Sunday Reading

Giants

Schwartz NYP: Giants vs. Bills: Preview, predictions and what to watch for
https://nypost.com/2019/09/15/giants-vs-bills-preview-predictions-and-what-to-watch-for/amp/

Stapleton The Record: New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills predictions and how they match up in Week 2
https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/nfl/giants/2019/09/13/ny-giants-vs-buffalo-bills-how-they-match-up-predictions/2304517001/

QB

Serby NYP: Eli Manning opens up: His next Giants chapter, losing hardship
https://nypost.com/2019/09/14/eli-manning-opens-up-his-next-giants-chapter-losing-hardship/

Rock Newsday: .500 reasons for Eli Manning to keep plugging away for Giants
https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/eli-manning-giants-bills-1.36283886

Schwartz NYP: How Daniel Jones’ path could become similar to Josh Allen
https://nypost.com/2019/09/14/how-daniel-jones-path-could-become-similar-to-josh-allen/

Rock Newsday: Maybe Jones, Giants can learn something from how Bills handled Allen
https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/daniel-jones-josh-allen-1.36269348

Dunleavy N.J.com: Giants QB Daniel Jones: I don’t have a fumbling problem | Will he play vs. Bills?
https://www.nj.com/giants/2019/09/giants-qb-daniel-jones-i-dont-have-a-fumbling-problem-will-he-play-vs-bills.html

RB

Serby NYP: Giants should follow Bill Parcell’s formula to beat Bills again
https://nypost.com/2019/09/15/giants-should-follow-bill-parcells-formula-to-beat-bills-again/

WR

Schwartz NYP: How Giants could change because of depleted WR corps
https://nypost.com/2019/09/15/how-giants-could-change-because-of-depleted-wr-corps/

Stapleton The Record: T.J. Jones: NY Giants re-sign veteran WR with Sterling Shepard in concussion protocol
https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/nfl/giants/2019/09/11/t-j-jones-re-signing-ny-giants-with-uncertain-status-of-sterling-shepard/2287479001/

Schefter ESPN: Sources: NFL starts review as Shepard concussed
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27615308/sources-nfl-starts-review-shepard-concussed

Leonard NYDN: How did Sterling Shepard’s concussion slip through the cracks?
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/ny-sterling-shepard-concussion-nfl-review-20190914-5jwepdpukzb6nifh2r2wxqqvsm-story.html

Defense

Rowe The Record: Giants' defense moving past Dallas debacle, confident heading into Week 2 vs. Bills
https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/nfl/giants/2019/09/12/ny-giants-defense-moving-past-dallas-cowboys-confident-heading-into-buffalo-bills-game-week-2/2298141001/

Schwartz NYP: Giants’ task vs. Bills starts with cleaning up the secondary
https://nypost.com/2019/09/15/giants-task-vs-bills-starts-with-cleaning-up-the-secondary/amp/

NFL

Volin Boston Globe: Sunday Football Notes:
Just how bad was Brian Flores’s head coaching debut?

“The average Patriot has 5.3 years of experience, the most in the NFL (league average: 4.09 years). And the Patriots’ 13 players age 30 and over are second most in the NFL (Atlanta, 14).
But while the Patriots are trending older, the rest of the NFL is getting younger. The NFL’s average age has dropped for the fifth straight season, from 26.16 years old in 2014 to 26.00 in 2019.
It may not seem like much, but the 2011 collective bargaining agreement has made younger talent much more cost-effective, and made it tougher for veterans to get to second and third contracts.”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2019/09/14/just-how-bad-was-brian-flores-head-coaching-debut/yJp9HnGE491CmzmiCu4nWJ/story.html

Gramling MMQB: All Eyes on Trubisky, the Trouble With Counting on Turnovers, What Is Philly’s Secondary?
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/09/15/mitchell-trubisky-bears-defense-turnovers-49ers-gregg-williams-browns-jets-eagles-secondary

La Canfora CBS Sports: NFL teams excited about a potential new way to evaluate free agents during the season
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-teams-excited-about-a-potential-new-way-to-evaluate-free-agents-during-the-season/

BALTIMORE
Shaffer Baltimore Sun: Ravens promote CB Maurice Canady to 53-man roster, waive OT Greg Senat
https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-canady-senat-20190914-g35br5egpze4hc4holl6dgqyue-story.html

BUFFALO
Maiorana Rochester Democrat: Saquon Barkley will be a handful, but what else should Bills be worried about vs. Giants
https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/football/nfl/bills/2019/09/14/buffalo-bills-vs-new-york-giants-preview-and-predictions-nfl/2312344001/

CAROLINA
Marks Charlotte Observer: The Panthers are 0-2 and Superman is battered. What’s next? There’s no good answer
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article235050527.html

CHICAGO
Biggs Chicago Tribune: The Bears facing Vic Fangio recalls a 1986 clash with Buddy Ryan — minus the bulletin-board material
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-bears-vic-fangio-buddy-ryan-broncos-20190914-sgipw2nrgzc3jm3b7ywjdbpxau-story.html

Lieser Chicago Sun Times: Bears TE Trey Burton deserves patience, not vitriol, amid injury trouble
https://chicago.suntimes.com/platform/amp/bears/2019/9/14/20863868/trey-burton-bears-tight-end-injury-groin-anxiety-sports-hernia-status-broncos-contract-stats-news

CLEVELAND
Cabot Cleveland Plain Dealer: What is your opinion of Freddie Kitchens after this first game? Hey, Mary Kay!

“Kitchens didn’t prepare his players well enough to play a smart football game, and it was a hard lesson to learn. The 18 penalties for 182 yards resulted in the 43-13 loss, or at least contributed mightily to it. Take away even half of those and the Browns have themselves a ballgame. Baker Mayfield was unable to get into a rhythm falling behind the sticks and the defense was undisciplined instead of dominant. It was a shocking wakeup call for the Browns, especially with the grueling schedule they have coming up: three night games in their next four, including two on the road. Their next five game after this Jets game Monday night features matchups against Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, Jimmy Garropolo, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady. The opener was a home they really needed.”

https://expo.cleveland.com/sports/g66l-2019/09/19dd49761f1908/what-is-your-opinion-of-freddie-kitchens-after-this-first-game-hey-mary-kay.html

Gribble Browns.com: Damarious Randall among 4 Browns ruled out vs. Jets on Monday Night Football
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/damarious-randall-among-4-browns-ruled-out-vs-jets-on-monday-night-football

Cabot Cleveland Plain Dealer: Freddie Kitchens, players miffed Malcolm Butler says Browns have no heart: ‘He doesn’t know our locker room’
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/09/freddie-kitchens-players-on-malcolm-butler-saying-browns-have-no-heart-he-doesnt-know-our-locker-room.html

Gribble Browns.com: 16 questions for Sheldon Richardson, who loves the bond Browns D-line has formed
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/16-questions-for-sheldon-richardson-who-loves-the-bond-browns-d-line-has-formed

DALLAS
Watkins Dallas Morning News: Cowboys WR Cedric Wilson gets called up with Tavon Austin ruled out 
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/cowboys/2019/09/14/cowboys-wr-cedric-wilson-gets-called-up-with-tavon-austin-ruled-out/

Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)
9/15/19, 7:07 AM
One situation to watch over the next few days: The Cowboys have had recent trade talks surrounding first-round pass-rusher Taco Charlton, sources tell me and & #8294;& #8234;@SlaterNFL& #8236;& #8297;. While nothing is imminent, it could heat up this week. Charlton will be inactive today

DENVER
Legwold ESPN Denver: A Broncos crash course: How five new players got up to speed in days
https://www.espn.com/blog/denver-broncos/post/_/id/33714/broncos-crash-course-how-five-new-players-got-up-to-speed-in-days?

