The Giants begin their six-game finishing kick this week with Lawrence Tynes poised to complete the greatest season in history by a Giants – and perhaps an NFL – kicker.
Tynes leads the NFL with 109 points. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the highest total ever by a Giants player through a season's first 10 games. He is the first kicker with that many points after 10 games since Denver's Jim Turner had 111 way back in 1968 (in other words, Tynes is the first kicker since the 1970 merger to score at least 109 points in 10 games). The last NFL player to score that many points at this juncture was San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who had 132 points in 2006.
Tynes has also kicked a league-leading 28 field goals (in 31 attempts). He is one of four kickers in league history with at least that many field goals through 10 games. The others were Arizona's Neil Rackers (31 in 2005), Miami's Olindo Mare (29 in 1999) and Turner (28 in 1968).
Of course, records aren't official until a season concludes, but Tynes is on pace to establish both team and league marks.
The single-season NFL record for points by a player with no touchdowns is 166, set just last season by San Francisco kicker David Akers (44 field goals, 34 extra points). With an average of 10.9 points a game, Tynes is on pace to score 174 points this year. The Giants record of 148 points was set by Jay Feely in 2005. Tynes' career high is 126 points in 2009, when he kicked 27 field goals and 45 extra points.
Tynes leads the NFL scoring race by five points over New England Stephen Gostkowski and seven points over Atlanta's Matt Bryant. If Tynes is the leader when the season ends, he will be the first Giants player to top the NFL in scoring since Don Chandler scored 106 points (18 field goals and 52 extra points) in 1963.
This season, Tynes has raised his Giants career total to 550 points, which is the second-highest figure in franchise history. He trails only Pete Gogolak, who scored 646 points from 1966-74.
Tynes' 28 field goals put him on pace to finish the season with 44, which would tie the NFL record Akers set a year ago. The Giants' record of 35 is shared by three players – Ali Haji-Sheikh (1983), Feely (2005) and John Carney (2008). Tynes has already exceeded his previous career high of 27, set in 2009.
In his six seasons with the Giants, Tynes has made 117 of 138 field goal attempts, an 84.8 percent success rate that is the highest in franchise history among kickers with at least 50 attempts. Feely entered the season as the franchise leader with an 84.1 percentage (58 of 67) in 2005-2006, but Tynes has overtaken him with his outstanding season.
*As much as they admire Tynes, the Giants would prefer he set no field goal records. If he does, it means they're scoring too few touchdowns from the green zone, which has been a problem this season. The Giants have scored 18 touchdowns in 41 trips inside the opposing 20-yard line, a percentage of 43.9 that leaves them 26th in the NFL. Including field goals, they have come away with points on 39 of 41 green zone trips, a 95.1 success rate that is third in the league (Tennessee is second at 95.8). The leader is Jacksonville at a perfect 100 percent. But that comes with an asterisk. The Jaguars have scored 10 touchdowns and kicked 10 field goals, but their 20 trips inside the 20 are the NFL low. The Giants' 41 opportunities are tied for second with Atlanta; New England is first with 49.
*When Philadelphia rookie Nick Foles took the first snap Sunday in the Eagles' loss in Washington, he became the 140th different starting quarterback on the NFL's 31 other teams since Eli Manning first started for the Giants on Nov. 21, 2004. That's an average of 4.5 quarterbacks per team since Manning began his streak of 129 consecutive regular-season starts.
*Foles was the 23rd different quarterback to start on the three other NFC East team since Manning first stepped into the huddle as a starter. That's an average of 7.7 quarterbacks per team. The individual team numbers add up to 24 because Donovan McNabb started for two teams but is counted only once.
Dallas (7): Vinny Testaverde, Drew Henson, Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Brad Johnson, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee
Philadelphia (9): Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Mike McMahon, A.J. Feeley, Koy Detmer, Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Vince Young, Nick Foles
Washington (8): Patrick Ramsey, Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck, Robert Griffin III
*Manning will soon break two significant franchise passing records:
Completions:
1. Phil Simms, 2,576
2. Eli Manning, 2,514
Manning needs 63 completions to become the franchise record-holder.
Touchdown Passes
1. Phil Simms, 199
2. Eli Manning, 197
Manning needs three to become the franchise record-holder.
*The Giants and New York Cares will host their 15th annual Coat Drive this Sunday, when the Giants host the Green Bay Packers at 8:20 p.m. Giants Fans are encouraged to donate their gently worn coats by bringing them to either of the Fed Ex trucks parked in front of the MetLife and Verizon Gates prior to the game, or to New York Cares volunteers who will be at every entrance gate. New York Cares is a non-profit organization that helps warm thousands of men, women and children by providing winter coats to homeless shelters, community organizations, centers for battered women, and agencies serving senior citizens across the metropolitan area. Donations are more appreciated than ever before.
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