Oct 26 Despite not getting a chance to become a focal part of the offense with Jason Witten playing at an All-Pro level perennially, the only criticism Martellus Bennett voiced was his preference of Giants blue over the darker blue the Cowboys use. The Giants' lighter hue brings out his eyes, he said.
The Giants took a chance on Bennett in the offseason, signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. So far, so good -- in less than half a season, Bennett already has 25 receptions, for a career-high 305 yards and three touchdowns. (By the way, that's just 15 yards fewer than Witten's season total, and three times as many touchdowns.)

Stevie Brown remembers the looks of disbelief on the faces of teammates and coaches every time the Cowboys made a play to move the chains. Tony Romo put the football in the air and no matter what the Giants did - especially when the season-opening game was on the line -- they could not figure out how to stop Romo and his receivers, even on the simplest of plays.

Around the NFL, there are many opinions of Tony Romo. Usually strong ones, too. It comes with the territory of being a professional quarterback. Antrel Rolle is no different. He has his own thoughts on the matter, and he's the one who will be lining up against him on Sunday when the Giants take on the Cowboys. "He's an excellent quarterback in my eyes," Rolle said. "I don't think he gets the credit he deserves."
Tony Romo has forged reputation for coming up small, except against Giants. The Tony Romo the nation knows is the one who embarrassed himself three weeks ago with five interceptions in a Monday night game against the Bears. He's the one who has won just one playoff game in eight seasons, and who always seems to come up small in big spots.

Ahmad Bradshaw was upset he didn't have more carries in Sunday's game, but he promised coach Tom Coughlin Monday he will keep his emotions in check. Coughlin's message, Bradshaw recounted Thursday, was "just to calm my emotions and just let it all out in my play."
Tom Coughlin has never been accused of talking too much. Even as he mellowed in recent years from a Patton-esque taskmaster to a more congenial figure, one who is even capable of the odd chuckle with the media, his speech retains a clipped, military quality.

The very last thing the Dallas Cowboys want to see in their home stadium this Sunday is salsa dancing. But in order to avoid it they will have to contain arguably the most dangerous receiver in the NFL, Victor Cruz. Four wide receivers were taken in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, but the Cowboys and Giants have been able to rely heavily on receivers who were passed over by every other team in the league numerous times.

At this time last year, Chase Blackburn was watching football rather than playing it. He wasn't re-signed entering the 2011 season and didn't land with another team. When the Giants' linebacker corps was hit with injuries, Blackburn returned last November and became one of the franchise's improbable heroes on its Super Bowl run.

David Diehl says he's 100 percent, would like to start but willing to take any role. Diehl returned in Week 6 against the 49ers, but wasn't given his starting spot at right tackle; he's been limited to the jumbo tight end role in his two games back.
David Baas was at center Thursday at Giants' practice after a one-day absence, meaning Kevin Boothe was back at left guard and longtime starter David Diehl is once again approaching game day in a reserve role. Versatility is a strength for the Giants' veteran offensive line.
Fellow veteran Sean Locklear, with 82 NFL starts under his belt before the Giants picked him up in the offseason, has assumed Diehl's starting role at right tackle. Diehl said. "That's the most important thing of anything, is that your team is winning and you're contributing any way possible."

Former Giants
Ron Johnson's son Chris will run in the New York City Marathon on November 4 in honor of his father Few players in Giants history could run as well as Ron Johnson. Johnson was traded to the Giants prior to the 1970 season. That year he rushed for 1,027 yards to become the first Giant in history with more than 1,000 yards in a season. In 1972, he ran for a career-high 1,182 yards. Not coincidentally, those were the only two winning seasons the Giants had between 1964 and 1980.

Oct 25 Over the past five years, there has been no team more fun to root for, in any sport, than the Giants of Tom Coughlin, mostly the Giants of Eli Manning. Giants fans know why: Because every Sunday has a chance to be like last Sunday.
Eli Manning says he created bad habits early in career to keep veterans happy. Early in his career, he was tasked with pleasing mercurial veteran personalities such as wide receiver Plaxico Burress, tight end Jeremy Shockey and running back Tiki Barber.

Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall didn't give the Giants much credit for Victor Cruz's 77-yard game-winning touchdown. "I don't feel like he made that play. I feel we gave him that play," Hall told reporters in Virginia. Manning, launched a reply as smooth and on point as that game-winning throw. "I appreciate him giving it to me," Manning said. "Thank you."
This is an ongoing trend with defeated opponents of the Giants. Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and members of the 49ers expressed similar sentiments - we gave them the game - after the Giants beat those teams in the playoffs last season.

The ground game could be crucial this Sunday in Dallas. In Week 1, the Giants ran for 82 yards on 19 carries against the Cowboys. A win on Sunday would give the Giants a two-game cushion on the Cowboys heading into the second half of the season. To Martellus Bennett, that's the most important number to consider.
Chris Canty has played the Cowboys five times since leaving them in free agency in 2008, but the defensive tackle still has that extra fire when he faces his former team. "I'm going to be honest with you. That's nothing that time can fix," Canty said.

Giants defensive backs plan to play more aggressively against Cowboys. "We hope that if we do press, that it can disrupt the timing," Prince Amukamara said. "(The Cowboys) completed a lot of short passes, a lot of slants, so we've definitely been breaking down that film."

As Dallas beat the Giants 24-17 in the opener, linebacker Sean Lee and running back DeMarco Murray made key plays that helped spark the upset. Sunday, the Cowboy could be without both of their playmakers.

Finally feeling healthy, Hakeem Nicks is ready for his second shot against Dallas, and Morris Claiborne, when the teams square off at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday. Nicks has played the past two weeks and believes he's finally back to feeling like himself.

Oct 24 The All-22: Eli Manning's play recognition set up Victor Cruz's game-winning TD. The Giants' quarterback detailed exactly how that play was set up by things the Redskins' defense had done in similar situations earlier in the game.

Just shake it off. That's Eli Manning's mantra after he makes a mistake -- whether it's minor or one that could cost the Giants a game. "That's a very, very strong suit of his," Tom Coughlin says. And that's a good thing for both Coughlin and the Giants, because Manning was forced to draw on that "strong suit" several times last Sunday.

While it would be hard to make the case that Mark Herzlich should be seeing playing time over Chase Blackburn at this point of the season, the Giants are clearly grooming Herzlich as the middle linebacker of the future.

Victor Cruz' No. 1 focus is making more plays like his 77-yard game-winning touchdown against the Redskins on Sunday. But the Giants receiver's contract situation is enough on his mind that he has a timeline for when he'd like to get a new one.
"My team and my agents, my team on my side, we would like to get it done before the season (ends)," Cruz said. "We don't want to drag it along, and become something that blocks the team in the offseason, and something that is in the media every day.

Observers claim the Giants are playing the best football in the NFL as they head into a brutal stretch on the schedule. Antrel Rolle doesn't think so. "For one, our record doesn't show that, but two, we've been playing good football. I don't think we've been playing to the kind of level I know we can play as a complete unit so at this point in time we're right where we need to be."
After winning three straight and surviving the onslaught of Robert Griffin III, the Giants this week already have some motivational fodder for Sunday's showdown with the Cowboys without anyone uttering a word. That's because Jones long ago opened his mouth.
The "get-back" that Antrel Rolle said the Giants are looking for on Sunday has nothing to do with Jerry Jones. The real motivation, according to the Giants' fiery safety, is his team's dismal and embarrassing performance against the Cowboys at the Meadowlands on Opening Night. That was a national stage for the defending Super Bowl champions. Then the Cowboys stole their spotlight with a 24-17 win.

Oct 23 The Giants earned their first division win Sunday against the Redskins. Up next is a trip to Dallas, to face a Cowboys team that spoiled their season opener by handing the Giants a 24-17 loss.
The Giants are looking forward to their annual visit to Dallas, where they're 3-0 all-time in Jones' $1.2 billion palace. And it's just a little more special this time around because of what Jones said to a crowd of Cowboys fans at the opening of his team's training camp back in July.

Bradshaw slapped teammate Victor Cruz in the back of the helmet after a 15-yard run he made in third-quarter when the Giants receiver missed a block that might have sprung him for a touchdown. Later, Bradshaw got into a brief jawing session with head coach Tom Coughlin on his way onto the field for an offensive series.
Bradshaw on Monday acknowledged that "a lot of my emotions kicked in" and said he was telling Coughlin to run the ball on the coming possession. After rushing a combined 57 times in the team's previous two games, Bradshaw carried the ball only 12 times for 43 yards against the Redskins.
Bradshaw's smack looked like it may have smarted, and Cruz confirmed, "It didn't tickle, to say the least. But it's all fine," Cruz said. "He just wants the best out of everyone. On that specific play, he felt like I could've done more. I agree with him, and we hugged it out later on."

Tom Coughlin would rather not be yelled at by his ball-hungry running back. And Victor Cruz could live without having Ahmad Bradshaw slap him in the head. "Hey, if I'm going to a fight I'm taking Ahmad with me," safety Antrel Rolle said. "I love that guy. I love his passion. I love the attitude he beings to a game. He's a very emotional guy"
Tempers flare among teammates and between players and coaches all the time. There is a tremendous amount of pressure to win and there is the competitiveness that courses through the veins of everyone involved in the game. But to lose your cool is not cool.
Some might have been surprised when Ahmad Bradshaw slapped teammate Victor Cruz in the head during the Giants' win over Washington on Sunday. But Martellus Bennett wasn't. He's grown accustomed to getting smacked by the Giants running back.

A day after recording a new season high of 79 receiving yards on five catches, tight end Martellus Bennett gave himself a thumbs down for his performance. Head coach Tom Coughlin said he was pleased to hear Bennett own up to his mistakes despite his statistically sound day.

