The former Giants wide receiver hauled in a 5-yard touchdown pass to give Kansas City its first lead of the game, then broke a 65-yard punt return — the longest in Super Bowl history — to set up another score. The Chiefs sealed the victory on a 27-yard field goal by Harrison Butker in the waning seconds after a controversial holding call on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, also a former Giant.

Some quick thoughts:

• The Eagles blew that game. More specifically, their defense. They had a 10-point lead at halftime, but they never generated any pass rush. And then Chiefs coach Andy Reid began to pick apart Philly defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. It may not be fair, but this result will play into the already-existing narrative the Eagles beat up on a bunch of tomato cans before wilting against an elite opponent.

• A second title is big for Patrick Mahomes’ legacy, but the way he did it is even more monumental. God only knows what that guy had injected into his ankle to play in the second half. And he was brilliant. A courageous, gutty performance for the ages.

• It was a ticky-tack call on Bradberry. But it was the right one. Fortunately we can count on Philadelphia to handle the disappointment with grace and poise.

• The Eagles will be fine. They aren’t going anywhere. Yes, they have to pay Jalen Hurts. But general manager Howie Roseman will work his salary cap magic as he always does.

• The Giants still made the right move dumping Toney. No one ever doubted his talent. But he was never going to work here. And who knows if he will ever stay healthy.

• If Reid actually retires — the possibility became a thing Sunday — someone should make sure Sean Payton is OK. And then call Jim Harbaugh for his thoughts.

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney is a world champion as Eagles blow Super Bowl LVII | Elite Sports NY

Our take: There was never much chance Martindale was getting the job, and fears about his departure were a bit irrational. Sure, anything was and is possible with Jim Irsay’s quixotic coaching search. And Martindale does carry a Bruce Arians-esque charm; who doesn’t love a salty, highly-quotable old football guy who seems very fun to drink with? That said: The Colts need to get a young quarterback and develop him. It would have been a colossal gamble to entrust Martindale — a career coordinator on the other side of the ball who turns 60 in May — to do that (and to build a staff to do that). But hopefully he was able to get a raise out of interviewing twice.

MORE: We finally have encouraging Keith Hernandez, SNY contract update

Anyway, we’re interested to see what Martindale does with the Giants’ defense in 2023. At the risk of being called negative, we think there should be real concern about regression. Martindale did a lot with a little last season, but it was not an elite unit. Common sense tells us heavy blitzing and success in areas like third down defense is not always sustainable. And there are a lot of personnel holes still to fill — and doing so may be tough if general manager Joe Schoen goes for broke retaining Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ Wink Martindale will not take over Jim Irsay’s Colts crazy train | Elite Sports NY

And the two New York squads, while not participating in the Big Game, shined on stage.

The Jets swept the Rookie of the Year Awards, with cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson winning the Defensive and Offensive Rookie of the Year, respectively.

Gardner was essentially a lock to win the defensive award. The fourth overall pick in last year’s draft was a star from the get-go, leading a revamped Jets secondary that finished the regular season third in the NFL with only 189.4 passing yards allowed per game.

While the young buck finished with only a pair of interceptions, Gardner led the NFL with 20 pass breakups and allowed quarterbacks to complete just 53.5% of passes for 452 yards, one touchdown, and a lowly 62.7 passer rating when targeting him. The 22-year-old’s efforts earned him a Pro Bowl nod, a spot on the AP All-Pro first team, and this prestigious award.

On the other hand, Wilson put together a spectacular first season despite poor quarterback play and play-calling from now-former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

The 2022 No. 10 overall draft pick out of Ohio State finished the year with 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team in each category.

Even with the struggles of Zach Wilson (and Mike White and Joe Flacco), Wilson was sensational and has provided that receiver room, which certainly deserves better assistance, with great hope for the future.

And then, there was the Coach of the Year, awarded to none other than the Giants‘ Brian Daboll.

Daboll was hired in January 2022 and entered an absolute dumpster fire, to say the least. The Giants were coming off a four-win season and had just fired former head coach Joe Judge. Plus, there was the whole “retirement” of former general manager Dave Gettleman, who was at the helm of one of the worst eras of Giants football. The roster was in shambles, the team was in shambles, and the organization was in shambles.

But Daboll played a massive role in what was an even bigger turnaround. The Giants defied all odds, finished the season at 9-7-1, and reached the postseason. It was their first winning season and playoff appearance in six years. Big Blue proceeded to win its first playoff game since Super Bowl 46 over the Vikings before losing in the Divisional Round to the Eagles.

No, the Giants aren’t playing this Sunday. No one expected them to. But no one expected them to win nine games or make the playoffs, two major accomplishments Daboll did with a lackluster roster and a quarterback everyone wrote off just six months ago.

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: NFL Honors: Jets’ Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson win rookie awards; Giants’ Brian Daboll is top coach | Elite Sports NY

Despite everything he has his hands in now, there’s one constant — following and rooting for the Giants. That’ll happen when you play your entire 15-year career with the same organization. We even saw him expose the Blue in his veins throughout this past season while working on the FOX NFL Sunday crew.

I mean, you know how the saying goes… Once a Giant, Always a Giant, Only a Giant.

With that in mind, you know he’s got some thoughts on how Big Blue should approach a critical offseason after their first playoff berth since 2016. Unlike the last offseason, the front office and head coach are set. However, there are decisions to be made regarding two of the more important positions on offense: quarterback and running back.

New York has plenty of work to do in the coming weeks and months. However, Strahan recently shared his thoughts on three things the Giants need to do:

1. Re-sign Saquon Barkley
2. Re-sign Daniel Jones
3. Go get some wide receivers

Here’s what he said about Barkley (all quotes via New York Post):

You gotta keep Saquon. You can see that Daniel Jones is better with him in there, the team is better with him in there, he’s a leader in every single way. I think Saquon Barkley is one of the players that you have to keep on this team in order to build off what they did last year.

We know general manager Joe Schoen would like to retain Barkley. But it sounds like he’ll only want to do so if the price is right. They opened negotiations during the Giants’ bye week, and those talks have continued. Barkley has been open about wanting to be a Giant for life. According to a report from Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, an agreement before free agency opens is likely.

The Giants have been more direct about their intentions with Jones. Obviously, Strahan agrees with that:

I think you have to keep Daniel Jones. You have to pay Daniel Jones. That’s just the way football works right now. And the hardest position to fill is quarterback. So, if you don’t keep him, somebody else will get him and then what’s your next move? There’s no guarantee anyone else is gonna be great. So I think that Daniel did enough to earn himself a great contract there in New York. I think he has the right temperament. I didn’t think I’d meet anybody or see anybody who’s more quiet than Eli Manning when they played, and Daniel Jones has accomplished that. He’s done that.

Whether it’s a multi-year deal or a franchise tag to maintain exclusive negotiating rights, Jones won’t be going anywhere for at least 2023. He’s going to get a hefty pay raise, too.

Strahan also said how it’d be great to have Mike Kafka back as offensive coordinator for the sake of continuity, but that remains to be seen. Last, but most certainly not least, Strahan said the following about helping out New York’s wide-receiver room:

Wide receiver’s probably the biggest position where they probably go look for a home-run hitter. They need some playmakers, some big playmakers.

Well, yea — that’s the understatement of the century. We can assume wide receiver will be a focus for the Giants early on in April’s NFL Draft. Or, maybe they find an established threat to join forces with Jones.

Time will tell how things turn out for Big Blue. The decisions made this offseason will lay the foundation for the foreseeable future, so many will be keeping a watchful eye. Strahan is definitely a part of that group.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Michael Strahan shares 3-step plan to serve as base for Giants’ offseason | Elite Sports NY

Well, it’s amazing what one year and a capable coaching staff can do. Instead of trying to find another quarterback this offseason, Big Blue is committed to retaining Jones. They’re also prepared to award him with a significant payday. But as we look to the future, how good can the signal-caller be?

If you ask WFAN’s Tiki Barber, he’s pretty sure of what’ll happen. Here’s what he recently said on “Tiki and Tierney” (quite via Giantswire):

He is going to be the best quarterback in the NFC East. I know that Jalen Hurts is a stud, I know that he’s amazing, got all these accolades, but he’s also got a lot around him.

Daniel Jones is in a situation right now with the Giants, Mike Kafka, and more importantly, Brian Daboll, where he is going to be coached into a top-10 quarterback. I believe that. I truly believe that; maybe that’s because I have blind faith in the Giants coaching staff. But I also know because of his skill set.

He’s 6-foot-5, he’s big, doesn’t have to move out of the pocket to see crossing routes, and throws and digs over the middle. He can stand right where he needs to stand and deliver every single throw. And if he needs to run, he’ll go run. He had 700 yards and seven touchdowns this year.

Thanks to the Eagles prepping for the Super Bowl vs. the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, there’s a good chance this will mostly fly under the radar in Philly. After all, who cares, right? Hurts has performed at an MVP-caliber level and has his squad four quarters away from another Lombardi trophy.

Either way, this is a pretty bold take from Tiki. Jones had himself a terrific year, especially when compared to his first three pro seasons. His performance on the ground was stellar, but what he did through the air was probably a little more impressive. Mostly because New York’s wide-receiver room left a lot to be desired by the second half of the year.

We’re still just talking about one year here, though.

With Jones back in the fold next season, one would hope he’ll be more productive with additional offensive weapons around him. Could the signal-caller transform into a top-10 quarterback at some point? Well, I mean, sure — it’s possible. He just experienced a breakout in the first year working under a new coaching staff/offensive scheme and is still just 25 years old.

However, proclaiming right now that he’ll be better than a current MVP candidate seems like a stretch. But then again, that’s why they play the game, folks. We’ll find out what happens soon enough and if Barber’s “blind faith” in the Giants’ coaching staff will lead to him being right.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ Daniel Jones better than Jalen Hurts? Tiki Barber thinks it’ll happen | Elite Sports NY

The Chiefs wide receiver and former Giants draft bust stuck to the high road Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night. The artist also known as Yung Joka had little to offer but cliches when asked about the midseason trade that shipped him to Kansas City.

From The Post:

At the end of the day it wasn’t my decision. I’m in a position where I’m just grateful to be here. God’s got a plan and I just stick to it, regardless. I don’t have any comments about [the trade], it is what it is. I don’t run the business side, I just play. … I observed and I lived through everything that went on. That’s their decision and here I am.

Toney was a questionable first-round pick by former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman in the 2021 draft. And his tenure with the team was a circus from the start. The former Florida star flashed game-breaking ability here and there, but he was always hurt and usually embroiled in a feud with the media or some other off-field nonsense.

MORE: Is Giants trade for Tee Higgins realistic?

Giants general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll tried to make things work with Toney — you don’t quit on talent is a frequent refrain in the NFL — but they quickly lost patiences. So Schoen shipped Toney to the Chiefs for compensatory third- and sixth-round picks.

It has been roughly more of the same. Toney has caught two touchdown passes for the Chiefs, but he has also dealt with injuries. Including an ankle sprain this week that he says he will be OK to play with come Sunday.

“It’s really breathtaking,” Toney said. “This is probably like the biggest thing I’ll ever be in. I’m just taking it all in right now.”

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Kadarius Toney taking Super Bowl high road after Giants disaster | Elite Sports NY

The fine people of Philadelphia handled it as you would expect. They were outraged someone would question Sirianni’s coaching brilliance. Especially a defensive back from a division rival that just got its rear ended handed to it by the Birds. And they are still going, even with Super Bowl LVII against the Chiefs just six days away.

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“Tell [Love] to pick his facemask off the dirt,” Eagles safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson told Philly Voice. “He’s got a captain badge, but what is he a captain of? Ain’t no leadership over there. If that’s the case, y’all would be where we’re at.”

Well, that and a bunch of other things. But point taken.

We are not surprised the Sirianni defenses keep getting made. There is not a whole lot to talk about before Super Bowl Week truly begins with Monday night’s media circus. And harping on Love’s comments is far more comfortable than, say, asking questions about how much and when the Eagles knew about Josh Sills before the offensive line was indicted on rape and kidnapping charges by an Ohio grand jury.

