Giant Football Blog

Just call Barber pride of Big Blue

They didn't dump a Gatorade bucket over Tom Coughlin's head, and they didn't carry him off the field the way Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks carried Bill Parcells off the field after Super Bowl XXV. Coughlin didn't jump onto a podium in the visiting locker room and roar, How 'bout them Giants!

Tom Coughlin has not yet coached his last game for the Giants. Because Tiki Barber did not want to play his last game for the Giants. The Giants, 34-28 winners, did not back into the playoffs. Tiki Barber (a career-high and franchise-record 234 rushing yards with three TDs) carried them in on his back. Continue

Barber cuts coach slack

Tom Coughlin still is not guaranteed to get one more year, but unless nine games break wrong for the Giants today, he will get at least one more week. Coughlin was just about out the door, but Tiki Barber, his harshest critic over the last 12 months, pulled him right back in last night with a magnificent parting gift in the last regular-season game of his 10-year career. Barber ran the Giants right into the playoffs - barring a series of some awfully unlikely results today - with one of the great clutch performances in the Giants' long history.

Barber was dominant with a franchise-record 234 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including one from 55 yards and the clincher from 50 in the Giants' shaky 34-28 victory. The win sets them up to play the NFC East champs, likely the Eagles, in next weekend's wild-card round. Continue

Gilbride puts Blue offense in high gear

The first sign of progress for the Giants offense last night was getting a snap in Redskins territory to start their first possession. A week ago, the Giants did not have one play on the Saints' side of the 50. Last night, the offense came to life with new play-caller Kevin Gilbride using a heavy dose of Tiki Barber mixed in with safe passes for Eli Manning and a few long strikes in a 34-28 victory at FedEx Field.

Coach Tom Coughlin turned over the offensive reins this week to Gilbride, his quarterbacks coach, stripping offensive coordinator John Hufnagel of his duties. The Giants managed 355 yards and 34 points. Whether the difference last night was Gilbride or a weak Redskins defense ready to start the offseason is open to debate. Continue

Eli avoids turnovers

Eli Manning may have endured another second-half slump this season, but he still has managed to do something no quarterback has done for the Giants since 1990. He has led them to two straight postseason berths, with last night's victory all but clinching one. Maybe it wasn't all his doing, especially after his unimpressive but interception-free 12-for-26, 101-yard performance against the Redskins last night.

But barring a very unlikely series of results today, Manning will accomplish something no one has since Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler. And that's one way to put a positive spin on a mostly negative season. "Obviously, we have had an up and down year," Manning said after the Giants' 34-28 win over Washington. "To end it on this note, hopefully we can keep the momentum going and keep finding ways to win games." Continue

Latest playoff scenario after beating Redskins

Giants are in if Green Bay loses or:

If Green Bay wins:

N.Y. Giants clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Green Bay if:
a) DET loses OR
b) MIN loses OR
c) any two of the following results occur: ARI loss, MIA loss, SF loss, CAR win, HOU win, TB win.

Giants topple Redskins in 34-28 victory

They have needed him so many times the past few seasons. But with his NFL career winding down, Tiki Barber was fading into insignificance, just like the rest of the Giants. Until Saturday night, that is. With everything on the line -- Tom Coughlin's job, a playoff berth and even Barber's legacy -- No. 21 had the greatest rushing day in team history.He does have a sense of timing.

Barber rushed for a Giants-record 234 yards and three touchdowns, one more than his total during the first 15 games, and the Giants managed to hang on for a 34-28 win over the Redskins after taking a 20-point lead in the third quarter. The Giants (8-8) have to wait until Sunday's games to find out if they have secured the last NFC playoff berth. Even if they do, Coughlin might have to wait until the Giants play their playoff game to find out if he stays or goes. Continue

Berth won't make up for Giant flop

The Giants have turned what should have been a magical season into a nightmare. But before these players, who talk off the field more than they produce on it, get rid of a coach they haven't liked since the day he walked in the door, they have a chance to at least salvage something out of their mangled season. If they can beat the Redskins tonight, they are virtually guaranteed to back into the NFC's sixth and final playoff spot.

But why should anybody believe this bunch of underachievers can pull this off tonight? After the mess they've put on the field in the second half of the season, there is not much reason to think they have a big performance left in them. "With the Giants, you never know. That is their problem. You never know," one GM said yesterday. "The Giants are fickle. You know they are missing something." In many cases, the key is making the playoffs and then figuring out how to win a few games to get to the Super Bowl. But if the Giants sneak in as a wild card, there's little doubt they will be one-and-done. Continue

Facing his swamp song

Tonight we find out if the Giants want Tom Coughlin to be their coach next year. We find out if his voice still has any impact, or whether he has been tuned out by a team that has given up on its coach and its season.

Sure, the Giants have said all the right things leading up to tonight's game against the Redskins at FedExField. They've accepted blame for losing six of their last seven games and turning what looked to be a magical season at 6-2 into a 7-8 underachievement. They've also said the past really doesn't matter, because, if they win today, they're likely in the playoffs, and that is the big-picture goal of every team that assembles the first day of training camp in July. Continue

Shockey out

Shockey did not make trip to D.C. according to WFAN.

