Oct 11 Eli looks like he's going to start. There was only one highly documented question surrounding the Giants this past week: Will Eli Manning be able to play today against the Oakland Raiders? Since the Giants did not sign rookie quarterback Rhett Bomar from their practice squad Saturday, it appears Manning will be able to extend his consecutive starts streak, including postseason, to 83 games. If Manning was deemed unable to play, Bomar would have been added to the 53-man roster to serve as the backup to David Carr.

The Giants' offense had practiced a running play about three times in the week leading up to Super Bowl XLII. All three times, they had done it against a defensive look they expected from the Patriots. That Sunday, with nearly 100 million people watching, the play was called. Center Shaun O'Hara then crouched over the ball while quarterback Eli Manning stood behind him, the two of them and the other four linemen realizing they were staring at an entirely different alignment from the front seven of New England's defense. "Eli was like, 'Should we run it?' Shaun goes, 'Yeah, let's run it,'" left guard Rich Seubert recalled the other day. "I looked at Dave (left tackle David Diehl), he looked at me and, in the course of the cadence, we all figured out how to block it. We got 8 yards on the carry."

The Giants have said their game plan won't change whether or not Manning can play on his injured foot, though offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said the difference between the starter and the backup is Manning's mastery of the offense's "subtleties." Not so subtle is the play of receiver Steve Smith -- he's first in the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns - so he'll be the go-to target for whomever is under center.

It's been 28 days since the Giants have been at Giants Stadium. Not only have they played (and won) three straight road games in the first four weeks of the season, but now that they are practicing at the Timex Performance Center in the corner of the Meadowlands complex, it's almost as if Giants Stadium is a million miles away, even though it's just across the parking lot. "The last time I was over there was for a concert," Shaun O'Hara said, remembering the U2 show he saw late last month.

For the third straight week, the Giants play one of the worst teams in the NFL when they meet the 1-3 Raiders today at Giants Stadium. Though there is no need to apologize for their 4-0 record, the Giants will not get a true gauge of where they stand in the NFC hierarchy until they travel to New Orleans next week to play the 4-0 Saints. Meanwhile, someone needs to ask the question, "What has happened to the NFL?" Heading into Week 5, six teams, including the Raiders, are simply bad, and another six are on the brink of disastrous seasons. That makes 12 franchises - a third of a league - that aren't worth the price of admission.

Antonio Pierce grew up in California loving the Raiders. "In the early '80s and '90s, those guys were on fire," Pierce said. "Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen, Howie Long. It was good to be a Raiders fan back then." Now, of course, Pierce is a Giant and a Giants fan only. But there is a part of him that is always linked to the silver and black, and he actually has some optimism about the franchise. "Things can always turn around for a team," he said. "I'm not sure what their problem is; I'm not really concerned about it as a player. But when you bring guys over there the caliber of [Richard Seymour], you hope that they can bring a championship level over there and get guys' attitudes the right way." Seymour is trying to look at it that way, too.

Oct 10 Eli Manning takes most snaps out of shotgun as status for game against Raiders remains questionable. The shotgun doesn't require the same footwork as if the quarterback were under center and wouldn't be as strict of a test for Manning's injured foot. But Manning fared well in the tests he did put himself through. Carr said he and quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer kept an eye on Manning's feet, while the rest of his teammates were watching the flight of Manning's passes and where they went. Manning's mechanics and the way he stepped into his throws looked 100 percent normal, Carr said.
Manning was listed as questionable on the injury report, meaning he has a 50-50 chance of playing, but coach Tom Coughlin said it most likely will be a game-day decision. The next step is the Saturday jog-through, and the optimistic-sounding Coughlin said, "If he is where I think he will be - made some progress overnight - I see no reason why he wouldn't do that if he can." Coughlin said no decision has been made about whether to activate quarterback Rhett Bomar from the practice squad to serve as the emergency third quarterback. Such a move would require waiving someone off the 53-man roster or possibly placing someone on injured reserve for the season.

Eli Manning declined to speak to the media Friday, but his teammates seemed as encouraged by his practice performance as Coughlin did. Several of them said they saw no obvious signs of discomfort while Manning was taking his reps. He didn't appear as if anything was physically wrong during the first 20 minutes, which are open to the media. That portion included little more than a walk-through against the scout team, but Manning showed he was able to drop back, plant his right foot, hop on it and make at least a soft throw without appearing to be in any pain.
The biggest tipoff on whether Manning will play could come at 4 o'clock today. The Giants have until then to sign quarterback Rhett Bomar off their practice squad. If Bomar is not signed, you can be assured Manning will be able to play, if not start. If Bomar is added to the 53-man roster, however, there will be some question about Manning's availability.

This weekend, with Kevin Boss doubtful for the Giants' game against the Raiders, the team is even thinner at tight end. Darcy Johnson will get the start and the only other tight end on the roster is rookie Travis Beckum, who's more of a glorified receiver at 6-3, 239 pounds. That means rookie offensive tackle William Beatty - No. 65 - will likely see a handful of snaps as a second tight end.

The Raiders are fairly dreadful, but Nnamdi Asomugha is fairly dreamy. He's a 6-foot-2, 210-pound cover corner who puts the clamps on receivers with his size, speed and exceptional hands. He had eight interceptions in 2006 and ever since has been a victim of his own success. Quarterbacks figure the best way to beat Asomugha is not to throw at him. Around the Giants, that's become a common occurrence for Webster, who isn't quite as big (6-foot, 202 pounds), but is developing into one of the best in the league.

Oct 9 The sense from Tom Coughlin was that Eli Manning arrived to work yesterday and seemed "anxious." Manning, battling through an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot, wanted to practice but was quickly told it wasn't going to happen.
Eli Manning was held out of practice to receive treatment for the second straight day yesterday, and while coach Tom Coughlin said he is "a little bit better each time he comes in," Manning may not know if he will be able to play until game day. Even if Manning does start Sunday, Carr has to be ready in case the foot injury forces Manning to leave the game.

Last week, Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said he would be "shocked" if running back Ahmad Bradshaw did not play against the Chiefs with his ankle/foot injury. But he doesn't feel the same way about quarterback Eli Manning this week. "No, I don't," Gilbride said. "I have no idea what's going (to happen). We're hopeful."
When asked if Manning would practice today, Coughlin replied, "I'm not going to comment on that because I don't know the answer." Gilbride said the Giants remain hopeful Manning will play. So Carr, the first player selected in the 2002 draft, may well get the start against the Raiders (1-3)."

David Carr, 30, has never played on a team as talented as the Giants. And even though he had wide receiver Andre Johnson to throw to in Houston, Carr wonders what his career would have been like had he been drafted by a franchise such as the Giants as opposed to the expansion Texans. "Not only this situation but watching guys like (Ben) Roethlisberger and he walks into a great situation and that is what we have been dealt and we have to deal with it and go on," Carr said.

Rhett Bomar didn't get many snaps in training camp, got even fewer in the preseason and, since the start of the regular season, practice has been closed to the media. In short, Tom Coughlin's scouting report on the rookie quarterback was needed. So, coach, how's Bomar been doing? "He's been a safety, he's been a wide receiver, he's been a running back," Coughlin quipped. "When you're on the practice squad, you have to have a lot of hats."

When Michael Boley was diagnosed with a torn meniscus and had to undergo surgery Tuesday, it was a surprise to nearly everyone. But at least one guy was prepared for it. That's Chase Blackburn, the backup linebacker who, it seems, can fill in at any of three positions. When Boley missed the opener while serving a suspension, it was Blackburn who stepped in. "I'm ready to play any time there's an opportunity," Blackburn said. "I had one Week 1 and I'm ready to go back again."

NFL News
If the Rams are sold, St. Louis will choose one bidding group, which will then be subject to a vote by the NFL's 32 owners, with approval needed by 24 of them. Mathias Kiwanuka loves his former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, but the Giants' defensive end says he will never play for Spagnuolo's Rams if Rush Limbaugh purchases the team. Kiwanuka and the Jets' Bart Scott made it clear Thursday that they would never play for the Rams or any team owned by the controversial conservative radio host.

Oct 8 Eli Manning's injured right foot was feeling better Wednesday but not good enough for the Giants quarterback to practice. Whether it will improve enough for him by Sunday to extend his streak of 82 consecutive starts remains to be seen. Tom Coughlin said Manning's day-to-day status could very well make the quarterback a game-day decision on Sunday against the Raiders.
Eli Manning recalled the only other time in his six-year professional career that an injury made him uncertain to play on a given Sunday. It was the second week of the Giants' 2007 Super Bowl season and Manning had sprained his shoulder in the season opener. "I couldn't even throw when I hurt (the shoulder)," Manning said. "On Wednesday, I couldn't throw the ball 10 yards. I can throw the ball right now; I know that. It's just moving around and doing all the other things that I've got to take care of."
It's likely Manning will miss more time in practice as the week goes on. Asked if Manning could miss the entire week and still be ready to play on Sunday against the Raiders, Coughlin said "He's done it before.'' There's no question Manning will be up to speed as far as the game plan. He'll actually watch more tape this week than usual.
Should Manning be unable to play, backup David Carr would start and the Giants would have to make a roster spot (likeliest cuts being RB Gartrell Johnson or OL Guy Whimper) for quarterback Rhett Bomar, who is on the practice squad. Coughlin said Carr's experience as an NFL starter allows the offense to operate with its usual game plan, that "we wouldn't taper a whole lot."

Lawrence Tynes said he kicked the ball well in practice on Wednesday, as his focus is on his plant foot and keeping it closer to the ball, as opposed to last week when he was "working on three or four different things." Tynes knows where his left foot should be all the time, but like any craft that requires exact mechanics, it's easy to fall into bad habits. The key is getting rid of them quickly, which is something punter Jeff Feagles is able to do.
Though the Giants worked out two kickers on Tuesday - Matt Bryant and Matt Stover - Lawrence Tynes remains the starter. For now. "At the end of the day, if that's what they think is going to light a fire, so be it," said Tynes, who missed one field goal in each of the last three games. "No one is more competitive than I am. Sure it adds a little pressure to what I'm doing, but I'm able to handle it."

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress doesn't have to worry about any unnecessary roughness during his stay at Oneida Correctional Facility. The guards at the upstate Rome prison keep Burress under protective custody -- meaning the only time the ex-Giants star is seen by prisoners in the general population is during visiting hours.

Oct 7 Steve Smith used to read the sports pages. He used to watch "SportsCenter." But during the spring and summer, he dropped both habits. "I did this year because of all the things that were being said about [our] receivers," said the third-year wideout from Southern Cal, who has become the leader of that young group. "I just got tired of it." What he did expect was he would work hard every day and try to make plays every game. And that has helped contribute to the success that he first tasted late in his rookie season.
Smith is - to just about everyone's surprise - the top receiver in the NFL through four weeks. He leads the league in receptions (34) and yardage (411), has an NFL-high 14 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns on third downs, and is second in the league with 22 first downs (Miami's Ronnie Brown has 23). "I don't know if I would have guessed that, but it doesn't surprise me," Eli Manning said of his preseason expectations for Smith compared with where he is now.
Steve Smith knows Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha because he grew up in California, where Asomugha played in college for the Golden Bears. Smith knows Asomugha because every NFL wide receiver knows Asomugha. "Our coaches told us immediately after (Sunday’s) game, 'You’re going against the best corner in the league, hands down,'" Smith said Monday, one day after the Giants knocked off the Chiefs. "It's a great challenge; we're all excited to play against him."

