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Michael:
Why don't the Giants utilize both Bradshaw and Jacobs in the same backfield setup? I would think this would make any defense wonder who will get the ball especially in the red zone.
Dear Richard:
I don't think it's out of the question that the package you suggest will be used. But if you do that you have to take a player off the field. If it's a blocker, you have one less player that can clear holes fur the back with the ball. If it's a wide receiver, you're all but announcing to the defense that you're going to run the ball. The Giants prefer to use a running back/fullback alignment.
Michael:
We have recently lost O'Hara, Seubert, Boss and Smith. Lackluster performance inCarolina game. Not a good trend. What are the Giants doing to turn it around for the fans?Dear Jim:
Frankly, I'm a little amazed so many of our fans are negative right now. Yes, we lost some players. Didn't everybody? Kevin Boss is a great kid and a good player, but he caught 35 passes last season – that's a little more than two a game. I like to think we can find someone to surpass that production. And he was offered far more money by the Oakland Raiders than the Giants were willing to pay him. Steve Smith…let's see when he gets on the field. At some point, we had to get younger on the offensive line. David Baas is a terrific center and Will Beatty is a promising left tackle. Seubert and O'Hara were very popular players, but you don't want to wait one year too late to make those moves. In the meantime, we have a terrific defensive front, an outstanding secondary and one of the NFL's best rushing attacks. And don't take preseason games too seriously. In the last five preseasons prior to this one, the Indianapolis Colts were 4-17. They've done pretty well once the live bullets fly. The 2008 Detroit Lions were 4-0 in the preseason. They finished the regular season 0-16. Let's play a few regular season games before judging the 2011 Giants.
Michael,
With the various coaches on a football team, how does the balance of power breakdown? Obviously, Tom Coughlin is our head coach, but it appears as if Kevin Gilbride and Perry Fewell make the calls for their respective sides of the ball...Is there a point or time when Coughlin may override a play call? I have often wondered what the head coach's role was in the play calling during a game. Thanks.
Dear Steve:
Kevin Gilbride calls the offensive plays and Perry Fewell calls the defenses. Coughlin can and does have input and he has veto power. But it's not something he or other head coaches use often if at all. A head coach has to let his assistants coach. If they don't, they lose their authority and perhaps the respect of the players. Coughlin has called plays before. He knows how difficult it is without someone else taking an active role in the process. A head coach's job is to manage the game. It's hard to do that if you're trying to run the offense and defense – and special teams – at the same time.
Michael,Hello! How is the health of Ramses Barden and is he going to play this year? I believe we need this guy in the lineup, especially once the offense gets into the red zone.
Dear Mike:Everyone in this building certainly hopes he plays this year. I believe he will, but we don't know when and you have to wonder how effective he'll be once he gets on the field. He'll miss at least the first two preseason games and possibly more. Tom Coughlin expressed frustration last week that Barden is not yet on the field. Barden has been doing individual drills, but has not been cleared to rejoin the team. It's too bad, because he would have had a great opportunity and certainly would have received a lot of reps in training camp.
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