the LA Rams in a deal that brought Erich Barnes to the Giants.
Crow had 11 inteceptions for the Cards in 1955... he had three interceptions in 1958 and started against the Colts in the “greatest game ever played.”
In the 1959 Championship game the Giants left Crow to cover Colts great Lenny Moore one on one, and it nearly worked:
“But for nearly three-quarters of this very tough game, the New York Giants, using a percentage defense set up by their brilliant assistant coach, Tom Landry, held the Colt attack well in check. "We decided to gamble on Lenny Moore," Landry explained. "You can't cover all of the Colt offensive weapons. We wanted to stop their running game and provide double coverage on Raymond Berry and Jim Mutscheller. That meant we had to cover Moore with one man—Lindon Crow. We figured that Moore might, in the course of the game, get two touchdowns, but we figured that we could get more than that. I thought we might win by something like 17-14 or 21-17 if the defense worked. And it did work, too."
Bill Hachten G D13-Stanford 1947 NYG 1947 Born 11-30-1924 Died 5-15-2018
From Hachten’s obituary:
“He attended Stanford University on a football scholarship but played there for just one year before joining the Marine Corps. The Marine V-12 program sent him to UC Berkeley where he played guard on the 1943 and 1944 teams. After the war, he played one more season at Stanford before graduating with a degree in journalism in 1947. He was then drafted by the New York Giants and played as a guard for one season before a knee injury sidelined him permanently.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from July 1943 to April 1946. After finishing the Marine V-12 program, he trained at Parris Island, Camp Lejeune, and Quantico, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1945.
For over a decade after the war, Bill worked as a professional journalist for several daily newspapers in southern California. In 1950, he took a six-month bicycle tour of ten European nations with a college friend that whetted his life-long love of international journalism and travel.
After earning a master's degree in journalism from UCLA and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, he joined the School of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1960. His first book, The Supreme Court on Freedom of the Press, received the 1968 Delta Sigma Chi award for research on journalism.
In 1963, he became a member of the university's new African Studies Program. Over the next three decades, he conducted research and taught workshops in more than a dozen African nations, and published numerous articles and books on African mass communications, including the groundbreaking Muffled Drums: The News Media in Africa. In 1972-73 he received a Fulbright grant to establish a School of Journalism at the University of Ghana.”
Dee Hardison RDE W-BUF 1981 NYG 1981-1985 Born 5-2-1956 Died 4-21-2018
Dee Hardison was a second round selection of the Buffalo Bills out of North Carolina. After three seasons as a DL the Bills moved him to offense, then waived him prior to the 1981 season. The Giants added him to the roster for the playoffs in 1981 when Curtis McGriff went on IR. He was activated and served as a reserve for the Giants two playoff games.
He spent 4 seasons as a backup able to fill in anywhere on the DL. He started 14 games at RDE in 1983 and 5 games there in 1984.
Giants teammates shared their memories of him with Giants.com:
“In 1983, when I arrived to play football for the New York Giants, the first person I met was Dee and his sidekick, Jerome Sally,” said defensive end Leonard Marshall. “Immediately, we began to grow a bond and brotherhood.
“I became a quick study and learning more of the technical aspects of how to play the position of right defensive end by monitoring his movement on the field and his approach to playing a game. It made me work harder to become the starter in my rookie season with the Giants. Dee was a great teammate and one that I will never forget.”
“Dee was a great guy,” linebacker Robbie Jones said. “He was always up and always keeping teammates up. I do not have one single solitary memory of Dee that does not have his big bright smile in it.”
John Hill C/T D6-Lehigh 1972 NYG 1972-1974 Born 4-16-1950 Died 10-21-2018
John Hill was a two sport star at Lehigh, in addition to bring an All-American in 1971 and participating in two college all-star games.
In track and field he was a star as well:
“In track and field, Hill competed for legendary coach John Covert. Hill's was a champion at the Penn Relays, and set the school's indoor (17.40m) and outdoor (18.31m) shot put records in 1972. Both of those records stood for more than 40 years until Lucas Warning '17 broke Hill's indoor record in 2016 and the outdoor mark in 2017.”
He also graduated with a degree in engineering.
He became a sixth round draft choice of the Giants in 1972. In three seasons in NY he was tried at center and tackle but never found a home in the starting lineup.
“Same goes for Hill, who also found himself on an island of sorts in his first pro game, which was against the Eagles in 1972. Hill figures he was probably no heavier than 240 pounds then, when he was thrown into the fire for the Giants at left tackle because of an injury.
''My adrenaline was spiking through my head,'' Hill said. ''I was playing against Mel Tom. ... I was able to stay in front of him for the whole game except one play. But that's the way football is.''
After being released by the Giants, Hill found a home in New Orleans where he was the Saints starting center 10 years.
Lane Howell T/DT D15-Grambling 1963 NYG 1963-1964 Born 7-28-1941 Died 1-16-2018
Howell was a reserve OL and DL for two swarms with the Giants. Traded to Miami he Eagles for Pete Case in 1965 he became a longtime starting left tackle for the Eagles.
