BATON ROUGE — LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle went from last to first in a hurry Friday night. The last of 26 players left in the NFL draft Green Room was the last player picked in the second round. But he landed on the first-place team when the world champion New York Giants made him their second-round choice at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end and former Giant Michael Strahan made the announcement, which drew cheers from Giants fans in attendance. He was the fifth receiver selected in the round and the ninth overall.

Randle posted the follwing to his Twitter account, “NY looks like I’m here to stay.”

Safety Brandon Taylor was the other LSU player picked Friday night. He went to the San Diego Chargers in the third round, 10 spots after Randle and the 73rd player taken overall. That gave LSU four of the top 73 players picked. Morris Claiborne went to Dallas and defensive tackle Michael Brockers to St. Louis in the first round Thursday night.

Randle steps in to a fairly good situation. The Giants lost Mario Manningham to San Francisco in free agency, setting up a battle for the No. 3 receiver job behind Hakeen Nicks and Victor Cruz. Randle will be competing with the likes of Ramses Barden, Jerrel Jernigan and Domenik Hixon.

Marc Ross, the Giants’ director of college scouting, told the New York Post the organization had a first-round grade on Randle and considered taking him with the 32nd pick. They chose Virginia Tech running back David Wilson instead.

“I really didn’t think there was a chance we were going to get him,” Ross told ESPN.com. “Actually, we talked a little about him yesterday with our pick. Rueben is an NFL-ready receiver. What I mean by that is this guy is strong, he can catch the ball, he is a good route runner and has got position savvy. He knows how to get open. To me those are the successful receivers in the NFL.

“Our guys that we have now, Hakeem and Victor, you put them on at the combine, you won’t notice them but if you put them on the football field, they just take their game to another level, and this is how Rueben is in our eyes.”

Randle had a breakout season as a junior last year with 53 catches for 917 yards and eight touchdowns for a team that primarily ran the ball and often sat on big leads in the fourth quarter. Despite erratic quarterback play in all three of his seasons, Randle had 97 receptions for 1,634 yards and 13 touchdowns and now gets to catch passes from Eli Manning.

“Eli Manning is a great quarterback,” said Randle. “A lot of guys will help me develop my game and get better. You just have to stay humble. I knew my opportunity was going to come. You can’t stress about that. It’s about what you do after you get drafted. I am going to go out there and work hard for these guys and hopefully make the team.”

San Diego obviously had its eye on Taylor. The Chargers gave their sixth round pick to Miami to trade places with the Dolphins in the third round and draft the native of Franklinton, whose brother Curtis is a safety for the San Francisco 49ers.

The pick continued a defensive theme for San Diego. Earlier in the draft, the Chargers picked outside linebacker Melvin Ingram of South Carolina in the first round and defensive end Kendall Reyes of Connecticut in the second round.

Taylor is expected to battle incumbent veteran strong safety Atari Bigby for the starting job.

“Because of playing outside and coming inside, he’s got a great awareness,” San Diego Coach Norv Turner told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “He sees things awfully well. He breaks on the ball and has instincts like a corner. He’s a 200-plus pound guy, so he can play in a physical manner like a strong safety.”

Taylor had 71 tackles last season, second on the team. He broke up five passes and had two of his four career interceptions while starting all 14 games last season. He played cornerback as a freshman but moved to safety and started 33 of his 49 games.

“I’m a very humble person,” Taylor said, “and I know the Chargers never really have any off the field issues with their players. You never hear about their players in the media or anything, so I just think that their program fits me and the type of person that I am. Just gotta go out and win.”

 

Read More: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins

It was reported Sunday that the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys would be filing a grievance against the NFL and NFLPA for penalizing the two teams millions of dollars in 2012 salary cap space for what were deemed spending violations during the uncapped 2010 season. Washington had $36 million dollars in 2012 cap space taken away, while the Cowboys lost $10 million in cap space. It seems John Mara, the chair of the NFL Management Council and owner of the rival New York Giants, feels the penalty was fair and perhaps even not enough. Via Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com:

“I thought the penalties imposed were proper,” John Mara, the New York Giants’ owner and chair of the NFL Management Council, which imposed the penalties said Sunday. “What they did was in violation of the spirit of the salary cap. They attempted to take advantage of a one-year loophole, and quite frankly, I think they’re lucky they didn’t lose draft picks.”

