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Transcripts:	Tom Coughlin, Perry Fewell , Kevin Gilbride, Mike Sullivan, David Merritt.
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Sept 2 Manning and the other starters in this last tune-up had better hit the ground running, because before they know it, they will be on the sideline watching the reserves in action. Given how miserable the first-teamers on both sides of the ball played in last Saturday's 24-10 loss to the Ravens, there's a greater sense of urgency to improve on that sorry showing. But it's only a slightly greater sense. "I'm happy with what we've shown in practice," defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said.

Rhett Bomar came into the Giants' training camp looking to win the backup quarterback job from veteran free agent Jim Sorgi. Tonight he will be looking to keep that job from whichever quarterback might become available in the next dew days. So far, Bomar has done well enough to earn a passing grade, but this will be the final exam. He can't afford an "F" and still maintain his spot on the depth chart.

William Beatty's first responsibility was to his left -- the inside gap. Once he saw there was no rusher there, it was time to turn outside to help out. Too late. The Ravens' Terrell Suggs was already past him and bearing down on Eli Manning. Allowing a pressure like that will frustrate Tom Coughlin every time.

Paterson's Victor Cruz likely will fill WR spot on Giants. The free agent rookie wideout from Paterson leads all NFL receivers with 241 yards and four touchdown catches after three exhibition games. Cruz is second in receptions with 12, one behind Cincinnati rookie Jordan Shipley.

Last year, Jonathan Goff started out of necessity when Antonio Pierce was injured -- but he did not win the job outright. As the draft got closer last spring, analysts were predicting the team would need a middle linebacker. Goff didn't listen to the pundits, thinking instead about the reps he got late in the season. "I definitely say that that experience was invaluable just finishing out the end of the season, getting those snaps under my belt," Goff said.

With rosters ready to be trimmed to 53 players this weekend, the Giants continued to explore all contingency plans for their backup quarterback position, including having a conversation with the Arizona Cardinals about trading for the disgruntled Matt Leinart.
The phone rang, the Giants answered, they talked, they hung up. And that’s about as close as Matt Leinart came to becoming the Giants backup quarterback on Wednesday. There apparently was nothing much more to it than that, according to a source familiar with the teams’ discussions. The Cardinals were the ones who called the Giants, the source said.
Coach Tom Coughlin will jump in a hot tub with Tiki Barber before Matt Leinart is traded to the Giants to serve as backup quarterback to Eli Manning. Reports yesterday surfaced that the Giants have engaged in talks with the Cardinals about trading for Leinart. Interesting, but not really true.

As much as Shaun O’Hara bridges the gap from the rare Rutgers NFL success story to a historic 2010 draft that saw two Scarlet Knights go in the first round, he just as much represents the progress Rutgers has made in the classroom.

The annual Giants Kickoff Luncheon is always an event geared to stoking the fans with inspirational speeches from the head coach and select players, all in one way or another promising that good times are coming for the upcoming season. Wednesday's event, held at the New Meadowlands Stadium, was no different, except that Osi Umenyiora, the defensive representative, took an unusual approach as he delivered his message.
The luncheon was attended by an impressive cast of former Giants, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Andy Robustelli and Harry Carson, as well as George Martin, Bart Oates, Bill Ard, Doug Van Horn, Howard Cross, Stephen Baker, Brian Kelly, Sean Landeta, Scott Brunner, Charles Way, Roman Oben, Brian Saxton and Phillippi Sparks.
Two years ago, Amani Toomer was the Giants' second-leading receiver, with 48 catches. He was honored the team's Alumni Man of the Year at the Giants' annual Kickoff Luncheon. How time flies. But then, so did Toomer. He wasn't the fastest receiver the Giants have ever had, but he was certainly the most productive.
They spend countless hours working in the community. For those efforts and for their devotion to helping others, Kareem McKenzie, Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert and David Diehl were honored at the team's annual Kickoff Luncheon as the Giants' Men of the Year.

