New York Giants cornerback Brian Witherspoon was waived after being lost for the National
Football League season with a torn knee ligament, the second
member of the team’s secondary lost to the injury in last
night’s preseason game.

Witherspoon, 26, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his
left knee in the team’s 41-13 preseason victory against the
Chicago Bears, Giants spokesman Peter John-Baptiste said today
in an e-mailed release. Cornerback Terrell Thomas sustained the
same injury in the first half.

The injuries hit an already depleted Giants secondary, and
the team is expecting to begin looking into the availability of
defensive backs, John-Baptiste said. Rookie cornerback Prince
Amukamara, the team’s top pick in this year’s draft, needs
surgery to repair a fractured bone in his left foot and may be
sidelined for as long as 10 weeks, and cornerback Bruce Johnson
ruptured his Achilles tendon on Aug. 4.

A four-month shutdown of the league during a labor dispute
may be contributing to the team’s rising number of injuries,
Giants coach Tom Coughlin said yesterday after Thomas’s injury.
He said some players are spending more time on the field during
preseason games than they otherwise would have.

“To take full advantage of the fact that we literally had
no offseason and a very short preseason, we extended a little
bit of play time tonight and we did have some guys who got
nicked up,” Coughlin said.

Thomas led the team with 101 tackles and five interceptions
last season. Witherspoon appeared in one game for the Giants
last season, according to the release.

The Giants gave up 209.5 yards passing per game last
season, the fourth lowest in the National Football Conference
and best in the East division. New York allowed 24 passing
touchdowns and recorded 16 interceptions.

The team now has five healthy cornerbacks — Corey Webster,
Aaron Ross, Michael Coe, Joe Burnett and rookie Darnell Burks,
according to the release.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Eben Novy-Williams in New York at
enovywilliam@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

EAST RUTHERFORD,N.J. (AP)—The New York Giants were nearly perfect in all
phases of the game against the Chicago Bears, and it wasn’t nearly enough to
make up for the season-ending knee injury to starting cornerback Terrell Thomas(notes).

Thomas tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee with 22 seconds
left in the first half Monday night, and the injury to New York’s leading
tackler last season overshadowed an impressive 41-13 preseason win.

“Any injury, you feel sorry for a fellow teammate,” said veteran cornerback
Aaron Ross(notes), who will move into the starting lineup for Thomas. “ACL, or any
injury with the knee, is serious. Terrell is a big part of this defense. Losing
him is a big hurt to the team.”

The rest of the game was outstanding The offense woke up, the defense was
solid and special teams played a key role in helping the Giants (1-1) bounce
back from a so-so performance against Carolina with a very good effort against
the Bears (1-1).

“We were going against a good defense,” said Giants quarterback Eli Manning(notes),
who completed 8 of 16 passes for 78 yards. “I was pleased with a couple of our
drives and what we were able to accomplish.”

Special teams played a major role.

Brandon Jacobs(notes) scored on an 18-yard run after a 73-yard kickoff return by
Devin Thomas(notes), and Domenik Hixon(notes) caught a 5-yard touchdown pass after rookie
linebacker Greg Jones blocked a punt late in the first half.

“We played better,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “We improved. We made a
lot of big plays tonight. I was glad to see so many guys make strong
contributions. Defensively, we did a good job all the way through against their
1s. A lot of guys made strong contributions on special teams, especially in the
first half.”

David Carr(notes), who is battling Sage Rosenfels(notes) for the backup job behind
Manning, threw for two touchdowns, with the second covering 17 yards to Daniel
Coats(notes) in the fourth quarter.

D.J. Ware(notes) scored on a 1-yard run early in the third quarter to give New York
a 27-6 lead and rookie halfback Da’Rel Scott(notes) had a 97-yard run in the closing
minutes after cancer survivor Mark Herzlich(notes) intercepted a pass near the goal
line.

Robbie Gould(notes) had field goals of 23 and 42 yards for the Bears, who struggled
again on offense despite having Jay Cutler(notes) (12 of 21 for 171 yards) play the
entire first half.

Chicago got its only touchdown in the final minute on a 1-yard run by Kahlil
Bell, but the Bears offensive line showed improvement, allowing only one sack
after giving up nine in a win over Buffalo last week.

“We definitely haven’t had many nights like this,” Bears coach Lovie Smith
said. “We have to tackle, we have to play better, and I better stop now, because
there’s a lot of things we didn’t do right on defense. But we’ll move on.”

In the final year of his contract, Thomas was hurt on the very next play
from scrimmage after Hixon caught his touchdown pass. It was Hixon’s first catch
at the New Meadowlands Stadium since he tore an ACL in a practice in June 2010.

Down 20-6 with 35 seconds to play, Cutler went back to pass from his own 23
and rolled a little to his left. Thomas came on a blitz and Jason Pierre-Paul(notes)
rushed from his end spot. Cutler got the pass off and Thomas and Pierre-Paul
collided, with the second-year end hitting Thomas around the knee from an
awkward angle.

