Giant Football Blog

Giants midseason report card

If this was any other year, the Giants might feel pretty good at the midpoint of the season. They might even be impressed with the way they've dug out of an 0-2 hole with six straight wins.But it's impossible for them to escape the reality of what happened to them last year, when they were also 6-2. They know how that turned out, and they know everybody else remembers it, too.

"Is our team for real? Is it for fake?" cornerback Sam Madison said. "This has been the nature of this football team over the previous years. So, we'll see what happens. Nobody holds our destiny except for us." Continue

Jints' glass 'half' full

IF you were not privy to the calendar and did not know any better, the look and feel of the Giants' locker room yesterday was one of completion. Players rushed out of a brief meeting, and not long after 1 p.m. they were gone, taking leave of football and scattering to various destinations. Rather than an ending, though, this in the truest sense is a beginning for the Giants.

This is the bye week, and as a reward for turning an 0-2 start into a 6-2 record at midseason, coach Tom Coughlin dismissed the Giants one day after their return from London for the longest break he's given the team since coming to the Giants in 2004. The next time they reconvene is Monday, and the next time they play is Nov. 11, against the Cowboys in a battle for first place in the NFC East. Continue

Tired Giants looking forward to bye week

The Giants' charter flight from England figured to be a pleasant, seven-hour ride last night, and not just because they were flying high after their sixth straight win. After spending the weekend as NFL ambassadors in unfamiliar surroundings, the Giants all had the same thing on their minds. They needed a rest.

"When you're on a streak, you want to continue. You hate to have a break," Michael Strahan said after the Giants' 13-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. "But at the same time, we need a break. It's been long for us. "After eight straight weeks," Eli Manning added, "the guys are getting tired." Continue

Eli shrugs off 44.9 QB rating

Eli Manning could not have envisioned returning from his first European business trip having passed for a paltry 59 yards - lousy even with the exchange rate - and exhibiting greater prowess with his legs than his arm. Manning was 8 of 22 in Sunday's 13-10 victory over the winless Dolphins at Wembley Stadium. Despite a quarterback rating of 44.9, he was heartened that for the first time this season he did not throw an interception.

"I didn't play well," Manning said. "I had my share of bad throws and misses." He also knew he was not alone when it came to offensive ineptitude on the muddy grass field. "We kind of had a little bit of everything," Manning said yesterday morning before the Giants chartered back home. "I had some bad throws; guys were slipping down, we had some drops." Continue

Eli Manning struggles through worst game of year

The world got its first up-close look at Eli Manning, and it wasn't a pretty sight. In the NFL's first regular-season game overseas, a game that was broadcast to 216 countries, Manning endured his worst performance of this season yesterday, and one of the the worst of his career. Playing on a muddy field in a driving rain and throwing a wet football, he completed just 8 of 22 passes for 59yards as the Giants held on to beat the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium, 13-10.

The yardage total was his lowest since Dec. 12, 2004, when he got benched after completing just 4 of 18 passes for 27 yards at Baltimore in his fourth career start. "Well, we won, and that's the most important thing," Manning said. "We didn't have an interception. Had the one fumble. Couldn't do much about that. But we tried to play smart. I wish I could've had a few more completions, but winning the game is the most important thing." Continue

Jacobs makes offense run

Another week, another reminder that life goes on after Tiki Barber.

Brandon Jacobs, who assumed Barber's starting role after the 31-year-old running back retired, continues to prove that he's capable of leading the Giants' running game at similarly impressive statistical levels. Yesterday, when the Giants needed him most on a rain-soaked field that made the passing game nearly impossible, Jacobs responded with his career-best game. He rushed for 131 yards on 23 carries, helping the Giants win their sixth straight, 13-10, over the winless Dolphins. "I feel like I'm running well, but at the same time, a lot of it has to do with the blocking," said the 6-4, 264-pound Jacobs, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry yesterday and is at 5.6 for the year. Continue

Giants come out a winner in London road trip

For art, they could have gone to the British Museum. For something grand, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace were a train ride away. Instead, what the fans got on this history-making Sunday in London was old-fashioned, muck-it-up football — not very entertaining and not pretty at all, unless you ask the New York Giants, who came out with a 13-10 victory over the still-winless Miami Dolphins.

"We won, so obviously it was worth it," said Giants defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora, who was born in London. Eli Manning threw for only 59 yards but ran for New York's lone touchdown to lift the Giants to their sixth straight victory, a mud-caked slog through the unfriendly pitch at torn-up Wembley Stadium in this, the first regular-season NFL game played outside North America. Continue

Red white & Big Blue

The longer the Giants considered their role in this historic event, the more they sounded as if they liked the idea of taking on the Dolphins this afternoon at Wembley Stadium in the NFL's first regular-season game outside North America. "We're the first two teams to play (overseas), it's a big honor," said WR Plaxico Burress, adding that he feels like an ambassador for the league and his sport.

