Giants
Benton Giantswire USA Today: How Giants players are working out during the coronavirus
https://giantswire.usatoday.com/2020/05/26/how-new-york-giants-players-are-working-out-during-the-coronavirus/amp/
Traina Forbes.com: Why NFL Teams Need To Proceed With Caution Regarding Blockbuster Deals
“Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wants a new contract. So does safety Jamal Adams of the Jets and defensive tackle Leonard Williams of the Giants...”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/patriciatraina/2020/05/26/why-nfl-teams-need-to-proceed-with-caution-regarding-blockbuster-deals/amp/
Schneier CBS Sports.com: Giants breakout predictions 2020: Will Hernandez thrives in power scheme, Jason Garrett unlocks Evan Engram
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/giants-breakout-predictions-2020-will-hernandez-thrives-in-power-scheme-jason-garrett-unlocks-evan-engram/amp/
Edwards Anniston Star: Former JSU assistant lands job on New York Giants staff
“Williams isn't the only Giants staff member with JSU ties. Defensive assistant Jody Wright was passing game coordinator and tight ends coach in 2013. He also is a JSU graduate and served as a student assistant during 2002-04.
Like Williams, Wright worked with Judge at Alabama. Wright was an Alabama graduate assistant in 2010 and offensive analyst in 2011-12.”
http://www.dailystarjournal.com/sports/national/former-jsu-assistant-lands-job-on-new-york-giants-staff/article_a1cc1c3b-58d2-55e0-8a5f-0e2c84822ffd.html
Offense
McDonald NYDN: What Jason Garrett can bring with him from Dallas to unlock the Giants offense
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/ny-jason-garrett-first-season-expectations-20200526-suymleypqrdhxogsbtzex7b3oq-story.html
QB
Dan Orlovsky: Rewatching all of @Giants Daniel Jones 2019 season-gonna post some videos tomorrow but he was absolutely lights out ACCURACY wise vs man coverage (#1 thing needed vs man)
Ball being placed exactly where it needs to be per where the defender is in coverage. Really well done
Valentine BBV: Does QB Case Cookus have real chance to knock Alex Tanney off Giants’ roster?
https://www.bigblueview.com/platform/amp/2020/5/25/21268390/ny-giants-roster-analysis-qb-case-cookus-alex-tanney
RB
Thompson SI.com: Giants Player Profile | Saquon Barkley, RB
https://www.si.com/.amp-nygiants/nfl/giants/news/giants-player-profile-saquon-barkley-rb
WR/TE
Rosenblatt NJ.com: How do Giants’ Daniel Jones’ pass-catching options stack up with rest of NFL? Here’s what PFF thinks
https://www.nj.com/giants/2020/05/how-does-daniel-jones-collection-of-pass-catching-giants-weapons-stack-up-with-rest-of-nfl-heres-what-pff-thinks.html
QB Data Mine: Daniel Jones' receivers dropped 5.9% of his attempts last season, the seventh-highest rate in the league
Defense
Bobby Skinner: Patrick Graham seemed to add a new play each week specifically for 3rd downs.
Against Washington, he’d have 6 guys roaming in the box with most blitzing and one safety bailing to cover the middle of the field
Dan Schneier CBS Sports.com: I promised you all a bill of goods with Bettcher (what!?? he was aggressive as hell in AZ), but it never came to fruition. He made things to complicated on the back end and felt he couldn't send it.
Graham WILL blitz OFTEN. Graham will play MAN coverage. He will mix it up
DT
PFF: Highest-graded rookie DT in 2019
Dexter Lawrence, Giants - 76.1
Dan Schneier CBS Sports.com: I know we don't like to give too much credit on here to IDLs, but Dexter Lawrence was great last year. Constantly flashed on All-22 every time you watched (except maybe 2-3 games).
Only going to get better in year two with LW on the DL full time.
A Giants Building block.
OLB
Vincent Rapisardi: Kyler Fackrell’s Pass Rush Win Rate exceeded 18% last season.
He was also double-teamed above the league average.
Both marks where higher than Bud Dupree, Kyle Van Noy, and Markus Golden
ILB
Staten Island Live: Blake Martinez, a new N.Y. Giant, visits with fans, tells stories, gives advice
Life-Wire: What made you decide to come to the NY Giants?
Martinez: I got to free agency and had options out there of where I wanted to go. And the Giants were one of them. The players we have on our team now, an extremely young talented group. The new coaching staff, heard a lot of amazing things about them. Actually, my inside linebacker coach two years ago [Patrick Graham] is the defensive coordinator. So I had a great relationship with him and it just seemed like the perfect fit. Obviously, the Packers is a great franchise and to be able to switch teams to the NY Giants, another amazing, well-known franchise, it just seemed like a no-brainer for me, and I’m excited to be here.
Life-Wire: What gave you the idea to play with the NY Giants?
Martinez: One of them was the type of guys I was going to be around. The fan base I was gonna be around. For my wife, obviously it’s a lot different from the Green Bay environment. There’s a lot more stuff to do out in New York. So she was excited about that.
Life-Wire: How does it feel to be a part of the NY Giants?
Martinez: We haven’t been able to be in the facility yet, obviously with the virus. But we’ve had meetings as a group ... it’s just been awesome to meet with the guys, talk with the guys. It’s so cool to see how passionate they are, how badly they want to get better. I can’t wait to get back out there and get to work.
Life-Wire: What’s the major or minor differences between college and professional football?
Martinez: On a college team, you have say two or three guys that are really, really good players that have a chance to get drafted [to the NFL]. Your whole defensive scheme is built around them and to make them flourish ... but in the NFL, all across the board you have all 11 guys that are amazing athletes, amazing players, and it’s more incorporated throughout the whole defense that all 11 are doing their job, everybody has to be on their Ps and Qs … because if one guy messes up, on the other side of the ball, there’s also 11 amazing players. If you have one guy mess up ... that one person on the other side is going to make your defense look bad.