Thomas went down and he started hobbling when he got back up. He quickly
went down the artificial surface and was treated by trainers and medical
personnel for a couple of minutes. When he got up, he walked gingerly to the
locker room. The suddenness of the diagnosis stunned his coach and teammates.

“I don’t think he’s someone you can just replace,” safety Antrel Rolle(notes) said.
“You have to understand this comes with the game of football. It comes with the
territory. It leaves room for other guys to step up. It’s going to alter our
defense a little bit. We can’t hang our heads. We still have a lot of football
to play.”

Thomas is the fourth Giants cornerback to get hurt this year. Backup Bruce
Johnson(notes) tore an Achilles’ tendon early in camp. First-round draft pick Prince
Amukamara(notes) broke his foot and won’t be available until about mid-October. Free
agent Brian Witherspoon(notes) sprained his left knee against the Bears and will have
an MRI on Tuesday.

Ware’s touchdown came a play after a challenge by Coughlin resulted in a
fumble call being reversed. Rhys Lloyd(notes) added field goals of 25 and 37 yards,
subbing for the injured Lawrence Tynes(notes).

The teams exchanged field goals in the first quarter before Thomas’ big
return set up Jacobs’ go-ahead touchdown on a play Manning (8 of 16 for 78)
changed at the line of scrimmage. Jacobs finished with 48 yards on six carries.

“We just wanted to hit it hard, at the point where the blockers made
contact,” Thomas said, “so you could get in there when they move the guy out of
the way and keep going.”

After failing to get a first down on either of their first two series, the
Giants took a 3-0 lead by holding the ball for almost 7 1-2 minutes before
settling for Lloyd’s 25-yard field goal. The key play on the 11-play drive was a
21-yard fourth-down from Manning to Victor Cruz(notes) that gave New York a first down
at the Bears 11.

The Bears tied the game on the next series with a quick six-play drive that
started with Cutler passes of 37 yards to Devin Hester(notes) and 42 to Matt Forte(notes).
Gould kicked a 23-yard field goal after the drive stalled at the 5-yard line.

Cutler was knocked out of last year’s regular-season game against the Giants
with a concussion on a night when the offensive line allowed 10 sacks, including
nine in the first half.

“We took a step in the right direction,” Cutler said. “We know these guys
can run block. That’s not the issue. So, we wanted to give them some
opportunities to pass block and we showed some signs.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Aug. 23 (UPI) — Da’Rel Scott’s 97-yard touchdown run with 2:46 remaining Monday capped the New York Giants’ 41-13 pre-season blowout of the Chicago Bears.

Eli Manning hooked up on 8-of-16 passes for 78 yards and Brandon Jacobs ran six times for 48 yards, including an 18-yard TD, for the Giants.

David Carr’s five-yard TD toss to Domenik Hixon gave the Giants a 20-6 cushion with 35 seconds left in the first half. But it wasn’t all good news for the Giants, who may have lost defensive back Terrell Thomas for the season after he tore a knee ligament late in the first half.

The Bears were led by Jay Cutler, who completed 12-of-21 passes for 171 yards, and by Marion Barber, who racked up 80 rushing yards.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 22, 2011

EAST RUTHERFORD,N.J. — The New York Giants were nearly perfect in all phases of the game against the Chicago Bears, and it wasn’t nearly enough to make up for the season-ending knee injury to starting cornerback Terrell Thomas.

Thomas tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee with 22 seconds left in the first half Monday night, and the injury to New York’s leading tackler last season overshadowed an impressive 41-13 preseason win.

“Any injury, you feel sorry for a fellow teammate,” said veteran cornerback Aaron Ross, who will move into the starting lineup for Thomas. “ACL, or any injury with the knee, is serious. Terrell is a big part of this defense. Losing him is a big hurt to the team.”

The rest of the game was outstanding The offense woke up, the defense was solid and special teams played a key role in helping the Giants (1-1) bounce back from a so-so performance against Carolina with a very good effort against the Bears (1-1).

“We were going against a good defense,” said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who completed 8 of 16 passes for 78 yards. “I was pleased with a couple of our drives and what we were able to accomplish.”

Special teams played a major role.

Brandon Jacobs scored on an 18-yard run after a 73-yard kickoff return by Devin Thomas, and Domenik Hixon caught a 5-yard touchdown pass after rookie linebacker Greg Jones blocked a punt late in the first half.

“We played better,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “We improved. We made a lot of big plays tonight. I was glad to see so many guys make strong contributions. Defensively, we did a good job all the way through against their 1s. A lot of guys made strong contributions on special teams, especially in the first half.”

David Carr, who is battling Sage Rosenfels for the backup job behind Manning, threw for two touchdowns, with the second covering 17 yards to Daniel Coats in the fourth quarter.