Oct 22 Gtants win over Washington, 27-23  | Photos  | Photos | Photos | Videos

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On The Game: Game 7 Gamegirl "...Both teams hit their defensive playbooks at halftime, because all that continuous offense suddenly stopped. The Redskins and Giants failed to score on their next possessions and that was good compared to how they did after that. There were a few turnovers - Redskins fumble - Giants pass interception - Redskins pass interception..." Mikefan. "..The Giants couldn't crack the Redskins rushing defense although they did manage two short yardage touchdowns, one each by Andre Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Redskins rushing game on the other hand worked quite well. Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III did most of the damage, although each of these rookie standouts fumbled the ball over once, accounting for two of their teams four turnovers..."

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ESPN - Eli Manning's TD to Victor Cruz rescues Giants from Redskins.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 27, Redskins 23.
ESPN - Manning has comeback in Cruz control.
ESPN - Tuck, Osi, JPP all get to RG3.
ESPN - Cruz makes more history against Redskins.
ESPN - JPP goes Gangnam Style after sacking RG3.
ESPN - Canty on return: 'My body feels great'.
Giants.com - Giants with thrilling 27-23 win over Skins.
Giants.com - Eli with another comeback win; Milestones.
Giants.com - LB Chase Blackburn seals Giants win.
Giants.com - Safety Steve Brown forces key turnover vs. Skins.
NYDailyNews - Giants Cruz to a thrilling 27-23 win over RGIII, Skins.
NYDailyNews - Tuck's clutch stops seals Big Blue victory.
NYDailyNews - RGIII almost II much.
NYDailyNews - Holsey is burned, but recovers.
NYPost - More fourth-quarter magic from Eli makes up for erratic effort.
NYPost - Giants slow, but can't stop, Redskins' rookie marvel.
NYPost - RG3 throws big scare into Big Blue before Cruz, Manning steal show.
NYPost - WR torpedoes Skins with clutch catch.
NYPost - Griffin gave Skins chance to win.
NYPost - Big Blue 'D' schooled by RG3.
StarLedger - Giants survive Redskins in wild 27-23 victory, stay atop NFC East.
StarLedger - Ahmad Bradshaw exchanges words with Tom Coughlin, Victor Cruz.
StarLedger - Manning, Cruz make the connection for Giants.
InsideFootball - Giants Thwart the Redskins, 27-23.
TheRecord - Eli Manning 77-yarder to Victor Cruz rallies Giants, 27-23.
NYTimes - Manning Isn't at His Best Until Giants Need It Most.
WashTimes - Redskins' comeback thwarted by blown coverage, then fumble.
WashTimes - For Santana Moss, ecstasy then agony.
WashTimes - Complete game still elusive to Redskins.
WashTimes - Alfred Morris runs for 120 yards, but fumble sticks out
WashTimes - Fred Davis' season ends with torn Achilles.

Game 7 Preview - Giants (4-2) vs Redskins (3-3)
The fans hoped to see an end to the Redskins eight home game losing streak last Sunday and watched as their team fell behind 9-0 to the Vikings on three straight possessions. The first quarter was nearing an end and they were already outgained 148 yards to 7. Robert Griffin III, coming off a concussion the week earlier, had thrown an interception and things were not looking good.
The Giants broke the hearts of the San Francisco fans last season when they won the Championship game at Candlestick Park. Last Sunday they left no doubt in the fans and players minds, that the Giants are the dominate team.

Oct 21 Stopping Robert Griffin III: A look at how the Giants will try and stop the Washington Redskins' dynamic playmaker QB. So far, there is still no blueprint for defending Robert Griffin III. After Sunday, there might be.
Giants' defensive ends have to adapt their game to deal with running quarterbacks. Gone are the days when men paid to get after the quarterback could simply line up and go for broke, Tuck says.

The Carolina Panthers are one of the teams that have cut Andre Brown since he was drafted in 2009. Facing them earlier this year, he ran for 113 yards and two scores in a blowout win. On Sunday, he faces the Washington Redskins, another team that cut him. "I hope I have the same reaction when I go against them," Brown said with a laugh Friday.

The Giants have not returned a kickoff for a touchdown in nearly five years. But since coach Tom Coughlin installed David Wilson as the kickoff returner at the beginning of the season, Wilson has shown that he might just be the one to end the streak.

Adrian Tracy played 12 snaps and finished with four tackles and a sack against the 49ers, carving out a niche for himself and in the process showing the Giants he can be more than a one-week wonder.

Barry Cofield may have gotten a couple of laughs in over his old Giants teammates last season when Cofield's Redskins swept the season series. Cofield's former team got the last laugh, though. So there is hardly a feeling of superiority going into Sunday for Cofield and the Redskins.

Oct 20 They haven't been rewarded with anything beyond a pat on the rear end and a "great job" from their quarterback. For now, that will have to do - Eli Manning said he takes care of his offensive line after the season with the appropriate tokens of appreciation. If his personal protectors up front continue their current pace, he'll owe them plenty.

The Giants' wide receiver group, whose primary job is to catch the ball, is the running game's secret weapon, the group of guys whose downfield blocking often can mean the difference between a 5- and a 15-yard run.

When the Giants (4-2) face the Redskins (3-3) Sunday at MetLife Stadium, David Baas is hoping to erase the sting of last year's disappointment. That goes for most of the Giants, who haven't forgotten they were swept by the Redskins last season.

Linebacker Michael Boley, who recalled last year's second loss to the Redskins as "major letdown," said it has been key for the Giants to "stay focused and make sure you keep paying attention to the little details that got you the win the week before."

The Giants will enter MetLife Stadium on Sunday having faced - and prepared for - two other option quarterbacks in their first six games this season. And that, Justin Tuck said, has the Giants feeling "we're a little more confident, because we've seen those option things."

Hakeem Nicks practiced three straight days this week, the first time the wide receiver has done so all season. He's listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Redskins, and feels like the increased practice load has served him well as he pushes through foot and knee injuries.
He missed three straight games before returning for Sunday's win in San Francisco, then decided it was time for a more aggressive approach in practices. "I feel like practicing on (the foot and knee) is the start to breaking it back in and getting better," Nicks said. It's definitely been getting better."

Oct 19 The Giants return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face the Washington Redskins for the first time this season. The Redskins won both meetings between the teams in 2011.
Washington's offense thrives by exploiting the opposition on the edge. That is exactly where the Giants' Pro Bowl defensive ends have earned their reputation.

Bob Griffin is no more. On Thursday, Osi Umenyiora dubbed Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III with a new nickname. And this time, the Giants defensive end did so out of respect.
Osi Umenyiora has changed his tune on Robert Griffin III after the rookie quarterback's fast start. "His name is Sir. His name is Sir Robert Griffin," Umenyiora said. "That is what I refer to him now.
"I'm impressed with him as a rookie," defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. "He has great command out there. They put a lot on his shoulders and obviously he's up to the challenge to go out and make the offense work."

Antrel Rolle, who inspired the Giants to their Super Bowl run last season with an impassioned speech after a bad December loss to the Redskins, was on fire last week, with two picks at San Francisco, and is eager to face Washington again on Sunday.

Two veterans trying to work their way back into the Giants' starting lineup are offensive tackle David Diehl and defensive tackle Chris Canty.
David Diehl played in last week's game at San Francisco for the first time since spraining his knee in Week 2. It was also the first time the 10-year veteran offensive lineman has played in a game but not started.

Ahmad Bradshaw was limited in practice on Thursday, after sitting out practice Wednesday. But Bradshaw should still get the bulk of the carries when the Giants face the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
Bradshaw, 26, has spent his career splitting carries with other running backs, from Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward in years past to Andre Brown and David Wilson this season.
Because of his tenaciousness, Bradshaw said he's ready to carry the ball 30 times again, if necessary. "I'm always up for it," he said. "I take pride in it."

Each Thursday, Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell speak with the media. Check out a few highlights from those sessions this week.

Oct 18 The Giants are aware of the unique kind of player they're facing this week. Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III is a threat both passing and running, and his 4.41 speed has caused problems for opponents so far in his young NFL career.
When Justin Tuck studies Robert Griffin III, he sees more than just another new starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins. "Obviously," Tuck said, "the most exciting new addition to the NFL." So in practice, they have enlisted back-up quarterback David Carr and reserve receiver Jerrel Jernigan to give them their best RG III. Or, as Carr modestly put it, "RG-5."
For the record, Jernigan did get the edge on them without the ball. "With Jerrel's speed, it's very lifelike and it's going to give our defense a good look," fullback Henry Hynoski said. "Jerrel is so fast, he's fast like RG3. So it definitely helps out. He's going to get the defense ready."

Jason Pierre-Paul recorded two sacks against the 49ers, part of the Giants' six-sack effort in the decisive 26-3 win. His season sack total through six games is now 3.5. Pierre-Paul's versatility was also highlighted in that game.
Robert Griffin III may be the fastest QB in the NFL, but Pierre-Paul thinks RGIII will have his hands full against a Giants' defense that might be faster than any he's ever seen. "Don't bring it to my side," Pierre-Paul said. "Go the other way."

Anyone who watched Sunday's Giants-Niners game knows how dominant Antrel Rolle was in Big Blue's win. Now, the NFC is recognizing it, too. Rolle has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after a standout performance in the Giants' 26-3 drubbing of the 49ers.

It's hard to imagine an NFL offensive line playing better right now than the Giants' front. In victories over Cleveland and San Francisco the last two weeks, the Giants have rushed for 392 yards and extended their streak of games without allowing Eli Manning to be sacked to three. So what do the offensive linemen talk about when they're alone in their meeting room?
Eli Manning smiled when asked what the biggest difference in his offensive line has been the last few weeks. "I'm not sure," he said, "but, I'm not complaining about it." Because the offensive line - and by extension the fullback and tight ends - have been playing so well, the Giants have given up the fewest sacks (5) in the NFL.
Sacking Manning has been next to impossible, and it's not because everything always is blocked perfectly. "Look at the way he escapes pressure, he's actually very elusive for a quarterback, believe it or not he really is," fullback Henry Hynoski said. "He gets out of things that we don't know how he does it."