Life-Wire: What did you learn from playing football?
Martinez: There’s a lot of aspects, obviously learning fundamentals and small things like that, but I think for me the biggest thing overall that I learned that has helped me in football and out of football is the teamwork aspect. Working together as a group, communicating with one another , problem-solving between situations and working together as a whole to reach a common goal. That has helped me out a lot individually and helped me become a role model to other people.
Life-Wire: Who’s the hardest person you ever tackled?
Martinez: Definitely Saquon Barkley of the Giants.
Life-Wire: That’s beast mode. You got guts man. Have you always been a defensive player?
Martinez: No. In high school, I played tight end, running back, and my first ever position was offensive lineman.
Life-Wire: Have you ever won or played in a Super Bowl?
Martinez: No, I’ve been close twice as I played in two NFC Championships and that’s it.
Life-Wire: Who influenced you to play football?
Martinez: It’s a funny story. When I first started playing tackle football, I played with older kids just ‘cause I was bigger and there was a weight limit thing. After the first practice, I did not like it. I left. I think I was 10 years old and didn’t want to play football ever again. Then maybe a year later, I tried back after talking with my dad and uncle, after that, started falling in love with it again, gave it a shot and ever since then just been playing football.
Life-Wire: Who was your favorite player when you were a kid?
Martinez: Brian Urlacher. He was the guy I always watched. I always wanted to be like him.
Lifestyles supervisor Mark Collins, a former defensive line coach at Wagner College had some personal connections to share with Martinez. He and Packer head coach Mike Sherman played together at Central Connecticut State University. And at Wagner, Patrick Graham, former defensive line coach with the Packers and now assistant head coach with the Giants, coached with Collins from 2003 to 2004.
Mark Collins: So tell Pat that Coach Collins needs tickets. What I want to ask is are you able to get some workouts in? Are you able to train with anyone out there? How are you staying in shape?
Martinez: Last year, me and my dad started a project where we built a workout facility out here. So it was the perfect timing. We have a full weight room, a turf field and basketball court in the facility. It’s been a lifesaver. I train here everyday.
Collins: How was the echo of Vince Lombardi when you walked out in that stadium? There’s a lot of lure and history there and it had to be special to go out and play in that atmosphere and for those fans, and I think when you come to New York, you’re gonna find something very similar -- how the people are so excited and into the Giants.
Martinez: Oh yeah. It was amazing stepping out onto the field every time at Lambeau. When you come out of the tunnel, right before you enter the field, there’s bricks from when they first built the stadium; so it’s always a reminder of the history of Lambeau field. So yeah, I’m excited to walk out in Met Life to the roaring fans. I’ve heard nothing but great things.
Collins: One last thing, my favorite player growing up was Jerry Kramer.
Martinez: Yes! Yes! He was the one that selected me when I was drafted.
Life-Wire: The Giants have a rich tradition of great linebackers. Are you ready to fill those shoes?
Martinez: For me, it’s always been my goal to be the best linebacker. Any player that steps into the NFL wants to be the best at what they do… All those guys, all those legends that came through and became legends, that’s what they did. I just spoke to Jessie Armstead, obviously an amazing Giant player, and got advice and that’s basically what he told me.
Life-Wire: Was it your dream to become a football star?
Martinez: It wasn’t really my dream to be a football star. For me, football was something that was always a goal of mine to do something more than what was expected of me and football ended up being that kind of outlet for me. I grew up in Tuscon, Arizona. We first lived in a trailer home and my dad worked his butt off to provide us with the ability to go and do the things we wanted to do. And so for me, it was always something I always wanted to give back to him and work really hard. I did that in football. And it ended up working out for me. Now that I am in the NFL, I want to be the best and if that makes me a star, then it happens.
Life-Wire: Who do you look forward to sacking the hardest this year?
Martinez: All the quarterbacks in the NFC East. And then I’m definitely sacking Tom Brady this year. That’s the goal.
Life-Wire: On the Packers, you were number 50. You’re going to wear number 54 here? Why?
Martinez: In high school, I was number five. In college I was number four. And number 50 is retired here, so I couldn’t wear number 50. So I decided to go with 54 as a combination of my high school and college numbers.
Life-Wire: What was your favorite NFL play that you ever made?
Martinez: Last year we played the Detroit Lions. We were down 17-3 after half time. And it was a crucial game for us … I got a sack on the first play, then instantly the next play I got an interception, to get the ball back. Then we scored and went up and won the game.
Martinez concludes the interview by extending his sympathy and understanding for the loss of Lifestyles friend and leader, Scott Salinardi. He relates that his first best friend from third grade was diagnosed with cancer when they were in school and died when they were in ninth grade.
Martinez: He was the guy that was so helpful to me. He came to the lunch room and sat down next to me. I was the lonely kid and he asked to be my friend. He was always there for me. I asked my parents, Why him? Why someone so great, someone so helpful and why did he have to go so soon?
[My lesson is] find some type of positive out of it. Taking something that he taught you guys and making sure to always have that within you. So any day when things get tough, remember the helpful moments, the positive moments that he gave to you and think about those.