Linebackers Michael Boley and Bryan Kehl were unsung heroes of the Giants' win in Kansas City on Sunday. Surgery is their reward. Boley, who was a dominant pass-rushing force in the Giants' 27-16 win over the Chiefs, had arthroscopic surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus in his right knee Tuesday. And a few hours later, Kehl, who recovered the Chiefs' fumble on the opening kickoff and grabbed their surprise onside kickoff to start the second half, underwent an operation to fix his fractured left index finger.
Boley did not miss a play in Kansas City and was outstanding; four of his five tackles were for losses. Now he's gone -- again. The Giants made the former Falcons linebacker their first signing in free agency, but he missed all of training camp after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. Special-teams ace Chase Blackburn, who can play all three linebacker spots, started in the season-opener for Boley. Blackburn is the likely option again.

Bad subject. Too painful. "My heel is hurting just talking about it," Boomer Esiason yesterday told The Post. "It" is a subject Esiason is all too familiar with, an education Eli Manning is just beginning. Esiason played with plantar fasciitis the last two years of his NFL career, a condition Manning was dealing with for several weeks before this past Sunday, when an irritation became a full-blown injury. "It's probably one of the reasons I quit, because my feet were killing me," said Esiason, the former Bengals and Jets quarterback.

Giants QB Eli Manning named as one of NFL's most overrated by SI players' poll. In the latest SI players' poll, 239 players were asked to name "The most overrated player in the NFL." Manning, who is currently 4-0 and the fourth-rated quarterback in the NFL (104.1) finished fourth in the poll. He got seven percent of the vote (or 17 of 239). Amazingly, he's actually considered more overrated now by his peers than he was before he won Super Bowl XLII.

Oct 6 The Giants confirmed Eli Manning has been suffering from plantar fasciitis, a painful condition that involves irritation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot. He then injured the ligament on Sunday. But Manning gave two reasons for the Giants to be hopeful: Warren told him it's not as serious as other cases he's seen because only a portion of the foot, not the whole thing, is affected; and while there's a chance he could reinjure himself, it's likely he won't make the injury any worse by testing it in practice this week.
Manning said his goal is to be back Wednesday, but the real goal is to be on the field Sunday against the Raiders. Manning has played in 75 straight regular-season games and an additional seven playoff games. This injury could put an end to the streak. "I want to play," Manning said, "but I have to be able to play well."
Coach Tom Coughlin said based on "the quality of the athlete," he expects Manning to do whatever it takes to get himself on the field. Early in the 2007 season, Manning sprained his right shoulder, but didn't miss any time. "As the quarterback and the leader he wants to be out there," Coughlin said."
Should Manning be held out of Sunday's game against the Raiders, Carr said he's more than ready to assume the starting role, something he did for five years with the Texans. "Hopefully, Eli will be all right," Carr said. "But I'm going to prepare like I always do, like we all do in the quarterback room, getting ready and making sure no stone is unturned." If there was ever a game to rest a banged-up Manning and see what Carr can do, this would be it. "

Michael Boley will likely be sidelined for a few weeks with a knee injury, according to someone informed of Boley's status. The person, who requested anonymity because Boley is still undergoing tests and the Giants did not give final word on the time frame for his recovery, did not provide the exact injury but said Boley has been told he'll be out a few games.

Giants bring Matt Bryant back for kicking tryout. When Tom Coughlin was asked earlier today if he planned to look at other kickers in the wake of Lawrence Tynes' recent struggles, he said "We'll see." It's not known which other kickers the Giants plan to look at, but it's not likely Bryant's tryout will be a one-man show. Tynes, after altering his mechanics during the offseason, has made just 10 of his 13 field goal attempts this season. Worse, his three misses have all come from inside 40 yards, including two from inside 30.

NFL News
Brett Favre became the first quarterback in history to beat all 32 NFL teams. Favre proved he can still play at a high level on the verge of his 40th birthday.  Favre tribute page.

Grading the Giants   |  The Record   |   NY Post

Oct 5 Giants defeat Chiefs, 27-16     |     PHOTOS

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On The Game: Game 4 Gamegirl "...The Giants got off to a nice start and with the score 17-3 at halftime there wasn't much concern that they would win this one against a Kansas City team way deep into their rebuilding stages. Steve Smith was the star of the show for the Giants with his 11 catches and he amassed 134 yards that included two touchdowns....." Mikefan. "...Kansas City played a good game for about 4 seconds. That's when running back Jamaal Charles fumbled the opening kickoff and the Giants recovered the ball. About 120 seconds later the Giants were up 7-0. Let's face it, the Chiefs never had a chance in this game and it was 17-3 at halftime......"

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ESPN - Manning bruises heel but hooks up with Smith twice as Giants handle Chiefs.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Chiefs, 27-16.
StarLedger - Giants improve to 4-0; Eli Manning doesn't think foot injury is 'awful'.
NYDailyNews - Eli Manning to Steve Smith is unstoppable combination.
NYDailyNews - Giants could be in trouble if Eli Manning's heel forces him to miss time.
NYDailyNews - Steve Smith catching on as Eli Manning's primary target for Giants.
NYDailyNews - Giants defense heats up, sacks Chiefs' Matt Cassel five times.
Newsday - Manning injures foot in Giants' win over Chiefs.
TheRecord - Manning throws 3 TDS, but bruises heel in win.
NYPost - Eli throws three in easy 27-16 win.
NYPost - Concern at Eli Manning heel bruise.
NYPost - Second-half sack-cess a Giant relief.
NYPost - 'Easy Eli' really one tough guy.
KCStar - Giants punish the Chiefs 27-16.
KCStar - Giants receiver Smith makes people take notice.

NFC East News
Dallas Cowboys' 17-10 loss a bad sign.
Washington Redskins rally, top Bucs 16-13.

Game 4 Preview - Giants (3-0) vs Chiefs (0-3)
Last week the Chiefs couldn't break their losing streak and they left Philadelphia with a 34-14 loss. Perhaps distracted by the unveiling of Michael Vick playing in various positions, they allowed Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb to have such success against them that Kolb became the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards in his first two career starts. Vick did toss two incomplete passes and he ran once for seven yards on the Chiefs. Meanwhile, the Giants took their winning streak to 3-0 with a performance that allowed Tampa Bay only 5 first downs and 86 total yards. The Bucs didn't get a first down until 4:54 remained in the third quarter and the Giants closed the game out 24-0.
Giants - Corrections. The week before facing Tampa Bay, the Giants allowed 251 rushing yards and 31 points to the Cowboys, even though they won the game 33-31. The Giants were a little irked about their defensive performance and not stopping the run. Mathias Kiwanuka said, "That's all we could think about." They totally turned that around against the Bucs last week allowing them 86 total yards and zero points. The latest buzz is about analyst Tony Siragusa criticizing Brandon Jacobs for "tiptoeing" and not running harder through the hole. The Giants defense hears about the lack of sacks recorded - 42 last season but only three this year. Watch out Kansas City.

Oct 4 Tom Coughlin tried to talk up the Kansas City Chiefs this week, even though there aren't a lot of good things to say. His players didn't need that, though. All they need to hear was three words: Remember the Browns. Not that any of them could forget, but it was less than a year ago when the 4-0 Giants rolled into Cleveland for a nationally televised game and were spanked in embarrassing fashion by the 1-3 Browns and sent home with a 35-14 loss. Sunday, they roll, rolling into Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium with a 3-0 record against the winless Chiefs, in a textbook situation for a letdown.
The Chiefs have four first-round draft picks in their defensive front seven, including linebacker Tamba Hali, the former Teaneck High star, who has seven tackles and one sack in the first three games. "They fly around real well for the football," said offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "So I guess they are able to generate some heat." Yet the Eagles passed for 327 yards and did not allow a sack last week.

About a half hour after Friday's practice, Aaron Ross was still wearing his jersey. Underneath, a gray hoodie but no pads. On his forehead, a black headband. And across his mouth, as almost always, a wide grin. Ross was back to normal a day after an MRI revealed he had suffered a third injury in his hamstring while attempting to come back from the first two. "(Thursday) I was really down," the Giants' third-year cornerback said before adding with a laugh: "But at least I'll be healthy for the playoffs."

Giants-Jets Super Bowl is just talk. A lot can happen within 13 regular-season games this year, just like a lot happened within five regular-season games last year.

Oct 3 There were 26 passing plays last Sunday during which the Giants had a chance to chase the Buccaneers' quarterbacks. They hit them 10 times and forced three penalties and plenty of bad throws that resulted in 15 incomplete passes, but, for the second straight game, no sacks. That last number is not a big deal in a 24-0 win, but it's still a sore spot for the Giants' defensive line.

Brandon Jacobs was asked if he has been running any differently this year in terms of his style. "No, I don't feel that I'm doing anything. I feel like I'm running the same way I was running last year. Getting a little bit smarter, being patient, let the scheme happen for me. You just can't run in there and think that you can outrun your blocks." Asked if that patience is what the analysts were talking about last Sunday, Jacobs replied, "I don't care about analysts. They are analysts. They are going to say what they've got to say. I am here, we are 3-0, and that's all I am focusing on."

Getting Tom Coughlin to smile during his meetings with the press is not an easy task. But the Giants coach broke out a big grin when asked about his secondary yesterday. "You mean the number one secondary in the league?" Coughlin said. It's no surprise that his defensive backs are making him smile these days. The group, which looked like it could be a weakness, has been a strength despite numerous injuries. They are playing without starters Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips, and will get back nickel corner Kevin Dockery this week for his first action of the season.
Despite having just enough healthy bodies to get through the games - safety Aaron Rouse arrived Thursday and had to play Sunday - the Giants are leading the NFL in pass defense, allowing 124.0 passing yards per game. They have five interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and all of them setting up scoring opportunities. And they have allowed only four passes of 20 yards or more in three games, fewest in the NFL. Two of those four passes have been to running backs.

When Tom Coughlin became the Giants' coach, he described injuries as a "state of mind," and though he doesn't ask anyone to play injured, the offensive line is a great example of the toughness he demands as part of the group work ethic. "They want to play; they don't think of themselves as injured," Coughlin said. "They work all week to get back to a position of strength. They ask for no quarter and that is just the way they are. I just think it is the way the game is meant to be played." Speaking specifically of how McKenzie and Seubert have overcome their physical problems to prepare for the Chiefs, Coughlin said: "They refuse to recognize it. Power of the will."