Giants mull prying Pioli from Pats

Scott Pioli, one of the architects of the New England Patriots' dynasty, is emerging as a wild-card player in the Giants' search for a new general manager. But the Giants have not ruled out hiring an internal candidate, such as VP of player evaluation Chris Mara or director of player personnel Jerry Reese.

The 41-year-old Pioli, in his seventh season as the Pats' vice president of player personnel, is still under contract in New England, but according to two people familiar with the Giants' GM search, the Giant owners have discussed contacting him before they make a hire. According to several sources, Pioli - from Washingtonville, N.Y., about 60 miles north of Manhattan - has always coveted the Giants job.

If the Giants get serious about Pioli, they could only interview him after the Patriots are eliminated from the playoffs or in the week after the wild-card round. According to NFL rules, the Giants could hire him without having to compensate the Patriots if they give him "final say" over all personnel matters - something he does not have in New England. Continue

Ernie and Tiki: The final daze

In every other year, Ernie Accorsi would not wait to be asked. His opinion would be heard, and not in the form of a whisper. Shy about expressing himself he isn't.

But not this year. Accorsi after 36 years in the NFL, 13 with the Giants and the past nine as the team's general manager, is retiring. His final day on the job is Jan. 15 or one day after the last game the Giants play, whichever is later. Naturally, Accorsi is hoping that the Giants at 7-8 and shoveled under an avalanche of deserved abuse, can exorcise their demons long enough to beat the Redskins tomorrow night at FedEx Field and get into the playoffs. He's surely ready to retire, but prefers a postseason run as a going-away present. Continue

Blue may face Giant void

If the Redskins already were not certain about their defensive game plan for tomorrow night, the latest bit of injury news from the Giants just about cemented it. Tight end Jeremy Shockey limped around the locker room yesterday, and sat out a third straight day of practice. It appears Eli Manning and the Giants will be without yet another weapon when they play for their playoff lives in Washington.

Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should be dialing up plenty of blitzes. "He's a smart guy and I think he can see what's gone on the last couple of games for us," center Shaun O'Hara allowed. "Philadelphia pressured us a lot and the Saints pressured us a lot so we don't expect to see anything different. Really, it's up to us to just stop it, to make plays and hurt them on defense to force them out of it." Continue

Strahan won't need knife

Michael Strahan said yesterday he would have considered retiring if he needed surgery on his injured right foot. But a foot specialist assured him that surgery won't be necessary. The defensive end told WFAN yesterday that after being examined by Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., they determined his sprained right foot would not need to be surgically repaired, and that with rest and rehabilitation he should be ready for the start of next season.

He did not say how long his recovery would be but noted an operation would have forced a lengthy time away. "If I had to have surgery and go through rehab from 6-8 months to be ready for August, is it really worth it for me at this point in my career? I don't know," Strahan said. "That would've been a decision I would've had to make. But it's not a decision I have to make right now. I'm planning on being back." (Daily News)

Shockey nursing ankle

As the Giants head into a game with massive playoff implications that will determine whether they finish 7-9 or 8-8, there are concerns about the availability of tight end Jeremy Shockey, who is hobbled with a sprained ankle.

Shockey, who has battled ankle problems on and off this season, was injured in last week's 30-7 loss to the Saints. As the Giants practiced yesterday, Shockey was not on the field. He is listed as questionable for Saturday night's game against the Redskins at FedEx Field. Shockey and Tiki Barber are the Giants' only two Pro Bowlers, and Shockey leads the team with 66 receptions. There is no real replacement on the roster for the threat Shockey poses at tight end. (NY Post)

At sunset, Accorsi won't look back

Inside the dark-paneled office, with the shelves and cabinets nearly emptied of his scouting notebooks and memorabilia and the walls adorned with only a few pictures of historic NFL games, Ernie Accorsi sits behind his desk and ponders his final days as the Giants' general manager.

This is not what Accorsi wanted in his last year as an NFL administrator, not with six losses in the last seven games, questions about the immediate future of the head coach and persistent doubts about the long-term future of the quarterback. But with a chance for a playoff berth with a victory Saturday night against the Redskins, the 65-year-old GM isn't ready for nostalgia. Even if the boxes have been packed and shipped to his home in Hershey, Pa. "I just want to win a game," he said yesterday. "I want to make the playoffs for the ninth time . It would mean a lot to everyone here. I don't care if the pundits say 8-8 isn't good enough. I've been to the playoffs at 8-8. Once you get in, anything can happen." Continue

Play calls all same, says Tiki

Tiki Barber has been campaigning for a change in the Giants' offensive approach since long before they were "outcoached" in last season's playoffs. But now that a change has finally been made and John Hufnagel has been stripped of his play-calling duties, the retiring running back said it may be too little, too late.