But still. Who cares. Sirianni has done a tremendous job. But he has also acted like a clown at times. And he did get handed an elite roster built by general Howie Roseman, with many pieces pre-dating Sirianni’s tenure. There is no need to keep re-litigating what Love said. Philly should focus that energy toward more important issues, like mocking Ben Simmons.

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Eagles still very angry at Giants’ Julian Love for Nick Sirianni slander | Elite Sports NY

This has, therefore, sparked the idea of a trade for Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. And how the Giants could commence work on a positional overhaul by sending a few draft picks to Cincinnati for the services of the talented 24-year-old.

It’s an idea that seems intriguing at the surface, sure. But from an in-depth perspective, the move isn’t even realistic.

The Higgins-Giants discussion is floating around because Higgins is coming off two consecutive 1000-yard seasons and still has a year remaining on his rookie contract. This makes him an attractive trade prospect for New York, but it also bodes the question: why in the world would the Bengals trade him?

It’s clear Cincinnati is in contention mode. The team has won two straight AFC North titles. The Bengals came up short in the Super Bowl last year before losing in the AFC Championship this season. Quarterback Joe Burrow will soon sign an extension, but is still on his cheaper rookie deal.

The Bengals want to win now and aren’t far from the Lombardi. So why would they give up a talented wide receiver with one year remaining on his rookie deal, especially when that year carries just a $3.96 million cap hit?

Cincinnati is in a perfect spot when it comes to Higgins, at least for the upcoming 2023 campaign. Still cheap, still talented, and hopefully still healthy throughout the season. Nothing better for a team that needs to spend elsewhere to get over the championship hump.

The only way the Giants could actually pry Higgins out of the Bengals’ hands would be to offer an eye-popping return. One that would likely include Big Blue’s 2023 first-round pick (No. 26 overall).

General manager Joe Schoen would be swinging for the fences by giving up that first-rounder (plus another selection or two) for Higgins. And while they desperately need to close the gap between them and the superior NFC squads like the Eagles and 49ers, there are only so many resources the Giants possess and so many position groups to figure out.

The Giants also need help in the secondary, on the offensive line, and at inside linebacker. On top of that, they could use more than just one new receiver, which is why drafting one isn’t totally off the table.

There are simply too many unresolved issues for Schoen to be giving up picks, even if it’s a late first-rounder for someone who could help improve a crucial position. Between that, and the Bengals’ leverage, Higgins seems to be a pipe dream for Giants fans.

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Is a Giants-Tee Higgins trade realistic? | Elite Sports NY

Case in point: Giants safety Julian Love went on paragon of perspective “Good Morning Football” and people in Philadelphia are not amused.

Some interesting Nick Sirianni comments from Giants safety Julian Love on GMFB this morning. pic.twitter.com/xdxeKGjuhD

— Bob Wankel (@BobWankelCB) February 2, 2023

“[Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is] a guy who really is doing a great job because he’s not getting in the way of his team, he has an experienced roster from top to bottom, offense, defense,” Love said.

Love was then asked what he thinks of Sirianni’s sideline behavior as footage of the coach mean-mugging the FOX camera during the NFC divisional round was played. Love said he didn’t like it. And then the line that has everyone hot and bothered: “He’s in it for a free ride right now, you guys could coach this team.”

MORE: Giants’ Joe Schoen keeps dropping Saquon Barkley exit hints

A little trash-talky? Sure. Selling Sirianni a bit short? Certainly. Obviously the guy has done a tremendous job. His team is the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl, after all. But is Love really wrong? Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has constructed a loaded roster shrewdly. Sirianni just had to not screw it up. And to his credit, he has done so with resounding success. But let us not act like he is the only guy who could have led this team to this season. There are other competent coaches who would be in the same position if given the chance.

Also: Is Philly’s growing devotion to Sirianni proof the city is becoming soft? They used to lionize Buddy Ryan, a guy who gave amazing quotes, put bounties on kickers and tried to punch a fellow coach on the sideline. Now they will die on any hill for a guy who carries himself like a villain in a 1980s teen comedy film, wears a bunch of free t-shirts and harasses amateur tennis players.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants safety’s Nick Sirianni comments have rankled Philadelphia | Elite Sports NY

The latest inkling: Joe Schoen’s meeting with reporters Wednesday at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The general manager reiterated his desire to retain Daniel Jones, revealed he has yet to begin contract talks with the quarterback and intimated negotiations with Barkley’s campo have not progressed much.

“We had some initial talks earlier this week with [Barkley’s] representatives,” Schoen said, via The Post. “When I get back in the office next week we’ll continue to have conversations with them. With any negotiation you just got to move closer and that’s what we’ll try to do next week.”

Translation: Barkley is still asking for not only more money than the Giants are willing to give him, but more money than they have to give him.

ALSO: Poorly produced! ESPN botches ‘Mike and the Mad Dog’ reunion

This is the reality of the situation, even if a wide swath of Giants fans (and a few Barkley aficionados in the media) refuse to accept it: The Giants are all-in with Jones as their franchise quarterback. Mostly because of his performance down the stretch, partly because they have no other viable options. Jones will be paid like a franchise quarterback. The days of thinking the Giants will get him back making Ryan Tannehill money are over. Jones is going to be in the ballpark of a $40 million average annual value when all is said and done. And there is a good chance the Giants will slap the franchise tag on him as a tool to keep the process moving.

The trickle-down hits Barkley hard. This team has too many pressing needs to then invest significant resources in an about-to-be-26-year-old running back with a significant injury history that slowed down in the second half of this season. The reported $12 million AAV deal Barkley turned down during the season may have been the Giants’ best offer. And even that may no longer stand; Schoen didn’t know Jones was his guy when it was offered.

Sure, the Giants could use the franchise tag on Barkley if they can hammer things out quickly with Jones. But even then, would that be a smart move? That $10 million cap hit could go a long way toward reinforcing the roster in other ways. Schoen has to pay Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas very soon, remember.

The Giants can do just fine with Matt Breida and a good mid-round draft pick in the backfield in 2023. And that is where this thing is trending.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ Joe Schoen keeps dropping Saquon Barkley exit hints | Elite Sports NY

Bro a quarterback retired he didn’t get his head blown off lol pic.twitter.com/9jby416VTv

— Kyle (@kylepaganCB) February 1, 2023

Look, Shaun O’Hara obviously meant no malice here, comparing Tom Brady’s second retirement to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The former Giants center is a good guy who has made a nice second career for himself. The extent of his consequences should be snarky retorts on the internet. Put any person on television and ask them to talk extemporaneously  and they will eventually say something stupid. Barack Obama made a Special Olympics coach as a sitting president on The Tonight Show, for crying out loud.

But come on! Brady is 45-years-old, he just spent a miserable season with the 8-10 Buccaneers playing for Todd Bowles and, most importantly, he has already retired once. It is a big story. It is not an event that will rattled Western Civilization to its core. O’Hara knows better. Co-host Peter Schrager too, although doubling down on the Sept. 11 talk was an interesting way to try to bail his buddy out.

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O’Hara is right about one thing though: I probably will remember where I was when Brady retired given that he helped ruin a “Mike and the Mad Dog” reunion while doing so.

Also: Enough with the single dad storyline. People are acting like something horrible happened to Gisele Bundchen and Brady has to shift his focus. The guy got divorced. He is not a profile in courage here.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Kudos to ‘Good Morning Football’ for putting Tom Brady’s retirement in perspective | Elite Sports NY

They took advantage of that opportunity. Slayton was the Giants’ leading wide receiver, while Hodgins played a crucial role down the stretch. Even if they give Jones a huge payday, there’s plenty of cap room to play with. So, New York needs to find a way to give its quarterback more weapons.

We already knew this, but some stats have been shared recently that just confirm it even more. According to Pro Football Focus, the Giants employed the NFL’s slowest group of wide receivers:

Route-weighted 40-yard dash times for every offense's WR room in 2022. Decent way to look at how much speed each team put on the field from the wide receiver position pic.twitter.com/rndz3RBfFI

— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) January 30, 2023

That’s not great, Bob.

USA Today‘s Giantswire also pointed out a few reasons why this happened. These reasons included not a lot of explosive plays in the passing game, which is its own set of problems.

The Giants produced 28 passing plays of 20-plus yards in 2022. That was the fewest such plays in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens were the next-closest team on this list, with 33. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were first with 73 passing plays going for at least 20 yards. No NFC East team had fewer than 46 of these plays, either.

If the marker gets moved to plays of 40-plus yards, it’s more of the same story. Big Blue registered just five, which was the third-lowest number in football (among plenty of ties).

I noticed their longest passing play of the year was 65 yards, as well. Do you remember when that happened? You’ll have to strain your memory quite a bit because it took place in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. That’s when Daniel Jones connected with Shepard for a touchdown.

The Giants will get Robinson back on the field next year. Shepard would also like to stick around as he recovers from his ACL injury. Golloday could be a salary-cap casualty, which at this point, would be addition by subtraction. But outside of these things, New York will need to supplement this area of the roster, whether it’s via the draft, free agency, or both.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Just more proof the Giants’ wide receiver room is in need of a makeover | Elite Sports NY

But it is now time to look at how the Giants and general manager Joe Schoen could improve the roster this offseason.

How could the Giants operate in free agency? What could they do in the draft?

Let’s take an early look at the team’s 2023 offseason blueprint.

Who to bring back? Before the Giants’ can really put pen to paper on any external free agents, they must address the futures of some of their own.

Quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, safety Julian Love, center Jon Feliciano, and wide receiver Darius Slayton have expiring contracts.

It’s clear the Giants need to bring back Jones on a brand new contract, one that’s 3-4 years and likely carries a $30-plus million average annual value. He’s proven to be a legitimate NFL starting quarterback and one that can lead this franchise in the future. There is a good chance the Giants will need to use the franchise tag on Jones, which would complicate their offseason.

As for Barkley, the Giants should definitely look at tagging their former No. 2 overall pick. Although he returned to his rookie-year form in 2022 and earned his second Pro Bowl nod, the running back is still entering his sixth season in the league. We’ve seen various running backs decline at this stage of their careers, and there’s already a lack of value tied to the position. So a multi-year investment isn’t it, but a one-year franchise tag at a projected price of $10.1 million (also per OTC) could be worth it. If Barkley has another great year, Schoen could tag him a second time next offseason if need be. But the tag can only be used if the Giants do not tag Jones.

The Giants retaining two of their top offensive players might lead to Schoen passing on a Julian Love return. While the fourth-year safety played the best football of his life in 2022, the Giants may view him as expendable especially with fellow safety Xavier McKinney potentially in line for an extension either this offseason or next (preferably next). Feliciano (on the wrong side of 30 years old and coming off a down year) and Slayton (nice player, but not an offensive staple) should walk in free agency.

Fifth-year options. The only fifth-year option the Giants need to address this offseason is 2020 first-round left tackle Andrew Thomas. And it’s obvious they need to pick up the extra year.

Thomas has become one of the better left tackles in the NFL, and while the Giants should sign him long term, there’s still the opportunity to do that next offseason. Get whatever you can from the cheap rookie contract before needing to sign Thomas to a potentially monster deal in 2024.

Free agency? The obvious move to make in free agency: sign an established receiver. While Slayton was OK this season and receivers Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins came along nicely, it’s tough to imagine any of these guys are franchise wideouts. Schoen likely brings Hodgins back since he impressed down the stretch. But all in all, they have to sign somebody else who’s closer in talent to a No. 1.

Pending available free agents include Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers, and … Odell Beckham. And yes, the Giants could consider a reunion.

This isn’t for clicks; this isn’t for East Rutherford headlines. If Beckham is healthy, he could provide speed and elusiveness from the slot position better than the other current roster options can. The Giants could probably land him on an affordable one- or two-year contract. If they give him a multi-year deal, they should structure it in a way that allows them to get out of the contract after a season.

The draft? The Giants have nine picks in the upcoming draft after sending wide receiver Kadarius Toney to Kansas City for a pair of them (third- and sixth-rounders) in October. And even if they sign one of the aforementioned receivers, they still need to look for one in the first round.

If the organization is going to trust Jones to take the reigns for at least another few years, the receiver position needs a desperate upgrade. That means drafting a guy at No. 26 overall in the first round. USC’s Jordan Addison comes to mind, and so does Tennessee’s Jaylin Hyatt.