Oct 2 Giants running back Brandon Jacobs has never been known as a back who tiptoes. But after Sunday's win against the Buccaneers, during which the FOX broadcast team repeatedly critiqued Jacobs for "tiptoeing" and not running downhill, he's heard about it all week. Jacobs particularly did not want to focus on Tony Siragusa, who made the bulk of the tiptoeing comments throughout the broadcast. Later, he said if Siragusa approached him during pre-game warm-ups, Jacobs would "grab a hold of my ego and talk to him. It's a mirage, but I'll talk to him."
When Jacobs entered the NFL as a raw-boned rookie in 2005, he pretty much took the ball and ran with it. His reads were to wherever he was running, whether he got there before the hole opened, or after it closed. So the coaches tried to teach him to be more patient, let things develop and then take advantage of them. Perhaps things have gone too far. In other words, Jacobs doesn't have to be a runaway train on every play, but neither should his wheels come to a complete stop on the tracks. He does not have the stop-and-start quickness of his running mate, Ahmad Bradshaw, even though his quickness is exceptional for a man his size.
The problem is that there have been a lot of questions surrounding the Giants' running game this season. Through the first three games, the 6-4, 264-pound Jacobs has rushed for 196 yards and one touchdown and is averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Jacobs is still searching for his first 100-yard game of the season after a season-high 92 yards last week against Tampa Bay.

Place-kicker Lawrence Tynes, though he is the NFL's top scorer among kickers this season with 32 points, has caused concern in recent weeks by missing field goal attempts of 21 and 29 yards. No other kicker in the league has missed from inside 30 yards this season. "His confidence is shaken, but the team has a lot of confidence in him," special teams coach Tom Quinn said Thursday after practice. "He just has to go out and make some kicks."
Tynes altered his mechanics to get more distance on both placekicks and kickoffs this season. But he said that is not an excuse for the short misses, because he has been successful during the practice week. "To go out there and make it in practice and not make it in the games is frustrating," he said. "It's just bad kicking, I don't know what else to call it. I can sit here and make all the excuses in the world about alignment, but I am professional kicker. I should be able to get it lined up."

Chris Snee took a look as two members of the offensive line, Kareem McKenzie and Rich Seubert, were forced out of the game in Tampa and his initial reaction was that they were dogging it. "My take is they were just tired," said Snee, the Pro Bowl right guard. "Rich wanted to say he was hurt, but it was just hot and being two of the older guys on the line they decided to pull rank and drop out and drink on the sidelines." This was not really Snee's innermost feelings, but they were his public snide remarks after seeing McKenzie (sprained knee) and Seubert (ailing shoulder) take a seat.

Hakeem Nicks practiced fully Thursday one day after working in a limited capacity and said his sprained foot is just fine. The rookie wide receiver also said his awareness of the offense, which could have been disrupted by his two-week absence, is as good as it was when he went down with the injury. "You can get right back into it. It's football," Nicks said after Thursday's practice.

Through three games Kevin Boss has only six catches. "Only?" the Giants' tight end replied with a grin Thursday when asked about that stat. "Last year at this point, I don't think I had caught a pass yet."' Actually, he had three, all of which came in the Week 3 victory over the Bengals = a game he helped push into overtime with a last-minute touchdown. "Oh, then I'm behind," Boss said with a laugh. "Well, I'm behind on touchdowns at least."

Oct 1 Around this time a year ago the 4-0 Giants traveled to Cleveland, where they supposedly had far too much for the 1-3 Browns. "We know full well what history has shown us," "Tom Coughlin said. "We talked about that - last year's trip over to Cleveland. We know full well about that." It wasn't much of a trip at all for the Giants, who saw their 11-game road winning streak snapped in resounding fashion as the Browns erupted and the Giants sagged in a 35-14 loss that Coughlin was quick to remind the Giants about.

The 2009 season officially came to an end for promising young Giants safety Kenny Phillips. "I had the surgery yesterday with Dr. James Andrews in Alabama. Now I'm flying back to New Jersey so I can start my rehab right away. I don't remember anything because I was under anesthesia. My knee is wrapped up and I have a brace and crutches. They gave me a lot of meds. The knee doesn't really hurt right now, but the meds are making me feel sick... All of you fans out there, hold on. I'm going to make a speedy recovery, and I'llbe back better than ever next year. Keep believing and pray for me."

It's a toss-up as to which of these is more disconcerting for the Giants: the sight of Brandon Jacobs tentatively approaching the line of scrimmage on Sunday, or the sight of Ahmad Bradshaw wearing a protective boot on his right foot. Ask the Giants, though, and they will tell you both issues are a bit overblown.
Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, coming off a 104-yard rushing performance in Tampa, yesterday walked around the Giants training complex wearing a boot on his right foot. He sat out practice, but Tom Coughlin said, "We fully expect he'll be able to go and play in the game" this Sunday in Kansas City. Bradshaw against the Buccaneers aggravated a high ankle sprain he said dates all the way back to his freshman year in college.
And while Coughlin and Bradshaw are convinced that these injuries will not keep the running back out of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, the question remains of just how effective Bradshaw will be with his hampered wheel. "With my style of running, you just never know," Bradshaw said. "I do a lot of cutting and I'm on the edge of my feet so it's always a lingering thing."

Football players usually don't confess to being scared or nervous, but Justin Tuck admitted to both when talking about playing this past Sunday with a harness on his injured left shoulder. "The only reason I got the opportunity to play is they told me I couldn't put myself in a situation where I could hurt it, so I pretty much went out there and played with one arm," Tuck said. "I was scared to even try to use it a little bit." Scared? "A little bit," he said.

When the Giants' secondary ran back onto the field for Tampa Bay's second possession last Sunday, the unit was ready to capitalize on a keen knowledge of its opponents' tendencies. After days of film study, the defensive backs knew a go-to play for the Buccaneers' offense was throwing to tight end Kellen Winslow on a flag route or a weave post. They hadn't called it yet, so the Giants were expecting it. And cornerback Corey Webster knew fellow cornerback Terrell Thomas would be all over it. Sure enough, Winslow tried to run a weave post on first down, and Thomas got in position to intercept Tampa Bay quarterback Byron Leftwich.

There is no longer a question of the Giants' quarterback owning his team on the field. Whether by winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago in Arizona or winning the fourth quarter two weeks ago in Texas, Eli Manning has proved he is the architect of a potent Giant offense. But quietly, the soft-spoken, "Easy Eli" also has ramped up his profile as a locker room presence. With a practical joke here and a game tape there, the sixth-year pro with the league's biggest contract is undoubtedly the center of the Giants' offensive world.

Sept 30 When the Giants beat Tampa Bay in the 2007 playoffs, nobody frustrated the Bucs more than Ahmad Bradshaw. Their defensive players wondered aloud how, after being pounded on by 264-pound running back Brandon Jacobs, they were supposed to be ready to keep up with Bradshaw's shifty moves. That, of course, became the 1-2 combo that fueled the Giants' Super Bowl run. Jacobs put the defense on its heels and Bradshaw took advantage. It's the same 1-2 punch the Giants are using now. It's just not so clear who's No. 1 anymore.
Brandon Jacobs, in his first four NFL seasons averaged, 4.7 yards a carry, a hefty 5.0 yards the past two seasons after he became a starter with the retirement of Tiki Barber. He's not close to that production in the first three games, all victories. He's barely averaging 3.4 yards per rushing attempt. Even his 92 yards in Tampa can't be considered a breakthrough, as he carried the ball 26 times. The most incriminating number of all thus far for Jacobs is that of his 58 rushing attempts, 32 of them have resulted in gains of two yards or less.

Despite having just enough healthy bodies to get through the games - safety Aaron Rouse arrived Thursday and had to play Sunday - the Giants are leading the NFL in pass defense, allowing 124.0 passing yards per game. They have five interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and all of them setting up scoring opportunities. And they have allowed only four passes of 20 yards or more in three games, fewest in the NFL. Two of those four passes have been to running backs.
The Giants kept their opponent (Tampa Bay) from getting a first down until the third quarter, and from crossing midfield until the fourth. They capped it off with a goal-line stand on four plays from the 5-yard line. Here are the number of snaps some of the Giants' defensive stalwarts had in that strong effort: cornerback Aaron Ross, 0; cornerback Kevin Dockery, 0; safety Kenny Phillips, 0; defensive tackle Chris Canty, 0; defensive end Justin Tuck, 8. That's three starters and two important reserves totaling eight snaps. Still, the defense had enough to limit the Bucs to 86 yards and five first downs.

The Markup on Manning - The total value of the contract might be the most for a quarterback in NFL history, but it's extremely rare that NFL contracts of that length actually make it to completion. The Giants are using the contract to broadcast to the world, and to Eli personally, that they believe in him. But the fine print says something else. When you compare Manning's contract with other current quarterback contracts, peers like Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and San Diego's Philip Rivers, it looks less like an otherworldly contract and more just like the Going Rate.

Gartrell Johnson was watching Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combine for almost 200 yards. On the other side of the ball, he saw the Giants' defense dominating the Buccaneers. So when Johnson stepped onto the field at Raymond James Stadium this past Sunday, he knew he had to perform. Johnson was claimed on waivers before the Week 2 game against the Cowboys. Since he arrived, he's been working with the coaches and director of player development Charles Way to get acclimated with the offense.

Sept 29 The Giants' running game has caught up with Eli Manning and the passing attack, and that's not good news for opposing defenses. If teams put eight defenders in the box to take away the Giants' running game, Manning has a bevy of young receivers, including Steve Smith and Mario Manningham. If opponents try to take away the passing game, as Tampa Bay opted for on Sunday, the Giants have Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. The two combined for 196 of the team's 226 yards rushing in a 24-0 win over the Bucs.
So now, when future opponents look at the Giants on film, they're faced with a dilemma. Stop the run and the Giants can win with the pass. Stop the pass and they'll win with the run. "Shoot, I don't know what they're going to do," receiver Steve Smith said. "I guess they're going to have to come up with a new defense or something." More impressive than the numbers is how they've effortlessly swung back and forth between the two approaches.
The Giants have now established themselves as a multi-dimensional offensive team that is capable of taking advantage of whatever look the opposing defense gives them. "That's kind of what you want,""' tight end Kevin Boss said. "''If you see two safeties up there, you run the ball. When you see safeties come down in the box, you take advantage and throw the ball."
When Manning approaches the line of scrimmage, he can decode the defense and decide then whether to run the ball or pass it. Especially now that they have proven they can do both. "I think we feel very confident in our run game and the ability of the guys up front and our running backs to make plays," Manning said. "But we also feel very confident in our passing game and our receivers, they can make big plays. We feel we have a good mix and we're confident no matter what we have to do."

Nineteen years ago, Bill Parcells sat in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt hotel here and told a group of reporters: "Power football still wins." His words came the day after the Giants' 20-19 victory over the no-huddle Bills in Super Bowl XXV. Fast-forward to this weekend, and not much has changed. The Giants stayed in the same hotel for Sunday's game against the Bucs, and they proved once again power football still wins. "

After weeks of players piling up on the injury report, the Giants are looking to shed a few this week. Tom Coughlin said Monday he expects cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery, neither of whom has played this season because of hamstring injuries, to start practicing Wednesday. "It's time," Coughlin said."