"It's cosmetic," Barber told the Daily News yesterday. "It's change for change sake. It's been done here previously. (Jim) Fassel did it to Sean Payton. Fassel had it done to him in Baltimore. It happens in the league when your team needs some kind of lift. Whether it actually provides it or not, change sometimes adds for extra motivation." Barber never mentioned Hufnagel's name after last January's playoff game, or when he criticized the approach again in late November, but it was clear he had the offensive coordinator in his sights both times. Yesterday, he insisted "I have no ill will towards John Hufnagel or his coaching. There are things that I know we do well. That's it." Continue

Too late in sacking coordinator

Tom Coughlin has now entered the desperation phase of his program to restore Giants pride and to avoid getting fired. He finally fired offensive coordinator John Hufnagel as his playcaller, but it's much too late in the season for the move to have an impact. And instead of Coughlin handing the job to quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride, the other part of the tandem that has done such a wonderful job with Eli Manning, he should have taken control of the Titanic and called the plays himself Saturday night in Washington. At this point, why trust anyone else when it's your job on the line? I asked one Giant in the days after Sunday's debacle against the Saints how the players feel these days about Coughlin - did they want him back, and what has gone wrong?

"We are tiring of his act," the Giant said. "He is pushing too hard. We're still in full pads for part of practice, despite all the injuries we have and the fact that it's the end of a long season. He is very 'me' oriented, always talks about doing things his way - his hard-ass, no-give approach - but we're not winning or sustaining games, so the disconnect is widening and we are tuning him out." Continue

Desperate Tom calls audible

In a move that could be the last act of a desperate man, Tom Coughlin stripped John Hufnagel of his play-calling duties yesterday in the hopes of giving his dead team "a spark." Coughlin made the decision late Sunday night, just hours after the Giants' woeful performance in a 30-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He then informed the much-maligned Hufnagel on Christmas morning that quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride will call the Giants' plays in Washington on Saturday night.

Coughlin will serve as his own offensive coordinator, replacing Hufnagel, who has been reassigned to do "advance" work for the rest of the coaching staff. "John Hufnagel is not a scapegoat here," Coughlin insisted. "He is not. But we need a change, we need a spark, and that's the way it goes. How can you look at the production of Sunday and not think that, 'OK, there's some issue here?'" Continue

Strahan on IR

Michael Strahan is also going on injured reserve after aggravating the Lisfranc joint sprain in his right foot on Sunday, his first game action in six weeks. He is done for the year and may need surgery to repair the injury, which could leave the seven-time Pro Bowler on a 6-8 month rehabilitation schedule.

The Giants also placed tackle Luke Petitgout (leg) and punt returner Chad Morton (torn ACL) on IR today, signing former Broncos WR Darius Watts and two practice-squad players in a day of drastic moves, with their playoff chances and Coughlin's job hanging on Saturday's game against the Redskins.

Gilbride will call offense for Giants next Sunday

Tom Coughlin has turned the play-calling responsibilities over to quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride for the Giants' final regular-season game, stripping offensive coordinator John Hufnagel of his duties. The desperate move is an attempt to "give us a spark," Coughlin said earlier today. The Giants were scheduled to have an abbreviated practice tonight at 6 p.m. Hufnagel is still with the coaching staff.

Giants playoff scenario as of today

Giants are in with
- A win and a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Green Bay OR
- A win and a Green Bay loss or tie OR
- A tie and a Green Bay loss or tie and a St. Louis loss or tie and an Atlanta loss or tie and a Carolina loss or tie OR
- A Green Bay loss and a St. Louis loss and an Atlanta loss and a Carolina loss

Big bang theory for for Big Blue

The Giants made a mistake when they passed on Charlie Weis three years ago for Tom Coughlin. At this crossroads in their storied history, they must not make that mistake again. When the Giants begin cleaning their crumbling house, Plan A should be going after Weis the way Lawrence Taylor went after quarterbacks. Plan B, if he is attainable, would be to lure Scott Pioli away from Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, make him the next GM and tell him to go get Weis out of South Bend, which he would want to do anyway. Continue

Time to clean house

Tom Coughlin should be the first to go, but should not be the last. Even if the Giants make the playoffs in spite of themselves, co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch can't be deceived and let a wild-card spot camouflage all that is wrong with their team. The season began with realistic Super Bowl expectations and is coming to an end in disarray. An overhaul is required of an injury-plagued team that needs an infusion of youth, speed and energy.

The very forgiving NFC playoff race potentially puts Mara and Tisch in an uncomfortable predicament: Firing a playoff coach. All the Giants basically have to do is beat the Redskins to grab the last remaining NFC playoff spot. Coughlin could get the Giants into the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since Bill Parcells did it in 1989-90, but unless he somehow takes them two rounds deep, just making the postseason is not what Mara and Tisch should use to determine Coughlin's fate. It's how the Giants reached this point that should be the barometer. They arrived in chaos. Continue

Giant sense of shame

Among the words the Giants chose to describe their loss to the Saints on Sunday were "embarrassing," "disheartening," "pathetic," "disappointing" and "stomach-churning." So much for the restoration of Giants pride.

