The start to Giants training camp has been largely focused on the offense. Between the Eli Manning-Daniel Jones saga, the human highlight reel that is Saquon Barkley, and the multitude of injuries to the team's receiving corps, there are enough storylines there to keep the spotlight on that side of the ball.

However, the team's biggest training camp star plays defense. Second-year linebacker Lorenzo Carter entered the season with massive expectations on a team desperate for a pass rush, and his play has caught the eye of his peers and his coaches.

On the first day of camp, Carter blew up consecutive plays, first tackling Golden Tate behind the line of scrimmage on a reverse play, and then crashing the hole hard on a blitz before intercepting a screen pass intended for Barkley. Carter returned the interception for a touchdown, and although his teammates were quick to praise him, Carter was his typical humble self when asked about his big play.

After being involved in a single-car accident last week, the prognosis could be better for Jason Pierre-Paul. 

The Buccaneers DE suffered a fractured neck that could cause him to miss the entire 2019 season, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. 

Per Schefter, Pierre-Paul will visit with neck specialists this week in an effort to save his season, but the expectation is that he will undergo surgery to repair the injury. 

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The decision to let safety Landon Collins walk away for nothing sent shockwaves through a Giants fan base that still seems to be trying to figure GM Dave Gettleman out. One minute acts like the Giants are close to being a contender. The next he sounds like he's rebuilding. Then he's cutting costs on players like Collins, while not blinking at the $23.2 million cap hit for aging quarterback Eli Manning.

Trying to decipher his moves the last 15 months has been like riding the Mad Tea Party ride at Disney. Just as the franchise seems to turn one direction, it lurches towards the other. Meanwhile, everyone is nauseous and wondering: Is there any real direction at all?

The answer to that is, like many things, complicated and not often clear. There's no doubt the mess Gettleman inherited - on the field, in the locker room, and to a smaller extent under the salary cap - was significant when he was hired in December, 2017. Even Gettleman may have underestimated how extensive the problems were, though he adamantly denies he did.

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Landon Collins never wanted to leave the Giants. He dreamed of becoming a franchise icon, of staying in New York his entire career. It will undoubtedly be tough for him when he signs with another team in the first few days of free agency.

But he's going to get a nice consolation: A very large new deal.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- One year ago this week, the Giants did something they once thought was unthinkable. They cleaned out, firing their coach and general manager in the middle of the season.

The decision was born of desperation. The franchise had no direction. The players were lost. And the whole operation had become the butt of jokes across the NFL nation. The Giants were 2-10 at the time.

One year and two days later, they are 4-8, which is hardly much of an improvement. But to the players, executives and team personnel who endured last season's mess, the improvement has been dramatic.

Former Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said he had "no hard feelings" toward his old team after his Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Giants 38-35 on Sunday in Pierre-Paul's first game in New York not as a Giant.

"There are no hard feelings with the Giants at all," Pierre-Paul said, according to the New York Daily News' Pat Leonard. "At the end of the day it's business. Business is business."

The 29-year-old Pierre-Paul had spent his first eight seasons with New York before he was traded to Tampa Bay for two draft picks. A fixture on New York's defensive line, Pierre-Paul totaled 58 sacks and 13 forced fumbles as a Giant.

"He is one of the good guys in the NFL," Manning said.

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THE GAME 

The Giants (2-7) vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m.

THE WEATHER

Snowpocalypse is apparently over for now, and it should be a relatively pleasant but chilly day for this game. The high temperature will be in the low 40s, but it'll be mostly cloudy with the usual light Meadowlands winds, so it'll probably feel like it's in the 30s. The good news is with no more snow in the forecast, Northern New Jersey might have the roads cleared by kickoff.

WHAT IT MEANS

If you're rooting for the tank so they can get a higher draft position, then this is another huge game against a team that figures to be in the mix for a top-10 or even top-five pick. As bad as the Giants are, a couple of wins could push them much closer to 10 and that much farther away from being in the mix for a franchise quarterback. That's not so important to the players and coaches on the field, though, so for them, this is another golden opportunity to keep things positive and for Pat Shurmur to keep his locker room together. I know, for the tankers, that doesn't mean much, but trust me, it means the world to the franchise.

It was a business decision at the end of the day, but the Giants would certainly like to see DE Jason Pierre-Paul in a Big Blue jersey once again after the season he's currently having. 

New GM Dave Gettleman made the move to get remaining three years of Pierre-Paul's four-year, $62 million contract off the books this offseason, trading him to the Buccaneers. Well, he has totaled 68 combined tackles, 8.5 sacks,a nd two forced fumbles as he looks like the JPP of old so far this season. 