I think it’s safe to say the NFL team meetings in Florida this week will be an interesting affair.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation’s NFL hub.

Tight end Martellus Bennett not only left the Dallas Cowboys, after four years with the team, but he signed with the NFC East division rival New York Giants. Now, Dallas will see firsthand if he was someone they should have let go or not.

I’ll stand up and say that Bennett is not that big of a loss. The Cowboys still have Jason Witten, the best tight end to ever play in Dallas, and saying that means a lot. Dallas has had some great tight ends over the years, from Mike Ditka to Billy Joe Dupree to Doug Cosbie to Jay Novacek, but Witten is an elite talent. In the next couple of seasons, Witten will move into second place on the Cowboys’ all-time receivers list, behind only Michael Irvin.

Witten sits up there with Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow Sr. as one of the best to ever play the position.

Bennett might be a great tight end, and he will get all the chances in the world thanks to the injuries suffered by Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum in the Super Bowl, but he isn’t Jason Witten.

In his four seasons as Witten’s backup, Bennett caught 20, 15, 33 and 17 passes. Bennett should get a bigger chance in New York and might be their best option since Jeremy Shockey left the team. It will also give the Giants one of their main rival’s weapons.

The question now is what will Dallas do at the tight end position. Witten will play a good 90-percent of the time, minimum, and be the main go-to tight end for the Cowboys offensively. Third year player, John Phillips, will back him up. Phillips, who missed the 2010 season, caught seven passes in his first year and 15 in 2011.

I don’t think Phillips is the guy they need to replace Bennett. Phillips is a great blocking tight end but will never surpass the third tight end rankings. He finished his college career in Virginia with 87 receptions for 1,513 yards and 16 touchdowns, so he can catch the ball, he has just never been asked to do it much.

Jason Garrett said they have been talking to a lot of different guys about coming in, so it is clear they don’t think Phillips is the man either. Dallas will find someone to come in and then, when they play the Giants in 2012, we’ll see how good Bennett can be.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: NFL.COM

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants will be hosting the NFL season-opener at MetLife Stadium, albeit on a different night. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement earlier today.

The NFL will move up the season-opener to Wednesday, Sept. 5 (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) to avoid a conflict with President Barack Obama’s speech on Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention. There has not been an opponent named for the Giants yet. NFL Kickoff 2012 will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The date change means that this will mark the first time the season-opener will be played before a Thursday since 2002. The Giants vs. an opponent to be named later will also be the first NFL game on a Wednesday since the Rams and Lions played Sept. 22, 1948 (via NJ.com).

The eight possible opponents are the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

For more coverage of the Giants, visit our blog Big Blue View.

I missed the Feb. 16 episode of TNA Impact Wrestling so count me surprised when I tuned in for the Feb. 23 episode and found out that New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs was part of the show for both weeks. I was even more surprised that Jacobs was well spoken and seemed somewhat intelligent, which shocked me to no end.

This is the same Brandon Jacobs who says some of the dumbest, most disrespectful things I have ever heard from a football player when he opens his mouth. One comment I cannot get out of my head is when Jacobs said he doesn’t hate Dallas Cowboys’ fans because they like the Cowboys. He hates Cowboys fans because of how they act in regular everyday life.

That’s alright Jacobs. I can speak from experience when I say that Dallas’ fans feel the exact same way about you. But comments like that might make him perfect for the world of professional wrestling.

However, here is Jacobs, at a show filmed in Florida, and somehow TNA Impact Wrestling has him booked as a good guy. What is even more ironic is that he is helping his buddy, a good guy who’s nickname is “The Cowboy.” How ironic is that?