Running back Andre Brown has been cleared to resume practicing from a concussion that sidelined him on Sunday. Ahmad Bradshaw has been hot ever since Brown went down, rushing for 316 yards and two touchdowns combined in the past two games. Brown hopes he can still get a fair share of carries spelling Bradshaw this week against Washington.
Defensive tackle Chris Canty practiced Wednesday after being sidelined for the first six weeks of the season. The Giants could activate him for Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins. "We are just going to see how the week goes," Canty said, "and I'm sure the decision will be made between now and Sunday."

During a conference call with members of the media that cover the New York Giants, Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III responds to a question about Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora calling him "Bob" earlier this season.
RG3 looks forward to his first NFC East game. "I am looking forward to having my first opportunity, but I don't look at it as a statement game or anything like that," Griffin said Wednesday. "It's another football game against another good football team in the NFL.

The Redskins, with RG3 at the helm, are starting to become dangerous. "He'll keep you in every game," Barry Cofield, the former Giants defensive tackle in his second year with the Redskins, told The Post. "That's the thing we didn't have last year, and that's the thing every team wants.

Heading into Sunday's home game against the Washington Redskins, the Giants are still chasing their first division victory, after a season-opening 24-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and a 19-17 defeat at Philadelphia in Week 4. "If we're going to do something in the division, we've got to get going," Coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday.

Oct 17 Antrel Rolle said in his weekly spot on WFAN-AM 660 (See Above). "We need this win extremely bad." The Giants would not have gotten their impressive win in San Francisco without him. Rolle was outstanding in anchoring the secondary during Sunday's triumph at Candlestick Park with two interceptions and six tackles, tied for the team lead.

Antrel Rolle says Robert Griffin III is all-around quarterback, 'different' than Michael Vick. Arguably (or not really), Griffin is already a better passer than Vick ever was. It's just a matter of him staying healthy, which was tested two weeks ago when he sustained a concussion on a gruesome -- but legal -- hit from Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon."

Giants facing 'an amazing talent' in Redskins' RGIII. "He's going to be a problem in this league for a long time," Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora said of the rookie quarterback in an interview on ESPN Radio on Tuesday. "We're going to have our work cut out for us."

Victor Cruz played his 25th career game against the 49ers Sunday and his six receptions for 58 yards pushed his career total to 125 catches and 2,032 yards. Those numbers rank the undrafted free agent out of UMass among the best in NFL history through 25 career games.
Cruz has earned a spot among the players with the most catches and receiving yards through the first 25 games of a career in NFL history. And he is outpacing the vast majority of the most productive receivers the Giants have ever had.

Mathias Kiwanuka has been a problem for the Giants since the day they drafted him in the first round in 2006. They knew he'd be a dangerous weapon, especially in the pass rush. But they've never seemed to know how to use him best.

NFC East News
Eagles fire defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. It's getting ugly in Philadelphia. The Eagles are entering their bye week on the heels of a disappointing 26-23 overtime loss to the Lions with questions surrounding the club and will do so without Juan Castillo..
Cowboys need a fresh set of eyes. If Jerry Jones the owner won't go down the hall to fire Jerry Jones the general manager, he needs to bring in someone to help him see what's clear to many others. They need someone to be cognizant of the inept in-game coaching.
Redskins - The combination of a quarterback completing at least 75 percent of his passes (minimum of 10 attempts) and rushing for 130 yards also has never been done. Not Vick. Not Cam. Not Steve Young. Nobody ever.

Oct 16 The Giants, now 4-2 after dominating the 49ers, head into the teeth of their division schedule the next two weeks, facing the Redskins at home on Sunday, then trekking to Dallas for a rematch with the Cowboys.
Michael Boley thinks the Giants reminded the rest of the league that they're the same team that won the Super Bowl last year -- and that they're capable of doing the same thing this season.
Let's be honest: These Giants aren't underdogs. There's no way to go to San Francisco, soundly defeat a 49ers team many considered the best in the NFC, and still fly under the radar.

Long after Eli Manning stops being an elite quarterback, long after Tom Coughlin retires, it is a good bet Robert Griffin III will be the scourge of the NFC East, the Giants' worst nightmare. They better get him now, before he has it all figured out.
So, they need to watch the run by Robert Griffin III not I time, not II times, not III times, but XX times to make sure they have the proper sense of urgency for the game against Washington on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Right tackle David Diehl played for the first time since suffering an MCL sprain in Week 2, but was only used as a tight end in the jumbo package. With Eli Manning having gone three games without being sacked and the running game exploding in the last two games, Coughlin would not say what his plans were for Diehl in the near future.

Both Chris Canty and Travis Beckum are eligible to return to practice this week after spending the first six weeks on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Canty will be back on the field, but Beckum will not.
It will be interesting to see if Canty can progress enough in a week - he's had after no off-season, no mini-camps, no training camp and no games to get activated for Sunday's NFC East game against the Redskins.

Several vehicles belonging to Giants players were burglarized and one was stolen from a parking lot at the Timex Performance Center in East Rutherford, N.J. while the team was in San Francisco over the weekend. The burglaries happened between 4 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. Sunday. During away games, Giants team members typically leave their parked cars in the area, secured by an iron gate and surveilled by security cameras.

Oct 15 Giants win over San Francisco, 26-3  | Photos  | Photos | Photos

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On The Game: Game 6 Gamegirl "... San Francisco was one of the top scoring teams in the league and all they could come up with was a field goal. They can no longer claim they feel that the Giants didn't beat them last time, that they beat themselves. The Giants beat them soundly today and left no doubt in their minds. Nice job Giants!..." Mikefan. "..As usual the Giants rose to the occasion. Some of the 49er players said that they circled this date on the schedule looking forward to playing the Giants since they felt that they should have won last year's championship playoff game. This was also a home game and if they circle another one in the future, it will be a reminder that they should just get out of town...."

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ESPN - Giants intercept Alex Smith three times in blowout victory over 49ers.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 26, 49ers 3.
ESPN - Jacobs: Tough to watch Giants-Niners.
ESPN - Cruz does the salsa; Rogers doesn't.
ESPN - Pass rush registers six sacks.
ESPN - Offensive line takes the fight to 49ers.
ESPN - Rolle stymies Smith with pair of picks.
Giants.com - Giants defeat 49ers, 26-3.
Giants.com - RB Ahmad Bradshaw gets big yards again.
Giants.com - QB Eli Manning has different game in win.
Giants.com - JPP has fun, but says D "can be better".
StarLedger - Giants get three interceptions and beat 49ers, 26-3.
StarLedger - Hakeem Nicks not a full strength, but contributes in win over 49ers.
InsideFootball - Giants Dominate 49ers, 26-3.
TheRecord - Tom Coughlin keeping Giants focused.
TheRecord - David Wilson's kickoff return a turning point.
NYDailyNews - Big Blue makes it look easy against Niners.
NYDailyNews - Osi gloats as Giants D shuts down Niners.
NYDailyNews - In Week 6, Giants prove the champs are here.
NYDailyNews - Ahmad Bradshaw wears down tough San Francisco 49ers defense.
NYPost - Safety picks Smith twice as Giants dominate NFC bully 49ers in blowout.
NYPost - Dissed by 49ers, Giants show they're not a fluke with blowout win.
NYPost - Rookie Wilson gets closer to breakout game.
NYPost - Bradshaw runs past the hype.
NYPost - Eli and his WRs rely on one another.
NYPost - Old Niners just vanish.
NYTimes - Giants' Defense Turns Rematch Into Mismatch.
NYTimes - Even on the 49ers' Turf, the Air Still Belongs to Manning and the Giants.
SFGate - No chance? Giants have no problems in 26-3 rout of 49ers.

Game 6 Preview - Giants (3-2) vs Niners (4-1)
Coming off a 34-0 win over the Jets last week, the 49ers were big favorites to beat the Buffalo Bills. They must not like these AFC East teams very much and they handled the role of 'favorite' just fine, sending the Bills home with a 45-3 loss. The Giants were also big favorites and to make things interesting they spotted the Browns 14 points in the first five minutes. However, the Giants turned things around and by the end of the game they had a 41-27 win, sinking Cleveland to 0-5.

Oct 14 Here we are again, the Giants on the road for a game they cannot win. Or probably cannot win. Or might not win. Or won't lose. It goes round and round with these Giants, who under coach Tom Coughlin have often been at their best in such potentially daunting situations. At New England last season. At Pittsburgh in 2008. At everywhere in the 2007 playoffs.

The synergy of the Giants' passing game seems to have picked up where it left off after the Super Bowl XLVI run - which included an even more significant play by Manning, his back-side throw to a toe-tapping Manningham that set up the Super Bowl-winning touchdown.
Mario Manningham said it's "every player's dream to beat their old team." Today he gets his chance. The former Giant has started three games this season and figures to be up against cornerback Prince Amukamara for much of the game.

Jacquian Williams says he is not quite sure how he will feel walking onto the field today at Candlestick Park, site of his game-changing play in last year's NFC Championship. It was Williams who reached out and forced a fumble on punt returner Kyle Williams to provide the Giants with the momentum-swing needed in the overtime classic.
Eli Manning finished 32-for-58 for 316 yards and two TDs in the 20-17 overtime death struggle. He was sacked six times. "After every play, you would see him kind of getting up," Kevin Boothe said. "He never really wavered. He just kind of kept going. You didn't know ... if there was anything wrong with him or anything. He just got up and kept playing."

Oct 13 With all due respect to the 49ers, I don't buy the claim that some of them have made that the Giants "stole" the NFC Championship from them last January. Seriously, how do you "steal" something from someone when they never had it to begin with?

The 49ers lead the NFL with a 6.1 yard rushing average. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said he knows exactly why the Giants are a mediocre 16th against the run. "Tackling, and then discipline in our gaps," he said.
Although a furious pass rush sparked the Super Bowl run, the defense has yet to replicate that, recording only eight sacks this season. Fewell connected that shortcoming to his unit's difficulty in stopping the run on first and second down, allowing opposing offenses to avoid obvious passing situations.