Preseason Game 4 Preview - Giants vs Patriots
Last week The score was a close one, but the game wasn't as Steve Spagnuolo's Rams beat the Patriots last week, 36-35. The time of possession was a lopsided 43:46 to 16:14. The Giants played last week with a patchwork offensive line and with a number of key players missing. They got the expected results from going up against a tough team like Baltimore and ended up with a 24-10 loss.
Patriots. Their last real game was against the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs. You saw how explosive the Ravens can be last week when they played the Giants. Well they exploded all over the Patriots in that playoff game putting up 24 points in the 1st quarter and the Patriots were down and out 33-14. The Patriots haven't won a playoff game since losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

Sept 1 Rhett Bomar wanted a chance to be the Giants' No. 2 quarterback -- now he is. Jim Sorgi, a veteran backup who the Giants signed during the offseason, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a shoulder injury. Sorgi had been sidelined since the team’s first preseason game, but hoped as recently as Monday for patience in his return. That patience never came, and now Bomar has one final preseason game Thursday to prove capable as Manning’s insurance.
The move helped get the Giants below the 75-man roster limit, and it elevated the Bomar to second string. Rookie free agent Dominic Randolph, who was signed late in training camp, is No. 3. "Rhett is No. 2 on the staff right now," Tom Coughlin said. "He's talented. We'll see how far we can go with it."
The Giants still have Sorgi in their plans and have asked him to attend meetings, film sessions and practices. "Rhett is No. 2 right now," said Coughlin, who wouldn't say whether they're planning on bringing in another QB. "It depends on what the availability and what the cost is. I'm not saying we're doing that, but our people aren't caught by surprise by this; our guys have been working on this for a couple of weeks."

Moss likely done with Giants. Moss had surgery yesterday, performed by Dr. William Meyers at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, to repair a sports hernia. With his contract up after this season, it likely brings Moss' disappointing Giants career to a close. He had 39 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns in four seasons.

Domenik Hixon’s locker remains, filled with the bare essentials for a player on injured reserve. There is no need to replace it, but there is a need to find his replacement at kick returner and punt returner. Less than two weeks before the season begins, the Giants are still searching.

When the Giants play the New England Patriots on Thursday in their final preseason game, it will be the fourth game against a 3-4 defensive front. The Giants do not face a 3-4 in the regular season until the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7, which means they spend the six games of of the season playing against a defensive alignment they have not yet seen live.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress' return to the NFL will have to wait, if it ever happens at all. The former Giants receiver's .application for an early "work release" from prison was denied for a second time Tuesday by the New York State Department of Correctional Services. And while Burress can appeal that decision, he cannot reapply for the program until June 6, 2011.
Derrick Ward cut by the Bucs. Last season, Ward rushed for 409 yards, with only one touchdown and a 3.6-yard average. He also caught 20 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 228-pound Ward ran for 1,025 yards with the New York Giants as a backup the season before signing with Tampa Bay.
Derrick Ward has been released. In a dismal preseason, he didn't score any points with the coaches by pouting. The Bucs have a healthy Williams, a promising prospect in Kareem Huggins and they always can fall back on Earnest Graham, who can play fullback or tailback.

Aug 31 The way the Ravens picked apart the Giants' defense on Saturday night was alarming, even if it was only a preseason game. It was too easy, and receivers were way too open. Just like last year, the secondary seemed to have some gaping holes.
After coach Tom Coughlin had ripped his team's effort and execution in Saturday's loss at Baltimore, a number of Giants admitted yesterday they were surprised at the mental mistakes and glaring gaffes. They cautioned they can't expect to sleepwalk through the preseason and hit the ground running in the regular-season.
Coughlin criticized his players' intensity after Saturday's 24-10 loss at Baltimore — the Giants trailed, 17-3, with their starters in. He was marginally more satisfied following Monday's practice. "I thought it was a little better," Coughlin said. "Our tempo was better. We created better tempo. We were on the clock the whole day."