For those out of the loop, Jacobs was at ringside on the previous week’s episode watching the matches. Cowboy James Storm and Bully Ray (the former Bubba Ray Dudley) were fighting for the right to fight for the world championship. After Storm won the match, he went over to celebrate with Jacobs, and as a result, Bully Ray spit in Jacobs’ face.

This week, Jacobs came to the ring and cut a promo, calling out Bully Ray. It was a great promo. He knew exactly how to talk to come across right and he really does have “the look.” He chased Bully Ray off when the bad guy refused to fight but got involved in a match later in the show when he choke slammed Bully Ray through a table.

Somehow, Brandon Jacobs made me smile with his performance. That has to mean something since I am a Dallas Cowboys’ fan and hate him with every bit of my fiber. How can you explain that?

Author Shawn S. Lealos has been a professional wrestling fan since the rock and roll days of the 80s. Shawn watched all the promotions, but held an affinity for the more rugged ones in the Mid South and Dallas focused World Class regions. He still watches wrestling today, enjoying the WWE, TNA and ROH, watching all three on television weekly.

Source: TNA Impact

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

By the time Victor Cruz turned the corner on Dallas’ Terence Newman in the first quarter tonight, the Giants’ sideline became a bouncing mass of blue and white waving their slot receiver toward the end zone.

They had seen this before: The way Cruz can catch a sliver of open space and turn the remaining field into a track meet.

They had seen it a week ago when Cruz rendered a flat-footed Jets secondary dumbfounded with a 99-yard catch-and-run that awoke a sleepy Giants offense.

Tonight, Dallas was the victim with a little more than five minutes to play in the first quarter, on a third-and-1.The Cowboys’ secondary tried to chase Cruz 74 yards down field but Newman dove around the 30-yard line and Gerald Sensabaugh gave up around the 10.

“I was just watching myself on the JumboTron just making sure they weren’t too close,” said Cruz, who’s goal this season was just to get one catch in a meaningful regular-season game.

For the second time in as many weeks, Cruz brought the Giants to life with an electric catch-and-run, then delivered a series of decisive blows throughout the game. In the 31-14 win over Dallas in front of 81,077, a victory that gave the Giants the NFC East division title and a berth in the playoffs, he finished with six catches for 178 yards and a touchdown. Over the past two games, he’s had 342 receiving yards.

“I guess it’s just God-given ability,” Cruz said. “When I get the ball in my hands I try and make the most of every play, you know, I try and make the maximum yardage I can get every time I touch the ball.”

Said Giants coach Tom Coughlin: “He just keeps doing it, and thank God he does. I am cheering for him, doing cartwheels on the sidelines as he is running by.”

Unfortunately for Dallas, their Cruz-induced headaches were not limited to that 74-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

On a third-and-7 from the Giants’ 28-yard line in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning spun off pressure in the pocket and hurled one to Cruz 44 yards downfield. The safety went in the opposite direction on Cruz’s seam route, giving Manning the go-ahead to make the throw.

Two plays later, Manning hit Cruz again over the middle for a gain of 20, setting up a 28-yard field goal.

“He’s come up big,” Manning said. “Last year when we lost Steve Smith to an injury we really struggled not having anyone to work the middle of the field. We put a lot on Cruz, he’s done a great job doing that all season.”

The Dallas defense placed a safety over top for some much-needed help. But it didn’t help. The Cowboys tried, and failed, to get inside the receiver’s head. After Laurent Robinson scored on a 6-yard quick-slant touchdown, he broke out in Cruz’s signature touchdown salsa dance.

“I told him if he wants to do my dance, he needs to be a little more fluid, man,” Cruz said.

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Coming off one of their best defensive efforts, the New York Giants seemingly are getting another piece back for their NFC East showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora practiced on a limited basis Wednesday after being sidelined for the month with a high ankle sprain and continuing problems with his knee.

Expect him on the field Sunday night when the Giants (8-7) face the Cowboys (8-7) for the division title and a first-round home game against either Atlanta or Detroit.