Which team does this describe? A 3-0 record thanks to a ferocious defense, a nearly flawless quarterback, a strong head coach and an emerging running game. The Jets? Wrong. Try the Giants, who have looked every bit as impressive as the Jets so far this season but are playing without the hype surrounding Gang Green. Not that anyone on Big Blue is complaining, mind you. "It's fine by us," Eli Manning said.

Grading the Giants   |  The Record   |   NY Post    |   Newsday   |   Star Ledger

Sept 28 Giants defeat Buccaneers, 24-0     |     PHOTOS

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On The Game: Game 3 Gamegirl "...By the end of the first half I was happy that the Giants were totally controlling this game even if it wasn't translating into the kind of points you would like to see. Oddly, the scoreboard matched the number of first downs by each team - Giants 14, Bucs 0. I shouldn't have worried though because Tampa Bay was never able to get anything going on offense and this turned into an easy 24-0 win by the Giants....." Mikefan. "...The Giants went up 14-0 with ease, but when the rain came it diminished their ability to score points. Tampa fans, praying for any kind of help they could possibly get for their miserable football team, could only reach the football rain gods who did their best when they doused the field. Thanks to them, there was no scoring even once the rain had stopped and on to the end of the first half when Lawrence Tynes missed an easy 21 yard field goal attempt....."

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ESPN - Jacobs, Bradshaw lead ground attack as Giants shut out Bucs.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Buccaneers, 24-0 .
StarLedger - Giants have easy time in 24-0 victory.
StarLedger - Justin Tuck makes surprise appearance in 24-0 victory over Tampa Bay.
NYDailyNews - Giants' defense, running game lead way as G-Men batter Buccaneers.
NYDailyNews - Smashmouth Giants dominate Buccaneers, reclaim Big Blue's bruising identity.
NYPost - Big Blue runs over inept Tampa Bay.
Newsday - Giants run all over Buccaneers 24-0.
Newsday - Giants feel right at home in Tampa.
Newsday - Giants rout Bucs for first road shutout since 1983.
TBO - Bucs offense, season going nowhere fast.
TBO - Plenty of blame to go around in Bucs' debacle.
TBO - Wake-Up Call: Giants faithful leave Bucs fans feeling blue.

Game 3 Preview - Giants (2-0) vs Buccaneers (0-2)
The Bucs dropped their second game in a row last week at Buffalo 33-20 as they continue to struggle on defense. They were behind 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and gave up a total of 438 yards by the end of the game. The Giants played on Sunday Night at the Cowboys new stadium and came away with a hard fought 33-31 win. Lawrence Tynes kicked a field goal right at the end of the fourth quarter to nail the win.
The NFL's youngest head coach. Raheem Morris is the NFL's youngest head coach at 33. He replaced Jon Gruden who was there for seven years. So now Morris runs the show and has an 0-2 record with some saying that his team could be 0-7 at their bye week. He replaced the new offensive coordinator 10 days before the regular season started, but the offense doesn't seem to be a problem, being ranked 4th in the NFL. Morris had only five defensive starters returning to the team and the Tampa defense comes in at next to last in the league. That's a big problem for the young head coach with a tough schedule, the next games being the Giants, playing away at Washington and Philadelphia, then hosting Carolina right before meeting up with the Patriots in London.

Sept 27 Earth and Fire will be watching from the sidelines today as their old buddy Wind tries to sweep right through the Giants' defense. Brandon Jacobs, who was known as Earth, and Bradshaw, aka Fire, remain part of the Giants' running game. Derrick Ward, however, has taken his Wind to Tampa, where today he will hook up with his former teammates at Raymond James Stadium.
Brandon Jacobs said he and Derrick Ward have stuck to talking about the emotions that will fill them while playing against each other. They've avoided any trash-talking or friendly wagers over who will have more rushing yards or touchdowns. "That's the type of stuff that could break up a friendship," Jacobs said.
If Tampa Bay is to win, the Bucs will have to control the ball and keep the Giants' offense off the field. They rolled up 174 rushing yards against Dallas in the opener and Tampa coach Raheem Morris admits they got off their running game too quickly last week against Buffalo.

Though a productive passing game is "good to see," it can't become a crutch if the Giants are to become a dominant team. Re-establishing the potency of their running game needs to be the priority today when they face the Buccaneers (0-2) at Raymond James Stadium.
Last season, when Plaxico Burress was statistically subpar in terms of receptions and yardage, the Giants always maintained that he was productive. He was drawing the attention of defenses. He was a big reason why the Giants were able to lead the NFL in rushing yards. Now it's the running backs' turn to draw the attention of defenses.

As the Giants have replaced Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, opposing teams have been structuring their defenses to stop the run instead of double-covering receivers, as they did with Burress. Mario Manningham may force them to rethink that. "He can change gears, he explodes or bursts," David Carr said. "During practice, he'd do something and everyone on the field would just shake their heads and say, 'Wow!' "

Considering the obvious problems the Giants are having in the red zone, is it possible the remedy is to simply put their two tallest targets in the end zone and throw the ball up to one of them? "I'm all for it," tight end Kevin Boss said. Boss and rookie receiver Ramses Barden stand 6-foot-6, and they could be part of the solution. The Giants, heading into today's game in Tampa, are 0 for 8 in the red zone when it comes to scoring touchdowns.

The formula thus far: Victory on the field, losses on the roster. Not a plan for long-term success. The Giants (2-0) are off to the fast start they desire but head into today’s game against the Buccaneers (0-2) at Raymond James Stadium a fairly battered bunch. Injuries have picked apart their depth, most notably on defense. The real damaging blow - the knee injury that cost safety Kenny Phillips the remainder of this season - makes the pulsating 33-31 triumph in Dallas seem like a long time ago.

Last week, C.C. Brown was seemingly thrust into the spotlight when Phillips was placed on injured reserve. Suddenly, everyone focused on the player who had mostly shunned the spotlight since arriving in the spring. All they got from Brown were a few comments through the Giants' public-relations staff on Friday about being thrown back into a starting role.

Sept 26 Kenny Phillips is considering his options for treatment, which include microfracture surgery. He also is apparently consulting with outside experts through his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who said via Twitter that "the future prognosis is very positive" and "this injury will NOT have a significant impact on Kenny's NFL career."
Just two days away from facing the Buccaneers, Big Blue was learning to live without free safety Kenny Phillips, who is done for the year with a knee injury. The ballhawk, who picked off two Tony Romo passes last week, won't be back until 2010. For now, they'll turn to a combination of Aaron Rouse, who they acquired on Thursday off waivers from Green Bay, and C.C. Brown to replace Phillips. Coach Tom Coughlin believes his team is mentally prepared to handle the loss of one of its starters.

On Sunday, the Giants will play the Bucs in Raymond James Stadium. It's the first time Jacobs and Ward will play on opposing teams. But in some ways, very little has changed. "We have been texting back and forth all week," Jacobs said. "Nothing about football. (We talk) about him and how he is doing down there. He told me that he is getting ready to play against us. It is the same here. Derrick, we miss him here, we're going down there to play a football game and we are still going to be brothers, like we were for four years."

Plaxico Burress had profound impact on Giants WRs - On Wednesday, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and some other Giants explained that part of the solution in replacing Burress was Burress himself. "Plax and Amani [Toomer] were real tough on us in that room," said Domenik Hixon, who started Sunday but was replaced by Manningham when he got hurt. "It had to be exact. You made a mistake, even in practice, you had to pay a fine."

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress posed this week for his prison mug shot - the first look at the Super Bowl hero behind bars. Burress' beard was shaved upon his arrival Wednesday at the medium-security Ulster Correctional Facility.

Sept 25 Kenny Phillips had an idea his season was in jeopardy, but he was hoping he could ignore the pain and make it through. Phillips' struggle to do so ended Thursday - just two weeks into the season. Phillips is likely struggling with his options because surgery to aid his ailment isn't routine, though advancements in recent years have increased its effectiveness.
He tried to manage the condition for several weeks, but after an MRI Wednesday revealed it had worsened, was placed on IR and will consider surgery. According to a source, while a treatment plan for Phillips has not yet been decided upon, microfracture surgery has been discussed.
This is a significant loss; the Giants are already thin at safety and Phillips is a rising star. The Giants considered him to be the best safety in the 2008 class and took him out of the University of Miami with the 31st pick in last year's NFL Draft.

C.C. Brown will step into Phillips' starting role and Aaron Rouse Rouse will back him up Sunday against the Buccaneers. They'll have a big role to fill. Phillips had the best game of his career with two interceptions and several key tackles against the Cowboys last Sunday.
Corey Webster, however, said he isn't worried about Brown stepping into the starting lineup. "C.C. practices like he's a starter every week," he said. Rouse, in his third year, was a starter in Green Bay. He was placed on waivers Tuesday after he had nine tackles in Green Bay's 31-24 Sunday loss to Cincinnati. The 6-foot-4, 227-pounder played in 27 games with 11 starts as a Packer.

Kenny Phillips played the best game of his young professional career Sunday night in Dallas. He intercepted two passes, both of which led to Giants touchdowns. He also tied for the team lead with seven tackles, boosting his two-game total to a team-high 16. It seemed Phillips, the Giants' first-round draft choice in 2008, was on his way to a stellar sophomore season. The Giants announced that Phillips is being placed on injured reserve with a knee condition that first surfaced in training camp.

The Giants have done their share of winning over the years, but often without the aid of a game-shaping wide receiver. Between Homer Jones and Plaxico Burress, there were any number of Earnest Grays and Amani Toomers and Chris Calloways and Lionel Manuels. Good football players, not great ones. So in the very week that saw Eli Manning's favorite target, Burress, hauled off to prison, there was something apropos about the emergence of the first legitimate candidate to take Plax's place.
Mario Manningham said he doesn't recall a specific instance when he hurt his shoulder, he just felt "a little sore" after the Dallas game. Coach Tom Coughlin said "he was fine" during Thursday's practice. Manningham’s optimistic outlook is encouraging news for the Giants receiving corps, which could already be down Domenik Hixon (knee), who did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, and Hakeem Nicks (foot), who is expected to be out at least two weeks.

Dave Diehl - "A lot of people are saying Tampa Bay won’t be tough because they’re 0-2. But in 2007 when we won the Super Bowl we had that same experience. We started 0-2 and people were counting us out from the get-go. When a team is down, it will fight, scratch and claw to dig out of that hole and get their season going in the right direction. So we’re looking forward to a 60-minute fight."

Former Giants
Michael Strahan would have been voted "Most Likely to Star in a Sitcom'' if someone had taken a vote in the Giants' locker room during the years his booming cackle and outsized personality dominated the place. As Tiki Barber said just Thursdayon WFAN, "That's the perfect vehicle for him."
Plaxico Burress - It was a chilling sight for the Giants players. Just 19 months after Plaxico Burress caught the winning touchdown pass to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, the picture of him holding his young son moments before being taken off to jail this week created sadness in every corner of the locker room.