Martinez assures everyone, that that will make a difference.”
https://www.silive.com/sports/2020/05/blake-martinez-a-new-ny-giant-visits-with-fans-tells-stories-gives-advice.html
CB
Falato SI.com: Giants Player Profile: Corey Ballentine, CB
https://www.si.com/nfl/giants/news/giants-player-profile-corey-ballentine-cb
FS
Schwartz NYP: Xavier McKinney could completely transform Giants secondary
https://nypost.com/2020/05/25/xavier-mckinney-could-completely-transform-giants-defense/amp/
NFL
Breer MMQB: Why Teams Might Be Smart to Wait to Pay Their Veterans; Jalen Hurts's Competitiveness
https://www.si.com/.amp/nfl/2020/05/25/veteran-contracts-jalen-hurts-russell-wilson
Jason OTC: Which teams have the best position with the 2021 salary cap? Which have the worst?
“So here is how I would rank the teams in regard to salary cap health (call it the cap health index) followed by a few thoughts on the teams...
Tier 3: 49ers, Giants, Panthers, Vikings, Texans, Packers, Lions, Rams
This is a more haphazard group as it consists of a few teams that will likely have their cap positon overstated in 2021 and a few that will have it understated. For the most part this group of teams have one primary avenue to added cap space- either restructures or cuts but not nearly as much flexibility with both as the teams in the tier above. The 49ers, Lions and Rams can benefit the most with the restructure strategy while the Vikings, Packers, Giants, Panthers, and Texans could slice away to gain room. This is also the group where one big extension could drop them a tier and have a ripple effect on the cap. Of these teams the 49ers have the most overall flexibility and are probably in the best shape.
https://overthecap.com/2021-nfl-team-by-team-salary-cap-health/
Walder ESPN: 2020 NFL season projections: Chances to make Super Bowl, win division, land top draft spot, more
“26. New York Giants
Projected wins: 6.1
Chance to reach playoffs: 12%”
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29196114/2020-nfl-season-projections-chances-make-super-bowl-win-division-land-top-draft-spot-more?
Farrar Touchdownwire USA Today: Ranking the NFL's defenses from worst to first
26. New York Giants
“In 2019, Big Blue’s pass defense started out bad, and got worse over time — the Giants finished 32nd in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics in the second half of the season, and their secondary gave up 22 touchdowns while picking off just three passes. Rookie cornerback Deandre Baker was the primary issue, as he allowed eight touchdowns with no interceptions, and a 130.9 passer rating allowed. Baker’s current legal issues could have him on the outs with the team over time. The good news comes in the form of James Bradberry, the former Panthers cornerback who signed a three-year, $45 million contract to be the fulcrum of that secondary, and has the talent to do it, and second-round defender Xavier McKinney from Alabama. The Giants’ run defense was a strength, though there’s still a clear need for pass rush assistance.”
https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2020/05/26/ranking-the-nfls-defenses-from-worst-to-first/
Crabbs The Draft Network: WHICH 2018 NFL DRAFT TE IS POISED FOR THE BIGGEST BREAKOUT IN 2020?
https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/nfl-tight-ends-2018-nfl-draft-breakout
BALTIMORE
Brown Ravens.com: Matt Skura Gives Update on Knee, Looks Forward to Competition
https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/matt-skura-gives-update-on-knee-looks-forward-to-competition
Walker Baltimore Sun: Ravens rookie Bronson Rechsteiner has put professional wrestling on hold to embrace his passion for football
https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-bronson-rechsteiner-20200526-5n5t52tkgzgx3ajbj2cmzskjwa-story.html
CAROLINA
Getzenberg Charlotte Observer: P.J. Walker earned another opportunity in the NFL as part of the Panthers' revamped QB room following his performance in the XFL. Catching up with Walker on the importance of the XFL, his offseason training and more
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29196114/2020-nfl-season-projections-chances-make-super-bowl-win-division-land-top-draft-spot-more?
CHICAGO
Lieser Chicago Sun Times: Bears hope rookie WR Darnell Mooney can be dynamic playmaker upon arrival
https://chicago.suntimes.com/platform/amp/bears/2020/5/25/21269656/darnell-mooney-chicago-bears-40-yard-dash-time-tulane-2020-nfl-draft-fifth-round-stats-wide-receiver
CINCINNATI
Pfahler Dayton Daily News: Extending Mixon deal still top priority for Bengals?
https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/extending-mixon-deal-still-top-priority-for-bengals/kudh6MvEHpJLlVM1wkEWjJ/amp.html
CLEVELAND
Patsko Cleveland Plain Dealer: How the revamped Browns match up with the Ravens in 2020
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/05/how-the-revamped-browns-match-up-with-the-ravens-in-2020.html
Poisal Browns.com: B.J. Goodson brings abundance of confidence into unique first offseason with Browns
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/b-j-goodson-brings-abundance-of-confidence-into-unique-first-offseason-with-brow
DALLAS
Ian Rapoport NFL.com: From a Memorial Day edition of NFL Now: There isn't any traction for a Cowboys trade for Jamal Adams right now, and he may have to wait for an extension from the Jets like everyone else.
Gary Myers: My report, which started all this conversation, was there was a stalemate not an impasse. Either way, the problem is Adams wants a new deal now and Jets said no. Doesn’t need to be actual negotiating to have a stalemate
GREEN BAY
QB Data Mine: On average, quarterbacks threw six passes further than 40 yards downfield last year. Aaron Rodgers threw 18, five more than anyone else, and was the third-most accurate quarterback in the league
Owaczarski Mil JS: Packers linebacker Ty Summers' full offseason has him ready to compete
https://amp.packersnews.com/amp/5221190002
JACKSONVILLE
Tad Dickman PR Jaguars: Tomorrow, the Jaguars reopen their facility at TIAABankField.
While the team's football & business operations have remained fully open on a virtual basis for the entirety of COVID19, here's a thread explaining phase 1 of the facility reopening process
Following NFL protocol for the reopening of club facilities, the Jaguars have established an Infectious Response Team, which consists of team leadership, medical personnel and employees from the security, operations and legal departments
The IRT is responsible for a screening process, which requires employees to complete a training exercise and questionnaire and undergo multiple temperature checks.