Jim Sorgi hoped to be Eli Manning’s backup this season. Right now, even he knows that’s not looking so hot. The Giants’ seventh-year veteran quarterback is still out with a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason opener against the Jets.
Jim Sorgi is trying to stay positive about his injured right shoulder, but he knows his situation is grim. He probably won't practice at all this week. And because of that, he knows it might be his final week with the team.
Teams must reduce their roster to 75 by today and 53 by Saturday. "I'm happy the team has been this patient with me," said Sorgi, injured in the first preseason game against the Jets. "Hopefully, they can be a little bit more patient and wait until I get better."

Aug 30 Two different coaches. Two different philosophies. Both of them taking significant risks and playing with fire. Rex Ryan has decided to rest his starters Thursday night in Philadelphia so they will be fresh and "popping out of their skin'' two weeks from tonight against the Ravens. Tom Coughlin has decided to play his starters, possibly for one quarter, Thursday night against the Patriots. Ryan will have hell to pay if his Jets are rusty and lose to the Ravens. Coughlin will have hell to pay if he loses one of his key players -- imagine if something crazy happens, such as, oh, Eli Manning sustaining a freak 12-stitch wound -- for the opener against Carolina.
The Giants will have a short practice week before concluding their preseason at home Thursday vs. the New England Patriots. Coughlin said his starters will play, but in the past he has replaced them quickly in the summer finale. But the players believe they can make progress vs. the Patriots and use it as a springboard to the Carolina game. "The preseason is all about getting our rhythm back, and we'll be ready," said quarterback Eli Manning, who completed nine of 18 passes and admitted he was "rusty" after missing the previous game with a forehead injury.

If he did not see it live and in person Saturday night in Baltimore, Tom Coughlin could not have expected to see it Sunday on tape. And he didn’t. "I’m not going to change my tune from being disappointed in terms of the overall outcome of the game and the way the game was played," the Giants’ coach said after conceding there were some good individual plays in the lackluster 24-10 loss to the Ravens. "Overall I did not see the kind of execution I was anticipating and therefore I was disappointed."

It's beginning to feel like deja Blue: 2010 Giants look much like 2009's underachievers. Yes, the 2009 season easily could be explained away by an avalanche of injuries - something that's starting to afflict the '10 Giants, by the way. But it was always about more than that. It was about a lack of fire, a lack of intensity, a lack of aggressiveness, lack of effort ... Come to think of it, it was about a lack of everything the Giants seemed to lack on Saturday night.
No, said Barry Cofield. No, insisted Michael Boley. No, echoed Justin Tuck. The defensive crimes perpetrated by the Giants in the first half of their 24-10 preseason loss to the Ravens in no way, shape or form reminded any of them of the glaring lapses and gross ineptitude of last season's un-amusing defensive follies. Even though all the familiar failings were there -- lack of physical force, an inability to get off the field on third down, holes in the secondary, obvious lack of communication -- those involved are certain they have not picked off where last season's sorry unit left off.

Coaches coach, players play. But after the Giants were pushed around by the Ravens, 24-10, in their third preseason game this weekend, it may be time for the coaches to cede some freedom to the players. "Coach has done all the talking he can do," safety Deon Grant said. "We have a great coaching staff. You've got enough leaders in this locker room. You're going to instill what you want in your team. Now, let the leaders lead."

Justin Tuck was reluctant to talk about the positives after a bad team loss, even though it was only the preseason. Pushed on the issue and told he appears to have that "burst" back, he replied, "Well good. I have two shoulders this year."
The best news after a dismal Saturday night in Baltimore for the Giants was that Keith Bulluck and Kenny Phillips, both coming off knee surgery, experienced no physical setbacks after getting extensive playing time in the 24-10 preseason loss to the Ravens. Now comes the next stage in their comebacks: Getting them back to form.

The torn capsule in backup QB Jim Sorgi's shoulder will keep him out of practice Monday, and it could end up keeping him off the Giants' final roster. Tom Coughlin was noncommittal on the veteran's roster spot Sunday after he declared he would likely miss all the practices this week.
Wide receiver Sinorice Moss will undergo a second opinion on his groin injury tomorrow after continued soreness has sidelined the four-year veteran. Coach Tom Coughlin did not know whether the injury will last long-term, but the setback is a troubling sign for Moss. Rookie Victor Cruz has ascended on the depth chart with an impressive preseason, and Moss, who has played four seasons with the Giants, is in a roster battle to make it a fifth season.