Ron Johnson RB TR-CLE 1970 NYG 1970-1975 Born 10-17-1947 Died 11-10-2018
The first black player to captain a University of Michigan football team, Johnson had a stellar career at Michigan.
“Johnson was an All-American for the Wolverines in 1968 when he set a school record that still stands with 347 yards rushing against Wisconsin. He ran for 1,391 yards that season and scored a school-record 19 touchdowns, another record that still stands.”
Taken in the first round of the 1969 draft by the Browns he found himself surrounded by stellar backs like Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green.
When star WR Paul Warfield’s contract demands led him to Miami, the Browns needing a WR replace him, surrendered Johnson from their deep stable of backs to the as part of a package to the Giants to get Homer Jones.
The Giants real priority was the Browns’ solid DT Jim Kanicki. Johnson has to battle for time with Junior Coffey, Ernie Koy, Bobby Dijon, and Tucker Frederickson in the Giants backfield. Injuries helped sort out the logjam, as well as Johnson’s skills as a runner, receiver, and for awhile as a returner.
Johnson became the Giants first 1,000 yard rusher in 1970 as the Giants went 9-5. The following year a injury suffered playing basketball in the offseason delayed his debut, then another injury a few games later ended his season as the Giants struggled.
However Johnson topped the 1,000 yard mark again in 1972 as the Giants went 8-6. In 1973 he crushed for over 800 yards as the Giants fell apart around him. The 1970, 1972, and 1973 seasons were the high points of his Giants career as the team fell apart around him. In 1974 and 1975 he was in and out of the lineup, occasionally showing flashes as younger backs were worked into the picture.
When the Giants signed Larry Csonka as a FB in 1976 the hope was he could be paired with Johnson but Johnson had played out his contract and was not re-signed:
“Ron Johnson was the first mentor I had on the New York Giants,” said former defensive end George Martin, a member ofthe franchise’s Ring of Honor who was a rookie in 1975,Johnson’s final season. “He led by example. He didn’t do it to impress any of us. That was just his character. He was a leader by nature. I looked up to Ron and I tried to emulate every fiber of his being because to me he not only walked the walk, but talked the talk.”
His after football life was remarkable in its own right, married, successful businessman and
he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992. He also became in 2006 the chairman of the National Football Foundation, which runs the Hall of Fame.
Sadly his later years were a struggle with Alzheimer’s...his struggle made known to the public through his family and the NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/sports/football/ex-giants-case-is-a-window-on-nfl-aid.html
Bruce Maher SS TR-DET 1968 NYG 1968-1969 Born 7-25-1947 Died 7-6-2018
Bruce Maher was a Detroit native who had the opportunity to play for his hometown team. A fifteenth round draft selection of the Lions in 1960, he spent three seasons as a part time starter at corner before becoming a starting strong safety in 1963. His first year as a starter the Lion’s secondary featured two HOF’s in Night Train Lane and Yale Lary and a third excellent DB in Dick LeBeau.
LCB Night Train Lane
LS Bruce Maher
FS Yale Lary
RCB Dick LeBeau
Maher remained the Lions starting strong safety until 1967. Lacking great size he was nonetheless a feared hitter and leader.
“Nobody in the league plays with more desire,” assistant coach Carl Taseff said in 1965, the year Maher was voted the team’s most valuable player. “Bruce is the reckless type when it comes to throwing himself into any play.”
He also was a minor league catcher in the Tigers organization.
In 1968 the Giants acquired Maher in a trade for RB Bill Triplett and OLB Bill Swain. The Giants also received third and fourth round draft choices from the Lions. Maher became the glue that held a young Giants secondary together. In 1968 the Giants secondary intercepted passes at a rate seldom seen in Giants history.
LCB Scott Eaton 4 INT 20 yds
SS Bruce Maher 1 INT 89 yds
FS Spider Lockhart 8 INT 130 yds 2 TD
RCB Willie Williams 10 INT 103 yds
The Giants secondary featured that year Maher, Spider Lockhart in his second year as a free safety after being a CB in 1965-1966, Scott Eaton a second year CB who was a basketball player at Oregon, and Willie Williams who after his Giants’ rookie year in 1965 signed with the Raiders, who released him in 1967 when he rejoined the Giants.
1968 was Williams first full season as a starting CB.
Maher had a huge interception return in the Giants upset win at Dallas in 1968.
