Linebacker Issue Casts a Cloud Over Giants High Hopes

With the steady departure of some of the most flamboyant personalities in Giants' history, the months of June and July have been eerily quiet.

There have been no anonymous sources chomping at the bit to alert the media of a certain tight end’s outcries against the front office. No messages from ex-teammates that criticize the team’s trophy quarterback on national television. It may be dull for the tabloids, but Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin wouldn’t have it any other way.

However, the termination of off-the-field issues has not prevented a slew of questions stemming from the events that transpire within a 60-minute game clock.

Namely, the linebacker position.

Largely ignored in favor of the ineptitude of the offense down the stretch, the Giants linebacker corps came up staggeringly small during the stretch run. Antonio Pierce was missing tackles, Chase Blackburn reverted back to the career backup that he was, and Danny Clark simply wore down after being a pleasant surprise through the first half of the season.

And the defensive performance suffered mightily because of it. The entire starting front was battling through injuries but was still supplying adequate pressure. However, there were countless occasions in which the quarterback was able to avoid the initial pressure, bounce outside, and either scramble or shovel it to the running back for a chunk of yardage.

What could that be attributed to? Lack of speed from the linebackers.

If the quarterback was able to escape the clutches of Mathias Kiwanuka or Justin Tuck, he was able to attain breathing room and take advantage of a defense that had been scrambling for six or seven seconds already. Pierce, Clark, and Blackburn simply could not catch the quarterback or the running back.

This resulted in an inability for the Giants defense to stymie the opposing offenses on third down. The Giants allowed the Eagles to move the chains seven times in 14 third down opportunities.

It was no secret the Giants would have to alleviate the sudden speed deprivation within the linebacker corps. Within the first week of free agency, the Giants lured 26 year old Falcons linebacker Michael Boley to move up north by signing him to a five-year deal worth up to $25 million.

They continued their youth and speed movement by drafting Clint Sintim from the University of Virginia on day one.

Both linebackers possess an overabundance of speed, and will be placed into separate roles. Boley is extremely efficient in covering running backs and tight ends due to his savvy and speed and will be asked to do exactly that to prevent another Westbrook or Witten nightmare scenario from emerging in these crucial divisional battles.

On the other hand, Clint Sintim caught the attention of the Giants by being a menace to opposing quarterbacks. He led the NCAA in sacks by a linebacker in his final year at Virginia, and gives the Giants even more flexibility in rushing the passer.

Suddenly, a position that was exposed during the late season collapse appeared to be a position of strength. However, problems have recently emerged. Shortly after the completion of mini-camp, Boley had arthroscopic hip surgery to repair a torn labrum. His period of recovery is projected to be 8-10 weeks, which will place him on a schedule to return by opening day.

Regardless, due to a suspension enforced today due to a 2008 domestic battery case against Boley, he will not play the season opener against Washington.

More importantly, the hip surgery will hinder his ability to master the playbook. Due to this roadblock, Boley may have to learn the playbook while trying to cover the likes of Felix Jones and Reggie Bush in the first months of the season.

Meanwhile, Sintim has been experiencing some injury difficulties too. He hurt his hamstring in the initial rookie workouts, which held him out of mini-camps. If this injury protrudes up through training camp, the learning curve for the rookie linebacker may become even steeper.

This year’s Giants defense has a chance to be special. A devastating rotation in the front four, coupled with the development of an extremely talented secondary gives this unit a chance to be one of the league’s elite. However, if the linebackers crumble as they did to finish off the 2008 campaign, all this talent may go for naught.

Chalk Talk: Get Jacobs The Ball Early And Often

by Michael Schlossberg

With the Giants' 2008 season ending unceremoniously with a home playoff loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants will need to find new ways to move the football for 2009. After Plaxico Burress was suspended, the Giants' offense struggled.

My solution to this? Give the football to Brandon Jacobs early, and give it to him often.

With Jacobs, it's not about the yards per carry (even though that number has consistently been around 5.0 for his career), but rather about him tiring out opposing defenses.

Everyone has seen Jacob's size enable him to fall forward for three yards, and make a positive gain out of a seemingly dead play.

When December came around (think Week 16 against Carolina) no one wanted to tackle Brandon Jacobs, which helped pave way for Derrick Ward to rush for 216 yards on only 15 carries.