Broncos.com: Broncos promote Jake Rodgers to active roster from practice squad

“Prior to his time in Denver, Rodgers spent time on the Giants', Panthers', Steelers', Chargers', Texans' and Ravens' practice squads. He also was on the Giants' active roster for a week in 2016.”

https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/broncos-promote-jake-rodgers-active-roster-practice-squad

Swanson Broncos.com: Player Q& A: Adam Gotsis on going from a 'project pick' to a starter
https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/player-q-a-adam-gotsis-on-going-from-a-project-pick-to-a-starter

DETROIT
Birkett Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions take 'new week, new me' approach vs. Chargers after opening-week letdown
https://amp.freep.com/amp/2324772001

Albom Detroit Free Press: Lions QB Matt Stafford finds new perspective after his wife's brain surgery
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2019/09/08/detroit-lions-mitch-albom-matthew-stafford-kelly/2247780001/

Williams Michigan Live: At last, Mike Daniels is actually excited to hear Lions’ fight song
https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/09/at-last-mike-daniels-is-actually-excited-to-hear-lions-fight-song.html

HOUSTON
Solomon Houston Chronicle: Too soon to jump off Texans’ bandwagon
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/columnists/solomon/amp/Too-soon-to-jump-off-Texans-bandwagon-14440472.php

Wilson Houston Chronicle: Texans' offensive line changes include starting Roderick Johnson

Texans' offensive line among moving parts today, and league sources expect at least one change with former Browns draft pick Roderick Johnson expected to start at right tackle ahead of Seantrel Henderson plus first-rounder and left guard Tytus Howard expected to make his debut

https://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-offensive-line-changes-include-starting-14441087.php

Wilson Houston Chronicle: J.J. Watt aims for breakout game vs. Jaguars
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texans/amp/J-J-Watt-aims-for-breakout-game-vs-Jaguars-14440029.php

JACKSONVILLE
Sherman The Ringer: Four Things to Know About Gardner Minshew II, the NFL’s Newest Folk Hero
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/9/11/20860802/gardner-minshew-jacksonville-jaguars-qb-mustache-folk-hero

Smits Florida Times Union: Jaguars made a run at Alex McGough before trading for Joshua Dobbs
https://www.jacksonville.com/sports/20190914/jaguars-made-run-at-alex-mcgough-before-trading-for-joshua-dobbs?

Smits Florida Times Union: Jaguars vs. Texans: Jalen Ramsey-DeAndre Hopkins rivalry resumes
https://www.jacksonville.com/sports/20190914/jaguars-vs-texans-jalen-ramsey-deandre-hopkins-rivalry-resumes?

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Miller LA Times: Chargers face Lions embracing the pressure of defending their NFL road warrior title
https://www.latimes.com/sports/chargers/story/2019-09-13/chargers-eager-to-defend-their-nfl-road-warrior-title-against-lions?

LOS ANGELES RAMS
Klein LA Times: Rams vs. Saints: How the teams match up for Sunday’s game
https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2019-09-14/rams-vs-saints-matchups-for-sundays-game?

Klein LA Times: Dante Fowler and Rams defense key to beating Saints
https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2019-09-14/rams-saints-preview?

Modesti OC Register: Rams vs. Saints is about the future as well as the past
https://www.ocregister.com/2019/09/14/rams-vs-saints-is-about-the-future-as-well-as-the-past/amp/

MIAMI
Hyde Sun Sentinel: Dolphins owner Steve Ross: ‘‘We said it wouldn’t be easy’
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/dave-hyde/fl-sp--20190915-7r724tvv6vczxdzn7l2w362d6q-story.html

Kent Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins: Tight end Mike Gesicki hopes good game against Baltimore Ravens carries over to next game against New England Patriots
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/20190914/miami-dolphins-tight-end-mike-gesicki-hopes-good-game-against-baltimore-ravens-carries-over-to-next-game-against-new-england-patriots?

NEW ENGLAND
Reiss ESPN Boston: Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
Patriots' unheralded OL Joe Thuney has rare versatility

“3. Trade with the Jets breaks 28-year streak for Patriots: How rare was it that the Patriots traded veteran receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Jets last week? While it was well documented that Belichick had never traded with the Jets before then, colleague Rich Cimini dug up this nugget: The last time the clubs struck a deal was 1991, when New England -- under then-head coach Dick MacPherson -- acquired tackle Kip Beach from the Jets for future considerations. Beach never played in a game for New England. One has to go back to the American Football League days to find a trade involving the teams before that. The Patriots and Jets made three trades in that era, one involving the great Babe Parilli in 1968.”

https://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4818117/patriots-unheralded-ol-joe-thuney-has-rare-versatility

Duffy Boston Herald: Antonio Brown looks good to go for Patriots in Miami
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/09/14/antonio-brown-looks-good-to-go-for-patriots-in-miami/amp/

Guregian Boston Herald: Patriots defense impresses at all levels
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/09/14/patriots-defense-impresses-at-all-levels/amp/

NEW YORK JETS
Allentuck NYT: The Jets Take on Odell Beckham Jr. (and the Other Browns)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/15/sports/football/jets-browns-odell-beckham-jr.amp.html

Braziller NYP: C.J. Mosley ruled out in another Jets nightmare
https://nypost.com/2019/09/14/c-j-mosley-ruled-out-in-another-jets-nightmare/

Braziller NYP: Jets’ Marcus Maye wants to be elite safety like Jamal Adams
https://nypost.com/2019/09/15/jets-marcus-maye-wants-to-be-elite-safety-like-jamal-adams/amp/

OAKLAND
Kawahara SF Chronicle: Need for speed: Raiders to test progress Sunday against Chiefs
https://www.sfchronicle.com/raiders/amp/Need-for-speed-Raiders-to-test-progress-Sunday-14440243.php

Simmons LV Review Journal: Raiders rookies Jacobs, Ferrell, Abram seen as cornerstones
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/raiders/raiders-rookies-jacobs-ferrell-abram-seen-as-cornerstones-1848643/amp/

Dillon NBC Bay Area: Sources: Raiders' Johnathan Abram fined for hit that injured shoulder
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/sources-raiders-johnathan-abram-fined-hit-injured-shoulder

PHILADELPHIA
Kaye N.J.com: New Eagles cornerback gets ‘crash course’ before Week 2 debut | Here’s how his time with Vikings prepared him for quick turnaround
https://www.nj.com/eagles/2019/09/new-eagles-cornerback-gets-crash-course-before-week-2-debut-heres-how-his-time-with-vikings-prepared-him-for-quick-turnaround.html

PITTSBURGH
Adamski Pittsburgh Tribune Review: 30 years after early-season misery, ex-Steelers stress ‘don’t panic’
https://triblive.com/sports/thirty-years-after-early-season-misery-ex-steelers-stress-dont-panic/

SAN FRANCISCO
Branch SF Chronicle: Defense ‘bailed out’ 49ers in Week 1. Will offense respond against Bengals?
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/amp/Defense-bailed-out-49ers-in-Week-1-Will-14440292.php

SEATTLE
Bell News Tribune: Why Seahawks left on Friday, Ziggy Ansah’s status, 5 players to watch Sunday at Pittsburgh
https://amp.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article235096407.html

Condotta Seattle Times: Should the Seahawks make a run at Minkah Fitzpatrick? The next week or two could tell a lot
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/should-the-seahawks-make-a-run-at-minkah-fitzpatrick-the-next-week-or-two-could-tell-a-lot/?

TAMPA BAY
Stroud TB Times: There’s a lot of meat left on the bone for Buccaneers offense
Coach Bruce Arians has a message for O.J. Howard: play better
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2019/09/14/theres-a-lot-of-meat-left-on-the-bone-for-buccaneers-offense/?

WASHINGTON
Copeland Washington Post: The Redskins’ secondary is banged up ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Cowboys
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/09/12/redskins-secondary-is-banged-up-ahead-sundays-game-versus-cowboys/?