Max of 75 employees, but no more than 50% of the Jaguars' staff, is permitted on site at TIAABankField.
Permitted Jaguars staff allowed on site include personnel from operations, strength & conditioning, athletic training, equipment, facility management and technology.
New signage has been installed, including education about respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.
Social distancing protocols have been implemented, with markings installed on the floor.
New process for auditing cleaning practices.
All employees returning to facility will do so on a voluntary basis, as long as they are comfortable returning to TIAABankField.
Masks must be worn in the stadium by all employees unless they are alone in their offices.
IRT has been working to construct a strategic entry plan to maintain proper social distancing and will institute a rotational work schedule based on office location and timing
A protocol for how the @Jaguars would respond to a situation where someone tests positive for COVID-19 or experiences related-symptoms has been created by the club’s Infectious Response Team and will be handled in a diligent manner
Coaches & players, besides those players currently undergoing medical rehab, are not permitted to be at club facility, per NFL protocols
Also, to maintain integrity of team’s safety procedures, all non-employee visitors are also not currently permitted at TIAABankField
Reid Florida Times Union: Jaguars’ Will Richardson could unseat Cam Robinson as starter when camp opens
https://www.jacksonville.com/sports/20200524/jaguarsrsquo-will-richardson-could-unseat-cam-robinson-as-starter-when-camp-opens?
LOS ANGELES RAMS
QB Data Mine: Jared Goff was 51.1% accurate throwing further than 15 yards past the line of scrimmage, the eight-best rate in the NFL
Whicker OC Register: Rams hope new defensive boss Brandon Staley is a quick fixer
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/05/25/whicker-rams-hope-new-defensive-boss-brandon-staley-is-a-quick-fixer/amp/
MIAMI
Jackson Miami Herald: What Dolphins are planning with Tagovailoa. And pundits square off on playing-time issue.
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article242469121.html
Wagner Baltimore Sun: Malcolm Perry not commissioned during Naval Academy commencement ceremony
https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy/ac-cs-malcolm-perry-commision-0526-20200525-epkbb5cryrfvhk6dlsgyr5bvg4-story.html
MINNESOTA
QB Data Mine: Kirk Cousins was accurate on 13 of his 26 passes that travelled further than 30 yards downfield last season. The fourth-most accurate quarterback in the league
NEW ENGLAND
Reiss ESPN Boston: Why Patriots might lean on overlooked RBs in post-Tom Brady offense
https://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4820264/why-patriots-might-lean-on-overlooked-rbs-in-post-tom-brady-offense
Guregian Boston Herald: Bill Belichick rebuilds Patriots defense with NFL’s new offenses in mind
https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/05/26/bill-belichick-rebuilds-patriots-defense-with-nfls-new-offenses-in-mind/amp/
NEW YORK JETS
QB Data Mine: Sam Darnold was 52% accurate on throws that travelled further than five yards downfield last year.
Every other quarterback was at least 57.1% accurate
Costello NYP: Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye make Jets secondary talented and volatile
https://nypost.com/2020/05/25/jamal-adams-marcus-maye-make-jets-safeties-talented-and-volatile/
Greenwald Jetswire USA Today: Jamal Adams knows importance of security after dad’s career ended prematurely
https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2020/05/25/jamal-adams-knows-importance-of-security-after-dads-career-ended-prematurely-george-adams-new-york-jets/amp/
PHILADELPHIA
Solak Bleeding Green Nation: Dak Prescott v. Carson Wentz: A Deep-Dive Comparison
https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2020/5/25/21269432/carson-wentz-dak-prescott-debate-philadelphia-eagles-dallas-cowboys-comparison
SAN FRANCISCO
David Lombardi The Athletic SF: Again, I would urge to not term it “two Kittles,” because Kittle is faster than Woerner and they’ll be in different roles, but yes the 49ers absolutely want a 2-TE monster. It’s actually something the Patriots succeeded with when they had Gronk and Hernandez
Branch SF Chronicle: 49ers’ D.J. Jones working to grow into expanded role
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/article/49ers-D-J-Jones-working-to-grow-into-expanded-15293678.php
SEATTLE
Condotta Seattle Times: Analysis: With the roster just about complete, have the Seahawks made themselves better?
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/analysis-with-the-roster-just-about-complete-have-the-seahawks-made-themselves-better/
TAMPA BAY
Mays The Ringer: The Buccaneers Are Now the Center of the NFL Universe. How’d They Get Here?
https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/nfl/2020/5/26/21269879/tampa-bay-buccaneers-history-tom-brady
Colleges/Draft
PFF College: Percentage of snaps with 2 RBs and 1 TEs (21 personnel) in 2019:
Army - 75.4%
Navy - 63.4%
College football average - 4.2%
QB
Daniel Jeremiah: Finished 3 games of NDST QB Trey Lance. He's outstanding. Crisp/clean footwork. He can make every throw & his decision-making is top shelf. He picks his spots to take shots but he will also show patience & take what's given underneath. He can extend plays & he's tough!
PFF College: Passer rating when kept clean from pressure in 2019:
1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama - 153.0
2. Micale Cunningham, Louisville - 148.9
3. Joe Burrow, LSU - 140.9
PFF College: Forced missed tackles among non-RBs in 2019:
1. Malcolm Perry, Navy - 90
2. Lynn Bowden Jr, Kentucky - 55
Jeff Duncan The Athletic NO: The Manning Passing Academy has officially been canceled for 2020, officials announced this morning. The prestigious national camp will resume in June 2021 in Thibodaux, La., where it will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Archie: "We'll blow it out with our 25th next year!"
