Oct 19 Giants coach Tom Coughlin says Mario Manningham's near-touchdown, which was ruled an incompletion, looked a lot like the Lions' Nate Burleson's catch, which was ruled complete. By rule, it was the proper call. Unlike Burleson, Manningham didn't hold the ball all the way through his initial action of getting both feet down and completing the act.

Eli playing like elite QB at bye week. His numbers have been fantastic. Here they are with his NFL rank in parenthesis. Completion Percentage: 63.8 (ninth) Passing Yards: 1,778 (fifth) Touchdowns: 11 (sixth) Interceptions: 5 (T-14th) QB Rating: 101.1 (third).

Seeing his fellow rookies succeed while he sits on the sideline is starting to get to Prince Amukamara. "That kind of makes my blood boil a little bit because I know I can make an impact on this team," Amukamara said. Amukamara broke a bone in his left foot in his second practice with the Giants; the only impact he's made has been as a cheerleader and a constant target for rookie hazing.

Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, who has missed the past two games with a knee injury, said today "you can bet your bottom dollar" he won't play hurt like he did in 2009. "No question about it," he said of remembering the last time he played hurt. "And I will not do that again, point blank."

Oct 18 After Sunday's win over the Bills, coach Tom Coughlin said he'd rather be 6-0 than 4-2. Today, when asked about limiting 60- and 80-yard plays to 10-yarders or so, he replied, "How about 2-yard runs and incompletions? That's what I'd like to see." For the Giants, it's nitpicking time. Or, as it's more commonly known, the bye week. It's also a time to get healthy.
"We have a number of things, as we analyze ourselves, that we will put together in terms of cutups of our team, of our situation -- offense, defense, special teams," Coughlin said. "There are areas in each that we'll try to focus and concentrate on. The third down stuff with the offensive team, obviously."

The Giants are 4-2 entering the bye week and sit atop a division the Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to rule. They have accomplished all of this despite a rash of early-season injuries, a shaky defense and a young linebacking corps. Now comes the hard part. After a Week 7 bye, the Giants will welcome the Miami Dolphins into MetLife Stadium and then say goodbye to the easy part of their schedule.
A death valley of a schedule awaits with games at New England, San Francisco and New Orleans coming in November before opening December at home against powerful Green Bay. Talent for talent, the Giants might not always measure up even if they add healthy bodies over the next few weeks. So to have any chance of surviving during that stretch, they'll need to rely on what might be their greatest strength: Be a cohesive unit that believes in each other from the people calling the plays to those executing them.

The Giants get to rest up during their bye week. After a light week, players will receive a four-day break before reporting back on Monday, for a short practice heading into a game-week preparing for the Dolphins. The first real day of preparation will be next Wednesday, and the Giants could be at or near full strength, with several injured players (Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs, Chris Snee, Henry Hynoski) making their way back to the field.
The Giants (4-2) have been snakebitten by injuries all season, but Coughlin said his team suffered no major ones against Buffalo -- just "minor nicks" -- and will head into its Week 7 bye with a chance to get several injured players back. Coughlin said he wasn't ready to disclose to the media where those players stand regarding their availability for the Dolphins game.

Many Giants have been playing out of position this season because of injury. But Justin Tuck hopes that will change at least somewhat when rookie Prince Amukamara comes back, which he could do in two weeks. Antrel Rolle has been playing a lot of slot cornerback in 2011, and has been doing a fantastic job according to Tuck, but would be better served playing his regular safety role when Amukamara returns and takes over as the third corner covering the slot.
The incorporation of free-agent center David Baas from the 49ers, the move of Will Beatty into a starting role at left tackle and the switch of Diehl from left tackle to left guard were all maneuvers that were cutting deep into the effectiveness of the line. Baas missed the loss to the Seahawks with a neck burner and Chris Snee did not play against the Bills because of a concussion, absences that did not help with cohesion.

Oct 17 Giants win over the Bills, 27-24   |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 6 Gamegirl "...The Bills tied it up and the score went back and forth and was tied 17-17 at halftime This was pretty good at this point because the Giants had given up some really big plays. I felt if they got things under control they would be able to win this one, and they did, but they didn't make it easy. They went ahead in the third quarter on another one yard touchdown run by Bradshaw after Mario Manningham was considered down just short of making it..." Mikefan. "...On offense, Eli Manning was on target this game hitting his receivers with 21 passes on 32 attempts, and must important against this takeaway leading Buffalo team, no interceptions. ...Giants fans should remember to temper any excitement with the fact the team just barely won a game against another team that ranks near last in the NFL on defense. More work needs to be done and the Giants now have a bye week of extra time to prepare for Miami..."

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ESPN - Giants cool off Bills as Ahmad Bradshaw rumbles to 104 yards, 3 TDs.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 27, Bills 24.
ESPN - Bradshaw puts Giants on his back.
ESPN - Webster's two INTs key Giants' win.
ESPN - Why Manningham's 'catch' wasn't a catch.
ESPN - Jake makes name for himself.
Giants.com - Giants Defeat Bills, 27-24.
Giants.com - Postgame QB Eli Manning Q/A.
Giants.com - Postgame RB Ahmad Bradshaw.
Giants.com - Postgame Notes & Statistics.
StarLedger - Giants' Corey Webster notches two interceptions in win over Bills.
StarLedger - Corey Webster's interception leads to Giants' 27-24 victory.
StarLedger - Giants defeat Buffalo Bills, 27-24, at MetLife Stadium.
NYDailyNews - Giants hang on late against Buffalo.
NYDailyNews - Manning protects ball in win over Bills, but has Coughlin gasping at end,
NYDailyNews - Corey Webster has two huge INTs that may be looked back on as season savers.
NYPost - Bradshaw's three touchdowns lead Giants over Bills.
NYPost - 4 1/2 minutes that saved the season.
NYPost - Running angry, Bradshaw lifts Giants in clutch.
NYPost - Webster defines victory with second pick.
BuffaloNews - Fitz, Bills feel sting of coming up just short.
BuffaloNews - Florence: 'I take the blame' for loss.
BuffaloNews - Bills-Giants Report Card.
BuffaloNews - Quarterly report: After some flow, game ebbs away.

Game 6 Preview - Giants (3-2) vs Bills (4-1)
Last week the Bills aggressive defense picked off Michael Vick on the his first two possessions. Overall they hit the Eagles with five turnovers, including the last one where on a 3rd-and-3 at the Bills 25, Vick completed a pass they stripped away to preserve a 31-24 win over Philadelphia.
The Giants could not pull off yet another come from behind win and they lost their game to the Seahawks, 36-25. Same as the Eagles in the Bills game, the Giants were driving the ball. Eli Manning hit Victor Cruz with a pass that was batted around and intercepted, and that turnover was returned for a Seattle touchdown.
Overall. The Bills are on a roll, but In the game before last week in Cincinnati their run defense fell off in the second half once quarterback Andy Dalton started hitting on his passes against them. Last week playing Philadelphia they allowed 8.7 yards per carry on the ground, and even excluding Michael Vick's runs (which Eli certainly won't provide), you still get about 6 yards per carry against them.
This defense gives up as much as their offense takes on the ground, ranking high on the one side - 4th in the NFL with 138.2, and low on the other - 29th with 138.4. This could have been just the opportunity the Giants needed to get their ground game going, but guess what for their offense - guard Chris Snee (concussion) is out, as are running back Brandon Jacobs (knee) and fullback Henry Hynoski (neck).

Oct 16 Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell needs to fix defense before the season slips away. Perry Fewell's defense was riddled by Seattle Seahawks and their 29th-ranked offense and looks to make amends against the 4-1 Buffalo Bills Sunday.
Fewell recognized that opponents are playing more no-huddle against the Giants than they typically run. He said the Giants have had communication problems in counteracting the system, so Fewell will give his players wristbands today to quickly understand the play call.

The Giants have racked up a league-high 18 sacks this season. The Buffalo Bills, meanwhile, have allowed a league-low five, and their starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, has been dropped just three times. So which unit will win when 3-2 Big Blue plays host to the 4-1 Bills Sunday at MetLife Stadium? Osi Umenyiora has a quick answer.

Jake Ballard still feels a certain sense of awe. Every day last season, the undrafted rookie tight end followed Giants veteran Kevin Boss. He sat next to Boss in position conferences and watched Boss closely during practice, admiring the veteran's route-running ability. But instead of working with Boss this year, the second-year tight end is replacing the man who taught him so much.
He was an afterthought in the team's plans this season, at least until Kevin Boss unexpectedly signed with the Oakland Raiders, leaving Ballard, Travis Beckum and Bear Pascoe at the position. And Beckum was supposed to be the starter, with Ballard playing the role of anonymous blocker.

Victor Cruz has risen from Paterson to the NFL, driven by his father's memory and mother's strength. Cruz grew up in Paterson, became a star at UMass and has spent the last two years as a wide receiver with the Giants. Cruz has 19 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns.

The best quarterback of this generation went into Buffalo in Week 3 and spotted himself to a 21-0 lead over the Bills. It seemed impossible that day that Tom Brady and the Patriots would blow a lead that big against a team they had beaten 15 straight times. Then the impossible happened. The Bills picked off Brady four times in the final 31 minutes, sparking a furious rally. The four interceptions were as many as Brady threw last year.

Former Giants
Mark Bavaro and several former Giants reminisced this week about the upset victory 20 years ago. The Giants defeated the 49ers 15-13 in that NFC title game in what Parcells called "the greatest game I ever coached in" to advance to the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., where the Giants were a prohibitive underdog against the Bills and their prolific offense.

Oct 15 Eli Manning's command of the offense has always been a source of immeasurable comfort to coach Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "Eli does a great job of identifying what the defense is doing," Devin Thomas said. "Every game he knows exactly the blitzing schemes and who to pick up to help the O-Line out."

Chris Snee's iron-man streak is over. The Giants right guard has been ruled out for tomorrow's home matchup with the Bills, snapping a string of 101 consecutive regular-season starts for Snee dating to the 2004 season, the second-longest active stretch on the team behind Eli Manning's 108.
Right guard Chris Snee has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Bills with a concussion. Running back Brandon Jacobs (knee), defensive end Justin Tuck (neck/groin) and fullback Henry Hynoski (neck) are also out.

Victor Cruz has been on a wild roller-coaster ride for the Giants. The undrafted wide receiver continues to give Big Blue whiplash by making almost as many big mistakes as eye-popping big plays since he burst onto the scene with his two-touchdown performance at Philadelphia last month.

Osi Umenyiora can accept criticism when it comes from the fans and football media. He chalks that up to part of life as a professional athlete. But Umenyiora takes issue when that criticism comes from ex-teammates. Particularly when those ex-teammates question the toughness of injured players.

Oct 14 Ahmad Bradshaw has fewer rushing yards than Michael Vick this season, has the lowest average yards per carry of his career and has yet to run for more than 86 yards in a game. Even Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said the team's feature back hasn't played up to expectations, although one reason for that is the blocking in front of him.
When Ahmad Bradshaw looks at what Fred Jackson has done this season in Buffalo he's not at all surprised. He might be a little envious, though. "You know what?" Bradshaw said. "They open up holes for him, man." Those are holes the Giants running back hopes his own line will soon start creating for him.