The Giants also need to upgrade the secondary and take a corner who could eventually grow into a starter in the second round. There’s hope Adoree’ Jackson impresses next year like he did prior to his knee injury this past season. But with Aaron Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott (who have yet to prove much at all) still under rookie contracts for multiple years, the Giants need to locate a better option for one of the starting boundary spots.

Maybe one of the higher-projected cornerbacks (like Georgia’s Kelee Ringo) drops to the second round? Would surely be a blessing for Big Blue, who must improve in defending the pass. The Giants finished the regular season 18th in passer rating allowed (89.9) and 14th in passing yards allowed (214.0 per game).

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants offseason blueprint: Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones, what else? | Elite Sports NY

Based on the number and before any moves are made, each squad is in a very different situation. And for both, it’s the opposite of last year.

The 2022 NFL salary cap was $208.2 million. It will go up to a record number in 2023, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero:

The NFL informed teams today that the 2023 salary cap will be a record $224.8 million per club, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

That’s up from $208.2 million in 2022, $182.5M in 2021 (COVID adjustment), 198.2M in 2020 and $188.2M in 2019.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2023

How does this impact both the Jets and the Giants? At the moment, Gang Green has no wiggle room while Big Blue has plenty.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports the Jets are $2.8 million over the cap. Meanwhile, the Giants have $44.7 million in cap space, according to SNY’s Conor Hughes. This is the opposite of what happened last year, as the Jets had plenty of room to spend and the Giants were stuck with the mess Dave Gettleman left behind.

Each situation can still change by making roster cuts (*cough* Kenny Golloday *cough*) and restructuring contracts, which will surely start happening soon. It will have to for the Jets, who are sincerely looking for a veteran quarterback to slot in ahead of Zach Wilson next season.

If Golloday does get the axe from New York, that’d free up just under $7 million in cap space. So, that’d give the Giants a total of $50 million to work with. It’s not like that’ll go unspent, either. After all, quarterback Daniel Jones needs to get paid, and a decision on Saquon Barkley’s future needs to happen, among many other impending free agents.

This doesn’t necessarily change how the Jets and Giants are planning on doing things this offseason. There’s a good chance they already had an idea of what the salary cap would be before officially getting notified. However, it provides some certainty on what the limits are moving forward. Now, they’ll just be able to forge ahead with their plans for next season.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants, Jets in different financial situations with 2023 salary cap revealed | Elite Sports NY

Fly @Eagles Fly! We’re going Green and White in honor of the Eagles NFC Championship Victory. pic.twitter.com/RNiwbCIkt7

— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) January 29, 2023

No, really.

HOOK HAIRS!

The Empire State Building illuminated itself with Eagles colors for a few hours after the NFC title game. Cue a wave of performative outrage (trademark Michael Kay) the likes of which have not been seen since Eli Manning got benched the first time. It was even the back page of two tabloids on Monday morning!

What are we doing here? The ESB has done this before. It will do this again, even in the same night as it did Sunday with the Chiefs. It is part of the deal. The Eagles being a rival that beat the Giants the other day does not change things. This feels like a string of bad WFAN overnight callers taking over the news cycle. And no, it’s not just a few cheeky tweets. It has been a genuine regional temper tantrum.

To everyone saying they would not do this in Boston or Philadelphia: Yes, that is correct. Because New York is not Boston or Philadelphia. New York is New York.

Those cities are painfully insular and provincial. New York is of the world. It also has an Empire State Building to light up. What would Philly do, put strobe lights on the Rocky Steps? Do you think Boston would elect a Yankees fan as mayor? Actually, let’s forget that one.

The ESB lights are not a sacred gesture reserved for great achievement or deserved recognition. They turn them on for pretty much anything. They are a tactile version of the Google banner. You could be in Midtown on a midweek night in May, see a puzzling two-toned glow and find out it is National Self-Employed Day. Which is not to be confused with National Freelancers Day and National Independent Workers Day.

Some days are tougher than others at the top. So when the most popular sport in the nation gives them a layup, they’re going to take it. Blame Brock Purdy’s elbow if you must channel your anger.

Yes, the championship drought here has been brutal (no, MLS doesn’t count). But let us keep our dignity. Keep the political focus on Jim Dolan’s panopticon. And, please, keep your composure two weeks from now if those Santa Claus assaulters win it all again. Because if you are really that aggrieved about this, you need to find something better to do with your time.

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Who cares about Empire State Building’s dopey Eagles light stunt? | Elite Sports NY

Do the Giants face a similar situation with Saquon Barkley?

Mike Francesa says no.

“If the Giants move on because they don’t want to put that kind of money in a second contract for a running back, do not ever get annoyed with them,” the WFAN legend said on his BetRivers podcast. “Because that might be the smartest thing they can do. I do not believe in loading up second contracts for a running back with incredible money. If he’s going to ask for the sun, the moon and the stars? He can move on. They can move on without him.”

MORE: Letting Saquon Barkley walk is right move for Giants’ future

Barkley is quickly becoming the most intriguing aspect of the Giants’ offseason. The team has made it clear it plans to retain quarterback Daniel Jones. And they may have to use the franchise tag on him to do so. That would mean Barkley hits free agency. And there are real questions about whether the Giants would make a significant long-term investment in the star running back. Especially given the many needs that were exposed by the Eagles in their playoff rout.

“They have to go out and they have to get better,” Francesa said. “They have to get better on the offensive line. They have to get better and they need a big-time wide receiver. They need a game-breaking wide receiver. Either a veteran one, like a (DeAndre) Hopkins, or one in the draft. You can get the wide receiver in the draft. He does not have to come in free agency for a fortune.”

MORE ON ESNY:
• Nets’ Jacque Vaughn wants Ben Simmons to toughen up
• 4 Mets players who will exceed preseason projections in 2023
• Jets’ Sauce Gardner hops on Aaron Rodgers hype train
• Yankees should pursue this under-the-radar Aaron Hicks trade option
• Giants’ Daniel Jones in line for big payday, according to these predictions

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Mike Francesa gives Giants some Saquon Barkley free agency advice | Elite Sports NY

From The Athletic:

Joe Judge, who was the quarterbacks coach this season, will return to the (New England) coaching staff in a different role that has yet to be determined. Judge is one of a number of Patriots coaches who will be in Las Vegas in the coming days for the East-West Shrine Bowl.

The report comes after the former Giants coach got hammered by a Boston Herald expose on the Patriots’ offensive dysfunction this season. Many of the criticisms lobbied against Judge sounded like carbon copies of his 2021 meltdown in the Meadowlands. From The Herald:

As (Matt) Patricia came under outside fire as the face of the offense, Judge drew increasing criticism from within. (Bill) Belichick would blast him in practice, and it wasn’t uncommon for Judge and (Mac) Jones to trade profanity-laced outbursts. Jones’ trust in his position coach was effectively non-existent.

“Mac didn’t like him,” one source said. “At all.”

“(Judge) would speak extra loudly in meetings, trying to project like he was the guy,” another source said. “And I think that kind of rubbed people the wrong way.”

“A lot of people were frustrated with (Judge),” a third added.

Judge had success as the Patriots’ special teams coordinator earlier in his career. It got him hired by the Giants. Perhaps he goes back to that? It would make sense.

MORE ON ESNY:
• Nets’ Jacque Vaughn wants Ben Simmons to toughen up
• 4 Mets players who will exceed preseason projections in 2023
• Jets’ Sauce Gardner hops on Aaron Rodgers hype train
• Yankees should pursue this under-the-radar Aaron Hicks trade option
• Giants’ Daniel Jones in line for big payday, according to these predictions

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Ex-Giants coach Joe Judge has not talked his way out of Foxborough yet | Elite Sports NY

But general manager Joe Schoen may also need to decide on the players entering the final years of their current contracts, and whether to extend those players. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, and safety Xavier McKinney headline this list.

How should Schoen handle these extension candidates?

DL Dexter Lawrence. The Giants picked up Lawrence’s fifth-year option last offseason, so he’s at least signed through the 2023 season.

But the organization would benefit from extending him now

The 2019 first-rounder has proven to be a defensive staple and great fit in coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme. He underwent a career year in 2022, immensely improving in the pass-rushing department (career-high 7.5 sacks, 28 quarterback hits, and 36 pressures) and earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.

While he will garner a significant payday, Lawrence is worth the money. He’s the versatile force the Giants need on the interior of the line and was an integral part of a scrappy up-and-coming defense this past year.

Decision: A four-year extension somewhere around $20 million annually (and likely north of it) with the ability to get out of the deal after three years if needed.

LT Andrew Thomas. He’s obviously the left tackle of the future. Thomas is only getting better after a rough 2020 rookie season and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2022.

But the Giants would be better off, at least financially, milking as much of Thomas’ rookie contract as they can. The former first-rounder has a fifth-year option, which the Giants could pick up this offseason before potentially extending him in 2024.

I understand the desire to lock him in long term. But there will still be a great opportunity to do so next year.

Decision: Exercise the fifth-year option, possibly extend him in 2024.

S Xavier McKinney. McKinney is another candidate for a 2024 extension. Schoen needs to retain guys like quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley (possibly), re-sign the aforementioned Lawrence, and also focus on any remaining free agency moves plus the draft.

Because of this, the Giants may not prioritize McKinney just yet. What they could do, however, is let McKinney play out the final year of his rookie contract and either franchise tag him or use the tag as a placeholder for an eventual contract extension.

Decision: Let McKinney play out the final year of his rookie deal.

DL Leonard Williams. Williams is not entering the fourth or fifth year of a rookie deal and is instead on the back end of his third NFL contract.

Schoen restructured Williams’ contract to ease the damages of Dave Gettleman’s egregious salary cap mistakes this past September. So he’s likely to remain with the team through 2023, what’s slated to be his age-29 season.

While Williams is still a nice piece on the interior, his pass-rushing abilities have declined since his career year in 2020. The veteran averaged 2.6 pressures per game that year before averaging 1.3 and 1.4 per game in 2021 and 2022, respectively. That isn’t great to see, especially given Martindale’s blitz-heavy tendencies.

Schoen shouldn’t extend his contract, and thus the organization’s commitment to him, just yet.

Decision: Let Williams play out the final year of his deal, then decide on the future.

CB Adoree’ Jackson. Jackson is entering the final season of the three-year contract he signed with the Giants back in 2021. The Giants could roll the dice with him in 2023 after restructuring his deal last year, but in no way should commit to him for any season past that.

Jackson was putting together a very strong 2022 season before suffering a knee injury. His seven missed games to end the regular season have diminished his overall value, so New York would be best off taking a similar route with Jackson as it should with Williams.

Decision: Let Jackson play out the final year of his deal, then decide on the future.

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants contract extension candidates: Will Joe Schoen lock up Dexter Lawrence ASAP? | Elite Sports NY

How handsome will this payday be, though? If you take a look at Spotrac, Jones’ market value is $26.2 million per year and nearly $80 million over the life of a three-year contract. But it’s higher than that, according to some experts.

Ryan Dunleavy wrote about how the New York Post got opinions from six different people who know what they’re talking about. This includes NFL agents, as well as current or former high-ranking league executives with contract experience.

There were some varying degrees of opinion regarding contract projections, but they all generally said the same thing: Jones is looking at an annual average salary of at least $30 million. That’s because there’s no quarterback currently under a multi-year deal making between $14 million and $29.5 million.

Every expert who spoke with the Post agreed Jones would make somewhere between $29.5 million (Ryan Tannehill’s average annual value) and $40 million (what Dak Prescott is making with the Dallas Cowboys).

One executive thinks a four-year deal for $30-35 million per year is a “compromise”. For those not wanting to do the math, this would be a total of $120-140 million. They also said it’d include somewhere between $80-90 million guaranteed.

Someone else thinks the starting point should be $35 million per year. The rationale is it’d be the cost of what the Giants would need to put a salary-cap-restrictive franchise tag on him to prevent Jones from hitting free agency in 2023 and 2024.

Since Jones just beat Kirk Cousins in the playoffs, CBS Sports Joel Corry thinks Jones’ camp can use that as leverage:

Kirk signed a one-year extension for $35 million, and I would say, “I just beat this guy. I need to be above that.” The playoffs for Jones were one step forward, one step back. He has to look at the rest of the market and how other teams are going to look at him. You could be overplaying your hand to say, “I’ll take my chances in free agency if you don’t franchise tag me.”