“Hey, this is it,” backup defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “Win, you’re in. Lose, you go home. So you might as well pull all the stops and get everybody rolling,”

Umenyiora hurt the ankle – the team has not said which one – in a loss in New Orleans on Nov. 28. He has missed the last four games and many wondered whether he would be back on the field this season.

However, the nine-year veteran looked nimble running with the defensive linemen early in practice.

“He’s tested everything, lots of times,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s what he’s been doing. He’s been working his tail off. He just hasn’t been able to get right.”

Umenyiora did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. He usually talks to reporters on Fridays.

The Giants have not been hurt by Umenyiora’s absence because second-year pro and recent Pro Bowl selection Jason Pierre-Paul has been outstanding starting for him at right end, twice winning NFC defensive player of the week honors.

However, Umenyiora’s addition also comes at a time when fellow two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck is playing his best football after a season marked by neck, groin and toe injuries.

With Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants will finally have all the part of the third-down pass quartet they envisioned using all season. And some depth.

Pierre-Paul was forced to play more than 100 plays in the Giants’ 29-14 win over the rival Jets at MetLife Stadium.

“That rest will help me a lot and it will get me going,” said Pierre-Paul, who was selected the NFC defensive player of the week on Wednesday for the second time in three weeks. “I was playing like 80 snaps a game and that is a lot. You don’t really think about it, you just have to go.”

Pierre-Paul also won the honor in the Giants 37-34 win over Dallas on Dec. 11. He had eight tackles, two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, a forced fumble that led to a field goal and blocked Dan Bailey’s tying field goal attempt on the final play of the game.

If the Giants do have everybody back that could make things a little tougher for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who intends to play this weekend despite suffering a bruised right hand in 20-7 loss to Philadelphia this past weekend.

“I think that Osi is a good player, so anytime they get another pass rusher it presents more of a challenge,” Romo said in a conference call with New York media. “We have to prepare for that. I think that group up front is an outstanding group and they have three or four guys that you really have to account for. It is going to be a great challenge for our guys up front and for me to see different things and you just have to know that going into the week. We will be prepared for it.”

The Giants’ defense, which ranks 28th in the league, played an outstanding game against the Jets, particularly after yielding a touchdown on the opening drive. It forced three turnovers and held the Jets to 4 of 21 on third-down conversions. The only Jets touchdown in the second half came on an 11-yard drive after an Eli Manning pass was intercepted.

Safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants are willing to pay the price to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Nicked players are practicing and the tempo has picked up.

Having Umenyiora back on the field is just another example of that.

“All on deck. We’re all fighting,” Rolle said. “We’re all trying to get better. It means everything to have Osi out there. I know he’s probably not 100 percent, but he’s fighting. He’s fighting. He’s fighting for himself. He’s fighting for this team. He’s fighting for what we have at stake.”

Tackle Chris Canty said having Umenyiora and his seven sacks back just gives the defense another talented player.

“It would be pretty impeccable timing, to get everyone healthy and running,” Tollefson said.

NOTES: WR Hakeem Nicks did not practice because of a recurring hamstring injury. He said he would play Sunday. …WR Mario Manningham, who missed the Jets game with a nagging season-long knee injury, worked on a limited basis. …TE Jake Ballard, who sprained a knee against Washington on Dec. 18 and did not play last week, did some running and light cutting away from the team. He did practice. ….Coughlin, who injured his left leg on Saturday when slammed into by running back D.J. Ware, got a message from Saints coach Sean Payton, who broke his left leg when tight end Jimmy Graham slammed into him on Oct. 16 in a game at Tampa, Fla. “You look like you’re a better athlete than me, you didn’t go down,” Coughlin said Payton told him.

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

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Coming off one of their best defensive efforts, the New York Giants seemingly are getting another piece back for their NFC East showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora practised on a limited basis Wednesday after being sidelined for the month with a high ankle sprain and continuing problems with his knee.

Expect him on the field Sunday night when the Giants (8-7) face the Cowboys (8-7) for the division title and a first-round home game against either Atlanta or Detroit.

“Hey, this is it,” backup defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “Win, you’re in. Lose, you go home.

“So you might as well pull all the stops and get everybody rolling.”