This week, the Giants will have to deal with him as an opponent for the first time, and head coach Pat Shurmur knows exactly what kind of "disruptive" player he can be. 

Jason Pierre-Paul is fired up about the way the Giants handled his exit, and plans to take out some of his anger on Sunday when the Buccaneers take on Big Blue at MetLife Stadium. 

"Honestly, I had this game checked out since I left there," he said Wednesday on a conference call. "I'm coming, man, and I'm bringing the house down.''

The 29-year-old Pierre-Paul, who is having a huge season -- with eight sacks and one forced fumble in nine games -- said that only one person associated with the Giants reached out to him when he was traded in March.

The Giants Plan A worked out perfectly. The Browns went for a quarterback in Baker Mayfield first overall, and Penn State RB Saquon Barkley was waiting for them to grab at No. 2. 

But, if the Browns wanted Barkley first before getting their quarterback, the Giants had their Plan B. And it wasn't one of the top quarterbacks on the board. 

N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb would have been their pick granted Barkley was gone, reports The Post's Paul Schwartz. Gettleman and the Giants viewed Chubb as the best defensive player in the draft, and thought he would be worthy of the No. 2 pick over a quarterback. Instead, Chubb went fifth overall to the Broncos.

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ORLANDO -- As soon as the Giants' traded Jason Pierre-Paul, speculation went wild that they were planning to take his replacement with the No. 2 pick in the draft. And why not? N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb is considered the draft's best defensive player, perfect for the Giants' new-look, 3-4 defense.

That, of course, is not the reason they traded JPP. The move was about dumping a contract and a player, and their draft board didn't change after they made the move. They are set for the time being at the edge positions with Olivier Vernon and the newly-signed Kareem Martin, plus Josh Mauro when his season-opening suspension is over...

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: One year ago, Jason Pierre-Paul was considered to be a cornerstone of the Giants' future. He was given a monster, four-year, $62 million contract that included $40 million in guaranteed money and more than $22 million in the first year.

But one thing new GM Dave Gettleman has made clear is that he doesn't care what the old regime thought or was planning. He has his own ideas about how to fix the Giants. And nothing is going to get in his way.

So JPP became the latest player from the Jerry Reese regime to be dumped, as Gettleman shipped him and his onerus contract off to Tampa Bay, essentially in exchange for a third-round pick. The motivation for the deal, according to a team source, was the size of the contract and what the Giants viewed as JPP's declining production...

The Giants are trading DE Jason Pierre-Paul and a 2018 fourth-round draft pick (102nd overall) to the Buccaneers in exchange for third-round (69th overall) and fourth-round (108th overall) picks in 2018, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman called Pierre-Paul to inform him of the trade, explaining it was an offer they couldn't refuse, Pierre-Paul told Kim Jones of the NFL Network. He added that "at the end of the day, it's a business. I know that. Tell everyone at the Giants that I wish them the best."

Pierre-Paul, 29, had 68 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 16 games last season for the Giants. He is entering the second year of a four-year, $62 million deal that will pay him $11.25 million this season, $13.25 million in 2019, and $11.25 million in 2020...

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The Giants have shored up the depth of their defensive line rotation by agreeing to terms on a new deal with Kerry Wynn.

Wynn, a 27-year-old who's entering his fifth NFL season, will sign a one-year deal to return to the Giants, a source confirmed. He has been a solid rotational player for the Giants since they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Richmond in 2014. He's even made 10 starts in the last three years.

James Bettcher hasn't unveiled his vision for what his new Giants defense is going to look like next season. But linebacker Kareem Martin has a pretty good idea of how exciting it's going to be.

"It's going to be a relentless defense," Martin, the newest Giants linebacker, said on a conference call on Friday. "We're a heavy blitz team in the past years and he likes to get guys run up the field and I think that's what the guys are going to be really excited about, especially the guys up front.

"This could be a top defense in the NFL."

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The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl champions, but the world hasn't yet spun off its axis. So for now, at least, Super Bowl LIII is still scheduled to be played next year.

The Eagles, who were the worst team in the NFC East just one year ago, are clearly among the favorites to get back to the Super Bowl again. But is there any chance the Giants can pull off their worst-to-first trick, too?

The Giants new defensive coordinator, James Bettcher, brings a new dynamic to the defense with his 3-4 scheme. So where do traditional defensive ends like Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon?