Former Jets general manager, Mike Tannenbaum, also thinks Jones’ next payday will be closer to Prescott’s $40 million salary than Tannehill’s $29.5 million salary.

Any way you slice it, the Giants’ signal-caller has all the leverage, and signs point to him getting a huge raise. New York bet against him taking a leap forward by not exercising that option, which made lots of sense at the time. But he did, and now general manager Joe Schoen will have to pay the man to keep him with Big Blue.

It seems like he’s well aware of that and is very willing to do so.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ Daniel Jones in line for big payday, according to these predictions | Elite Sports NY

No one comes off great in the report with the exception of recently-returned offensive coordinator/anticipated savior Bill O’Brien. But former Giants coach Joe Judge really gets touched up. And it all sounds quite familiar.

From The Herald:

As (Matt) Patricia came under outside fire as the face of the offense, Judge drew increasing criticism from within. (Bill) Belichick would blast him in practice, and it wasn’t uncommon for Judge and (Mac) Jones to trade profanity-laced outbursts. Jones’ trust in his position coach was effectively non-existent.

“Mac didn’t like him,” one source said. “At all.”

“(Judge) would speak extra loudly in meetings, trying to project like he was the guy,” another source said. “And I think that kind of rubbed people the wrong way.”

“A lot of people were frustrated with (Judge),” a third added.

Judge’s tough guy act (and his delusional rants) got old quickly with the Giants. It is why he was fired after two seasons (with an assist from Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon). And it appears Lil’ Lombardi did not change much after returning to Foxborough. The report heaps plenty of blame on Patricia, who flopped as the de facto offensive coordinator in both scheme and play-calling, and Belichick for letting things get out of hand. But Judge is the only one whose temperament is criticized.

Judge was considered on equal footing as Patricia in the Patriots’ unorthodox offensive coaching setup when training camp opened. But players felt he was gradually “phased out,” according to the report. Which may have been out of necessity.

Also from The Herald:

Judge also coached across positions in practice, forcing other assistants to occasionally correct his talking points to players during drills.

“I think there were times the coaches were frustrated, especially the ones who had been on staff in years past and knew what we had done,” one source said.

Not great.

Judge and Patricia are not among the Patriots contingent coaching the upcoming East-West Shrine Game. Much has been made of that. And this report will only increase the scrutiny. Because it sounds like no one would be particularly upset to see him go.

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Ex-Giants coach Joe Judge is taking fire for Patriots’ offensive disaster | Elite Sports NY

It will begin with New York making several critical roster decisions with many players headed for free agency. And they’ll also have to deal with higher expectations, which was the complete opposite of how things were this past year.

One thing Big Blue could do to help put themselves in a solid spot in 2023? Start having more consistent success against other NFC East teams. That was one critique Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells had about the Giants’ performance (quote via The 33rd Team):

I thought they had a great year. They have some decisions to make with their quarterback, Daniel Jones, and their running back, Saquon Barkley. They’ll try to hold onto those guys and build from there. But the one thing I’ll say about the Giants on the negative side is they haven’t beaten the heavyweights in their division. They lost to Dallas twice, and they lost to Philadelphia three times. So, they’ve got to get a better foothold in their own division if they expect improvement next year.

As usual, Parcells isn’t wrong. New York finished the regular season with a 9-7-1 record. Within the NFC, they went just 1-4-1, only going unbeaten against the Washington Commanders. This quote got me wondering how bad (or good) the Giants have performed within their own division in recent years. Here’s what I found:

• 2022: 1-4-1
• 2021: 1-5
• 2020: 4-2
• 2019: 2-4
• 2018: 1-5
• 2017: 1-5
• 2016: 4-2
• 2015: 2-4
• 2014: 2-4
• 2013: 3-3
• 2012: 3-3
• 2011: 3-3
• 2010: 3-3
• 2009: 4-2
• 2008: 4-2

Outside of that four-year stretch where New York posted a .500 record in each instance, there’s been a lot of losing going on. We’ve got just four winning records within the past 15 seasons, and you have to go all the way back to 2008-09 for consecutive years with a winning record.

If we’re looking at more recent performances, the Giants have finished a year with just one win within the division four times in the last six years. That ain’t gonna cut it, folks.

Parcells was spot-on with his thoughts. No surprise there. It’s hard to do what the Giants just did while getting swept by two of their three NFC East foes. There’s a significant talent gap between the Eagles, the Cowboys, and New York. It’s a gap Schoen will try to narrow this offseason, but it’ll take some time.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants can’t keep crumbling when they face NFC East opponents | Elite Sports NY

Yet, Daboll and his coaching staff squeezed every last bit of talent out of this roster to post a 9-7-1 record and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. And as if that wasn’t enough, Big Blue also collected its first playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI by beating the Minnesota Vikings on the road.

More hard work is ahead for the Giants, though. They’ll have to try and replicate this success next year after making plenty of critical roster decisions this offseason. But before that happens, there are still 2022 honors to be handed out. Daboll has been named a finalist for NFL Coach of the Year. He’s joined by Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.

What’s the best way to sum up Daboll’s case to win the award? This tweet will do the trick:

There are good COY candidates this season, but none did more with less than Daboll#Giants PS Power Rankings:

BR: 25th
NFL: 26th
TD Wire: 27th
ESPN: 28th
SI: 29th
USA Today: 29th
Yahoo: 30th

Dabs did this w/ a terrible cap situation and a QB that was written off.

the man

— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) January 25, 2023

Bang, bang. This is a bingo if I’ve ever seen one. That doesn’t mean each of the other finalists doesn’t have a case, though.

Shanahan’s 49ers finished much higher than New York or Jacksonville in preseason power rankings. San Francisco did have to handle a unique situation, though. After injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, the club has gotten itself one win away from the Super Bowl with third-stringer Brock Purdy.

If we look at the Jaguars’ preseason power rankings from various outlets, they didn’t finish too far ahead of the Giants. And in some cases, they finished behind New York. The biggest difference between these two squads is the situation at quarterback heading into the year.

Trevor Lawrence is a 23-year-old signal-caller who had just one year of NFL experience under his belt. The Giants had just declined their fifth-year option on Daniel Jones because the jury was still out as to whether he was capable of being the answer or not.

All three of these coaches are deserving for different reasons. But if we’re talking about the coach who did the most with a limited amount of talent, there’s no question. Brian Daboll should win these honors.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Here’s all the proof Giants’ Brian Daboll needs to be NFL Coach of the Year | Elite Sports NY

Enter Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest NFL mock draft. The ESPN expert has the Giants snagging USC wide receiver Jordan Addison at No. 25 overall.

Kiper writes:

Here’s another team that took a big jump in 2022, as quarterback Daniel Jones took care of the football and the defense played just well enough to keep the Giants in games. Jones’ breakout came with one of the least impressive wide receiver corps in the league, especially as Kenny Golladay has not lived up to his massive free agent contract. Can general manager Joe Schoen get Jones — a free agent who is likely to return — a No. 1 wideout?

Addison put up huge numbers at Pitt in 2021 before dealing with some injuries at USC, and he has the versatility to play outside or in the slot. He just knows how to get open. New York also will get back rookie second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson, who flashed before tearing an ACL. I like what the Giants are building, but they have to give Jones some help.

This would be pretty good value for the Giants, according to Kiper’s rankings. He has Addison as the 18th-ranked player in the 2023 class and the No. 3 wide receiver. Kiper ranks Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a top-10 talent and has him going to the Jets at No. 13. TCU’s Quentin Johnson is a top-12 talent and goes to the Ravens at No. 22.

The Giants would also have to like the trend Kiper presents: Wideouts sliding a bit down the board — at least according to Kiper — as teams over-extend themselves for quarterbacks. He has four going in the top-10.

MORE ON ESNY:
• Breaking down Jets’ 2023 free agents: Who stays, goes?
• Breaking down Giants’ 2023 free agents: Who stays, goes?
• Comparing Mets’ 2023 rotation projections to past winning seasons
• Yankees’ Aaron Judge goes full Wade Boggs with his bubble gum
• Cowboys’ viral Dak Prescott tweet is product of Jerry Jones’ savvy

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: NFL mock draft: Time for Giants to get Daniel Jones a weapon | Elite Sports NY

In the immediate aftermath of the season, Barkley emphatically said he wanted to remain with the Giants for the rest of his NFL career. He also said he wasn’t too concerned with resetting the running back market in free agency. Right now, the standard is the $16 million per year that Christian McCaffrey is earning.

But according to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, the bye-week contract negotiations between New York and Barkley’s camp left them at a significant gap.

… Considering the projected franchise tag for RBs is $10.1M, it really didn’t sound like the Giants’ bye week offer to Saquon Barkley is going to increase by much.

They have a lot of other spending priorities this off-season.

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) January 23, 2023

So, which is it? You can’t fault a guy coming off setting a single-season career-high mark in rushing yards and trying to cash in. But it’s confusing to hear Barkley say what he said, and then to see this report from Vacchiano say the complete opposite.

If this report is accurate, we’re about to see just how much both sides want to keep this relationship going. For the Giants, we’ll soon get a sense of whether they’re OK stretching from that initial offer to retain Barkley. And for Barkley himself, we’ll find out just how badly he wants to keep playing for the Giants.

We’re still pretty early in this process, so anything can happen at this point. This sounds like pretty standard negotiating, though. The player’s representation is trying to capitalize on a career-best year, while the team — who has plenty of important roster decisions to make — is trying to mitigate costs.

Maybe Barkley’s camp already knows they won’t get McCaffrey money anywhere. They may be asking for that with hopes the final number will finish above the Giants’ initial offer. And maybe, the Giants are OK with slightly upping their original offer if it means meeting in the middle.

Barkley’s comments on Saturday night were mere minutes after watching his season end in embarrassing fashion. Emotions are high after a loss like that. However, it also wasn’t the first time he said he wanted to re-sign with the Giants. If staying in New York is the most important thing to him, that’s what will happen.

Ultimately, the running back will have the final say in what he wants to do.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Does Saquon Barkley want to reset the running back market or not? | Elite Sports NY

So the Eagles are headed to the NFC title game while the Giants enter a very important offseason. General manager Joe Schoen needs to figure out which positions to target in both free agency and the draft, and overall, the direction this franchise needs to take.

But Schoen also must worry about his current players with expiring contracts, of which there are more than a few.

What could the Giants’ do with each of their impending free agents?

Must retain (3): QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley, LS Casey Kreiter

Jones has proven himself the quarterback of at least the near-future, regardless of what occurred in Philly. He was better than ever this past year in what was a make-or-break season and deserves a new contract. Whether it be a three- or four-year deal (or more), expect Schoen and Jones’ camp to agree on an extension in the coming months.

As for Barkley, the Giants should only be bringing him back on the franchise tag, projected to be roughly $10 million. It’s tough to imagine Schoen committing multiple years to a running back already entering his sixth season.

Kreiter has proven to be an integral part of the kicking unit and one of the main reasons why placekicker Graham Gano has succeeded in East Rutherford. He obviously won’t render an expensive deal given he’s a long snapper, so the Giants could certainly afford his services.

Would be nice (5): CB Fabian Moreau, S Julian Love, OL Nick Gates, DE Jihad Ward, WR Richie James.

The Giants need to improve in the secondary and both Moreau and Love already have experience in Wink Martindale’s system (if the defensive coordinator stays). While Moreau was a nice surprise this past season and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete under 60% of throws when targeting him, Love is a versatile leader.

But either player is replaceable, and it could be less costly to address either spot in free agency or the draft. Expect Schoen to possibly draft a defensive back in the early rounds anyway.

As for Gates, you can’t question his unmatched toughness to return to the field just a year in change after his gruesome 2021 leg injury. And the Giants might need to keep him around if they let another offensive lineman, Jon Feliciano, walk. But it’s not like Gates is this high-impact, high-value player the Giants absolutely need to keep.

Ward’s another nice player who would have experience in the system as long as Martindale stays. He provides nice value as more of a run-stopping edge defender, but there will be alternative options in free agency and the draft.