D.J. Ware scored on a 1-yard run early in the third quarter to give New York a 27-6 lead and rookie halfback Da’Rel Scott had a 97-yard run in the closing minutes after cancer survivor Mark Herzlich intercepted a pass near the goal line.

Robbie Gould had field goals of 23 and 42 yards for the Bears, who struggled again on offense despite having Jay Cutler (12 of 21 for 171 yards) play the entire first half.

Chicago got its only touchdown in the final minute on a 1-yard run by Kahlil Bell, but the Bears offensive line showed improvement, allowing only one sack after giving up nine in a win over Buffalo last week.

“We definitely haven’t had many nights like this,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “We have to tackle, we have to play better, and I better stop now, because there’s a lot of things we didn’t do right on defense. But we’ll move on.”

In the final year of his contract, Thomas was hurt on the very next play from scrimmage after Hixon caught his touchdown pass. It was Hixon’s first catch at the New Meadowlands Stadium since he tore an ACL in a practice in June 2010.

Down 20-6 with 35 seconds to play, Cutler went back to pass from his own 23 and rolled a little to his left. Thomas came on a blitz and Jason Pierre-Paul rushed from his end spot. Cutler got the pass off and Thomas and Pierre-Paul collided, with the second-year end hitting Thomas around the knee from an awkward angle.

Thomas went down and he started hobbling when he got back up. He quickly went down the artificial surface and was treated by trainers and medical personnel for a couple of minutes. When he got up, he walked gingerly to the locker room. The suddenness of the diagnosis stunned his coach and teammates.

“I don’t think he’s someone you can just replace,” safety Antrel Rolle said. “You have to understand this comes with the game of football. It comes with the territory. It leaves room for other guys to step up. It’s going to alter our defense a little bit. We can’t hang our heads. We still have a lot of football to play.”

Thomas is the fourth Giants cornerback to get hurt this year. Backup Bruce Johnson tore an Achilles’ tendon early in camp. First-round draft pick Prince Amukamara broke his foot and won’t be available until about mid-October. Free agent Brian Witherspoon sprained his left knee against the Bears and will have an MRI on Tuesday.

Ware’s touchdown came a play after a challenge by Coughlin resulted in a fumble call being reversed. Rhys Lloyd added field goals of 25 and 37 yards, subbing for the injured Lawrence Tynes.

The teams exchanged field goals in the first quarter before Thomas’ big return set up Jacobs’ go-ahead touchdown on a play Manning (8 of 16 for 78) changed at the line of scrimmage. Jacobs finished with 48 yards on six carries.

“We just wanted to hit it hard, at the point where the blockers made contact,” Thomas said, “so you could get in there when they move the guy out of the way and keep going.”

After failing to get a first down on either of their first two series, the Giants took a 3-0 lead by holding the ball for almost 7½ minutes before settling for Lloyd’s 25-yard field goal. The key play on the 11-play drive was a 21-yard fourth-down from Manning to Victor Cruz that gave New York a first down at the Bears 11.

The Bears tied the game on the next series with a quick six-play drive that started with Cutler passes of 37 yards to Devin Hester and 42 to Matt Forte. Gould kicked a 23-yard field goal after the drive stalled at the 5-yard line.

Cutler was knocked out of last year’s regular-season game against the Giants with a concussion on a night when the offensive line allowed 10 sacks, including nine in the first half.

“We took a step in the right direction,” Cutler said. “We know these guys can run block. That’s not the issue. So, we wanted to give them some opportunities to pass block and we showed some signs.”

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Disgruntled New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora hit the practice field Monday for the first time this abbreviated preseason, still unhappy over his contract but ready to join his team mates on the gridiron.

Umenyiora, a two-time Pro Bowl player, has been in training camp since last month but spent most of his time on a stationary bike, declining to take the practice field because he felt the team reneged on a promise to rework the contract paying him $7.1 million over the next two years.

The 29-year-old Umenyiora did not address reporters following Monday’s practice, but his coach and team mates were happy to see the pass-rushing defensive end back on the field.

“It was spirited and I thought the practice was very good,” coach Tom Coughlin told reporters. “He jumped right in there and tries to beat the ball like he normally does. It was good to see.

“He was very competitive.”

Coughlin said it was possible Umenyiora, who also has had concerns over a knee injury, might see some playing time in their preseason game Monday against the Chicago Bears and that he hoped the episode was behind them.

“I hope so and that’s all I am going on,” said Coughlin. “He is here and he wants to work. He wants to be a part of the team and we certainly want him to be.”

Umenyiora worked out with the first-team defense, splitting snaps at right end with young Jason Pierre-Paul, last year’s first-round draft pick who had two sacks and three tackles in a 20-10 preseason loss against the Carolina Panthers.

Fellow defensive lineman Justin Tuck said having Umenyiora back made the Giants better.