It looks as if the Giants will catch a break this week that could help their sluggish running game finally get off the ground. Bills nose tackle Kyle Williams hasn't practiced because of a left foot injury and there's a decent chance he won't play Sunday. Williams aggravated the problem in the third quarter of last week's victory over the Eagles.

Each week, Giants coach Tom Coughlin preaches the importance of turnovers. Take the ball from the other team, don't give the ball away. Coughlin's first discussion point about Sunday's game against the Bills was Buffalo's ability to generate takeaways, exemplified by their 12 interceptions and an NFL-leading plus-11 turnover margin.

Perry Fewell spent four seasons with the Buffalo Bills as defensive coordinator, including seven games as the interim head coach. He knows a lot of players and is familiar with the organization. But don't expect Sunday's game to become personal for the Giants' defensive coordinator.
It happens often enough. A player goes against his former team, he gets more jacked up than usual and all week hears about how he has to keep his emotions in check and not get all haywire once he sees and hits the uniform he once wore. It does not happens as often with coaches, but it's a major theme this week as the Giants prepare to face the Bills.

Last year, three tight ends with the Giants in training camp didn't make the final roster: Jake Ballard, Bear Pascoe and Scott Chandler. Remember those names, because they'll all be playing vital roles in Sunday's Giants-Buffalo Bills game at MetLife Stadium -- Ballard as the Giants' starting tight end, Pascoe as the team's fullback and Chandler as Buffalo's tight end -- proving once again that final cuts are anything but final.

Former Giants
Tiki Barber hasn't been shy about voicing his opinion about Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning and the NY Giants and more NFL players-turned-analysts should follow his lead, as Antonio Pierce has.

Oct 13 Each week, Giants coach Tom Coughlin preaches the importance of turnovers. Take the ball from the other team, don't give the ball away. Coughlin's first discussion point about Sunday's game against the Bills was Buffalo's ability to generate takeaways, exemplified by their 12 interceptions and an NFL-leading plus-11 turnover margin.
The Giants (3-2) are coming off an extremely disappointing 36-25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, in which they committed five turnovers, including three Eli Manning interceptions. Both Coughlin and Manning stressed Wednesday that the quarterback and his receivers have to be on the same page Sunday.

One of the biggest surprises so far this season has been the Giants' inability to run the ball effectively. A year ago, Big Blue racked up 2,200 yards on the ground -- the sixth-best total in the NFL. So far this season, the team is averaging just 83.8 rushing yards per game, placing them 28th among 32 teams.
When the Giants and Bills get together on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, it will be a reunion of sorts for Giants tight ends Jake Ballard and Bear Pascoe and Bills tight end Scott Chandler. All three were with the Giants in training camp last summer, all three were eventually cut, and all three are now having success in the NFL.

Giants defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, a former first-round pick and a native of Yonkers, has been suspended by the NFL for four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Kennedy, 31, the 12th pick of the 2003 draft, begins his suspension without pay immediately, according to a statement issued by the league.
Coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday the Giants knew Jimmy Kennedy had failed an NFL test to detect performance enhancing drugs, and was awaiting an appeal, prior to signing the veteran defensive tackle in late August. Asked if the Giants considered not signing Kennedy because of the failed test, Coughlin said, "Possibly, but we signed him."

Wide receiver Mario Manningham is in a contract year and he has signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus. Manningham, who confirmed a report by the Sports Business Journal that he had switched agents, was asked whether he wanted an extension or to play out the season.
Giants rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams, who was featured in an ESPN documentary on agents, is in the process switching representation for the second time. He plans to hire Drew Rosenhaus.
In the Sept. 25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams was frequently used as the so-called spy, tracking quarterback Michael Vick throughout each play. Without his above-average acceleration, Williams would not have been able to keep up with the shifty Vick.

After Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Henry Hynoski took a look at his right shoulder pad. The part that's usually curved was flat and everything underneath was, as he put it, "busted up." And the Giants rookie fullback was happy.

Eli Manning quietly stole receiver Hakeem Nicks's cell phone, punched a few keys and when Nicks came back to his locker, the phone's operational language had been switched to Japanese. "I had to get somebody's help," Nicks said. Pausing Wednesday, Manning's best receiver thought back to that long-annoying-day a year ago and said, "Steve Smith. I think me and Steve figured it out-because Eli did it to him before."

Jennie Finch was at the Giants' Timex Performance Center on Wednesday, as part of a cross-sponsor event prior to her running the ING New York City Marathon next month. The former Olympic softball gold medalist donned a blue Giants jersey with her name on the back. Finch then played receiver and looked very comfortable catching a football, hauling in several passes from tight ends Jake Ballard and Bear Pascoe.

Former Giants
Former Giants push Bill Parcells for Hall of Fame. If Parcells doesn't get in right away, it only will be because his sometimes surly way with the media over the years turned a lot of writers off, and they may let that affect their votes. If that happens, it will be pettiness to travesty proportions.

Oct 12 Giants need 'W' because the schedule only gets tougher. Second-half swoons under Coughlin are common and this season a dive might be inevitable. After the Bills this Sunday and then the bye, the Giants face the Dolphins before a five-week stretch with teams currently ranked first, third, second and fourth in total offense, with the 4-1 49ers the only team not among the scoring elite.

Antrel Rolle never was a teammate of Michael Strahan or Antonio Pierce, but the Giants safety Tuesday said he doesn't feel either one of them should be chiming in on Justin Tuck's neck injury.
They sometimes say things they'd never quietly accept if those things were said about them. And it's not just Pierce, who chided Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs on Monday for not playing through injuries that didn't require surgery.
But while Brandon Jacobs is apparently stewing over the criticism from Pierce for sitting out against Seattle with a knee injury ("I'll just say Brandon's response to it wasn't as kind-hearted and lovable as mine was," Tuck said), the defensive captain remains calm.

Stadium News
Set your calendars for Feb. 2, 2014. That's the date for the Super Bowl XLVIII that will be played at MetLife Stadium, the home of the Jets and Giants.
The Super Bowl in the Meadowlands, the first outdoor Super Bowl at a cold-weather site, will not conflict with the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Oct 11 There are few complexities when the term Giants Football is explained within the team's East Rutherford headquarters: Run the ball and stop the run. Through five games, though, the Giants have been ineffective at both. They are No. 27 (out of 32) in the NFL in rushing offense and No. 21 in rushing defense.
In a game the Giants could have and should have won, Eli Manning threw for 420 yards and the Giants rushed for 69 yards on 25 carries, with the longest run being Ahmad Bradshaw's 13-yarder in the first quarter. Those numbers are all off-kilter and even more glaring, considering the Giants once put the "smash" in smashmouth football.

Struggling NY Giants running game may be without linemen Chris Snee, David Bass vs. Bills Sunday. After letting veterans Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert leave in the offseason, the Giants have been breaking in a new core. Tom Coughlin said the unit has had "no consistency," and it has shown. A team ranked in the NFL's top 10 in rushing yards in five of the past six seasons currently fields the league's sixth-worst rushing attack.
The Giants said nearly to a man Monday that their issues are small, mostly involving inconsistency and failed execution. But with better competition ahead, beginning with the Buffalo Bills (4-1) coming to MetLife Stadium, the Giants need to fix their issues. Their 36-25 loss to Seattle provided all the motivation they could need. "I think a lot of times you look at the film and you just shake your head as far as whatever the situation may be," Justin Tuck said.

Many teams are moving a safety into the box against Big Blue, creating eight-man fronts that make running the ball more difficult. Manning was asked if he thought using more no-huddle would eliminate the safety coming up. "No. I don't think that would make a difference. We tried a little no-huddle during the second quarter for a couple of series and didn't have much success with it," Manning said.

The turning point in Sunday's loss arguably came long before Victor Cruz slipped and Eli Manning threw a pick-six. With 7:07 remaining in the third quarter, the Giants were pinned back at their own 5 and trying to get out of trouble. They elected to run a play to the right in which the front side linemen -- Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie -- would pull and Henry Hynoski would provide a lead block, allowing D.J. Ware to burst through a gaping hole.

Justin Tuck is now suffering from three ailments: a strained groin, a neck burner and a ringing in his ears from former teammates turned analysts criticizing him. Last month, it was Michael Strahan who said the Giants' defensive captain should have been on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles. Today, it was Antonio Pierce saying Tuck shouldn't have sat out the loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The irony is that Pierce's own career was ended two years ago by a neck injury that never required surgery. And Tuck, in an appearance on WFAN Monday afternoon, said "I definitely remember him missing some games." He also said that surgery is "what we're trying to avoid."

Oct 10 Giants lose to the Seahawks, 36-25   |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 5 Gamegirl "...Cruz makes big plays and is a big fan favorite and for the second week in a row he'll have a lot of reporters by his locker asking questions. This week will be worse because of the loss. his Giants team has to get their act together before they play Buffalo next week..." Mikefan. "...Other factors were that the Seahawks made three turnovers in the first half to the Giants two, but the Seahawks got their act together and made no more. The Giants added three more. Also the Giants were without three starters. DE Justin Tuck - would have mattered, RB Brandon Jacobs - would not have mattered, and center David Baas - would have mattered..."

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ESPN - Charlie Whitehurst leads Seahawks over Giants after Tarvaris Jackson injured.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Seahawks 36, Giants 25.
ESPN - Miscommunication? Or did they just stop?
Giants.com - Giants fall to Seahawks, 36-25.
Giants.com - Postgame WR Victor Cruz Q/A.
Giants.com - Postgame Notes & Statistics.
StarLedger - Chris Snee hospitalized after concussion suffered in loss to Seahawks.
StarLedger - Giants fall to Seahawks, 36-25, to snap three-game winning streak.
StarLedger - Confusion, big plays and phantom whistle steer Giants to 36-25 upset loss to Seahawks.
StarLedger - Big plays -- both good and bad -- continue to define Giants wideout Victor Cruz's play.
StarLedger - Giants red-zone offense fails in crucial moments.
StarLedger - Seahawks pull off 36-25 upset over Giants.
StarLedger - Tight end Jake Ballard emerges as passing-game weapon with big day against Seahawks.
NYDailyNews - Manning intercepted late, one of three picks, in Giants' 36-25 loss to Seahawks.
NYDailyNews - Victor Cruz makes huge plays Sunday, both for Big Blue and Seahawks.
NYDailyNews - Giants have been living on the edge, but they finally go over it.
NYPost - Giants lose to lowly Seahawks.
NYPost - No defense for this ugly effort.
NYPost - Giants' Cruz influences game -- for good and bad.
NYPost - Manning's late interception seals Giants' loss to Seahawks.
NYPost - Concussion shelves Snee.
NYPost - Giants can't stop Whitehurst.
Record - Interception pushes the Seahawks past Giants 36-25.
Record - Giants running game suffers against Seattle.
SeattleTimes - Whitehurst, Browner rally Seahawks to 36-25 win over Giants.
SeattleTimes - Instant replay: A brief sketch of the Seahawks' victory over the Giants.