But it will be that pride that they try to summon one final time when they head to Washington on Saturday night. The Giants (7-8), with their seemingly lame-duck head coach, are still very much alive in the playoff hunt - hard as that is to believe - and they are even a near-lock to get in if they beat they Redskins. Of course, after losing six of their last seven games, why would anyone think the Giants are capable of winning a big game on the road? Continue

Players back up Coughlin

Tom Coughlin said he didn't pay attention to the chants of "Fire Coughlin" at Giants Stadium on Sunday. But his players heard them loud and clear. "I heard them," said guard Chris Snee, who is also Coughlin's son-in-law. "They were calling him out, but they should be calling us out, too. We're the ones going out there and not doing what we're coached to do." Several players seemed to agree that the "Fire Coughlin" chants were unfair, but nobody seemed to fault the fans for booing the players' performance.

"They turned on the offense early in the game, and it's hard to play when your own crowd is not behind you," said linebacker Carlos Emmons. "But they paid their hard-earned money and I'm sure they wanted to see a better showing. We didn't give them one. They have the right to do what they want. They bought the tickets." Continue

Latest playoff scenario

If the Giants beat the Redskins on Saturday night at FedEx Field, they are likely to make the playoffs at 8-8 if the Eagles do not lose their last two games. The Eagles face the Cowboys tonight in Dallas and play in Philadelphia next week vs. the Falcons. The Giants are in the strange position of rooting for the Eagles, their NFC East rival. (NY Post)

The Giants would be the No. 6 seed based on better record against common opponents than the Packers (Giants and Packers are ahead of other 7-8 teams based on better conference record). (ESPN)

Hacking Cough the right move

Tom Coughlin came in preaching discipline and promising to restore Giants pride. He was the right choice three years ago to save what John Mara called a "franchise in trouble." It hasn't worked. The storied franchise is in trouble again. Coughlin must go. Mara and Steve Tisch, the co-owners, need to find out what it will take to get Charlie Weis out of his Notre Dame contract. The Coughlin Era should be in its final days.

Coughlin's message has not gotten through to his constituency. His players don't have his back. They've been fighting him since his first offseason program. And now he has presided over one of the greatest breakdowns in team history. The Giants have turned 6-2 and a commanding two-game lead in the NFC East into 7-8 and praying for the for the right tie-breakers to make it as a wild card. Continue

It's Tom for Coughlin to go

On the day they sadly said goodbye to Tiki Barber, Giants fans said goodbye to Tom Coughlin as well. Barber deserved a better sendoff than this, and Giants fans deserve a better product than this. Once the team stops responding for you, and ignores your desperate plea to win one for the blue masses, and once the blue masses call for your head, it is time for you to go.

The referendum sounded with 7:01 left in the third quarter of a disgraceful 30-7 loss to the Saints, after Bob Whitfield had mindlessly administered his second headbutt of the season, which was followed immediately by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Shaun O'Hara. "Fi-re Cough-lin! Fi-re Coughlin!" Continue

Tiki's home groan

After making his way through a swarm of autograph seekers, Tiki Barber met up with his family and friends, posed for pictures and exchanged hugs for more than 20 minutes near the goal post. It was the closest Barber came to the end zone all day.

In his final game at Giants Stadium, Barber never took a step into Saints territory as the Giants barely showed a pulse in a 30-7 Saints' rout. So much for the storybook final home game for Barber. Instead of taking a bow before his adoring fans and walking off a winner for one last time at Giants Stadium, Barber felt sick to his stomach after the Giants' latest no-show. Continue

Miserable Manning

Eli Manning tried to say all the right things in the miserable aftermath of one of the most embarrassing defeats in the Giants' recent history. First he admitted the obvious. "Today was awful," he said. "We haven't had anything quite like this before. This was bad."

Then he was analytical: "We never really got anything going. No one executed really well. For a big game like this, to perform the way we did is disappointing." Then he tried to be optimistic: "We've got one game left and all we can do is try to get a win and if by some crazy circumstances we get in the playoffs, we'll take it." Continue

Dim-Whit is foul again

When Bob Whitfield drew a personal foul for head-butting an opponent three weeks ago, it was hard to believe a 15-year veteran could lose his composure that badly. Then yesterday, he did it again. In fact, Whitfield drew two personal fouls in the Giants' 30-7 loss to New Orleans, one for head-butting Saints LB Scott Fujita and one for shoving DE Will Smith.

The head butt was identical to the one he gave Dallas' Jason Hatcher on Dec.3. And once again, Whitfield showed no remorse. "The first (personal foul) was heat of the battle," Whitfield said. "He tried to run me over, so my instinct is to snatch him and bust him. That's what I do. You get your hands up on me, I'm going to bust you on it. Continue

Giants fail to take snap in Saints territory in defeat

The reborn New Orleans Saints are a game away from a first-round playoff bye. Tom Coughlin may be a game away from the end of his coaching career with the New York Giants. Reggie Bush ran for a career-best 126 yards and a touchdown and the Saints limited the Giants to six first downs and 142 yards in a 30-7 win on Sunday that turned Giants Stadium into a ghost town in the fourth quarter.