Eli Manning was sacked six times and officially hit 12 times in that NFC title game. It was the toughest performance of his career. The Giants must make sure Manning isn't touched nearly as many times this time around.

The last time he suited up, Ahmad Bradshaw got the ball 30 times from scrimmage and rushed for 200 yards, both career highs. That was against the Browns. Bradshaw cannot expect another 200-yard outburst against such a formidable defense, can he? "Expect the unexpected," Bradshaw said Thursday.
David Wilson hasn't seen too many chances in his rookie season, but that could all change tomorrow. With backup running back Andre Brown (concussion) listed out for Sunday's game in San Francisco, Wilson will fill in behind Ahmad Bradshaw and hopes to build off his last carry, a 40-yard touchdown run against the Browns, which gave a peek at the potential of the Giants' first-round pick.

Even without Hakeem Nicks for three of the five games, the Giants are the No. 2 passing offense in the league, falling just below Tom Brady and the Patriots. Domenik Hixon (15 catches, 236 yards) and Ramses Barden (12 catches, 198 yards) have taken their turn starting in place of Nicks and the air show has not been grounded.
The Giants said Nicks was unable to meet with reporters immediately after practice because he was receiving treatment. He told the team's media relations staff that he is cautiously optimistic that he will play. Fellow receiver Victor Cruz was encouraged by what he saw during practice.

For most of eight seasons, Alex Smith was considered a problem, not a solution. His erratic play was excused somewhat by the carousel of unsuccessful coaches he endured, but he was like gum on a shoe. The 49ers could not quite rid themselves of a player who seemed to be slowing them down.

Kevin Gilbride says 49ers DT Justin Smith 'gets away with murder' and Jim Harbaugh fires back. "Kevin Gilbride's outrageous, irrational statement regarding Justin Smith's play is, first, an absurd analogy," Harbaugh said in the statement.
"Second, it is an incendiary comment targeting one of the truly exemplary players in this league. It's obvious that the Giants coaching staff's sole purpose is to use their high visibility to both criticize and influence officiating." Harbaugh refused to discuss the matter further.

Until this season, any of 300 flight attendants could apply to be one of the six flight attendants who assist Levin. But this season, the airline is sticking to a small nucleus, approved by the Giants, for all road trips. "They get very superstitious," Levin said. "They get like, 'If so-and-so's on the flight, we know we're going to win.'" During last season's playoffs, that person was Kim Black.

Carlos Rogers won't be doing any salsa dancing on the field Sunday. Out of respect for Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, the San Francisco 49ers cornerback told the New York Daily News he will stop mimicking the dance. "That's a tribute to his grandmother. Once (I heard) that, I threw that out the door."

Former Giants
Michael Strahan visits Giants defensive line meeting room before 49ers game. Strahan watched film with the group, sharing his observations and "different technique stuff" mostly for the defensive ends, rookie defensive tackle Markus Kuhn said. He also answered questions.
Brandon Jacobs, who signed with San Francisco 49ers after winning second Super Bowl with N.Y. Giants, says Big Blue should look out on Sunday because San Fran is even better than last season.
Matt Bahr recalled the 49ers calling a timeout before his game winner in '91 and Steve DeOssie, the Giants long snapper back then and father of Tynes' current long snapper, Zak, told him, "They can't ice you." 'I told him, 'They're not trying to ice me, they're trying to ice you,' " Bahr recalled. "Then he went, 'Ahhhhhhhh,' and got really nervous."

Oct 12 Despite the fact he was one of their Super Bowl heroes, as soon as the free-agency signing period began last offseason, Mario Manningham knew his Giants career was finished. "I knew I wasn't coming back. I wasn't mad. It's business. I left a good team and went to [another] good team." Manningham sounded delighted about being a starter in San Francisco instead of the No. 3 had he re-signed with the Giants.
Mario Manningham, the former Giants receiver who now plays for the 49ers, said he's been coaching his new teammates up on his old offense. Between Manningham and running back Brandon Jacobs -- who spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Giants before signing with San Francisco -- how concerned is offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride?

While Justin Tuck may not be losing sleep over the fact that he is No. 222 on NFL sack leaders list, he says he's watching the tape and trying to figure out how to get on the board. It doesn't help that Osi Umenyiora has two sacks, tied for No. 46 in the league, and Jason Pierre-Paul has 1-1/2, tied for 78th.
When asked about the D-linemen, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell expressed confidence in them, despite the slow start: "They'll get sacks, they'll get hits. I have a lot of confidence in those guys. They'll play, they'll be fine. The way the offenses are attacking us right now, sometimes that limits their opportunities. The ball does come out pretty quick on us."

When it comes to quarterback hurries, Eli Manning was under pressure 38.9 percent of the time last year, the second highest percentage in the league, according to Pro Football Focus stats. This year, the protection is much better: Manning has been pressured on 25.1 percent of his dropbacks, the sixth-lowest rate in the league.

Ahmad Bradshaw isn't just coming off a career-high 200 yards rushing last Sunday against the Browns. He's also coming off a career-high 30 carries. That equals a lot of pounding on a relatively small frame -- 5-foot-10, 214 pounds. But the Giants running back sounds eager to get back on the field Sunday in San Francisco.

Former Rutgers running back Joe Martinek re-signed with the Giants this week. Martinek, 23, originally signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent and caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown in the preaseason.

Oct 11 Martellus Bennett played through much of the Giants' win over the Browns with a hyperextended left knee he sustained when he slipped on the wet, artificial grass at MetLife Stadium last Sunday. And though he didn't practice Wednesday, he expects to play Sunday against the 49ers.

Jacquian Williams is "curious" to see how he feels when he takes the field at Candlestick Park this Sunday. The last time the second-year Giants linebacker was there was for the NFC Championship Game in January. And he made a decisive play in that victory, stripping the ball from punt returner Kyle Williams' grasp in overtime to set up Lawrence Tynes' game-winning field goal.

Yes, the Giants beat the 49ers in the N.F.C. championship game last January on their way to a Super Bowl title. But that game, a 20-17 overtime victory, was marred for the linemen by the punishment quarterback Eli Manning took throughout the game.
Eli Manning has been sacked less in the first 20 quarters of the 2012 season than he was in five periods in the NFC Championship Game. Manning has been tackled attempting to pass just four times in the Giants' first five games. He was sacked six times - and the 49ers were credited with 12 hits on him - in their last meeting.

The Giants know what they're in for. Justin Tuck said the 49ers are playing "awesome" and admitted the 49ers "are more consistent than we are right now." Eli Manning said the Niners defense probably was the best he faced last season. Snee said he knows his body a week from today will be incredibly sore.
It might be a new season, but there's a palpable carry-over from last season's NFC Championship, won by the Giants 20-17 in overtime. The 49ers thought they were going to the Super Bowl, which the Giants ultimately claimed by beating the Patriots. A measure of payback will be in the air on Sunday with the 49ers (4-1) wanting to establish their superiority over the Giants (3-2) in the NFC.

Former Giants
Mario Manningham sounds elated to be in San Francisco. "Oh, man, I couldn't ask for a better team," Manningham said. "[Couldn't ask for] better teammates, better coaching staff, equipment managers, everybody else. Everybody over here is real cool, and down to earth."
Mario Manningham said he wasn't offended that the Giants didn't show much interesting in bringing him back. He understands the NFL is as much a business as it is a sport. But facing his former employer is still something he's looked forward to since the schedule was released.

Oct 10 Both Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs signed with San Francisco over the offseason after playing key roles last season. Though Amhad Bradshaw considers both close friends, he thinks the Giants will eventually be a better team without the two.
Giants safety Antrel Rolle is looking forward to seeing Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham on Sunday in San Francisco. But Rolle won't exchange pleasantries with his former teammates once the game starts.
San Francisco's offense, with the additions of former Giant Mario Manningham and Randy Moss on the outside, has improved substantially since the Giants last faced them in last season's NFC Championship Game.

Kyle Williams, of all 49ers, knows this is not just another game, not after what went down against the New York Giants in last season's NFC Championship game. While many teammates attempted to relegate Sunday's rematch as merely Game No. 6 of 16, Williams wants to avenge both the 49ers' overtime defeat and his personal impact on it.
The San Francisco 49ers may be the ones looking for a measure of revenge when they face the New York Giants on Sunday. But the Giants' offensive line will be looking for some redemption as well. During the Giants' 20-17 overtime victory over the Niners in the NFC Championship game last season, Eli Manning was sacked six times and officially hit 12 times -- although it was more like 20 times.
They have seen the unbelievable statistics and the video-game like numbers, and the Giants are duly impressed with what the San Francisco 49ers have done the last two weeks. But the Giants also remember that they're still the defending Super Bowl champions.

Ahmad Bradshaw says he thinks Hakeem Nicks will return this week and play against San Francisco. "He's tough," Bradshaw said on ESPN New York 98.7. "I think he will be here this week. He seemed to give me a hint that he would be."
The Giants are sorely missing Nicks' physical presence on the outside. Having Hakeem Nicks will create matchup problems in the 49ers secondary, and could allow for Victor Cruz to go to work on 49ers cornerback Carlos Rodgers over the middle of the field.

The Giants offense was physical, tough, determined and working in synergy against the Browns -- a good combination to take forward into this week's game at San Francisco.
David Baas and his fellow offensive linemen know what they have to do: pick up where they left off in Sunday's win, when they paved the way for Ahmad Bradshaw's 200-yard rushing performance and kept Eli Manning from getting sacked for the second straight game.

After five weeks, the Giants are baffled. They are confounded by their inability to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks with the vigor in which they did last season. It had become an annoyance that they had eight sacks through four games. It reached rock bottom against the Browns on Sunday in the form of zero sacks.

Antrel Rolle is one of two safeties remaining on Big Blue's original 53-man roster that is available to play on Sunday. However, Rolle is still dealing with a laceration on his knee that he suffered three weeks ago after he knocked into a camera man against the Carolina Panthers.