There have been preseason games held in Europe, but those take on an exhibition feel, where tourism is high and stress levels are low. The Giants barely needed their 747 charter flight to get here, soaring along as they are with a five-game winning streak. The thought of a seven-hour flight home dwelling on a loss to the 0-7 Dolphins is not what the Giants care to contemplate. Continue

London air is cold reality

At first, Giants left tackle David Diehl said the chilly, damp London air will be "ideal offensive lineman weather." Then he gave it a much snappier and more entertaining label. "That's definitely fat-guy weather," the 320-pound Diehl said of the forecast. "For O-linemen, we love things like that." When the weather starts to cool down at this time of year, Miami might seem like a nice getaway spot. A little time at the pool, a cool drink and some palm trees is a great way to spend a late October weekend.

But for the overgrown men who earn a living throwing their bodies into defenders in the trenches of an NFL line, an early evening start on a cool (and perhaps wet) day is the perfect climate. A forecasted high of 58 degrees is perfect. "You might hear some of the skinny guys complaining," right guard Chris Snee said. "But you won't hear anything from us." Continue

For Tom Coughlin, Giants, preparation still like clockwork

Tom Coughlin did not give his players a curfew last night and they were free to explore the rich nightlife London has to offer. The only stipulation on their first night on the town was that they had to check in with team personnel when they arrived back at the hotel.

Coughlin probably didn't have to worry. The Giants landed at 5:15 London time yesterday morning after taking off from Newark at 6 New York time the night before. Who had the energy to stay out all night in Covent Garden, Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus, the hottest nightspots in London? Continue

London stalling

As Jeremy Shockey glanced around, looking tired but excited, he knew this wasn't Giants Stadium, wasn't a cramped practice field set down in the middle of a paved parking lot, and, based on the accents and quizzical expressions of those around him, certainly was not business as usual two days before an NFL football game.

Under a gray, cool, damp October sky, Shockey and his mates were trying to shake out the cobwebs after a six-hour flight and a 90-minute bus ride that took the Giants through the heart of downtown London, across the River Thames and into a leafy English suburb, past grazing sheep and horses, small cafes and Indian restaurants, and pubs on almost every corner. Continue

Jacobs' ladder

As much as anyone, Brandon Jacobs is embracing the idea of bringing his sport to a new continent. "It will be interesting to see how people react to us," Jacobs said prior to the Giants' charter flight here, where on Sunday they will face the Dolphins in the first regular-season NFL game outside of North America. "I'm very excited to play in front of a European crowd."

For the uninitiated, the sight of Jacobs at 260 pounds taking a handoff and, instead of plowing between the tackles, cutting outside with speed someone his size is not supposed to possess, might be startling. The good citizens of Great Britain should not feel badly, though, as many fans in the United States aren't yet accustomed to the direction Jacobs and the Giants' running game has taken. Continue

Giants picking up British accent

The Giants' arrival here early this morning was expected to be covered by the British press the way it would cover visiting dignitaries or rock stars. There have been NFL-themed events all over this city, all week long. And every seat for Sunday's game at Wembley Stadium was nearly instantly sold out.

"In a sense it's very Super Bowl-like," Giants center Shaun O'Hara said. "Two teams going to a neutral site and quite a bit of fanfare, quite a bit of media coverage for it." It may not be the Super Bowl - certainly not with the 0-7 Miami Dolphins representing the AFC - but the Giants are well aware that this "business trip" is for more than just a game. Their main goal may be to win their sixth straight and avoid a pre-bye-week letdown, but it's not their only responsibility. Continue

Jay Feely would like to prove Giants, GM wrong

Before Jay Feely signed with the Miami Dolphins in March, the former Giants kicker had one question for Giants general manager Jerry Reese. "I asked him point blank, 'Why didn't you make more of an effort to re-sign me?'" Feely recalled. "He just told me, 'I think you are having a decline in your career and you don't have a strong leg any more.' I said, 'OK, if that is your opinion, I'm going to go out and try and prove you wrong.'"

Feely won't be the only player attempting to stick it to his former team when the Giants and Dolphins meet in London on Sunday. Giants cornerback Sam Madison, who played nine seasons with Miami, faces the Dolphins for the first time since they released him in 2006. "It's the first time playing a team that released you. ...Is there something there?" asked Madison. "Maybe, maybe not. But the past is the past. I've moved on and they've moved on and everybody is happy." Continue

For Madison, nothing's fishy being a Giant

Sam Madison thought he had gotten a break when the NFL announced in February that the Giants-Dolphins game originally scheduled for Miami would be played in London instead. "I thought it would be a plus because, going back to Miami, I would have had to buy like a hundred tickets," said the Giants' cornerback, who spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Dolphins. "I still have to buy a hundred tickets for London. It's still a pain in the butt."