With Jacobs bull-dozing would-be tacklers, opposing teams will have to try and stack eight defenders in the box. This will then open up the deep ball for Eli Manning to the WR playing on the perimeter.

Ultimately, the Giants will be able to make morebig plays down the football field, and teams will respect Eli Manning a little more.

If the Giants are able to get consistent production out of Jacobs, it would help their time of possession. This means that other teams will have to try and throw the ball a lot to get quick scores.

When the Giants' defense can single in on a passing game, the pass rush will be relentless by sending Justin Tuck, Osi Umeyiora and Mathias Kiwianuka.

The point being, giving the ball to Brandon Jacobs early and often will bring about great success for New York in 2009.

5 Questions Going Into Camp

The Giants will convene in Albany in a few weeks and although they seemed to have tied up many of their off-season loose ends, there will always be questions that need to be asked......

1. Linebackers - what is the plan should Michael Boley be slow in recovering from hip surgery?

Boley's recovery time frame is 8-10 weeks. The clock is one week in motion on this already so if you do the math, Boley will not be on the field opening day. The Giants will most likely be forced to put Boley on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, which will preserve a roster spot for someone else.

The reality is that he will probably need to rehab past that 8-10 weeks. We've seen baseball players make it back within the time frame but football is different. It's obviously more demanding. The thought here is that he might go from PUP to IR, meaning he's lost until week 9.

In the interim, the Giants will have to hope to get production out of either one or more from the group of Gerris Wilkerson, Bryan Kehl and Chase Blackburn. Not the worst of scenarios, but certainly not Plan A, that's for sure.

2. Travis Beckum - how will he be used?

Right now, the H-back is in the offense, although Kevin Gilbride has avoided many questions about its utilization. It is what they are calling it for now. Beckum did not get a full mini camp in because of a hamstring injury and Gilbride still does not know what role Beckum will play.

The H-back is a limited formation and the Giants do not want to use it just to get Beckum on the field. Gilbride referred to the Colts' B-back situation with Dallas Clark as being a possible role for Beckum.

The downside of using an H-back or B-back is that they take the place of the fullback. Most teams do not have a solid fullback like the Giants do in Madison Hedgecock. By going to this type of formation, the Giants will limit their options plus lose the aggressiveness that Hedgecock brings to the offense, especially in the running game.

Also, by lining Beckum up in the backfield, they will be advertising 'pass'. The defense will usually sniff out - and snuff out- that play.

The thought here is that Beckum will not be used as an H or B-back. He will be a slot receiver. The Giants need to get big bodies into opposing secondaries and that is where Beckum will be able to assist. He is not a traditional, full-service TE so he's best suited as a receiver.

3. Eli's contract - when will he sign - and for how much?

Eli Manning isn't talking contract and neither are the Giants. Everyone knows it is a foregone conclusion that he will sign back with the team rather than wait until he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

Money does not motivate Eli and he doesn't have a shark like Drew Rosenhaus whispering bad advice in his ear. The Giants will move quickly to close the window to put an end to the speculation. By the end of camp, this thing might be all done, even if conventional thinking is telling both sides to wait for a new CBA.

Eli's current salary is $9.4 million. The new contract will probably be for seven years at $15 mil per year. The completed deal may end up being worth about $120 million. The contract would keep Eli in blue until age 35.

2. Wide Receivers - who will start?

Currently Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith are the starters. Sinorice Moss is the third receiver with Mario Manningham getting some serious consideration.

It's early and the Giants do not want to pencil in or annoint an unsigned player (Hakeem Nicks) as a starter to prolong or complicate his signing. It is beleived that Nicks will be a starter at some point early on and his rookie teammate, Ramses Barden, will get lots of playing time as well.

Hixon is more valuable on special teams and if Moss gets hurt one more time, he's going to plummet down the depth chart. That leaves Smith, Manningham, Nicks, Barden and David Tyree in the main offense. Of course, Hixon will be used often early on in the season to smooth over the transition.

Don't forget Travis Beckum's role may end up being more in the WR group than in the TE group.

The starters will end up being Smith and Nicks.

1. What are the expectations for the Giants this season?

The Super Bowl is not an unrealistic goal. They could have made it last season. We've covered that ad nauseum, so lets move on.....