Sept 24 When asked Wednesday about whether he’ll play against the Buccaneers Sunday, Tuck said he’s not sure. Given his track record, it appears he’s honestly hopeful he will line up against Tampa despite a shoulder injury and that he truly doesn’t have an idea at this point if he’ll be available.
Tuck sat out practice and the only way he could consider playing is with a protective shoulder harness. He wore such a device on the same shoulder as a sophomore and junior at Notre Dame, and while wearing the harness as a junior, Tuck had the best season of his college career. More likely, he won’t play this weekend.
The Giants want to be certain Tuck won't risk suffering a more serious injury by playing. "The main this that we are talking about right now is this season is a marathon, not a sprint, Tuck said. "Obviously I want to be out there now, but our training staff and coaching staff know what they are doing, and I am just all ears about it."

Justin Tuck was tripped by a leg whip from Dallas tackle Flozell Adams in the second quarter of Sunday's game, falling and injuring his left shoulder. Wednesday a league spokesman said Adams would be fined $12,500 for a pair of leg whips in the game: one against Tuck that drew a penalty and another that went unflagged against Osi Umenyiora in the fourth quarter.

Wide receiver Mario Manningham was limited in practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury. Practice is closed to the media and this news wasn’t presented to us until after the open locker room, so Manningham was not asked how he felt or how serious the injury was.

Next stop, 5-0. Well, maybe not the very next stop, but that’s the destination the Giants should be headed, starting with Sunday’s soft landing in Tampa, followed by a cushy trip to Kansas City then a comfy return home to meet and greet the Raiders, whose fan base is more fearsome than the team they love. The Giants are out of the gates with a flourish at 2-0, alone at the top of the NFC East.

Brandon Jacobs’ twin 1,000-yard rusher last fall, Derrick Ward, signed with the Buccaneers in free agency in the offseason. With the Giants heading down to Tampa Bay this weekend, Ward said the former teammates marveled about how “surreal” it will be for the two to be on opposite sidelines. One sight that won’t be so surreal, though, is what Ward will see when he looks across the line of scrimmage -- a Giants defense he got to know very well in his five seasons with the team.

Two years ago, the Buccaneers were favored to beat the Giants in the wild card round of the playoffs. The teams have gone in opposite directions since that Sunday afternoon. The Giants won that game 24-14 on their way to a stunning Super Bowl run. Last year the Giants were considered Super Bowl favorites before losing Plaxico Burress and falling to the Eagles in the Divisional round. The Bucs were on their way to joining Big Blue in the playoffs last season before a stunning home loss to the Raiders in the season finale cost them a wild-card spot. The team then fired head coach Jon Gruden in January and hired little-known Raheem Morris.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress got a zero's welcome behind bars at Rikers Island, including taunts of "a - - hole!" and "The Giants suck!" according to jail guards. "He was depressed," said one guard from Rikers, where the former Giants superstar spent his first-ever night behind bars. "He was trying to keep to himself, but everyone was yelling at him."

NFC East News
Eagles - After spending 18 months in federal prison and sitting out the first two games as the final league penalty for his role in a dogfighting ring, Michael Vick is eligible to play his first regular-season game in 33 months when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

NFL News
The NFL says it has no plans to lift its blackout rules because of the economy. So if games don't sell out - as could be the case in up to three cities this weekend - local fans won't be able to watch on TV, whether at home or in a bar.

Sept 23 There's no reason to think the Giants won't be 5-0 after devouring three straight cupcakes. They play at Tampa Bay, at Kansas City and then host the Raiders in the next few weeks. This lull in the schedule gives the Giants just what they need: a little time to work out some of the issues that haven't cost them a game yet but are still serious concerns. It'll be a chance to try a few wrinkles, put a few plays on tape, and figure out where they go.

Bucs fans ain't seen nothin' yet: The Giants come in next.These Bucs can't stop the run. They can't stop the big passing play. Is there anything more painful than giving up Terrell Owens' first touchdown in a new T.O. city? Yes, there is. It's mistakes like those 13 penalties for 112 yards. It's those four facemask calls that rightly went against the Bucs.

The Giants beat the Cowboys in dramatic fashion on national television Sunday night, spoiling the glitzy opening of an enormous $1.2 billion stadium, pushing their record to 2-0 and taking sole possession of first place in the NFC East. Even this early in the season, it was a pretty big win. Even if it didn't seem like it in New York. The next morning, the local coverage and talk in this city seemed dominated by news of the Jets' big win over the New England Patriots.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress bid a tearful goodbye to his family and apologized to football fans in a Manhattan courtroom before being taken to prison Tuesday.
Plaxico Burress was sentenced to two years in prison and taken into custody -- 10 months after he accidentally shot himself in a Manhattan night club.
You can argue the merits of the sentence Burress received after agreeing to a plea deal to avoid a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years under New York's tough gun laws. Burress got one more month than Michael Vick, who served 21 months plus two more months of home confinement for running a vicious dogfighting operation.

NFC East News
Cowboys consider curtailing low-cost tickets after fans' complaints. Ultimately, only a fraction of the "party passers" saw the field. Some were OK with that. Others weren't.
Redskins in trouble over Twitter. NFL players can handle blocking and tackling. Now they have to prove they can handle Twitter.
Eagles Andy Reid has created potential instability at quarterback. After spinning a protective cocoon around Donovan McNabb, Reid has stocked his locker room with Vick and Jeff Garcia a season after benching McNabb during a game for the first time.

Sept 22 Remember way back when? It was what, two weeks ago? The Giants were without a big-time receiving target for Manning. There were questions about who would fill the positions - not just on the field but on Manning's confidence depth chart - of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer. Well, now the Giants have two go-to guys, and through two weeks, they are two of the three best receivers in the NFL.
They threw nearly 60% of the time against Dallas (on 38 of 64 plays) and accounted for 77.2% of their yards (330 of 427) through the air. Before anyone starts printing up "Air Coughlin" shirts, though, keep in mind that's not the way the Giants want to play. But it certainly is to their benefit that they have proven they can.

Braylon Edwards had six catches for 92 yards yesterday. Anquan Boldin had eight catches for 69 yards. And Brandon Marshall had three catches for 34 yards. That’s 195 yards combined from the three veteran receivers every Giants fan seemed to want last season. Meanwhile, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham - - the guys the Giants were "stuck" with - - combined for 284.

Just like that, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are among the league leaders in receptions and yardage. They both hauled in 10 passes against the Cowboys, the first time in the long history of the Giants that two receivers had double-digit receptions in the same game.
Mario Manningham and teammate Steve Smith -- who also put up an impressive 134 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions -- were the critical catalysts for a 330-yard passing performance and last-minute game-winning drive from quarterback Eli Manning.

Lawrence Tynes beats Cowboys (twice) but timeout rule should get kicked out. The only thing that could have made the night better for Giants fans was this: If Wade Phillips had waited until the last possible second before calling his timeout and then Lawrence Tynes had jerked his first field goal attempt wide left, a miss that would have given Phillips and the Cowboys the game if not for the timeout. Then, given a second chance, Tynes would have buried his next kick the way he did, made it Giants 33, Cowboys 31 because of a mulligan.

Tom Coughlin has been around Justin Tuck long enough to know any injury that knocks the fifth-year veteran out is a serious one. "Anytime you have a player of that caliber that can't finish a game, I would think that something is going on there that is preventing him from continuing,'' the Giants' coach said on a conference call with reporters.
Mathias Kiwanuka didn't need to study the tape to know that he detested what he saw out of Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams in the second quarter of Sunday's night's pulsating 33-31 Giants victory. "It looked like a pretty bad play," Kiwanuka said yesterday.
Adams was penalized for tripping on the play, but that didn’t stop Tuck from call the kick a “bush” move. “It’s something he always does and he gets away with it and he continues to do it,” Tuck said. Fellow defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said a lot of the Giants players were talking about it on Monday.

The Giants and Jets are spending more money on their new building than Jones did on his. Construction costs in Jersey reportedly have soared past the Cowboys' investment of $1.15 billion. You can argue that the new Cowboys Stadium is way over the top, and of course you'd be right. So how do the matchups look? The Meadowlands Stadium simply doesn't appear as ambitious in scale. Jones-Ville can fit 111,000; the Meadowlands Stadium is projected to seat 82,500. Most importantly, Jones' stadium has a retractable roof. The one in Jersey doesn't, even though the northern climate would make that feature extremely desirable.

Sunday night's Giants-Cowboys game had the best overnight rating ever for Sunday Night Football broadcast on NBC. The Giants' 33-31 victory over the Cowboys in Dallas' sparkling new, $1.2 billion football palace earned a 16.5 overnight rating and a 27 share, which was the best overnight rating for an NFL game in 11 years.

Giants-Jets Super Bowl? The Jets and Giants may well deliver on the promise of their excellent starts, but I wouldn't go booking that flight to Miami Beach just yet.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress is due to turn himself in at 9:30 a.m. today to begin a two-year prison term. His time behind bars could drop to 20 months with good behavior.

Grading the Giants   |  The Record   |   NY Post    |   Newsday   |   Star Ledger

Sept 21 Giants defeat the Cowboys 33-31     |     PHOTOS

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On The Game: Game 2 Gamegirl "...It was gigantic. It was big, and more amazing than I had imagined. I was totally overwhelmed. No, not the new stadium built to honor Jerry Jones or the Cowboys or whatever. I'm talking about the Giants win over the Cowboys tonight in the super grand opening of their new stadium. A victory that puts the Giants atop the NFC East....." Mikefan. "...So far this season two division opponents have proven that they can stop the run and then go on to lose the game. By the way, that prompts me to say that the Giants now happen to lead the division teams with their 2-0 record.. Jacobs knows that wins count the most over individual performances as teams go all out to stop him and assume they can also stop Eli Manning and his unproven group of young receivers. So how's that working out?....."

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ESPN - Tynes' field goal as time expires spoils Cowboys' home debut.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Cowboys, 33-31.
StarLedger - Justin Tuck, Domenik Hixon hurt in NY Giants' 33-31 victory over Dallas Cowboys.
StarLedger - Giants beat Dallas Cowboys, 33-31, on last-second field goal.
Newsday - Giants beat Cowboys on last-second field goal.
Newsday - Giants' big shots seeing red when offense has the ball.
NYPost - Big Blue FG ruins night for 'boys fans.
NYPost - Winning no surprise with this Giant 'team'.
NYDailyNews - Tuck ticked, but ready for Tampa.
NYDailyNews - Giants beat Cowboys as time expires, 33-31, on field goal by Lawrence Tynes.
TheRecord - Tynes lifts Giants over 'Boys with last-second FG.
DallasNews - Dallas Cowboys' new era comes with errors in 33-31 loss.
DallasNews - Too many open in Dallas Cowboys' opening home loss.
DallasNews - Housewarming gift: Dallas Cowboys hand Giants 33-31 win.

Game 2 Preview - Giants (1-0) vs Cowboys (1-0)
Last week the Cowboys opened their season at Tampa Bay and came away with a 34-21 win. They did it in good fashion with a 344 yard aerial attack that left the Buccaneers secondary gasping. Later that day the Giants put on their own aerial show and addressed one of their suspected weaknesses when Eli Manning completed 20 of 29 passes for 256 yards by spreading the ball around to seven different receivers. The Giants enjoyed an opening day 23-17 victory over division rival Washington.
Giant Concerns. The Giants controlled the ball and won last week, but they did not perform well in the red zone. The offense scored just one touchdown and settled for three fieldgoals. Osi Umenyiora's touchdown was a nice bonus as the Giants outplayed the Redskins but let them stay in the game. They can't afford to do that with the Cowboys.