Antrel Rolle was penalized for hitting a defenseless receiver in the second quarter of yesterday's 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, inflicting Mark Clayton with a mild concussion and costing what would have been a 15-yard penalty if it was not so close to the goal line. And if the same play happened again, Rolle would do the exact same thing.

Perhaps it was the passing by his old NFL home on the train ride Friday that got Shawn Andrews to thinking about the past. Or maybe it was just the strapping up of a different helmet. Whatever the case may be, Andrews couldn’t keep himself from making a comparison between his time as an Eagle and his debut as a Giant after Saturday night’s preseason loss to the Ravens - his first game action in almost two years.

As a snapper, Zak DeOssie has the chance to play more than a decade in the league. As a snapper/linebacker, his stay in the NFL might have been considerably shorter. But was there a moment DeOssie had to swallow some pride before making the adjustment to a full-time specialist role? "It was a little bit at first, yeah," he said. "But my value on this team is I can snap and I can do it well. That’s how I have a job, and that kind of justifies it for me.".

Preseason Game 3 Preview - Giants vs Ravens
Last week the Redskins scored 3 points in the opening drive against the Ravens last week and that was it. The final score was 23-3 as Baltimore's defense ruled the game. They allowed only 25 yards on 14 carries to the Redskins. However, in the two games with their banged-up secondary, the Ravens have given up a lot of passing yards to the first string quarterbacks, but they still have yet to allow an offensive touchdown. The Giants offense will get a real test in this game going against a defense ranked at number 3 last year.

Aug 28 Luckily for Eli Manning, he will be able to wear his helmet tonight. The Giants' quarterback will need all the protection he can get at M&T Bank Stadium when he goes up against that Baltimore Ravens' defense. For that he also could use his No. 1 offensive line intact, but that will not happen. For the third straight game at least one key part of the veteran quintet will be missing.
Heading into the Giants' third - and theoretically most important - preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday night, Coughlin's team has apparently picked up right where it left off at the end of the disappointing 2009 season. Last year's team was ravaged by injuries. And so far this summer, it's been more of the same.
They amble into tonight's third preseason game against the Ravens with so many nagging pulls and strains that merely matching up players and their corresponding positions is a challenge. Dealing with many lingering health issues, though, is better than incurring a few devastating, season-ending injuries, a situation the Giants have thus far been able to avoid.

It cost Hakeem Nicks $10,000, the same amount Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor was fined by the NFL for their scuffle in the opening minute of last Saturday night's preseason game at New Meadowlands Stadium. Nicks was finishing off a block when he and Taylor began to scuffle. Taylor threw a punch, the normally mild-mannered Nicks retaliated with a punch and soon after they were separated both were ejected from the game.

Move to outside linebacker is working out well. Adrian Tracy never heard of Clint Sintim until last year, even though the two Giants linebackers grew up just one year apart in Northern Virginia and were sack artists at nearby colleges. Now, they share the same locker room, position meetings and, as it turns out, rookie experiences.

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Aug 27 Giants center Shaun O'Hara says there is 'probably a good chance' that he'll sit out the rest of the preseason due to the nagging tendinitis in his left ankle. O'Hara's injury places the Giants' offensive line in flux again. Tom Coughlin said left guard Rich Seubert, who will be making his preseason debut this weekend, will start at center for O'Hara, splitting time with fourth-year lineman Adam Koets.
O'Hara said some teams might try to have him play through the problem. He says he's thankful the Giants have decided to go a different route. "With their experience and with their foresight, they're able to say 'Look, let's focus on what's important and let's see if this can't help us get you through into the future,'" he said. "I feel pretty good if all goes well, and as planned, it's something that I won't have to be concerned about when the season starts."