Oct 9 Will Hill, the promising first-year safety who made a big play on special teams in the 41-27 victory over the Browns on Sunday and was a growing presence on defense, has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
The Giants added Tyler Sash to their 53-man roster. The Giants had received a roster exemption last week for Sash, who practiced but was not activated for the team's 41-27 victory yesterday over Cleveland. Hill was suspended for using Adderral, the same medication for which Sash was suspended.

Tom Coughlin not satisfied with pass rush. They rarely applied pressure on Brandon Weeden and didn't sack the rookie quarterback a single time. The Giants now have just eight sacks through five games this season. They finished tied for third in the NFL with 48 in 2011. "How could we be satisfied?" Tom Coughlin said. "We didn't touch the passer again."
Against the winless Browns, they were credited with two quarterback hits, though that statistic is generally open to interpretation, and Coach Tom Coughlin said bluntly, "We didn't touch the passer." The Giants are averaging fewer than three quarterback hits a game, more than two fewer than they averaged during the 2011 regular season.

Chris Canty said he'll be physically ready to help the team in Week 7, but he "can't make any guarantees" as to when he'll be added to the active roster. The Giants' pass rush has been sluggish so far this season, yielding just eight sacks through five games, 24th-best in the league. Canty hopes his return can be a boost.

Markus Kuhn's family made the trip from Germany to watch him make his first start in the NFL. "Since I came to the U.S., since freshman year [of college], whenever they came over and visited me for a game, we never lost," said Kuhn, unaware he would be starting when they planned the trip.

49ers are winning big, but David Baas says they're not 'almighty'. "We're prepared for them. We know we have a good team, too. We know it's going to be a battle, and we've just got to get prepared this week, have a good week of practice."

Former Giants
Brandon Jacobs elected to sign with the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason, and Ahmad Bradshaw didn't just lose a teammate -- he lost his "big brother."

Oct 8 Giants win over the Browns, 41-27  | Photos  | Photos | Videos

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On The Game: Game 5 Gamegirl "... If you made it to the stadium you felt that there was a big drop in temperature over the last few days and it was raining as well. If you thought you felt miserable settling into your seat when the game started, you felt even worse less than one minute later ... By the end of the game the weather had cleared up and so had my disposition with the Giants winning this one 41-27. The sun had come out, at least in my heart, and I hope the sun shines down on my Giants next week in San Francisco!..." Mikefan. ".. There are lots of stories in this game. They were sparked by safety Stevie Brown, who may have blown his coverage earlier allowing that big touchdown pass by Weeden, making two great plays in a row and they really never looked back after that..."

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ESPN - Career games by Cruz, Bradshaw carry Giants.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 41, Browns 27.
ESPN - Bradshaw has best day of his career.
ESPN - Wilson finds end zone, executes backflip.
ESPN - Rookie WR Randle has breakout game.
ESPN - Bennett shows guts, returning from injury.
ESPN - Giants shut up Browns' Richardson.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Browns, 41-27.
Giants.com - Postgame Milestones & Stats.
StarLedger - Giants, Ahmad Bradshaw run over Browns for 41-27 victory.
StarLedger - Despite early deficit, Giants never doubted.
InsideFootball - Giants Crush Browns, 41-27.
Record - Chase Blackburn a fixture for Giants.
NYDailyNews - Blue hears boos, then blows out Browns.
NYDailyNews - Big Blue rookies show their worth on offense.
NYDailyNews - Ahmad Bradshaw runs wild after fumble.
NYDailyNews - Osi plays after son's scare.
NYPost - Giants overcome early deficit for easy victory over Cleveland.
NYPost - Rookie catches chance in stride.
NYPost - Eli hits Cruz control when it matters most.
NYPost - Brown makes up for early miscue.
NYPost - Bradshaw's performance quite the rush for G-Men.
NYPost - Chase's on when it counts for Big Blue 'D'.
NYTimes - In Final Seconds, Giants Fall Short to Eagles.
MorningCall - Brown keys Giants win over Browns.
Ohio.com - Four-minute meltdown scorches lead, extinguishes hope.
Ohio.com - Early success deteriorates quickly into another loss.

Game 5 Preview - Giants (2-2) vs Browns (0-4)
The Giants had it in their grasp on the Eagles 26 yard line, but let it get away. There was a chance to win the game in the final 25 seconds with a 44-yard field goal. A pass play resulted in offensive pass interference and a loss of 10 yards. An incomplete pass left 15 seconds and on 3rd down they had Lawrence Tynes try the longest field goal of his career. The ball fell short and the Giants lost to the Eagles 19-17.
In a Thursday game with the regular NFL officials returning, the Browns were knocking at the door in an effort to tie up their game. In the final drive Cleveland moved the ball to the Ravens 18 yard line after a fourth-down end zone pass drew a penalty. Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden's next pass to wide receiver Greg Little fell incomplete to end the game. Baltimore's fans left happy with a 23-16 win.

Oct 7 By this point, most football fans have probably noticed the N.F.L.'s pink theme - including everything from socks to towels to the referee's whistle - that is in place as part of October's National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Those fans coming to MetLife Stadium for Sunday's game between the Giants and Cleveland Browns, however, will have a more pointed experience.

The Giants forced no turnovers and recorded just two sacks in their 19-17 loss to the Eagles last Sunday night. They likely can't afford their totals in those categories to be that low this Sunday -- even against the 0-4 Browns.
Marvin Austin and Markus Kuhn are two players who realize that Sunday might be their chance to shine along the defensive line. And playing a young and winless team - Cleveland (0-4) - might be a good starting off point.

Former Players
Brandon Jacobs is ready to roll. That doesn't necessarily mean he will play Sunday against Buffalo - the coaches will decide Sunday morning - but he sounds like a man restless to step on the field and trample overmatched defensive players.

Oct 6 Special Report Did you catch the commentary that Cris Collinsworth put out there on national T.V. regarding Rueben Randle's poor work ethic so far in his rookie season? Let's just start by saying that Collinsworth didn't come up with that on his own ... someone within the team told him that, or else he would not have touched that assertion with a 10-foot pole.

The Giants will be without two starting defensive players -- DT Rocky Bernard (quadricep) and S Kenny Phillips (knee) -- as well as WR Ramses Barden (concussion) for this week's game against the Browns. Receiver Hakeem Nicks had already been ruled out with foot and knee injuries. CB Jayron Hosley (hamstring) is also out. Coach Tom Coughlin said Markus Kuhn and Marvin Austin will have to step up in Bernard's absence alongside Linval Joseph. It's also possible defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck will need to play inside more often.

The Giants' task this weekend is to avoid falling into a trap that has ensnared them in the past. Two years ago, in their second regular-season game in MetLife Stadium, the Giants lost by 19 points to a Tennessee Titans team that finished 6-10. In 2011, they fell by 11 to the soon-to-be 7-9 Seattle Seahawks.
As they prepare to face the winless Browns (0-4) tomorrow at MetLife Stadium, it's time for the Giants defensive line to dominate a game that's more critical than it might seem. In a month that includes road games at San Francisco and at Dallas, the Giants can ill afford a letdown tomorrow, which means the defensive front must give a Giant NFL welcome to rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden.

Osi Umenyiora revealed that him, Pierre-Paul and Tuck are receiving more attention from opposing offenses than they've ever received before. "We've seen it all, but we haven't seen it all on this level before," Umenyiora said. "At the end of the day, we're gonna have to overcome that. It's that simple, man. There's no excuses."
Trent Richardson believes he can run on the Giants defense. And Osi Umenyiora can't wait to see the Cleveland Browns rookie tailback try. "If (Trent) looks on tape and he thinks he sees some candy, come try and get it," Umenyiora said Friday. It was the Giants' first response to Richardson, who had said a day earlier that he thought the Browns could "get good yardage" on the Giants run 'D'.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said the Giants underestimated how fast McCoy was last week. Richardson isn't as fast, though he has enough speed to exploit mistakes on the edge. Rather, Richardson is more of a downhill runner between the tackles. That means the Giants will be tested in the interior, making Rocky Bernard's absence due to a quadriceps injury a significant loss.
Inexperienced tackles Markus Kuhn and Marvin Austin will be thrust into key roles next to Linval Joseph, a 23-year-old somehow thrust into the unfamiliar role as seasoned leader. And defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck will likely be forced to play inside for several snaps.

The Giants planned that running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Andre Brown would split the snaps, and carries, at about 50/50 last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown was in on just nine and had five carries for 14 yards. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride gave the simple answer: The Giants don't trust Brown enough in pass protection, and they had been forced to throw more than they had planned.
Victor Cruz still looks at the same things on every play. He watches the cornerback in front of him, and then he eyes the safety, trying to discern the opposition's coverage scheme. It's something he's done since his days at UMass, he said, but lately, he's had to hone that presnap detective work. "I've had no choice," he said.

Tom Coughlin has won two Super Bowls with the Giants and coached in the NFL for 17 seasons. Yet losing a game in heartbreaking fashion, as his team did to the Eagles last Sunday night, still stings -- badly. "Losing, it kills you," Coughlin told the team's official website, adding that "it's 10 times more difficult" to move on from that type of defeat. The losses are much more difficult to get over the further you are in your career. They're killers," Coughlin said.

Lawrence Tynes is no longer perfect this season. He had made 25 field goals in a row for the Giants, including preseason and the playoffs since having a second-quarter try blocked during the team's NFC divisional upset triumph in Green Bay nine months ago on the road to Super Bowl XLVI. That streak doesn't make this last one any easier to take, of course.

Oct 5 Hakeem Nicks will miss his third straight game this week due to foot and knee injuries. Tom Coughlin said there has been no re-injury to Nicks foot, but the soreness in both areas is keeping him out. Coughlin did add that the swelling in Nicks' knee is down.