Finally, with James, there was at least some showing of progress down the stretch, plus he provides special teams value. So there’s a chance the team brings him back.

Goners (10): RB Matt Breida, WR Darius Slayton, WR Sterling Shepard, WR Marcus Johnson, C Jon Feliciano, OLB Oshane Ximines, DT Justin Ellis, DT Nick Williams, S Tony Jefferson, P Jamie Gillan.

Breida was always just a backup and the Giants should search for a younger option in the offseason. Shepard has never been able to stay on the field, Slayton is inconsistent and replaceable and Johnson didn’t provide much value during the second half of the season.

Feliciano, 30, is only getting older and had a rough first year in New York. He committed six penalties (tied for sixth-most among centers, per Pro Football Focus) and allowed three sacks (tied for ninth-most). In order to protect Jones and improve what was a so-so offensive line, the Giants need a rock-solid interior. Feliciano doesn’t fit the bill.

Ximines was essentially buried on the depth chart behind Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari (when both were healthy) and only played 7% of the defensive snaps against the Eagles on Saturday. It was sort of surprising to see the Giants retain Ximines for 2022, so don’t expect them to do the same this time around.

Ellis and Williams are backups at best, Jefferson is merely a special teamer, and Gillan can easily be replaced. The Scottish Hammer was just 19th among punters with a 46.81 punt gross average, per PFF.

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Breaking down Giants’ 2023 free agents: Who should stay, go? | Elite Sports NY

But this is about his health. And the realities of modern NFL economics and positional value, roster-building needs and consideration of future priorities. If Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen — and let’s be honest, John Mara too — can remove emotion from the equation, the conclusion should be straightforward. Letting Barkley walk in free agency is in the Giants’ best interest.

Sure, they would love to have him back. Schoen said so Monday. That does not make it the responsible decision. It is the same story as when Dave Gettleman used the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft on Barkley. Running backs — even the great ones — tend to have shorter careers. They are more prone to injury. And most importantly, they play a position that is no longer considered premium. You can find effective backs almost anywhere, and for pennies in the grand scheme of the salary cap.

That is why people criticized the pick then. And why moving on from Barkley is prudent now.

Last Saturday’s beatdown in Philadelphia was a blessing, in a twisted sense. It held a mirror up to this team as all the happy talk and dreaming evaporated. The Giants had a tremendous season to be proud of. But they were much greater than the sum of their parts. And they remain a long way off from true championship contention with many concerns and needs to address.

They have to retain Daniel Jones, and they will do so at a price that would have seemed incomprehensible last summer. Paydays for Dexter Lawrence, Xavier McKinney and Andrew Thomas are right around the corner (and Lawrence’s is likely imminent). Leonard Williams is likely looking at an extension to lessen his 2023 cap hit. The Giants also desperately need an impact wide receiver. Two, really. The interior of the offensive line will be retooled. The inside linebacking corps is due for a revamp. Another defensive lineman would not hurt. Nor would another cornerback.

MORE: Kenny Golladay is a Giants goner. Who are other potential cap cuts?

All of these things, we would argue, are more important than re-signing Barkley to a lucrative multi-year deal. And that is what it would be. Barkley said all the right things the other day, that he wants to be a Giant for life and does not seek to reset the running back market. But Baggie Day comments are not made under oath at the risk of perjury.

The Post reported Barkley and his camp turned down around $12 million a year at midseason. Schoen since added an agreement was never close. Even if Barkley would “settle” for something between that apparent offer and Christian McCaffrey’s $16 million a year, we’re still talking significant money that surpasses the projected $10 million franchise tag rate for backs in 2023.

The tag has been promoted as a cost-effective magic bullet to bring Barkley back for some time now. While that idea initially made sense, it quickly slide into wishful thinking territory and now feels somewhat delusional.

The Giants have determined Jones is their quarterback. And more importantly, this surprise playoff run has left them with no viable alternates if he is not. Jones has significant leverage and is due a massive payday. The Giants will use the franchise tag on Jones, burning half their projected cap space in the process (even if only temporarily). Or they pay up and give Jones a sizable deal that makes them think twice about deploying the tag elsewhere. Especially given everything else they must accomplish this spring.

A common refrain exiting the Eagles loss has been the Giants are ahead of schedule after the first year of their rebuild. Which is certainly true. But that does not ensure they will stay on schedule. They have too many holes and caught too many breaks this year to assume further ascent without significant intervention this offseason. That means adding missing pieces through free agency and the draft and moving to hold onto the cornerstones already in place. It will also mean making tough decisions. Which is what moving on from Barkley will be. But you have to give to get.

If Giants ownership and management is capable of sober analysis, they will realize losing Barkley is the concession that must be made. This is about business and championships. The Giants are better off on both fronts without Barkley. They don’t have to like it. But they do need to accept it.

MORE ON ESNY:
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• Giants ‘quit’ in ugly playoff loss to Eagles, Mike Francesa says
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• How Yankees’ desire to trade Josh Donaldson, Aaron Hicks impacts left field

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Letting Saquon Barkley walk is right move for Giants’ future | Elite Sports NY

Two of those players were among the team’s most valuable in 2022: quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. Understandably so, Schoen had to field questions about both and the Giants’ potential desires moving forward. It was interesting to hear and read Schoen’s comments because of how drastically different they were depending on the player he discussed.

When it came to Jones, he didn’t mince his words. The front-office executive wants the signal-caller back (quotes via Giantswire):

We’d like Daniel to be here. He said it yesterday, there’s a business side to it, but we feel like Daniel played well this season and did everything we asked him to do. We haven’t had those (discussions) yet but we would like to have Daniel Jones back.

He also said the following (and had to backtrack to clarify his comments):

We’re happy Daniel is going to be here.

Is an official reunion already in the works? Who knows, but I’d imagine Schoen knows that little comment will make some headlines.

When getting asked about Barkley, Schoen’s answer was more business-like and standard for these kinds of questions:

This was a special team, we’d like to have all the guys back. But there’s a business side to it. Saquon is a good player and a great teammate…he’s a guy we would like to have back.

So, Schoen and Co. want both Jones and Barkley back in the fold for 2023, but I mean..come on. We know who the priority is now that New York is officially shifting into offseason mode. It makes a lot of sense, too.

How easy is it to find a quarterback that can be the answer for your team into the foreseeable future? It’s a lot harder than finding productive running backs, that’s for sure.

Schoen also mentioned the goal is to build a team around Jones that’s capable of winning a Super Bowl. Jones clearly appears to be the centerpiece of the Giants’ plans moving forward.

We know Barkley isn’t looking to reset the running back market. He’s also stated on multiple occasions that he’d like to be a Giant for life. But if we’re just dissecting the Monday comments from Joe Schoen, the team will do what it takes to keep Jones around. While keeping Barkley is also something they’re open to, it looks like there will be a harder line from the front office on what makes sense for them financially.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: It sounds like Giants’ Joe Schoen prefers Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley | Elite Sports NY

Has he played his final game with Big Blue? Not long after that embarrassing loss, you might’ve gotten a notification on your smartphone about Jones’ “cryptic” response to his immediate future. This is what he said (via ESPN):

Like I said, we will cross that bridge when we get there. I really enjoyed playing here. I appreciate all of those guys in the locker room. It is a special group of guys and I have really enjoyed being a part of it.

We will figure out where that goes, but I have nothing but love and respect for this organization and the group of guys in the locker room.

Obviously, there are some media outlets that ran with the first thing Jones said in the above quote. But, come on — how was this cryptic? It wasn’t as definitive as running back Saquon Barkley plainly stating he wants to be a Giant for life. However, Jones has shown he’s not that kind of dude, especially with reporters.

There are lots of things in play for Jones’ impending free agency that is out of his control. His play this year has complicated it all in a good way because he’ll be earning himself a big payday, whether it’s with the Giants or elsewhere.

But, seriously… this response is not at all cryptic. We know he’s not the type of guy to grab headlines by opening his mouth. It’s a complicated question that he can’t definitively answer one way or the other. And last, but most certainly not least, Jones had just walked off the field after watching his squad get their butts whooped in the playoffs.

His situation heading into next season and beyond was probably the furthest thing from his mind as a competitor. If I had to try and translate what Jones said, it’d probably be something to the effect of, “Yea, I don’t really care about that right now, but I know I have to answer it, so I’m going to say something vague.”

Whether Jones stays with the Giants or heads elsewhere is anyone’s guess at this point. You’d think he’d want to stick around after a breakout year with head coach Brian Daboll. But it’s not that simple. If he does sign with another team, though, nobody will be pointing back to this quote and saying he was ready to leave. At least, they shouldn’t be.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Daniel Jones’ comment on uncertain Giants future wasn’t at all ‘cryptic’ | Elite Sports NY

Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will have a war chest to deploy after a surprise playoff run in their first season at the helm. The Giants are currently projected to have roughly $54 million in cap space this spring, according to Over The Cap. That is the third-most in the NFL, trailing only the Bears and Falcons.

But just how far that goes remains to be seen. Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones are priority free agents. Dexter Lawrence, Xavier McKinney and Andrew Thomas could be extended — and in the case of the first two, may push the envelope to get paid. And there are still many holes to fill on the roster. Saturday’s blowout loss to the Eagles made that obvious. So Schoen will look to make some cuts to free up more cap space.

The good news: There are moves to be made. The bad news: There are not necessarily many of them.

Here is a look at some of the Giants who could be cap casualties this offseason (all numbers via OTC):

WR Kenny Golladay. Not much needs to be said here. Golladay’s heroic block against the Vikings will not change anything. The Giants will part ways with one of the biggest free agent busts in franchise history as soon as they can. They will save $6.7 million in cap space while eating $14.7 million in dead money. Golladay could be a post-June 1 cut to spread out the hit, but it’s hard to imagine that will make sense for the Giants from a roster-building perspective.

DT Leonard Williams. He’s scheduled to have the team’s biggest 2023 cap hit at a whopping $32.26 million after being restructured to free up 2022 space. The Giants would only free up $12 million in cap space while eating $20 million in dead money. That does not make much sense for a productive player at a premium position. Williams said he would consider a pay cut, but let’s be real. That won’t happen. Schoen could extend Williams and throw in some new guaranteed money to lessen his cap hit. But that would be another instance of can-kicking. It likely makes the most sense for the Giants to play out the final real year of the deal (Williams has a 2024 void year) and go from there.

CB Adoree’ Jackson. This is an interesting case. The Giants would eat a $10 million cap hit, but they would save $9 million. Jackson has been good when he is on the field, but he’s missed 11 regular season games in two years here. It could go either way. A restructured deal may be the most likely outcome.

K Graham Gano. He makes the list because the Giants would shed roughly $2.8 million in cap space by cutting Gano. But it would not make much sense for a returning playoff team to dump such a productive kicker. An extension would make sense.

MORE ON ESNY:
• 3 takeaways as Giants’ magic runs out in ugly playoff loss to Eagles
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• Giants should put Boston Scott in Ring of Honor when he retires
• We need ‘Mike and the Mad Dog,’ Stephen A. Smith to talk about George Santos
• Yankees tab ex-slugger Shelley Duncan to manage Triple-A team

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Kenny Golladay is a Giants goner. Who are other potential salary cap cuts? | Elite Sports NY

Coming off a crucial Wild Card victory over the Vikings, the Giants assumed the opportunity to knock off an Eagles team that beat Big Blue twice in the regular season.

And they blew it. Absolutely blew it. The 38-7 loss to their division rivals was a Giants fan’s worst nightmare.

The Eagles came out red-hot. As if the week off awarded to them as the NFC’s top playoff seed didn’t affect them at all.

Before the Giants knew it, it was 21-0 Philly. By way of two touchdown passes from quarterback Jalen Hurts and a touchdown run from Boston Scott — his 11th against the Giants in nine games.

MORE: Mike Francesa blasts Giants, says they ‘quit’

The Eagles then topped it off with a Hurts five-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the second quarter. The teams headed into the locker room with the score 28-0, and the floodgates were too open to formulate a comeback.

While the Giants finally got on the board with an eight-yard Matt Breida touchdown run, the Eagles are too talented and well-coached. A late Jake Elliott 30-yard field goal and 35-yard Kenneth Gainwell touchdown run made the final score what it was, and Philly is off to the NFC Championship to face the winner of Sunday’s Cowboys-49ers matchup.