Game 5 Preview - Giants (3-1) vs Seahawks (1-3)
Last Sunday the Seahawks were down 24-7 at the half and then 27-7 at the start on the third quarter. They came back with three touchdowns while holding Atlanta to just one more field goal but that was all the Falcons needed to deal the Seahawks a 30-28 loss.
Eli Manning tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks with 2:46 remaining right after a controversial call went their way. This game wasn't easy or pretty, but the Giants were able to escape from Arizona with a come-from-behind 31-27 victory.
Seattle Seahawks. They are the 2010 NFC West division champs and they did that somehow with a 7-9 record. Head coach Pete Carroll in his first year, got them up from an even worse 5-11 record and since they had defeated the equally poor 7-9 Rams twice, they were in. Carroll even managed his team to one playoff win against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (11-5) before going on to lose to Chicago.
The weakest area on this team was their running game. They ranked next to last in the NFL in 2010 and are currently in that same spot. Shaun Alexander is long gone and they haven't found a capable replacement. Why not pick up his look-alike, Tiki Barber? Even an aging Barber could crack their 67.5 yard per game average. Now here's a quote for you - "It's crazy," Plaxico Burress said to the New York Post about Barber not getting a run with a team. "He's better than half the backs in the league."

Oct 9 The Giants' 41-7 victory over the Seahawks last season was a domination on Seattle's home turf, and it could allow the Giants to enter the game with residual confidence -- if this year's edition of the Seahawks appeared like last season's. Instead, Seattle is starting 15 different players today than it did last November, including eight on offense and seven on defense.

D.J. Ware is approaching Sunday's game against Seattle as an audition. With Brandon Jacobs expected to sit out with a mildly sprained medial collateral ligament, Ware, a little-used tailback, is expected to earn carries behind Ahmad Bradshaw. "I take this like it's my last time carrying the ball," Ware said. "So go out there and take advantage of the opportunity."

Establishing the running game remains a priority today when the Giants (3-1) play the Seahawks (1-3) at MetLife Stadium, especially coming off a week when the Giants were outrushed 156 to 56. But running back Brandon Jacobs didn't practice all week while nursing a swollen knee, leaving Ahmad Bradshaw as the lone real running threat against the Seahawks.

Mario Manningham has had a concussion and some sloppy outings for Giants so far this season, as coaches dropped him to No. 3 receiver midway through last week's win vs. Cardinals. He was sitting on the sidelines for long stretches last Sunday, clearly dejected. Victor Cruz had replaced Mario Manningham in two-receiver sets. Even Eli Manning had to console him in the fourth quarter. Manningham, the Giants' starting receiver, finished with just one catch for 10 yards.

Hakeem Nicks, 23, has blossomed into one the best receivers in the NFL despite his early struggles and will get another chance to prove it today when the Giants (3-1) host the Seattle Seahawks. He ranks 10th in the league in receiving yards (347) and tied for 11th in receptions (24). He's done it despite being hobbled by a bruised and hyperextended knee suffered in the season opener in Washington.

Victor Cruz also said he believes he's in the mix with starters Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham as far as making a significant contribution to the offense. "One week it will be me, one week it will be Hakeem, one week it will be all three of us," Cruz said. "I think we're that talented where each week it could be either one of us to have a big game."

It's a tough gig to be an NFL quarterback these days. In addition to facing the constant blitz from defenses, media and fans, the team's passer also has to manage the egos and sometimes-fragile minds of his targets Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress and Tiki Barber were, and still are, prideful, outspoken players who wanted the ball on every play. When they didn't get it -- and when one of their teammates didn't, either -- they often threw up their hands in disgust, kicked a ball in frustration or started barking on the sideline.

Dave Tollefson on Osi Umenyiora - "Speed. Explosion. Nothing like Osi getting off the ball, it's like watching a freaking silent movie. You don't even need to hear anything, it's like you already know what's going on, you know? When he is in tune, and he gets off the ball, I don't know if there's anybody that can block him when he does that. He puts such a strain on a tackle? I mean, he's backing up and Osi's running forward, so obviously he's already at a disadvantage. But then Osi has this -- we call it The Gift or Guess. You guessing the snap or you got the gidt."

Oct 8 The Giants will be without center David Baas for Sunday's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. He was ruled out by the team with a neck injury. Kevin Boothe, who substituted for Baas last Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, will start in the middle of the offensive line. Making matters worse, Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs are listed as doubtful on the injury report.

Brandon Jacobs is doubtful with a knee injury requiring the Giants to look down the depth chart for a rusher to share the load with Ahmad Bradshaw. That next player is D.J. Ware, a 26-year-old with 183 yards and 4.8 yards per carry in 33 career games. Ware is in his fifth season with the Giants, although he has never been a front-line player. His role has been limited to special teams, but he has a knowledge of the offense rare for a third-stringer.

Kevin Boothe will start for the injured David Baas, who definitely will not play because of a neck injury. Boothe may be an unknown commodity to Giants fan, but he isn't to the organization for which his value is his versatility and dependability. He has been a backup at center, guard and tackle since being acquired off waivers from Oakland in 2007.

A day after he sustained his first physical contact in 10 months, Osi Umenyiora felt like he was "in hell." "It was the worst I've ever felt in my life," the defensive end said Friday when asked how sore he was. "I can't even tell you, but as it progressed it got better and better." Umenyiora characterized the soreness as general "football soreness." "Not my knee or my hip," Umenyiora said. "It was just overall my body was hurting."

Hakeem Nicks, who is coming off a 10-reception, 162-yard performance against the Cardinals Sunday, says he is not a fan of trash talking. Hakeem doesn't tweet. Not once. Not ever. So, those Hakeem Nicks imitators out there on Twitter might as well cease and desist because they're not fooling anyone.

Tom Coughlin believes Steve Jobs could have been one heckuva football coach. Jobs, the brilliant and visionary co-founder of Apple, died Wednesday at the age of 56 and his life's work did not go unnoticed by the Giants head coach. "I read last spring about Steve Jobs in Fortune magazine, there wasn't any question the guy could have been a football coach - probably a lot smarter than most of us. I'm not sure how the iPad would have been in the huddle, but he probably would have figured out how to get it in."

Oct 7 More than a month after suffering the initial burner when he collided with the Jets' Vlad Ducasse in a preseason game, Justin Tuck is still battling the effects and changing equipment in an effort to help the symptoms subside. Tuck realizes this issue might not go away anytime soon. "There's no guarantee that if I sit out until the bye week, I'll be healthy the whole season," Tuck said. "You just have to go on what you're feeling that day, and that's why they say it's day to day."
Justin Tuck has grown tired of his neck injury. He's tired of being day-to-day. He's tired of the questions. And even after just two games, he's tired of opponents using his neck as a target. How frustrated is the Giants' defensive captain? "Look at my face," Tuck said, "and you'll answer that question." Even the doctors can't tell him for sure that extra rest would help him heal.

A quick survey in the Giants' locker room about the Seahawks yielded the expected careful responses. Referring to Seattle's record, Coach Tom Coughlin said, "Don't be fooled by the 1-3." Eli Manning said the Seahawks "have lost a few games, but they have been close and been right in there until the very end." Antrel Rolle said the Giants "are in for a battle coming in on Sunday."

That the Giants are usually one of the NFL's best rushing teams is not just an oft-repeated refrain, it is a fact supported by statistics. So what, exactly, has happened? Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "I think as we go along we'll get better at it. I think part of it is just the coordination and the cohesion of the guys up front - the better deepening of understanding of some of our new guys, whether it's the tight end or center, the moving of the tackle to guard and the new tackle, that type of thing."

Cornell alumnus Kevin Boothe is filling in for the injured David Baas at center for the Giants. The Giants lost Baas midway through Sunday's game at Arizona, but the offense kept chugging behind Boothe and scored twice in the final 3:44 to pull off a comeback win. "Kevin's good enough to be a starter to me," defensive tackle Linval Joseph said after two days of battling against Boothe. "He's got great hands and he's smart. Really smart."

Brandon Jacobs wanted to be "unleashed." And if the Giants' big back has his way, he may get back on the field Friday. Jacobs sat out his second straight practice Thursday as he continued to nurse swelling in his left knee. His status for Sunday's game against the Seahawks has yet to be determined, but he is at least ready to test the knee. Jacobs said he hurt his knee in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the Cardinals in Arizona. He remained in the game, however, rushing for a 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Mario Manningham's playing time was reduced in the second half of last Sunday's win in Arizona, but offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said the wide receiver wasn't benched and remains a starter. "That was really his best game," Gilbride said. "He had nothing to show for it production-wise but ran a lot of good routes and got himself open. It's just because of the coverage or what have you, the ball went the other way. But really that was his best game." Manningham sat out one full drive and finished with one catch for 10 yards.

Oct 6 The Giants' offensive plan was supposed to be a simple one. They wanted to be a power team, not a finesse one. They wanted to run the ball, and run it a lot. So far, though, they just haven't run it very well. It hasn't hurt them yet, thanks mostly to the red-hot Eli Manning, but their failures on the ground have been a thorn in the side of their otherwise rosy 3-1 start. What was once one of the NFL's best rushing attacks is now among its worst.
The Giants are not accustomed to being 24th in the league in rushing, but that's what you deserve when you manage only 87.5 yards a game and when the starting running back, Ahmad Bradshaw, averages 4.1 yards per carry and the primary backup, Brandon Jacobs, is laboring at 3.1 yards per attempt. "We just got to get it going," right guard Chris Snee said. "I'm tired of seeing 80 yards a game and averaging three yards a carry. It's got to be fixed."

Despite winning consecutive games, the Giants allowed 333 combined rushing yards in victories over the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals, including 4.6 yards per carry. These numbers are enough to make coach Tom Coughlin exhaust his lexicon for an apt description, prompting him to say on Monday that the team needed to take "extraordinary means" to stop the issue.

Since Pete Carroll took over as coach and vice president of football operations in Seattle last season, the Seahawks have only 10 players on the 53-man roster remaining from 2009. They have 24 players in their first season with the team and they carry the youngest starting unit in the league. Deon Grant, who played three seasons with the Seahawks before coming to the Giants last season, said they are practically unrecognizable.

The hope among the Giants' coaches and staff was Prince Amukamara would miss 8 to 10 weeks after breaking his foot on Aug. 6. This is the ninth week. And you officially can forget about the original time frame. "After the bye," Tom Coughlin said. The bye is the weekend of Oct. 23, which means the Giants will now be happy if their first-round pick is back in action by the end of the month..
It means the Giants' 2011 first-round draft pick is still at least three weeks away from making his NFL debut. He's been out since early August, when he broke his left foot in his second practice. He had surgery on Aug. 6, and the Giants initially said he'd be out 8-10 weeks.