Chris Canty is again on the sideline and out of practice, this time with a groin strain suffered on Tuesday. Once more, it came at a time when the former Cowboy, who signed as a free agent last year, was starting to feel good about his progress. This time, Canty and the team hope it’s just a minor setback and a short stint on the injury list.

Giants defensive tackle Jay Alford said he decided this week to finally push his surgically repaired knee. The result was some soreness and "fatigue" but a boost in confidence because of how the knee responded. Alford said he saw a glimpse of his old self, the one who was shooting gaps multiple times in practice last preseason before he suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Bears. "I went out there and it felt great," Alford said. "I was sore the next day, but I felt great."

Could a battle be brewing for the No. 2 QB job behind Eli Manning? Tom Coughlin didn't officially say that Thursday, but he did speak glowingly of third-string signal-caller Rhett Bomar and indicated that the former fifth-round pick has closed the gap between himself and injured No. 2 quarterback Jim Sorgi, who hasn't thrown a ball since suffering a torn right shoulder capsule in the preseason opener against the Jets.

Aug 26 Talking about injuries is starting to vex Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Coughlin said he expected Aaron Ross to be in the boot for 10 days. That would leave a week before the Sept. 12 opener, casting at least a question over that game. "Just as I said yesterday, they put a cast on him for about 10 days. Is there a chance that there's ever a question that doesn't begin "Who's not here, Who's hurt?" Coughlin groused. "Do the guys that practice ever get a question?"
Unfortunately, this time of year, with the regular season looming, training camp injuries take on greater importance. The timetables for a return become more meaningful as the opener nears. Take cornerback Aaron Ross, suffering from plantar fasciitis. Coughlin said Wednesday that Ross probably will have his right foot in a cast for about 10 days. That would leave him about a week to get ready for Carolina on Sept. 12, if everything goes right.

Ramses Barden is an optimist, so he thinks a quick return is possible from the stress fracture one of his transverse processes that sidelined him this week. The Giants’ second-year wide receiver suffered the injury before the team’s preseason opener, played in the game with the injury but has been out ever since.

Eli Manning wore a helmet in practice, his first time wearing one since last week’s preseason opener against the Jets when he suffered a three-inch gash on his forehead that required 12 stitches. Manning said the helmet has been modified slightly to keep his forehead free of irritation, but the quarterback said there’s nothing significantly different.
Manning did not play in Saturday's 24-17 loss to Pittsburgh, the first game he missed in five years. He felt a little weird standing on the sideline in shorts and a T-shirt. "It's not really what I'd like to be doing," he said. "I've missed some preseason games before. So if I'm going to miss a game, I think preseason is the way to go." Manning expects to start Saturday night in Baltimore.

Before training camp began, Jim Sorgi had a lock on the Giants' backup quarterback job. But the longer he stands on the sidelines, the less he feels secure. That's why Sorgi is planning a return from the torn capsule in his throwing shoulder on Monday, exactly two weeks after he first suffered the injury. He said he had been told he'd need 3-4 weeks to heal, but given what he feels is a tenuous place on the Giants' roster "In my mind," he said, "I feel I've got to play against New England."

It will be huge for the Giants if Umenyiora and Kiwanuka really can coexist on the defensive line this season, even though only one of them figures to be a starter. So far they've each started one preseason game, a pattern that's likely to continue over the final two. Making it easier is the fact that new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has done a masterful job of finding creative ways to use them both.

Stadium News
The Giants and Jets carry more debt than any other NFL squad: Forbes estimates that the Giants owe more than $650 million and the Jets owe around $750million, most of which was accumulated as both squads worked to secure funding for their new $1.6billion stadium at the Meadowlands.
Both Jets and Giants fans will need some time to get used to a new era of "cashless" parking, where only those with prepaid parking passes have access to the stadium's 28,000 spaces. Some fans are skipping the parking saga altogether: Up to 10,000 of them per game are now expected to use the year-old rail link that takes passengers from Secaucus Junction to the stadium plaza station in about 10 minutes.