The defense has been bolstered up front and the secondary is young and hungry. Only the linebackers pose questions - as as illustrated above not many.

The offense is finally devoid of ballhogs and characters. A new receiving corp to go with a solid line, good TEs and a maturing QB spells big things for NYG.

The prediction is 11-5 which gets them a wild card. The Eagles will be the favorites and finally live up to it with a 13-3 record. The Giants will have to deal with Philly in the playoffs. Keep in mind the Eagles do not fare well as favorites....

Can The Giants Bring Calm To Chaotic Albany?

Big Blue's Presence Could End Stalemate

The last place any non-elected New Yorker wants to go these days is Albany, the capital of the great Empire State, which is in the throes of one of the most chaotic periods of political unrest in the state's history.

But, that is where the New York Football Giants, their entourage and their accompanying media pool will be heading in a few weeks.

The state senate is in a hopeless deadlock which has virtually shut the government down during a session that has massive tax, education, labor, health and budget bills waiting to be acted upon.

The story up there these days is another one of those that you just cannot make up. The Democrats had a majority until a few weeks ago when two of their senators switched allegiances to the Republicans. They deposed the sitting speaker and claimed their coup was legal.

Before anyone could formally challenge, one of the defectors, Hiram Monserratte - who is under indictment for slashing his girlfriend with a glass bottle - changed his mind and crossed back over to his side of the aisle. But the damage was already done.

Now the two sides are both claiming possession of the senate. The governor, David Patterson, who is legally blind and an admitted drug abuser and adulterer, is attempting to mediate the situation to no avail.

The state government is in a stalemate. Every downstate news agency has set up camp in Albany awaiting any sign of a detente or solution. In the meanwhile, state and local governments are sitting on their hands, becoming more and more impatient as funds in their respective coffers dissipate by the minute.

Enter the New York Football Giants, the unsuspecting dupes driving into this nightmare.

The Giants are in the final year of their commitment to the University of Albany and will open their camp there on July 25th. The question is, will the state senate have come to its senses and gotten back to work? Or will they still be playing musical chairs while the rest of us sit and marvel at the selfishness and ineptitude of our elected officials?

Hopefully, all will be resolved by then, but you never know with this crew. Sometimes they need a show of force to drive home a point.

Thousands of Giant fans make the trek from all over to visit them at camp every year. Last year, over 44,000 Big Blue fans made the trip.

The senate must know the Giants are coming. If they don't, they'll know soon enough that the team is there. The extra media presence and the the additional protesters will be in front of the Capitol letting their sentiments be known. The idiocy that has throttled progress in Albany will suddenly spill over onto the sports pages.

These bungling boobs will have to put their best foot forward, bite the bullet and get the job done.

The Giants may be the catalyst that gets the state's business rolling again.

Boley Injury: Panic or Patience for New York Giants' Defense

By Vinny Yeager

One of the worst case scenario's that could have happened for the New York Giants this off season, happened last week.

Earlier this off season, the Giants signed free agent linebacker Michael Boley and had plans for him to fill in and start from day one with Antonio Pierce and Danny Clark. That linebacker core looks fantastic and would be very productive throughout the entire season, until something terribly wrong happened.

Boley had to go through surgery for his injured hip and will most likely be out for 8 - 10 weeks. That basically means that if that healing and recovering time is accurate, he will miss the next two months and who knows if he will be ready to play by Week one of the season.

With this injury taking place, do the Giants' defensive coaches panic and try to rush players like Gerris Wilkinson and Chase Blackburn back into the starting rotation, or should they be patient and make sure that all players get their time and snaps?

If New York's coaches did panic, that would not be the right thing to do and that would not allow the players to play their full potential. If they are just to be patient with everything, then the linebackers taking Boley's repetitions will feel more comfortable and build chemistry with their teammates.

This also isn't new for players like Wilkinson and Blackburn, who both started the majority games at the weakside linebacker position last year. They should have no problem at all getting back into the groove of things.
Second year man Bryan Kiehl, who saw most of his time last season on special teams, is another option the Giants can turn too to get some linebacker time in.

If Boley is not ready to go opening week against Washington, then the Giants will just move on with whoever is playing the best football at the time and wait till he is 100% and ready too go.