Ticket requests aside, Madison admits he did get a bit of a break because going back to Dolphin Stadium instead of playing the first regular-season game overseas against Miami would have stirred up a few more emotions. "It would probably be totally different," Madison said. "But I'm happy, I'm okay." Continue

Tom Coughlin says winless Miami Dolphins still a threat

The NFL is trying hard this week to sell American football to a European city that has repeatedly rejected the game in the past. Yet that's nothing compared to the sales job Tom Coughlin has to do.

He has to sell what no one in his right mind would buy - the idea that the hapless and winless Miami Dolphins are a dangerous foe. And he has to sell them as that even though they are without their best quarterback (Trent Green, IR, concussion), running back (Ronnie Brown, IR, knee) and receiver (Chris Chambers, traded) and their starting free safety (Renaldo Hill, knee), too. Continue

Rare change on Giants 'D'

The Giants this season have not been forced by injuries to make any changes to their starting defense, but that could change Sunday in London, with rookie Michael Johnson likely to move in for James Butler at strong safety.

Butler came out of last Sunday's 33-15 victory over the 49ers with what now is being described as ankle and hamstring problems. He did not practice yesterday and probably won't get on the field this week. Johnson, a long and lean seventh-round draft pick from Arizona, played the entire second half in place of Butler, Johnson's only meaningful work on defense other than one series against the Eagles. Continue

Coughlin turning into Mr. October

The new Mr. October on the New York sports scene is Tom Coughlin, who is 12-2 in that month in his four years with the Giants following a 33-15 victory over the 49ers. Fast starts are part of the scenery for Coughlin, as this is the fourth consecutive season the Giants are 5-2 after seven games. Recent history indicates the early winning ensures nothing.

In 2004, the Giants roster was decimated by injuries and they lost eight straight after the 5-2 start. In 2005, they were 6-2 at midseason and finished 11-5 and in first place in the NFC East before a rash of injuries hit. Last season, the Giants were 6-2 and promptly went on a four-game losing skid, once again done in by severe injuries. This can obviously serve as a warning for this year's Giants, rolling with a five-game winning streak as they head to London later this week to face the winless Dolphins Sunday at Wembley Stadium. Continue

Antonio Pierce doesn't want Giants to become overconfident

For years, the Giants have been somewhat uncomfortable playing the role of favorites. They are usually at their best when they're expected to be at their worst.

That's why Antonio Pierce doesn't want a flood of people jumping on the Giants' bandwagon just because they have won five straight games. They might be on the verge of becoming a serious contender in the NFC, but Pierce would prefer if people still thought of the Giants as they did way back when they were 0-2."We need more people to keep telling us how bad we are," Pierce said. "We don't need no pats on our backs. Just be honest." Continue

Invisible Mann

Sometimes silence is the most blissful of all Sunday noises, better than the steady roar of 78,912 people enjoying every bit of a 33-15 rout by the home team, better than the chants of “Oooo-siiii!" following one of the greatest bits of one-man-bandmanship you'll ever see, better even than the hum of thousands of car engines granted the chance to hit the Turnpike earlier than expected.

It was a fun day at Giants Stadium, in the midst of a fun and wholly unexpected football season. The Giants' thrashing of the 49ers was their fifth win in a row, making them the most scorching-hot team in the NFC as they prepare for their little jaunt across the pond next week, where the woeful Dolphins promise to do their best to help push the Giants a little farther along. Continue

After trip to London, Giants must avoid second-half flop

The Giants' overnight charter flight to London leaves on Thursday night and the 3,500-mile trip across the Atlantic is a long way to go to play a football game and snack on a few scones. Adjusting to the time difference and overcoming jet lag will be a bigger problem than winning the game, thanks to the NFL scheduling them against the winless and pathetic Dolphins, the worst team in the league. Clearly, the Giants are going to have to carry this international show. Continue

Umenyiora leads sack-happy Giants' defense

It shaped up as one of the weekend's biggest mismatches, perhaps ranking just behind USC-Notre Dame. This one turned out to be just as one-sided. A Giants defensive unit that reinvented itself after getting smoked the first two weeks of the season faced the 49ers, who entered yesterday's game with the league's worst offense.

San Francisco quarterback Trent Dilfer tripped over himself on his first pass attempt (it allowed Michael Strahan to get his easiest sack since Brett Favre took that dive in 2002), and that was the beginning of an afternoon of hurries, sacks and turnovers in the Giants' 33-15 victory. Continue

Giants defense dominates in easy 33-15 win over 49ers

Trent Dilfer became the latest quarterback to suffer the wrath of Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan and the New York Giants' defense. Umenyiora scored on a 75-yard fumble return and the defense helped to account for 24 points as the Giants won their fifth straight with a 33-15 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The dynamic four-end defense of the Giants (5-2) had a field day against the NFL's worst offense.New York forced four turnovers by the 49ers (2-4), sacked Dilfer six times and made him play with his head on a swivel while Alex Smith rested his ailing shoulder on the sidelines. Continue

Spagnuolo, You 'D' man!