Former Cardinals HC Bruce Arians, who had Bettcher on his staff, thinks Pierre-Paul and Vernon would fit perfectly into Bettcher's scheme. The Cardinals pushed to get JPP because they were convinced he could convert into a 3-4 outside linebacker based on his speed and quickness off the line. 

After Pierre-Paul signed with the Giants on a one-year deal, the Cardinals dealt for Chandler Jones, who has thrived in Bettcher's system with 28 sacks in two seasons. 

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul mocked a tweet suggesting the team's new GM Dave Gettleman should get rid of his contract.

The Twitter account, NYGDaily, made a 10-step plan for Gettleman to check off now that he is in his new position. Pierre-Paul, seeing that him leaving the Giants was on the list, posted it to Instagram saying he finds that notion comical. The post has since been deleted.

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE POST

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul revealed he has been playing with a broken finger on his right hand for the past two games, per NJ.com's James Kratch. 

It is believed Pierre-Paul, who is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Cardinals, broke his finger during the Week 13 matchup against the Raiders. He has worn his notorious club on his hand for the past two games. 

"I'm always planning to play, man. I'm ready to go...I'm ready to run around," Pierre-Paul said when asked about his finger. "I fractured my finger, I basically broke it."

The Giants ruled linebacker B.J. Goodson and wide receiver Tavarres King out for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals due to an ankle injury and a concussion, respectively.

Goodson, 24, has appeared in just two games since Oct. 22. 

Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo also listed safety Landon Collins (ankle), defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (finger) and safety Nat Berhe (hamstring) as questionable.

Giants S Landon Collins, who was forced to exit Sunday's loss to the Eagles due to a lingering ankle injury, missed practice again on Thursday.

LB B.J. Goodson (ankle), WR Tavarres King (concussion), and DE Jason Pierre-Paul (finger) also missed practice for a second straight day..

S Nat Berhe (hamstring), CB Brandon Dixon (heel/hamstring), T Ereck Flowers (groin), and DE Olivier Vernon (not injury related) were limited participants.

Giants S Landon Collins, who was forced to exit Sunday's loss to the Eagles due to a lingering ankle injury, missed practice on Wednesday.

LB B.J. Goodson (ankle), WR Tavarres King (concussion), and DE Jason Pierre-Paul (finger) also missed practice.

S Nat Berhe (hamstring), CB Brandon Dixon (heel/hamstring), C Brett Jones (ankle), and S Darian Thompson (knee) were limited participants.

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Landon Collins' season isn't over yet. But the end may be coming soon.

The Giants are still considering whether to shut down their star safety for the final three games after he re-injured his ankle on Sunday afternoon, according to interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Collins has been playing through a high ankle sprain since Week 5, and it he aggravated it on Sunday in the Giants' loss to the Cowboys.

Spagnuolo had already indicated on Monday that they might put the 23-year-old on injured reserve "to protect Landon from himself."

Giants WR Sterling Shepard and DE Jason Pierre-Paul are active for the team's matchup with the Cowboys on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

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Jason Pierre-Paul suffered another injury to his already mangled right hand, but he insisted he will be ready to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.

He made that declaration on Friday after practicing for the first time this week. He did not give any details about how he suffered the injury, or if was football-related. But he had the middle finger of his right hand tightly wrapped, and mostly kept it in his pocket during his interview.

Giants WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring) returned to practice on Thursday, but was limited. 

The wideout has been battling a hamstring ailment that kept him out in the beginning of the week. 

Also, limited were RB Wayne Gallman (hip), LB B.J. Goodson (ankle), DT Damon "Snacks" Harrison (elbow), and T Chad Wheeler (concussion). 

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THE GAME

The Giants (2-9) at the Oakland Raiders (5-6) at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 4:25 p.m. ET...

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It doesn't matter who calls the plays. It doesn't matter what the run-pass balance is. It doesn't really even matter how the quarterback plays anymore.

The Giants are simply too undermanned to generate any consistency on offense anymore.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: The Giants have a very short week, but their injury list remains very long.

Five starters, and one of the replacements for the injured starters, were on the list of Giants who did not practice on Monday as the Giants began their abbreviated preparation for their Thanksgiving night game against the Redskins (4-6) in Washington. That includes two starting offensive linemen who may not play, meaning the Giants could have to reshuffle a line that is already in a constant state of flux.

Justin Pugh was already expected to miss the next few weeks, according to multiple team sources. And now, according to NJ.com, G D.J. Fluker is expected to miss the game on Thursday night, too. That probably means G Jon Halapio would be in line for his first career start, though the Giants also could turn to veteran G John Greco whom they just signed last week.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: The Giants have a very short week, but their injury list remains very long.