The Saints (10-5) can clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a bye if Dallas loses either of its final two games (Philadelphia on Monday and Detroit next weekend) or New Orleans wins at home against Carolina. Unbelievably, the Giants (7-8), who did not have a snap in Saints' territory all game, remain in the playoff hunt despite losing for the sixth time in seven games. The sellout crowd was so upset with the performance that twice it chanted "Fire Coughlin" before heading for the exits. A year ago, New York won the NFC East. Continue

Giants going out like lambs

If this is not enough reason to fire Coughlin then nothing is. Duke Mara is rolling in his grave and the Giants just gave their fans a big F U for christmas. Fire Coughlin ASAP or get used to half full stadiums.

Strahan return is perfect gift

The moment the Giants have been waiting six weeks for will arrive this afternoon, as Michael Strahan puts on his blue jersey and bounds out onto the Giants Stadium field. The way his teammates have been talking about him this week, you'd expect the defensive end to have an 'S' on the front of his uniform and a red cape flowing from his back.

Given all the bad luck and bad play the Giants have had lately, it's hard to blame Strahan's teammates for getting a little overexcited. They've gone 1-5 since he suffered a foot sprain on Nov. 5, and their defense has fallen apart without him. But is their hero returning too late to save the day? Continue

Last chance? Don't count on it

It's time once again for the weekly installment of Biggest Game of the Year. This time the Giants might actually mean it. Tiki Barber, who is certain he's playing his final game at Giants Stadium, isn't ready to put the win-or-go-home label on Sunday's date with the Saints, who have a quarterback who's thrown for 4,240 yards (Drew Brees), two candidates for top rookie (Reggie Bush and Marques Colston) and an NFC South title in their back pocket but still are only two games better than the 7-7 Giants in the puddle of mediocrity that is the NFC.

"I can't say anything is the last chance," Barber said. "We have our backs against the wall, clearly. Sitting at .500, we are still in the playoffs right now, but things have to happen. Most importantly, we have to win." That's what the Giants believed they needed to do a week ago, and the Donovan McNabb-less Eagles beat the Giants at home. The Giants have been stuck in the mud for six weeks, losing five games; it's also the exact amount of time that Michael Strahan has been on the shelf with a sprained foot. Continue

Home's where heartache is?

The home-field disadvantage could rise up and overwhelm the Giants today if Eli Manning goes three-and-out on the Giants' first offensive series, followed by Drew Brees and the Saints ripping through the defense for a quick score.

The sounds will come cascading from all corners of Giants Stadium, letting the home team know exactly how the paying customers feel about the product on the field. It has been seven weeks since the Giants won a game in front of their home fans, and this is their last shot of the regular season. "We want to give the fans something to remember this year," linebacker Antonio Pierce said. Continue

Fizz the season

It's a fair question, given all the Giants have been through this season, how they have collapsed and regressed and lost in the fleeting final seconds and come up small when they needed to stand tall. Just how much fight do they have left?

There are scars on the Giants, who tomorrow afternoon face another in what has been a series of pressure-packed games. Other than beating the injury-depleted Panthers in Carolina, the Giants have failed every test in the second half of the season. Up next are the reborn Saints, at 9-5 the champions of the NFC South and fully capable of embarrassing the Giants on their home turf if Big Blue isn't honed in on the task at hand. "I think it will be a good fight," Tom Coughlin said. "I think they'll respond." Continue

Snap decision

For the first time this week, Shaun O'Hara yesterday was able to practice on his sprained ankle, and it appears he will be able to start at center tomorrow as the Giants take on the Saints in a must-have game at Giants Stadium. "I feel better than I did," O'Hara said. "It felt good to be out there and doing something again. I felt like a loser not playing." O'Hara missed last week's loss to the Eagles and did not participate in the first two practice sessions of the week.

Players are almost never cleared for a game if they miss the entire week of practice, making it crucial that O'Hara was able to get on the field at least once. "Me practicing, our goal was to get it ready for [tomorrow]," O'Hara said. "That's how I'm preparing. Obviously it's the head coach's call, but I feel comfortable with everything that's going on, being it's Week 15 and all." Tom Coughlin said O'Hara "did OK" and was non-committal on his status for the game. "We'll see when he comes in here and gets treatment again, and then tomorrow," Coughlin said. Continue

Tiki's Swamp song

Tiki Barber has been preparing himself for retirement for most of his 10-year career, and seriously thinking about it since the end of last season. But still, the end has a way of sneaking up. Maybe that explains why it took him two days to concede he has given some thought to how he'll feel tomorrow afternoon, when he walks into Giants Stadium wearing his blue No. 21 jersey for the final time. "I think about it," Barber said after practice this week. "It's the last time I'll ever put on this blue uniform and walk off this field. And it's sad. "But it's a natural progression of sport. Inevitably it comes to an end." Continue

Tiki's Swamp song

Tiki Barber has been preparing himself for retirement for most of his 10-year career, and seriously thinking about it since the end of last season. But still, the end has a way of sneaking up. Maybe that explains why it took him two days to concede he has given some thought to how he'll feel tomorrow afternoon, when he walks into Giants Stadium wearing his blue No. 21 jersey for the final time. "I think about it," Barber said after practice this week. "It's the last time I'll ever put on this blue uniform and walk off this field. And it's sad. "But it's a natural progression of sport. Inevitably it comes to an end." Continue

Strahan set to march in

Barring a setback in today's practice, Michael Strahan will be on the field Sunday trying to wrap up Drew Brees for the holidays. Yesterday was the crucial test for the Giants defensive end and he passed it. Strahan's foot made it through a second day of full-go practice without getting sore, an indication that he'll play against the Saints.