He is the little man who has been the giant behind the resurrection of Big Blue. Watch the Giants get after Super Bowl nemesis Trent Dilfer VII seasons later today. Watch them swarm Frank Gore. The best Giants seasons always have been about defense, and this one now has a chance to be about a rookie defensive coordinator named Steve Spagnuolo. "I'd say he's an intense, focused, intelligent field general," Mathias Kiwanuka says. Big Blue hasn't had a defensive coordinator this popular since John Fox made his mark under Jim Fassel. Continue

Giants' running backs making up for loss of Barber

Conventional wisdom suggests that NFL teams are far better off with a featured running back rather than a running backs-by-committee approach. Which is why there was genuine concern within the Giants' organization about what life after Tiki Barber would look like. Well, after six weeks, it looks pretty good. There's no telling whether the Giants can continue their successful approach to the running back position in the post-Barber world. But after six games, the results are encouraging.

By this time last year, the Giants were 4-2; Barber had rushed for 647 yards and no touchdowns. Brandon Jacobs was next with 217 yards and three TDs. The Giants had 168 points after six games. Entering today's game against the 49ers, the Giants again are 4-2, and the rushing numbers are nearly as impressive. Derrick Ward (421), Jacobs (212) and Reuben Droughns (121) have rushed for a combined 754 yards and six touchdowns. The Giants have scored 154 points. Continue

Giants don't plan to underestimate Trent Dilfer

Each week, the Giants' defense goes out of its way to praise its upcoming opponent. Yesterday, Osi Umenyiora sounded like a public relations director for the San Francisco 49ers, hyping up Trent Dilfer perhaps like no one else has. "He's won one (Super Bowl)," Umenyiora said, referring to Dilfer's victory with the Baltimore Ravens over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. "I haven't won any. He has done something right. He's not as mobile as Alex Smith but you never know ... he might come out there and look like Tony Romo or Mike Vick. You never know."

Nobody usually likens the slow Dilfer to Romo or Vick. While Umenyiora laughed after making those comments, the defensive end isn't buying into the notion - at least publicly - that the Giants' defense will have a field day against Dilfer and the struggling 49ers. Continue

Moss grows slowly

There's genuine excitement around the Giants about the possible return of Steve Smith, the rookie receiver who missed the past four games with a fractured clavicle. Naturally, getting the polished USC product on the field tomorrow against the 49ers is a priority and might happen, as he made it through the week of practice.

"Really there has been no limitation on him," Tom Coughlin said yesterday. There was no rushing Smith's recovery, but there is a sense of urgency, as there were no great steps forward by second-year receiver Sinorice Moss during Smith's absence. Continue

Careful, Tom!

IT will not be Joe Montana quarterbacking the 49ers on Sunday against the Giants. It won't be Steve Young behind center at the Meadowlands. It might not even be Alex Smith, who could miss another game with an injured shoulder. Either Smith or Trent Dilfer - yes, the same Dilfer who led the Ravens over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV - will be standing in the way of a five-game winning streak for Big Blue.

Therein lies the problem for Tom Coughlin's 4-2 Giants, who have sometimes stumbled when the going gets easy. “I don't believe in the theory of a trap game, but the 2-3 Niners are a team that can be potentially dangerous,'' said Daryl Johnston, who will be the color analyst for the game on Fox. “Their coach, Mike Nolan, does a good job, and his team will never stop playing.'' Continue

For Giants, respect makes team true Blue

For the fourth consecutive season, the Giants are off to a 4-2 start and feeling good about themselves. But this time, the Giants say there is something different about this team. Unlike last year. when the locker room was fractured by agendas and dissension, the Giants insist this roster is united. "There is really no finger-pointing or anything in that locker room," Tom Coughlin said after practice yesterday. "And that has been a big plus." Where there was once snickering and second-guessing of Coughlin, there appears to be nothing but respect. That's what a four-game winning streak can do for a team.

"It's a very unselfish locker room," said Plaxico Burress, who did not practice yesterday but will play against the 49ers on Sunday. "I have played around some selfish guys and being here is totally different. Everybody here is happy for one another when somebody else excels. That is the thing that is kind of getting us over the top right now." Continue

Giants' front men

In the development of an NFL quarterback, reading defenses, knowing the protection packages, shaking off bad plays and making adjustments at the line of scrimmage are all part of Eli Manning's ongoing education. What he already has mastered is the art of making nice with his offensive linemen.

"You got to feed 'em well, keep 'em happy," Manning said yesterday. "They can eat." The best way to the heart of a lineman is through his stomach, by way of his wallet. "Whenever we're out and about he picks up the tab usually," guard Chris Snee said. "We look forward to seeing him at Christmas time, too." Continue

Giants offense beginning to click

Brandon Jacobs got carried away somewhat. "I think we have the type of offense where we can put up 600 yards," the running back said yesterday. Certainly, the Giants looked to be on such a pace early during Monday night's 31-10 victory over the awful Falcons, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions. Things slowed at points thereafter but in the end the Giants rolled up 491 yards - their most since 2002 - including 303 passing from Eli Manning.

