Sun Oct 12, 1:00 pm (FOX) - Giants at New England
That did not help.
Last week the Giants held Ricky Williams, the NFL's defending rushing champion, to 39 yards on 22 carries.
It was the fifth-lowest total of his five-year career and lowest since joining Miami last season, but that didn't help.
Keith Hamilton, who had missed the game against Washington with a hamstring pull was back, but that didn't help.
The Giants, great at defending against the run all game, were fooled once by a 68-yard
reverse run by receiver James McKnight for a touchdown. That did not help.
Giants at New England.
New England defeated the Giants, 26-6, in this year's preseason opener in Foxboro where Dan Klecko was a featured performer. Former Giant receiver David Patten plays for New England, but Troy
Brown leads the team with 18 catches for 193 yards, and Deion Branch has 17 receptions for 228 yards.
The Patriots just got a bit better last week using Mike Cloud who rushed for 73 yards on seven carries. The Patriots like to pass, and if they get a decent running game going for balance,
they can be dangerous, especially against a team that is allowing 273.5 passing yards a game.
Michael Strahan stepping up.
Last week, Strahan forced a fumble on a sack to set up the Giants' only touchdown against the Dolphins and he led the team with 9 tackles. How good was that? Before the Dolphins game, Strahan
had a total of one sack and 10 tackles over three games.
Strahan got off to a slow start this season with all the missed playing time he had in preseason because of that broken toe, and based on last week's game, you could say he's back and just
in time.
Jeremy Shockey stepping up.
Last week, Shockey had 11 receptions for 110 yards in the loss to Miami. In the three games before that, he had a total of 10 receptions for 109 yards.
While Shockey's ribs might be feeling better, he's had to sit out practice and was added to the injury report with a sprained foot. It would be great if Shockey was healthy for this game.
At 6-foot-5, 253 pounds, Shockey is taller than any player in the Patriots secondary, and bigger than anyone in back of their defensive line. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick says that Shockey
presents the same problems as all the great tight ends in recent history, that cornerbacks are too small to provide adequate coverage and linebackers and safeties are too slow.
The sleeping ex-Giant?
David Patten played the first three years of his career for the Giants. He was used as a kick returner and the best record Patten had as a receiver was in his first year, when he had 13 catches
for 226 yards. He played at Cleveland for one year, and then landed with the Patriots, and Patten's receptions and yardage have climbed every year since he's left the Giants.
In Cleveland he had 38 receptions for 546 yards and 1 TD. The following year in New England he had 51 receptions for 749 yards and 4 TDs, and in 2002, 61 receptions for 824 yards and 5 TDs.
Patten ranked second on the team last year in receptions and led all Patriots receivers with 13.5 yards per catch.
It's been awhile since David Patten ran for a touchdown, threw for a touchdown and caught two touchdown passes all in one game. This year Patten is way below his mark with only 6 receptions
for 85 yards and 0 TDs, and is nursing a knee injury. Patten aggravated his knee in last week's game against the Tennessee Titans and is questionable for this game, but the way Belichick lists
his players that go to the nurse's office, it's hard to say what's what. Deion Branch is also questionable, and someone has to take the field on Sunday for the Patriots.
Notes.
Kerry Collins has 14,784 passing yards with the Giants and needs 216 to become the third quarterback in club history with 15,000, joining Phil Simms (33,462)
and Charlie Conerly (19,488).
Tiki Barber has 365 career receptions and needs three to pass Frank Gifford (367) and move into third place on the Giants' career list.
Next Game
Eagles at Giants Oct 19 at 1PM.
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