Eli Manning already this season has helped Ramses Barden look like a ball-snatching gazelle and last week Domenik Hixon might as well have been on a pogo stick as he leaped around for 114 receiving yards. Eli can't throw to himself and that intangible trait the special ones have -- making those around them better -- is alive and well in the Giants' No. 10.

At first, it was the cornerback position besieged by injuries, but now it has spread to the safeties. Phillips will miss several games with a sprained knee and it appears Hosley -- who was impressive working as the nickel corner -- will likely miss his second straight game with a strained hamstring.

Facing a classic trap game Sunday at the Meadowlands, Tom Coughlin and his team practically twisted themselves into a pretzel trying to paint winless Cleveland -- with its rookie quarterback and decimated secondary -- as a formidable foe.

Oct 4 Sunday's matchup is another of those hypeless games, just one week after a heartbreaker in Philadelphia and a week before an NFC Championship Game rematch in San Francisco. It conjures images of how the Seahawks walked into MetLife Stadium and left with a 36-25 win last year, or how the Giants were thumped, 29-10, by a Tennessee Titans team that would finish 6-10 in 2010.
The last time the Giants played the Browns in the regular season was October 2008. Entering the game 4-0, the Giants were handed a 35-14 beatdown on Monday Night Football. Asked if that's something his team draws on this week, as it prepares to face the Browns here at MetLife Stadiun, coach Tom Coughlin did not flinch. "I do," he said. "I remember."

The Giants' wide receivers unit has been hit hard by injuries. Hakeem Nicks has missed two straight games and his status is uncertain for this Sunday. Ramses Barden has been diagnosed with a concussion and could miss Sunday's game, too. That means Rueben Randle could have an opportunity to show what he can do.
Rueben Randle said he was surprised a bit when after scrolling through his Twitter timeline, he came across comments made by NBC sportscaster Cris Collingsworth about his work ethic. For those who missed it, Collingsworth said during last week's broadcast that people inside of the Giants organization had questions about the rookie out of LSU's work ethic.

Victor Cruz stood at his locker Wednesday, relatively healthy and relatively proven, a suddenly unique combination for a wide receiver in a Giants uniform. Four weeks into the regular season, Cruz, the NFL's leader in targets and receptions, has witnessed cohorts sidelined at a steady, alarming rate. "Dropping like flies," Cruz said. "Every time I look up, there is another one gone."
The Giants' injury report is loaded with players this week. Eight Giants did not practice. Tyler Sash also returned to practice and the Giants have until Saturday to decide if they want him to play Sunday against Cleveland or wait until Monday to make a roster move.

When Tom Coughlin was asked if Stevie Brown will start for the injured safety Kenny Phillips Sunday against Cleveland, he blandly responded, "We'll see." That is the coach's default response for questions he prefers not to answer. Brown played most of the game last week in Philadelphia after Phillips hurt his knee in the first half. All the public reviews have been favorable.
Tyler Sash, the second-year safety who was away from the team the last four weeks while serving a league-imposed suspension for having violated the PED policy, went through his first practice with the team, as it began preparing for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. So how was his first day back?

Three days after the Giants lost to the Philadelphia Eagles when a long-range, last-second field goal attempt came up short, kicker Lawrence Tynes revealed that the Giants considered running a fake on their final play.

In addition to being his father's namesake, Hynoski is fast becoming known in NFL circles as a conscientious, multifaceted fullback who not only clears running lanes for his running backs, but also is a threat to do damage with the ball in his hands, just as his father was for the Cleveland Browns, who this week face the Giants, during his brief career.

Oct 3 Special Report Forget about the Philadelphia Eagles having the New York Giants' number. Think of it this way: The Giants just seem to leave it all in the locker room when they play the Eagles. They just sputter, fizzle, blow big plays, let the Eagles have their way at all the wrong times and, in the end, give the Eagles the number to call if they want to win. We can't say that the Eagles are a better team just yet, but they certainly rise to the occasion when the play the Giants who, conversely, stumble instead.

David Wilson has played a total of only 14 offensive snaps in four games. But Wilson is showing his worth and ability with the touches he is getting on special teams. Wilson has proven to be an explosive threat as a kickoff returner, and he has definitely impressed coach Tom Coughlin.
The Giants' return game has been jolted forward by David Wilson, the team's first-round draft choice this year. Wilson hasn't scored a touchdown yet, but his prowess at running back kickoffs suggests it could happen very soon.

Rueben Randle has contributed next-to-nothing on offense, with just one catch for 4 yards in the first four games. He hasn't had many opportunities but he was on the field for 27 plays against the Panthers as the Giants went without Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon.

The drive of the game this week has left Tom Coughlin sleepless and full of regrets. Eli Manning nearly pulled off another come-from-behind victory, but the Giants got a bit aggressive at the end instead of playing for a field goal, and then Coughlin went conservative.

Run defense was a recurrent issue last season, with the Giants ranked 19th in the league in rushing yards surrendered per game. The team cited familiar foibles after Sunday's loss: Players not staying in their gaps. Missed assignments. Not being able to set the edge. Overpursuing..

Oct 2 Tom Coughlin started his team meeting today by talking about what he called "my sins." Later in the day, the Giants coach told the media, "put the blame right here."
Coach stands by Big Blue style of always going for it, but admits he might do that last sequence against Philadelphia over if he had the chance to replay it.
Tom Coughlin expresses regret, takes blame for loss to Eagles. "If I were to do it over myself, would I be as conservative with 15 seconds?" Coughlin asked. "Not this morning." So why didn't he throw the ball at the sidelines with 15 seconds remaining?
As for calling a running play that might have gotten Tynes closer and centered the kick, the coach said, "There are no guarantees that a 44- or 46-yard field goal is going to be easily handled."
Coughlin would not come out and state for the record that Manning had chosen not only the wrong option, but the most illogical one imaginable, under the circumstances.

The Giants, who had no timeouts, could have perhaps run Bradshaw again and let Eli Manning spike the ball to stop the clock. Perhaps they could have Manning throw to a receiver who ran a short out route. Instead, Manning through down the field to Ramses Barden, who was penalized for interfering with Nnamdi Asomugha.
The play that knocked the Giants out of field-goal range. With the clock ticking down inside of 30 seconds left, the Giants - down by 19-17 - faced a second-and-9 at the Philadelphia Eagles' 26-yard line on Sunday night. Kevin Gilbride, called for "11" personnel: one running back, one tight end and three receivers.

David Wilson averaged 36.2 yards per kickoff return, including a long of 53, against the Eagles on Sunday. "We probably had as good a field position based on our kickoff return game that we've had in a long, long time," Coughlin said.
David Wilson has become a big-play contributor on the Giants while hardly touching the ball as a running back. The team's first-round draft choice has consistently given the offense good field position with outstanding kickoff returns.

Ahmad Bradshaw returned for the first time since injuring his neck against Tampa Bay but the Giants' running game was shut down. Bradshaw gained 39 yards on 13 carries. Andre Brown needs to get more carries.

Safety Kenny Phillips has a sprained MCL in his right knee and is considered "week to week" by the Giants. Phillips likely will miss Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, and could be out longer than that.
Tyler Sash returned to the Giants on Monday after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy. With Kenny Phillips potentially out for a few weeks with an MCL injury, the Giants can certainly use another healthy body in the secondary.

Oct 1 Giants lose to the Eagles, 19-17  |  Photos  |  Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 4 Gamegirl "... Lawrence Tynes missed wide left, but wait! Andy Reid had called a timeout. Tynes got another chance and this time the ball was straight on but fell short and the Giants lost. It was very disappointing but I guess I'll have to put up with the Eagles winning these division games and the Giants winning Super Bowls..." Mikefan. "..What stood out in this game for the Giants was Domenik Hixon making some tough catches, averaging 19 yards on the six completions he had, and David Wilson on his 6 kick returns averaging 36.2 yards per return. Victor Cruz was his usual productive self, and he finished with 109 yards on 9 catches and 1 touchdown..."

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ESPN - Eagles shake Giants as Lawrence Tynes' late field goal falls short.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Eagles 19, Giants 17.
ESPN - Barden's flag buries Giants in Philly.
ESPN - Tynes goes 0-for-2 on attempts to win.
ESPN - Eagles understand how good they can be .
Giants.com - Giants fall to Eagles, 19-17.
StarLedger - Giants fall to Eagles, 19-17 after Tynes misses 54-yard field goal.
StarLedger - Third time was no charm for Giants' Ramses Barden.
Star Ledger - Kenny Phillips injures knee in loss to Philadelphia Eagles.
Star Ledger - Eli Manning's late magic pulls disappearing act.
InsideFootball - Giants Come Up Short Against Eagles, 19-17.
NYDailyNews - Giants fall to Eagles 19-17 on Tynes miss, bad penalty on Barden.
NYDailyNews - Michael Vick trying to recapture old magic in win over Giants.
NYPost - Barden's late penalty costs Big Blue as Eagles win on Tynes miss.
NYPost - Manning magic falls short in Philly phlop.
Record - Giants fall short against Eagles, 19-17, on missed FG.
Record - Eagles 19, Giants 17: Instant Replay.
Record - Ramses Barden, Andre Brown unable to save the night for Giants.
Record - Giants suffer more secondary loses; Kenny Phillips injured.
NYTimes - In Final Seconds, Giants Fall Short to Eagles.
Philly.com - Eagles win close game.
Philly.com - Nnamdi Asomugha explains eye injury, offensive pass interference.