Umenyiora hurt the ankle — the team has not said which one — in a loss in New Orleans on Nov. 28. He has missed the last four games and many wondered whether he would be back on the field this season.

However, the nine-year veteran looked nimble running with the defensive linemen early in practice.

“He’s tested everything, lots of times,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s what he’s been doing. He’s been working his tail off.

“He just hasn’t been able to get right.”

Umenyiora did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. He usually talks to reporters on Fridays.

The Giants have not been hurt by Umenyiora’s absence because second-year pro and recent Pro Bowl selection Jason Pierre-Paul has been outstanding starting for him at right end, twice winning NFC defensive player of the week honours.

However, Umenyiora’s addition also comes at a time when fellow two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck is playing his best football after a season marked by neck, groin and toe injuries.

With Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants will finally have all the part of the third-down pass quartet they envisioned using all season. And some depth.

Pierre-Paul was forced to play more than 100 plays in the Giants’ 29-14 win over the rival Jets at MetLife Stadium.

“That rest will help me a lot and it will get me going,” said Pierre-Paul, who was selected the NFC defensive player of the week Wednesday for the second time in three weeks. “I was playing like 80 snaps a game and that is a lot.

“You don’t really think about it, you just have to go.”

Pierre-Paul also won the honour in the Giants 37-34 win over Dallas on Dec. 11. He had eight tackles, two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, a forced fumble that led to a field goal and blocked Dan Bailey’s tying field goal attempt on the final play of the game.

If the Giants do have everybody back that could make things a little tougher for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who intends to play this weekend despite suffering a bruised right hand in 20-7 loss to Philadelphia this past weekend.

“I think that Osi is a good player, so anytime they get another pass rusher it presents more of a challenge,” Romo said in a conference call with New York media. “We have to prepare for that. I think that group up front is an outstanding group and they have three or four guys that you really have to account for.

“It is going to be a great challenge for our guys up front and for me to see different things and you just have to know that going into the week. We will be prepared for it.”

The Giants’ defence, which ranks 28th in the league, played an outstanding game against the Jets, particularly after yielding a touchdown on the opening drive. It forced three turnovers and held the Jets to 4-of-21 on third-down conversions. The only Jets touchdown in the second half came on an 11-yard drive after an Eli Manning pass was intercepted.

Safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants are willing to pay the price to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Nicked players are practising and the tempo has picked up.

Having Umenyiora back on the field is just another example of that.

“All on deck. We’re all fighting,” Rolle said. “We’re all trying to get better. It means everything to have Osi out there. I know he’s probably not 100 per cent, but he’s fighting.

“He’s fighting. He’s fighting for himself. He’s fighting for this team. He’s fighting for what we have at stake.”

Tackle Chris Canty said having Umenyiora and his seven sacks back just gives the defence another talented player.

“It would be pretty impeccable timing, to get everyone healthy and running,” Tollefson said.

NOTES: WR Hakeem Nicks did not practise because of a recurring hamstring injury. He said he would play Sunday. …WR Mario Manningham, who missed the Jets game with a nagging season-long knee injury, worked on a limited basis. …TE Jake Ballard, who sprained a knee against Washington on Dec. 18 and did not play last week, did some running and light cutting away from the team. He did practise. ….Coughlin, who injured his left leg Saturday when slammed into by running back D.J. Ware, got a message from Saints coach Sean Payton, who broke his left leg when tight end Jimmy Graham slammed into him Oct. 16 in a game at Tampa, Fla. “You look like you’re a better athlete than me, you didn’t go down,” Coughlin said Payton told him.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Coming off one of their best defensive efforts,
the New York Giants seemingly are getting another piece back for their NFC East
showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora practiced on a limited basis
Wednesday after being sidelined for the month with a high ankle sprain and
continuing problems with his knee.

Expect him on the field Sunday night when the Giants (8-7) face the Cowboys
(8-7) for the division title and a first-round home game against either Atlanta
or Detroit.