Some thoughts on the loss:

Run-defense disaster. The Giants were quietly one of the worst teams in the NFL in terms of defending the run this past season. They finished the regular season 27th in that category, having allowed 144.2 rushing yards per game.

The Giants would’ve been lucky to have only allowed that many yards Saturday night. The Eagles ultimately rushed for 268 yards, 140 of which were in the first half.

Philly running back Miles Sanders ran for 90 yards on 17 carries and had gained 75 yards on 13 carries by halftime. Of course, Boston Scott scored a touchdown and now has 11 touchdowns in nine games against the Giants.

One of the Giants’ main weaknesses came back to haunt them on Saturday and very much played a role in the season-ending loss.

Time of possession. The Eagles seemingly had the ball the entire night. It also seemed as if the entire game was played on the Giants’ end of the field.

Philly finished with 35:43 in time of possession. The Giants only had the ball for 24 minutes and 17 seconds.

The Eagles also converted 26 first downs and were 10 of 14 on third down. The Giants: 13 first downs and five of 13 on third down.

The Eagles were able to score as many points as they did because they earned various opportunities to do so.

Offensive line implosion. While quarterback Daniel Jones (15 of 27, 135 yards, one interception) could’ve played better, the Giants’ offensive line couldn’t handle the Eagles’ talented pass rush. Philly recorded 70 sacks in the postseason, the most by 15.

The Giants allowed five sacks and rookie right tackle Evan Neal was no match for Eagles outside linebacker Haason Reddick (1.5 sacks).

Since ESPN began tracking pressures in 2009, only Russell Wilson has faced a higher pressure rate in a half of a playoff game than Daniel Jones just did – 64%. @ESPNStatsInfo #Giants

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 22, 2023

This offensive line’s improvement was one of the components of the Giants’ recent success. But the issues across the unit were alive and well Saturday night.

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FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: 3 takeaways as Giants’ magic runs out in ugly playoff loss to Eagles | Elite Sports NY

“Eagles completely demoralized the Giants with their running game tonight,” WFAN legend Mike Francesa tweeted in the waning moments of the Eagles’ 38-7 blowout win in the NFC divisional round on Saturday. “Made the Giants quit. Ugly.”

Other Francesa missives during the Philly romp:

Does this take away from what the Giants accomplished this season ? In a word, yes.

28-0 18-3 first downs 141-20 rushing 258-64 at the half Do the Giants have any pride???

Giants now being officially embarrassed!!!

Eagles making strong case that Giants didn’t belong. Everything right vs everything wrong equals 21-0 Philly.

MORE: Giants should put Boston Scott in Ring of Honor when he retires

Yeah, it was pretty bad:

The Giants had a tremendous season. They exceeded all expectations and restored dignity to an organization that has sunk to the bottom of the NFL. And their future is bright — brighter than it has been in a long time.

But there was always a smoke-and-mirrors feel to their unexpected success under in Year 1 of the Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen era. It was hard to criticize the Giants for this or to point it out with much emphasis. You are what your record says you are, after all. A stirring playoff road upset of the Vikings gave some reason to start believing and dreaming. But in the end, the Giants were who we thought they were: A vastly-improved team, but one that is still a long ways away.

So that’s how we get to Eagles 38, Giants 7 in Saturday’s NFC divisional round showdown at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Any Philly fears were clearly unfounded. Any hope the Giants would go on another magical Super Bowl run against all odds were severely dashed. The better, far superior team did what it was supposed to do and dominated. So that is that.

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• Ideally, Yankees’ shortstop competition won’t include Isiah Kiner-Falefa

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants ‘quit’ in ugly playoff loss to Eagles, Mike Francesa says | Elite Sports NY

But there was always a smoke-and-mirrors feel to their unexpected success under in Year 1 of the Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen era. It was hard to criticize the Giants for this or to point it out with much emphasis. You are what your record says you are, after all. A stirring playoff road upset of the Vikings gave some reason to start believing and dreaming. But in the end, the Giants were who we thought they were: A vastly-improved team, but one that is still a long ways away.

So that’s how we get to Eagles 38, Giants 7 in Saturday’s NFC divisional round showdown at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Any Philly fears were clearly unfounded. Any hope the Giants would go on another magical Super Bowl run against all odds were severely dashed. The better, far superior team did what it was supposed to do and dominated. So that is that.

MORE: Giants should put Boston Scott in Ring of Honor when he retires

Again, no one should complain. The Giants had an incredible year. They should hold their heads high. The franchise is finally going in the right direction again. This result was just an inevitably sour final chapter. And boy was it sour.

The Eagles ran roughshod in the first half before coasting into next weekend’s NFC Championship Game, which it will host. They stormed right down the field for a 7-0 lead — Jalen Hurts looked quite fine — and then made it 14-0 after Daboll’s tellingly reckless decision to go for it on fourth-and-8 on the Philadelphia 40. And then 21-0 and 28-0 and away they went.

Daboll was signaling to the world he did not believe his team was capable of beating the Eagles straight-up. And guess what? He was right. Hurts was efficient, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. Philly ran for over 200 yards as a team behind Miles Sanders. Daniel Jones was picked off and sacked five times. Boston Scott did some Giant killing. Saquon Barkley was never able to factor into the game. And on and on.

The Giants had an incredible season. But they always felt like a team that had played over their head and were on borrowed time. The Eagles proved that in brutal fashion.

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• Mets reliever Adam Ottavino is looking for some respect on Instagram
• Yankees tab ex-slugger Shelley Duncan to manage Triple-A team
• Ideally, Yankees’ shortstop competition won’t include Isiah Kiner-Falefa

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ magical run ends with Eagles beatdown in NFC divisional round | Elite Sports NY

.@Eagles up 21-0! @BostonScott2 #FlyEaglesFly

: #NYGvsPHI on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/W32lU4mm7c pic.twitter.com/F3N8o8WRId

— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2023

Boston Scott’s prolific production against the Giants is extremely well-document, but yet is somehow still undersold. We know what it is like to have (Insert Team) killers here. But we realized Chipper Jones was a future Hall of Famer when he was battering the Mets year after year. The same goes for Edgar Martinez and then David Ortiz with the Yankees, or how Reggie Miller tormented the Knicks.

MORE: These 5 Yankees prospects are absolutely untouchable

But Scott? With all due respect, he’s what Bill Parcells would call a JAG — just a guy. A relatively anonymous backup running back. But put him on the field against the Giants and he turns into Gale Sayers. His first-half touchdown run in Saturday’s NFC divisional round game — the Eagles are rolling, 28-0, at halftime — was his 11th touchdown against the Giants in nine games. He has seven touchdowns in his other 52 career games.

So yes, Wink. Scott is a Giant killer. It is entirely possible the only reason he is still employed by the Eagles is because of all this. Put him in the Ring of Honor when he is done playing. Have Boston Scott Day in the Meadowlands. It’s too bad the stadium does not have a different name. Because naming a kid MetLife Scott does not really work.

MORE ON ESNY:
• We need ‘Mike and the Mad Dog,’ Stephen A. Smith to talk about George Santos
• The Mike Francesa ‘Teletubbies’ take you never knew you needed
• The Keith Hernandez, SNY contract ordeal is a movie we’ve seen before
• Mets reliever Adam Ottavino is looking for some respect on Instagram
• Yankees tab ex-slugger Shelley Duncan to manage Triple-A team
• Ideally, Yankees’ shortstop competition won’t include Isiah Kiner-Falefa

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants should put Boston Scott in Ring of Honor when he retires | Elite Sports NY

Ryan Honey, staff writer. The Giants are winning this game. It’s tough to overlook the Eagles’ talent and how they were able to finish the regular at 14-3, win the NFC East, and earn a first-round bye as the conference’s top seed. But it’s also tough to overlook Hurts’ injury and how great the Giants are playing right now. You also can’t forget that the Giants lost to the Eagles in Week 18 by only six points with various backups on the field, including practice squad quarterback Davis Webb under center. It’s incredibly difficult to beat a team three times in one season. And it won’t happen. Giants 24, Eagles 23.

James Kratch, managing editor. The Week 18 game does not matter. Nor does the Week 14 game. Or the 2007 Giants’ road to glory. This game stands alone. Contrary to the popular cliche, you can beat a team three times in one season if you are better than that team. The Eagles are better. The game will be competitive and the Giants will acquit themselves well. But Philly will do what the Vikings could not and get to Daniel Jones. The Giants score late to make it feel closer than it actually was. Eagles 27, Giants 20.

Josh Benjamin, staff writer. It’s been a great ride but all good things must come to an end. Brian Daboll should be so proud because even though his Giants will lose in Philadelphia, they’re sure to give the Eagles a fight from start to finish. Eagles 24, Giants 20.

Matt Musico, editor. The Giants continue to play with house money, but they’re also going to a place where they haven’t won a game in just about a decade. After two very different regular-season losses, it’ll be interesting to see how New York approaches this game. Eagles 24, Giants 21.

Danny Small, staff writer. The Giants have exceeded everyone’s expectations and then some this season, but this is the end of the line. A rested Eagles squad will be tough for the Giants. Eagles 27, Giants 17.

Jaguars at Chiefs (-8.5):
• RH: Chiefs 32, Jaguars 21.
• JK: Chiefs 41, Jaguars 27.
• JB: Chiefs 34, Jaguars 24.
• MM: Chiefs 31, Jaguars 14.
• DS: Chiefs 34, Jaguars 20.

Bengals at Bills (-5.5):
• RH: Bengals 30, Bills 28.
• JK: Bills 31, Bengals 24.
• JB: Bills 35, Bengals 27.
• MM: Bengals 28, Bills 24.
• DS: Bengals 27, Bills 26.

Cowboys at 49ers (-4):
• RH: 49ers 28, Cowboys 25.
• JK: Cowboys 22, 49ers 21.
• JB: 49ers 28, Cowboys 21.
• MM: 49ers 27, Cowboys 20.
• DS: 49ers 24, Cowboys 20.

Playoff standings:
T1-Honey: 3-3 against the spread, 5-1 overall.
T1-Kratch: 3-3, 5-1.
3-Benjamin: 2-4, 5-1.
4-Musico: 1-5, 3-3.
5-Small: 0-6, 2-4.

Final regular season standings:
1-Benjamin: 23-11, 21-12-1.
2-Kratch: 20-14, 18-15-1.
T3-Honey: 19-15, 19-14-1
.
T3-Small: 19-15, 17-16-1.
5-Musico: 18-16, 20-13-1.

James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: NFL playoffs: Giants-Eagles, AFC, NFC divisional round picks, predictions | Elite Sports NY

The squad is heading to a location where they’ve struggled in recent years, and will surely be welcomed with plenty of boos, jeers, and double birds. A trip to the NFC Championship Game is on the line, but in reality, they’ve got nothing to lose.

Nobody — and I mean nobody — outside of their practice facility thought they had a legitimate chance to be in the position they’ve found themselves in. It was tough to know what New York would get out of Saquon Barkley, quarterback Daniel Jones certainly didn’t look like the Giants’ future at that position, and the wide receiver room didn’t have a ton of legitimate playmakers.

Plus, Brian Daboll was a rookie head coach. General manager Joe Schoen also had a herculean task ahead of him when it came to cleaning up Dave Gettleman’s mess. But here they are, defying all expectations to be one of the last four NFC teams standing.

Are they suddenly feeling the pressure of so much unexpected success? No, I don’t think so:

VIBING pic.twitter.com/5eNZuFGPAp

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 19, 2023

Blink and you'll miss it, look for the red jersey in the middle of the huddle

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 19, 2023

All the pressure heading into this game is on the Eagles. They’re the conference’s top-seeded team. They’ll also enter rested after a first-round bye. The expectation is for Jalen Hurts and Co. to beat New York for the third time this season and fight next week for the NFC Championship. If Philly advances, they’d host the title game at Lincoln Financial Field.

There are a couple of keys to having success in the playoffs. One that happens quite often is watching a team get hot at the right time to make a run. The Philadelphia Phillies know or thing or two about that. Another is being the underdog and heading into a matchup with nothing to lose.