Five starters, and one of the replacements for the injured starters, were on the list of Giants who did not practice on Monday as the Giants began their abbreviated preparation for their Thanksgiving night game against the Redskins (4-6) in Washington. That includes two starting offensive linemen who may not play, meaning the Giants could have to reshuffle a line that is already in a constant state of flux.

Justin Pugh was already expected to miss the next few weeks, according to multiple team sources. And now, according to NJ.com, G D.J. Fluker is expected to miss the game on Thursday night, too. That probably means G Jon Halapio would be in line for his first career start, though the Giants also could turn to veteran G John Greco whom they just signed last week.

The Giants ruled offensive lineman Justin Pugh and linebacker B.J. Goodson out for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs due to back and ankle injuries, respectively.

New York also listed defensive tackle Damon Harrison (ankle) and linebacker Devon Kennard (quad) questionable, while linebacker Kelvin Sheppard is doubtful to play due to a groin injury.

Giants DT Damon Harrison (ankle) returned to practice on a limited basis on Thursday after missing practice on Wednesday.

CB Donte Deayon (ankle), G D.J. Fluker (knee), LB Devon Kennard (quad), LB Calvin Munson (quad), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (knee), and DT Dalvin Tomlinson (ankle) were also limited participants.

LB B.J. Goodson (ankle), OL Justin Pugh (back), and LB Kelvin Sheppard (groin) all missed practice for a second-straight day.

Not only did Ben McAdoo have a team meeting on Wednesday, but the Giants' defense held a players-only meeting to figure out their own problems. 

The defense has looked like a shell of itself from last season as it has consistently dropped the ball the past few weeks. They have allowed a total 82 points in the last two weeks, and after allowing over 400 yards per game this season, they are ranked 31st in total defense. 

Similar to McAdoo's meeting, effort was a main area discussed in the meeting. Every player was allowed to speak, and things were spirited in the discussions. 

LB B.J. Goodson (ankle), DT Damon Harrison (ankle), OL Justin Pugh (back), LB Kelvin Sheppard (groin) all missed Giants practice on Wednesday.

CB Donte Deayon (ankle), G D.J. Fluker (knee), LB Devon Kennard (quad), LB Calvin Munson (quad), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (knee), and DT Dalvin Tomlinson (ankle) were all limited participants.

Pugh will be out for the team's matchup against the Chiefs this Sunday, per NFLN's Ian Rapoport.

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THE GAME

The Giants (1-7) at the San Francisco 49ers (0-9) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER

The football may stink, but the weather should be gorgeous. The forecast calls for temperatures around 70 at kickoff with mostly sunny skies and little winds. Enjoy!

WHAT IT MEANS

At this point, the dysfunctional Giants desperately need a win just to change the conversation and give them something to feel good about. It's not going to change their fate or put them into the playoff race, but maybe it'll make them less grumpy to be around. In the bigger picture, though, a loss here probably takes the Giants out of the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. It's hard to imagine the 49ers or Browns getting two wins at this point.

Giants LBs B.J. Goodson (ankle), Devon Kennard (quad), and Keenan Robinson (quad) are all listed as out for Sunday's game against the 49ers in San Francisco.

All three players missed practice on Thursday and Friday.

CB Donte Deayon (ankle) is doubtful, while  LB Jonathan Casillas (neck), LB Calvin Munson (quad), DE Olivier Vernon (ankle), and DE Kerry Wynn (knee) are questionable.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Jason Pierre-Paul missed practice on Thursday, but the team said it was not injury-related.

The defensive end was riding the stationary bike in the injury area at the start of practice on Thursday, before heading inside to work with trainers in the team's field house. It appeared that the trainers were working on his left shoulder -- which would make sense since he had a shoulder injury earlier in the season.

JPP had company on the sidelines, too. Three linebackers were also sitting out practice -- Keenan Robinson (quad), B.J. Goodson (ankle) and Devon Kennard (quad).

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: If the NFL season ended today, the Giants would be picking third in the 2018 NFL draft -- their highest pick since they took linebacker Carl Banks third way back in 1984.

But if they somehow find a way to lose to the 0-9 49ers in San Francisco this Sunday, their first shot at the No. 1 overall pick in 52 years would be in play.

What would the Giants do with that unexpected gold? Would they grab their next franchise quarterback? Take the best tackle or running back instead? Or trade down with a quarterback-starved franchise for a boat-load of high picks over the next few years?

Coming off the bye week after a dismal first half of the season, the Giants are looking to start fresh according to DE Jason Pierre-Paul.