Chad Jones continued his long road back to playing football by running a couple of 40-yard dashes on his 23rd birthday. Running on a track at St. Martin's Episcopal School in Metairie (La.), Jones was clocked running a 4.84 and a 4.90 according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Jones, the Giants' third-round pick in 2010 out of LSU, nearly died in a car accident last summer and has had a long, grueling rehab.

Oct 5 With a quarter of the season gone, Eli Manning has thrown two interceptions, and he's on pace for 32 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. It is unlikely he can keep up his torrid passing spree, but after four games he's the No. 3-ranked quarterback in the league, his rating of 105.6 behind only Aaron Rodgers (124.6) and Tom Brady (111.3).
The former Super Bowl MVP completed 27 of 40 passes Sunday in the comeback victory over the Cardinals, throwing for 321 yards and two touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, Manning completed 14 of 17 for 180 yards and both TD strikes. For the season, Manning has completed 80 of 125 passes (64 percent) for 1,066 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. In the fourth quarter, he has completed 29 of 38 passes for 353 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions (for an NFL-best 139.5 passer rating).

When the Giants looked at the Cardinals' offense last week, nobody could have scared them more than Larry Fitzgerald. He is an impossible-to-stop receiver. Sometimes all a defense can do is minimize the damage. It's the same way opposing defenses must look at Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks.

The Giants signed backup center Jim Cordle off the practice squad and free agent cornerback Justin Tryon on Tuesday. They terminated the contracts of wide receiver Brandon Stokley and quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who was on injured reserve. The Cordle move comes after starting center David Baas aggravated a burner injury and went for tests on Monday. Baas' status for Sunday's game appears to be in question. If he cannot play, Kevin Boothe likely will start and Cordle could be the backup.

Linebacker Mark Herzlich never met Jay McGillis, the late Boston College safety who died of leukemia and inspired Tom Coughlin's Jay Fund Foundation. But he heard his inspiring story, long before he was forced to begin his own cancer fight.
Herzlich's a cancer survivor, battling Ewing's sarcoma in 2009 while a standout linebacker at Boston College. Nearly 20 years earlier, Coughlin watched what cancer could do to someone's life while he coached BC.

Oct 4 On Sunday night, Tom Coughlin said he "didn't know what to think" when he saw Victor Cruz hit the ground and lose the ball. Today, he was sure about his thoughts. And they were the same as those of the officials, who ruled Cruz has given himself up, thereby ending the play.
According to Rule 7, Section 4, Article 1 (a), "An official shall declare dead ball and the down ended . . . when a runner is out of bounds or declares himself down by falling to the ground and makes no effort to advance." The call is not reviewable.
But in my opinion, Cruz slipped and stumbled and didn't fall to the ground to give himself up. I think it should have been ruled a fumble. I just don't see this as the normal way a player would give himself up. He was clearly moving forward and gaining yardage when he went to the ground. I don't think the rule was meant to protect him in this situation.

Not many expected the Giants to open 3-1 after the free-agent losses and injuries they suffered. The Eagles (1-3) were supposedly building a Dream Team and the Cowboys (2-2) were supposed to be rejuvenated. But it's the Giants who have persevered with players filling voids left by others.
Corey Webster, the veteran cornerback who batted away the final Cardinals pass intended for Larry Fitzgerald, called the victory "huge" and explained the comeback by saying, "We just kept grinding. It shows you the perseverance this team has. We never stopped, we never gave up, we never thought we were out of the game."

Eli Manning has been a reformed man, more accurate and more cautious when necessary. He stands third in the quarterback ratings right now at 105.6, behind only Aaron Rodgers (124.6) and Brady (111.3), who's thrown five interceptions.
Forget what you learned in math class. For Hakeem Nicks, one is greater than two. When he sees one defensive back defending him on a route -- instead of two -- he knows he's got a chance to do damage. So when Nicks saw single coverage Sunday in Arizona, the results were predictable.

Tom Coughlin wasn't happy about everything the Giants did in the desert on Sunday. One thing that got on his nerves? His team's run defense. "We're going to have to take some extraordinary means to try to solve that issue," Coughlin said. .

Justin Tuck said he suffered a setback with the pain in his neck after playing against the Eagles last week and sat out Sunday's win over the Cardinals. He hopes the pain will subside with the past weekend off. The defensive end, who also has a strained groin, will likely take it easy this week as well in an effort to play against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Tuck missed the season opener in Washington as well as Sunday's 31-27 comeback victory over the Cardinals due to lingering stiffness in his neck. It sounds as if he will not rush himself back this Sunday against the Seahawks. Tuck did not rule himself out for this week. "We'll take it to the weekend," he said. "Hopefully we have no setbacks."

Before Osi Umenyiora made his season debut, Tom Coughlin and the Giants coaching staff penciled him in for 25-35 plays. But late in the fourth quarter of a tight game, Umenyiora lobbied for a few more plays. The Giants' staff acquiesced; the team benefited.

Oct 3 Giants win over the Cardinals, 31-27   |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 4 Gamegirl "...Dave Tollefson played well, and it was great to see Osi Umenyiora back on the field. He caused Kevin Kolb to fumble and like Dave, he also finished up with two sacks. Antrel Rolle started his career with the Cardinals and he made a key play when he intercepted a pass intended for his former teammate Larry Fitzgerald...." Mikefan. "...Hakeem Nicks had only three catches for 25 yards last week, but he was the star receiver today, catching ten passes from Eli Manning for 162 yards and one touchdown. Victor Cruz also did his part, catching 6 passes for 98 yards and maybe got away with a mistake when he gave up on the ball thinking he was down by contact..."

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ESPN - Eli Manning stuns Cardinals with 2 TDs in 58 seconds as Giants survive.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 31, Cardinals 27.
ESPN - Cruz relieved play was not ruled a fumble.
ESPN - Vintage Osi in season debut.
Giants.com - Giants Win Thriller, 31-27.
StarLedger - Giants outlast the Cardinals in 31-27 thriller.
StarLedger - Giants return to site of Super Bowl magic, come away with 31-27 win over Cardinals.
StarLedger - Eli Manning finds familiar target in Hakeem Nicks in Giants' win over Cardinals.
StarLedger - NFL okay with no fumble call on Victor Cruz.
StarLedger - Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes takes a licking, keeps on kicking.
StarLedger - Giants' Osi Umenyiora back on the field, gets chance to reminisce.
NYDailyNews - Eli sparks another Brady-esque comeback.
NYDailyNews - Giants' Victor Cruz nearly gives ball away.
NYDailyNews - Giants Beckum looks for Giant improvement.
NYPost - Giants come back from 10 down in fourth quarter to beat Cardinals
NYPost - Ref's call saves Cruz from gaffe.
NYPost - Nicks makes TD grab similar to Plaxico's.
NYPost - It's 'D'-lightful to have Osi back.
NYPost - Tuck fails to answer starting gun.
Record - Giants come back to beat Cardinals, 31-27.
Record - Kicker Lawrence Tynes was run into twice more Sunday.
AZCentral - New York Giants add to Arizona Cardinals' woes.
AZCentral - The heat is on for Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb.
AZCentral - Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald sets another record in loss.
Revengeofthebirds - Arizona Cardinals choke, lose to New York Giants 31-27.
Revengeofthebirds - Giants 31, Cardinals 27: Postgame Reactions And Quotes.
Revengeofthebirds - Five Negatives From The Cardinals/ Giants Week Four Game.

NFC East News
Redskins' defense keeps Rams winless.
Eagles collapse in 4th again as 49ers reach 3-1.
Cowboys lose to the Lions 34-30.

Game 4 Preview - Giants (2-1) vs Cardinals (1-2)
Last Sunday the Cardinals lost their game in Seattle 13-10, giving their division rival their first win of the season. The Seahawks took the lead in the third quarter and held the Cardinals scoreless for the entire second half.
The Giants traveled to Philadelphia and won their division game against the Eagles 29-16. There was no spectacular comeback this time for the Philly fans even though they pulled ahead in the third quarter. It's still early, but for now, the 'dream team' is in last place in the NFC East.
Cardinals offense. Last season they ranked last and next to last in rushing and passing. It's not hard to improve on that and they have. Running back Beanie Wells was sorely missed last week. He alone had 183 yards in the first two games with a 5.7 yards per carry average, but was out with a hamstring injury. Wells replacements, Chester Taylor and Alfonso Smith, averaged less than 3 yards a carry.

Oct 2 The Giants' improving receiving corps -- headlined by Hakeem Nicks and complemented by Mario Manningham and Cruz -- gained confidence last week against the best secondary they'll face in the early portion of the schedule. That confidence can be rewarded against one of the most inexperienced pair of cornerbacks the team will face all year.
Ever since misfiring on eight of his first 11 passes this season, Eli Manning is 32-of-42 (76 percent) for 435 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. Manning has been sacked 10 times, which is too many, but the Giants prefer their quarterback get sent to the turf with the ball rather than throw it up for grabs for a turnover.

Four weeks into the season, general manager Jerry Reese's prediction/suggestion the Giants will make the playoffs doesn't sound so foolish, thanks to favorable early schedule and an NFC East race that appears to be wide open. The optimism is in contrast to the gloom and doom forecasts for the Giants after an offseason when they seemed to lose more talent than they gained and a training camp riddled with injuries to key players.

Through three games this season, Boley already has two fumble recoveries and a touchdown. During the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, he returned an interception for a score. And it's coming during a season when Boley needed to undertake greater responsibility. He wears the headset in the defensive huddle after Jonathan Goff suffered a season-ending knee injury. He's responsible for making calls for the rest of the defense and putting the other linebackers in proper position.

Travis Beckum could hear the groans from the other end of the Turnpike when he caught a fourth-down pass last Sunday in Philadelphia and fell before getting the first down. It was another disappointment in a career that's been full of them - another flash of unfulfilled potential. The Giants have plans for Beckum, who was a dynamic pass-catcher at the University of Wisconsin, plans that go beyond the "third-down tight end" label Tom Coughlin gave him earlier this year.
The Giants aren't looking for a Pro Bowl out of Beckum today against the Cardinals. They gladly will take him getting downfield a few times and making himself a reliable threat over the middle, something quarterback Eli Manning does not have. "We are hoping that he can get open and catch the ball," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said.

Prince Amukamara, a native of Glendale, Ariz., did not head west for today's game as he continues to rehab from a broken foot. The first-round pick won't get to play in front of family and friends - or show Arizona what it passed over when it selected fellow cornerback Patrick Peterson in April's draft. Instead he'll watch the game alone on TV about 2,500 miles away, still recovering.

Oct 1 One day after Justin Tuck said he'll play if he makes the trip to Arizona, Osi Umenyiora said the same. Truth is, neither Giants player really knows as of yet and won't know until Sunday. But the chances are decent both defensive ends will be on the field for the first time this year.

Osi Umenyiora, on the verge of what looks to be his season debut, sounded yesterday as if his hard feelings toward Giants management remain front and center. Speaking in a low monotone with his left knee heavily wrapped, Umenyiora repeatedly used the word "disrespected" -- without identifying by whom -- when asked about his motivation.