“Having the quality defensive ends we have, all of us make each other better,” said defensive captain Tuck.

“With him on the football field on Sundays, it makes it very difficult (for opponents to block). You’ve kind of got to pick and choose. Then you throw JPP (Pierre-Paul) in the mix, it really gives us a lot of freedom to do a lot of different things. So yeah, we definitely make each other better.”

Giants quarterback Eli Manning said getting past an internal controversy could only help.

“It is always good to have all your guys and everybody is practicing and back,” said Manning. “If you can eliminate distractions, that is always a positive.”

(Writing by Larry Fine, Editing by Rex Gowar)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants continued their assault on their own free agents Thursday, reaching an unofficial deal with defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka as training camp nears.

Another Giants defensive lineman, Osi Umenyiora, might be a different story.

Kiwanuka, a six-year veteran who played in only three games in 2010 due to a herniated disc in his neck, received medical clearance to return to football-related activities in February.

The former first-round selection out of Boston College has 222 tackles and 23.5 sacks in five years with the Giants.

Fellow defensive end Justin Tuck posted on his Twitter account that the deal with his friend Kiwanuka had been secured: “Kiwi is returning to the big blue. Yes, sir.”

Kiwanuka is the team’s most versatile defensive player, having seen time both at defensive end and outside linebacker. Kiwanuka is expected to be in attendance when the Giants officially open training camp Friday.

Umenyiora, on the other hand, might not. The veteran, who has had an off-and-on relationship with coach Tom Coughlin through the years, appears as if he’ll hold out if he does not receive a renegotiated contract with a significant salary upgrade.

The Giants are also still in negotiations with running back Ahmad Bradshaw, wide receiver Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss, who are all now unrestricted free agents.

The team is also trying to restructure the existing contract of running back Brandon Jacobs in order to free up some salary cap space. The Giants have already released veteran offensive linemen Shaun O’Hara, Rich Seubert and Shawn Andrews to give them some cap relief. Both O’Hara and Seubert are recovering from offseason surgeries.

In a conference call, O’Hara, who played at Rutgers and is a local fan favorite, said that he was “blindsided” by the release.

“I certainly didn’t see it coming,” O’Hara said. “I wasn’t expecting it. I went in Tuesday to get a workout in and found out. You’re never really ready when something like this happens.”

There were reports that O’Hara might be brought back at a cheaper salary, but the seven-year veteran center isn’t waiting around.

“They certainly haven’t ruled anything out, but I think I have to move on,” O’Hara said. “I think I have a lot of good football left in me. I’m still in a little bit of shock. As far as I know, I have to mentally plan to move on, that my Giants career is over as from where I come from. They did say that the door is always open, but you never can tell what’s going to happen. I’m not sitting by the phone waiting for it.”

O’Hara said that he has recovered sufficiently from surgeries to his foot and Achilles tendon.

“I’ve done a lot of running and lifting,” O’Hara said. “My body feels the best it has felt in a long time. My goal prior to the lockout was to be ready in time for training camp and have no issues to start the season.”

O’Hara, who was the Giants’ player representative in the lockout negotiations, said that he’s received a few calls from other NFL teams.

“There’s definitely some interest out there,” O’Hara said. “I’m going to sit tight, see how things play out and see what my options are. But the last 48 hours have been very tough for wife and I.”

Seubert hopes to catch on with another team as well, if not the Giants. But he is not expected to be healthy enough to play when the season opens Sept. 11.

The Giants have had discussions with free-agent punter Brad Maynard, who spent the first four years of his 14-year NFL career here. Coughlin was extremely disappointed with the performance of last year’s rookie Matt Hodge, who struggled with consistency, distance and hang time.

Hodge made a major mistake in the crushing, late-season, 38-31 loss to the Eagles at home, failing to punt the ball out of bounds on the game’s final play. Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson returned the punt for a game-winning touchdown that all but ruined the Giants’ chances at the NFC East title.

Maynard was informed by the Chicago Bears that he was not going to be re-signed after nine years. He will be replaced there by former Jacksonville punter Adam Podlesh.

The Giants also announced the signing of Da’Rel Scott, the former Maryland running back who was taken in the seventh round. Scott received a four-year contract. Injury-prone through his career with the Terrapins, Giants general manager Jerry Reese believes Scott is similar to former Steelers standout Willie Parker.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—The New York Giants continued their assault on
their own free agents Thursday, reaching an unofficial deal with defensive end
Mathias Kiwanuka(notes) as training camp nears.

Another Giants defensive lineman, Osi Umenyiora(notes), might be a different story.

Kiwanuka, a six-year veteran who played in only three games in 2010 due to a
herniated disc in his neck, received medical clearance to return to
football-related activities in February.

The former first-round selection out of Boston College has 222 tackles and
23.5 sacks in five years with the Giants.

Fellow defensive end Justin Tuck(notes) posted on his Twitter account that the deal
with his friend Kiwanuka had been secured: “Kiwi is returning to the big blue.
Yes, sir.”