UPI “The Dallas Cowboys may have lost their fat lead in the National Football League's Capitol Division Sunday because receiver Lance Rentzel went into a deep freeze that let New York gets its third interception and beat the Cowboys 27-21. Pete Gogolak had just kicked the second of two fourth-quarter field goals with 2:44 left in the game when the Cowboys, 17 point pre-game favorites, launched a desperate bid to pull out the key victory before a hometown crowd of 72,163 fans. Gogolak, whose 25 and 10-yard field goals provided the margin of victory and snapped a six- game New York losing streak to Dallas, kicked off deep into the end zone and Dallas started its desperation drive on its own 20- yard line. Don Meredith quickly hit Bob Hayes with a 25-yarder out to the 45-yard line and then Meredith rolled slowly to his right on the next play. Rentzel had gone deep down the right sideline and did not have a Giant defender within 15 yards of him. He was waving frantically for Meredith's atten tion. But, by the time Meredith noticed him, so had New York's Carl Lockhart, who sped across and intercepted the pass that ended Dallas' chances and cut the Cowboys (7-2) lead over the Giants (6-3) to one game with five games to play. Meredith generally drew the blame for not picking up a wide open receiver sooner, but Rentzel would not have any of that version. "I thought I was wide open and I froze for a minute," he said. "I should have come back on the ball. It was a bad play on my part ... not Don's. Lockhart had his own version: "We were in a prevent defense. Rentzel had run a deep sideline pattern through (Bruce) Maher's zone. When I looked over there, he (Rentzel) was wide open and waving. It's a good thing Meredith was running the sprint out because he had to stop and plant his foot. If that had not happened I would not have had time to get over there." It was Maher who earlier had picked off another of Meredith's passes and scooted 89 yards with it to set up the Giants' second touchdown, which came on a five-yard flip from Frank Tarkenton to Joe Morrison for a 14-0 New York lead. Tarkenton had scrambled 22 yards for the first touchdown. He later hit Homer Jones with 60-yard scoring bomb and set up the first of Gogolak's winning field goal.”
During that season he would play the entire second half against the Eagles after being knocked out cold in the first half of the game. He would be voted the team’s defensive MVP in 1968.
Maher would have 5 interceptions himself in 1969. An example of his leadership:
UPI: Oct. 13, 1969 Giants Find Defense Pays Webster's 11 Contains Steelers for 10-7 Win
“Defensive football, which used to win championships for the Giants before it took a five-year leave of absence, looks like it's back to stay, and coach Alex Webster couldn't be happier. "It looked like the defense of old," said Webster in the sweaty but happy New York Giants - locker room after yesterday's 10 to 7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Webster and the Giants might not have been so happy had Steeler coach Chuck Noll not decided to go for a touchdown disdaining a try for an easy field goal just before the end of the first half. With the ball on the New York two Pittsburgh tried to sweep left end on fourth down but fullback Earl Gros was dropped for no gain by middle linebacker Ralph Heck. "We were insulted when they decided to go for it," said defensive end Bruce Anderson. "Maher (safety Bruce Maher) said 'let's shove it down their throats,' so we got up and stopped them," he explained. At that time the Giants had a 7 to 0 lead, and the Steelers were moving the ball on one of their few marches of the day. But with 62,987 fans urging them on, the Maramen responded with a goal line stand reminiscent of that displayed by the forefathers of a decade ago. With a first-and-goal on the New York 5 Gros tried right end and was dropped for a yard loss by Scott Eaton and Carl Lock-hart. On second down quarterback Dick Shiner found Gros In the left flat, but linebacker Tommy Crutcher was there too, and tackled him for no gain. Shiner faded to throw on third down but couldn't find any receivers and took off for the right corner. But Maher, coming up quickly from the end zone, nailed him on the 2, setting the stage for Heck's heroes.”
Bruce Maher weighing just 185 pounds, once described his job as strong safety this way: “It’s not a luxurious life. The main job is to stop the pass to the tight end. He’s a cross between a tackle and a flanker, with touches of bull moose. “He runs to size and he runs for speed. It’s nothing for a tight end to outweigh the safety by 50 pounds. But size hasn’t handicapped me yet. “Mental attitude is the big thing. A defensive back has to psyche himself."
However Maher would retire after that 1969 season when he and the Giants couldn’t agree on a new contract. His absence was felt in the Giants secondary as the Giants narrowly missed the playoffs in 1970.
John Martinkovic LDE TR-GB 1957 NYG 1957 Born 2-4-1957 Died 2-8-2018
After a stellar 6 year career in Green Bay, the Giants acquired John Martinkovic in 1957 to fill the void left by Rosey Grier’s one year military service obligation. The Giants kept Martinkovic at LDE and moved Jim Katacavage to Grier’s DT position. The third round draft pick sent to the Packers was used to select Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke.
He would return to Green Bay as a Giant late in the 1957 season and took part in the Giants 31-17 defeat of the Packers.
His coach Jim Lee Howell commented to the local media in Wisconsin about his lineman’s contributions:
“Howell also lauded former Packer defensive end John Martinkovic, now playing with the Giants. "Martinkovic had a real good day. As a matter of fact, he's played a couple of great games since he's been with us and in the others he's played good steady ball."
Dick Modzelewski LDT TR-DET 1956 NYG 1956-1963 Born 2-16-1931 Died 10-19-2018
Outland trophy winner at Maryland, Dick Modzelewski seemed headed to a comfortable NFL.existence with the Washington Redskins. After conflicts with Redskins Head Coach Joe Kuharich, Mo signed a offer sheet with Calgary of what is now the CFL. The Redskins sued to retain his rights and Calgary was forced to rescind their contract offer. His signing with Calgary was too great an indiscretion for the Redskins to condone, so they traded Mo to the Steelers.