Two years almost to the day after microfracture knee surgery, Kenny Phillips is looking like the Kenny Phillips of old. That's great news for the Giants and even better news for the former first-round draft pick, who said yesterday he wondered if his NFL career was in danger of extinction barely after it began.

The Giants might not have realized how fortunate they are to have long snapper Zak DeOssie until observing other players trying to snap the ball in DeOssie's absence. DeOssie missed his second consecutive day of practice today with a back injury. He's listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Arizona. Linebacker Mark Herzlich and center David Baas tried snapping at the end of practice today. Although Coughlin said they were "outstanding" and did "pretty well," there were clearly dribbling snaps that made the holder look like a shortstop.

NFC East News
Final Word: NFC East. Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 4.

Sept 30 Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who hurt his knee in Week 1, has made seven catches for 63 yards in his past two games. Still, the Giants need more production from Nicks. "A lot of roll coverage towards my way now, but coach still puts me in good situations to get open," Nicks said. "It'll work out for the best."

Larry Fitzgerald and Antrel Rolle were teammates for years with the Arizona Cardinals, so Fitzgerald is looking forward to seeing Rolle on Sunday when Rolle and the New York Giants head to Arizona for their Week 4 game. Whether the Giants are looking forward to seeing Fitzgerald is another story.

Last season, the Giants' 42 turnovers were the most in the league. They did not have a turnover-free game until Nov. 28. Through three games, the Giants (2-1) are tied with Minnesota, San Francisco and Detroit for the fewest turnovers in the N.F.L., with two. All those teams have winning records except the Vikings (0-3).

Sept 29 Eli Manning understood why everyone was in such a panic this summer. He knew the offense was struggling and that most of the worries were about him. He also knew something else - that eventually he'd be fine. Since starting 2-for-11 in a win over the St. Louis Rams the previous week, Manning has completed 32 of 41 passes (78%) for 435 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions - good for a passer rating of 150.4 over 6-1/2 quarters.

Victor Cruz surveyed the coverage he was about to face, and one thought surfaced before the Paterson native went out and made the decisive touchdown reception in Sunday's 29-16 victory over the Eagles. There was no way Eli Manning was going to throw the football in his direction.Manning decided to tempt fate and heave one to Cruz anyway. The riskiest of throws ended up providing the Giants with the greatest of rewards.

Before practice Wednesday, defensive end Justin Tuck (groin and neck) rode a stationary bike, rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara (foot) did some running on the side, receiver Mario Manningham (concussion) ran routes and caught passes and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) worked in drills. They are the Giants' walking wounded with the prospects of being on the field soon.

If all goes according to plan, Osi Umenyiora could be back in his starting role on Sunday. That would mean Jason Pierre-Paul, who is tied for second in the NFL with 4 1/2 sacks, would be relegated to a backup/rotational role once again. "It is cool," Pierre-Paul said. "When they put me in, I am going to get a sack regardless. You can come off the bench and you can do the same thing. It is just the way you play. There are enough snaps."
The Giants never get tired of seeing Pierre-Paul continue to grow at a rapid rate. Pierre-Paul admits he has benefited from opening the season as a starter. "It is way different, totally different because I know what I am doing," Pierre-Paul said of the difference between this season and last year. "I don't have to think as much."

Surrounded by four rookies and thrust into a role as teacher and leader, Giants linebacker Michael Boley has flourished. From calling out defensive plays to making them -- like repeatedly stuffing the Eagles on short-yardage situations in Sunday's win -- Boley is playing the best football of his career, and the Giants are benefiting from it.

During the portion of practice open to the media, Mario Manningham looked sharp running some routes and making catches. Eli Manning could have Hakeem Nicks, Manningham, Victor Cruz and Travis Beckum together for the first time this season. Beckum just returned to action last Sunday when Manningham was out with a concussion.

The Giants (2-1) travel to Arizona (1-2) Sunday. It's where Rolle played five seasons after being drafted in the first round in 2005 out of Miami. He made the Pro Bowl in 2009 before signing with the Giants. Rolle insists he isn't seeking to make a statement against his former team or prove the Cardinals wrong for letting him go. It's business as usual instead of a Homecoming Game. At least that's what he says.

Things don't get any easier for the Giants secondary this Sunday. Last week, they had to deal with Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. This week, it's Cardinals all-world wideout Larry Fitzgerald. "He's a big play receiver," cornerback Aaron Ross said. ".... The plays never over with him." In other words, it may be a long Sunday in the desert for Giants' defensive backs. "

Sept 28 Eli Manning has been selected as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance in the Giants' 29-16 victory Sunday over the Eagles in Lincoln Financial Field. Manning completed 16 of 23 passes for 254 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 29-16 victory in Philadelphia. It was the sixth four-touchdown game of Manning's career and his first since Dec. 19, 2010, also against the Eagles.

John Mara knows not to get overly emotional about wins. He understands the week-to-week volatility of the NFL, and that a big win against the Eagles could be dampened by a poor performance against the Cardinals. So Mara, the Giants' president, is not any more confident than he already was about his team. But he knows his customers might be.

Antrel Rolle needs to balance fire with keeping cool. The fiery, physical safety out of Miami can be a double-edged sword when emotions get the best of him - and it happens often. He has been flagged for two unnecessary-roughness penalties this season - including one Sunday. Both led to touchdowns for opponents. But he is not apologizing.

How do you figure Victor Cruz, a second-year pro out of Paterson, N.J., and UMass who was ignored by NFL scouts, would make cornerback Nnamdi Asomougha miss on one touchdown catch, and then out-fight him for a ball on another? Wasn't Asomougha the offseason's biggest free-agent prize?

No one is saying Jacquian Williams -- a sixth-round draft pick from South Florida -- will turn out to be a five-time Pro Bowler, a ferocious, inspirational leader in the Armstead mold. But 18 years after the Giants in 1993, almost as an afterthought, took Jessie Armstead in the eighth round -- a round that no longer exists -- Armstead said Williams is the next-fastest linebacker to wear a Giants uniform.
The rookie linebacker recorded a team-high nine tackles in the Giants' 29-16 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams' development has progressed beyond all expectations, considering the sixth-round pick out of South Florida was not expected to make much of an impact on the field beyond special teams this season. Heck, he was on the bubble on cut day, and might have made the team only because of injuries at linebacker.

NFL News

2014 Super Bowl host committee unveils logo, corporate sponsors. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the game would ideally include a "little" snowfall. The logo unveiled even included a snowflake. The game at MetLife Stadium will be the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather venue. Although the lowest Super Bowl kickoff temperature has been 39 degrees, average February temperatures at East Rutherford, N.J., are 24 to 40 degrees.

Sept 27 Antrel Rolle was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct during the Giants' 29-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and was involved in a handful of other scuffles throughout the game. This is emblematic of Rolle's moxie -- or "swag," as he calls it -- and he's not shy in defending it. "When I play the game, I play the game," Rolle said.
In this case, Rolle said he reacted to Brent Celek. But he says sometimes players must take a stand even if the head coach might not like it. "The coaching gets done Monday-through-Saturday," Rolle said. "Sunday when I am on the field, I am in the zone. If I feel like something has to be done, I am going to handle it and I will take care of disciplinary actions after that."

Victor Cruz's 74-yard catch-and-run, on which he avoided tackle attempts by safety Kurt Coleman and Nnamdi Asomugha, and his 28-yard leaping touchdown over Asomugha have the Giants believing not only do they not need Steve Smith, but they're better without him.
From home, Mario Manningham watched his teammates upset Philadelphia, a confidence boost for a team that has been surrounded by negativity since the lockout ended. The Giants finally have something to talk about besides injuries and losing Steve Smith.

The Giants do their best work when not much is expected of them. And following a brutal summer of injuries and defections, and then a season-opening loss to the Redskins, not much was expected. Their convincing victory in Philadelphia changes the complexion of the season.
The way they did it - with old reliable players coming through, young upstarts breaking out and many different precincts reporting in with game-turning moments - changed the mood within and the perception from the outside looking in.

Chris Canty didn't even realize what he'd done or that anyone was upset until he turned on "SportsCenter" . There he saw he had bruised Michael Vick's hand on what he believed was an illegal hit. He also learned Vick was angry the officials weren't protecting him from that hit and others. But Canty sees no reason why they should have.
The refs don't need to do a better job of protecting Vick, his coaches and his offensive line need to do a better job. And when Vick leaves the pocket, Vick needs to do a better job of protecting Vick. Chris Canty, who knocked Vick to the X-ray room, was not penalized for any late hit.

Examining the 13 hits Michael Vick took Sunday. Three of those plays were QB sneaks. And two were fumbled snaps that resulted in Vick runs after he recovered. Read some thoughts on the remaining eight.
LeSean McCoy says NY Giants aren't better than Philadlephia Eagles, despite Big Blue's 29-16 win. "That team over there is not better than us," he said. "But we can't keep saying that each week we lose."

The Giants did not come out of their rousing victory over the Eagles without an injury concern. Justin Tuck finished the game despite a strained groin that will have to be monitored and a recurrence of his neck stiffness that forced him to temporarily leave the field in the third quarter.
Tight end Jake Ballard also suffered a stinger on Sunday. Coughlin said Kenny Phillips "appears to be fine" when asked if the safety suffered any injury on Sunday. Manningham said he was experiencing sensitivity to light and that's why he was not cleared to play in Philadelphia.

Sept 26 Giants win over the Eagles, 29-16   |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 3 Gamegirl "...Who would have thought that Aaron Ross, who was effectively benched last week for his gameplay, would be the spark for this game? The first points came as a result of his interception, after Eli Manning followed that up with a pass to Brandon Jacobs that went 40 yards for a touchdown....." Mikefan. "...Michael Vick decided he could play this week and put himself up against the Giants heavy hitters. It did not turn out well for Vick or his team. After being battered about, he left the game in the third quarter with a broken right hand. Same as last week, once Vick was gone from the scene the team seemed to let down like dogs pining for their master. The Eagles scoring stopped and the defense gave up points...."