Kiwanuka is the team’s most versatile defensive player, having seen time
both at defensive end and outside linebacker. Kiwanuka is expected to be in
attendance when the Giants officially open training camp Friday.

Umenyiora, on the other hand, might not. The veteran, who has had an
off-and-on relationship with coach Tom Coughlin through the years, appears as if
he’ll hold out if he does not receive a renegotiated contract with a significant
salary upgrade.

The Giants are also still in negotiations with running back Ahmad Bradshaw(notes),
wide receiver Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss(notes), who are all now unrestricted
free agents.

The team is also trying to restructure the existing contract of running back
Brandon Jacobs(notes) in order to free up some salary cap space. The Giants have
already released veteran offensive linemen Shaun O’Hara(notes), Rich Seubert(notes) and Shawn
Andrews(notes) to give them some cap relief. Both O’Hara and Seubert are recovering
from offseason surgeries.

In a conference call, O’Hara, who played at Rutgers and is a local fan
favorite, said that he was “blindsided” by the release.

“I certainly didn’t see it coming,” O’Hara said. “I wasn’t expecting it.
I went in Tuesday to get a workout in and found out. You’re never really ready
when something like this happens.”

There were reports that O’Hara might be brought back at a cheaper salary,
but the seven-year veteran center isn’t waiting around.

“They certainly haven’t ruled anything out, but I think I have to move
on,” O’Hara said. “I think I have a lot of good football left in me. I’m still
in a little bit of shock. As far as I know, I have to mentally plan to move on,
that my Giants career is over as from where I come from. They did say that the
door is always open, but you never can tell what’s going to happen. I’m not
sitting by the phone waiting for it.”

O’Hara said that he has recovered sufficiently from surgeries to his foot
and Achilles tendon.

“I’ve done a lot of running and lifting,” O’Hara said. “My body feels the
best it has felt in a long time. My goal prior to the lockout was to be ready in
time for training camp and have no issues to start the season.”

O’Hara, who was the Giants’ player representative in the lockout
negotiations, said that he’s received a few calls from other NFL teams.

“There’s definitely some interest out there,” O’Hara said. “I’m going to
sit tight, see how things play out and see what my options are. But the last 48
hours have been very tough for wife and I.”

Seubert hopes to catch on with another team as well, if not the Giants. But
he is not expected to be healthy enough to play when the season opens Sept. 11.

The Giants have had discussions with free-agent punter Brad Maynard(notes), who
spent the first four years of his 14-year NFL career here. Coughlin was
extremely disappointed with the performance of last year’s rookie Matt Hodge,
who struggled with consistency, distance and hang time.

Hodge made a major mistake in the crushing, late-season, 38-31 loss to the
Eagles at home, failing to punt the ball out of bounds on the game’s final play.
Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson(notes) returned the punt for a game-winning touchdown
that all but ruined the Giants’ chances at the NFC East title.

Maynard was informed by the Chicago Bears that he was not going to be
re-signed after nine years. He will be replaced there by former Jacksonville
punter Adam Podlesh(notes).

The Giants also announced the signing of Da’Rel Scott(notes), the former Maryland
running back who was taken in the seventh round. Scott received a four-year
contract. Injury-prone through his career with the Terrapins, Giants general
manager Jerry Reese believes Scott is similar to former Steelers standout Willie
Parker(notes).

Read More: New York Jets

Ever since former New York Giants WR Plaxico Burress was released from prison earlier this week we’ve been trying to identify which teams will pursue him. The top two teams in the mix appear to be the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams, although that can be debated.

Other teams that could show interest include the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. It’s that team, the Jets, that has folks talking in New York because Burress previously played for the Giants.

So could Burress remain in New York playing football? Anything’s possible but, according to the NY Daily News, Burress wants to get out of the city.

Several people who have spoken to him in recent months say Burress knows he needs to get away from New York, where he’s known as much for catching the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLII as he is for shooting himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub nearly 10 months later.

This makes a lot of sense. Burress does, as his friend and former teammate RB Brandon Jacobs said, need a fresh start. New York is not the place to get that. 

Of course, if the Jets offer the most money…

The New York Giants will visit the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 11, marking the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

With the NFL and its locked-out players mired in negotiations over a new labor agreement, the league on Tuesday announced its 2011-12 schedule — assuming the season starts on time.

The regular season kicks off Thursday night, Sept. 8, when the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers host the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.

The first Sunday features several high-profile games, including Indianapolis at Houston and Atlanta at Chicago. But much of the national focus will be on Washington and New York, the two cities most affected by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“That stadium is going to be full of emotion, not only the people from the area but in the entire country,” said Jets Coach Rex Ryan, who will be matching wits with his brother, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. “The fact that it’s the 10th anniversary of 9/11, that’s where the focus should be, not me playing against my brother.”