OLB
Nagy The Senior Bowl: .TCUFootball had four players drafted in first three rounds in 2020 but one key returner the seniorbowl can’t wait to see is Big 12 leading tackler WLB Garrett Wallow. The converted safety stood out on junior tape with his instincts and closing burst
PFF College: The highest graded true freshman linebacker in 2019:
Georgia's Nakobe Dean - 74.3
History
Giants.com: Giants Huddle | Hakeem Nicks
John Schmeelk talks to Hakeem Nicks about his career with the Giants and the team's magical 2011 Super Bowl run (Audio)
https://www.giants.com/podcasts/giants-huddle-hakeem-nicks
Vaccaro NYP: Gale Sayers’ moving Brian Piccolo tribute that inspired a movie turns 50
https://nypost.com/2020/05/25/gale-sayers-moving-brians-song-tribute-turns-50/
Gosselin SI.com: State Your Case: Bill Nunn, Pittsburgh's scout extraordinaire
https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/state-your-case/bill-nunn-was-a-sports-writer-who-deserves-a-bust-in-canton
Dan Daly: A Memorial Day thread: Was doing some research last night on #NFL players who had caught a TD pass & scored on a pick-6 in the same game. Single-Platoon Era stuff. 1 of the dozen I found was the Bears' Hugh Gallarneau vs. the Eagles in 1941. Young Bussey threw the pass to him.
World War 2 took the lives of 23 #NFL men, 21 of them active or former players. Bussey, a QB out of LSU, was 1. He enlisted in the Navy & was killed during the Philippines invasion in 1944 when his landing craft got hit by a mortar. 27 years old.
Bussey was a rookie in '41 when he tossed that 54-yard TD pass to Gallarneau at Shibe Park. Turns out it was the last TD pass of his brief #NFL career -- the last of 5. 5 TD passes might not sound like much, but HOF teammate Sid Luckman had only 9 that season. Bussey had talent.
2 weeks earlier, another rookie, the #Lions' Maurice Britt, caught a 45-yard 4th-quarter TD pass to beat the same Eagles team. That was the only reception of his NFL career. He went off to the Army & became the 1st U.S. soldier to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, . . . the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star -- the top 3 combat decorations -- in the same war. Lost his right arm at Anzio. Then there's the Steelers' Jack Sanders. He had his left hand & wrist blown off in an explosion while serving with the Marines on Iwo Jima.
Miraculously, Sanders came back to play in 3 games with the Eagles in 1945. The Steelers loaned him to Philly so he could receive treatments at the naval hospital there and get a specially-made pad and brace for his arm
Sanders made his debut with the Eagles in a preseason charity game vs. the Packers at Memorial Stadium. A crowd of "90,218, including 21,500 servicemen," was on hand, the Inquirer reported. He got an ovation...
A few years later in an interview, Sanders talked about how his steel-& -cowhide arm guard actually made a pretty good club. Weighed 5 or 6 pounds. But opponents were awfully deferential to him. "If I fell down on the ground," he said, "those guys would dust me off & help me up."
Young Bussey, Maurice Britt, Jack Sanders and so many others. So many, many others.
Dan Daly: Here's one to get everybody started -- a record once held by a QB that didn't involve passing: Rams HOFer Bob Waterfield kicking 5 FGs in a game vs. the Lions in 1951. Wasn't broken until '66, when Lions rookie Garo Yepremian booted 6. This is Waterfield's 5th, from 39 yards:
There’s a trifecta of records *still* held by a QB that don't involve passing. Man, Michael Vick. (Not that Randall Cunningham was any slouch. He held the career-rushing-average record that Vick broke.)
Another non-passing mark that was held by a QB: In 1934 the Giants' Harry Newman had 38 rushing attempts in a single game vs. the Packers (for 114 yards & 2 TDs). It stood as the record for 39 years -- until O.J. Simpson broke it with 39 in '73 vs. the Chiefs.
The funny thing was, people didn't pay much attention to stats back then. You won't find any game stories saying Newman carried that many times. They just say he carried a lot.
Redskins legend Sammy Baugh, of course, held a bunch of punting records for a long time. He still holds the mark for highest average in a season: 51.4 in 1940. Quick kicks or no quick kicks, you've gotta be impressed.
Sammy also had 11 interceptions as a DB in 1943 that were the season record until '48, when another Redskin, Dan Sandifer, picked off 13. Here he is intercepting a #Bears pass in the end zone in the '42 title game (in which he also had a 71-yard punt)
Surprised no one has brought up George Blanda's kicking exploits. Ah well, it's a holiday. Folks are busy.
When the Blanda retired after the 1975 season he had the all-time NFL-AFL record, comfortably, for FGs (335) and PATs (943). That gave him 1,948 kicking points, which were also a career record. The 943 PATs are still the record. Adam Vinatieri has come closest with 874
Giants Birthdays 5-26
Louis Guy CB TR-PHI 1963 NYG 1963 5-26-1941
1964 Profile: Louis Guy
Cornerback-Flanker
No. 23
Mississippi
"Fleet as they come is Guy, who is one versatile guy. He plays flanker back on offense, cornerback on defense and runs back kickoffs as well. Used mainly as a reserve last season, Guy's main duty was with the kickoff return unit. He lugged back three, good for 44 yards, an average of 14.7 yards per return. His longest runback was for 25 yards.
A third round choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1962, Guy came to the Giants in exchange for halfback Paul Dudley. At Ole Miss, Louis was Glynn Griffing's favorite passing target, in addition to being a star sprinter on the track team."