Close to home, Mo should have been happy. With the Steelers he was also teammates with his brother Ed a fullback. But the Steelers struggles on the field, plus unrealistic expectations led the Pittsburgh Press to turn on their new acquisition. Labeled slow and lethargic his one year in Pittsburgh was difficult.
“At the time, the Steelers were one of the worst organizations in football; they were terrible,’’ Dick Modzelewski said. “They had a horrible coach, Walt Kiesling, who would scrimmage us every day.”
However where he did shine was against the Giants. According to Wellington Mara in a 1961 SI article:
“Mara claims that he does only the leg-work for the Giants in trades. "I ask the coaches what they need and it is my responsibility to know where it is available," he says. "We keep a pretty good book on all the players in the league. We get a good part of it from reports from our own players on their opponent in each game. We got Dick Modzelewski that way. He came to us in 1956 from Pittsburgh via Detroit in a four-player deal which also involved Dick Alban, Ray Krouse and Dick Stanfel. We wanted Modzelewski because our player reports rated him as the best defensive tackle we had faced that year. We found out later that Pittsburgh was willing to give him up because, when they looked at the movies, they figured the only good games he had played were against us."
Mara worked an essentially three team deal where Mo was shipped to Detroit and the Giants acquired him from the Lions for NT Ray Krouse.
From 1956 to 1963 Mo would prove to the NFL he was more than just someone who would perform on a occasion. He never missed a game with the Giants, and he made everyone around him better. Rosey Grier, John LoVetere would make Pro Bowls alongside him in the Giants defense, but it was Mo’s rock steady play and ability to stay true to his assignments that made everyone else look better. It was no surprise that when he was traded to the Browns in 1964 his play and mentoring of young DT’s like Jim Kanicki and Walter Johnson was cited as the key to the Browns 1964 championship and the Browns’ 1965 Eastern Division championship.
“Dick Modzelewski, considered over the hill by the New York Giants, made champions of the Cleveland Browns.
That was the consensus of Browns veterans as writers probed for reasons behind the emergence of a closely knit team from a flock of players frequently accused of being self-centered in past years.
"He brought to us a desire to win," said captain Galen Fiss of the guy who had helped inspire the Giants' domination of the eastern conference.
"I think it all started the night last winter that Mo was traded for Bobby Crespino," said offensive tackle Dick Schafrath.”
"He said he couldn't understand why we didn't win the conference. We agreed that it was a matter of attitude. I think we started winning the title that night."
After retiring in 1966, Mo would remain in football, as a coach and defensive coordination for 22 years. That included a stint with the Giants in 1978.
Rod Rust NYG DC 1992 LB 2002-2004 Born 8-2-1928 Died 10-23-2018
Patriots.com:
“A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Rust was born Aug. 2, 1928, and played college football at Iowa State from 1947-49. He spent two years with the U.S. Army before he began coaching. Following military duty, Rust coached at the high school level in Iowa for several years before moving on to the collegiate level for 13 years with assistant stints at New Mexico and Stanford before becoming a head coach at North Texas State.
Rust then moved to the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes for three seasons as defensive coordinator on head coach Marv Levy’s staff. In 1974, the Alouettes captured the CFL’s Grey Cup title. Rust moved on to coach the Philadelphia Eagles linebackers from 1976-77 before being hired by the Kansas City Chiefs to be their defensive coordinator from 1978-82. He then served in the same position with the New England Patriots for five seasons from 1983-87. His 1985 defensive unit, which ranked third in the AFC, helped the Patriots win the AFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XX.
After five seasons as New England’s defensive coordinator, Rust returned to the Chiefs as defensive coordinator for the 1988 season, followed by a season as the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was named head coach of the New England Patriots on Feb. 27, 1990 and led the team for one season. He finished his coaching career as an assistant with the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers.”
Giants on 12-09
12-09-1945 Redskins 17 Giants 0
“The Redskins record their second consecutive shutout with a 17-0 win over the New York Giants, giving Washington the Eastern Conference crown.”
12-09-1951 Giants 23 Eagles 7
Pass Conerly 16-4-61-1-1
Rush Price 27-171-1
Rec Mote 1-39-1
Kick Poole FG 41,39.14
PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (UP) “The New York Giants Sunday won a football game and two of stars Ray Poole and Eddie Price set individual club records but the performance was of no avail. The Giants beat the Eagles, 23 7, but the Cleveland Browns topped Pittsburgh. 28 0, to retain their American conference crown.
Field Goals.
Poole kicked three field goals increase his season total to 10 and erase the old club mark of eight established in 1949 by Ben Agajanian. Price picked up 171 yards to boost his season's log 833, three yards more than the record set in 1936 by Tuffy Leemans. New York won the game in the first half, although the inept Eagles scored first for a lead that lasted about one minute. Price sprinted 80 yards to tie the score and Poole kicked a 41-yard three pointer to give the Giants first-half lead they never relinquished.