They aren't the Patriots or the Colts, but the Giants rank second in the NFC in total offense (359.2 ypg) and in scoring (25.6), so maybe Jacobs is on to something."Guys are playing well. We are doing some good things," Manning said yesterday. "We can always get better, but we are making plays. And that is the most important thing. When things are tough or things are not going smooth, guys are stepping up and making big plays." Continue

Giants' attacking defense recalls '85 Bears

Osi Umenyiora was a 4-year-old living in London. Michael Strahan was 14 and growing up in Mannheim, Germany. Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck were still in diapers, Kiwanuka in Indianapolis and Tuck in Kellyton, Ala. The year was 1985, long before any of these Giants defensive linemen were even thinking about an NFL career. The Bears were putting together the most dominant single-season defensive performance ever.

Mention the '85 Bears and you recall a relentless pass rush, with complicated, virtually unstoppable blitzes. Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Otis Wilson, Wilber Marshall, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, Gary Fencik and Dave Duerson. They crushed all but one opponent - a Dolphins team that kept the '72 Miami squad as the modern NFL's only unbeaten - before steamrolling through the playoffs and Super Bowl XX. Bears 21, Giants 0. Bears 24, Rams 0. Bears 46, Patriots 10. Continue

No practice spells results for Plaxico Burress, Giants

Plaxico Burress hasn't practiced regularly in nearly five weeks. If he keeps this up, the Giants may never let him practice again. "I've always said I think we need him out there to practice," Eli Manning said Monday night. "Now I'm starting to maybe think we don't. ... I don't recommend it. I don't know why it's working, but he's making some big plays for us."

Burress did it again in Monday night's 31-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, catching six passes for 97yards and a huge 43-yard touchdown. He is tied with Randy Moss for the NFL lead with eight receiving touchdowns and is second in the NFC in receiving yards (507) and tied for seventh in receptions (30). He has caught a touchdown pass in all six of the Giants' games. If he catches one Sunday against San Francisco, he'll tie Kyle Rote for the Giants' longest streak of consecutive games with a touchdown catch (seven). Continue

Eli is mann of the hour

Ultimately,, it won't be Tom Coughlin turning into a player's coach that will save his job. It will be Eli Manning playing the way a franchise quarterback is supposed to play. Coughlin convinced ownership during their postseason summit that he was the right man to get Manning to take the next step, and look at the Giants now - 4-2, winners of four in a row, one game behind the Cowboys, on a fast track to 6-2 at the bye.

Notice was served last night that the Giants, 31-10 winners over the Falcons, do not always have to beat you with their Munch Bunch pass rush (four more sacks) feasting on quarterbacks. The Giants do not always have to beat you with Thunder & Enlightening, their Baby Bull tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward . . . and don't forget Reuben Droughns. They can beat you now with Eli Manning, too. Continue

Giants blow out Falcons, win 4th straight

There was no need for a big second-half comeback or any late-game heroics against the Atlanta Falcons last night. This time, Eli Manning didn't save his best for last.

In a reversal of fortune, the Giants got off to the fast start they have been craving, thanks mostly to a brilliant first half by Manning, and rode it all the way to their fourth straight win, a 31-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Manning got the Giants going by completing nearly 70% of his first-half passes inside the Georgia Dome, including a career-best streak of 12 in row. "It was impressive," Tom Coughlin said. "He had the hot hand, no doubt about it." Continue

Giants ready for prime time showdown with Falcons

It was only three weeks ago that the Giants were a mess, on their way to what surely would be a disastrous season. The last thing they needed back then was a national platform to show the country what a nightmare they had become.

Yet tonight they will take the stage on Monday Night Football with a chance to show everyone that reports of their demise were incredibly premature. Left for dead after losing their first two games, the Giants are now 3-2, just hitting their stride, and still giving chase in the NFC East. Their turnaround has been as complete as it was stunning. It also turned out to be a fairly simple thing to do. Continue

On bum ankle, Plaxico Burress having All-Pro season

The clip of Plaxico Burress catching a short pass last Sunday, then stiff-arming Jets cornerback Andre Dyson on his way to a 53-yard touchdown, was an instant hit on the highlight shows last week. So was his 33-yard touchdown two weeks earlier when he faked two Redskins defenders out of their shoes.

It's hard to believe, but Burress has yet to see either play. "Unless the coaches make me watch tape, I won't watch tape of myself," Burress says. "You didn't know that about me, did you?" That's unfortunate, because this season Burress is missing one heck of a show. Continue

State of grind

As Tom Coughlin studied his team during the week, he tried to dig beneath the surface, attempting to uncover the true feelings of the Giants about tomorrow night's game in Atlanta. Was his club going through the motions, content with a three-game winning streak, giving into the human-nature element of the NFL season that ushers in comfort in times of winning?