Game 4 Preview - Giants (2-1) vs Eagles (2-1)
It's been a struggle for the Eagles in their first three games. The two wins were by just 1 point and last week they lost big to a team led by a former quarterback, Kevin Kolb. A sack on Michael Vick and subsequent 93-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown at the end of the first half had the Cardinals up 24-0. They lost to the Cardinals 27-6. The Giants coasted to an easy 36-7 win over the Carolina Panthers. They were on a very short week and had to travel after their comeback victory against the Buccaneers. Both Ramses Barden and Andre Brown made their first career starts and showed the kind of depth the Giants have on this team.
Overall - The Giants are well rested for this game and they could be catching the Eagles at just the right time struggling with turnovers. The same could be said for the Eagles catching the Giants with a banged up secondary. The Eagles loss was to a team that's undefeated and expected to win their next, while the Giants victory was against a team that is now 1-2 and likely headed to another loss.
Michael Vick would like nothing better than to athletically evade the Giants pass rush and make big plays with his feet, or with his arm on their secondary. That would belie the thought that possibly he is just a banged up 32 year old quarterback, lacking the skills and vision to read defenses behind the line like many others can. His athleticism or loss of it at this point will either be his saving grace or expose him for the second game in a row. The Giants have been chasing quarterbacks for three games now and should know what they have to do.

Sept 30 In the last 12 seasons, the Eagles have won the NFC East six times, the Giants four times and the Cowboys twice. During that time, the Giants and Eagles have made the playoffs in the same year three times. This year, Michael Vick talked about the Eagles having the chance to develop a dynasty, which is hard to do when the quarterback is turning the ball over nine times and getting sacked nine times in the first three games.

Eagles' LeSean McCoy said. "There's times where myself and other players feel like we have an advantage because we're out there and know more (about the game) than (the coaching staff) would, in terms of observing. . . . There's never a case where I'm telling them, 'Hey, I want the ball.'"

Osi Umenyiora will enter Lincoln Financial Field tonight knowing the Eagles fans "really hate me." They have good reason to: Sept. 30, 2007 was the game in which Umenyiora sacked quarterback Donovan McNabb six times at Giants Stadium.

Prince Amukamara will be lined up Sunday night against Philly, the team he made both his NFL debut and first interception against last season. His agent, Todd France, recently sent Amukamara a poster of the INT. Amukamara laughed as he told reports about the poster on Friday. "It's pretty big," he said. The Giants can only hope that Amukamara makes another poster-worthy play on Sunday night.

With Hakeem Nicks out, the Eagles can comfortably shade a safety towards Victor Cruz, daring somebody else to beat them. Don't expect too much from Ramses Barden, either, because he lacks elite separation skills. The onus will be on Bennett to produce. At 6-7, he towers over the 5-11 Kendricks and the 6-1 Ryans, and the former hoops player knows how to use his body.

Alternately known as Hank the Tank, the Polish Hammer and, perhaps most gloriously, the Hynocerous, Henry Hynoski knows that he will never see the ball as much as he did in high school, when he averaged more a 10 yards per carry, scored 113 touchdowns and totaled more than 7,000 yards for Southern Columbia Area High School in Pennsylvania.

Sept 29 When Hakeem Nicks limped off the field Sept. 16 after Buccaneers safety Mark Barron landed on Nicks' right ankle after failing to hurdle the wide receiver, all eyes were on his right foot, which he broke in May. Nicks returned after missing just one play, but it turns out he also hurt his knee on the play.
If Nicks can't go, the Giants could start either Domenik Hixon or Ramses Barden. Hixon missed the Carolina game with a concussion, but is probable this week. Barden picked up the start against Carolina and had career-bests of nine catches and 138 yards.
Perry Fewell is counting on Antrel Rolle playing Sunday. "I think there's no question about it," Fewell said of whether Rolle will be available to play against the Eagles. Ahmad Bradshaw is expected to return and start Sunday from what the Giants have been calling a "neck" injury.

Someone reminded Jason Pierre-Paul on Friday about the last time the Giants were in Philly, when Michael Vick walked off the field with a broken hand and complained about how much the Giants were hitting him.
"A lot of teams took what we did," defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said. "I was watching the Arizona game. Whew! They were killing him out there, man. He needs to get rid of the ball faster."
"Y'all can talk about [Mike] Vick all you want to, but if McCoy is allowed to run rampant, we ain't going to have a chance to hit Vick anyway," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said.
Since the start of the 2010 season, McCoy has run roughshod over the Giants, with more rushes (71), rush yards (416) and yards after contact (130) than any other Giants opponent over that span.

Sept 28 Who would have guessed that through three games, Andre Brown would be the Giants' leading rusher? And, who would have guessed that first-round draft pick David Wilson would have just six carries for eight yards?
Wilson's patience ties into his earlier situations at both the high school and college levels, where he came in behind someone else and had to work his way up the depth chart. "I've left with the records in high school and college, so it's paid off," he said of his patience.
David Wilson said many of his teammates have taken the time to share with him experiences from their careers when they've had to wait for playing time. That includes Ahmad Bradshaw, who was once the No. 3 running back behind Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward.
"I think every team is better with a second runner," Bradshaw said. "Andre has always been here, he just got his chance to shine last week and he proved he can do it." Bradshaw expects to resume his normal workload with no limitations.

Although he has obviously impressed his coaches, Brown assumes nothing regarding his playing time going forward. Brown is even reluctant to admit his impressive performances have earned him more playing time.
Ahmad Bradshaw is expected to return Sunday against the Eagles from what the Giants have called a "neck" injury. The Giants running back elaborated today, originally calling it a "bulge" and then expanding to say he has a disc injury.
The extent of Bradshaw's injury isn't clear and there are definitely lesser, non-career-threatening disc injuries and issues. He said once the swelling went down in his neck and he started to feel better, he was cleared to return to the field.

Safety Antrel Rolle said he's unsure if he'll be able to play Sunday against the Eagles, after suffering a contusion and laceration to his left knee in a collision with a sideline cameraman last week.
Antrel Rolle has the Giants' second-longest active starting streak but isn't certain he will be in the lineup Sunday against the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Corey Webster, broken hand and all, will play Sunday, and Prince Amukamara will be opposite him making his first career start.

The Giants are 2-1 so far this season but 0-1 in the NFC East, after losing their opener to the Cowboys. As they prepare for the Eagles, Coughlin took the chance to remind his players that achieving their goals for the season starts with winning the division.

The league and the officials' union reached a tentative agreement late Wednesday night, ending the lockout. "There isn't any question, it's good for the game to get our officials back," coach Tom Coughlin said.
Replacement referees made us appreciate the real guys -- until they screw up again. Justin Tuck expects that players will have to get re-adjusted to the regular refs, especially the receivers and cornerbacks who seemed to be playing under a completely different set of rules.

Former Giants
Michael Strahan is among the 13 first-year eligible modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013. There are a total of 127 nominees for the Class of 2013.
Michael Strahan, the Giants' career leader in both games played and sacks and the NFL record-holder for sacks in a season, played for the Giants from 1993-2007. He played in 216 regular-season games, nine more than any other player in franchise history.

NFL News
Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized to the fans who fretted through three weeks of replacement officials calling their favorite teams' games.

Sept 27 Andre Brown isn't worried about how many carries he'll receive this week. The Giants running back is only worried about maximizing each one.
Boosted by Brown's 113 yards in Week 3, the Giants are averaging 100.3 yards per game in 2012. That's right around the 103.0 yards the Philadelphia defense is giving up each week.
Is there room for more than one running back to make a big impact on this team? Sure. Recall the 2008 Giants, who featured a pair of 1,000-yard rushers -- Brandon Jacobs (1,089) and Derrick Ward (1,025) -- plus Bradshaw, who added 355 yards in his second year in the league.

Victor Cruz returns to his professional football birthplace for Sunday night's showdown as a budding star, merely one year after entering the Linc as a kid from Paterson, N.J., lucky to be wearing an NFL uniform.
There's no denying it. Cruz turned heads with his 74-yard touchdown in the first quarter of the 29-16 victory, and there's been no looking back since.

Martellus Bennett has caught a touchdown pass in each of the first three games this season. But Bennett isn't excited about it. "I'm probably the only person who's not impressed with the way I've been playing," Bennett said Wednesday. "I think there's a whole lot of room for improvement."

Lawrence Tynes went a perfect 5-for-5 against the Carolina Panthers last week and as a result has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Along with his three extra points, Tynes racked up 18 of the Giants' 36 points in their 36-7 blowout victory.

Justin Tuck anticipates 'real' referees will be rusty when they return. Justin Tuck said. "They haven'had a presehad a preseason to practice their craft. I don't know. We'll just see what happens."

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has had a rough season so far -- and now he faces the Giants' dangerous defensive line Sunday night, in front of a national television audience.
Giants antagonist, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, tried to downplay the mini-feud he's had with Osi Umenyiora over the last year or so, saying that it's "kind of old."

NFL News
The NFL fined Patriots coach Bill Belichick $50,000 and Redskins assistant Kyle Shanahan $25,000 for their conduct toward replacement officials.
Ask the Official: The Ref Weighs in on the Replacements. I watched the game on Monday night with two other NCAA Division 1 officials and a retired NFL official.
After replacement officials botched the ending of the "Monday Night Football" game between Seattle and Green Bay, league commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners he represents only added to the controversy with inaction.
A Las Vegas casino took an unusual step Wednesday and offered refunds to gamblers who lost money when the Seahawks beat the Packers on a controversial touchdown at the end of Monday night's game.

Sept 26 Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed the team's 36-7 win over the Panthers last week, is planning to play Sunday night against the Eagles. "You can guarantee it. You can guarantee I'll be there," Bradshaw said Tuesday.
The question now becomes how Bradshaw will be re-incorporated in the Giants gameplan after Andre Brown rushed 33 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns over the last six quarters in Bradshaw's absence. Bradshaw said he hasn't heard from coaches that his role will be modified.

All bets are off when the Giants face the Eagles. Two years ago, the Eagles' comeback from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit ruined the Giants' season. Last year, in a Week 3 game at Philadelphia, Victor Cruz -- who entered the game with two career catches -- exploded for 110 yards and two touchdowns in an impressive Giants win.
The Giants and the Eagles have a hotly contested rivalry, with the next installment coming Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. As much as players often say the past is not a factor, defensive end Justin Tuck conceded history plays a role when the teams face off.