"Michael has done everything," a very upbeat Coughlin said. "(He's) been in every drill (and) is working his way back into his ability to be in the middle with all the bullets flying. He's done well." Since those bullets will be coming from Brees, Reggie Bush and the NFL's top-ranked offense, Strahan's activation has a degree of desperation to it. He would probably be rested Sunday had the Giants already secured a playoff berth, but after losing five of the six games Strahan has missed with a sprain, the Giants can't afford not to use him as long as he can play at all. Continue

Not much margin of error for Eli

When Eli Manning faced his father's former team for the first time, it was Sept. 18, 2005 and football was the secondary story line. The Saints, like their home city, were devastated by Hurricane Katrina and could not play in the badly damaged Superdome. So they were the "home team" at Giants Stadium for a special Monday night game that was the centerpiece of the NFL's Hurricane Relief Weekend. Though New Orleans continues to struggle to recover from the ravages of Katrina, the Saints (9-5) have recovered nicely. On Sunday the NFC South champions will face the 7-7 Giants, the legitimate home team this time.

Whether Big Blue is a playoff team could be determined by how well Manning plays against one of the league's highest-scoring teams. This time the drama is purely football. "It's the team you grew up watching, the team your father [Archie] played for. It's a special game," Manning said yesterday. "But now it's a big game because of where we stand and what this game means for us and our season and our playoff run. We're in a situation now where it's almost do or die." Continue

Swan song for Tiki

Barring a last-minute change of Tiki Barber's mind or a miraculous turn of the Giants' playoff fortunes, Sunday's game vs. New Orleans will be the final home tilt of the running back's career. And after trying to play coy and cool about what the game will mean to him, he came clean yesterday.

"This is the last time I'll put on this blue uniform and walk off this field. It's sad, but it's the natural progression of sport," said the 31-year-old Barber, who'll retire at season's end to become a broadcaster, perhaps with FOX. "[Retiring] isn't something I'm scared of, something I regret. It's been a great run for me. I've been to a Super Bowl, and hopefully if things turn around real quick we can go again." Continue

A Giant foot forward

There have been false alarms at least twice before, and the real test won't come until this morning. But for the first time in almost two months, there seemed to be genuine optimism in Tom Coughlin's voice that Michael Strahan will play on Sunday. Strahan, 35, participated in his first full practice yesterday since he suffered a mid-foot sprain on Nov.5. It was the first major step back for the defensive end who had previously participated in individual drills just four times and group drills once.

He will find out how big a step it really was when he wakes up today and determines whether his foot feels good enough to let him practice for a second straight day. "Michael did everything and I thought he did all right," Coughlin said after practice, which is closed to the media. "He did not look tentative or cautious. He moved up and down the line in nine-on-seven with no problem. Continue

Blue's pass completes Chargers

All Eli Manning heard about for two years was Ben Roethlisberger. Now with Big Ben having a season to forget, all he hears about is Philip Rivers. None of the comparisons has been flattering as Manning continues to struggle. He desperately needs to pick up his play against Drew Brees and the Saints on Sunday or the Giants are in serious danger of missing the playoffs after a 6-2 start.

Roethlisberger won the Super Bowl with the Steelers last season. And now, not only did Rivers get voted into the Pro Bowl this week, in his first season as a starter, but two of the draft picks the Chargers acquired with him in the Manning deal were used on linebacker Shawne Merriman and placekicker Nick Kaeding, and they made the Pro Bowl, too. It can't get much more painful for the Giants. They had their choice of Roethlisberger or Rivers in the 2004 draft. They took Rivers for the Chargers, but would have taken Roethlisberger for themselves if they didn't trade Rivers and a bundle of picks for Manning. Imagine if Roethlisberger and Rivers win the Super Bowl back to back. Continue

Tiki not focused on finale

There have been so many great runs and great games for Tiki Barber at Giants Stadium, and someday all those wonderful memories will come flooding back and might even bring a tear to his eye. But Barber says it won't happen on Sunday, when he plays what is most likely his final home game. Not with a playoff berth on the line.

"I don't think it will be emotional," Barber said yesterday. "I don't think I'll think about it. I tend to get extremely focused on what I'm doing and on my job. That's my mentality on Sunday - just like every other Sunday for the last 10 years." Tom Coughlin, who loathes distractions, didn't get much more sentimental than that, either. Asked about Barber's upcoming big day, Coughlin would only say "I certainly hope it's a big event for all of us." Continue

Jints may need plan C at center

There's a chance the Giants will line up for Sunday's game against the Saints with Grey Ruegamer as the starting center. That's because injuries to starter Shaun O'Hara and backup Rich Seubert have forced the Giants to once again dig deeply into their depth. O'Hara missed last week's loss to the Eagles with a sprained ankle and did not practice yesterday. He's listed as questionable. Seubert went down with a sprained left lower leg in the fourth quarter of the 36-22 loss to the Eagles and is listed as doubtful.