Record
With the completion of Sunday's games, the Giants showed record of eight victories, two defeats and a tie. Cleveland now has 10 triumphs and a single loss. Even if the Browns were to lose their final game to Philadelphia next week, and the Giants were to end their season with a victory over the New York Yanks, the Browns would win the conference championship by half game.”
12-09-1956 Browns 24 Giants 7
Pass Conerly 24-10-103-1-1
Rush Webster 11-46-0
Rec Gifford 6-56-1
Schmitt BBI: The 1956 New York Giants
“Over 45,000 fans were expected for Cleveland’s annual visit to New York, but an unusually weak Browns team combined with rain, snow and cold made many fans decide it would be better to stay home and listen to the game over the radio. The 27,707 who braved the elements and hoped to personally witness the Giants clinch their first divisional title in 10 years went home chilled and disappointed. The New York Times game summary even questioned New York’s championship mettle, “The impression yesterday was that the Giants will have to show marked improvement over their latest showing. Against Paul Brown’s energetic and spirited aggregation the New Yorker’s were a do-nothing, go-nowhere outfit. They seemed sluggish on defense and immobile on offense.”
A 63-yard drive that culminated in a game-tying Conerly-to-Gifford scoring pass early in the second quarter seemed to give New York life. The next possession for the Giants was a 50-yard advance into Browns territory, but Don Doll intercepted Conerly to squelch not only a scoring opportunity, but seemingly the Giants spirits for good. They never threatened again and Cleveland rolled to a surprisingly easy 24-7 win. Gifford caught six more passes and his running season total of 49 already surpassed the previous franchise mark of 47 set by Bill Swiacki in 1949.
Although the Cardinals lost to the Bears 10-3, Washington defeated Philadelphia 19-17 and had two games to play, giving them an outside chance at the title should New York and Chicago both lose their final games. However, the Giants controlled their own destiny. A win or tie at Philadelphia would wrap up the Eastern Division, no questions asked. The Giants closed out their six-game home schedule with an impressive total attendance of 280,727, far ahead of their 1955 six-game docket that totaled 163,787. Division title or not, pro football had taken a significant advance forward in New Yorker awareness.
Bad weather plagued the Northeast all week, and although Howell did not use the sloppy field conditions for the disappointing loss to Cleveland, he was upfront about his desire for improved conditions (particularly for the offense) against the Eagles: “We are a team that accomplishes more because of quickness rather than brute strength, but against the Browns we were not quick at all. We never really got started and I believe the condition of the field was an important factor. I hope we have a dry field on Saturday when we wind up against the Eagles.”
https://www.bigblueinteractive.com/2015/05/30/the-1956-new-york-giants/
Video
https://youtu.be/lg9HCmrlTnc
12-09-1962 Giants 17 Browns 13
Pass Guglielmi 10-5-82-1-0
Rush King 21-92-0
Rec Gifford 3-60-0
The New York Giants, who clinched, the Eastern Division crown a week ago, defeated the Cleveland Browns, 17 13. The win was the Giants' eighth straight and gave them an 11 2 record.
UPI
“Ralph Guglielmi, a seldom used'substitute for quarterback Y. A. Tittle, engineered three scoring drives that enabled the Giants to beat the Browns. Gugliemi passed seven yards to Joe Walton for New York's first score. His throws also set up a one-yard touchdown plunge.”
12-09-1979 Cardinals 29 Giants 20
Pass Simms 30-18-195-3-1
Rush Taylor 16-50-0
Rec Taylor 8-72-3
Kaye NYT: ST. LOUIS, Dec. 9 “Ottis Anderson ran left, and he ran right. He dodged some tacklers and floored others with forearms. And when he was finished today, he had the National Football League record for most yards gained in a season by a rookie running back, as well as a tie for the Cardinal record of most 100 yard games in a career. And St. Louis had a 29 20 victory.
It was an esthetic shame that he had to be on the same field as the Giants today. While the brilliant Cardinal rookie dominated this game at chilly Busch Stadium, he could not overshadow the ineptitude of the Giants, who earned their seventh straight losing season. Today's loss, which could have been by a much larger margin had the Cardinals not been a last& #8208;place club, was the ninth of the season by the Giants, against six victories, with, thankfully, only one game remaining.
The team that only a few short weeks ago was talking about making the playoffs is now only a game ahead of St. Louis and, if it loses to the Baltimore Colts next Sunday the Meadowlands and the Cardinals win in Chicago, will wind up in last place for the seventh straight year.
On the Giants’ first play from scrimmage, Phil Simms fumbled the snap. The Giants never recovered. Later in the first quarter, the rookie quarterback lost another fumble while carelessly running with the ball, which hit his knee with no Cardinal defender within 10 yards of him. Billy Taylor and Doug Kotar also lost fumbles. Simms threw an interception.
Penalty after penalty stopped drives or permitted the Cardinals to carry on. And all this took place in a first half in which all St. Louis could get was a 12& #8208;0 lead.