Despite a very slim chance of making the playoffs, the Giants still have a job to do on the field with nine games still remaining on the schedule. Pierre-Paul is ready to put the 1-6 record behind him and start anew with the Rams on Sunday. 

"We're starting over fresh. We got these games to play. We're going to take it one at a time and start from there," Pierre-Paul said after practice Friday. "We're in November and we know what happens in November. Good teams fall off and bad teams come up. So, we'll see."

After a slow start to the season, Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul sparked the defense with his best performance of the season. 

It was the JPP the Giants expected to see on the field when they signed him to a four-year, $62 million this offseason. Pierre-Paul got to Broncos QB Trevor Siemian three times, and disrupted him throughout the game. He tied his career-high in sacks with his breakout performance of the 2017-2018 campaign.

Defensive end coach Pat Graham is used to seeing the intensity Pierre-Paul displayed on Sunday night. His "juice," as he calls it, is what has made him such a prolific threat off the edge. 

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul dedicated his three-sack performance on Sunday night to a 7-year-old boy battling cancer. 

Before the Giants traveled to Denver, Pierre-Paul met Hayden on a visit through The Garden of Dreams Foundation last Friday. Hayden decided to show JPP his best dance moves, and the defensive end knew exactly when he would showcase it on Sunday night. 

"You know what? If I get a sack -- which I am going to get a sack -- I'm going to do your dance," Pierre-Paul said. 

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul led the pass rush in the team's win against the Broncos on Sunday night. 

Pierre-Paul entered Week 6 with just 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble through five games. However, he turned up the intensity in Denver as he led the Giants with three sacks and eight combined tackles while notching a forced fumble as well.

Pierre-Paul's three sacks ties his career best that he put up against the Browns in Cleveland last season.  

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Well, that was unexpected.

The Giants suffered through one of their worst weeks in years, with their best player and two other receivers lost to the season with injuries, one player suspended, several other players hurt and a general sense of chaos, unhappiness and gloom hanging over the team. Going on the road to Denver against one of the NFL's best defenses seemed like an obvious recipe for disaster.

So, how to explain the scoreboard: Giants 23, Broncos 10?

Janoris Jenkins returned an interception for a touchdown, Jason Pierre-Paul recorded three of the Giants' four sacks and New York won its first game of the season with a 23-10 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

After allowing an average of 24.4 points per game through their first five losses, the Giants forced three Broncos turnovers en route to their first win. Landon Collins picked off Trevor Siemian, who briefly left the game for Brock Osweiler due to injury, Eli Apple recovered a fumble and Jenkins scored a pick-six late in the second quarter that gave New York a 17-3 halftime lead.

Eli Manning went 11-for-19 with 128 yards and a passing touchdown to tight end Evan Engram in the Giants' first game without wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard and Dwayne Harris.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: The Giants don't like change. They prefer stability and patience. They prefer to give their plans a chance to work.

But they also really don't like chaos. And that's the one thing that will truly test their patience with Ben McAdoo and could end up pushing the coach straight out the door.

That may seem crazy just 17 games into his head coaching career, but McAdoo is suddenly on very shaky ground just one year after he led the Giants back to the postseason and to an 11-5 record. His job should be in no jeopardy at all just one-third of the way through Year 2, even though the Giants are 0-5 and headed towards at least 0-7.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants grasped at whatever straw they could find on Sunday. They spoke of their fight, their heart and their professionalism. Landon Collins even pointed out how the Super Bowl isn't mathematically out of the question yet.

But after losing their best player, Odell Beckham Jr., to what might be a season-ending injury, after losing 27-22 to the previously-winless Los Angeles Chargers and falling to 0-5, there was really only one thing the Giants could cling to on Sunday: the hope that this was rock bottom, that things couldn't possibly get worse.

The Giants ruled center Weston Richburg and running back Paul Perkins out for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

New York also listed defensive ends Olivier Vernon, Jason Pierre-Paul and Avery Moss, and offensive guard John Jerry as questionable with various injuries.

Pierre-Paul told SNY's Taylor Rooks on Thursday that he'd be ready to go on Sunday.

Richburg has been in the league's concussion protocol, and Brett Jones is likely to be the team's starting center on Sunday, according to Inside Football's Patricia Traina, as the Giants seek their first win of the season.

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, says he's playing against the Chargers on Sunday.

"Of course I'm playing Sunday," Pierre-Paul told reporters. "No question." 

Pierre-Paul played every snap of the Giants' loss to Tampa in Week 4, with head coach Ben McAdoo saying the shoulder issue developed earlier this week.