Seubert put a scare in the Giants and the fans at Giants Stadium, sparking memories of the gruesome injury in 2003 that completely fractured his right leg put him out of action for nearly two full seasons. This injury has nothing to do with that one. Continue

Blue bar is lowered

Wellington Mara may have always had high expectations for the Giants, but he also had a minimum standard for success. And every season he was clear about where that standard was set. "I always say if you're in contention the last home game of the year," Mara said many times, "you have a successful season in terms of giving the fans what they want."

The current Giants, then, should be considered a hit, because they're right in the thick of a playoff race as they head into their home finale on Sunday. They have a chance to clinch a playoff berth if they beat the New Orleans Saints and four of five other games break right.Still, the question remains, after five losses in six games that spoiled a promising 6-2 start, after four losses in seven games at Giants Stadium, after weeks of back-page drama and turmoil and after the Giants lost control of their own playoff destiny in a mediocre NFC:Is this really what Giants fans want? Continue

Barber's last game in pro bowl

Tiki Barber insists he wants to go out on top. He will, at least from an individual standpoint. Barber yesterday was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and joins tight end Jeremy Shockey on the NFC squad as the only two Giants selected to play in the Feb. 10 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. That will be the date and place of Barber's final football game because he is headed into retirement. His identical twin brother, Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber, also was selected to the NFC squad.

"I am both emotional and ecstatic to once again be named to the Pro Bowl," Barber said. "With this being my final season in the NFL and the final time my brother Ronde and I will be teammates, the honor carries even more significance than in previous years. I look forward to finishing out this season with two important games and competing for the playoffs." Continue

Toomer left hole Giants can't fill

Amani Toomer knows he did the right thing by having knee surgery midway through the season rather than run the risk of rehabbing and potentially returning around this time. It turned out that he had a severed anterior cruciate ligament, even though an MRI revealed only a partial tear. "It was scar tissue that had formed over it," Toomer said. "So really what was keeping my knee in place was my hamstring. If I got hurt again, it could have been really ugly. "The surgery was pretty significant. I'm glad I got it done, because it could have been a lot worse." Toomer's reaction to choosing surgery: Whew! He'll be ready for next season.

The Giants sure could use him now. Toomer's absence, even though it has gone largely unnoticed, has been nearly as significant as Michael Strahan's foot injury, which occurred in the same game. The Giants are 1-5 in the games both have missed. Strahan's absence has been well chronicled, with the defense not coming close to the level it was at before the star end went down. The Giants are hopeful he can get back, possibly in time for Sunday's critical game against the Saints. Continue

Win one for the fans

They are the ones who wear their old No. 56 and 11 jerseys, or their No. 92, 21 and 80 jerseys; they are the ones who are not getting nearly enough bang for their obscene bucks, they are the ones who trudge out of Giants Stadium overwhelmed with outrage, they are the ones who have lost faith in the coach and the quarterback and a team that talks too much talk and walks not enough walk. They are the ones Wellington Mara heard when they sang "Goodbye, Allie," and they are the ones the great old man heard loud and clear when they left the stadium half-empty and silent in the dying days of the Jim Fassel Era.

They are the ones who remember when the teams that played in front of them instilled fear in the other team; they are the ones who remember what it was like to gang up with those teams to make Giants Stadium an inhospitable, intimidating place to play. They are the ones who remember the 1986 playoff game against the 49ers, 49-3 over Joe Montana; they are the ones who remember the 1986 NFC championship, 17-0 in the wind over the Redskins; they are the ones who remember the 2000 NFC Championship game, when LT and Harry Carson came sprinting out of the tunnel waving white towels and it ended 41-0 over the Vikings. Continue

Giants don't control own playoff fate

Does anyone still believe the Giants will make the playoffs? "Yes I do, I think the New York Giants will be in the playoffs," linebacker Brandon Short said yesterday.

Short was one of the few players who dared to venture out from behind closed doors after Sunday's 36-22 ambush by the Eagles dropped the Giants to 7-7 with their fifth loss in the past six games. For weeks, as the Giants have staggered to the finish and not at all resembled a team fit for the postseason, they were able to find solace in the knowledge that at least they controlled their own destiny. Win and they're in. Au contraire. Continue

Strahan says he's '50-50' to march in on Saints

Michael Strahan estimated the odds are "50-50" that he'll play against the Saints on Sunday. Tom Coughlin, though, prefers to wait and see. Coughlin said yesterday he and the team doctors want to watch Strahan go through a full week of practices on his sprained right foot before they determine when - or if - he can return to action. The 35-year-old has already missed six games with the mid-foot injury, though he did try to convince Coughlin to let him play against the Eagles on Sunday.