The Cardinals with a won lost record of 5 10 but 2 0 since Larry Wilson replaced Bud Wilkinson as coach, and Steve Pisarkiewicz replaced Jim Hart at quarterback also fumbled four times in the game, twice inside the Giant 20 yard line. And Steve Little missed an extra point and two fieldgoal attempts from modest distances.
It was a rout, and Coach Ray Perkins of the Giants quickly summed up how his team had played: “Lousy.”
Simms did throw three touchdown passes to Billy Taylor in the second half, the final one with only 64 seconds remaining, to make the score close, but Perkins was angered by his team's performance.
Thirteen very long weeks ago, he accused some of his players of not trying. That was after they had lost to the Cardinals, 27 14, at the Meadowlands. This time he said, “We didn't have enough guys that it meant enough to get ready to play.”
Perkins changed his tone when the topic was switched to Anderson, the 6 foot 2 inch, 210 pound rookie from the University of Miami, who gained 140 yards on 29 carries, and 28 on three receptions, and who scored two touchdowns.
“He's a great running back,” said Perkins. “He might go down as the greatest there's ever been.”
He will go down as the greatest ground& #8208;gainer so far as a rookie. On his fifth carry of the game, a 9& #8208;yard touchdown run, he broke the record of 1,450 yards set last year by Earl Campbell of the Houston Oilers. He wound up with 1,566 yards thus far this season. Anderson is in a duel with Campbell for the league rushing title. Campbell has 1,454 yards this season with two games to go, including tomorrow night's contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Anderson, whose longest run was only 19 yards, also tied the team career record of nine 100 yard games set by Jim Otis over five seasons, from 1973 1977. The new O.J. has yet to play a full season.
“He's as good as he wants to be,” said Harry Carson, the Giants’ middle linbacker. “He wants 3,000 yards, he can get 3,000 with the guys he's got in front of him. And Dan Dierdorf is out.”
“Every week it's them,” said Anderson, also praising his offensive line. “This week they just had a personal grudge against the Giants. A lot of things happened the first time around.”
In that game, the Cardinals took particular exception to John Mendenhall's elbow, which knocked Terry Stieve, St. Louis’ right guard, out of action for two& #8208;and& #8208;a& #8208;half weeks. Mendenhall was the target of much of the Cardinal attack today.
“You hit one of those guys,” said Mendenhall, “and he goes back to the huddle and tells the other guys, and the next play you see them all coming at you.”
Carson did not see Brad Oates coming when he was hit on the knees from behind, and he retaliated against Oates by trying to separate the Cardinal player's face from his face mask.
“I wanted to put my knee in his throat,” said Carson. “I just reacted in a hostile manner. But I've got to protect myself.”
12-09-1984 Cardinals 31 Giants 21
Pass Simms 31-13-175-2-2
Rush Morris 16-107-0
Rec Mowatt 5-77-1
Sacks Burt 2.0
UPI
“Neil Lomax was sacked five times, but he nonetheless found time to shred the New York secondary for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Lomax’s third, a fourth down toss to Roy Green that covered 35 yards, gave St. Louis a 21-14 lead. But New York stormed back to tie it on Rob Carpenter's one yard run. St. Louis finally got the deciding score on Ottis Anderson's 12 yard sweep of left end late in tne game. Neil O'Donoghue's 34 yard field goal added insurance. "We're just tickled to be where we are said St. Louis Coach Jim Hanifan.
The Cardinals,stopped the New York Giants 31 21 to pull into a tie with the Giants and Cowboys at 9 6. Washington hosts St. Louis on Sunday, and the winner will claim the East title.”
12-09-1990 Giants 23 Vikings 15
Pass Simms 19-8-118-0-0
Rush Hampton 19-78-0
Rec Baker 3-57-0
Litsky NYT: Hampton Is Back In Dazzling Motion
“In the two previous games, in which the Giants lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, Rodney Hampton played little. Bill Parcells, the Giants' coach, said he would not use rookie running backs unless they could pick up blitzing linebackers because he did not want to risk injury to his quarterback.
Today, against a team that seldom blitzes, Hampton, a 21-year-old rookie out of Georgia, played much of the time in the Giants' 23-15 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, and he had the biggest day of his young professional career.
He had no apparent problems blocking. He carried the ball 19 times for 78 yards, including gains of 13, 11 and 11 yards. He darted to holes, stopped, cut back and darted outside. Almost every carry proved exciting. Likes What He Sees
"He has a lot of talent," said Maurice Carthon, the Giants' fullback and Hampton's lead blocker. "He could be one of the great running backs in the league if given a chance. He put one move on a guy, with his stops and shakes, that made a 4-yard gain out of nothing. It's just a gift he has."
Many of Hampton's carries came on quick draws. The idea was for the short delay to freeze the defense, then have Hampton explode through the hole
"Every play is designed to go somewhere," Hampton said. "But it doesn't always work out that way. You go for the hole."
In the past, Ottis Anderson has done most of the Giants' running. Today, Anderson carried 15 times for only 26 yards, but those 26 put him past 10,000 yards for his career.