-Complete Sports 1964 New York Giants
Robb White DE/NT W-WAS 1988 NYG 1988-1989 5-26-1965
University of South Dakota HOF - “Robb White, originally of Aberdeen, S.D., ranks as one of the best defensive tackles to put on a Coyote uniform. A two-time All-North Central Conference selection in 1986 and 1987, White was a three-year letter winner who started the final 25 games of his career. He was a force on the defensive front that helped lead South Dakota to the NCAA Division II championship game during his junior year (1986), when the Coyotes had a school-record 11-3 mark and finished second in the NCC (8-1). As a junior, he was named the most improved player in the league. White had 102 tackles, 11 quarterback sacks, 12 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in a dominating senior year (1987). During the years he started, USD had an overall mark of 26-10, including 20-7 in NCC play. In his career, White had 206 tackles, 15 sacks, 18 TFLs, three fumble recoveries and 14 pass breakups. White reached double figures in tackles in six games in 1987 with a career-best 14 stops vs. St. Cloud State. He was also NCC Player of the Week on Sept. 13, 1986 with 10 tackles and three fumble recoveries in a 26-14 win over SDSU. He also recorded three sacks in USD’s playoff win over Cal-Davis in 1986. White played three years in the NFL, including stints with the Washington Redskins (1988), New York Giants (1988-89) and Tampa Bay (1991). He also played a year in the World Football League for the San Antonio Riders (1992) and two years with the Sacramento Gold Miners (1993-94) of the CFL. He received a B.S. degree in criminal justice from USD in 1993. Currently, White is the sales manager for EFI Wright Sales in Riverside, Mo. He and his wife, Pam, have two sons, Caleb and Zachary.”
In Memoriam
Norb Hecker NYG DC 1969-1971 Born 5-26-1927 Died 3-13-2004
Packers.com:
“Hecker was the direct connection between two dissimilar Super Bowl coaches — Vince Lombardi and Bill Walsh. Hecker won three NFL titles coaching the Packers’ secondary for Lombardi and two Super Bowls coaching the 49ers’ linebackers for Walsh. As a head coach, though, Hecker won fewer games than he won championship rings under those two great coaches.
A native of Berea, Ohio, Norb spent two years in the Army after graduating high school. After the War, he lettered in football, baseball, basketball and track at Baldwin-Wallace College in his hometown. Norb was a two-time Little All-American and was selected in the sixth round of the 1951 NFL draft by the Rams. Hecker played safety for Los Angeles from 1951-1953, picking off 11 passes. He spent 1954 with Toronto of the CFL and then the next three years with the Redskins, for whom he nabbed 17 interceptions. Norb also was involved in organizing the NFL Players’ Association before returning to the CFL in 1958 as a player/assistant coach for the Hamilton Tiger Cats.
Hecker then joined Lombardi’s first Green Bay staff in 1959 and stayed through the 1965 season, as the Packers won titles in 1961, 1962 and 1965. Hecker went from first to worst in 1966 when the expansion Falcons named him as their first head coach in a bit of a surprise. Most observers were expecting Atlanta to hire Cowboys’ assistant Red Hickey. Norb told the press, “You cannot have a team in the NFL without discipline, And I will follow Lombardi in this.” He also noted, “Some of the players we get will be from championship clubs, some from chronic losers. The players from championship clubs will have to help instill this desire in the losers and the kids.” That hope didn’t materialize.
Hecker’s tenure was dominated by poor personnel decisions. He drafted Randy Johnson as his franchise quarterback in 1966 and that did not pan out. Worse still, he completely whiffed on the 1967 draft, with none of his 16 draft picks that year spending any appreciable time in the NFL. Three games into the 1968 season, Norb was fired and replaced by an old Ram teammate, Norm Van Brocklin. Hecker subsequently served as the defensive coach for the Giants from 1969-1971 before jumping to Stanford in 1972. Hecker coached for five years under Jack Christiansen in Palo Alto and then was retained on the staff when Bill Walsh took over in 1977. Two years later when Walsh moved to the 49ers, Hecker came with him. Norb coached in San Francisco from 1979-1986 and then worked in the front office until 1991. Four years later, he briefly came out of retirement to coach and manage the Amsterdam Admirals of the developmental World League. He died in 2004.”
Packers.com:
“On how he got the job as defensive backfield coach at age 31: "Jack Vainisi called me and said Lombardi wanted to talk to me about coming to Green Bay. I didn't know Vince from Adam. I went to Green Bay and talked to Lombardi, but spent more time with (Phil) Bengtson. Lombardi told me he was going to Jack Mara's funeral (in New York) and that he would call me the next week. Lombardi called me the next day and told me I was hired. I heard later that Buddy Parker (former NFL head coach) had recommended me."
On working for Bengtson: "He ran the defense and Lombardi would only occasionally stop in meetings to make a recommendation. (Bengtson) coached a long time and he knew the teams in the league very well. Teams were pretty basic in those days. Defenses were basic. There wasn't a lot of blitzing. There wasn't a lot of sophisticated defenses."
On veteran safety and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell, who was acquired by Lombardi from the New York Giants before the 1959 season: "Vince wanted him to stabilize the secondary. He helped the young guys. He was like a coach."
On why it took Ray Nitschke almost two seasons or more before Lombardi made him the starting middle linebacker, replacing Tom Bettis: "(Nitschke) was a little screwed up in his mind. He walked out of camp numerous times. Vince would go to the airport and pull him off an airplane. He was a wild-(bleep) guy. Vince threw him off the team a couple times. We'd be in a bar some place having a sandwich – Phil and I and Vince – Nitschke would be in there at the bar, which he wasn't allowed to do, and Vince would throw him off the team. Then we'd beg him to bring him back. That happened at least twice before (Nitschke) became a starter. It happened one time in LA when we had to beat the Rams in the early '60s and Nitschke was at a bar when Lombardi was there. (Nitschke) was a hot-headed kind of guy."
https://www.packers.com/news/norb-hecker-on-vince-lombardi-phil-bengtson-and-players
Tex Maule SI (1962)
“.The Green Bay team has allowed opponents only 116 yards per game—an extraordinary accomplishment against the polished passing that constitutes the primary attacking weapon of most pro football teams.