“Hey, this is it,” backup defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “Win, you’re
in. Lose, you go home. So you might as well pull all the stops and get
everybody rolling,”

Umenyiora hurt the ankle—the team has not said which one—in a loss in
New Orleans on Nov. 28. He has missed the last four games and many wondered
whether he would be back on the field this season.

However, the nine-year veteran looked nimble running with the defensive
linemen early in practice.

“He’s tested everything, lots of times,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s
what he’s been doing. He’s been working his tail off. He just hasn’t been able
to get right.”

Umenyiora did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press
seeking comment. He usually talks to reporters on Fridays.

The Giants have not been hurt by Umenyiora’s absence because second-year pro
and recent Pro Bowl selection Jason Pierre-Paul has been outstanding starting
for him at right end, twice winning NFC defensive player of the week honors.

However, Umenyiora’s addition also comes at a time when fellow two-time Pro
Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck is playing his best football after a season
marked by neck, groin and toe injuries.

With Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants will
finally have all the part of the third-down pass quartet they envisioned using
all season. And some depth.

Pierre-Paul was forced to play more than 100 plays in the Giants’ 29-14 win
over the rival Jets at MetLife Stadium.

“That rest will help me a lot and it will get me going,” said Pierre-Paul,
who was selected the NFC defensive player of the week on Wednesday for the
second time in three weeks. “I was playing like 80 snaps a game and that is a
lot. You don’t really think about it, you just have to go.”

Pierre-Paul also won the honor in the Giants 37-34 win over Dallas on Dec.
11. He had eight tackles, two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, a forced
fumble that led to a field goal and blocked Dan Bailey’s tying field goal
attempt on the final play of the game.

If the Giants do have everybody back that could make things a little tougher
for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who intends to play this weekend despite
suffering a bruised right hand in 20-7 loss to Philadelphia this past weekend.

“I think that Osi is a good player, so anytime they get another pass rusher
it presents more of a challenge,” Romo said in a conference call with New York
media. “We have to prepare for that. I think that group up front is an
outstanding group and they have three or four guys that you really have to
account for. It is going to be a great challenge for our guys up front and for
me to see different things and you just have to know that going into the week.
We will be prepared for it.”

The Giants’ defense, which ranks 28th in the league, played an outstanding
game against the Jets, particularly after yielding a touchdown on the opening
drive. It forced three turnovers and held the Jets to 4 of 21 on third-down
conversions. The only Jets touchdown in the second half came on an 11-yard drive
after an Eli Manning pass was intercepted.

Safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants are willing to pay the price to make the
playoffs for the first time since 2008. Nicked players are practicing and the
tempo has picked up.

Having Umenyiora back on the field is just another example of that.

“All on deck. We’re all fighting,” Rolle said. “We’re all trying to get
better. It means everything to have Osi out there. I know he’s probably not 100
percent, but he’s fighting. He’s fighting. He’s fighting for himself. He’s
fighting for this team. He’s fighting for what we have at stake.”

Tackle Chris Canty said having Umenyiora and his seven sacks back just gives
the defense another talented player.

“It would be pretty impeccable timing, to get everyone healthy and
running,” Tollefson said.

NOTES: WR Hakeem Nicks did not practice because of a recurring hamstring
injury. He said he would play Sunday. …WR Mario Manningham, who missed the
Jets game with a nagging season-long knee injury, worked on a limited basis.
…TE Jake Ballard, who sprained a knee against Washington on Dec. 18 and did
not play last week, did some running and light cutting away from the team. He
did practice. ….Coughlin, who injured his left leg on Saturday when slammed
into by running back D.J. Ware, got a message from Saints coach Sean Payton, who
broke his left leg when tight end Jimmy Graham slammed into him on Oct. 16 in a
game at Tampa, Fla. “You look like you’re a better athlete than me, you didn’t
go down,” Coughlin said Payton told him.

Two members of the New York Giants were announced as Pro Bowl selections on Tuesday. One of them wasn’t even on the ballot.

It will mark the second Pro Bowl for Giants quarterback Eli Manning, but it might be the first selection for second-year defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul that’s most impressive. Pierre-Paul was not on the ballot, and thus could have only received write-in votes from fans.