"I'm not frustrated," Hampton said of his limited playing time. "We've got a lot of good running backs here. So every time I go into a game, I try to be fired up." A Younger Version
The 33 year old Anderson said Hampton reminded him of his younger days.
"That's a big compliment," Hampton said. "In his prime, he was unstoppable. He talked to me a lot on the sideline today. He said: 'Keep it up. Hold on to the ball. Keep reading your block.' "
Anderson had spent just over seven seasons with the Cardinals and a little over four with the Giants. Despite his notable achievement today, he was calm. "I'm excited," he said with little excitement. "It's a great feeling. But it's hard to enjoy now because I'm still playing. When you retire, it's something else. Right now, it's a big relief that it's over. My fans are happy. But the victory was more important.”
https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/10/sports/hampton-is-back-in-dazzling-motion.html
12-09-2001 Dallas 20 Giants 13
Pass Collins 26-13-122-1-1
Rush Barber 18-110-0
Rec Toomer 4-68-0
Sacks Taylor 2.5
AP: Giants Playoff Chances Dwindle With Loss in Dallas
“IRVING, Texas -- Quincy Carter is starting to live up to Jerry Jones' high expectations.
Carter rallied the Dallas Cowboys from a 10-point deficit to a 20-13 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, throwing for a career-best 194 yards and running for a crucial first down.
The Cowboys (4-8) won their second straight since the rookie quarterback returned to the lineup. The victory ended a three-game losing streak against New York.
The loss put the Giants (5-7) in serious jeopardy of not making the playoffs a year after reaching the Super Bowl.
New York started out great, scoring on three of its first four possessions. Dallas found itself down 13-3, without a first down and with Carter having minus-2 yards passing.
He began to find his groove on the next drive, even though it ended on downs. Then Carter moved the Cowboys 62 yards for a field goal late in the second half.
His big breakthrough came in the third quarter, when he hit Raghib Ismail down the middle for a 41-yard gain, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Emmitt Smith that tied the game.
Carter used his feet for another highlight play. With Dallas facing third-and-11 from the New York 14, Carter faked a pitch right and broke left, then up the middle for an 11-yard gain. On the next play, he flipped a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide-open Jackie Harris.
The passing-running combination Carter offers is exactly what Jones wanted when he picked Carter with the 53rd overall pick of the 2001 draft.
Jones took a lot of heat for having so much faith in a 23-year-old former minor-league baseball player who had only moderate success in three years at Georgia. More barbs were thrown when Dallas made Carter the starter midway through the preseason.
Carter didn't help things by playing poorly and getting hurt the first three months. Finally healthy and comfortable with the offense, he's taken huge strides in beating the Redskins and Giants.
Carter finished 17-of-26 and had 9 yards rushing. Ismail caught 10 passes for 118 yards. He caught a 64-yard touchdown pass from Carter the previous game.
Smith, who had only 8 yards after 15 carries, finished with 62 yards on 22 attempts, including a season-best run of 44 yards.
New York played like a spent team after getting down by a touchdown. The Giants failed to get any first downs and ruined one drive with an interception.
New York was trying to spark a seven-game roll like the one it got on following coach Jim Fassel's playoff "guarantee" at this point last season. Instead, the Giants ended a nine-game winning streak in December. Fassel had been 13-2 in the month.
Morten Andersen made field goals of 41 and 35 yards to end New York's first two drives. After a punt, Kerry Collins drove the Giants 68 yards in three plays, capping it with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Marcellus Rivers.
Collins was 13-of-26 for 122 yards. Tiki Barber, whose fumbled punt led to Dallas' first touchdown, had 110 yards rushing on 18 carries. At halftime, Carter had 86 of his yards and Barber 93.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/09/sports/football/giants-playoff-chances-dwindle-with-loss-in-dallas.html
12-09-2007 Giants 16 Eagles 13
Pass Manning 31-17-219-1-0
Rush Jacobs 22-70-0
Rec Burress 7-136-1
Branch NYT: Another Ugly Win, but Looks Don’t Matter
“PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 9 — On a frozen field under a pewter sky, there were few colorful plays to shake loose the tug-of-war tedium of short runs ending in gang tackles and short passes mostly ending shy of first downs.
But there was a fluorescent yellow goal post, planted in the north end of Lincoln Financial Field. It somehow stood unnoticed until the second-to-last play of the game, when it served as a dividing line between winning and losing.
Philadelphia’s David Akers booted a 57-yard field-goal attempt that could have sent the Giants and the Eagles to overtime. The ball bounced hard off the right upright, about one-third of the way up, and fell backward, eliciting a collective groan from the home crowd and a sigh of relief from the Giants.
The Giants’ 16-13 victory improved their record to 9-4. The Giants cannot win their division — the 12-1 Cowboys clinched the National Football Conference East on Sunday — but could probably lose their three remaining games and still earn an invitation to the postseason in January as a wild-card team.
“It was an incredible game,” Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said, proving the axiom about beauty and the eye of the beholder. His cheeks were red from the cold and his eyes bright with happiness, as if he had just returned from a sleigh ride.