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ESPN - Giants break Michael Vick's hand, stun Eagles despite injuries.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 29, Eagles 16.
ESPN - Giants' RBs tell Eagles to 'keep dreamin'.
ESPN - Manning's most impressive stat? No TOs.
ESPN - Ross: 'I feel just like a million bucks'.
ESPN - Smith at loss for words.
ESPN - Boley comes up huge on fourth down.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Eagles, 29-16.
Giants.com - Postgame Locker Room Quotes.
StarLedger - Giants down Eagles, 29-16, amid 'Super Bowl atmosphere'.
StarLedger - With two touchdowns, Victor Cruz energizes Giants, stuns 'Dream Team'.
StarLedger - Off the bench, redemptive Aaron Ross shines in Giants victory.
StarLedger - Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul fine after fourth-quarter sack.
StarLedger - Giants defense sticks with game plan, gets physical with Eagles' QB Michael Vick.
StarLedger - Giants impressive in 29-16 victory over Eagles.
NYDailyNews - Giants stun Philadelphia Eagles 29-16; Victor Cruz catches 2 TD.
NYDailyNews - Giants deliver Eagles 'Dream Team' its worst nightmare: last place in NFC East.
NYDailyNews - Victor Cruz shines, fills void for Giants with Manningham and Hixon sidelined.
NYPost - Giants stun Eagles behind Cruz's big day; Vick breaks hand.
NYPost - Giants KO Vick to end six-game skid vs. Eagles.
NYPost - Eagles' Vick unleashes on refs after breaking hand.
NYPost - Strahan's tweet burns Tuck as much as stinger.
NYPost - Giants' Tuck leads by example.
NYPost - Giants' Manning finishes job this time.
NYPost - Eagles' Asomugha embarrassed by Giants' Cruz.
NYPost - Cruz lives dream vs. alleged Dream Team.
NYPost - Giants special teams turn tables on Eagles.
NYPost - Interceptions turn Ross into Giants hero.
Record - Manning leads Giants over Eagles 29-16; Vick hurt.
Philly.com - 5 Plays that exposed the Eagles' D.
Philly.com - Vick: "I got hit late".
Philly.com - Bad decisions, 4th quarter cost Eagles the game.

Game 3 Preview - Giants (1-1) vs Eagles (1-1)
Last Sunday the Eagles lost their game in Atlanta 35-31, with Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan tossing a career-high four touchdown passes. He took his team from a 10-point deficit to a 35-31 victory while Michael Vick had to leave the game having suffered a concussion. On Monday, the Giants won their first game of the season 28-16 playing the St. Louis Rams in front of their home crowd. It wasn't as easy as the score may look and in the process they lost Domenik Hixon for the season and Mario Manningham suffered a concession.
Eagles defense. They have given up 146 yards per game on the ground over the first two weeks and they know that Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are coming to town. Last time they concentrated on stopping the run and held the duo to 100 yards on 31 carries and 3 first downs rushing. Instead Eli Manning was able to nail them for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns against 1 interception and 16 first downs passing.
Giants defense. Over the first two games they have given up given up 566 passing yards and allowed 11 pass plays of over 20 yards. The level of quarterback they faced has gone up each time, starting with Rex Grossman, Sam Bradford and now it will be Michael Vick who is expected to play.

Sept 25 Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham went from doubtful for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles to officially out when he did not accompany the team on the trip to Philly. It will be Manninham's first missed game since the 2009 season finale against the Vikings. Manningam suffered a concussion in Monday's game against the St. Louis Rams and has yet to pass the required tests for him to return to action.

The Giants desperately need a victory Sunday at The Linc for their self-esteem and to end their six-game losing streak to Philly. And imagine this: All those losses happened before the Eagles even became the Dream Team. Mathias Kiwanuka, who was out almost all of last season with a neck injury, watched in horror from the sideline as the Giants blew the 21-point lead in the fourth quarter. Then DeSean Jackson taunted the Giants by running parallel to the goal line at the end of his 65-yard punt return to win the game as time expired.
Their ability for revenge and chance to snap the Eagles' six-game winning streak in this series, have been hampered by injuries to a defense that will be without three starters - cornerback Terrell Thomas (knee), linebacker Jonathan Goff (knee) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee). The Eagles, meanwhile, spent the offseason adding to an all-star roster that already included Vick (who should play despite the concussion he suffered last week), Jackson, McCoy, tight end Brent Celek and receiver Jeremy Maclin.

The Giants' depleted secondary has looked like such in the season's first two weeks. Opponents are averaging 283 passing yards against the Giants, and starting cornerback Aaron Ross was benched for a series in Monday's win over the St. Louis Rams. If the Washington Redskins and Rams receivers did damage against the Giants -- not to mention quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Sam Bradford -- imagine what the Eagles' receiving corps and quarterback Michael Vick could do. That's why the Giants need to show improvement in the secondary.

Longtime Philadelphia Eagles assistant Juan Castillo was promoted to defensive coordinator this season. The Eagles have won six straight games against their division rivals but come into the game 30th in the league at stopping the run. Castillo's defense is predicated on his defensive ends lining up wider than the norm and having the linebackers fill in. That explains why the Eagles shuffled their starting linebackers around and preached gap responsibility this week. If Philadelphia is successful today in stopping Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, et al. then it will be on a defense built to fit the personality of its playcaller.

Chris Snee knows the Philadelphia Eagles made a shrewd move sliding linebacker Jamar Chaney into the middle this week. His immediate reaction upon seeing the news tells you all you need to know. "I was like, '(Shoot), yeah, that's the guy that had all the tackles against us last year,'" the Giants right guard said of Chaney, who was credited with 16 tackles in the Eagles' comeback victory in East Rutherford last season. "So clearly we have to get a hat on him." These teams know each other far too well, and the Eagles aren't dummies.
Dream Team? Dream on. "They can label themselves all they want," Giants guard Chris Snee said. "It's just not something that we would do." All hands on deck for the Giants. Next man up. All that. "Despite the guys that we lost, we're still confident in who we have," Snee said. "We're excited for this challenge. We know they've had our number recently and ... it's clearly pointed out that to get anywhere, we have to beat this team to get where we want to go and win the division."

Ahmad Bradshaw hasn't received more than 15 carries yet this season and hasn't gained more than 59 yards in a game and has only one touchdown. But the Giants must run if they are going to have any shot at winning on Sunday. Steven Jackson had a 47-yard run and Cadillac Williams gained 91 yards against the Eagles in Week 1. And Michael Turner had 114 yards and a touchdown last week against Philadelphia. 'Hakeem Nicks -- The Giants' best weapon could be blanketed on Sunday by Nnamdi Asomugha and see some double teams. With Mario Manningham out due to a concussion, Nicks could be heavily targeted against the Eagles. But will Eli Manning be able to get him the ball against a stacked secondary?

Aaron Ross has been with the Giants for five years, ever since he was a first-round draft pick in 2007 out of Texas. For every one of those five years, Ross has desired to augment his role on defense by returning punts. Ross returned 76 punts in college, but the Giants did not put him on the field in that capacity until last season, when injuries depleted the special teams and he served as the punt returner (six returns, 37 yards) in the season's final two games. With Hixon gone for the season, Ross at long last will get his wish to be the No. 1 punt returner.

Former Giants
Steve Smith delighted the Giants in 2009 when he set a franchise record with 107 receptions. He bummed them out this summer when he rebuffed their offer and instead signed with the rival Eagles.
Kevin Boss sure has picked the perfect game to make his regular season debut with the Oakland Raiders after sitting out the past two weeks with a knee sprain. With a rare sold-out crowd for the team's home opener -- just the second in the last 16 games at the Coliseum.

Sept 24 Travis Beckum thinks Hakeem Nicks is good. Really good. Really good. So even if the Eagles double him, Beckum still says Nicks can get his. And if not, someone else can benefit from all the coverage being focused in on the Giants' main playmaking receiver. Nicks, who has hauled in 11 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown so far this season, figures to see plenty of the Eagles' star-studded tandem of Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel on Sunday in Philadelphia.

If you can't knock Michael Vick out of the game, keep him on the sideline by keeping the ball away from him. It is time for the Giants to be Bully Boys again. No one thinks they can run the ball into the teeth of any eight-man boxes the Eagles can deploy because no receiver other than Hakeem Nicks scares them. No one except the Giants. Eli Manning could use some help with Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel waiting in ambush tomorrow at the Linc. Help from Ahmad Bradshaw. Help from Brandon Jacobs.

The Giants will be without defensive end Osi Umenyiora and likely won't have wide receiver Mario Manningham for Sunday's showdown at Philadelphia. Neither player participated in practice Friday. Manningham, listed as doubtful, has not been cleared to return after suffering a concussion in Monday's win over the Rams. He visited a third-party neurologist Friday during practice as part of the NFL's concussion-return protocol. Umenyiora has been ruled out and will wait at least another week before returning from knee surgery in August.

The threat was sent almost casually, a warning Jason Pierre-Paul delivered to Michael Vick with a smile on his face. He sat at his locker, bent over putting on his socks when he fired a clear message to the Eagles quarterback. "If you want to stay in the pocket, we got something coming for [you]. So I suggest you run," said the second-year defensive end, who again will start in place of Osi Umenyiora.

Travis Beckum says he's healthy and ready to make his season debut. More importantly, the tight end says ready to prove himself. "I think I have a lot to prove to everybody else, and especially for myself," said Beckum, who is probable but likely will play on Sunday in Philadelphia. Beckum has missed the first two weeks of the regular season due to hamstring soreness, but is ready to make an impact against the Eagles.
Beckum is on his way back to the practice field at a time the Giants badly need him. With Domenik Hixon out for the season and Mario Manningham listed as doubtful against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday because of a concussion, the Giants need Beckum to make a solid debut after missing the first two games. And they need him to be the key asset for this offense he was supposed to be. Beckum had 13 catches and two TDs last season.

Giants punter Steve Weatherford said in training camp he spoke with Matt Dodge, who has since been released by the team, about his fateful kick to the Eagles DeSean Jackson last year. Weatherford refuses to let Jackson's presence get in his head.
Special teams coordinator Tom Quinn says Jackson's dynamic 65-yard return was "easily" the worst moment of his coaching career. Everything went wrong. Dodge was dealt a lousy snap, and things degenerated from there. "The snap, the punt, and the coverage," Quinn says. "It was very poor tackling. It was a poor punt, and the snap didn't help."

Sept 23 If the Giants are going to stay competitive with the high-flying Eagles there has to be dramatic improvement in coverage communication and execution. The first two games exposed the secondary as looking clueless (in a loss to the Redskins) and outmatched (in a victory over the Rams).
The Giants -- mostly their secondary -- have given up the ninth-most net passing yards in the NFL (566) through the first two weeks of the season. "We had some problems," said coordinator Perry Fewell, whose defense was picked apart by the likes of journeyman Rex Grossman and second-year pro Sam Bradford.

Can the Giants complete enough passes Sunday against the Eagles? The challenge of going against a trio of talented cornerbacks may go from difficult to impossible if receiver Mario Manningham cannot play for the Giants and at this point it appears he will sit this one out.
The Giants' ground game has struggled over the first two weeks. They're averaging 3.3 yards per carry, 25th out of 32 NFL teams. They're going up against a Philadelphia defense that has allowed 146 yards per game on the ground over the first two weeks -- the third-highest average in the league.

Michael Boley heard one of his former linebacker teammates with the Giants, Bryan Kehl, made an accusation against defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and Boley scoffed and sneered. "It's a bunch of bull, man," Boley told The Post. Kehl, a Giants draft pick in 2008 and now a reserve linebacker for the Rams, said Fewell encourages faking injuries.
Perry Fewell was asked to respond to Kehl's claim and offered a classic non-denial denial. "I can't say I've ever done that and I can't say I haven't done that," Fewell said. The NFL didn't like what it saw and issued a warning to all 32 teams, threatening fines, suspensions and loss of draft picks if the league determines players faked an injury during a game.