Colleges/Draft

Thamel Yahoo Sports: 10 Takeaways: With ugly loss at BYU, consider Clay Helton back on hot seat at USC
https://sports.yahoo.com/10-takeaways-with-ugly-loss-at-byu-consider-us-cs-clay-helton-back-on-hot-seat-055849189.html

Baird Cleveland Plain Dealer: Growing connection between Ohio State’s Chris Olave and Justin Fields makes Buckeyes more dangerous
https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2019/09/growing-connection-between-ohio-states-chris-olave-and-justin-fields-makes-buckeyes-more-dangerous.html

Means Cleveland Plain Dealer: Is Ohio State football’s defense as good as advertised?
https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2019/09/is-ohio-state-footballs-defense-as-good-as-advertised.html

Schroeder USA Today: Can anyone beat Clemson? It's unlikely as the ACC continues to scuffle this season
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/columnist/george-schroeder/2019/09/14/clemson-looks-college-football-playoff-bound-acc-struggles/2332015001/

Baker TB Times: With Feleipe Franks out, Kyle Trask leads No. 9 Florida Gators to win
There is a cruelness to football where it takes one man’s misfortune for another to take his job. Perfectly explained here
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/gators/2019/09/15/with-feleipe-franks-out-kyle-trask-leads-no-9-florida-gators-to-win/

Weiszer Athens Banner Herald: Bulldogs blast Red Wolves, ride momentum into Notre Dame game

Kirby Smart on Notre Dame coming to Georgia Saturday: "We’ve played in a lot of big games, we’ve got a lot of kids in that team room in our building that have played in big football games so they’re not going to be intimidated by that.”

https://www.onlineathens.com/sports/20190914/bulldogs-blast-red-wolves-ride-momentum-into-notre-dame-game

OL
Rang Football Maven: Burly blockers (and future early NFL draft picks) bulldozing for Iowa, Kentucky
https://mavensports.io/nfldraftscout/news/burly-blockers-and-future-early-nfl-draft-picks-bulldozing-for-iowa-kentucky-1IEmZkGP4UWu7Aj7iWxSuA/

History

Rock Newsday: Jeremy Shockey excited to return to Giants for first time since 2008 trade

“I always tried to be a sponge when I was around The Duke, God rest his soul,” Shockey told Newsday in a phone interview. “I was very fortunate to get to know him on a very personal level. We had multiple conversations about life and football and it’s something I’ll hold dear to my heart forever.”

https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/jeremy-shockey-giants-reunion-1.36327004

Gehman Eagles.com: Where are they now? LB Carlos Emmons

"It was definitely strange. Even signing with the Giants was strange. I felt like I was siding with the enemy, in a sense," Emmons says. "It was awkward being on the other sideline and in the other locker room. But I think what made it special to me was – and we talked about it all week, me and my teammates with the Giants – if they would boo me.
"It was a special moment for me when the crowd cheered when I walked out there. It felt great. I'm not an emotional guy, but I was like, man ... It showed me that the fans really appreciated the work I put in."

https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/where-are-they-now-carlos-emmons

Stuart Football Perspective: First NFL Starts By Backup Quarterbacks And The Point Spread
http://www.footballperspective.com/first-nfl-starts-by-backup-quarterbacks-and-the-point-spread/

Giants on 9-15

9-15-1940 Giants 10 Steelers 10

The Giants rallied in the second half behind Lee Shaffer’s one yard rushing TD and a Len Barnum 31 yard FG to tie the Steelers before 18,601 at Forbes Field.

9-15-1963 Giants 37 Colts 28

Pass
Tittle 23-16-243-3-0
Rush
Webster 15-60-1
Tittle 5-24-1
Rec
King 5-101-1
Shofner 5-85-0
Punt
Chandler 3-140-46.7

Today in Football History

1963: Tittle Leads Giants to Come-From-Behind Win Over Colts

“The Baltimore Colts opened the 1963 season on September 15 against the New York Giants at Memorial Stadium in a state of transition under a new head coach. Weeb Ewbank, who had built the Colts into a championship team in 1958 and ’59, was fired after posting a 7-7 record in ’62 and replaced by 33-year-old Don Shula. Shula had been a defensive back for the Colts for four years, in between stints with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. He had moved into coaching upon his retirement as a player and, for the past three seasons, he had been the defensive coordinator in Detroit.

The Giants, under Head Coach Allie Sherman, had placed first in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year but had again failed to win the league championship as they fell both times to the Green Bay Packers. QB Y.A. Tittle had been outstanding since arriving through a trade with the 49ers prior to the 1961 season while the veteran defense was one of the NFL’s best. But just as age and injuries had caught up with the Colts, so the window of opportunity was beginning to close in New York.

It was a gray and rainy day in Baltimore, but the home fans had something to cheer about early on when the Giants fumbled on the third play of the game and star DE Gino Marchetti picked up the loose football and rumbled 40 yards for a touchdown. Two possessions later and still in the first quarter, New York fumbled the ball away again. This time QB Johnny Unitas, despite still suffering the effects of an injury to his throwing shoulder, threw a 34-yard TD pass to flanker Jimmy Orr (pictured below) for a 14-0 lead.

Don Chandler kicked a 42-yard field goal before the first quarter was over to narrow the margin to 14-3, but the Colts came back in the second period after yet another New York fumble, this by veteran HB Hugh McElhenny after a good run on a screen pass. Unitas connected with rookie TE John Mackey for a 32-yard touchdown and the Colts were up by 21-3.

The Giants began to climb out of the hole as Tittle threw to HB Phil King on a play-action pass that produced a 46-yard touchdown. When they scored again on a four-yard TD pass from Tittle to TE Joe Walton, the Baltimore margin was narrowed to 21-17. However, the Colts came back with a scoring drive that ended with FB Jerry Hill running for a three-yard touchdown. Just before the end of the half, McElhenny made up for the earlier fumble by catching a seven-yard TD pass from Tittle and the tally stood at 28-24 at the intermission.

The Giants took the lead in the third quarter with two key plays. Tittle passed to split end Del Shofner for a 43-yard gain to the Baltimore nine yard line and, when the Colts blitzed on first-and-goal, the 37-year-old quarterback ran for the touchdown (pictured at top). The extra point attempt failed, but New York was ahead by 30-28. The Giants scored one more TD in the third quarter, on a one-yard run by FB Alex Webster, and that provided the final margin of 37-28.

The three lost fumbles in the first half had nearly done the Giants in, but they outgained the Colts by 362 total yards to 295. Tittle completed 16 of 23 passes for 243 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 24 yards on five carries, including the game-winning TD. Phil King (pictured at right) and Del Shofner each caught five passes, with King gaining 101 yards and scoring the team’s first TD and Shofner gaining 85 and setting up the game-winning score. New York also ran effectively, gaining a total of 119 yards on 37 rushes, with Webster leading the way at 60 yards on 15 carries.

For Baltimore, Johnny Unitas completed 19 of 33 passes for 219 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Jimmy Orr was the leading receiver with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. The Colts were missing the outstanding HB Lenny Moore due to an appendectomy; he was replaced by Tom Matte, who gained 26 yards on 10 attempts and caught four passes for 37 more yards, while FB J.W. Lockett was Baltimore’s leading ground gainer with 37 yards on 9 carries...”

https://fs64sports.blogspot.com/2010/09/1963-tittle-leads-giants-from-behind-to.html

NYDN: Y.A. Aches, But He'll Be Ready

“Y. A. Tittle was X rayed practically from his balding head to his toes yesterday at St. Elizabeth s hospital as a result of the battering the 36 year old Giant quarterback absorbed in Sunday's 37-28 thriller over the Colts in Baltimore.

THE VICTORY IS SPECIAL "It's gratifying, it's gratifying." Allie Sherman has never felt better in his life. The Giants have a three car special hooked onto the 6:44 out of Baltimore and the coach is standing in the aisle, balancing to the sway of the train and giving sportswriters his reactions to what has to be one of the sweetest triumphs of his young career. "Poise," he says, rolling: the word on his tongue and savoring the taste. "The boys stuck in there. It's awfully easy to crack against a guy like Unitas when you're down 18 points."