Pierre-Paul presumably garnered enough votes from players and coaches — who can vote for any player on the active roster and each count as one-third of total voting — to join Vikings defensive end Jared Allen and Eagles defensive end Jason Babin on the NFC roster.

“It means a lot,” Pierre-Paul said. “I don’t really understand the whole Pro Bowl thing, but it means a lot. It means I’m doing good.”

Pierre-Paul has started 11 of the Giants’ 15 games and recorded 15.5 sacks, fourth in the NFL. He has at least a half-sack in 11 games and multiple sacks in five games.

Pierre-Paul was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his dominant performance in the Giants’ 37-34 victory in Dallas on Dec. 11. He led the team with eight tackles (six solo), including two sacks (one for a safety), a forced fumble, and a block of Dan Bailey’s 47-yard field-goal attempt with one second left that would have sent the game into overtime.

Even if he doesn’t completely understand the whole Pro Bowl thing, Pierre-Paul has been rewarded for his breakout season.

Wide receiver Victor Cruz and guard Chris Snee are second alternates for the NFC, according to the Giants.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Eli Manning hooked up with Victor Cruz on a 99-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter and the New York Giants defeated the rival New York Jets 29-14 in a critical battle of playoff hopefuls Saturday at MetLife Stadium.The Giants’ victory eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles from the playoffs and set up a showdown with Dallas for the NFC East title next week.The dealt a major blow to the playoff hopes of the Jets (8-7), who dropped one game behind Cincinnati for the No. 6 seed in the AFC.The pass to Cruz was the longest in franchise history and gave the Giants (8-7) a 10-7 lead. The wide receiver became the 13th player in the NFL to catch a 99-yard touchdown pass.On a third-and-10 from the 1, Giant quarterback Eli Manning hit Cruz over the middle and he eluded a pair of defenders after making the catch before outracing the rest of the Jet defense.Cruz finished with 164 yards receiving and set a team record for receiving yards in a season. His 36-yard catch late in the third quarter set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw to increase the lead to 17-7.The Jets (8-7) struck first on a 5-yard pass from Mark Sanchez to Josh Baker, but the Giants scored the next 20 points including a pair of field goals by Lawrence Tynes.Trailing 20-7, Sanchez scored on a 1-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. The Jets got the ball back trailing 20-14, but Sanchez was sacked in the end zone for a Giant safety.The Giants have won the last five games in the series and they put the game out of reach when Bradshaw scored from 19 yards out with under two minutes left.

The New York Giants and the New York Jets may share a home, but there’s no brotherly love between the two teams. The G-men battle Fireman Ed and Co. on a Saturday night game that will have a huge impact on whether either team makes it into the playoffs.

The Giants (7-7) battle the Jets (8-6) at the Meadowlands at 1 p.m. on FOX for an afternoon Christmas Eve showdown. The Giants desperately need a win to take over the Dallas Cowboys (8-6) who currently sit atop the NFC East. The Jets are also second in their division to one of the most-winning teams in the NFL, the New England Patriots (11-3).

If the Jets stand any chance of making it to the playoffs, they’ll need to sneak into a wildcard game by winning a large majority of their remaining games. Though the crosstown game is big for the Giants, the Dallas Cowboys have failed to clinch a playoff seed so far. That means that the game is a little less dire for the Giants.

Both teams face are battling injuries on their roster and will need second-line teammates to step up. The Jets offense is banged up. Jets players Plaxico Burress (WR), Santonio Holmes (WR), Mark Sanchez (QB), Shonn Greene (RB)  are all listed as probably for the game and are forced to shake off a variety of injuries.

The Giants face less injuries, but more serious ones. Giants’ players Osi Umenyiora (DE) has been out for several weeks, which has weakened the defensive pressure the Giants have been able to put on their opponents. In addition to Umenyiora’s absence, Mario Manningham (WR) is listed as doubtful with a knee injury. Two running backs on the team are injured, too. Ahmad Bradshaw, the power back is listed as probably with a foot injury. Danny Ware, the more agile back, is injured with knee issues and is listed as probable.