*Originally published by myself on http://www.bleacherreport.com/

Giants' Training Camp Info

by Robert Domaine / Bleacher Report

The Giants released their training camp schedule yesterday (6-26-09). Camp will be held upstate at the University of Albany campus in New York for the 13th year and final year of the agreement to practice there. More then likely, the Giants will renew this agreement at some point. That is unless the new Giants stadium (2010) has some massive secret underground training facility we are unaware of. This actually wouldn't surprise me considering the Xanadu project across the street from the stadium in East Rutherford, NJ will feature in-door skiing for Metro area residents.

Training camp will begin on August 3rd (The first time it has started in August) and conclude on August 25th. Until then, the Giants will get a much deserved break from the action to rest up for the big push come August. The G-men will practice 25 times in a 17 day period to work out the kinks and get the new guys up to speed.
Author Poll

There will be four dates when the Giants will not have practice, so don't plan your trips for the following dates 8/3, 8/11, 8/18 & 8/23. The last two dates will be following pre-season games.

The G-men will be peppered with a few two-a-days infused with some evening time action six times. The Giants continue to make roster moves and I expect the team to be pretty close to the real thing by the time training camp begins. Last year 44,505 Giants fans attended the Big Blue training camp, second most in history (45,040 is the record set in 04'). Lets see if the Giants Nation can break the all-time record this year.

Also don't forget, if you take the trip up to Albany, there will be a parking lot fee of $5.00 per day at the facilities. Full day session passes sell for $15.00 per day and can be bought at the UAlbany Merchandise Shop (9-4PM). Dutch Quad lot is the main parking area for practices.

For more information on how to get passes and directions, you can call 518-442-4522

Camp Schedule

Day Date Practice Times
Monday August 3 • 8:35-10:35 a.m.
• 3:15-5:15 p.m.
Tuesday August 4 • 8:35-10:35 a.m.
• 3:15-5:15 p.m.
Wednesday August 5 • no practice
Thursday August 6 • 8:35-10:35 a.m.
• 3:15-5:15 p.m.
Friday August 7 • 2:35-4:35 p.m.
Saturday August 8 • 8:35-10:35 a.m.
• 6:05-8:05 p.m.
Sunday August 9 • 2:35-4:35 p.m.
Monday August 10 • 8:35-10:35 a.m.
• 6:05-8:05 p.m.
Tuesday August 11 • no practice
Wednesday August 12 • 8:35-10:35 a.m.
• 6:05-8:05 p.m.
Thursday August 13 • 2:35-4:35 p.m.
Friday August 14 • 8:35-10:35 a.m.
• 6:05-8:05 p.m.
Saturday August 15 • 2:35-4:35 p.m.
Sunday August 16 • 10:00-11:30 a.m. (JOG THRU)
Monday August 17 • preseason game vs. Carolina Panthers - 8:15 p.m.
Tuesday August 18 • no practice
Wednesday August 19 • 2:35-4:35 p.m.
Thursday August 20 • 9:10-10:10 a.m. (JOG THRU)
• 6:05-8:05 p.m.
Friday August 21 • 10:25-11:25 a.m. (JOG THRU)
Saturday August 22 • preseason game vs. Chicago Bears - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday August 23 • no public practice
Monday August 24 • 2:35-4:35 p.m.
Tuesday August 25 • 8:35-10:35 am

Is New York Giants’ MLB Antonio Pierce Still Fierce?

by Brian King / A Giant Dream



Is New York Giants’ MLB Antonio Pierce slipping?

During and after last season, there have been rumblings from fans and the media that Pierce has lost a step. He looked slow and out of place at times, and that was magnified by the play of Brian Westbrook, or the lack of play by Pierce.

Some say his mind wasn’t right after the Plaxico Burress shooting incident. So let’s take a closer look at Pierce:

The Good:

Pierce is a leader. He has the respect of his teammates.

Pierce has experience. He knows what to expect on the football field. He is a competitor and he is savvy. He may not get to every offensive player coming his way, but he knows where the play is going most of the time.

The Bad:

He is turning 31 in October. He has played in the league since 2001, when he was signed by Washington as an undrafted free agent. This will be his ninth season of taking a pounding, and it could be taking its toll on him.

Pierce has his worst statistical performance in five years last season. He had 95 tackles and just 1 and 1/2 sacks. He looked slow on several plays, although he never was the fastest cat in the litter.