"I am always trying to look for all the signs and all the signals," Coughlin said. "We have harped on improvement so much and the 'run the race against yourself' kind of thing, so as long as I see that ..." Continue

Giants' coaches want Eli Manning to complete 60% of passes

The bar was set high for Eli Manning entering his third full season as the Giants' starting quarterback. His coaches wanted an end to his maddening inconsistency. They expected his completion percentage would top 60%.

More than a quarter of the way through the season, Manning's percentage is close (58.6), but also skewed by a fantastic opening-night performance when he completed 68.3% of his passes. He hasn't topped 60% in any of the last four games. And his percentage for the last two games is only 52.9 (27-for-51).

As he heads toward a Monday night game in Atlanta, Manning has completed only 54.5% of his career passes over nearly 3-1/2 seasons and 45 career starts. That's why Kevin Gilbride, the Giants' offensive coordinator and previously Manning's quarterbacks coach, was asked: Were the expectations too high? And is that all there is? Continue

Giant chance

Any single offensive lineman can be helped early and often in a game if he's deemed a weak link and/or the player he's going against is considered a menace. It's not especially complicated or secretive. The scheme that week relies heavily on sliding the blocking focus in the direction of the needy offensive tackle. It could happen by keeping a tight end on the line as an extra blocker and/or using a running back to chip (a fancy way of saying hit) the pass rusher to at least impede his progress.

That is precisely what the Eagles should have done two weeks ago to save untested youngster Winston Justice the embarrassment of repeated abuse by Osi Umenyiora en route to a six-sack eruption. Continue

Brandon busts out

When members of the Giants offensive line see Brandon Jacobs fighting for every inch, refusing to go down, standing upright and plowing forward while multiple defenders try to wrestle him to the turf, a certain instinct is triggered in every one of them.

"I admire the way he runs," guard Chris Snee said. "I admire he wants to get extra yards. When he does that, we as linemen want to go down there and jump on the pile." There's a macho quality at work with Jacobs, who clearly enjoys exploiting his unmatched size (6-4, 264), speed and power combination. Jacobs never is shy about admitting his pleasure for the physical nature of the game and his desire to pound away until there is no one left to hit. Continue

Giants' pass rushers may feast on Falcons

When the Giants racked up 12 sacks against Donovan McNabb two Sundays ago, Osi Umenyiora, responsible for half of them, said it was a once in a lifetime thing. How about twice in three weeks? Everything is in place for another field day on Monday night now that the Falcons have lost both of their starting tackles in the same week and replaced them with two guys making their first starts at the position.

It's enough to even make Giants offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie cringe. "It's quite a tragedy. That's tough, to lose the two bookends of your offensive line. Man, I've never heard of that, ever," McKenzie said. "But you know what? If you've prepared them well, it shouldn't be that difficult. It's just like changing a spare tire." Continue

Giants don't want to overlook reeling Falcons

The Giants have won three straight games and their defense is starting to become a force. But it's still not time for them to regard themselves as an elite team. "We still feel like a lot of people are doubting us," Osi Umenyiora said, "so we're just hungry for more wins." That's probably a good stance to take, since Monday night's visit to Atlanta to face the battered, maligned Falcons usually would be considered a dangerous game for a team that was starting to get a little haughty.

Consider the Falcons: Coach Bobby Petrino took over in January for Jim Mora Jr. and figured to tweak the offense around Michael Vick. By April, that plan was coming apart, as was Vick's life. By July, Vick was indicted on federal dogfighting charges and Petrino had no quarterback, with the Falcons having dealt capable backup Matt Schaub to Houston in March. Continue

Michael Strahan's new book praises Tom Coughlin

The first time Michael Strahan met Tom Coughlin he hated him. In fact, he hated him so much, he vowed 2004 would be his last season with the Giants. Now, nearly four years later, Strahan couldn't imagine playing for anyone else.

That's a startling turn of events, and it's one of the subjects the future Hall of Famer addresses in his new book, "Inside the Helmet: My Life as a Sunday Afternoon Warrior," which he wrote with his long-time friend, Fox broadcaster Jay Glazer. And the praise is probably a nice change of pace for Coughlin, who was ripped in Tiki Barber's recent book and criticized in a book published about former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi. Continue

Bench coach

IT would have been interesting to examine the fallout left behind from Tom Coughlin's decision to bench rookie cornerback Aaron Ross for the first half of the Giants' 35-24 victory over the Jets if the dramatic second-half turnaround had not transpired.

Ross was punished because he violated team rules - likely arriving late to a meeting or to the team hotel Saturday night - then went wild after halftime with his first two career interceptions and his first touchdown return. Continue

Big Blue has all the right moves

THE quarterback can make all the throws, has improved his accuracy, and is on the upswing. The head coach seems to have hired the right defensive coordinator at the right time and helped his franchise quarterback's development with the hiring of quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer and the promotion at the end of last season of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

Tiki Barber's production will be missed, but Brandon Jacobs and the revelation Derrick Ward are modern-day Baby Bulls - Thunder & Enlightening. The carniverous Munch Bunch pass rushers can ruin the game for the opposing quarterback. Plaxico Burress has been as invaluable for Eli Manning as Randy Moss has been for Tom Brady and Terrell Owens has been for Tony Romo. Continue

Strahan's book won't upset Giants' chemistry

Wow, these really are heady times for the Giants. They've won three straight games after an 0-2 start that made it seem as if the wheels were falling off. They've won twice by coming from behind in the second half. And the defense is starting to get that look about itself - the look we've seen around here during some special seasons.