NFL News
The NFL's push for an 18-game regular season moved a giant step closer to reality yesterday. League owners meeting in Atlanta did not hold a formal vote on the so-called "enhanced season," but commissioner Roger Goodell said a proposal to the NFL Players Association to make it happen would be made "rather quickly." If the players go along with it -- still a very big "if" -- two games would be cut from the preseason and two would be added to the regular season starting in 2012. The NFL has not altered the length of its schedule since 1978.

Aug 25 The Giants' injured list grew by two Tuesday when rookie defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul sat out practice and defensive tackle Chris Canty left early. Coach Tom Coughlin said both had groin issues. Pierre-Paul said his injury, which stemmed from the game against the Steelers on Saturday was "no big deal" and that he'd return to action soon. Canty didn't address his injury with reporters but was seen laughing with his teammates in the locker room.

Safety Kenny Phillips saw seven snaps in his preseason appearance against the Steelers last Saturday, but is expecting at least double that against the Ravens this week. "I hope I can play a whole game if they let me," Phillips said.
After being slowly worked onto the field in training camp, Phillips has received increased reps in practice. He feels there is nothing left for him to prove. "I showed 'em everything," he said. "Breaking on balls, coming up and making plays. I just have to test it out in a game, go out there and tackle someone. I'm not going to do that in practice."

When linebacker Keith Bulluck joined the Giants over the summer, he prepared to play a middle position. In his playbook, he did not read about the outside responsibilities. That was sufficient for camp in Albany. On Monday, though, he was told he would be taking some snaps on the outside - a role he played for 10 seasons with the Titans.
Combinations remain fluid every day. One day, Bulluck is lining up with the first team. The next day, it's Sintim. One day, Wilkinson is with the first team. The next day, it's Michael Boley. Jonathan Goff has been with the first team, although he entered camp behind Bulluck. All the moves left him with a sentiment about the rotation that remains a certainty among the Giants' linebackers. "Your guess is as good as mine," he said.
At the moment the coaching staff seems to feel Bulluck, Jonathan Goff and Michael Boley are the three best linebackers, and they needed to move Bulluck outside to get that trio on the field together. Goff, primarily a run-stopper, could be a starter who comes off the field on second down, as Coughlin explained the goal is "to try to find the best situational players for maybe a first-down run or something like that.
Boley is probably the Giants' best cover linebacker. (If you don't believe me, see the Chiefs game from last year. That's what he can do when healthy.) So it makes sense for him to cover the tight end, especially for a team in a division that has playmakers at that position.

Kevin Boss was noticeably more explosive on the field Monday. Coming out of breaks, sprinting straight ahead and going up for passes, Boss looked like his old self. The Giants' fourth-year tight end also felt like his old self. "I was telling (tight ends coach Michael) Pope that's the best I've felt since before I hurt my ankle last season," Boss said Tuesday. "It's definitely getting better and coming along."

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Aug 24 While Eli Manning was the only Giants player to don a blue baseball cap during practice Monday, the rest for him was business as usual. First, he found receiver Steve Smith underneath. Later, he saw defensive end Justin Tuck rush him before pulling up and placing both hands on Manning's hips. Next, Manning handed off to tailback Brandon Jacobs.
Chris Snee said the swelling is gone from his knee and he'll be able to deal with the issues that crop up from time to time. Rich Seubert has been able to practice with his left hand padded up and said the broken bone hasn't shifted, meaning he's successfully avoided needing surgery to insert a screw.

The Giants signed Keith Bulluck to be their starting middle linebacker even though Bulluck spent the bulk of his 10-year career with the Titans at weakside linebacker. Bulluck in practice during training camp and in last Saturday night's preseason game lined up in the middle with the second-unit defense. Monday, though, Bulluck spent a great deal of time lining up as an outside linebacker, at times working with Jonathan Goff (in the middle) and Gerris Wilkinson (on the strong side). Bulluck also worked on the outside with Goff and Michael Boley alongside him.