Sept 20 They used to say there was a hole in the Texas Stadium roof so God could look down and watch the Cowboys play. Now He can watch in Hi-Def. "I want to see that thing," the Giants linebacker said. That thing, of course, is the gigantic cluster of four video screens that hang from the roof of Cowboys Stadium. The two that run parallel to the sidelines are 60 yards long and 24 yards high. Yes, they measure the screens in yards. It's a 600-ton chandelier, not exactly something you just pick up at Best Buy.
There should be nearly 110,000 people partying Sunday night inside Jerry Jones' sparkling, new, $1.2 billion palace. There'll be pre-game hoopla, flashes popping everywhere, and Jones beaming on the sidelines like a proud papa. It won't be just a game, when they open Cowboys Stadium Sunday night. It'll be an event. A Texas-sized happening. It should be quite a party, too. And yes, the Giants would love to put a damper on the hated Cowboys' homecoming parade.
By game time, one of the largest crowds ever to see an NFL game should be in place for a doozy of a matchup: the Dallas Cowboys against the Giants, their top rival of late and Jones' hand-picked foe for this extravagant night. A nationally televised showdown between 1-0 teams looking to grab an early edge in what's expected to be a tight NFC East race. "It's going to have some atmosphere," Jones said. "And it's going to be loud."

How will Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and perhaps Sinorice Moss or Ramses Barden handle a hundred-thousand Cowboys fanatics cheering on every mishap? "It will be just like the old stadium. They’ll be rowdy and full of energy,” center Shaun O’Hara said. “Any time the Giants and Cowboys get together, it’s always a fun atmosphere. It will be packed. It will be loud. It will be fun."
"I think the key for us against them is to start fast, try to take the crowd out of it and make sure we don't turn it into a one-dimensional team," center Shaun O'Hara said. "We have to make sure we can run the ball effectively early so that we can stay balanced." And be able to keep the quarterback on his feet. "I don't doubt for one minute that this team won't let what happened last year happen this year," Jacobs said. "We're just not that kind of group."
There are 80,000 seats in the Cowboys new home but this game could challenge the NFL attendance record of 103,467, set in 2005 when the Cardinals and 49ers played a regular-season game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The Cowboys have sold more than 20,000 standing-room “Party Pass” tickets for this game, at $29 apiece.

Jerry Jones' new stadium really does look like something that should have been conceived back in the '90s, when the country was flush. The Cowboys were still flush with success then. Now they're just another team. Oh, you better believe his video board is seven stories high and weighs 600 tons. And there is artwork all over Cowboys Stadium and a retractable roof and platform decks and party suites and 120-foot high glass doors in the end zones and an average ticket price of $160. And none of that changes the fact that Jones' football team hasn't won a single playoff game in 13 years and hasn't won a Super Bowl since 1995. 
Dallas the team with something to prove -- It's easy to forget just how rapidly these two teams switched places, almost like a football version of "Freaky Friday." And you can trace the transformation to a singular day and a singular game, played a couple of towns over.
Photos:  Cowboys new stadium.

Mathias Kiwanuka can admit it now: When he kept hearing his name come up in trade rumors during the offseason, it got to him. "To say that it didn't affect me would be a lie," Kiwanuka said in the Giants' locker room as he prepared for tonight's showdown against the Cowboys in Dallas. "It's part of the business, and I've seen it with other players in past years. When it was my turn to sit through it, I had no control over it."

Steve Serby chatted with Steve Smith who is in his third season out of Southern Cal.
Q: How scary was it when you were robbed at gunpoint last November? A: Imagine somebody putting a gun to your head and threatening your life. I could have died. It was one guy with a gun and it was somebody else in a car.
Q: What did you learn from Plaxico Burress? A: He helped me in terms of coming back to the ball and body positioning. He could do a lot of things little guys could do, too.
Q: Do you think he carried his gun to the Latin Quarter that night because of what happened to you? A: That’s what he said on TV.

Sept 19 The Giants roll into Cowboys Stadium tomorrow night, but they do so with their defensive tackles dropping like flies. The Giants already have lost Jay Alford for the season, and they will not have Chris Canty (strained calf) tomorrow either. So the Giants only have Barry Cofield, Fred Robbins and Rocky Bernard at that spot. That probably means more snaps and a heavier workload for the trio.

After four years playing for the Texans, safety C.C. Brown admitted his preseason tape had a couple glitches as he tried to assimilate into the Giants' defense during training camp. Brown wound up starting two of the four preseason games, when Kenny Phillips was sidelined with a knee injury, which Brown said accelerated his familiarity with the defense.

Kenny Phillips couldn't wait for this season to get started. After a difficult rookie season, he was predicting a breakout performance. The "shackles" were off, as he said, and he was ready to prove he could be a big-play safety. Then he suffered a "nagging" injury in his knee that he knows is not going to go away. Phillips said his status is most definitely "up in the air." Unfortunately, it looks like that's the way it's going to be all season for the Giants' first-round pick in 2008.

Last season then-rookie Felix Jones missed both Cowboys games against the Giants with injuries. But the Giants will have to face the speedy back tomorrow night at the new Cowboys Stadium. In Dallas’ season-opening 34-21 win over the Bucs, Jones had six carries for 22 yards. In the five games he played last year, however, Jones rushed for 266 yards on just 30 carries, averaging a ridiculous 8.9 yards per rush and scoring three touchdowns.

Dallas is annually the scene of one of the Giants' most challenging road games. The Cowboys almost always field a playoff-caliber team, their fans are loud, loyal and raucous and the intensity of the NFC East rivalry results in a raw and combative game. If you could multiply all that emotion by about a hundred, you have an idea of the crazed atmosphere the Giants will enter Sunday night.

Sept 18 Of all the games for Chris Canty to miss. The towering defensive tackle hasn't missed a game in his NFL career, playing in all 66 (including two in the postseason) in his four years with the Cowboys. The Giants are set to face their archrivals Sunday at new Cowboys Stadium and -- you guessed it -- Canty will not play against his former team.

Out all of training camp while recovering from hip surgery and suspended in Week 1 of the season, Michael Boley finally will get a chance to take the field and play. He's practiced with the team the last two days - with full participation for the first time Thursday - and likely will get the start Sunday against the Cowboys. Curious? You're not alone.

When the Giants visit the palatial Cowboys' Stadium on Sunday night, the offensive line will be motivated to erase painful memories from its last trip to Dallas during which the Cowboys collected eight sacks. Tom Coughlin's proud offensive line was battered and bruised during that Dec.14 game physically and mentally.

In their first game without Terrell Owens, Roy Williams and Romo connected for a 66-yard touchdown and Patrick Crayton caught an 80-yard pass from Romo for a score in the Cowboys’ 34-21 victory over Tampa Bay. Combined with Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, Romo’s favorite target, Williams, Crayton and Austin should pose plenty of problems for the Giants’ short-handed secondary Sunday night at Cowboys Stadium.

It might as well have been a playground game for Tony Romo, who opened this season by chucking the ball this way and that, seemingly without a care in the world as he torched the Buccaneers for 353 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys' 34-21 victory. The Giants studied that devastation and came away with a singular thought: That's not happening against our defense.

Big, strong, fast, relentless, a Pro Bowler. There are a lot of words the New York Giants use to describe teammate Justin Tuck. Defensive tackle Barry Cofield just smiled on Thursday when asked about the NFC defensive player of the week.

Jeff Feagles has directional punting down to a science. To be exact, the basics of physics govern Feagles' punts. In the simplest terms, Feagles can, by feel, adjust the speed at which he kicks the ball and the angle of the punt's flight. He can also change how much he pivots his body in order to aim the kick out of bounds. All of those factors then impact the range and hang time of the punt.

No feature in the Cowboys' new stadium has received as much attention as the 162-foot long video boards that hang 90 feet above the field. In a preseason game on Aug. 21, then Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso sparked a controversy by hitting the board with one of his kicks. The NFL Competition Committee, of which Giants President John Mara is a member, subsequently ruled that if the ball struck the board during a game the down would be replayed. Giants punter Jeff Feagles said he has virtually no chance of punting the ball high enough to hit the board.

Sept 17 In the Giants' 20-8 loss last December, the Cowboys' defensive front outmaneuvered them for a season-high eight sacks of quarterback Eli Manning. Eli Manning was sacked by DeMarcus Ware on the Giants' first offensive play -- and lost the football, though left guard Rich Seubert recovered -- and the hits kept coming for the rest of the night.
After the debacle, left guard Chris Snee summed up the situation: "Disappointing, embarrassing, throw whatever word you want out there." The two words the Giants were fixated on yesterday? Not again. "The kind of group we have here in this locker room, it can't happen twice," Brandon Jacobs said.

Aside from stating, "I am ready. The team is ready." Brandon Jacobs added, "We have to work during the week and get better and try and execute a little better than we did last week. Dallas looked good last weekend against Tampa Bay. They played a well rounded game, offense and defense, special teams played well. They look like they are ready to make a good run for it. We have to go here to this new palace and try and match their intensity."
The Giants hope to neutralize DeMarcus Ware by using Football 101 - a strong rushing attack that will allow them to hold onto the ball, take time off the clock and force Ware and his mates to think run first and chasing Manning second. The plan failed last year, primarily because the Giants rushed for a season-low 72 yards (Brandon Jacobs did not play because of a knee injury). When the Giants fell behind 14-3 early in the fourth quarter, they had to throw the ball in an effort to catch up.
They were 3-for-13 on third-down conversions and finished with 218 total yards. Their eight points was the team's lowest since late in the 2006 season. A lot has changed this time around. When the teams met in December, it was roughly two weeks after Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a Manhattan night club and the Giants' offense was suddenly without its deep threat.

The Cowboys gained 462 yards in their opening-week win over the Buccaneers. The Giants are focusing on 211 of them in particular. Those are the yards that came on four plays. Four big plays. A 23-yard run by Marion Barber. An 80-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton. A 66-yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams. And a 42-yard touchdown pass to Miles Austin. That's 45.7 percent of the yardage on only 7.7 percent of the plays.
When they watched the film of the Cowboys' breakout performance, they saw that most of the big plays were the fault of the Bucs. "They got a lot of big plays from a lot of different people and they threw the ball all over the park," said cornerback Corey Webster. "But on a lot of the big plays it looked like they busted the coverage. It wasn't nothing they did physically. It was just a busted coverage. So we've just got to be cognizant of where their playmakers are on the field at all times."
"Guys on the other team weren't focusing on their keys," Michael Johnson said. "There were more eyes on the quarterback than there were on the routes, so some plays got busted wide open." What a difference three years makes. And what a difference it would be for the Giants if Johnson and fellow starting safety Kenny Phillips were not able to play on Sunday against the Cowboys. Both players were sidelined for practice yesterday -- Phillips with a knee injury that kept him out of three preseason games and Johnson with a burner suffered in last Sunday's victory over the Redskins.