So if in fact Pierce is declining what do the Giants have as far as possible replacements?

The Giants selected Johnathan Goff in the 5th round of the 2008 draft. He is listed as 6-2 and 236lbs. He was injured most of last season and only totalled a whopping 2 special teams tackles. He is an unknown.

Chase Blackburn is listed as the backup to Pierce on the Giants depth chart. Is is adequate at best, but he not the long term answer. So that brings us back to Pierce.

2008 was a disappointing season for Pierce. His performance wasn’t up to par, and the Giants lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Eagles. It seems that he has put all of that behind him, and is ready to move forward.

As quoted in the Big Blue Screen Pierce has this to say about last year:

“The past is the past, you learn from it, you live from it. There’s nothing you can do about it. Why am I going to talk about negatives? It’s behind us. We’re trying to move forward. We’ve got new faces here. We’re trying to build a new team. This isn’t the 2008 Giants. A lot of things have changed.”

Pierce had this to say about himself:

“I’m just getting better,” he said. “It’s going to be the old A.P. It’s going to be a new look. I’m excited about it being a new year, new experience, and a different guy.”

Time will tell if Pierce will play like the old A.P. this season. He has the fire and desire…but does he still have the skills?

Giants Make Roster Moves, LB Boley Has Surgery

by Robert Domaine / Bleacher Report

The Giants continued to make their roster adjustments today by signing rookie WR Ramses Barden and rookie QB Rhett Bomar. Conditions of their contracts were not disclosed. The G-men are expecting a lot from their rookie pickups at WR. Ramses Barden is an intriguing prospect at 6'6" and should battle for a starting position during training camp.

The signing of Rhett Bomar could mean the end of days for QB Andre Woodson in New York, as was talked about in my last article New York Giants: Methodical Addition and Subtraction. The other QB fighting for a backup role is David Carr. Seeing how the Giants will most likely go with experience at the backup position, it seems Carr is safe for now.

The Giants released veteran TE George Wrightster and OL Mike Fladell in other moves made on Wednesday. It is clearly starting to get down to the nitty gritty and the team is beginning to take shape before our eyes. The TE group is deep so this doesn't come as a surprise to me at all.

One more bit of news from the Giants camp. New LB Michael Boley had hip surgery and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks while recovering. This news came out of nowhere and has to be bad news for the team, as they were expecting him to take over the starting OLB duties.

There is nothing saying he won't be ready for the start of the season, but this certainly isn't a good way to start your first year with a new team. I'm sure the Giants nation wishes Boley a speedy recovery

Position Breakdown: Defense

by Jeff Shull

The following is an analysis of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew. Hopefully they can rectify the nickname in 2009 and be as overpowering a defense as the 1986 team was that led them to the Super Bowl.


Defensive Line:

In the first 12 games of the 2008 season, the Giants defense recorded 33 sacks which is an average of 2.75 per game. In the final 5 games they recorded just nine (four of which came in one game), which is an average of just 1.8 per game.

In the 2009 off season management sought to fix this problem by signing two established defensive tackles to improve the depth of the defensive line so they will be fresh by the end of the season. They also signed OLB Michael Boley so Mathias Kiwanuka can play his natural position of defensive end.

Getting Osi Umenyiora back may be the biggest part of the 2009 season. Having two pro bowl defensive ends will make even the worst defense look better. Good thing for the fans, the Giants are competent behind the line.

Overall Grade: A

Linebackers

Coming into the 2009 season, if you had to pick one weakness on the Giants it would more than likely be the line backing corps. If you asked me, the Giants have no weaknesses.

Antonio Pierce is the quarterback of the defense and the emotional leader of the entire team. Since joining the team the Giants have been in the top 10 in defense several times, and he is a huge reason why. Hopefully he has not lost a step as he is entering his ninth season as a linebacker and is 30 years old.

Michael Boley, Chase Blackburn, Gerris Wilkinson, Danny Clark, Brian Kiehl, Zak DeOssie, Clint Sintim:

The reason I grouped all the possible choices at OLB together is because frankly no one has really been named the outright starters yet. The popular choices are probably Chase Blackburn and off season acquisition Michael Boley, but it is not unlikely someone will sneak in under the radar and become the starter.