Sherman is full of praise for the enemy. And he is not just a winner being magnanimous. "Nobody, but nobody," he says, "steps into the pocket like Unitas. And he has the fastest hands I've ever seen." There is an air of restrained jubilation the length of the three cars, and with good reason. This marks the first time the Giants have beaten Unitas since he became ringleader of the Colt offense. Sherman is unwinding, using a flow of words to ease the crushing tension of the game. "Poise," he says, "we work on that stuff all the time. During the week we build faith and confidence in what we have to do on Sunday. We keep telling ourselves we must not allow ourselves to leave our strength.

Medical report: no broken bones, bruised ribs on the left side, bruised chest bone, sore all over. Yat is due to be released from the hospital sometime today. Despite his large assortment of aches and pains, Tittle told reporters yesterday: "I'll play next Sunday." The Giants will be at Pittsburgh against an improved bunch of Steelers. COACH ALLIE Sherman refuses to push the panic button where Tittle is concerned. "It's much too early to think about playing without Tittle” said Allie. "I hope he can make practice by Thursday. If Y.A. says he'll be able to play, I guess he will." Rookie halfback Charlie Killett, the other casualty in the season's opener, will not be available for the Steeler game and perhaps not for the next three games.

WITH KILLETT out, the Giants are down to 35 men, and it's possible Sherman may want Sherman had no decision ready yesterday on that score either. "We'll wait and see how we stack up on Thursday," Allie said. "We may be two men short numerically, but we're still position-deep all around."

Unitas Too

Colt quarterback Johnny Unitas suffered a dislocated finger on his left hand in the final minute of Sunday's game with the Giants. "I knocked it out and ran over to the bench to have Eddie Blick (trainer) straighten it out," Unitas said yesterday. "I wasn't going to pull it back in place myself because I didn't know which way it went." right ankle sprain, blocking during a kickoff return. He also is quartered in St. Elizabeth's, for an indefinite stav.

JACK STROUD came out of the Colt fracas with a bum back and Alex Webster took almost as much of a battering as Tittle, but these two stalwarts are expected to attend todav's drill at Fordham Field. Reviewing the win very briefly, Sherman said what impressed him most about the performance of his defending Eastern Division champs was the fact they refused to panic after falling behind 21-3.

On the sidelines today," he continues, "when we're down 18 points, I take each unit aside. I tell them, 'they sot their points early, but there's plenty of time. We must not leave our game plan because we put ourselves in this predicament.' " Greg Larson comes by, heading for the private dining car, his 245 pounds forcing his 160-pound coach back against the seats. "There's a boy who's going to be a great center," Sherman says. "We got those out of our system," he calls after Larson's retreating back, and Greg turns and flashes him a grin. Reference is to the first-period foul-up which led to the fumble of a snapback by Y. A. Tittle. "I think it might have been the pick-up of our count which threw Larson off," Sherman says. "On the fumble which Marchetti ran for the touchdown Tittle was calling an automatic. There was the noise of the crowd. Pellington, their middle linebacker, was confusing the whole thing by hollering defensive signals. I give Larson a lot of credit for hanging in there the way he did today."

“I TOLD THEM at the time (early in the second quarter) lhe writers hop on Sherman s mention of the count pick-up. "They sometimes use a safety blitz on us," he replies. "So we decided to go on a quick count when it appeared they were about to bring up the safety for a pass-rush. This catches him as he's moving up, before he gains position." It turns out the Colts had a safety blitz going on Tittle's pass to Phil (The Chief) King which set up the second Giant touchdown. The halfback was wide open down the middle for an overall gain of 29 yards. What about your first touchdown pass, the one King took all the way in? Did they have the safety blitz on then? "I'm not sure," Sherman says. "Let's ask Ken," and he calls over Kavanaugh, his lanky end coach who handles the spotter phones in the pressbox during games. "No, that was a play pass, with Webster faking up the middle, drawing in Pellington," Kavanaugh replies. "They used a double rollout; that is, they double-teamed Shofner on one side and Gifford on the other. It left the middle alley wide open." It looks so easy as Kavanaugh diagrams the play on paper. It had looked even easier, and far more beautiful, the way the Giants had done it in the afternoon.

“We wanted to win this one for ourselves, for the new players on the team, and Doc Sweeny, team physician,” to haul Tittle and rookie Charlie Killett off to St. Elizabeth's Hospial. Old Y. A. has a sore belly, for he'd taken a hard blow to the solar plexis crossing the goal-line on the touchdown that put the Giants in front. "He really deserves credit for this win," Sherman says. "So does Webster, whose back was too sore for him to take his regular stance So do they all ..." Tittle and Killet are just going to the hospital for overnight observation, although the rookie's sprained ankle may keep him a couple of days longer. The kid doesn't want to get into the rolling stretcher that has been wheeled down the platform. "Get in," Doc snaps, and then pats the boy on the back.

The Giant coach said he is forgetting all about Sunday's contest and concentrating on the Steelers. Em Tunnell handed Sherman a large package of scouting notes made from Pitt's 21-21 tie with the Eagles yesterday. Sherman and his coaching aids were huddled in a mid-town hotel going over these reports. The squad will get them this morning, along with pictures and some plans for the game.

On Monday, at 11 A.M. it begins all over again as scout Emlen Tunnell presents his report on the Steelers to Sherman and a start is made on the offensive and defensive game plans for Sunday's invasion of Pittsburgh. It's always the next game that counts, and there's so little time to savor victory. I wanted to go all out for them.”

9-15-1968 Giants 34 Steelers 20

Pass
Tarkenton 22-12-172-2-0
Rush
Koy 8-48-0
Rec
Jones 3-101-0
Morrison 3-35-2
Int
Eaton 1-0
Lurtsema 1-39
Williams 1-14
KR
Blye 3-151-30.3

Giants turn back Steelers 34 20

PITTSBURGH UPI

Scrambling Fran with the help of long kickoff returns by Ronnie Blye hurled a pair of touchdown passes to Joe Morrison and set up his own score with a long heave to Homer Jones to lead the New York Giants to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. A crowd of at Pitt Stadium watched the two clubs open their National Football League season.

On the first scrimmage play of the season, Dick Hoak passed 63 yards to Roy Jefferson to put the Steelers in Giants territory. The Giants were penalized five yards and Hoak scampered six yards over left tackle before Bill Shockleys extra point attempt was blocked. Blye fielded Shockleys’ kickoff and streaked 59 yards to the Pittsburgh. Five plays later the Giants took a 7 6 lead when Tarkenton hurled a 10 yard touchdown pass to Morrison. The Steelers regained the lead at when Kent Nix passed five yards to Earl Gros as the first quarter ended. But Blye again took the ensuing kickoff, this time lumbering 66 yards to the Steeler 35 to set up Tarkentons 13 yard scoring pass to Morrison. Gogolak’s conversion put the Giants ahead to stay at 14 to 6. The Giant defense set up another score a few minutes when tackle Bob Lurtsema intercepted Nixs pass and ran to the Steeler Randy Minniear bumped over from the one after Pittsburgh was penalized.

A Tarkenton pass to Jones that gained 84 yards. Tarkenton boot legged around left end for a touchdown on the next The Steelers drove 66 yards for their final touchdown which came on a nine yard pass from Nix to Dick Compton shortly before the first half Gogolak kicked field goals of 23 and 17 yards in the fourth quarter and put six more points on the Scoreboard for the Giants. Gogolak played the game while on leave from the Army.