Gartrell Johnson was in the Chargers' locker room on Monday night getting ready for his first NFL game. But three hours before kickoff the team waived him to add a defensive player. With no place to go in Oakland and no way home, Johnson just watched the game and flew back to San Diego on the team charter. The next morning his agent called and said the Giants had claimed him off waivers. He packed his stuff, took a red-eye to New York, landed at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, and was on the field for practice.

Sept 16 Two of the top three cornerbacks were out. Weak-side linebacker Michael Boley was suspended, and a couple of defensive linemen are still getting into shape. Despite the drawbacks, the Giants defense is looking very good one game into the season, and the scary part is that it should get better. "Week 1, Week 1, Week 1," middle linebacker and defensive captain Antonio Pierce repeated yesterday, trying not to get too excited about the unit.

Justin Tuck added another honor to his growing list of accolades when he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Tuck, a 2008 Pro Bowler, was a dominant force in the Giants' season-opening 23-17 victory over the Washington Redskins in Giants Stadium. The fifth-year pro had five tackles (four solo), 1.5 sacks, two tackles for losses, three quarterback hits and a pass defensed.

The team made several changes to their roster and practice squad -- the biggest of which came when they claimed running back Gartrell Johnson off waivers from the Chargers. Johnson, San Diego's fourth-round pick in April's draft, ran for 176 yards on 43 carries during a busy preseason. He'll be asked to serve as the No. 3 back while Danny Ware recovers from a dislocated elbow that will keep him out at least two weeks. they cut three players from their practice squad: cornerback DeAndre Wright (their sixth-round pick), tight end Kareem Brown and running back Allen Patrick, whom many believed was headed to the active roster to fill the void created by Ware's injury.
Johnson, 23, was a fourth-round draft pick from Colorado State. He was cut by the Chargers hours before the first game of the season. He performed well in the preseason but there was no room on the San Diego roster with LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles and Michael Bennett all ahead of the 5-foot-11, 218-pound Johnson. Running back Danny Ware is out at least two weeks with a dislocated elbow, prompting the need for another running back. Instead of a promotion, Patrick was actually cut from the practice squad.

This is one of those games-within-a-game scenarios that don’t come along every week. Chris Canty is a native of The Bronx, went to high school in Charlotte and played the first four years of his NFL career with the Cowboys, never missing a game and starting at defensive end the last three seasons.
Chris Canty no doubt wants to play well and has something to prove to the Cowboys. They let him walk after four years and he was very nearly signed by the Redskins before the Giants scooped him up in the first few hours of free agency. The defensive tackle gave up no more than the typical We'll-play-hard and It's-an-important-game sound bites when talking about his first chance to play against his former team Sunday night. "It's going to be good going down to Dallas," he said.
Even if he's not angry enough yet to hate the Cowboys, it's a good bet they'll be angry enough with him. "It's going to be intense," Canty said. "It's going to be a great atmosphere for football. It's not going to be an atmosphere for the meek or mild. I think any great competitor looks forward to it, and I'm really looking forward to this one."

NFC East News
The Eagles officially add Michael Vick to the 53-man roster allowing the QB to practice with the team in anticipation of his Week 3 return to the NFL.

Sept 15 Cornerback Aaron Ross isn't giving any false pretenses about his hamstring injury. Asked if he would be able to return to practice this week, the starting cornerback shook his head in the negative. "Nah," Ross said. "Frustrating."
He said he feels better, but there's still pain where his hamstring meets his left knee and it does not allow him to extend his leg. He also has an injury in the middle of the same muscle. "I thought I was going to be back for Game 1," he said. "Now I'm probably going to have to sit out Game 2. It's very frustrating."

Hakeem Nicks, who missed much of training camp with a hamstring injury downplayed the severity of his injury Sunday. "I can't say I'm too frustrated," he said. "It's just a test I'm going through."

When his new team was busy disposing of the Redskins, Boley was in New Jersey but not at Giants Stadium. Instead, Boley was at his house, watching on television. "Very strange," Boley said yesterday. "I would have to say it's my first week I've been away from football since . . . forever. It was real different. It was tough seeing your teammates flying around, having fun and not being able to be there. It was hard."

The Giants baptized Steve Spagnuolo with Gatorade two years ago, moments after his first win as the team's defensive coordinator came on a goal-line stand against Washington. That was Week 3 of the Giants' Super Bowl season. Bill Sheridan got his initiation even sooner.
Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, a team captain, point man for the defense and probably the player who is closest to Bill Sheridan, indoctrinated the new coordinator with a historically-popular Giants celebration. "We gave him a slight Gatorade bath," Pierce said.
That was the players' way of showing their appreciation - dumping a half-empty bucket of Gatorarde on Bill Sheridan's head, followed by a round of hugs. That included a big one from Osi Umenyiora, the player who walked out on Sheridan just two weeks ago.

What about the transition to defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan from Steve Spagnuolo? "Bill is so precise," linebacker Danny Clark said. "His diction is very precise, even. He makes sure that things are very critical, and that's one of his favorite words." Spags was more what? "He was more energetic, fiery, passionate," Clark said. "He was fired up. He may have been short in stature, but he had the heart of a lion. Big motivator. Bill feels like we're professionals, I don't need to motivate you, I'm gonna get you lined up, you go get your job done and be accountable, and we'll smile about it later." .

Antonio Pierce had his ninth revenge game against his former team this past Sunday. This weekend, it's time for Chris Canty's first grudge match. The Giants defensive lineman, who signed a six-year, $42 million deal as a free agent this offseason, will line up against the Cowboys after playing for them the past four seasons. If he's not motivated enough for the matchup, he will be once Pierce's plan to fire him up comes to fruition.

As Eli Manning converted third downs, drives stretched and the Washington defense spent more time on the field than coaches would've preferred. In fact, the Giants controlled the clock for 20 minutes 18 seconds in the first half alone, compared with the Redskins' 9:42.

Sept 14 Giants win the opening game over the Redskins 23-17   |  PHOTOS

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On The Game: Game 1 Gamegirl "...It looks like our young group of receivers can actually do the job. Steve Smith was the standout on a few important plays catching 6 passes for 80 yards. Mario Manningham caught 3 passes for 58 yards including that nice touchdown. Hakeem Nicks was doing well, but he had to leave the game with an injury, as well as running back Danny Ware who was hurt early on returning a kick....." Mikefan. "...So how did new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan do in handling the defense that was handed down to him by Steve Spagnuolo and further supplemented by Jerry Reese in the offseason? Well you have to say he's off to a great start. The defense held the Redskins to 272 total yards, forced two turnovers and picked up 3 sacks....."

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ESPN - Giants open NFC East title defense with victory over Redskins.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Redskins, 23-17.
Giants.com - Transcripts: Postgame Giants Reaction.
Newsday - Osi has immediate impact upon return.
Newsday - Giants receivers step up during win.
Newsday - Giants' defense shines in win over Redskins.
Newsday - Once again, tough defense will be key for Giants.
Newsday - A couple of gimmick formations for Giants.
StarLedger - Back from injury, Umenyiora finds the 'holy grail' in season opener.
StarLedger - Step by step, Mario Manningham scores his first NFL touchdown.
StarLedger - Rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks might miss a few weeks with foot sprain.
NYDailyNews - Eli Manning hits Mario Manningham for TD, Osi Umenyiora returns fumble as Giants beat Redskins.
NYDailyNews - Giant task for Big Blue is to make Super adjustments.
NYDailyNews - Mario Manningham & Giants' receivers catch on in replacing Plaxico Burress.
NYPost - No Plax means Eli's the go to guy.
NYPost - Osi's return sparks Jints.
NYPost - A passing grade for Big Blue.
NYPost - Big Blue handles Washington.
NYPost - Stadium holds Giant memories.
TheRecord - Eli elevates Giants on opening day.
WashingtonPost - Giants hold off turnover-prone Redskins.
SportsVideo - Santana Moss-Corey Webster Fight Video: NFL To Fine.

Game 1 Preview - Giants vs Washington
For the second year in a row, the Giants open the season hosting the Redskins. They were good guests last year, leaving the stadium with a 16-7 loss. Washington looked to be getting things together, winning the next four games including two against division rivals Dallas and Philadelphia. They were 6-2 at the middle of the season, but by the time the dust settled the Redskins were lost in that dust, settling for an 8-8 record. The Giants looked like the Super Bowl team they were the year before. They were at 7-1 at the half, took that to 11-1 but then things got real tough for a number of reasons. The Giants won the division with their 12-4 record, but lost the playoff game to Philadelphia.
Redskins Defense with Albert Haynesworth. Does he deserve his own header? Well maybe so. At 350 pounds and sought after by both the Giants and Redskins with the trophy awarded to the highest bidder (Dan Snyder of course), All-Pro tackle Haynesworth is now the icing on the cake to a Redskins defense that was already tops at stopping the run (eighth-best rushing defense), and guess what? Right now the Giants have to be a more run oriented team until they see something positive from their group of wide receivers. Current hope is placed on 2009 first-round draft pick Hakeem Nicks who had a very promising preseason. The rookie faces a Redskins team that finished seventh overall in pass defense last season.

Sept 13 Tom Coughlin and the Giants are expressing confidence in Eli Manning, the NFL's highest-paid quarterback, and a corps of young, yet almost completely unproven wide receivers as they open the 2009 season Sunday at Giants Stadium against the NFC East-rival Washington Redskins.
What the Giants need is their 28-year-old franchise quarterback to lift their team the way he lifted it at Ole Miss, where he didn’t have the defense he has here or the running game or the coach. But the names of his receivers are Smith and Hixon and Nicks and Manningham. None of them is a Go-To Guy.
The Redskins will test them early, with Albert Haynesworth, their $100 million defensive tackle who was signed to help stop the Giants' powerful rushing attack. He will force the Giants to see what they really have in their beleaguered receivers. They'll test the defense, too, if running back Clinton Portis is to be believed. He promised a "Bombs over Baghdad" passing attack against the Giants' injured secondary. And there are still those health concerns along the Giants' defensive line.

Go-to guy Plaxico Burress is gone. All-time leading receiver Amani Toomer wasn't re-signed. Defensive guru Steve Spagnuolo left to become the coach of the St. Louis Rams. There is a lot missing in the Giants locker room as they look forward to defending their NFC East title, beginning with the season opener today against the Washington Redskins, a team being billed as the best last-place team in football.
The Redskins averaged only 16.6 points a game last season, Jim Zorn’s first as a head coach. Nearly the identical cast of characters returns, led by four Pro Bowl players: TE Chris Cooley, RB Clinton Portis, LT Chris Samuels and FB Mike Sellers. One new wrinkle is the promotion of second-year man Malcolm Kelly into the starting lineup at receiver. The big concern in D.C., once again, is quarterback Jason Campbell, who in 2008 managed only 14 points in two losses to the Giants.