Lombardi has managed this by carefully blending daring with caution, speed with strength, size with sensibility. His team, like most pro clubs, works in small, almost self-contained units. The corner linebacker and the defensive end who plays in front of him work together; the middle linebacker coordinates his moves with those of the defensive tackles, and the halfback and safety on each side work together. In each one of the five groups that constitute the Packers' defense, Lombardi has purposefully paired off the conservative with the liberal, the solid rock who is perturbed by nothing that happens with the energetic rocket who may go off in any direction, causing great damage or, conversely, making a brilliant play that will keep people talking for weeks...
Fighting to the inside closes the gap against the draw, slows down the action and gives Ray Nitschke, the powerful Green Bay middle linebacker, time to recover and throw his 230 pounds into the breach with the force that has made him one of the most fearsome tacklers in football.
"It's a real help, having a couple of tackles like Hanner and Henry Jordan in front of you," Nitschke says. "I've got to read pass when the center and the fullback get up for pass blocking, and when I read pass, I got to drop back in a hurry. If I don't, the middle over my head may be unprotected and I'd get in a lot more trouble than I do on a draw. But when I hustle back, it opens up the draw play. Hawg's being able to read it so good gives us protection we need."
Nitschke, now one of the best middle backers in football (with Sam Huff of the Giants, Joe Schmidt of Detroit and Bill George of the Chicago Bears), once suffered from an excess of gambling spirit. A tall, rangy, balding blond, he was known as a wild man when he came to the Packers. The Green Bay defenses are not as complicated, say, as the Chicago Bears', where there are some 15 or 16 formations to master, but they are not suited for wild men either. There are four basic line defenses and four basic defenses in the secondary, which may be combined in almost any way, but in each Lombardi and his defensive coaches, Phil Bengtson and Norb Hecker, have meticulous assignments for every player, which must be carried out precisely. Particularly, there is no room for individual stunting. This is what Nitschke did for a year or two when he first came up; and the result was horrible. Now he still gambles—but only within the patterns drawn up by his coaches.
Nitschke is a very effective defender against the pass because of his height (6 feet 3) and because of his hands—as soft as a pass receiver's and as little prone to fumbles. His is a difficult position. Against some passes he drops straight back to cover against a shot up the middle, against others he may drift to either side of the field to help the corner back. Then, of course, he must protect the middle when the two tackles use an outside route to reach the passer (swinging away from the center of the line and around the outside of their blocker); or he must be prepared to cover the left or the right against the run when the tackles go inside, leaving a gap between them and the defensive end on each side. And, of course, there is always the draw. Against the Lions the draw is an ever present menace, since Lion Fullback Nick Pietrosante is one of the better fullbacks in the league at milking yardage out of the play.
"You look for speed, agility and size in a lineman," Lombardi says. "You may get two. If you get all three you have a great football player...
Adderley, playing his first full season in this unit, came up originally as an offensive back. He is young and ambitious and not careful but, according to Norb Hecker, he improves with every game. "He's got wonderful reactions, and he can play receivers as close as anyone in the league because he has so much speed. Lots of halfbacks give receivers the short pass to make sure that they don't get a long one completed over their head, but Adderley doesn't. He sticks tight because he can go back with the best in the league. And he knows he's got Gremminger behind him, too. He's protected deep or to the inside so he can go for the ball short or outside."
Gremminger, who played corner defensive back for the Packers last year, was shifted to safety this season. He is a soft-spoken Texan who is possibly the most conservative of the Green Bay defenders. In fact, "too conservative as a corner back," Bengtson says. "He's a worrywart. On corner back, you always, or almost always, take a good receiver, man for man. Gremminger thought about that too much. Now, as a safety, where he has help, he's still conservative, but not too much so. He's a fine safety."
Gremminger feels better at safety than he did as a corner back. He will even gamble once in a while now for an interception. "We try to fool the quarterback," he says. "Against Baltimore, for instance, we'll fake a four-four defense, with four men just behind the line instead of the usual three linebackers. I'll step up and wait until Unitas calls an audible, then drop back. Johnny will almost always change from a run he called in the huddle to a pass when he sees the four-four. I picked off a pass against a club in the league last year because we faked the four-four, then dropped back into the four-three."
Gremminger's running mate at safety is Willie Wood. Unlike many teams, the Packers do not transfer their safeties from side to side depending upon the way the offense lines up. The Giants, for instance, shift Jim Patton from side to side so that he is always the free safety. The free safety's assignment is a roving one, in which he is loosed to go for the ball or to help whichever of his teammates seems most in need. The other safety always has a specific assignment, usually covering the tight end, i.e., the end who plays close to his tackle rather than spread some 15 yards out. Obviously, the free safety has more license to gamble than anyone else on defense.
"Wood is the most daring of the defensive secondary," says Hecker. "He has wonderful reactions, and he can jump like a kangaroo. We have a drill where the defensive backs jump up and try to touch the crossbar on the goal posts. Willie is only 5 feet 10 and he can touch the crossbar with his elbow. He's also maybe the best tackier on the ball club. He's what I would call an ideal free safety. Gremminger probably is faster, straight away, than Wood. Both of them like to be the free safety. And when Henry is free, he'll go for the ball almost as dangerously as Willie will."
