Thanks for this stuff. It’s interesting.

A Quick Look at Aaron Donald’s 8 sacks

http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/2p56xi/a_quick_look_at_aaron_donalds_8_sacks/

Giants’ formidable pass rush comes to St. Louis

By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/giants-formidable-pass-rush-comes-to-st-louis/article_469a0a74-f1dd-5faa-888b-867ec9caa729.html

Over the past eight games, the Rams have a league-high 32 sacks. But over the past three weeks, no one can touch the New York Giants’ pass rush.

Led by two-time Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul at defensive end and second-year defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, the Giants have racked up 22 sacks in the past three games.

“Certainly it’s something we’re aware of and need to be smart about what we’re doing,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said.

The Giants had seven sacks in a one-point loss three weeks ago at Jacksonville, followed by eight sacks in a 36-7 triumph two weeks ago at Tennessee, and seven more in last week’s 24-13 victory over Washington.

“A lot of the sacks have come on third down, obviously passing situations,” Schottenheimer said. “They do a good job to find ways to get ‘JPP’ isolated on different guys. They move him around some.”

That would be Pierre-Paul, who has a team-high 9 ½ sacks this season. He has been on a tear lately, because six of those 9 ½ sacks have come in the past three games. Included in his recent sack binge was a career-high 2 ½ sacks last week vs. Washington.

“Over the years, he’s developed more moves, counters,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s really got a good up-field ‘under’ move. He plays hard. He’s playing well against the run. He’s going to give any left tackle problems if the quarterback holds the ball. We’ve seen that here the last couple of weeks.”

That was particularly the case last week against Washington, not just for Pierre-Paul but for the rest of the Giants’ pass rushers. Quarterback Robert Griffin III, who replaced the injured Colt McCoy after just one series, was sacked seven times and on several occasions simply held onto the ball too long looking for an open receiver.

“A lot of it’s been coverage sacks,” Schottenheimer said. “They’ve been covering guys pretty well in the back half. Quarterbacks are having to hold the ball and there’s no place to really go, and they’re getting home.”

The three-game spree has the Giants all the way up to fourth in the league with 41 sacks; the Rams, with 36 sacks, are tied for 10th.

A first-round draft pick (No. 15 overall) in 2010 out of South Florida, Pierre-Paul burst onto the scene during his second season. He finished fourth in the NFL with 16 ½ sacks in that 2011 campaign, also leading the Giants with 23 tackles for loss and 29 quarterback hits.

His production plummeted to 6 ½ sacks in 2012, and then shoulder and back injuries derailed his 2013 campaign. He missed five games that season and registered only two sacks. But he’s healthy again, and back on the map as a pass-rush threat.

As Schottenheimer mentioned, the Giants do move him around some on their defensive line. But he’ll spend most of his day lined up over the opposing team’s left tackle, making Sunday’s game a huge challenge for the Rams’ rookie left tackle, Greg Robinson.

“When you get forced to play against these great athletes on the edge, one thing you tend to try to do — you kind of panic and turn your shoulders a little bit,” Schottenheimer said. “Greg’s done that from time to time. All that does is shorten the edge, which means they close in on the quarterback (quicker).”

But it’s not all Pierre-Paul. Hankins was drafted in the second round in 2013 out of Ohio State as a run-stuffer at 6-2, 320. He didn’t have a sack as a rookie reserve, but has seven this season, which is a lot for a D-tackle.

“Yeah, he’s had a very good year,” Schottenheimer said. “You certainly notice him when he’s able to play the 3-technique and kind of press the shoulder of the guard and kind of get penetration. … For where they’ve been with injuries and stuff, you see a lot of different numbers out there, but they’re kind of finding their groove right now.

“It’ll be a big challenge because if they can get you in the third down-and-long (situations), they can really create some problems for you.”

The Giants don’t blitz much under defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, a Rams assistant in 2003-04 under Mike Martz. But like most teams, the Giants will turn up the heat on third down with extra rushers.

Defensive end Damontre’ Moore (5 ½ sacks) and rookie outside linebacker Devon Kennard (4 ½) also can get to the quarterback.

“We’ve had a number of people get involved,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “I just hope we can continue to put pressure on the quarterback. That’s what the Rams do, and that’s what we’re going to have to do.”

After a shaky pass-blocking outing against Arizona, it’s up to the Rams’ offensive line to make sure that doesn’t happen Sunday. It’s also up to quarterback Shaun Hill to make sure he gets the ball out quickly.

nittany ram wrote:

Is Quinn still the best player on this defense?

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wv wrote:

Yes.
w
v

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I would answer it this way.

Is Quinn the Rams best defensive player?

Yes.

Is Donald the Rams best defensive player?

Yes.

Is this a trade down year?

That is, are the positions the Rams interested in deep enough so that they can go down a few notches in round 1.

There’s 2 models for that.