This season has already been a smashing success for the Giants. It looks like they’ve found their franchise quarterback, and the new regime has laid a tremendous foundation to build upon. Everything else is gravy at this point. New York looks hungry to keep spoiling seasons for teams favored to beat them. They’re not feeling the pressure of the moment right now, though.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants know they’re playing with house money vs. Eagles | Elite Sports NY

After entering the 2022 season with zero expectations, New York has not only reached the playoffs for the first time in six years — the team is also coming off a huge Wild Card victory over the Vikings.

But this magical run is not over just yet. The Giants travel to Philly to face the division-rival Eagles Saturday night. It’s a postseason matchup that comes after the Eagles swept the Giants in the regular season for the fourth time in six years.

Philly sports a more talented roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. But the Eagles are hampered by injuries (quarterback Jalen Hurts has dealt with a shoulder injury).

If the Giants can take advantage of the Eagles’ current limitations, we could see another upset for Big Blue, this time in the City of Brotherly Love.

Giants at Eagles

When: Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023.
Where: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET.
TV: FOX.
Radio: WFAN.

3 Giants keys to victory

Pressure Hurts. The Giants need a huge game in the pass-rushing department. Jalen Hurts, who was an MVP-candidate quarterback before his shoulder injury, will dial it up if he has time in the pocket. Big Blue needs production out of outside linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari (questionable with a quad injury) along with defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. This team does not want a repeat of the first regular-season matchup between these teams on Dec. 11, when Hurts threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another in a 48-22 Eagles win

Strong secondary play. Despite the Giants’ Wild Card victory over the Vikings, Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins still threw for 273 yards and a pair of scores on 31-of-39 passing. Tight end T.J. Hockenson additionally caught 10 balls for 129 yards.

Against the likes of wide receivers Devonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and tight end Dallas Goedert, the Adoree’ Jackson- and Xavier McKinney-led secondary must step up. Smith and Brown combined for nine catches, 134 yards, and two touchdowns in the first regular-season meeting.

Stop the run game. Eagles running back Miles Sanders rushed for a whopping 144 yards and two touchdowns in the 48-22 victory. Boston Scott also scored a touchdown in each of the two regular-season games, because of course he did (Scott has 16 rushing touchdowns in his career, 10 of which have come against the Giants). The Giants must take away the run in order to unleash the pass rushers on heavy passing downs.

X-factors

Daniel Jones. We keep saying it: every game from here on out (this season at least) will be the biggest game of the young quarterback’s life. And after Jones was lights out against the Vikings (301 passing yards, two touchdown passes, 78 rushing yards), he has a great opportunity to trump a rival he has experience facing.

Jones has played the Eagles five times in his career and has amassed an impressive 65.4% completion rate and 90.1 passer rating against them, with 1,103 passing yards and five touchdowns. By adding to that resume with another big performance, Jones could propel his team to the NFC Championship and add a few more precious dollars to his potential new contract.

Dexter Lawrence. The Pro Bowl defensive lineman, who’s been one of the team’s MVPs this season, will have a huge task on his hands. He must contribute to a pass rush that needs to limit Hurts, and also play a role in defending the Sanders- and Scott-led rushing attack.

The fourth-year player has a lot on his plate, but it’s nothing he can’t handle.

Isaiah Hodgins. The young wide receiver is on an incredible run for a midseason waiver pickup (or for anyone, really). He scored a touchdown in four of the last five regular-season games in which he was active and topped it off with a 105-yard performance against the Vikings last Sunday.

Against former Giant and talented veteran cornerback James Bradberry, Hodgins needs to maintain the great rhythm he’s developed with Jones. Because if he doesn’t, the Giants could be in for a long night. The offense certainly trusts Hodgins to be more consistent and active in the passing game than fellow receivers Richie James and Darius Slayton at this point.

The pick

The Giants are winning this game.

It’s tough to overlook the Eagles’ talent and how they were able to finish the regular at 14-3, win the NFC East, and earn a first-round bye as the conference’s top seed.

But it’s also tough to overlook Hurts’ injury and how great the Giants are playing right now. You also can’t forget that the Giants lost to the Eagles in Week 18 by only six points with various backups on the field, including practice squad quarterback Davis Webb under center.

It’s incredibly difficult to beat a team three times in one season. And it won’t happen. Giants 24, Eagles 23.

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: NFL playoffs: Giants at Eagles NFC divisional round analysis, prediction | Elite Sports NY

This team is not the 2007 team. Or the 2011 team. So, please, stop with the comparisons.

Are there some similarities? Sure. Preseason expectations were not high. People still had plenty of questions about Eli Manning then, like they did (and maybe still do?) with Daniel Jones now. The NFC East was also really good that year. There was a late-season lull and an energizing Week 18 loss. They are underdogs. The Buccaneers were like the Vikings. The Eagles are playing the role of the Cowboys. And the Super Bowl is in Arizona!

But guess what? The 2007 Giants were a veteran team that had past postseason experience. While early indications were not great — an 0-2 start — they were still a 10-win team that had a six-game win streak at one point.

They had three Hall of Fame-caliber pass rushers in Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. They had two wide receivers — Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer — who are miles better than any wideout on the current roster. The same goes for Antonio Pierce at linebacker. Tom Coughlin is a hell of a lot more experience than Brian Daboll. The offensive line was better. Et cetera.

This has been a tremendous Giants season. No, make that magical. Daboll has completely transformed the organization and Jones has emerged as a franchise quarterback. They have a shot to beat the Eagles on Saturday and keep this run going. And even if they lose, this could be the start of something big.

But that does not make them the 2007 team. So stop trying to sell it.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Please stop comparing these Giants to 2007 Super Bowl team | Elite Sports NY

But that does not seem like it will necessarily be the case ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported Wednesday that Ojulari expects to play if cleared by the team and its medical staff. He was a limited practice participant on both Tuesday (projected) and Wednesday.

Azeez Ojulari (quad) says he plans to play Saturday assuming they give him the green light. “I’m good,” he said. Plans to power through it if he can, which he seems to believe will happen. #giants

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) January 18, 2023

Although, Pat Leonard of the Daily News suggests a situational role could be in order for Ojulari, as opposed to an every-down role for a player who’s 100%.

Azeez Ojulari intends to play through his quad injury. He described it as “sore.” Situational pass rushing, I would think #Giants

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) January 18, 2023

The Eagles’ passing attack was ninth in the league with 241.5 yards per game this past regular season, while Philly’s offensive line was tied for ninth with a 62% pass block win rate.

Putting pressure on Hurts to force the young passer into making mistakes will be key for a Giants team that allowed 70 total points in two regular-season games vs. the Eagles. Ojulari active alongside the likes of outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams would be huge for Big Blue. So it’s nice to see things are looking up for the second-year player on the injury front.

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Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ Azeez Ojulari trending in right direction for Eagles showdown | Elite Sports NY

These squads squared off in Philly during Week 18. The Eagles won as New York rested its starters, and the Birds walked away with the NFC’s top playoff seed. Even with the Giants’ general lack of recent success against the Eagles, this might be exactly where Big Blue wants them.

Why is that? Well, facing top-seeded teams in the playoffs has been their specialty.

In 6 games against No. 1 seeds since the playoff restructuring in 1990, the Giants are a perfect 6-0. That 6-game win streak vs. No. 1 seeds is the longest by any franchise since the NFL began seeding playoff teams in 1975, according to @NFLResearch.

— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) January 18, 2023

That’s some pretty good juju to bring into this head-to-head matchup.

New York and Philly haven’t met in the playoffs since 2008, but they obviously see one another twice a year because they both reside in the NFC East. Over their last 20 regular-season matchups, the Giants are just 4-16. That includes getting swept in their two games this year. The Giants also haven’t won a game at the Linc since 2013.

But of course, the playoffs reset everything. It’s a new season and anything can happen. The Giants have been playing with house money for a few weeks now. Nobody expected them to be a legitimate playoff contender back in August, let alone being just one win away from the NFC Championship Game. Matching up with a familiar foe like the Eagles gives New York an opportunity to exorcise some demons with another upset.

Which Giants team will we see on Saturday night…the one that got absolutely pummelled at MetLife Stadium 48-22 or the one that played hard with mostly backups in a 23-16 regular-season finale loss? Based on how head coach Brian Daboll has approached everything this year, we should expect the squad to be ready for battle.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ perfect record vs. top seeds will be put to test vs. Eagles | Elite Sports NY

There's a guy walking around Pattison Avenue near the NovaCare Complex with this pic.twitter.com/9jKIytkiO8

— Chris Franklin (@cfranklinnews) January 17, 2023

Creative usage of the pound sign. Anyway, I love that this enterprising Eagles fan was so worked up about Saturday’s NFC divisional round showdown with the Giants that he took time to do this. And that he logistically can do it. The Giants’ facility is on a service road next to Route 3 and the Meadowlands parking lots. You’d probably get a ticket from a state trooper after 15 minutes.

Anyway, it should be electric at Lincoln Financial Field. Everyone will have at least 12 hours to get well-oiled before that 8:15 p.m. kickoff. Middle fingers galore. And, maybe, a good football game.

The Giants lost both regular season games to the Eagles, their NFC East rival. But they acquitted themselves well in the regular season finale. The Giants rested their starters but still managed to cover as a two-touchdown road underdog in a 22-16 loss. The Eagles had hammered them, 48-22, earlier in the year at MetLife Stadium.

This will be the fifth postseason meeting between the Eagles and Giants. The playoff series is tied at 2. The Eagles have won the last two meetings — a 2006 wild card matchup in Philadelphia and a 2008 divisional round game in the Meadowlands. The Giants won a 1981 wild card game in Philly and a 2000 divisional game at home.

* — Before we get nasty emails: We’re joking. We know it happened 55 years ago. We know he was a bad Santa. Don’t be so sensitive. 

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

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We all already know, though. Wide receiver Darius Slayton is looking forward to the boos and middle fingers. Giants legend Eli Manning is planning on attending the game — against his better judgment — and is also bracing for impact.

Head coach Brian Daboll summed up what it’ll be like Saturday night in Philadelphia: hostile.

I mean, duh, right? This is a home playoff game for the Eagles. Fans will also have the opportunity to tailgate/consume adult beverages all day before kickoff. What do people think is going to happen?

Giants players may be ready for it themselves, but some are also taking the proper precautions for loved ones. Dexter Lawrence, for example, has told his mom that she’s not allowed to enter the building:

Dexter Lawrence told his mom that she can't attend the game in Philadelphia because she'd "go back at [Eagles fans]" pic.twitter.com/0uERtUc5n5

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 17, 2023

Now that’s a good son right there. Win or lose, the last thing Lawrence needs to deal with in Philly is a situation involving his mom responding to trash talkers.

The defensive lineman debuted for the Giants in 2019, so this is obviously the biggest game of his pro career to this point. Will he actually be able to keep Mama Lawrence out of the stadium on Saturday night? Dexter might have to splurge for a suite or something to shield his mom from Philly fans.

This year has been a breakout performance for Dexter Lawrence, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl this year. Between 2019 and 2021, he accumulated nine sacks, 81 solo tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, and 30 quarterback hits. In 16 games this season, Lawrence has 7.5 sacks, 68 solo tackles, seven tackles for a loss, and 28 quarterback hits.

Based on how he’s performed and the Giants’ success this year, it’ll be hard to keep his mother out of the stadium. However, at least he’s tried to warn her.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Dexter Lawrence banning his mom from watching Giants-Eagles in person | Elite Sports NY

Peyton Manning and Eli did their Monday Night Football Manningcast during the Dallas Cowboys’ wild-card victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Eli’s older brother broached the topic, so the two-time Super Bowl champion had to tip his hand:

"I said when I retired that I would never go back to a football game at Philly, but I think I have to break my promise (for Giants-Eagles). I think I have to go there. I can't wait to see the amount of double birds I get. Could break a record."- Eli Manning #ManningCast pic.twitter.com/HzowYLzP0S

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 17, 2023

There you have it, folks. As if flipping the double birds at current Giants players wasn’t going to be fun enough for Eagles fans, they’ll get to pick on Manning, too.