Any lingering playoff hopes for the Eagles (5-8) deflated the moment the ball hit the upright with one second remaining. Four of their losses have been by 3 points.
The game was largely a scrum, featuring 12 punts and only two completed passes of more than 20 yards. The Giants allowed the Eagles only two first downs on 13 third-down tries, but also managed only 9 points on three possessions inside Philadelphia’s 20-yard line.
“Late in the year, you’re going to get some games where it’s not high scoring, it’s not pretty,” said quarterback Eli Manning, who played solidly in completing 17 of 31 passes for 219 yards. He threw no interceptions after tossing six in the previous two games, but led the Giants to only one touchdown, a 20-yard throw to Plaxico Burress in the third quarter.
“You put yourself in a situation in the fourth quarter to win the game, that’s all you can ask for,” Manning added.
As the regular season winds its way to the end, the Giants’ offense is getting worse, the defense is getting better and the Giants are increasingly finding themselves in grinding and inartistic contests.
“Call it whatever you want to call it,” linebacker Antonio Pierce said. “We call it victory.”
The Giants improved to 6-1 in road games, a positive sign for a team that would play its postseason games as a visitor. Coupled with the previous Sunday’s 21-16 victory over the Bears in Chicago, a game undecided until
a Bears pass fell incomplete on the last play, the Giants have won two games in a row for the first time since October.
This one came despite a sluggish start and a couple of second-half fumbles by running back Brandon Jacobs that added doses of suspense.
Jacobs missed the previous two games with a strained hamstring and struggled to find room to run against the Eagles, gaining 70 yards on 22 carries. His best burst came with about six minutes left and the Giants leading, 16-13. Stumbling off balance as he approached the end zone on a 21-yard run, Jacobs had the ball punched out of his hands by defensive end Juqua Thomas just before hitting the ground at Philadelphia’s 10-yard line. Thomas fell on the loose ball at the 5.
The Eagles, behind the maligned quarterback Donovan McNabb, who had missed the previous two games with injuries, moved quickly past midfield. On the first play after the two-minute warning, a fourth-and-6 at the Giants’ 43-yard line, McNabb’s quick, short pass over the middle to Jason Avant fell incomplete. Pierce hit Avant from behind as the ball arrived.
Avant and the Eagles said a penalty should have been called. Pierce was concerned only with the outcome.
“It didn’t get called,” he said.
The Giants ran Jacobs three times in a row but could not gain a first down to kill the clock. After a punt, the Eagles took over at their 11-yard line with 53 seconds left. McNabb, working with no timeouts, completed three passes to set up the final field-goal attempt by Akers.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/sports/football/10giants.html
12-09-2012 Giants 52 Saints 27
Pass Manning 35-22-259-4-2
Rush Wilson 13-100-2
Rec Cruz 8-121-1
Int Brown 2-91-0
KR Wilson 4-227-1
RV NYDN: David Wilson scores three touchdowns as NY Giants stay atop NFC East with blowout win over New Orleans Saints
“Antrel Rolle called for the Giants to let out their "dogs." Then David Wilson finally broke out of the doghouse.
Wilson, the Giants' 2012 first-round pick, had his long-awaited breakout game on Sunday, setting the tone with an early 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that was only the start of his big day. He set a team record with 327 all-purpose yards, including 100 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, to lead the Giants to a 52-27 win over New Orleans.
It was the moment Wilson was waiting for since he fumbled on his second NFL carry on opening night against Dallas. And for the Giants, his "coming out party" as fullback Henry Hynoski called it, couldn't have come at a better time. Had they lost on Sunday they wouldn't have just lost control of their playoff destiny, they would've slipped all the way to third in the tight NFC East.
"For him to come out today and have the kind of game that we needed him to have," said Tom Coughlin. "We needed a spark. We certainly got one. The timing was right."
"He's probably the best athlete on the team," Justin Tuck added. "Whenever you put a threat like that back there, it's only a matter of time."
Wilson wasn't the only sparkplug. The Giants' defense — fired up by Rolle's call to play "nasty" and to "get a little bit more dog in us" last week – gave up a lot of yards (487), but kept the Saints off balance by forcing four turnovers. That included two interceptions from safety Stevie Brown, whose pick in the fourth quarter at the Giants' 8 with the Saints threatening to make it a one-touchdown game, may have saved the day.
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/wilson-sets-tone-giants-blow-saints-article-1.1216606?
Giants Birthdays 12-09
Ray Agnew RDT FA-NE 1995 NYG 1995-1997 12-09-1967
Jim Finn FB FA-IND 2003 NYG 2003-2006 12-09-1976
Adam Gettis LG W-PITT PSQ 2014 NYG 2014-2016 12-09-1988
Shayne Graham PK W-BAL 2010 NYG 2010 12-09-1977
Ryan Grant RB UDFA-Notre Dame 2006 NYG IR 2006 12-09-1982
Leon Hall CB FA-CIN 2016 NYG 2016 12-09-1984
Terry Jackson RCB/LCB D5-SD State 1978 NYG 1978-1983 12-09-1955