1. The Donald model. As in, Donald is there…do NOT trade down. So if a player you REALLY like is there you take him.

2. The Ogletree model. As in, we can get this lower. Trade down. Pick up another 3rd round pick or something.

wv wrote:

And here’s a link to the New York Times article about how the investigation into the rape charges was completely mishandled:

http://www.nytimes.com

That, unfortunately, is not a link to the article mentioned, it’s just a link to the front page of the Times. As a rule, links on herd board posts don’t work here. You have to go get the link on a case by case basis yourself.

Nevertheless, I know a bit about that story. It’s actually part of a national issue. Campuses all across the country have gotten worse and worse at handling rape and sexual assault charges, not just with football players.

I thought this issue was deserving of its own thread btw so voila.

Coughlin, Manning have experienced highs and lows with Giants

• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/coughlin-manning-have-experienced-highs-and-lows-with-giants/article_d2bc1c9a-0c3c-52aa-93db-0e5be4951cd7.html

The New York Giants football careers of coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning began in 2004.

After a year away from football following an eight-year stint with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, Coughlin was hired to replace Jim Fassel as head coach. That spring, after a standout career at the University of Mississippi, Manning was selected by San Diego with the first overall pick of the draft and then traded to the Giants in exchange for the No. 4 overall pick that year, quarterback Philip Rivers, and two more draft picks.

In their 11th season together, Coughlin and Manning are third all-time in NFL starts with 165, trailing only New England’s Bill Belichick/Tom Brady (205) and Dan Marino/Don Shula (184). Manning’s 165 consecutive starts is the league’s longest active streak — Rivers is No. 2 at 145 — and the third-longest in history behind Brett Favre (297) and Eli’s older brother Peyton (208).

“I really just want to be there for my teammates, to be there week in and week out,” Eli Manning said of the streak. “I know I’ve got a lot of teammates who are playing injured and playing through pain. … I just take pride being out there and being accountable.”

Coughlin and Manning, who helped guide the Giants to Super Bowl titles following the 2007 and 2011 seasons, have a special bond.

“Eli’s a guy what works his tail off. He always has,” said Coughlin, 68. “He loves to play. He loves to compete and this is very important to him. He’s all that you would like to have in any young man in terms of his work ethic, his focus, and his desire to be the best.”

And the feeling is mutual.

“I think Coach Coughlin and I get along very well,” Manning, 33, said. “I have great respect for him and his work ethic, his commitment to football, (and) how he gets us mentally prepared to play each game.”

The Giants, who suffered through a seven-game losing streak this season, will carry a 5-9 record into Sunday’s 3:05 p.m. game against the Rams (6-8) at the Edward Jones Dome. New York enters with back-to-back wins, but some believe Coughlin is on the hot seat after the team finished 9-7 in 2012 and 7-9 a year ago.

“You never want to see that or hear that because it means I’m not doing my job very well,” Manning said of the coaching-change talk. “I think Coach Coughlin has done a great job. He’s done a great job of talking to the players and telling us not to worry about any distractions. Just worry about this next game and getting a win.”

Coughlin added: “I focus on my team and trying to be the very best we can be and making sure that we all combine to make a great effort. That’s where my thoughts go.”

Coming off wins against Tennessee and Washington, the Giants have quieted some of the critics. But the focus now is the Rams.

“I know they’re aggressive on defense,” Coughlin said. “They show a diversity of looks and different kinds of pressures. They play well together, they’re physical (and) they’ve collected some very good football players.

“Offensively, they’ve got a number of skill players, guys that can put the ball in the end zone at any time.”

Manning, who holds virtually every Giants’ passing record, has enjoyed success in three previous victories over the Rams, completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 779 yards with nine touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 115.5.

“I think it’s a coincidence,” he said. “They’re playing good football right now with (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams and Coach (Jeff) Fisher. … They’re just not giving up many big plays. They’re getting great pressure on the quarterback (and) teams aren’t running the ball well against them. They’re playing fast and aggressive.”

Injuries have been a problem this season for the Giants, who have 22 players on the season-ending injured reserve list.

“Obviously, it can be difficult, especially when you lose some key guys,” said Manning, who has completed 63.2 percent of his passes this season for 3,590 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. “But we’ve also had some young guys step up and contribute.”

With the offseason just two games away, Manning said it’s about maintaining focus.

“We don’t have the record that we want, but we’ve been playing better,” he said. “I think you have to be professional about it and understand these games; they’re still important to us. We’re going to fight our tails off, and we’re going to try and get a win and try to feel good that we’re getting better. … We know we’re going against a tough team in the Rams, a team that’s probably playing its best football.”

Coughlin added: “We know this is pretty much about pride, but it’s also an opportunity because we have many young people who have a chance to play and contribute. It’s very important to finish as strong as possible because you’re also looking toward the future.”

We have to be able to discuss this without the harsh language and sniping at posters. I think calling someone “a delusional rube” is pushing that line. I think we can make all our points on even the most controversial topics without doing that kind of thing.

Thanks for posting that. A while back, as wv mentions, we had a long thread on Strode, including scenes from Sergeant Rutledge and of course Spartacus. It came on the heels of Fisher talking about the Rams history and signing Strode. Maybe I will find that thread some day and apend it to this one.