The Redskins and Giants kick off at 4:15 p.m., with the Jets and Cowboys at 8:20 p.m.

“For nearly 10 years, we have felt an obligation to use our platform to make sure none of us ever forget the tragedy and heartbreak and courage and heroism of Sept. 11,” Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon said. “That responsibility becomes even greater.”

Pittsburgh was the third NFL city most closely affected by the terrorist attacks after Flight 93 crashed 80 miles away near Shanksville, Pa. The Steelers will visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 11.

New England travels to Miami and Oakland visits Denver for the opening Monday night.

The final Sunday of the regular season falls on New Year’s Day, when all 16 scheduled games are between division rivals, enhancing the potential for playoff ramifications.

The regular season covers 17 weeks, with the opening round of the playoffs scheduled for Jan. 7-8 and the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

The NFL has expressed a desire to stretch the season to 18 games, one of the sticking points in the contentious fight between owners and players over a new labor agreement.

The two sides resumed court-ordered mediation on Tuesday in Minneapolis, with a federal judge’s decision expected soon on a request to immediately halt the lockout.

The two sides spent 16 days immersed in mediated talks in Washington without coming to an agreement, resulting in a class-action antitrust lawsuit filed by the players against the NFL and the league’s first work stoppage since 1987. They’ve recently spent about 20 hours over three days meeting in Minneapolis, with more discussions planned for Wednesday.

In a statement announcing next season’s schedule, the NFL did not provide any contingencies should negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement stretch into the fall.

“I’m confident we will have season,” Rex Ryan said Tuesday night. “We’re going to be ready to play. Whenever they say, ‘OK, we’re going back to work,’ we’ll be ready to play.”

Among the other highlights of the schedule, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 23, one of two games outside the United States and the fifth consecutive year the NFL has played a regular-season game in London.

The Bucs lost to the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium in 2009, while the Bears will be marking the 25th anniversary of their preseason game against the Cowboys in London.

The Buffalo Bills will play a game in Canada for the fourth consecutive season when they host the Redskins at the Rogers Centre on Oct. 30 in Toronto. The Bills have a deal with Rogers Communications through 2012 to play five regular-season games in Canada’s largest city.

The Thanksgiving Day games include the Packers at Detroit, Miami at Dallas and San Francisco at Baltimore, when new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh faces the Ravens and coach John Harbaugh in the first meeting between sibling head coaches in NFL history.

The Packers play the Bears in the only game on Christmas Day. There are 13 games scheduled for Dec. 24, including the Giants against the Jets.

The NFL will again use “flexible scheduling” for Weeks 10-15 and the final week of the regular season, allowing the league to move the start times for select games.

NEW YORK — The New York Giants will visit the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 11, marking the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

With the NFL and its locked-out players mired in negotiations over a new labor agreement, the league on Tuesday announced its 2011-12 schedule — assuming the season starts on time.

The regular season kicks off Thursday night, Sept. 8, when the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers host the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.

The first Sunday features several high-profile games, including Indianapolis at Houston and Atlanta at Chicago. But much of the national focus will be on Washington and New York, the two cities most affected by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“That stadium is going to be full of emotion, not only the people from the area but in the entire country,” said Jets coach Rex Ryan, who will be matching wits with his brother, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. “The fact that it’s the 10th anniversary of 9/11, that’s where the focus should be, not me playing against my brother.”

The Redskins and Giants kick off at 4:15 p.m., with the Jets and Cowboys at 8:20 p.m.

“For nearly 10 years, we have felt an obligation to use our platform to make sure none of us ever forget the tragedy and heartbreak and courage and heroism of Sept. 11,” Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon said. “That responsibility becomes even greater.”

“

That stadium is going to be full of emotion, not only the people from the area but in the entire country. The fact that it’s the 10th anniversary of 9/11, that’s where the focus should be, not me playing against my brother.

” – Jets coach Rex Ryan on opening season on 9/11 vs. brother Rob Ryan and the Dallas Cowboys

Pittsburgh was the third NFL city most closely affected by the terrorist attacks after Flight 93 crashed 80 miles away near Shanksville, Pa. The Steelers will visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 11.

New England travels to Miami and Oakland visits Denver for the opening Monday night.

The final Sunday of the regular season falls on New Year’s Day, when all 16 scheduled games are between division rivals, enhancing the potential for playoff ramifications.

The regular season covers 17 weeks, with the opening round of the playoffs scheduled for Jan. 7-8 and the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

The NFL has expressed a desire to stretch the season to 18 games, one of the sticking points in the contentious fight between owners and players over a new labor agreement.

The two sides resumed court-ordered mediation on Tuesday in Minneapolis, with a federal judge’s decision expected soon on a request to immediately halt the lockout.