9-15-1974 Redskins 13 Giants 10

Pass
Snead 22-9-69-0-2
Rush
Kotar 14-43-0
Rec
Tucker 3-43-0
Int
Van Pelt 1-9-0
Punt
Jennings 7-312-44.6

Redskins Edge Giants

NEW HAVEN, Conn (AP) Mike Bass and Larry Brown scored first half touchdowns following New York errors and the Washington defense made them stand up Sunday as the Redskins opened the National Football League regular season with 13-10 victory over the Giants The defeat was the Giants seventh in a row by the Redskins and first under new Coach Bill Arnsparger New York, keeping the ball on the ground most of the game, made it close early in the third quarter when rookie running back Doug Kotar bulled through four would be tacklers for a six yard touchdown run, the final score of the game The Giants had a shot at the lead late in the third quarter with a first down at the Redskins' 40. After a three yard run by Kotar and an incomplete pass by Norm Snead, Redskin linemen Verlon Biggs and Bill Brundige buried Snead for a 10 yard loss, forcing the Giants to punt the ball away. The Giants had trouble getting untracked in the first half and both teams missed good opportunities to get on the Scoreboard. On the game's first series, New York marched from its own 35 to Washington's 39 with the help of two passes from Snead to tight end Bob Tucker But on the first down Snead and Ron Johnson missed connections on a handbff and Biggs recovered On the second play of New York's next series, Bass stepped in front of wide receiver Bob Grim on left sideline, picked off an underthrown Snead pass and ran 28 yards for the first touchdown of the game Mark Moseley added the extra point. On the Giants' next series, Kotar returned the kickoff 27 yards to the New York 42. Eight plays later, with the Giants facing a fourth down and one situation at Washington's 28, Kotar took a short snap with the Giants in punt formation and ran 10 yards to a first down With 1:43 left in the first quarter, Pete Gogolak kicked a 33 yard field goal to make it 7- 3.

9-15-1985 Packers 23 Giants 20

Pass
Simms 40-21-272-2-0
Rush
Adams 9-33-0
Rec
Manuel 5-105-1
Hasselbeck 5-71-1
Int
Reasons 1-10-0
Punt
Landeta 8-365-45.6

(GREEN BAY) - Eddie Lee Ivery ran 1 yard for a touchdown with 4:07 left as the Packers edged the Giants. The touchdown concluded a 75-yard drive by the Packers. That drive followed a 5-yard touchdown toss from Phil Simms to WR Lionel Manuel that gave the Giants the lead for first time in the game. It was Simms' second touchdown throw of the half. TE Don Hasselbeck caught a 20-yard pass from Simms in the third quarter for the Giants' first touchdown of the game Down 20-17, the Packers' Lynn Dickey made two key throws, a 34-yarder to James Lofton, and a 22-yarder to Phillip Epps, to take Green Bay to the 1-yard line. Ivery scored over the right side on the second play, but Al Del Greco missed the extra point attempt making the score 23-20. The Giants, in the last minutes, drove to the Packers' 30-yard line. But Ali Haji-Sheikh, bothered by a pulled hamstring in his left leg, missed a 47-yard field goal attempt.”

9-15-1991 Bears 20 Giants 17

Pass
Hostetler 35-25-209-0-1
Rush
Hampton 15-61-2
Rec
Meggett 6-39-0
Int
Collins 1-19-0

UPI: “CHICAGO -- The springy legs of Neal Anderson and the fat fingertips of William Perry lifted the Chicago Bears over the New York Giants. Anderson made up for two early mistakes with a 42-yard touchdown run with 6:39 left Sunday and 'Refrigerator' Perry blocked a field goal in the final seconds to give the Bears a 20-17 victory.
'This proves that our team can fight adversity, come back and win the tough ones,' Bears defensive end Trace Armstrong said.
The game was a rematch of New York's 31-3 victory in last January's NFC playoffs.
The Bears, 3-0, blew a 13-0 halftime lead, in part because of an Anderson fumble. The Pro Bowl running back also dropped a sure touchdown pass in the first half.
'A bad play on my part. Those things are going to happen,' Anderson said. 'The bottom line is we didn't quit late in the ballgame.'
After the Giants, 1-2, took a 17-13 lead early in the fourth quarter on Rodney Hampton's second TD run of the game, the Bears responded with a 76-yard, seven-play scoring drive. Jim Harbaugh hit Wendell Davis on a 13-yard completion on third down.
Anderson took a handoff on the next play, went around left end and sprinted down the sideline.
'It was just a counter play, and fortunately everybody was going inside,' said Bears tackle Ron Mattes, who along with wide receiver Tom Waddle provided the key blocks that sprung Anderson. 'L.T. (linebacker Lawrence Taylor) was pinching, and they sealed off everything to the inside, and it was off to the races.'
Anderson leaped from the 5 over the orange cone in the front corner of the end zone and originally was ruled out of bounds there. But the TD was awarded after instant replay showed he had not stepped out.
'I don't care if the play had been ruled out at the 5-yard line,' Bears Coach Mike Ditka said. 'We would have scored anyway. That's the way we felt at that time. We just needed a shot in the arm, and Neal Anderson gave us one.'
The Giants' Jeff Hostetler directed one final drive, moving to the Chicago 8 in the closing seconds. Hampton caught passes of 13 and 19 yards on the drive. But a motion penalty pushed New York back to the 18, and Perry pushed through the line to get a hand on Matt Bahr's 35-yard field-goal attempt with 12 seconds left.
'The tallest guy on our team,' Ditka said of Perry, who is listed as 6-foot-2 and weighed into training camp two months ago at 370 pounds. 'It hit him right in the stomach.'
'I thought I hit the ball well, but you hear that second thud and you know there's trouble,' said Bahr, who missed a 43-yarder in the first half and kicked a 35-yarder that rattled through off the upright.
The Bears scored 13 points in the final seven minutes of the second quarter to build a 13-0 halftime lead. Kevin Butler kicked a 46-yard field goal, Harbaugh hooked up with Davis on a 75-yard TD bomb, and Butler hit another field goal from 20 yards as time expired.
But the Bears allowed the Giants back in the game in the third quarter, handing them excellent field position with a fumble by Anderson, a Harbaugh interception and a 24-yard Maury Buford punt.
Bahr kicked a 35-yard field goal, and Hampton scored on a 6-yard run to close within 13-10 at the end of three quarters. Hampton then rambled in from 3 yards out with 10:09 remaining in the game to give the Giants their first lead at 17-13.
'It's obviously a very disappointing loss,' said Giants rookie Coach Ray Handley, whose team has dropped two straight. 'We battled back in the second half and with the exception of Anderson's run would have won the game. I'm disappointed in the big plays that we're giving up.'
The Giants, 1-2, fell under .500 for the first time since 1987 -- the last season they were defending Super Bowl champions.
Harbaugh finished 15 of 25 for 221 yards with the one touchdown and one interception. Hostetler went 26 of 35 for 209 yards with an interception, while Hampton carried 15 times for 61 yards in his first game of the season after missing the first two with a shoulder injury. He also caught six passes for 46 yards.
The Giants controlled the ball for 37:09 to 22:51 for Chicago. They also had 21 first downs to Chicago's 10, but Handley didn't blame Hostetler for the loss.
'I thought we outplayed them overall,' he said. 'I don't think our quarterback was the reason for the loss. I thought he did a pretty good job ... (and) I really don't anticipate a quarterback change at the present time.'

9-15-1996 Redskins 31 Giants 10

Pass
Brown 31-17-201-1-4
Rush
Hampton 9-58-0
Rec
Calloway 5-72-0
Int
Sehorn 1-15-0
KR
Wheatley 4-106-26.5-0

Eric BBI: Overview: The Giants are getting better, but they still are not playing good football yet. Their inconsistency on offense, defense, and special teams is killing them. The defense has played fairly well this year, but they need to play well for all four quarters. The offense has been pathetic and just when it looks like they will get something going, a dumb penalty here or some mental lapse there causes a breakdown that will halt a drive. With all the youth on this team, there should be more enthusiasm and hustle, especially on special teams. At 0-3, and their morale just about as low as it can possibly get, this team needs a win, and some confidence, desperately. As one watches the Giants, one gets the feeling it is only a matter of time before they will shoot themselves in the foot and lose yet another game. The players look like they expect the worst to happen. That attitude has got to stop now!