With all these choices at LB you'd think the Giants were moving to a 3-4 defense, but that is not the case.

Overall Grade: C-

Much room for improvement here.

Defensive Backs:

The defensive backfield has long been considered a weakness for the Giants' defense. With the young players developing into near pro bowl status, the Giants have much to look forward too this season.

Aaron Ross and Corey Webster:

The starting corner backs have been incredibly consistent since the 2007 playoff run. Webster won the starting job towards the end of the 2007 season and hasn't looked back. Ross played nickle corner for his rookie year and took over the starting job in 2008 and has solidified his position at corner.

Kenny Philips and Michael Johnson:

First round draft pick in 2008, Kenny Philips wasted no time making his impact on the Giants' defense. By mid season he was named the starter in place of James Butler and will look to improve his already impressive resume in 2009.

The Giants signed former pro bowl SS Sammy Knight to replace Gibril Wilson in 2008, only to have second year man Michael Johnson win the job in training camp. Johnson had a solid season with 72 tackles and is terrific in run support.

Terrell Thomas and Kevin Dockery:

If the Giants have one luxury on defense it is depth. I feel sorry for whoever has to make the decisions as to who will start because that same person has to tell the other talented capable starting players they will be backups this year.

Kevin Dockery and Terrell Thomas both saw very significant playing time last season, don't expect to see many changes this year even with the new defensive coordinator.

Overall Grade: B-

On paper, the defense looks like it could shape up to be the best in the NFL. Too bad the games are settled on the field in the fall, and not with pens in the Spring.

2009 New York Giants' Defense: Shades of 1986

By Vinny Yeager

When you think about the New York Giants organization, you automatically think about defense.

From the days of Sam Huff, too Lawrence Taylor, to even present day and the Super Bowl 42 winning team, the Giants have always been about hard nosed defense.

Yet, even though there have been great New York defenses, the 1986, Super Bowl winning team was one of the elite. Players such as Harry Carson, Carl Banks, Pepper Johnson, Leonard Marshall, George Martin, and of course Taylor, roamed the field for this outstanding squad that made offenses look embarrassing.

They were feared, and had a swagger about themselves, and made sure that none of their opponents left Giants Stadium without bumps and bruises, and black and blues.

Looking at the 2009 Giants, this team's defense has the ability to be just as good, or even better then that 1986 squad. Veteran players are coming back, free agents are filling vacant spots, and rookies are finding their role on the team.

Marshall and Leonard were two of the best Giant defensive lineman in the organization's great history, but Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck are looking to break that mark.

Umenyiora and Tuck, who have really started next to one another, can become one of the scariest tandems on the line. The combination of Tuck's strength and Umenyiora's speed can provide a lot of havoc for opposing offenses.

To go along with that lethal combination, New York also has veteran defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Barry Coefield, and two excellent free agent signings in defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and defensive line utility man, Chris Canty.

Although it is hard to compare anybody with the linebacker combination of Taylor, Carson, Johnson, Banks, and Reasons, this seasons Giants' linebackers are very solid.

Defensive captain and middle linebacker Antonio Pierce is coming back and ready to bring his defense back to the top. After Michael Strahan retired two years ago, Pierce has stepped up as the heart and soul of the defense.

Second year Giant Danny Clark and free agent acquisition, Michael Boley will line up beside Pierce and both bring unique qualities to the table. Clark is an excellent run stopper, and can also cover the pass, while Boley is quick and athletic, and can probably run with most tight ends and running backs in the league.

The 1986 defense did not really have that stand out defensive back, but the 2009 defensive back field is on the verge of being great.

Corner back Corey Webster as the been the number one man ever since the 2007 post season, and is counter part Aaron Ross should have a nice bounce back year after a rather disappointing campaign in 2008.

Kevin Dockery and Terrel Thomas, who have both made a splash over the past few seasons, will also get some more valuable time in certain packages.

Kenny Phillips, the Giants' 2008 first round draft pick, is looked upon to be the next great safety in the league. He a big time player, who can run and hit with recklessness, which is exactly what New York needs. Michael Johnson, who emerged as a starter last season, will be relied on to have another successful season.

The 1986 New York Giants' defense is one of the greatest of all time, and the 2009 team is trying to capture that same title.



*Originally published by myself on http://www.bleacherreport.com/