On Friday night, we got a look at the numbers in Shawn Andrews' six-year "prove it" contract with the Giants. But those were the preliminary figures and didn't include several incentives that can make the deal worth much more. Up to $40 million, in fact.
The Monday practice results were mixed on Andrews. In a one-on-one pass blocking drill, he handled Dwayne Hendricks easily on his first snap, but completely whiffed against Chris Canty on try No. 2. He appeared to jump early on his third attempt against Dave Tollefson. "I liked what he did," said coach Tom Coughlin. "He set a couple of times with his partners when he was playing guard.

There's the prestige of being the guy who protects Eli Manning’s blind side and there's also a comfort level that had been fleeting for the first four years of Diehl's career. All of those factors are why he wasn't prepared to cede his spot to last year's second-round pick William Beatty and why David Diehl, ever the team player, isn't planning to step aside in the short- or long-term for Shawn Andrews.

Giants running back Brandon Jacobs' neck injury a result of his lifting weights without stretching. Brandon Jacobs tried to walk right into the weight room and do some shoulder shrugs without warming up. Two days later, he was on the sideline during the Giants’ game against the Steelers with a stiff neck.

Aaron Ross was complaining about the tape job on his ankles during Saturday night's preseason game against the Steelers. The next day, he had what Tom Coughlin termed a "big, swollen heel." The Giants' cornerback, who had his right foot propped up on a chair in the cafeteria while his teammates practiced Monday, has been diagnosed as plantar fasciitis.
Cornerback Aaron Ross, who suffered through three separate hamstring tears last season, now has plantar fasciitis, the same injury that hampered Eli Manning a year ago. "(Manning) got it under control and played with it," Tom Coughlin said, "but it's a different position."

Stadium News
The New York Giants and Jets showed off 2,200 HD video displays at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Monday as the teams look to improve digital signage and branding options.

Aug 23 Eli Manning will return to the practice field for the first time since suffering a three-inch gash on his head in the preseason opener against the Jets.
Manning had the stitches removed Friday, and, somewhat surprisingly, the Giants have cleared him to return, though he's not yet been cleared to wear a helmet. That clearance should come sometime this week.
He'll have only a baseball cap on his head, according to Tom Coughlin. Yet he's expected to participate in most drills - including the sometimes rough, full-team, 11-on-11 session.

Three is not company in the Giants' offensive backfield if the biggest and strongest of the bunch is not going to be the most reliable. Three is a necessity, especially if Brandon Jacobs is going to miss time and encounter difficulty recapturing the bruising style that made him such a unique running back. Three, as in the No. 3 back, is what Andre Brown is fast becoming more and more possibly an important cog in the machinery.

it was Kenny Phillips' return that held the most meaning for the Giants, 24-17 losers to the Steelers. He was in for only six plays, on a night the starters played only a quarter and a half. Six plays that moved him six steps closer to the starting lineup -- and quite possibly as soon as the regular-season opener against the Panthers.

After watching his offense go through a rather disjointed week leading into the Pittsburgh game, coach Tom Coughlin should get a better handle on things as his team prepares for that always important third exhibition Saturday night in Baltimore..

Giants center Shaun O'Hara said Rhett Bomar naturally became more comfortable as the game progressed in Bomar's first professional football starter, and the center remained complimentary of the quarterback pressed into full-game action.

Random observations from Giants-Steelers preseason game. After watching the tape of the game, some nuggets from the Giants' 24-17 loss to the Steelers.
Despite flaws, Coughlin's crew a contender. Every team has question marks at this time of the season. Who and what are the Giants?

Steve Serby's Q&A with Victor Cruz - If your father had been in the stands Monday night when you caught those three touchdown passes for your hometown team against the Jets, how would he have reacted? "Oh, God! He probably would have gotten arrested (laughs)! He would have tried jumping on the field. He would have been going crazy."

The Giants were unable to sell out their final 11,200 single-game tickets despite a four-day sale for PSL owners, former season-ticket holders and people on the now-defunct waiting list. So the general public will get its chance to buy up what's left starting Monday.
That sale to the general public, originally scheduled to start Monday morning, has been pushed back one day and will start at 10 a.m. Tuesday at ticketmaster.com.

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