Outside of the obvious reasons, why did Manning vow to never experience another football game in Philadelphia? He traveled to the City of Brotherly Love at least once per year throughout his NFL career. The former signal-caller probably thought that was enough. However, his stats tell us he likely doesn’t have a ton of terrific memories when it comes to facing the Eagles, either.

Manning faced the Eagles 31 times while with the Giants and posted just a 10-21 record. He passed for 7,994 yards with 54 touchdowns and 34 interceptions. New York hasn’t won a game in Philly since Week 8 of the 2013 season. So, that means Manning went 0-for-Philadelphia over the last six years of his NFL career.

Thinking about all this, nobody can blame him for not wanting to revisit a place that led to such torment. But the 2022 Giants appear to be forcing his hand. Wouldn’t it be cool to see how Manning experiences a live Giants-Eagles game from his own perspective? Wearing a GoPro for 3-4 hours doesn’t sound like the most comfortable thing in the world, but it’d be great content.

And if we know anything about Eli Manning in his post-football life, it’s that he’s all about #content these days.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Eli Manning should record his Giants-Eagles experience with a GoPro | Elite Sports NY

A new general manager and coaching staff were entering the building. The previous regime didn’t leave the team with much cash to spend in free agency. There were glaring question marks on the offensive side of the ball, including at quarterback.

And here we are. The Giants are headed to the NFC divisional round. They just won their first playoff game since Super Bowl XLVI. And now they have a date with the Eagles set for Saturday in Philadelphia.

It has been remarkable turnaround in just a few short months, led by general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. And everything around the franchise has changed.

The defense. The Giants hired Wink Martindale to be the defensive coordinator after Patrick Graham left for the Raiders last offseason. Given Martindale’s blitz-heavy, man-heavy scheme, there were concerns regarding the young Giants secondary after the team dumped cornerback James Bradberry.

But this unit has kept the team in various games all season long despite the Giants’ limited offense. While the secondary has kept its head above water and did so even without safety Xavier McKinney and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson for over a month, the pass rush has been stellar. The Giants are getting a great return on investment with rookie outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence has morphed into one of the NFL’s more talented defensive tackles.

The Giants’ defense was a huge reason for Sunday’s massive playoff victory over the Vikings. Big Blue allowed Minnesota to convert on just four of 10 third-down conversions and limited the Vikings to only 61 rushing yards.

Saquon Barkley. This was supposed to be Barkley‘s final year with the Giants. After three straight injury-plagued seasons and the hire of a new general manager that didn’t draft the polarizing running back, it was clear the young back was on his way out. He was to play out the fifth year of his rookie deal before testing the murky waters of free agency.

But a lot has changed over the last few months. Barkley didn’t miss a single game due to injury all year and is looking like his sensational rookie-year self again.

During that 2018 campaign, Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards while leading the league with 2,028 total yards from scrimmage in 16 games. This year, in 16 games, Barkley set a career-high with 1,312 rushing yards, a mark that was fourth in the NFL.

Now, a guy who was essentially on his way out of East Rutherford might be returning to the team by way of the franchise tag or a new contract. And it’s all because of the show he was able to put on in 2022.

Daniel Jones. Between the injuries, turnovers, the hire of a new GM, and that same GM passing on the fifth-year option, it was clear this was Daniel Jones’ potential final season in blue.

The Giants didn’t have much of a choice but to enter 2022 with him, but the belief was that he would continue to struggle, the Giants would struggle as a team, and then a rookie would replace Jones in 2023.

It’s safe to say that’s not how it played out.

Jones has been tremendous this season, leading the Giants to their first playoff berth and winning record in six years.

He’s stayed healthy and missed no games due to injury for the first time in his career. He set career-highs in completion rate (67.2%), passing yards (3,205), quarterback rating (92.5), rushing yards (708), and rushing touchdowns (seven). He also turned the ball over eight times, a new career-low. Jones committed 23, 16, and 10 turnovers respectively from 2019-21.

Everyone was ready to write him off in August, and rightfully so. He was coming off an injury-plagued 2021 season and wasn’t showing any ability to lead this franchise.

And in January, coming off a great regular season and playoff victory in which he threw for 301 yards and rushed for another 78, Jones is gearing up for a potential new contract. And the Giants should absolutely give him one — a four-year deal, perhaps.

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: This Giants revival has been swift — and remarkable | Elite Sports NY

Philly swept the head-to-head season series against Big Blue this year. Both games had a pretty different feel, though. The first one was an absolute butt-whooping at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles won 48-22 and could’ve easily run up the score more if they really wanted to. They met again at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 18. New York sat its starters with a wild-card berth already wrapped up. Philly had the NFC’s top seed to play for, and they ended up winning 22-16.

When asked about what the environment will be like for this Divisional Round matchup, Slayton didn’t mince his words (quote via NJ.com):

I’m sure the atmosphere is going to be insane. Plenty of boos and middle fingers for us, but we look forward to it.

Yes, that’s definitely what will happen. Knowing what to expect will make it easier to manage. You know Jihad Ward is ready for it.

In case you’ve forgotten, the Giants haven’t won on the road vs. the Eagles in about a decade. And while the playoff history between these two isn’t super long, it’s been interesting.

A win on Saturday at the Linc would help wash away Big Blue’s consistent regular-season shortcomings in recent history, too. Since 2013, the Giants and Eagles have faced off 20 times. New York has lost 16 of those games. This includes an eight-game losing streak for the G-Men and 11 losses in their last 13 matchups.

New York will come into this game as a heavy road underdog, but that’s not shocking. They’re unlikely to be favored in any of their playoff games this year, but that doesn’t mean an upset can’t happen. We’ll see if Slayton and the Giants can see through the boos and middle fingers to secure another victory on Saturday night.

Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants’ Darius Slayton excited for proper Philly welcome vs. Eagles | Elite Sports NY

Whether it was remains to be seen.

Head coach Brian Daboll said Monday the team will “go day to day” with pass rusher Azeez Ojulari (quad) and safety Jason Pinnock (abdomen) for Saturday’s NFC divisional round game at the Eagles. The defenders were injured in Sunday’s wild-card win over the Vikings; Pinnock was taken to a Minneapolis-area hospital before flying home with the team.

Perhaps it’s a distinction without a difference. But Daboll did not directly say the players were day-to-day; he said the team would take them day by day. Which could mean many thinks when parsing a tight-lipped coach’s cliche deployment. The world will know more after the team’s first practice of the week.

MORE: Daboll confirms to media he is not Jesus Christ

It would be a big blow for the Giants if they do not have Ojulari. Their pass rush will be a critical key to any upset bid given Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Philly’s high-powered offense. Ojulari has struggled to stay healthy after last year’s breakout campaign. He appeared in only seven regular season games and spent time on injured reserve with a calf injury. He also battled a balky ankle.

Pinnock is a backup defensive back who contributes on special teams. The Giants have struggled with depth in the secondary all season long, so it would be ideal to have Pinnock available.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Giants will ‘go day-to-day’ with injured defenders | Elite Sports NY

Let me offer some further context. I am not a Giants nor a Jets fan. While Big Blue’s fans were celebrating their upset win, I was watching my poor, unfortunate Ravens get in their own way and lose to the Bengals.

But outside the city in a quiet hamlet of Long Island suburbia, two middle-aged men who I call family were ecstatic. These are my two uncles, who still proudly own Rodney Hampton and Carl Banks jerseys and are collectively the Giants version of Joe Benigno depending on what they’re drinking on game day.

And now that the Giants have defeated the Vikings, this is my playoff reality. Every day leading up to Saturday’s tilt in Philadelphia will be the same. Brian Daboll should use strategy X because Jalen Hurts will obliterate the defense. Odell Beckham Jr. should be signed today and start immediately. Plus the old favorite: Tom Coughlin should still be the one in charge despite Daboll’s success.

My aunts are patient, patient women for dealing with these two for 30-plus years. They’re married to two grown, smart, college-educated men. They even owned and operated two equally successful businesses once. Surely they all deserve peace, quiet, and quality time for the rest of their lives, right?

Not during football season, apparently. Instead of quiet morning coffees on the patio or by the pool, they get raging at Newsday. Forget day trips, walks, or other activities. Afternoons are for Colin Cowherd and his can’t-miss NFL analysis. The best they can hope for is either man falling asleep midway through and having some calm until dinner.

Oh, and how about their constantly peppering their nephew sports writer with questions about the Giants when they know full well he really only covers the Yankees and Knicks? I’d include excerpts from the literal volumes of text threads I have between the three of us, but the two devoted readers who are my parents have respectfully asked everyone remain anonymous.

But anyway, this is my family’s reality during football season. It’s too bad Eli Manning didn’t win consecutive Super Bowls. Maybe the whining would have been less then. If Daniel Jones raises the Lombardi Trophy, I can hope and dream it goes away forever.

That’s wishful thinking and even I know it. The usual Giants discourse would just change if they win Super Bowl LVII. Jones deserves a fully guaranteed contract and Saquon Barkley does too. Screw the salary cap. Who needs it anyway, right? Joe Schoen can figure it out while he’s planning Daboll’s statue.

All complaining aside, I’m actually very happy for the Giants and their fans. This was an exciting year and they should enjoy every second of it. I’m just annoyed two of their most annoying fans happen to be my relatives. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m crawling back under my Ravens rock and forgetting Tyler Huntley exists.

Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Thanks, Giants, for letting my uncles yap for another week | Elite Sports NY

This is not a move we had on our 2023 bingo card. We have not given much thought to indoor football since that brawl in Texas where the guy had a steel chair. But thankfully Friend of ESNY Nick Kosko — a former AFL play-by-play guy — has a sharp eye.

The @OfficialAFL has updated their profile pics to the mid-2000s logo and it looks like Twitter and Instagram are scrubbed. @soulfootball and @aflblackjacks were among the 6 remaining franchises during 2019, the leagues final season.

Hmmm pic.twitter.com/neBt93OkrX

— Nick Kosko (@nickkosko59) January 16, 2023

The AFL has effectively shut down twice since the peak of its success about 15 years ago. And when the league declared bankruptcy in 2019, it was considered the end of the road. That version of the AFL was technically a separate entity from the original AFL. It only had six teams in a pretty condensed geographic region — Albany, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Columbus, Philadelphia and Washington — and was nowhere near as popular as the initial version, which stretched coast to coast and had 19 teams at one point.

MORE: Brian Daboll confirms he is not Jesus Christ

But given the need for streaming service content and the legalization of sports betting — that #BetOnUs hashtag on the Twitter banner caught our eye — it would make sense to try to revive something that once worked. As we previously wrote: The AFL was the ECW of real sports — a preposterous that worked far better and longer than it likely should have. The issue for the AFL will be that it now has to compete with the XFL and the USFL for players and exposure.

The AFL has had past teams located in Albany, Atlantic City, East Rutherford, Hartford, Long Island and Manhattan. So we have rich arena football tradition in this region.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

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I would assume many other guys and gals in my age group who grew up and/or live in the tri-state area feel the same way. I want to hear Joe Benigno and Craig Carton and Chris Carlin and Boomer Esiason and Mike Francesa and Gregg Giannotti and Evan Roberts and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo talk about our teams, not some guys in Los Angeles yakking what’s up with the Cowboys and the Lakers.

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But the great Funhouse does keep tabs on Cowherd. So I am aware he says a lot of stupid things. And he may have finally crossed the line on Monday with this little ditty.

I'll bet you've never heard Mark Bavaro referred to as a "forgettable" player. Well now you have.

This man gets paid to talk about sports. pic.twitter.com/GOiBWDJCzv

— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) January 16, 2023

Those are fighting words. Cowherd may need a protective detail whenever he next returns to the metropolitan area. Paul Dottino may already be on a plane out to confront Cowherd in the Fox Sports parking lot.

Mark Bavaro is to Giants fans — especially those of an older age — as Paul O’Neill is to Yankees fans. The model player in terms of commitment, production and toughness; the guy who is just a step or two outside of the Hall of Fame but still epitomizes why his teams won championships more than the greats he played with. The easiest way to generate a cheap pop out of Giants fans when things get tough is to name-drop Bavaro. To call the tight end “forgettable” is wildly ill-informed. Throw that on the Big Blue Disrespect Train.

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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Colin Cowherd just took up arms against entire Giants fanbase | Elite Sports NY