Hey, even the publishing world is on the Giants' side. Just weeks after the team endured the controversy over potshots delivered by Tiki Barber at Tom Coughlin in his autobiography, and former general manager Ernie Accorsi's rip job of Coughlin in a book about his experiences last season, the latest tome by a high-profile member of the organization won't have a similarly negative effect. Continue

Burress wasn't to be denied

It started as an innocuous, quick-pass, a fortuitous blitz-beater that should have been nothing more than a first down. Plaxico Burress, bad right ankle and all, turned it into a 53-yard highlight, stiff-arming one Jet, high-stepping right through a tackle and energizing the Giants in their 35-24 come-from-behind win yesterday at Giants Stadium.

"I used to practice that back in the day when I saw Eric Dickerson do it. I just stick it out there. If I can get my palm on their helmet, they won't be able to get their hands on me," Burress said. "I was expecting to get out, keep the chains rolling. But that's why you keep playing. You never know what happens." Continue

Aaron Ross responds for Giants after benching

When coaches bench players, this is how they hope it will turn out. Rookie cornerback Aaron Ross, disciplined for violating what Tom Coughlin called "a team rule," responded with two second-half interceptions yesterday to rally the Giants past Chad Pennington and the Jets.

The first-round pick from Texas stopped one Jet drive at the 2-yard line before clinching the game with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown, making Coughlin look as tough as Vince Lombardi and as wise as Tom Landry. Continue

Rookie Aaron Ross' two interceptions lead Giants over Jets

Last week, it was a sack extravaganza. This time, the New York Giants' defense did it with interceptions. Rookie Aaron Ross returned the second of his first two NFL interceptions 43 yards for a touchdown with just over 3 minutes remaining to seal a 35-24 victory over the Jets on Sunday in the latest Battle of New York. A week after getting 12 sacks against Philadelphia, the Giants only had one - by Osi Umenyiora with less than 3 minutes left - but intercepted Chad Pennington three times. The last was the most costly as the Jets were driving for a potential go-ahead score.

Pennington, who had good protection by the offensive line all game, threw a pass to Jerricho Cotchery but Ross stepped in front of it and took off down the left sideline and into the end zone with the partisan Giants fans on their feet screaming. After trailing by 10 at halftime, the Giants (3-2) took over in the second half and beat the Jets (1-4) for the seventh time in 11 meetings. Continue

Big Blue ready for any gang leader

If the Giants today are able to inflict on Chad Pennington anything close to the abuse they heaped last week on Donovan McNabb, figure the Jets are in trouble. If that occurs, also figure Jets loyalists again will start clamoring for strong-armed second-year backup Kellen Clemens to replace Pennington. It doesn't sound as if the Giants believe that's a very good idea.

"We're preparing for Chad Pennington; if the other guy comes in, the good thing about it is we have seen him on film," linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "We know exactly who that guy is and what he's capable of doing. The big-arm guys always take a lot of risks. You get a guy like Chad Pennington, as long as they're controlling the game with the run game and playing good defense, he's the perfect quarterback you want, he controls it, he keeps the clock moving, he makes completions, keeps the offense on the field."I don't want to say he dinks and dunks down the field, because you watch enough film, you'll see him take shots down the field. They're just not a big shot-taking team." Continue

Jeremy Shockey hopes he'll catch fire for Giants

After three years of barely veiled frustration with his role in the Giants' offense, this finally was supposed to be the year when Jeremy Shockey realized his full potential. He felt relatively healthy and a new offensive coordinator promised to find ways to get him more involved.

Yet four games into the season, Shockey is still looking for his first touchdown catch, and he's coming off a game in which he had just one grab for 17 yards. As the offense has grown stagnant, his lack of impact has become startling. And he knows it. There's just not a lot he can do. Continue

Osi sacking kind words

A modest Osi Umenyiora insists his six-sack domination of Philadelphia was no big deal, a product of downfield pass coverage and sound team defense. Leave it to former defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka to put into perspective how brilliant the pass-rushing performance really was.