"I think the smart thing to do, and what the medical people would like to have happen is, let's have a week where we do everything and then let's assess where we are," Coughlin said. "Hopefully that week will be this week. We're trying for it to be this week." Since suffering the injury on Nov. 5, Strahan has only participated in four days of individual drills and one day of group drills, but no full team practices. Coughlin said that if Strahan had played against the Eagles, he would have "run the risk" of making it worse. Continue

Giants playoff scenarios

New York can clinch playoff berth with:

1) NYG win + MIN loss or tie + ATL loss + PHI win or tie + SEA win or tie

2) NYG win + MIN loss or tie + ATL loss + PHI win or tie + SF loss or tie.

Put Blue out of our misery

The Giants have melted down so completely in the money time of the season, they don't deserve to get into the playoffs. Why be subjected to further embarrassment? They are now two games behind the first-place Cowboys in the NFC East and two games ahead of the last-place Redskins. It's been two months since they beat the Cowboys in that Monday night game, the last time they beat a good team.

"No, it's not over. Not by any stretch of the imagination," Tiki Barber said last night outside the locker room. "We got to find a way to correct this ship. We are heading in the wrong direction. We have to get it turned around real quickly." There are just two weeks left with games remaining against the Saints and Redskins. The Giants are just about out of time. "It's like you are approaching that rock and you got to turn soon, otherwise you are going to hit it," Barber said. Continue

Coughlin blitzes Eli with blame on INT

Tom Coughlin left no doubt yesterday that the game-ending interception by Eagles defensive end Trent Cole was the fault of Eli Manning. Coughlin blamed Manning for not seeing blitzing cornerback Sheldon Brown on the first-down play from the Giants' 20. Brown came from Manning's right and should have been in the quarterback's field of vision. But instead of dumping the ball off to his "hot" receiver, Manning held it long enough for Brown to hit him as he threw it, allowing it to float into Cole's hands.

Cole ended up returning the interception 19 yards for a touchdown that sealed the Eagles' 36-22 win. "He should have seen it," Coughlin said. "He's in the (shot)gun. He has a good chance to see it. I think his attention is drawn off to the left. He doesn't see it. "It happens. But you'd like to think (he'd) hit the hot (receiver) and maybe make five or six yards and have it be second down instead of a turnover." Manning, who was apparently trying to throw deep to Plaxico Burress near the left sideline, said he saw Brown but didn't make the right adjustment. Continue

Big Blue taint playoff picture

Although the Giants have lost five of their last six games and certainly in danger of not making the playoffs in the weak NFC, players were chirping about making the postseason even after yesterday's 36-22 loss to the Eagles. "I say, hell, yeah," left tackle Bob Whitfield said. "I know we got enough talent, enough good players that they ain't gonna let this little chink in the armor make 'em bleed to death. Hell, yeah, we're gonna get in the playoffs."

Several players did not seem to know that the Giants continue to control their own destiny - if they win their last two games, they are in. "All we can do is win our last two games and see how everything else plays out around the league," Plaxico Burress said. Said Eli Manning, "I haven't looked at the whole scenario yet, but we could get some help because there are a lot of big games left by everyone else." Continue

Forget the math, Giants don't add up

The Giants can keep telling us there still is hope, can keep telling us how the Steelers won it all as a wild card last season, can keep saying there still is next week and still is a chance to achieve all those goals they talked about during the carefree days of training camp. Forget it. After throwing away yet another game in a season filled with its share of frustration, just where exactly do the Giants think they can go? The playoffs? Well, in a conference filled with absurd possibilities for the teams hovering at or just above .500, the answer is: Nowhere.

Unless the offense finally starts scoring touchdowns instead of field goals, unless Michael Strahan somehow makes it back from a foot injury and unless a defense that has turned mediocre makes a drastic improvement, the Giants are simply playing out the cruel ending to a season that began with hopes of a Super Bowl run. They should have put away the Eagles yesterday in an emotional game at Giants Stadium but instead saw Philly drive a stake through their playoff hopes with a 36-22 win. It is not officially over, because the pathetic state of the NFC allows just about anyone to play out the last two weeks with a mathematical possibility of playing into January. And the fact is the Giants would be the sixth seed if the season were to end today. Continue

Eagles give Giants taste of own medicine, 36-22

Who needs Donovan McNabb? Jeff Garcia has the Philadelphia Eagles on the verge of a playoff berth and possibly the NFC East title. Garcia threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown and a 2-point conversion and Trent Cole returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown 10 seconds later Sunday, leading the Eagles to a 36-22 win over the New York Giants.

The error-plagued game unworthy of two playoff contenders was third straight victory for the Eagles (8-6) and left them in control of their playoff destiny. If they beat Dallas (9-5) at home next week and Atlanta on the road two weeks later, they win the division title. The Giants (7-7) still have a shot at the playoffs despite losing for the fifth time in six games. They face New Orleans here next weekend and then close at Washington. However, they hold a tiebreaker with Atlanta (7-7) for the sixth and final playoff berth in the conference. Continue

What about Tom?

Will the Giants finally wakeup and cut this guy loose(Coughlin). The Giants have a solid chance of finishing the season losing 7 of their last 8.