Quarterback: Inconsistency is Dave Brown’s middle name. At the start of the game, he looked nervous to us, like he was trying too hard not to make a mistake instead of going out there and just playing like he can. On his first pass play, he was pressured too quickly and threw what we thought was an ill-advised pass to Hampton on a screen (the pass fell incomplete). He then threw a really nice pass to Aaron Pierce where he stepped up into the pocket (finally!) and threw a bullet right on the money. The Giants came back with another screen that picked up good yardage but a holding penalty brought the play back and once again put the Giants into a long yardage situation. It is almost impossible to develop an offensive rhythm when you’re constantly in 2nd- and 3rd-and-long. Then Brown was pressured by Ken Harvey and threw a horrible pass into coverage which was picked off. When Brown came back into the game on his next possession, he tossed another ball on a slant to Calloway that should have been intercepted. Brown looked jittery to us — like he was feeling pressure that wasn’t there on some plays. We were just about to forever give up on Brown at that point, but what does he do but come back into the game and start moving the team in the second quarter with nice passes to the outside receivers. Indeed, all four top receivers were involved as Brown hit Calloway, Dawsey, and Lewis repeatedly on two back-to-back drives where he led the Giants into Skins territory. He also threw a really nice deep ball to Toomer, but Amani couldn’t make the play. The first drive stalled on Chris Calloway holding penalty, a batted ball on 3rd-and-two, and a missed field goal. Dave was impressive again on his next drive as he was “on” on most of his passes and he ended it by throwing a beauty to Aaron Pierce for a TD right before halftime. In the second half, Brown had a wide open Howard Cross on an intermediate route over the middle, but was hit as he threw and then was sacked on the ensuing play — thus negating excellent field position supplied to the offense by a turnover. Then on their second drive in the 3rd quarter, Brown threw three nice passes, two that were completed to Way and Calloway (the latter being near the goalline) and the third was knocked out of Calloway’s hands by Darrell Green in the endzone. On the 3rd drive, Brown looked sharp hitting Cross and Lewis, once again moving the team down the field, but he then underthrew a wide open Thomas Lewis on a flea flicker and the pass was picked off. Inconsistency! On the fourth drive, Brown tossed a 35-yard beauty to Calloway and then threw a nice out to Lewis. However, after a sack, he threw a terrible pass to Toomer that was picked off again in the endzone. Inconsistency! His final interception (his fourth!) was not his fault — the pass was perfectly thrown to Wheatley, but it bounced right off his hands and into Marvcus Patton’s hands (who Dave Brown had an on-going feud with throughout the game)...

https://www.bigblueinteractive.com/1996/09/18/game-review-washington-redskins-new-york-giants-september-15-1996/

9-15-2002 Giants 26 Rams 21

Pass
Collins 26-22-307-1-1
Rush
Barber 19-80-0
Rec
Hilliard 4-97-0
Toomer 4-92-0
Int
Sehorn 1-31-1
Peterson 1-0-0

NYT: This Time, the Giants Finish Off the Rams

“A Giants lead that had once been 17 points was reduced to 2 with more than eight minutes remaining, and Kerry Collins jogged onto the field, clapped his hands and leaned into the huddle.
The Giants' defense had performed exceptionally, frustrating Rams quarterback Kurt Warner and scoring a touchdown with an interception return, but the St. Louis offense was relentless; Collins knew the defensive players were exhausted. He had seen defensive tackle Keith Hamilton slumped on the bench, his legs cramping, and others sitting with their heads down.
Collins glanced around the huddle, into the eyes of first-year starters, a rookie and a few veterans. ''Hey, it's on us,'' Collins said, and he paused and smiled. ''And you've got to love it.''
The players responded, driving downfield, and as they held the ball, the defense had a meeting of its own. ''It's on us,'' the defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn barked. ''Finish the job.''

And the Giants did, stunning the defending National Football Conference champion Rams on their own field, 26-21, today. Having beaten a team that had forever haunted them, the Giants (1-1) suddenly look much more like a playoff contender than a team in a rebuilding year.
''This was kind of the theme of the week: we're all going to cross the finish line,'' Giants Coach Jim Fassel said. ''We left some unfinished business down here last year, and I'm really proud of this group the way they played.''
Collins completed 22 of his 26 attempts, setting a regular-season Giants record with a completion percentage of 84.6 percent, and threw for 307 yards. The offensive line pushed and shoved for 103 rushing yards. Matt Bryant, who was jet-skiing in Texas two weeks ago and contemplating his next career after being cut by the Giants, hammered four field goals and is 6 for 6 this season.
The Rams, heavy favorites to win the last season's Super Bowl, are 0-2. ''I don't think anybody does anything well when they panic,'' Rams Coach Mike Martz said. ''We've got to fix what we're not doing well and move on.''

The Giants lost to the Rams here last year, 15-14, pounding Warner, pressuring him with a four-man front. Today, the Rams usually committed a tight end or running back to help right tackle John St. Clair with Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, and Warner had time. But with just four receivers running patterns against the Giants' linebackers and defensive backs -- the Giants opened the game with six cornerbacks and safeties -- Warner struggled early. The Giants took a 3-0 lead into the second quarter, and the sense of unease among Rams fans began building.
The Giants had third-and-8 at the Rams' 28-yard line in the second quarter, and as Collins broke the huddle, the rookie tight end Jeremy Shockey jogged to the right, setting up along the sideline, very wide. Linebacker Tommy Polley crouched across the line from him, and Collins glanced that way. This is the matchup Collins envisioned from early in minicamp, Shockey and his speed against a linebacker. At the snap, Shockey sprinted straight, turned inward, and Polley mirrored his movement. But then Shockey broke right, and Polley was beaten.
After Collins's pass reached Shockey and Shockey reached the end zone, a 28-yard catch and run, he spiked the ball against the artificial surface so violently that it careened horizontally. Confused murmurs filled the Edward Jones Dome.
Trailing by 10-0, the Rams' offense came out intending to restore order. But Kenny Holmes, stunting with Hamilton, curled inside and sacked Warner. On the next play, Holmes stunted to the middle again, reached up and tipped Warner's pass, and the ball hurtled high into the air, tumbling into the arms of Jason Sehorn, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. The Giants had a 17-0 lead, their first 17-point lead since the N.F.C. championship game in the 2000 season.

But the Giants' defense was on the field for 19 of 22 plays during a second-quarter span, and it began growing weary. A 17-0 halftime lead was cut to 10 on a touchdown pass by Warner, and St. Louis got a 1-yard touchdown run from Marshall Faulk on its first drive of the second half to make the score 17-14. Once more, it seemed the Giants might let a game get away, as they did repeatedly last season and as they had against the San Francisco 49ers in the opening game this year.
Collins had completed 12 of his first 13 attempts, zipping passes into the soft spots of the Rams' two-deep zone. St. Louis began applying extra pressure on Collins midway through the Giants' first drive of the second half, just as San Francisco did. The Giants withstood the first blitzes, as Collins completed consecutive passes to Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard, advancing the ball to the St. Louis 8 with about seven minutes left in the third quarter.
On third-and-goal, Tiki Barber lined up wide right, uncovered -- and unseen by Collins, who took the snap, settled into the pocket and did not see defensive end Leonard Little charging. Little buckled Collins at the waist with a crushing hit, and the ball came loose, with St. Louis defensive backs Aeneas Williams and Kim Herring in full pursuit and an open field in front of them. But the side judge, Mike Rutherford, rushed in, waving his arms, signaling that Collins was down. No fumble. ''We got a break, maybe,'' said Collins, who admitted he thought he had fumbled.
The Rams' assistant coaches and players began protesting, and when a replay of Little's hit was shown on the scoreboard, the Rams' assistants began screaming. It appeared some of them gestured for Martz to challenge the play, and Martz seemed to yell back at them, as Bryant rushed onto the field and kicked a 32-yard field goal, increasing the Giants' lead to 20-14.

