New York Giants Notebook: Business as Usual, McCoy's Memories, COVID Concerns and More
A significant subplot to Sunday night’s Giants-Browns game is the number of players/coaches on each team returning to the gridiron to outwit their old team.
The list is wide. For Cleveland, they boast former Giants players like defensive end Olivier Vernon, linebackers Tae Davis and B.J. Goodson, and of course the injured Odell Beckham Jr among their player ranks, and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer (assistant special teams coordinator, 2003-05) and assistant offensive line coach Scott Peters (Giants offensive lineman in 2003).
For the Giants, their coaches who were previously with Cleveland include defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, assistant special teams coach Anthony Blevins, tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens, defensive assistant Jody Wright, special projects coordinator Amos Jones, and chief of staff Ryan Hollern.
And current Giants players with Browns connections include guard Kevin Zeitler, running back Dion Lewis, quarterback Colt McCoy, and safety Jabrill Peppers.
There’s pressure on everyone to deliver on Sunday night, but perhaps none more so among the player ranks than Peppers, who was the centerpiece in the historic Odell Beckham Jr trade. But if Peppers is feeling any extra pressure to step up and have the game of his life, he’s not letting on.
“It’s a big game, but it’s not a big game because it’s my old team. It’s a big game because of what’s at stake, and it’s the next game,” he said.
And it’s business as usual for Peppers.
“I’m not going to do anything abnormal or anything that I haven’t been doing during the season. I’m just going to come in, prepare like I’ve been preparing all year and try to do my job to the best of my ability.”
Colt McCoy Fondly Remembers Time in Cleveland
Giants backup quarterback Colt McCoy was originally a third-round draft pick of the Browns in the 2010 draft and was hailed as the next franchise quarterback.
But like so many quarterbacks before and after him to wear the Browns uniform--at least until Baker Mayfield came along--things didn't work out for McCoy, who would go on to become a journeyman.
Despite things not having worked out, McCoy is grateful for his time spent with the Browns organization.
"I was appreciative of my time with the Browns. I wish we could have won more games," he said.
"There are some great people within that organization. The fans and the people in Cleveland are awesome. My wife and I really enjoyed our time there. We just didn’t win enough."
After leaving Cleveland, McCoy's NFL journey would take him to the 49ers and the Washington Football Team. It was with Washington that McCoy suffered a serious season-ending leg injury in 2018 that earlier this year, McCoy admitted he didn't know if he'd be able to overcome.
But overcome it, he did. McCoy went on to join the Giants this year, and he's already won one game starting for New York when Daniel Jones was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
If McCoy is called upon again this week to fill in, McCoy, whose starting experience since being traded from Cleveland has been limited, expects things to be a lot smoother.
"Yeah, I think maybe that might be a little more familiar to me after having played two weeks ago," he said.
" I just think that our group, especially on offense, has to be really focused, really sharp on our details and on our efficiency and the things we’re doing and kind of what’s working in the game because it’s been a crazy week around here."
COVID Concerns
While businesses across the world are doing their best to keep COVID-19 out of their buildings, every so often, someone does end up testing positive for the virus, an occurrence that drives home the reality that no matter how careful one is, COVID-19 still lurks around.
For the Giants who this week saw offensive coordinator Jason Garrett test positive for the virus, that created a ripple effect for some who might be more susceptible to the virus's impact than others, such as special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.
McGaughey is a cancer survivor who's about two years removed from chemotherapy. Cancer patients who have had chemo are at greater risk given how the medication wreaks havoc with one's immune system, so for McGaughey, he has to take extra precaution that he doesn't expose himself to the virus.
"It’s scary--the whole thing is scary," he said. "You never know--I might touch a doorknob or push a button in an elevator or go into my car. Somebody could have touched the door handle to my car--I don’t know.
"You go to the grocery store, you just don’t know. That’s the scary part of this whole situation. You try to control what you can control. Pray that everything works itself out."
So far for the Giants, it has in that due to the few isolated cases they did have to deal with, it didn't lead to a full-blown breakout. But McGaughey's concern is certainly valid given how COVID-19 pops up at random.
COVID-19 Strikes NBC Broadcast Team
NBC announced that long-time play-by-play man Al Michaels will not call the Giants-Browns game on this weekend’s Sunday Night Football broadcast because he hasn't been cleared to work due to NBC Universal's COVID-19 protocols.
Mike Tirico has been named to replace Michaels in the booth. He will join analyst Cris Collinsworth, sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya, and rules analyst Terry McAulay during the broadcast.
Liam McHugh will host Football Night in America from NBC Sports studios in Stamford, and Jac Collinsworth will serve as FNIA host on-site at MetLife Stadium.
Michaels, in a statement released by NBC, said. "I feel great. I have no symptoms. … I look forward to returning to the booth as soon as possible."