Osi Umenyiora and the most famous knee in East Rutherford did not practice yesterday, but that didn't stop him from breaking his silence to give Vick and the Eagles some things to think about, very possibly by design, when he said "I feel like I'm very close."
The notion he's milking the injury as some form of contract dispute has existed since he went under the knife. Finally in front of reporters, Umenyiora was given the chance to respond to such claims. "That's false," Umenyiora said.

Michael Vick was cleared to practice in pads yesterday by a third-party neurologist and appears full-go for the Eagles' NFC East showdown with Big Blue on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Vick didn't speak to the media, but by all accounts Philly's star quarterback showed no post-concussion symptoms and looked sharp during yesterday's workout.

Sept 22 Domenik Hixon wasn't limping, he didn't look depressed and he was even laughing at times. This didn't look like a guy who had just torn his anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in as many years. Unfortunately for him, that's exactly what happened. The long road to recovery is once again staring him in the face. But he's adamant it won't get the best of him.
HIxon, according to the Giants, will undergo surgery "in the near future." He will also be soon placed on season-ending injured reserve. The news is just a terrible break for Hixon, who was working as both the Giants' third receiver and their primary punt returner in the first two games of the season.

Michael Vick's playing status Sunday remains as cloudy, as his head no doubt was feeling after a concussion last weekend. The Eagles quarterback participated in a walkthrough workout yesterday morning, but he missed all of the afternoon practice and continues to be a question mark for this weekend's NFC East home showdown with the Giants.
Vick will need to be evaluated by an independent neurologist, Burkholder said, and that could happen as early as Thursday. He will also undergo another round of team tests and take one more computer exam. If Vick passes all these tests, he will play Reid, said, and the coach will not worry about his All-Pro QB's chances of reinjury.
If Vick is the Eagles quarterback Sunday, he better expect to wear the bull's-eye on his No. 7, and he better understand that he is fair game for the Giants' rabid, prideful big-game hunters. He is, after all, the prime source not named DeSean Jackson of Big Blue's nightmares across the past nine months and leader of this so-called Dream Team down the Turnpike.

The loss - make it The Loss - doesn't linger. So claims Eli Manning. "You deal with it like any other loss," Manning said yesterday of last season's epic collapse to the Eagles, when a 31-10 lead devolved in the final 7:18 into a crushing 38-31 defeat. "You try to learn from it, but once you kind of learned your lesson you put it away and you start on the next game."
Jeremy Maclin thinks Antrel Rolle and the Giants are running their mouths because they might be running scared. Responding to Rolle's comment on the radio this week that he has "handled" Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson one-on-one before and can do so again Sunday.

NFL sends memo warning against fake injuries, with eye on Giants. The NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams warning of fines, suspensions and loss of draft picks if the league determines players faked injuries during a game. Yet several players admit its an accepted practice, and some coaches hinted they are not above condoning phony injuries if it provides a competitive edge.
He didn't fake it. That's Deon Grant's story, and he's sticking with it. The Giants veteran safety yesterday strongly objected to widespread accusations that he faked an injury in the first quarter of last Monday night's 28-16 victory over the Rams..

Grant said he hurt his knee on the tackle on the previous play. He wanted to get off the field, but the Rams' offense did not allow him. So whichever player was behind him - Grant believed it was Justin Tuck - told him to drop to the ground. This is why the Rams said they heard the Giants' defense tell someone to go down.

Sept 21 Justin Tuck had not even taken out his car keys after the Giants' win over the Rams on Monday when the defensive captain turned his attention to what awaits the Giants on Sunday. In Tuck's six previous seasons with the Giants, he's become savvy enough to understand that all wins are good wins, but little in the regular season compares to playing Philadelphia.
There was no way for Tom Coughlin to mask it. No way to hide it. Some losses still stick with him -- losses such as last December's Meltdown in the Meadowlands defeat to the Eagles. "Oh there isn't any question, yeah," he said in a conference call Tuesday afternoon with reporters, "and that'll be one of them."

Michael Vick, who was knocked out of the Eagles' 35-31 loss in Atlanta on Sunday with a concussion, will remain the daily hot topic as the division rivals prepare to face each other for the first time this season. But don't expect the Eagles to clarify whether he will play until the last possible moment.
"I expect Michael Vick will play and if he can't play, I am sure he will," Coughlin said If Vick can't, the Eagles will start either Vince Young or Mike Kafka, who filled in after Vick was hurt Sunday night. Young is dealing with a hamstring injury and was inactive in both Eagles games.
Vick must pass several different tests and be evaluated by an independent neurologist before he can be cleared to return. "That guy is a tremendous athlete," Justin Tuck said. "Obviously as he goes that offense and that team goes. You always want to beat teams at their best. ... I think he brings the best out of us too."

It's been more than a month since Osi Umenyiora practiced with the Giants, but the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end is expected to return this week. Umenyiora has been recovering from last month's arthroscopic knee surgery.
Though he no doubt wants a shot at LeSean McCoy, whom he called "Lady Gaga" during his offseason feud with the Eagles running back, DE Osi Umenyiora is a longshot to play on Sunday in Philadelphia, according to a source familiar with his situation.

While the hated Eagles, who are waiting in ambush Sunday at the hostile Linc, went out and built themselves a self-proclaimed Dream Team, Giants general manager Jerry Reese determined that a smashmouth new center by the name of David Baas was essentially all he needed to help Manning make another Super Bowl run. In other words, by putting virtually all his eggs in Manning's $106.9 million basket, Reese and the Giants have asked him to be a Dream Quarterback fully capable of slaying Michael Vick and that alleged Dream Team;

The Giants are averaging just 3.3 yards per carry -- 25th out of 32 NFL teams -- through the first two games of the 2011 season, a far cry from where they want to be. But one thing is certain, they're going to continue to run the ball. After all, it's part of their DNA, their identity. Whether or not they're successful doing so, however, is a whole different story.

The Giants' pass defense has to be a huge concern as Big Blue heads into Philadelphia next week, no matter who is quarterbacking for the Eagles. Exhibit A was right cornerback Aaron Ross being benched late in the third quarter as the Giants allowed their fourth straight 300-yard passer going back to last year.

Deon Grant won't get an Academy Award for his performance on Monday night. He won't get punished by the NFL either. That's because Tom Coughlin toed the company line Tuesday and said he believed Grant wasn't faking an injury when the veteran safety mysteriously dropped to the ground and stopped a Rams drive late in the first quarter of the Giants' 28-16 victory.

Sept 20 Giants win over the Rams, 28-16   |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 2 Gamegirl "...The Rams came back with another fieldgoal, but the Giants stayed out in front with two more touchdowns to close out the half leading 21-6. That last touchdown came from a spectacular one handed catch by Domenik Hixon in the endzone....." Mikefan. "...Cadillac Williams wasn't as productive as he was last week when he replaced Jackson. In fact he was partially responsible for costing his team 7 points when he watched Michael Boley pick up a backwards pass intended for him and score a 65-yard touchdown. ...The Giants secondary showed that they still can be had. That will have to be fixed if they expect to be a contender....."

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ESPN - Eli Manning, Giants get back on track as turnovers, penalties cost Rams.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 28, Rams 16.
ESPN - Ross benched, declines comment.
ESPN - Boley scores for D.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Rams, 28-16.
StarLedger - Banged-up Giants rebound with 21-6 win.
StarLedger - Giants' sore receivers come through in key spots against Rams.
StarLedger - Eli Manning-led offense leaves fans uninspired after win over Rams.
StarLedger - Giants' Aaron Ross is pulled after rough start in win over Rams.
NYDailyNews - Michael Boley, NY Giants defeat Rams, 28-16, in home opener, but Eli Manning and offense struggle.
NYDailyNews - Giants more optimistic with Eagles on deck after win over St. Louis Rams in home opener.
NYDailyNews - Giants receiving corps has up-and-down game.
NYPost - Eli's 2 TDs lead Giants over Rams, 28-16.
NYPost - Eli turns jeers to cheers.
NYPost - Manningham, Hixon are latest casualties.
NYPost - Snakebit Hixon a game-changer.
NYPost - LB scoops up first NFL TD.
NYPost - Tuck rules despite 'rusty' game.
NYPost - Giants blitz.
NYPost - Nothing menacing about Rams anymore.
NYPost - Trip to Philly provides shot to swing East with statement Vick-tory.
Record - Michael Boley gets caught up in his TD moment.
Record - Luck of the lockout for Dave Tollefson.
Record - Giants' special teams, defense bail out off-target Eli.
Record - Giants rely on big plays to beat Rams, 28-16.
STLToday - Rams fall to Giants 28-16 as offense stalls.
STLToday - Mistakes continue to haunt the Rams.
STLToday - Fill-ins on returns have difficult night.
STLToday - Red-zone woes doom Rams again.

Game 2 Preview - Giants (0-1) vs Rams (0-1)
Last week the Rams had hope when running back Steven Jackson rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown on their first play of the game to make the score 7-0 against the Eagles. Things looked good at the start of their next possession, when Jackson next ran for 9 yards, but then he left the game feeling a quad injury. Rams receivers didn't help quarterback Sam Bradford with six dropped passes and they lost to the Eagles 31-13.
The Giants turned in a poor performance against the Redskins. Preseason concerns turned into regular season realities as the Giants struggled on both offense and defense. Eli Manning's front line and receivers were unreliable, and the secondary was torched. The Giants sustained a 28-14 important opening day divisional loss to the Redskins.

NFC East News
Eagles - Michael Vick Injury: Eagles QB Suffers Concussion Against Falcons
Cowboys - Tony Romo, oft-criticized Cowboys QB displays toughness.
Redskins - Rex Grossman 'feels good' after Redskins' comeback win.

Sept 19 One of the Giants' options at slot receiver thought his career might be over before Jerry Reese came calling earlier this week. Another missed the entire 2010 season with a devastating knee injury. A third hasn't shown much since a stellar performance in a preseason game 13 months ago. Yes, the Giants are still searching for the right guy to replace the departed Steve Smith. Victor Cruz and Domenik Hixon didn't much to make anyone forget about Smith in the Giants' season-opening loss in Washington.

The longest-tenured Giant leads with a booming voice and by example - he played 127 straight games (including postseason) before missing four last season due to injury. David Diehl will need to lead the still-meshing offensive line tonight against the St. Louis Rams after a disappointing performance in last week's loss at Washington.

It's an absurd proposition, and one that only Tom Coughlin himself has ever suggested. But as the Giants prepare Monday night to face one former coach, Steve Spagnuolo, Coughlin might consider finally issuing an apology to another - his direct predecessor, Jim Fassel. Coughlin is neither a fool nor a braggart. Yet he somehow issued a dumb and hurtful statement when he first took over the team in Jan. 2004.

Dave Tollefson filled in last week for Justin Tuck, who missed his first game in five years because of a stiff neck. Tollefson played well, with one sack and two tackles, but the Giants lost to the Redskins 28-14. Tuck is listed as questionable, but is expected to play.

