Nick Falato

Photo by Jamie Squire/ You hear these terms quite often in football, so what are they? Let’s discuss the two types of meshs that are common parlance when discussing football on Saturdays and Sundays. No, they have nothing to do with shorts, netting, or lingerie. Instead, it is the mesh concept and the mesh point. Mesh concept The mesh concept was a pillar of the Air Raid offense that arose at BYU in the early 1970s, where LaVell Edwards assumed head coaching duties in Provo, Utah. Hal Mumme and Mike Leach adopted the Air Raid system, and the mesh concept was a simple...

Photo by Sarah Stier/ Andrew Thomas is focused on working to improve, not ‘being the best’ New York Giants starting left tackle Andrew Thomas said on Thursday at OTAs that he is focused on getting better, not on getting honors. “For me, I’m trying to get better every day regardless of the accolades,” he said. “Obviously, you want accolades, and you want to be the best, but you don’t get there by worrying about that. You get there by working every day to get better, and that’s what I’m focused on.” Thomas has certainly gotten better since being...

Photo by Rich Schultz/ Jones praises the newest Giants after the third OTA The New York Giants concluded their third OTA practice of the 2023 season on Thursday. It was the first practice open to the media. Quarterback Daniel Jones spoke to the media after practice and gave his thoughts on the new additions that joined the Giants in the offseason. Jones was asked about his ‘new toy’ Darren Waller, and the signal caller praised the size, athletic ability, and intelligence of the former Raiders’ tight end. Jones said, “It feels like you hear about most guys or you...

Adoree’ Jackson | Photo by Cooper Neill/ Let’s talk about the coverage Wink Martindale loves New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale loves press-man coverage, but what is that, and why does it matter? Press-man is an alignment where defenders - typically cornerbacks - align on the line of scrimmage, giving the receiver little space to release. The defender is usually one to two yards away from the wide receiver, like so: This is Deonte Banks against Rutgers in 2022. Banks frequently aligned in a press - 178 of his 384 pass coverage snaps...

Football terminology is easily understood by some people. Like advanced math, science and grammar, though, to others it can be a dizzying web of incomprehensible gibberish. One of those folks to whom it comes easily is Big Blue View football brainiac Nick Falato. To help those of us who might not be certain what various football terms mean, Nick has begun a project that we are calling the ‘Big Blue View glossary of terms.’ We will be breaking down (well, mostly Nick will be breaking down) football terms you may hear regularly but may not always understand as simply as...

Photo by Al Bello/ We begin developing a Big Blue View glossary of terms with this explanation of defensive line alignments It’s the slow season for the New York Giants, so we at Big Blue View wanted to allocate some of our attention toward football terminology. Throughout the years, we received many mailbag questions asking us to expound on the Xs & Os, techniques employed, concepts, situational football, etc. One of the foundations of defensive football is gap identification and understanding technique alignments. I specify defensive because offensive rushing...

Photo by Bob Levey/ Several XFL players have already received NFL opportunities The New York Giants have entered the dog days of summer. Rookie mini-camps are already through, and OTAs commence on May 22nd. New York has yet to extend a training camp invitation to any of their rookie mini-camp invites; last season, defensive lineman Ryder Anderson earned that honor. Unlike most previous years, the NFL has a subaltern league rife with poachable young talent and adequate coaching. That league is the XFL, which just concluded its 2023 Championship game - a 35-26 Arlington...

Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via The Giants’ newest safety talks after his first day of rookie mini-camp The New York Giants selected Houston safety Gervarrius Owens with the 254th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Owens was a team captain for the Cougars who started 42 of 46 games after arriving on campus as a JUCO transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Owens has utility as a defensive player, specifically in coverage, but he must improve his pursuit angles and tackling to earn a role on defense. However, he does have 361 collegiate special teams snaps under...

Photo by Brian Bahr/ The New York Giants selected Oklahoma running back Eric Gray with the 172nd pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Giants' long-term solution at running back remains uncertain, with star RB Saquon Barkley unsigned through the 2023 season; Barkley has yet to sign his franchise tag. Gray started his college career at the University of Tennessee but transferred to Oklahoma after Jeremey Pruitt was fired. Gray attended Lausanne High School in Memphis, Tenn., where helped his school win a state championship in his sophomore season by rushing...

Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Could sixth-round pick be a Day 3 gem for the Giants The New York Giants selected Old Dominion cornerback Tre Hawkins III with the 209th overall pick in the sixth round of 2023 NFL Draft. New York’s interest in the small-school player was known; they reportedly used one of their top 30 visits on Hawkins III, who was projected and selected as a Day 3 pick. Tre Hawkins III was drafted with pick 209 of round 6 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.82 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 40 out of 2222 CB from 1987 to...

Photo by Bob Levey/ There are still holes for the Giants to fill, and here are players who might help them do that The New York Giants are strapped for cash - that is not a secret. The rookies' cap impact doesn’t affect the Giants unit they sign their contracts, and rookie minicamp starts this weekend. The time is running out, but during his post-draft press conference GM Joe Schoen seemed confident they’ll find a solution. I understand that the Giants aren’t in the best cap situation. Still, they’re likely going to sign veteran free agents to compete for roster...

Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via The Giants add a massive run defender who fits Martindale’s scheme The New York Giants drafted interior defensive lineman Jordon Riley out of Oregon with the 245th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. This selection marks the second consecutive season where the Giants spent a Day 3 pick on an older - very large - interior defensive lineman. Riley had four collegiate stops on his journey. He played high school football at Riverside in North Carolina. He initially attended the University of North Carolina in 2017, where he played in...

Photo by Scott Taetsch/ What can Schmitz off the Giants’ offense? The New York Giants stayed patient in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and were rewarded because Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz was available for them at pick No. 57. Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson gets a 24-year-old rookie to anchor his line. John Michael Schmitz is a high-floor technician with efficient footwork, strong grip strength, and the mentality of my bulldog when the mailman is outside. He finishes blocks, and he will embody the mantra of smart, tough, and dependable. He...