For one reason or another Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora and Eagles running back LeSean McCoy aren't very fond of one another. And they've made it very public. Sunday night, they'll meet on the football field again, but not before adding another episode in the ongoing feud.

He viewed the game, alone, accompanied only by the high-definition images bursting forth from his 90-inch TV. Hakeem Nicks, the coolest Giant of them all, owns a couch, but it went largely un-sat-upon, even though he admitted, "It was definitely an easy game to watch." Nicks missed out, but on Saturday he expects to be on that Amtrak train to Philadelphia, leaving behind the view from the TV.

Justin Tuck was asked if he's surprised Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has been able to handle being hit the way he has been. "Yeah. I am," Tuck said. "Because he's not that big of a guy. But he's a tough one. He keeps getting up and making plays. Hopefully we can have the success that other teams have had against him as far as getting him on the ground."

Add Antrel Rolle to the long, growing list of NFL players who don't agree with how Monday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers ended. "I think last night, I just think they made the wrong call," the Giants safety said in a radio interview on WFAN today.
Justin Tuck says "games are just being tossed up like as if you were throwing dice on a craps table. "You play that play over 10 times, a regular bar-going fan would be able to tell you that was an interception and that definitely was not a touchdown."

Sept 25 Giants have more talent than anticipated. The greatest area of concern remains the offensive line, where the loss of David Diehl to a knee injury leaves the backup situation, to be kind, tenuous. And keeping enough cornerbacks healthy is an ongoing headache, with Corey Webster (broken hand), Prince Amukamara (high ankle sprain), Jayron Hosley (hamstring) and Michael Coe (hamstring) all either coming or going out of ailments.

The Giants returned to the practice field Monday, but without a few key injured players. Coughlin said he hopes to have his starting running back for Sunday night's game against the Eagles, but he acknowledged that Bradshaw's condition is more than a pain-tolerance issue.

Hakeem Nicks has no intention of being a game-day spectator again, which means he intends to be in uniform when the Giants return to action Sunday night in Philadelphia.

After a weekend off, the Giants are back to practice as they prepare for a trip to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles Sunday night. The Eagles are now 2-1 following a 27-6 blowout loss to the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.
The Giants defense is coming off a dominating performance against Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, a bigger and younger version of Vick. After the game it was Newton who was apologizing to Panthers fans for a performance that he called embarrassing.

Former Giants
Scott Brunner - As an NFL quarterback in the 1980s, Scott Brunner relied on foresight and intuition to guide his teams to victory. It served him well - in his first season starting for the Giants, he led the team to its first playoff berth in nearly two decades.

NFL News
The problem with unwritten rules in sports. Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano got yelled at by Giants coach Tom Coughlin for violating the unwritten rule that says when the other team takes a knee, you're supposed to give up.
The most decorated coach in the NFL today, the head coach of the three-time world champions and defending AFC champions, chased an official off the field after the game and grabbed his arm in rage.
Game-ending call by replacement refs stuns football, robs Green Bay. Two officials did conflicting gestures with their raised hands, and somehow gave Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate his second touchdown of the game on a ball that was clearly in the chest of M.D. Jennings.

Sept 24 Coughlin accused Buccaneers coach of 'trying to hurt' Eli. ":What the f--k's that all about? Trying to hurt the quarterback?" Coughlin shouted at Schiano, according to WFLA and JoeBucsFans.com from an audio transcribed by TampaBaySportsCentral.com. After Schiano responded with something that was inaudible, Coughlin shot back "That's bullsh-t!"
Despite the heat he took from New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and others for his aggressive approach to an opponent's kneel-down in the closing seconds last week, Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano did it again on Sunday against the Cowboys.

NFC East News
Dallas Cowboys limit Tampa Bay Buccaneers to 166 yards en route to 16-10 win.
Philadelphia Eagles blown out by Arizona Cardinals for first loss of season.
Washington Redskins beaten deep and beaten up.

Sept 23 Tom Coughlin laughed when asked Friday if there were any "startling revelations" in his episode of NFL Network's "A Football Life," which will air Wednesday at 8 p.m.

The angry mob is never far from Jerry Reese's door, no matter how many Super Bowl trophies are out in his lobby. If there's one thing he's learned in his 5 1/2 years as general manager of the Giants it's that fans, by nature, are impatient. The last thing they ever want to have to do is wait.

Marvin Austin can finally say it. "I'm an NFL player now," the defensive tackle said Friday with a laugh. The second-year defensive tackle played in his first NFL game, getting 17 snaps in the Giants' 36-7 win over the Panthers on Thursday night.

When was the last time we saw a Giants game that didn't go down to the wire, that didn't see the lead change two or more times, and which didn't have the majority of the Giants fans down on their knees praying for an Eli Manning led miracle?

Sept 22 As Tom Coughlin walked back to the Giants sideline, leaving an injured Antrel Rolle writhing in pain after his knee struck a camera on the sideline, he came across Ray Anderson. In passing, an upset Coughlin let the NFL's executive vice president of football operations know he wasn't happy with what happened to his starting safety.

Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano has received his share of scrutiny after coaching his defense to aggressively play the final kneeldown in last week's loss to the Giants. But it's the Giants players who have been fined by the league for conduct related to the play.
Kenny Phillips was fined $30,000 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness for his hit on Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson. Andre Brown was docked $15,750 for a horse-collar tackle on Brandon McDonald during an interception return. David Baas and Kevin Boothe each drew a $7,875 fine for unnecessary roughness on the controversial kneeldown play.

Tom Coughlin, whose general demeanor is rather buttoned up and intense, looked so relaxed chatting with reporters on the terrace overlooking the practice fields at the Timex Performance Center yesterday, you got the feeling the Giants coach was about to break out some chaise lounges for everyone and order up a few pitchers of margaritas.

Tom Coughlin says there's a role for everyone. Barden and running back Andre Brown, who rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns, each capitalized on his long-awaited chance to start, marvelously making the Giants look no worse for the wear without Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw. They answered questions Thursday night. Now, the next one: What will be their roles moving forward, when the injured players return to action?

With the emergence of Andre Brown, rookie David Wilson has been an afterthought in the offense. "A guy that is taken first round, much is expected," Coughlin said. "David is going to have many opportunities. In our history here, it's been not one (running back). You're always in need of at least two," Coughlin added. "And one year that we had a lot of success, we had three."

Eli Manning started the morning with a rare pep talk to his undermanned offensive teammates, telling them he believed there were playmakers among them. He ended the night without needing a word. An unexpected hug from one of those upstart stars said it all.

It was one game and just a glimpse of Ramses Barden's potential, and no one with the Giants was about to compare Big Blue's wide receiver crop to the elite corps in the league. (See: Green Bay Packers.) Or were they?

Three defensive backs were injured in the Giants' 36-7 victory last night over the Carolina Panthers, but early indications are all of them will be able to play when the team next takes the field at Philadelphia on Sept. 30.

Prince Amukamara won't have to worry about any dips into a bucket of ice water in the future. The second-year cornerback's teammates were thrilled to see him play with the aggressiveness, or swagger, that they had been clamoring for in Thursday night's win over Carolina.
His teammates, ignoring the calendar and setting their own restrictions, instructed Prince Amukamara he would be viewed and treated like a rookie until the third game this season because he missed so much time last year.

Sept 21 Giants win over the Panthers, 36-7  |  Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 3 Gamegirl "... Last week Brown emerged in the nick of time when Ahmad Bradshaw went down to help win their game against Tampa Bay. This week without Bradshaw he was the starter, and once again used his straight ahead running to to put up 113 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn't the only one getting a chance at a starting role. Ramses Barden was the second receiver opposite Victor Cruz and he came up big as well..." Mikefan. "..The Giants came into this game looking to be at a big disadvantage on offense with Ahmad Bradshaw, Hakeem Nicks, David Diehl and Domenik Hixon ruled out but they had aces up their sleeves and trumped the Panthers in all stages of this game..."

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ESPN - Backups Andre Brown, Ramses Barden key in Giants' rout of Panthers.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 36, Panthers 7.
Giants.com - Giants beat Panthers, 36-7.
StarLedger - Giants' defense contains, frustrates Panthers QB Cam Newton.
StarLedger - Giants dominate Carolina Panthers in 36-7 win.
StarLedger - Giants' secondary keeps getting thinner and thinner because of injuries.
InsideFootball - Giants Dominate Panthers, 36-7.
NYDailyNews - Brown, Barden help Giants rout Panthers 36-7.
NYDailyNews - Webster plays with broken hand.
NYDailyNews - Barden torches Panthers in first NFL start.
NYPost - Eli Manning again a steadying force for Giants in victory over Carolina .
NYPost - Brown, Barden take over as Big Blue beats up Panthers.
NYPost - Giants CB Webster plays after breaking hand.
NYTimes - Understudies Play Starring Roles.
Newsday - Antrel Rolle suffers knee laceration in fourth quarter.
CharlotteObserver - Panthers take a Giant step backward in prime time.
CharlotteObserver - How bad was it? David Carr had better passing rating than Cam Newton.
CharlotteObserver - Panthers see what Andre Brown can do.
CharlotteObserver - Giants-Panthers: Five plays that mattered.

Game 3 Preview - Giants (1-1) vs Carolina (1-1)
The Giants - Last week the Giants managed to come back against Tampa Bay in a dramatic fashion to win their game 41-34. Eli Manning and his top two receivers had to break a few records for that to happen, but the fans went home happy.
The Panthers lost a division game to Tampa Bay in their opener, but then came back last week to win against another division team. They left the New Orleans Saints with an 0-2 record for the first time in five years as they outscored them 35-27.
Overall - Here you have it, an 8:20 p.m. Thursday nights game with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants traveling to Carolina without starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw, starting right tackle David Diehl and wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon. The Panthers will be revved up coming off their win over New Orleans and seeing their first prime-time game at home since a 24-17 loss to Miami in 2009. The Giants could be hoping for the best here against an unproven Carolina defense while giving their troops plenty of time to recover for the big division game against the Eagles on Sept 30.