In the final season of Giants Stadium, will Tom Coughlin become the first dynasty-maker in the marketplace since Joe Torre did his thing in the late ’90s? Coughlin is an old Yankees’ fan, so on that winding training camp walk away from a happy grandmother, through the stadium tunnel and toward his office, he was asked about the growth cycle of Torre’s team and how it seemed to mirror his.

Former Giants
George Martin remembers it as if it were yesterday. It was November of 1986 at Giants Stadium, and Big Blue was trailing the Denver Broncos by a field goal just before halftime. Things were about to get worse, too; the Broncos were on the Giants' 13.

Stadium News
Giants Stadium looks like a miniaturized version of itself standing in the shadow of the monstrosity that will soon open next door. Like most old-timers, the 33-year-old landmark in the swamp is shrinking with age.

Sept 12 Consider this statement from Brandon Jacobs during Super Bowl week last January: "If we had Plax on our team, we go 15-1 and we win the Super Bowl," Jacobs said. "And I’m not afraid to say that and I'll say it to anybody on any team. We had a different identity with him and we didn't have enough time to change our identity to be effective at what we wanted to do."
Brandon Jacobs knows he will be facing stacked decks early on, at least until the Giants show they can attack through the air. When now asked if the Giants had the passing game to keep the defense honest. "I think our receivers are good enough to be ready to win. We definitely have a good enough quarterback and offensive line to protect. It's just a matter of it all coming down to executing."

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride suggested earlier in the week that it might not be long before backups Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are pushing starters Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon for the top jobs. "I can see certain guys right now we think are ahead," Gilbride said, "but in another five or six weeks, maybe some other guys that we think may be physically [superior] can be better at that."
While Derek Hagan has an outside chance to contribute at receiver -- an uncertain position in flux after the departures of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer -- the biggest reason for his presence on the roster was made clear in the press release that accompanied the final cuts. In it, Tom Coughlin noted Hagan's value as "a good special teams player," which the coach cited again after practice on Monday.

Many will be watching the Redskins' season opener Sunday against the New York Giants closely, scrutinizing Albert Haynesworth and how his presence affects a defense that was already ranked No. 4 in the league a season ago. Haynesworth was limited in preseason and provided only a hint of what he'll add to a defensive line that is among the league's deepest.

One Giants cornerback is out and another is hurting, and if these were the same old Redskins it might not matter. Washington has not been known for its aerial attack during the last decade. But according to Redskins running back Clinton Portis, that's all about to change. "We're going to throw the ball downfield and that's something we haven't done in previous seasons to open up the run game," Portis said this week.
It won't be easy for the Giants to play the game without Kevin Dockery. Starting cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) already is out, meaning second-year Terrell Thomas will make his second career start. If Dockery can't go, there are only six defensive backs and one of them is free-agent rookie Bruce Johnson -- who was undrafted out of Miami. Johnson will have to serve as the nickel back in his NFL debut.

Eli Manning cares what you think. He is protective of his image. The guy who will lead the Giants into tomorrow's season opener against the Redskins might be the least pretentious franchise quarterback in the league. He barely causes a ripple with his outside life. Consider that the Jets' Mark Sanchez hasn't thrown a pass in the NFL, yet already has created more off-field buzz than Manning has in six years.

Sept 11 This was the day eight years ago when Tom Coughlin needed a miracle. This was the day terror struck and Coughlin, the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars on that fateful morning, didn't have a playbook to tell him how to stop his heart from pounding during those frantic, frightful hours when he wondered whether his son would make it out of the South Tower alive.

Bill Sheridan is just a few days away from making his NFL debut as a defensive coordinator, but before Sheridan could talk Thursday about how he thinks his Giants defense will stack up against Clinton Portis and the Redskins in Sunday's season opener, there still were questions to answer regarding his relationship with Osi Umenyiora.

Chase Blackburn went from unemployed to undrafted free agent to special-teams contributor to key backup and finally to spot starter. On Sunday, in the first game of his fifth NFL season, he'll add one more title to his resume: opening-day starter.

Can you imagine Bruce Johnson -- a rookie from Miami who wasn't drafted -- on the field on Sunday at Giants Stadium, lining up at cornerback against Santana Moss or Antwaan Randle El? That certainly wasn't part of any defensive plan put together by the Giants but it very well might happen.
Bruce Johnson had better be in shape because he might be needed on Sunday. Coach Tom Coughlin is hopeful Dockery will be available to come off the bench, but it's uncertain how much he'll be able to play. That could mean the Giants will need Johnson, an undrafted free agent from Miami, to play a lot in his first real game as a pro.

The offensive linemen are taking Albert Haynesworth's arrival in Washington personally. "He was brought, in our eyes, to the Washington Redskins for one reason: To stop our run game," O'Hara said. "That's the challenge ahead of us." Haynesworth almost always lines up on the right side of the line, meaning the dual job of blocking him falls on O'Hara at center and Rich Seubert at left guard.

How about the fact Jason Campbell had more passes dropped than any other starting quarterback last season? Thirty-nine drops! His best wide receivers, Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El, combined to let 21 passes thrown to them by Campbell slip through their hands last season. Statistically, he also was at the bottom of passes overthrown and underthrown for quarterbacks with at least 200 passes. The top four quarterbacks above him in the accuracy category? Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Kurt Warner.

The Giants are teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Stadium Club in Giants Stadium. Giants Alumni, including George Martin, Bart Oates, Howard Cross and Sean Landeta, are scheduled to make appearances throughout the day. All presenting blood donors will receive a limited edition Giants Calendar, a picture of their name in lights on the Giants Stadium scoreboard, and a free pound of coffee compliments of Dunkin' Donuts. Six donors will be randomly selected to win an autographed football, and one donor will win a pair of tickets. Everyone interested should check requirements and must make an appointment or call 1-800-GIVE LIFE. A limited number of appointments are available.

NFL News
The NFL, bracing for an uptick in TV blackouts this season, plans to use its website to rebroadcast those games on a delayed basis. Games that are blacked out in home-team markets will be shown in their entirety for free on a delayed basis on NFL.com. The rebroadcasts will be available beginning at midnight on the day of the game and will remain on the site for 72 hours, except during "Monday Night Football" telecasts.

Sept 10 There’s no better way to start the season than with a home game against the Redskins. This is what we play the game for. This is what football is all about. It was awesome to go in yesterday on our day off and see so many guys in there, preparing themselves to play, breaking down Redskins film. It just goes to show how excited everybody is and how willing they are to put in the time, to make sure Sunday at 4 we’re ready to take on the Washington Redskins.

The big bad New York Giants' rushing game? Yawn. Really, really big running back Brandon Jacobs? So what. Albert Haynesworth, the Washington Redskins' new $100 million defensive tackle, was practically dismissive about the prospect of facing the Giants in Sunday's season opener. In his session with reporters Wednesday, Haynesworth made Washington's NFC East rivals - who had the top running game in the NFL last year - sound no more exciting than a JV team.
"They all fall the same," Albert Haynesworth said of running backs, unimpressed by Jacobs' size. "It doesn't really matter. What is he, 250? I weighed 250 when I was in the 10th grade." It's those kinds of comments that have the Giants even more convinced about why, in the wee hours of free agency, the Redskins gave Haynesworth a seven-year contract worth $100 million with $41 million guaranteed. "In our eyes, he was brought to the Washington Redskins for one reason: To stop our running game," O'Hara said. "That's the challenge ahead of us." It's a big challenge. A really big challenge. A 350-pound challenge.

The Washington Redskins are almost certainly going to load eight men in the box on Sunday to gear up to stop Brandon Jacobs. They're going to dare the Giants to try to win the game with their unheralded, untested and unimpressive receiving corps. And if they do? So what, says tough-talking Tom Coughlin. Bring it on. "You'd have to expect that to a certain level," Coughlin said. "But that probably would be a good thing if they did that." A good thing? "I think we’ve had some experience down the field this preseason," he said. "Certainly that would be one thing that you could do to answer that."

Eli Manning set a career-high last season in completion percentage (60.3) and a career-low in interceptions last season, though his passing yards (3,238) and touchdowns (21) were still far below many other quarterbacks in the league. Then again, as Giants quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer says, comparing Manning - playing in a wind-tunnel of an outdoor stadium in the Northeast and on a run-powered team - to other quarterbacks may not be fair. For all the production that Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer brought, neither of them was particularly speedy. Now, with burners like Domenik Hixon, Mario Manningham, Steve Smith and rookie Hakeem Nicks, "We've got a lot more speed and guys who can get down the field," Eli Manning says.

Sept 9 Hakeem Nicks, the Giants' first-round pick, is fighting against history. In the last 25 years, rookie seasons for Giants receivers have rarely worked out very well. From 1985-2008, a span of 24drafts, the Giants drafted 27 receivers, including three in the first round and six in the second. Yet the best numbers any of those receivers put up as a rookie in the regular season were the 16 catches and 211 yards in 2003 by sixth-round pick David Tyree.

The Giants have spent the last nine months trying to find a wide receiver to replace Plaxico Burress. Could it be that they already have that player on their roster? At a different position than receiver? Kevin Boss thinks so. Remember in that win over the Patriots for the championship, it was Boss who had the longest reception of the game, a 45-yarder. Boss caught 33 passes last season, but six of them were for touchdowns, a team high in that category.

Brandon Jacobs remains a beast but must show he can carry even more of a load. Given the pounding he gives and gets, a complimentary partner is required. Derrick Ward is gone to Tampa and now exciting Ahmad Bradshaw gets to show he's an understudy no more. Don't sleep on Danny Ware, who will push for playing time. Madison Hedgecock at 266 pounds is the perfect blend of contact and crazy on the field as a blocking fullback.

So what exactly went through Bill Sheridan's mind when he grabbed hold of the keys to the Giants' defense? "I think, 'Lucky me,' that's what I think," Sheridan said. Sheridan now has to immediately turn his own good fortune into misery for the opponent, starting Sunday, when the Redskins come to town and the Giants finally get to unleash their defensive fury.

Just like that, Bruce Johnson had become perhaps the unlikeliest member of the Giants' 53-man roster as the team sets its sights on the regular season opener Sunday vs. the Washington Redskins. Although Johnson played well at a renowned football school, the University of Miami, he was not drafted. When he joined the Giants he found four young veteran corners - Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Kevin Dockery and Terrell Thomas - plus draft choices DeAndre Wright and Stoney Woodson ahead of him.

Jay Alford found out the day after the Bears game that he had a torn medial collateral ligament and a partial ACL tear after a collision with a teammate. Team physician Russell Warren had Alford strengthen and rehab for two weeks -- but when his knee was reexamined Friday, Alford said he was told the ACL tear was almost complete and surgery was necessary. The procedure went well, and Alford is at his home in Clifton recovering.

Former Giants
David Tyree, the currently unemployed hero of Super Bowl XLII, worked out for the Baltimore Ravens Tuesday. The Ravens have only four receivers on their 53-man roster and appear to need more, although coach John Harbaugh has said he's OK with opening the season with that number. Andre Woodson being used by Redskins? The real test will be whether quarterback Andre Woodson remains a member of the Redskins’ practice squad next week.

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