"To see the way it looked, the confidence with which he was approaching each rush and how he was executing, it was really a clinic," Kiwanuka said. "If any young defensive ends want to learn how to pass rush, they should just put that tape in and study it, watch him on every play." Continue

Predictably, Giants blowing smoke at Chad, Jets

You might have thought Sunday's opponent was Tom Brady and the Patriots rather than a 1-3 team whose fans have been clamoring for a quarterback change. Talking up an opponent is as much a part of the NFL as injuries, and the Giants fulfilled their weekly duties yesterday, speaking in adulatory tones about Jets quarterback Chad Pennington. "The first thing that jumps out at me is the quarterback has a rating and 70 percent [actually 76.8] completion percentage," coach Tom Coughlin said. Continue

Jacobs not opposed to sharing time with Ward

Brandon Jacobs spent two years playing behind Tiki Barber, so he knows the Giants' second running back usually plays a limited role. Now he is apparently healthy enough to reclaim his No.1 spot on the depth chart. And he doesn't want to see the same thing happen to Derrick Ward.

"Just look around the league," Jacobs said yesterday. "Every team has two backs. D-Ward is a very good back. We're going to utilize both of us when things are right. (The coaches) see that D-Ward is capable of being very productive. They know that I can go out and do the same thing. Why waste talent? Why waste the talent we have?"

It's an interesting question and one the coaches will have to wrestle with this week as the Giants (2-2) prepare to face the Jets (1-3). Jacobs, their starting running back in Week1, is almost fully recovered from the sprained right MCL he suffered on opening night and likely will reclaim his starting job. Continue

Strahan, Wilson miss practice

Michael Strahan (knee) and Gibril Wilson (ribs) sat out practice yesterday but both should be able to go today and are in no danger of missing Sunday's game with the Jets, according to Tom Coughlin. Both were injured in Sunday night's 16-3 win over the Eagles, though neither missed time because of the injuries. Chris Snee, who missed a series with a knee injury on Sunday, was cleared to practice yesterday.

Plaxico Burress (ankle) won't practice this week, but said he will continue to be ready for games. Burress didn't practice last week either and had four catches, including his NFC-leading sixth touchdown, against Philadelphia. Continue

Giants tackle playing like real Diehl on defense

While David Diehl was quietly (and with Diehl, there's really no other way he does things) shutting down Eagles defensive end Trent Cole on Sunday night, two other events had transpired or were transpiring in the world of left tackles. The first happened earlier in the day, and it was a very unfortunate event. Luke Petitgout went down in the Bucs' win over the Panthers with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, ending his season prematurely for the second straight year.

The other was unfolding on the same Giants Stadium turf where Diehl was keeping a check on Cole, the NFL's temporary sack leader coming into the game. Osi Umenyiora was taking a second-year, second-round draft pick named Winston Justice out behind the woodshed, showing everyone just what happens when you try to drop an inexperienced player into a very important spot on the offensive line. Continue

Giants audition pair of kickers

Not pleased with the performance of kicker Lawrence Tynes - who last weekend against the Eagles missed a 34-yard field-goal try and an extra point - the Giants yesterday worked out but didn't sign two kickers, Josh Huston and Billy Cundiff.

Huston this past summer lost a training-camp battle with Tynes, although in many respects he was the more consistent of the two. Cundiff, 27, spent four years kicking for the Cowboys, and in the second half of last season was the kickoff specialist for the Saints. Cundiff worked out for the Giants last spring before they traded with the Chiefs to acquire Tynes. This season, Tynes has connected on seven of nine field goals. Both his misses are from 34 yards. Continue

Steve Spagnuolo's defense sacks it to Eagles

The pressure was coming from everywhere. It seemed everyone was blitzing. The corners were hitting receivers right at the line, and sticking to them like glue as they ran down the field. It was, in almost every respect, exactly the type of defense Tom Coughlin imagined when he hired Steve Spagnuolo as his defensive coordinator eight months ago.

"Yes," Coughlin said yesterday, one day after the Giants got an NFL record-tying 12 sacks in a 16-3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. "The aggressiveness, the playing with confidence, and I think we were very good in coverage as well." Continue

Kicking misses a worry

Two straight victories does not a season make and Tom Coughlin knows the games are going to get close and the opportunities for points cannot be wasted. And so, he has sounded the alarm for kicker Lawrence Tynes. "You have to be concerned," Coughlin said yesterday.

The Giants coach was not at all pleased that Tynes missed a 34-yard field goal attempt and - more troubling - hit the upright to miss an extra point in Sunday's 16-3 victory over the Eagles. "I don't remember ever being around a missed extra point," Coughlin said. "There are concerns and we have to address them and think seriously about them to try to figure out what we can do to help Lawrence in that situation." Continue

Giants' offense sluggish in win

What cannot be swept under the rug amid the Giants devastating defensive performance in last night's 16-3 victory over the Eagles is the sluggish showing of the offensive unit. The Giants managed one touchdown and were hurt mostly poor work on third down, where they converted just 27 percent (3 of 11). "It wasn't a very good offensive game and we will have to evaluate that," coach Tom Coughlin said.

The Giants managed 212 total yards, their lowest figure in a victory since they gained only 107 yards in a 17-13 victory over the Buccaneers on Sept. 12, 1999. The Giants could not sustain drives despite the absence from the Eagles lineup of t