The showdown in the Meadowlands is sure to be full of fireworks. With these to New York teams on the ropes, they’ll likely pull out all the stops to sneak into the playoffs. If either team makes it, whether they’re actually able to compete is an entirely different story. 

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:
To contact the editor, e-mail:

Christmas 2011 is going to be merrier for one faction of Tri-State area football fans than the other, because the New York Giants (7-7) and New York Jets (8-6) will play a game on Christmas Eve that has playoff ramifications for both teams.

“We’ll play hard,” Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka told Yahoo! Contributor Network after New York fell to the Washington Redkins 23-10 this past Sunday. “We know [the Jets are] going to come out good, but we know our offense is going to be fully ready to go. We got to be able to come out as a defense and just get stops.”

“Bragging rights,” a phrase you’ll hear ad nauseam as game day approaches, is of infinitesimal importance when juxtaposed to an inexorable truth about this game: Should the Giants lose and Dallas Cowboys (8-6) defeat the Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) this weekend, their season is over.

“The significance is, for us to achieve our goal—which is winning the Super Bowl—we have to win this game,” Kiwanuka said. “That’s it.”

“They’re a good football team,” defensive end Chris Canty said. “You are what you are in this league. And with their record, they’re a good football team. We know their brand of football. They play defense, they want to run the football.

“We’re gonna have to put them under a microscope and try to familiarize ourselves as much as we can with what they’re doing,” he added, “and try to give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful on Saturday.”

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis will likely split time defending Big Blue’s top two receivers, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Given how immensely talented each of the three are, watching Revis defend either play-maker should be one of the more entertaining aspects of Saturday’s New York-New York showdown.

“Always looking forward for a challenge,” Nicks told YCN. “They’re a good football team. They’re a good, strong, solid football team. [They] play defense well, play offense well. We got to go out there and play.”


Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

There seems to be a growing disconnect between New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and his players. According to a New York Daily News report, Coughlin called out Giants cornerback Antrel Rolle for saying that his teammates lacked heart in a 23-10 loss to the Washington Redskins on Dec. 18. “I’m sure there’s frustration there,” Coughlin said of Rolle’s comments. “I don’t think that’s the mechanism by which you express your frustration.”

Are the New York Giants still playing hard for Coughlin? That’s the burning question that will be answered in the Giants’ stretch run of the season, in two must-win games against the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.

At Justin Tuck’s post-game press conference following the loss to the Redskins, he said “a lack of sustained intensity” was a good way of describing the New York Giants’ performance during the game. “We came out and had a pick in the first play of the game, but we weren’t able to create any momentum on offense after that,” Tuck noted.

The lack of intensity during the game seemed to carry over into the post-game conferences, at a time when the Giants should have shown anger or at least more emotion following such a disastrous loss.

Not that they didn’t seem to care, but they didn’t look like a team that was truly upset about losing, or hungry to bounce back and make a playoff run.

New York running back Brandon Jacobs was asked at the press conference if he thought the Giants played with emotion and passion, and he said they did not. “We didn’t want it bad enough the first time we played these guys,” Jacobs said. “And we didn’t want it bad enough this time.”

Jacobs later added that he couldn’t answer why the passion wasn’t there. “For whatever reason, why we came out and played the way we did, I can’t answer that,” Jacobs said. “We have two good teams that are coming up and we have to be on our feet.”

The responsibility of getting a team to play with emotion and passion should fall squarely on a coach’s shoulders, and it looks more and more like Tom Coughlin’s message isn’t getting through to his team like it once was.

Following the loss to the Redskins, coach Coughlin said he was extremely disappointed with the way his team played. “The responsibility comes back to me, and I accept it,” Coughlin noted. “I told the players ‘I expected to see more. I expected to see quality execution and quite frankly, we didn’t get much of that.”

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York resident and fan of both New York football teams. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

Sources

www.giants.com, Giants, press conference videos and player quotes

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.