Big Blue View
The mail’s here!
Bob Donnelly asks: It’s the season for optimism. Some are very excited about the additions made to the Giant’s defense and foresee it being a top 10 if not a top five unit in 2025. Given their schedule, and at this very early juncture, do you view this as a possibility?
Ed says: Bob, strip everything else away and the one defensive stat that matters, really matters, is points allowed. Despite going 3-14, getting only five interceptions, losing Dexter Lawrence for a bunch of games, and being 24th in the league in yards allowed per rushing attempt, the Giants finished last season 20th in the NFL in points allowed at 24.4 per game.
The Houston Texans finished 10th in the league in points allowed, averaging 21.4. That is a difference of exactly three points per game, in case you’re bad at math. So, with obvious improvements in the defensive front seven that could turn a good pass rush into an exceptional one while also improving the run defense, and a secondary that should make more plays on the ball, I don’t think it is unreasonable to believe the Giants can be a top 10 defense in 2025.
rjalbro asks: Ed, is the Giants punter doing and practice field goals in camp? It would seem logical if he is needed in an emergency.
Ed says: RJ, no, Jamie Gillan does not practice field goals, extra points or kickoffs on any type of regular basis. He might do that on a rare occasion, but not with regularity. Conversely, the field goal kickers do not practice punting. I have seen placekicker Graham Gano walk through the steps of punting, something he has done in the NFL in emergency situations, but never actually punt in practice.
Remember, it is a looooooong season. There is a lot of wear and tear on the legs of kickers and punters — for most of the season, if not all, they have no one to share kicking reps with. Keeping them healthy and at their best when they are needed on game days is part of the process. It is why a lot of the “punting” done in NFL practices is actually done by a JUGS machine.
Punting and placekicking are vastly different kicking motions. Asking a kicker to practice both skills on a regular basis is dramatically increasing wear and tear and increasing the chance of injury.
Lou Catalano asks: I’m interested in your position regarding the HOF merits of Phil Simms vs Eli Manning. In my mind, Simms is far more worthy of the honor, especially given the constraints under which he operated with Bill Parcells. He won only 1 Super Bowl, had the team in the position to win their second and unfortunately got injured before the team actually won it. He still owns the completion record for the Super Bowl *and was a SP MVP in his own right. Eli, while having made huge plays in his 2 Super...