The two sides spent 16 days immersed in mediated talks in Washington without coming to an agreement, resulting in a class-action antitrust lawsuit filed by the players against the NFL and the league’s first work stoppage since 1987. They’ve recently spent about 20 hours over three days meeting in Minneapolis, with more discussions planned for Wednesday.

In a statement announcing next season’s schedule, the NFL did not provide any contingencies should negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement stretch into the fall.

“I’m confident we will have a season,” Rex Ryan said Tuesday night. “We’re going to be ready to play. Whenever they say, ‘OK, we’re going back to work,’ we’ll be ready to play.”

Among the other highlights of the schedule, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 23, one of two games outside the United States and the fifth consecutive year the NFL has played a regular-season game in London.

The Bucs lost to the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium in 2009, while the Bears will be marking the 25th anniversary of their preseason game against the Cowboys in London.

The Buffalo Bills will play a game in Canada for the fourth consecutive season when they host the Redskins at the Rogers Centre on Oct. 30 in Toronto. The Bills have a deal with Rogers Communications through 2012 to play five regular-season games in Canada’s largest city.

The Thanksgiving Day games include the Packers at Detroit, Miami at Dallas and San Francisco at Baltimore, when new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh faces the Ravens and coach John Harbaugh in the first meeting between sibling head coaches in NFL history.

The Packers play the Bears in the only game on Christmas Day. There are 13 games scheduled for Dec. 24, including the Giants against the Jets.

The NFL will again use “flexible scheduling” for Weeks 10-15 and the final week of the regular season, allowing the league to move the start times for select games.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

From LSU Sports

BATON ROUGE – Thomas McGaughey, who has spent the last four seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, has been named LSU’s special teams coordinator, head coach Les Miles announced on Thursday. 

McGaughey served as the assistant special teams coordinator with the New York Giants from 2007-10, during which time the franchise ranked among the most productive in the NFL. During his career, McGaughey has coached for eight years in the NFL, two years at the collegiate level and he spent one season in NFL-Europe.

In addition to his special teams duties, Miles said McGaughey will assist on the defensive side of the ball.

“Thomas is a great addition to the staff,” Miles said. “He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all phases of special teams. He’s coached in both the NFL and college so he has a tremendous understanding of the game. We are excited about bringing Thomas and his family to LSU.”

Most recently, McGaughey spent four years with the New York Giants, where he helped the franchise capture the Super Bowl in 2007 and win the NFC East crown in 2008.

The Giants also had several individual special teams standouts during McGaughey’s four years with the franchise. In 2009, kicker Lawrence Tynes ranked fifth in the NFL with a career-best 126 points, while Domenik Hixon finished seventh in the league in punt returns with a 10.9 average. Hixon also set the Giants record with 1,291 kickoff return yards.

During New York’s NFC East title season in 2008, the Giants had three special teams players – kicker John Carney, punter Jeff Feagles and long snapper Zak DeOssie – named to the NFC Pro Bowl team, while cover specialist Chase Blackburn was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

Carney, who was signed just prior to the 2008 season, set a franchise record by connecting on 35-of-38 field goals for .921 percent. The 35 field goals tied the team mark, while the .921 percent stands at the franchise record.

During the Giants’ Super Bowl season in 2007, the club excelled in special teams with Tynes connecting on 23-of-27 field goals, including the game-winner of 47-yards in an overtime victory over Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game. The Giants also ranked among the NFL leaders in kickoff returns with a 23.9-yard average and they rated fourth in the league in punt coverage, allowing only 173 yards for the entire season.

McGaughey joined the Giants after two seasons as the Denver Broncos’ assistant special teams coach. In 2006, the Broncos held opposing punt returners to an average of 6.9 yards a return, the fifth-best figure in the NFL. The previous year, McGaughey worked with the Broncos special-teams that helped the club go 13-3 en route to capturing the AFC West title and advancing to the AFC Championship Game.

McGaughey was the Kansas City Chiefs’ assistant special teams coach for the 2002 season. He broke into the NFL as a minority intern with the Chiefs during their 2001 training camp before working as a pro scouting assistant in an internship with the Houston Texans that year as the franchise prepared for its inaugural season.

McGaughey spent two years (2003-04) working at his alma mater, the University of Houston, before joining the Broncos’ staff. He served as Houston’s special teams coordinator in 2003 and as special teams coordinator/cornerbacks coach in 2004.

A safety in his playing days, McGaughey entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He competed in the training camps of the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles in 1996-97, respectively. He was on the Eagles’ practice squad late in the 1996 season and was a member of the Barcelona Dragons’ team that won NFL Europe’s World Bowl in 1997.

McGaughey played for the Houston Cougars from 1991-95 and was special teams captain as a senior. He also lettered in track from 1991-93, competing in the 110-meter hurdles.

McGaughey, 37, was born in Chicago and grew up in Houston. He and his wife, Erika, have three children.

 

The McGaughey File

Year at LSU:        First (appointed March 10, 2011)

Birthdate:           May 8, 1973 at Chicago, Ill.   