Believe it or not, the Giants will be looking to win their first Monday night home game this century when they host the St. Louis Rams. Monday night's game will be the first MNF home game in the eight-year Tom Coughlin era, according to the team. (That's not counting a 2005 game at the Meadowlands against New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in which the Saints were the home team.)

There's nothing resembling panic from within, but it won't exactly be a sea of tranquility tonight if the Giants struggle against the Rams in their home debut. Losers to the Redskins last week, the Giants for the first time this season play in front of a fan base growing increasingly skeptical about what 2011 has in store for a team that seemingly did little to improve and showed even less in the opener to inspire much confidence.

Michael Vick suffers concussion in loss; unlikely to face Giants. Michael Vick wobbled off the field with an aching neck late in the third quarter, all done in his return to Atlanta as a starting quarterback. Vick threw for a pair of touchdowns in the Eagles' 35-31 loss Sunday night, but left with what coach Andy Reid later described as a concussion after getting spun by a Falcons rusher into Eagles lineman Todd Herremans. No. 7 staggered to the sideline and Mike Kafka came in for the first game of his two-year career.

Sept 18 In the middle of September, the Giants are asked to win a game against the Rams, whose head coach, Steve Spagnuolo, was the Giants' brilliant defensive coordinator in the Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. The Giants are supposed to win a game and look ready to actually play the season, after not looking anything like that last week against the Redskins, and that means before another tipped ball on Eli Manning. The Giants have not won a playoff game since the Super Bowl, not made the playoffs in two seasons, and it has all become an imperfect storm for Tom Coughlin at MetLife Stadium.

He saw the traffic, read the defense correctly. He dashed upfield and came open. Victor Cruz did everything right on the Giants' first third-down play last Sunday against the Redskins, everything but catch the ball. A decent pass from Eli Manning squirted through the second-year man's hands, and a subliminal message traveled to the quarterback's mind. He would target Cruz just one more time that day. Welcome to the world of the NFL slot receiver, the Achilles heel of the Giants' offense.
Hundreds of messages flooded his Twitter timeline, reminding the Paterson native and Lyndhurst resident just how fleeting popularity and success in the NFL can be. Just catch the ball. Come on, Cruz, we need you. Make a play, any play. Where's the Cruz from last preseason? Maybe you're not the player we thought you were. Cruz, 24, turned away from the computer screen shaking his head Sunday night. The North Jersey kid who made good with the Giants was experiencing the wrath of the same fan base that raised his star power to unexpected heights: 11,300 Twitter followers and counting.

What's really sweet is getting your first career start on opening day after five NFL seasons of being a backup and a special-teams contributor. That was Tollefson a week ago when he lined up at left defensive end for the Giants, who were without Umenyiora and Tuck because of injuries. Tollefson had a 16-yard sack (the sixth of his career) on a third down in the third quarter to push Washington out of field-goal range. He also had another hit on quarterback Rex Grossman and was physical on the left side of the defense to help keep the Redskins' run game to only 2.8 yards per carry. On a day the Giants were without two Pro Bowl defensive ends, they recorded four sacks and played excellent run defense, thanks in large part to Tollefson.

Greg Jones, an emergency (and permanent) starter when Jonathan Goff was lost with a torn-up knee, made the tackle on Redskins running back Tim Hightower on the very first play from scrimmage. "You always wonder what it's going to be like," Jones said. "After that I got a good idea what I can do." In the second quarter, Jones found out what he cannot do -- completely fast-forward the learning curve. He saw tight end Chris Cooley coming across the middle, his instincts telling him he should run with Cooley but his legs did not listen, as Rex Grossman hit the running-free Cooley in stride for a 15-yard gain.

Twice on Opening Day the Giants needed one little yard to keep a drive alive, and twice they couldn't get it. Both times they handed the ball to 5-10, 214-pound running back Ahmad Bradshaw. Both times, the 6-4, 264-pound Brandon Jacobs watched helplessly from the sidelines. So why not send in one of the biggest running backs in the league? Why not let him plow straight up the middle and take the first down by force?
Brandon Jacobs only received six carries but gained 29 yards for 4.8 yards a carry. The Giants struggled in short-yardage situations last week and it's a good bet Jacobs should get more carries this week. We don't expect anything over 10 or 12 carries but Jacobs should be a goal line factor if the Giants get in red zone situations.

Sept 17 The Giants offense is still searching for its "identity," Eli Manning said, with pressure mounting on the quarterback to overcome personnel losses and injuries to get them to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Archie Manning, himself a former first-round draft pick and quarterback, described it another way. "He's like the other 31 quarterbacks who didn't have a normal off-season. Just like some of the teams that have suffered the most with a brand new coach or system, [the Giants] are in transition a bit. "There's been changes with the offensive line, and he's missing a couple of receivers. And that means new people. That's difficult."

Veteran receiver Brandon Stokley's reputation as a quick study will be put to the test as he gets ready to play for the Giants against the Rams on Monday night, just four days after signing. "His maneuverability," Coughlin said, listing Stokley's attributes. "His ability to put his body in the right position, and once he gets real sharp, he catches pretty much everything. He is something a quarterback can count on."
The Giants' signing of wide receiver Brandon Stokley did not go unnoticed by fellow wideout Victor Cruz. "Any time they bring a guy in who plays your position, it's kind of a little wake-up call," Cruz said after yesterday's practice. "You want to kind of go in there and prove yourself, and show what you can do and open the eyes of the coaches."

Hakeem Nicks says he will play Monday night as the bone bruise in his knee continues to heal. "Yeah, I'll be out there Monday," the receiver said of the Giants' home opener against the St. Louis Rams. He returned to practice Friday on a limited basis, participating in individual position drills, making cuts and catching passes.

Like everyone else, Greg Jones was waiting to see if the Giants added a veteran linebacker this week. He had played well against the run in the loss to the Washington Redskins, but his role was limited, and his play against the pass could have been better. With the week pretty much over and the only veteran signed being wide receiver Brandon Stokley, Jones' job as the starting middle linebacker is safe.

The Giants' defense hopes to exploit second-year Rams quarterback Sam Bradford's inexperience on Monday night. Bradford -- the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft -- did not have a great start last week before getting forced out of the game with a bruised right index finger. The Eagles sacked him four times, and he completed 17 of 30 passes for 188 yards and zero touchdowns in a 31-13 loss.

Osi Umenyiora went from the stationary bike to the practice field Friday. And there's a chance the veteran pass-rusher could be back in uniform in time for the showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles a week from Sunday. The two-time Pro Bowl defensive end opened practice on a field with a trainer. He worked on lining up in a three-point stance, pushing off and sprinting a few steps, putting pressure on his injured right knee.

So not only did Antrel Rolle's helmet-to-helmet hit on Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis extend Washington's final touchdown drive, it also cost Rolle a lot of money. The Giants' safety was fined $20,000 for hitting Davis, who was down on the ground after making a catch in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Also, safety Kenny Phillips was fined $10,000 by the league for striking Davis in the "head and neck area" late in the third quarter on a ball up the middle of the field.

Stadium News
After a South Carolina man was arrested for using an illegal stun gun at Sunday night's Cowboys-Jets game at MetLife Stadium, the NFL has strengthened its security measures for fans entering stadiums around the league. The searches will affect both Jets and Giants fans beginning this weekend.

Sept 16 Bummed Bradshaw calls out Giants coordinator. Asked if he ever wanted to see a replay of Gilbride calling just seven running plays in the second half of a 28-14 opening loss to the Redskins, Bradshaw waved his hand in disgust. "I don't want to see nothing like that," the veteran Big Blue back sneered. "We love to run the ball, and I think we have the best backs in the league."

While Kevin Gilbride was second-guessed by Ahmad Bradshaw, the Giants offensive coordinator wasn't above a little second-guessing of his own yesterday. The Giants announced the signing of 35-year-old wide receiver Brandon Stokley, a move that didn't exactly earn a ringing endorsement from Gilbride. "The powers above me made that decision [that] we needed to add this additional receiver," Gilbride said. That comment appeared to be directed at GM Jerry Reese. Gilbride's immediate boss - Tom Coughlin - appeared very much in favor of bringing in Stokley to play the role of slot receiver.

One game into the NFL season and Tom Coughlin is already on the hot seat in some places. Even if nobody is calling for his head this soon, there's certainly been talk of how many more losses his bosses are willing to take. Such is the perils of life as a coach in New York, especially when you're only given a one-year contract extension. Coughlin knows that. Steve Spagnuolo, Coughlin's former defensive coordinator, knows it too. He just thinks it's misguided and extremely unfair.

No one felt sorry for the Giants when they started their last Super season 0-2. And no one feels sorry for the Giants now even after losing what feels like half their defense and Frank Gifford and Mark Bavaro on offense. Just because Coughlin was Tom Terrfic at weathering that storm four seasons ago with Spagnuolo by his side doesn't mean he will be able to do it this time with Perry Fewell by his side.

Kurt Warner, along with Marshall Faulk, appears on NFL Network's "Gameday Morning" show every Sunday. Warner signed with the Giants before the 2004 season and helped groom Manning in his rookie season. "On offense it's always been about running the football first with that team," said Warner "Eli is at his best and most comfortable when you have two backs that can run it down hill, then you get the eighth guy in the box and then Eli feeds off that. With that offense, and Eli specifically, when they decide to spread it out and become a throwing team first he always struggles."

After watching the film from last week's 28-14 loss to the Redskins, Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell concluded that the problem was not the zone defense the Giants were in, which was not significantly more than normal. On seven of the plays that yielded 18 or more yards, five included mental errors that need to be corrected. "We let people run free who shouldn't have been let run free," Fewell said. "That's communication. That's them getting to know each other."

Stokley reunites with Manning by signing with Giants. "I have caught from Eli since he was in high school at the Manning passing camp," Stokley said Thursday after finishing his first practice with his new team. "I have known Eli for a while. You could tell way back when he was going to be a special quarterback and I think he has proven that." Stokley is the type of receiver the Giants (0-1) have needed since losing Steve Smith to free agency last month. He is a possession specialist who plays the slot.

Not only did Steve Spagnuolo's former team fail to deliver five days ago, but his current one did also as the Rams lost at home to the Eagles, 31-13. That makes the Meadowlands return for Spagnuolo even more important for both sides, considering the losers will be in the same 0-2 hole the Giants were in four seasons ago before fighting their way out in defying the long-shot odds initially placed against them. "I hope maybe [Coughlin] doesn't get it figured out for one more week," Spagnuolo joked.

It wasn't Terrell Thomas' fault he suffered a torn ACL in the preseason game against the Chicago Bears last month. It wasn't Jason Pierre-Paul's fault, even though he's the one who rolled into Thomas' leg. And while some might disagree, it wasn't Tom Coughlin's fault the starters were still in the game. It's football. And freak injuries happen. Still, the Giants' cornerback is experiencing the emotions many injured players encounter when they're lost for the season.