Bryant kicked another field goal early in the fourth quarter, increasing the Giants' lead to 23-14, but the Rams answered again, moving 69 yards on six plays, before Faulk bounced off a tackler and ran 8 yards for a touchdown. Hamilton was on the bench, sore, and Cornelius Griffin walked the sideline slightly bent at the waist, out of the game with back trouble. Linebacker Micheal Barrow tried to think of something to say to keep the defense going.
Before he could speak, however, Lynn gathered the defensive players in a circle, reminding them of what they had talked about all week. It was posted in their locker room: finish the job. Lynn punctuated his remarks with a jab of his hand, and Barrow added something he remembered Deion Sanders saying: You can't worry about making a mistake. Make a play.
Collins and the offense bought them time, moving down the field for four precious minutes, time for the defensive players to catch their breath; the importance of that respite was huge, Hamilton said. Bryant kicked a 25-yard field goal with 4 minutes 23 seconds left, giving the Giants a 26-21 lead.
''It's on us,'' Barrow yelled again, tapping his helmet against that of Brandon Short, who then turned and tapped helmets with Strahan.

The Rams advanced to their 40, fourth-and-inches, little more than three minutes remaining, and Barrow thought Warner might try to sneak for a first down. But he didn't recognize the formation, Faulk standing at Warner's side. A run, Barrow said, to the left, where Short and Dhani Jones were blitzing, on Lynn's orders. Faulk was stopped a yard behind the line, and Strahan knocked the ball loose and recovered the fumble. The Giants began whooping on the sideline.
St. Louis would have one last possession, which Will Peterson ended with an interception. The Giants had finished the job, on offense and on defense.”

9-15-2003 Cowboys 35 Giants 32 OT

Pass
Collins 51-21-265-3-2
Rush
Barber 15-41-0
Rec
Toomer 7-126-1
Hilliard 6-85-1
Int
Brown 1-29-1
Punt
Feagles 7-306-43.7

NYT: Dallas Ruins Giants' Comeback in Overtime

“A soaking rain finally stopped at halftime, and the Giants finally started, turning a no-hope, 16-point third-quarter deficit into a Monday Night Football game with enough twists and turns for a whole season.
After a wild exchange of field goals in the final 11 seconds sent the game into overtime, the Cowboys won, 35-32, on a 25-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff. It was Cundiff's seventh field goal of the game, tying an N.F.L. record.
It overshadowed a thrilling comeback by the Giants, who trailed, 23-7, in the third quarter. Quarterback Kerry Collins shook off a miserable first half with two interceptions and led the Giants' comeback behind a makeshift offensive line featuring three rookies. Collins threw touchdown passes to tight end Jeremy Shockey and Amani Toomer in the fourth quarter to pull the Giants into a 29-29 tie with 6:20 left.
The Giants thought the comeback was complete when Matt Bryant kicked a 30-yard field goal with 11 seconds left. But Bryant's ensuing kickoff skidded out of bounds, giving the Cowboys the ball at the 40. Quarterback Quincy Carter threw a 36-yard pass to Antonio Bryant, and Cundiff kicked a 52-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime.

Until the Giants' comeback, it was nearly an unblemished coming-out party for the Cowboys' quarterback and their coach. Bill Parcells, who coached the Giants franchise to two Super Bowls in the early 1990s and roamed these sidelines for three years as the Jets' coach, won his first game since taking over as the Cowboys' coach.
On the field, though, the stars were Cundiff and Carter, the much-maligned quarterback Parcells installed in the starting job. Carter led the Cowboys on three scoring drives in the first half, scoring a touchdown on an 8-yard scramble, and driving them to three more field goals in the second half as the Cowboys kept pulling away from the Giants. Carter, who was 25 of 40 for 322 yards passing, spread big plays among his three receivers, Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn and Bryant, when the Cowboys needed them most.
But the Giants finally started matching Dallas with big plays in the fourth quarter. The touchdown pass to Shockey was the end of a 69-yard drive with 9:54 left. Toomer's touchdown, a 20-yarder, completed a three-play, 64-yard drive with 6:20 left. The Giants had three tries at the 2-point conversion because Dallas was twice called for pass interference, and they scored on the third attempt on a run by Tiki Barber.
At first, the Giants' defense seemed ready to make up for whatever struggles the offense might have.

The Giants' first two drives of the game went nowhere, but cornerback Ralph Brown scored the first points when he stepped in front of Galloway and returned an interception of Carter 29 yards for an easy touchdown with 7:21 left in the first quarter.
The Cowboys, however, got their offense going on the next drive. Carter hit Glenn with a 20-yard pass to the Giants' 37, then turned to the running game. Troy Hambrick had runs of 12 yards and 7 yards, and Richie Anderson ran for 11 more to the Giants' 7. After the Cowboys lost a yard on the next run, Carter dropped back to pass, then scrambled for a touchdown from the 8. That tied the game at 7-7 with 3:06 left in the first quarter.
The Giants' offensive woes already included giving up two sacks of Collins, one resulting in a fumble that the Giants recovered. Then they added a fumble by Barber at the Giants' 35-yard line. Dallas linebacker Dat Nguyen recovered it, and the Cowboys used the possession to take a 10-7 lead with a 37-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff.
The Giants' next drive featured a busted running play in which Barber ran into the back of his blockers and a long pass dropped by tight end Jeremy Shockey on third down.

The Cowboys drove 30 yards and got a 49-yard field goal by Cundiff for a 13-7 lead. The big gain was on a 21-yard pass from Carter to Galloway to the Giants' 36.
But with a running game going nowhere and Collins limited to a quick-drop passing game, the Giants were going from bad to worse. The Cowboys responded by overplaying the quick slant routes the Giants' receivers were running.
Cowboys linebacker Al Singleton read one of those passes and intercepted Collins, running it back 41 yards for a touchdown and a 20-7 lead with 3:05 left in the half.
Collins finally connected for a big gain on the Giants' ensuing drive, a 40-yard pass to Amani Toomer to the Dallas 32. But four plays later, Collins threw another interception, this one by cornerback Terence Newman at the 20.

At halftime, the Giants' statistics read like their worst nightmare. They had 14 rushing yards. Collins was 7 of 21 for 105 yards. Their best offensive drive ended in an interception. They had three turnovers and five first downs.
Halftime gave them a short escape -- and an end to the rain -- but the second half brought no immediate relief. The Giants' kickoff bounced out of bounds, giving the Cowboys the ball at their 40. They needed only 36 yards for Cundiff to kick a 42-yard field goal with 11 minutes left in the third, giving Dallas a 23-7 lead. Again, Carter was doing all the damage, with big completions to Bryant (25 yards) and Jason Witten (15 yards).
The Giants' offense started moving on the first drive of the second half. The big play was a 38-yard penalty, when Dallas safety Roy Williams was called for pass interference in the end zone while trying to defend Toomer, who finished with 7 receptions for 126 yards. The play was a Barber-to-Ike Hilliard reverse, and Hilliard threw it back to Collins, who threw deep to Toomer.
With the ball at the 1, Shockey dropped a pass in the end zone and Barber was thrown for a 4-yard loss. Collins then passed to Hilliard for a 5-yard touchdown, cutting the Cowboys' lead to 23-14 with 8:11 left in the third.
The Giants still could not stop the Cowboys' offense, which drove for another field goal by Cundiff that made the lead 26-14 with 4:53 left.”


9-15-2013 Broncos 41 Giants 23

Pass
Manning 49-28-362-1-4
Rush
Wilson 7-17-0
Rec
Cruz 8-118-0
Punt
Weatherford 5-231-46.2

USA Today: Manning Bowl: Peyton, Broncos get better of Eli, Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — “Unless they meet again in the postseason, this was the last Manning Bowl.

No less an authority than Peyton Manning says so, and why not: Peyton is 3-0 against younger brother Eli in regular-season games after Denver's 41-23 rout Sunday of the New York Giants.
"I think both of us are glad that it's over with," Peyton said after throwing for two touchdowns. "Postseason is one thing, but I don't think I'll make it to the next regular season (meeting, in four years). I think this'll be the end of it. So I'll be happy about that. And the family will."

Big brother didn't need another record-tying seven touchdown passes. He got this win with a huge boost from Knowshon Moreno, who rushed for two touchdowns and 93 yards on just 13 carries. Denver (2-0), which has won 13 straight regular-season games, ran for 109 yards altogether.