Wife:                      Erika

Children:              Thomas III, Taylor, Trenton 

College:                 University of Houston

                               

Playing Experience
1991-95                 University of Houston (defensive back)

1996                       Philadelphia Eagles (safety)

1997                       Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)

 

Coaching Experience

1998                       Houston (graduate assistant)

1998-2001            Willowridge (Texas) High School (defensive backs, special teams)

2001                       Kansas City Chiefs (minority intern)

2001                       Houston Texans (pro scouting assistant)

2002                       Scottish Claymores (defensive backs, special teams coordinator)

2002                       Kansas City Chiefs (assistant special teams coordinator)

2003-04                 Houston (special teams coordinator, 2003; special teams coordinator/cornerbacks, 2004)

2005-06                 Denver Broncos (assistant special teams coordinator)

2007-10                 New York Giants (assistant special teams coordinator)

2011                       LSU (special teams coordinator)

 

Bowl Experience

2003                       Hawaii (lost to Hawaii, 54-48)

NEW YORK (AP)—Longtime NFL announcer Pat Summerall will receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting.

The former NFL kicker and tight end with the New York Giants and Chicago Cardinals will receive the award May 2 in New York.

After his playing days, Summerall’s broadcasting career spanned six decades, mostly as a partner with John Madden in NFL games.

Summerall is a member of the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame.

The award is named for the longtime Dodgers broadcaster, who won the Frick Award in 1982. Scully helped form Fordham’s radio station WFUV, which is the award’s sponsor, and joined the Dodgers broadcast crew in 1950.

CHICAGO (AP)—Family and friends remembered former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson as a generous man whose caring nature belied his reputation as a ferocious hitter on the 1985 Chicago Bears championship team.

They attended a packed memorial for Duerson at a southside Chicago church on Saturday.

A four-time Pro Bowl pick who played on Super Bowl winners with the Bears and New York Giants, Duerson committed suicide last week at his home in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. He was 50.

Duerson’s death rocked former teammates and coaches, who recently said he had seemed to be in good spirits after going through financial problems and a divorce the past few years. At a reunion of the 1985 Bears championship team a few months ago, he told them he was planning to get married again in April and seemed optimistic about his future.

His youngest son, Brock, gave one of several eulogies on Saturday, along with 1985 Bears teammate Otis Wilson and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

“My dad, Dave Duerson, was a kind and generous man who believed in helping others,” Brock said. “Who would ever think that a small-town boy from Muncie, Ind., would become such a success in sports, academics and business. I’m extremely proud to be a Duerson.”

The New York Times reported that Duerson had sent text messages to his family asking that his brain be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease tied to depression, dementia and suicide.

His brain was donated to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine and was to undergo studies looking for any disease or abnormality but focused on CTE, which has been found in numerous athletes.

Brock Duerson said after the service that the family will start a charity to help athletes deal with mental illness. He said the family won’t get the results of the brain tests for three to six months.

Duerson starred at Notre Dame before getting drafted by the Bears in the third round in 1983.

Two years later, with Todd Bell sitting out the season in a contract dispute, he became a starter on one of the greatest defenses ever assembled.

“It was real joy to work with Dave,” Wilson said. “He couldn’t do anything halfway.”

With Hall of Famers Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton and Richard Dent, the Bears left a trail of battered opponents while shuffling all the way to the championship. Duerson did his part in the backfield with five interceptions and made the first of four straight Pro Bowls.

A year later, he picked off a career-high six passes while setting what was an NFL record for sacks by a defensive back with seven. That mark stood until 2005, when Arizona’s Adrian Wilson(notes) had eight.

Duerson would go on to win another Super Bowl with the 1990 Giants after being released by the Bears and spend three years with Arizona before retiring after 11 seasons.

He remained active in the union and served as a trustee on the NFL Players Association’s retirement board. He clashed with Ditka over the way former players’ claims were distributed, but the coach said they eventually made up.

Duerson was also involved in several businesses after his career.

He owned a few McDonald’s franchises and later helped to grow a company that supplied fast-food restaurants. He left to start his own company in 2002.

His life took some hard turns in the years that followed, though. His food-supply company was forced into receivership in 2006, and Duerson filed for divorce from his wife Alicia a year later. He lost his Chicago-area home to foreclosure and his position as Notre Dame trustee after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge.

His brother Mike Duerson, 52, said after the memorial that he’s donating his brain to the same Boston clinic. He said he’s had health problems since playing college basketball his freshman year at IUPUI. He said he got a concussion after taking a charge and was paralyzed on his left side for six months.

“I’ve been diagnosed with just about everything—they call it alphabet soup, as far as psychological problems,” Mike Duerson said.

He said he hopes something positive comes out of his brother’s death.

“I don’t know if it’s a wake-up call for the NFL, but it may be for colleges,” he said.