Playing in front of Wood, at the corner-back spot, is Jesse Whittenton, the equivalent of Currie and Hanner in the short-line defense. Whittenton came up to the Rams as a quarterback, was shifted to defense and has stayed in his position with the Packers longer than anyone on the team except Hanner. He is a successful restaurant owner in Green Bay; his King's X bar and restaurant is not only full after Packer games in Green Bay, it is jammed almost every night in the week. Since Whittenton is a Texan, some of the most exotic although not the most popular items on his menu are Mexican dishes, served spiced with peppers so hot that an average customer cries for five minutes after his first bite of a taco or an enchilada.
"Jess reads ends as well as anyone I ever saw," says Hecker, who once was defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams. "He can look at a spread end coming downfield and tell by the way he is running whether he will cut to the inside or the outside."
Whittenton is understandably reticent about revealing the secrets of his trade. "I can read 'em," he says. "But I don't want them to know how. I got to play against them for a long time, I hope."
This peculiarly effective combination of personalities was concocted by Lombardi, Bengtson and Hecker but the principal architect of the defense itself was Bengtson, an equable man who has almost never been heard to raise his voice in complaint.
"The offensive team is graded every week and the grades put up for everyone to see," one Packer player said. "Bengtson was supposed to grade the defense, but he put it off for a long time. He didn't want to embarrass his players. You got to play your guts out for a guy like that. You blow a play, you hear from him in private."
The Packer defense is designed to contain the opposition's running attack within a close perimeter. No opposing halfback or fullback should ever be able to skirt the perimeter set up by Green Bay; this is a theory of Lombardi's, and it is a good one.
"If we can keep their attack within the perimeter of defense, the pursuit can catch the ballcarrier," Lombardi says. "We have very good pursuit on this team from everyone."
This means that the defensive ends and the corner linebackers, one or the other, are "contain" men. If the defensive end takes an inside route to reach the quarterback, the linebacker has the assignment of covering the outside so that a ballcarrier will be turned back toward the middle of the field, where the tackles and the other linebackers will have time to reach him after they have executed their first assignment. This perimeter defense insures that the Packer defenders will have a short route to the ballcarrier; if it is short enough, the ballcarrier will be lucky to reach the line of scrimmage.
The time the defenders have to execute their assignments is much shorter than appears when you watch a football game. Most coaches believe that a quarterback must release the ball on a pass play within three seconds of the snap. If he waits longer, more often than not, he is on his back with a defensive end or a linebacker resting happily on his head. On a running play, the action takes about two seconds. If the defender has guessed wrong, he seldom has time to remedy his mistake. The best he can do is pursue the ballcarrier downfield.”
https://vault.si.com/.amp/vault/1962/11/19/perfect-and-balanced-defense
AP (2-12-1969)
“WASHINGTON (AP)--“Harland Svare, former head football coach of the Los Angeles Rams, was named today defensive coach of the Washington Redskins under his former mentor Vince Lombardi. Svare, who coached the Rams from 1962 through 1965, is the second assistant named by Lombardi since taking over as head coach of the Redskins. Bill Austin, former Pittsburgh Steeler coach, was named Monday to handle the offense. Svare and Austin are expected to be joined by a third former National Football League head coach, two holdovers from the ousted regime of Otto Graham, and Sam Huff, star linebacker for the New York Giants and Redskins. Lombardi. who led Green Bay to greatness, was expected to tap as an assistant Norb Hecker. let go by the Atlanta Falcons last fall. The two Graham assistants believed to be in line for retention by Lombardi, who took over as head coach, general executive and part owner of the Redskins last week, are Mike McCormack.and Don Doll. Huff retired as an active player at the end of the 1967 season to take a job in private industry. Svare was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1953 after playing at Washington State University, but was traded to the New York Giants in 1955 where he played right corner linebacker during the championship years of 1956, 1958, 1959. Lombardi was an assistant Giant coach from 1954 until he took over Green Bay in 1959. Svare served as defensive player-coach in 1960 and became a fulltime defensive coach in 1961. The following year, he left New York to join Bob Waterfield's staff with the Rams and was named interim coach in 1962 for the last six games, compiling an 0-5-1 record. He was named as head coach the next three years and finished his career as head coach with a 3'/2-year record of 14-31-3 before returning as an assistant with New York.”
NYT (2-13-1969)
“Giants Hire Hecker to Coach Defense; SVARE APPOINTED AIDE BY REDSKINS Lombardi Completes Staff With Carpente, Dickson, Keeps McCormack, Doll
Norb Hecker, for seven seasons an assistant under Vince Lombardi at Green Bay, was signed yesterday by the New York Giants as the team's defensive coach. Hecker, for two seasons and a small part of a third the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, will succeed Harland Svare, who resigned three weeks ago.”
NYT (1972)
“Tom Landry, the original constructionist of the defensive platoon, left the Giants for Dallas in 1960, where he remains as coach of the Cowboys. He was first succeeded by Harland Svare, who left for the Rams in 1962. Andy Robustelli then took over, serving as a playing coach. He was followed by Frank (Pop) Ivy in 1965‐66 and then Svare returned for a two‐year hitch.
Sherman brought in Hecker the following year, Hecker was a defensive hack with the Rams and Redskins and a member of Vince Lombardi's original staff at Green Bay in 1959.
When the Atlanta Falcons were formed in 1966, Hecker was chosen to be their first coach. The team's upward mobility was to slow for Rankin Smith, the president, and Hecker was dismissed early in the 1968 season, with Norm Van Brocklin succeeding him. [Alex] Webster inherited Hecker from Allie Sherman. Sherman was dropped as head coach just before the 1969 season began.”