With Manning finding Wes Welker and Julius Thomas for touchdowns, and Moreno scoring on sprints down the right side, Denver dominated much of the matchup between Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks; Eli has won two titles, Peyton one. The older Manning's first two victories against his sibling came when Peyton was with the Colts.
"For me, it's a strange feeling," Peyton said. "It's not quite as enjoyable as if you beat somebody else."

Peyton finished 30-of-43 for 307 yards with no interceptions. Eli was 28-of-39 for 362 yards, but was picked off four times; he had 15 interceptions all of last season and has seven already this year.

After the rout, the brothers shared a very short handshake while surrounded by a mob of photographers and TV cameras. They had exchanged their greetings before the kickoff.
"We chatted for 10 minutes, nothing specific, just brotherly talk," Eli said. "After that, there wasn't a whole lot of brotherly interaction."

The Giants also allowed Trindon Holliday's spectacular 81-yard punt return for a touchdown, the first such score in the league this season.

Peyton, who became the third player over 60,000 career yards passing on Denver's opening drive, connected with a wide-open Welker for a 2-yard score that gave the Broncos a 17-9 lead. But little brother took New York 81 yards in response, although the drive was built more on Broncos blunders — four penalties, including two for pass interference — than Manning magic.
There was plenty of Moreno magic on Denver's next series, when he again surged around right end to almost duplicate his earlier 20-yard scoring run with a 25-yarder. Considered a backup heading toward the season, New Jersey native Moreno was virtually the entire running game for the Broncos on Sunday — and he made the difference.

"I feel the same every game, always amped up and real emotional," he said. "You just got to go out and play."

Peyton Manning also hit Thomas for an 11-yard score as Denver pulled away in the second half after leading 10-9 at halftime. Da'Rel Scott took a short pass 23 yards for a TD for New York to conclude the Giants' scoring.
"It's very disappointing, frustrating ... the whole point is we have to hang in there," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We have 14 games to go. We have been 0-2 before. We dug ourselves into a hole before and been able to fight our way out of it. When we did it was with team, but the performance level has to come up."
The sloppy first half was marred by eight dropped passes on both sides, including three by Welker. The biggest drop, though, came on a running play when rookie Montee Ball fumbled at the New York 3 to ruin Denver's drive from its 7 on the opening series.
Eli Manning then led his team 62 yards — 51 on a pass to Victor Cruz — and Josh Brown made a 36-yard field goal.
Brown added kicks of 24 and 41 yards in the first half.
Denver's first touchdown came on Moreno's 20-yard sprint around right end early in the second quarter, and Matt Prater made a 42-yard field goal 47 seconds before halftime. He added a 47-yarder 2:38 from the end. The Giants have allowed 77 points in two games.”

https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/2817623

Giants Birthdays

Chad Bratzke RDE D5-Eastern Kentucky 1994 NYG 1984-1998 9-15-1971

Bob Davis QB

David Diehl LT/RT/LG/RG D5-Illinois 2003 NYG 2003-2013 9-15-1980

Alonzo Jackson LB W-PIT 2005 NYG 2005 9-15-1980

Joe Morris RB D2-Syracuse 1982 NYG 1982-1988 9-15-1960

Aaron Ross LCB/RCB/SS D1-Texas 2007, W-JAC 2013 NYG 2007-2011, 2013 9-15-1982

Travis Rudolph WR UDFA-FSU 2017 NYG 2017 9-15-1995

In Memoriam

Pete Athas LCB W-DAL 1971 NYG 1971-1974
Born 9-15-1946 Died 6-28-2015

1975 Profile: Pete Athas

Cornerback-Punt Returner
No. 45
Tennessee
"Athas came to the Giants as a free agent prior to the 1971 season and won a spot as a defensive back and return man. He's been the starting left cornerback since and led the club in interceptions in 1973 with five for 52 yards returned, and in punt returns with 20 for 153 yards.
Pete also shared the club lead in interceptions in 1972 with four, and of his 13 interceptions in four years, one went for a touchdown- a 37-yard return against Dallas in 1971. The Cowboys had drafted Athas No. 10 in 1969, but released him during the preseason. He spent the next two seasons in the Continental League, winning All-League honors twice.
Athas had an extremely brief collegiate career, first at Dade Junior College in Miami and then at Tennessee where he played just one season of freshman football after going out for the team without the benefit of a scholarship. He had three interceptions against the Georgia frosh in his very first game.
Pete was born in Hackensack, New Jersey and later moved to Miami where he starred in all sports at Edison High School. He resides in Miami."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

Joe Johnson E UDFA-Mississippi 1948 NYG 1948 Born 9-15-1926 Died 2-15-2009

“But let’s get back to that play against Ole Miss, shall we? This was Nov. 1, 1947, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. That day’s Clarion-Ledger advertised a five-diamond wedding ring for a dollar down and 50 cents a week. Men’s dress shoes were going for $5.95 a pair. A case of Cokes went for 99 cents.
No telling what Tittle would have paid for an extra belt that day.

The game matched two of the nation’s best quarterbacks – Tittle against Conerly. Ole Miss won 20-18 en route to an SEC Championship in John Vaught’s first season as head coach.

Most have forgotten the score of that game 70 years ago. They have not forgotten the legendary play. The legend grew over the years: That Tittle intercepted a Conerly pass, and was running down the field when his belt buckle broke and his pants went to his ankles just as he was about to score a touchdown. The first time the story was recounted to me, Tittle’s moon, so to speak, was shining for all in sold-out Tiger Stadium to see.
That’s not the way it happened, according to extremely reliable sources who have since departed this world.
Ole Miss greats Farley “Fish” Salmon, who died in June of 2015, and Barney Poole, who died in April, 2005, were both on the field that day. In 1995, both laughed long and hard as they recounted the story.
“Y.A.’s pants never went past his knees,” Salmon said. “And he sure wasn’t about to score a touchdown.”
Salmon said there was no need to embellish the story because “it was funny enough the way it really happened.”
In those days, football trousers were much different than the space-aged, spandex tights players wear today. Back then, a belt really was needed to hold the baggy pants up.
The play?

“It was a pass play,” Poole told me. “I was running a hook pattern and our other end was running a deep pattern. Charlie threw it to the other guy. Well, Tittle, being the athlete he was, got back there and intercepted it.

Joe Johnson, I believe he was the other end, reached up and grabbed at Tittle. I guess he got his belt and ripped it loose.”

Tittle started back up the field and, 48 years later, Poole’s story was interrupted by his own laughter. “Tittle had the ball in one hand, and was holding up his pants with the other. I believe they almost went past his knees before he grabbed them.
“I was in a little bit of a quandary,” Poole continued, still chuckling. “I mean, here I come to make the tackle and I’m laughing because it’s so funny. And I’m thinking: Where do I hit him? Coach Vaught never told me how to tackle a guy with his pants down.”
Tittle once told The Times-Picayune: “I tried to stiff-arm Barney, and when I did, my pants almost went down. I never felt so alone in all my life.”
Said Poole: “It wasn’t much of a tackle. Tittle was pretty much going down on his own.”
Salmon arrived just as Tittle went down. The scene must have seemed surreal.
“Everybody was just standing around laughing. It’s a really big game – LSU and Ole Miss – and we were in hysterics,” Salmon said. “Tittle’s trying to pull his pants up but he can’t get them over his hip pads. Finally, Y.A. hollered, ‘Dammit, quit laughing and help me pull these pants up.’”

https://mississippitoday.org/2017/10/09/the-day-ole-miss-caught-the-great-y-a-tittle-with-his-pants-down/

Bob Peviani LB D6-USC 1953 NYG 1953 Born 9-15-1931 Died 9-24-2012

USC: “He was born in East Los Angeles and received a scholarship to play football at USC. He lettered as a line guard from 1950 to 1952 and was named USC’s Lineman of the Year in 1952. He received the John Dye Memorial Scholarship, which was awarded to the varsity football player chosen as the lineman of the year by vote of the coaching staff. He was with the New York Giants in 1953 and Army at Fort Ord in 1954, and he spent several years with the Ottawa Rough Riders as a guard tackle.”