New York Giants: Five Storylines to Watch Before Free Agency

Great Valentine's Day Offers!


By Ed Valentine

COMMENTARY | The 2014 Super Bowl has come and gone. Not that it mattered to the New York Giants, who have been in the throes of offseason mode for a loooong time already. Anyway, here are five Giants' storylines to follow between now and the beginning of the NFL free-agent signing period next month.

1. Tom Coughlin's Contract -- Coughlin has said he wants to continue coaching the Giants beyond the 2014 season. Co-owner John Mara has said he intends to discuss a contract extension with the 67-year-old Coughlin. Between the overhaul of the offensive coaching staff and hosting the just-complete Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium, Coughlin and Mara have not had time to talk about it. Between now and the NFL Scouting Combine later this month there should be time to do just that. It would be hard to imagine the Giants allowing Coughlin to head into the 2014 season as a lame-duck coach in the final year of his contract. The question really is how long of an extension the Giants give him.

2. Early Free-Agent Signings -- The Giants have a long list of free agents. Will they get any of them re-signed before the start of free agency on March 11?

The trio of Browns -- safety Stevie Brown, placekicker Josh Brown and running back Andre Brown -- might be the most likely to re-sign without testing their value on the open market. Least likely? Defensive end Justin Tuck has seemed conflicted, but best guess is that he wants to at least know what his market value us. The story is probably the same with linebacker Jon Beason and defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

Giants Vs. Panthers 20/09/2012 36-7

You got that right! Especially (S)Cam Newton AKA Superman. He needs to realize that he's not the only player on the team. There are at least 21 other guys on that field. When he's winning he smiles from ear to ear, but when he's losing, he hides under a towel. What a joke!

Manning, Brown help Giants rout Panthers 36-7

By STEVE REED (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press




CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Eli Manning didn't need a fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night.

The two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, running back Andre Brown and the rest of the New York Giants finished off the Carolina Panthers way before that.

Brown ran for a career-high 113 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL start to help the Giants rout the Panthers 36-7.

Four days after rallying from 14 points down to beat Tampa Bay, the Giants dominated the first half, scoring on their first four possessions to build a 20-0 lead.

The defending champion Giants (2-1) were without three starters but it hardly mattered.

Brown - waived by five different teams - including the Panthers - since coming into the league as a fourth-round draft pick in 2009 - got his chance Thursday night when Ahmad Bradshaw sat out with a neck injury.

Brown said he thought about getting cut by the Panthers before the game - and it inspired him.

''I was walking into the stadium and I have to go by the spot where I parked my car,'' Brown said. ''I felt a little fire, no doubt. I'm so happy to come out here. It really humbled me. It really shows that everything is not guaranteed. You know, I'm just going to ride this wave. Hopefully, it's a long wave.''

Ramses Barden is hoping to ride that same wave.

Barden caught nine passes for a career-high 138 yards in his first NFL start. He played in place of Hakeem Nicks.

Of course it helps that the guy throwing you the ball is named Manning. He completed 27 of 35 passes for 288 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

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Giants on Mission to Maul Panthers: A Fan’s View

By Glenn Vallach | Yahoo! Contributor Network

You wonder if the impact of two uneven games to open the current NFL campaign has nestled firmly in the minds of New York Giants' players. You contemplate if the home loss to the Dallas Cowboys, once described as a talent-laden equal before enduring an obliteration in Seattle to a less than imposing Seahawk squad, has registered a concern. You speculate if the skin-of-their-teeth home comeback against the lowly, but improving Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has caught their attention.

If you're a Giant fan, you certainly hope so, because two home games into their 16-game schedule, they haven't exactly conjured thoughts of Super Bowl trophies, parades, and David Letterman appearances. They were resourceful in the Tampa game, scoring 25 points in a helter-skelter chaotic fourth quarter, largely on the back of Eli Manning's heroics. At some point, you'd think the Bucs would have double covered either Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz or both. Until that fourth quarter, and throughout the first game with Dallas, they have seemed quite vulnerable.

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NFL champion Giants kick off season vs. Cowboys

NFL champion Giants kick off season vs. Cowboys
By TOM CANAVAN (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- A good start is what is on the line this time when the New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL season opener.

The stakes were much greater the last time the NFC East foes faced off to close the last regular season. New York won to claim the division title en route to the Super Bowl title. Dallas was left out of the postseason.

On Wednesday night at MetLife Stadium, the winner will take the early upper hand in the divisional race.
For Eli Manning and the Super Bowl champion Giants, this will be a chance to silence the critics and detractors who have sounded off repeatedly after they beat the New England Patriots in February to claim their second title in five seasons.

The Giants heard it all. They were lucky to get into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They really didn't beat the Packers or 49ers, they were just handed the games. There is a lot more, but that is the gist.
That is now over.

The goal for Tom Coughlin's players is to show they have constructed that bridge the 65-year-old coach urged them to build to link their late-season 6-0 run to the title to the 2012 campaign.

''The leadership we have on this football team, that's going to be the spine of the bridge, if you will,'' defensive captain Justin Tuck said. ''I think we're in a good place as far as where we want to be coming into the game.''

The Giants are confident, and they don't care what outsiders are saying about them.