E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer
for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he is one of
only five sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls.
Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

By DAVE KLEIN
In its broadest sense, this final summer game doesn't really mean much. Take a look at what's going on in New Orleans and try to relate the two events.

But the Giants, who will play the Saints the second game of the regular season but certainly not in New Orleans, must go through with the summer schedule and that they will do Thursday night (WNBC-NY at 8) and then have nine days before they prepare for their home opener against Arizona.

You won't see Eli Manning against the New England Patriots, and that's probably a good thing. He is nursing a sore elbow, and it is said he'll be ready for the opener.

One can only hope, after viewing the choice of second quarterbacks, all of whom you'll see on the field in Foxboro, Mass.

This is not a game in which the regulars will play much. Perhaps the first quarter, depending on snaps and possession, will be all they get. But it is the do-or-die game for those veterans and rookies clinging to the underside of the bubble. They won't have any more opportunities to impress Tom Coughlin and his staff after this game, and with final cuts due Sunday, they are fresh out of time.

There are questions still to be answered, of course, as there are with every team. Some have more, some have less, but they all have areas of concern, and that, in all seriousness, is what the final exhibition game is all about.

Will it be Tim Hasselbeck who earns the second quarterback job? Probably, unless he falls on his face in this game. Is it possible that the veteran Jesse Palmer can be demoted to third string or even told to take a walk? Yes, depending on what amount of time Coughlin gives to Jared Lorenzen and how he does.

There are still starting jobs to be decided - Rich Seubert or David Diehl at left guard; William Joseph or Kendrick Clancy at left defensive tackle; Tim Carter or Jamaar Taylor or David Tyree as the third wide receiver; Visanthe Shiancoe or, well, nobody, as the second tight end; rookie running back Brandon Jacobs as the backup to Tiki Barber (if it isn't, it would be a great upset).

Further, will former first round pick Shaun Williams, now a backup strong safety, lose his job (and his roster spot) to free agent rookie James Butler? Just how impressed are the coaches with second round pick Corey Webster? Are they impressed enough to move him into Will Allen's left cornerback spot? Will the switch of linebackers hold? Will Carlos Emmons stay on the weakside, Reggie Torbor on the strongside and Barrett Green on the bench?

The thing is this: After a month of training camp, three months of sustained off-season work and three preseason games, it is entirely possible that this can be a good team that will enjoy a good season. Yes, a good season, maybe even a very good season.

After two years in which the Giants won a combined 10 games, they could match that total this season.

If.

If injuries stay away, if the right choices are made, if the players picked to start play well. Want more? If Manning is the quarterback everyone thinks he is; if Jacobs can take the short yardage game and dominate defenses; if Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer catch a minimum of 110 passes between them; if Tiki doesn't suddenly get hurt again, something he has avoided doing for the last couple of years; if the offensive line lives up to its promise.

The word "if" can sink a team and a staff. It has happened before and it will happen again, but this time, maybe not to the Giants.

And in case you haven't been keeping up, someone has to raise his hand and accept the job of punt returner. The incumbent, Mark Jones, has been injured most of the summer (foot), and it is said he'll be available vs. the Patriots. But just in case he isn't, you could see Taylor, Webster and even Toomer staring skyward and waiting for the ball to come down, hopefully a few seconds before the world crashes in on them in the form of banshee Patriot kick coverage squads.

"You try to remain open-minded with some individuals who will get an opportunity," says Coughlin. "We do have an accumulation of preseason [data] based on grading every day, but there are still situations available. You need to have extended snaps [plays] for people who have not had that yet, which is an interesting thing when you match it up with the fourth preseason game."

Finally, there is an interesting mind-set going on with Coughlin with regard to Jacobs, the 6-4, 260-pound powder keg. He is, as they say, either too big to be that fast or too fast to be that big. He sweeps around end and he plows up the middle and you can see him shedding tacklers no matter where he goes.

"Brandon has done a good job in short yardage," Coughlin says. "He needs work in pass protection and just being a young guy who's coming into a situation where he's needed on special teams. He is needed to be a pass blocker more than just a runner, so those are things that normally happen to a young player coming into the league. You have to find out how diversified he is and if he can master some other things before he is necessarily going to make a difference."

Is he keeping his enthusiasm tightly corked until the regular season starts? Is he trying to keep Jacobs under wraps? Does he always talk that way?

Jacobs needs to learn to pass block. He has done reasonably well so far. He'll get better. But it is safe to say that the Giants don't have a back like him, especially with respect to short yardage, and that they haven't for a long time.

Play him, coach. Let the other teams figure out how to stop him.

REMINDER. REMINDER. REMINDER.

You have less than a week remaining to get your E-GIANTS Fantasy Football team entry recorded. Remember, it does to cvelt@comcast.net and you choose two quarterbacks, four running backs, four wide receivers, two tight ends, two kickers and two defenses/special teams. ... While there are no cash prizes (bummer) there will be Giant-related merchandise prizes awarded to the top five finishers.

Check out Dave's website at E-GIANTS where you can subscribe to his newsletters which run much more frequently than what is available here.
- Team Giants

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