Giant Football Blog

Giants are as healthy as they have been all year

In this week of prognosticating, Tom Coughlin is 0-for-1 on his predictions.

And he’s surely plenty fine with that.

Though the Giants' coach said earlier today Ahmad Bradshaw wouldn’t practice, it turns out he did. The running back was limited in the first session here in Indy. It’s unclear at this point if he’ll take the next two days off and continue the once-per-week schedule he’s maintained since returning from a stress fracture in his foot earlier this season.

With Bradshaw on the field, the Giants had all 53 players on the roster practicing, though four other players were limited: wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee), cornerback Corey Webster (hamstring) and linebacker Jacquian Williams (foot). (continue)

 

Mara always had Reese's back

The critics questioned his every move, but there was one very important person still standing in Jerry Reese's corner.

Giants owner John Mara spoke highly of his general manager Tuesday, highlighting Reese's leadership skills and his unwavering confidence in his vision for the franchise.

When the Giants were 7-7, it seemed all hope was lost. But as always, Reese saw an opportunity; one he knew his players wouldn't squander.

"I can't say there were a lot of people, with the exception of maybe our general manager, who thought we were going to be here," Mara told a small group of reporters at media day.

Reese, as Mara put it, is the eternal optimist, the guy who believes the Giants will weather adversity and win, even when it seems unlikely. (continue)

 

Manningham vs Edelman

Mario Manningham wasn’t trying to trash talk — or at least he said he wasn’t. But the Giants’ wideout also couldn’t hide his excitement, either.

When Manningham takes the Lucas Oil Stadium field next Sunday against the New England Patriots, he knows that he might see Juian Edelman line up against him. And to Manningham, that’s a matchup that he should own.

“I hope he’s out there when we play them,” Manningham said, according to a report in the Boston Herald on Friday. “I don’t want to sound like, you know what I mean. To our advantage, I hope he’s out there.”

It will likely happen at some point, because Edelman, a regular wideout, has spent the past two months moonlighting as a nickel back for a Pats secondary that has battled injuries and inefficiency all season. The third-year pro has rarely looked out of place at corner, but he struggled in the AFC title game win over the Ravens, giving up four catches to Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin. (continue)

Manningham vs Edelman

Mario Manningham wasn’t trying to trash talk — or at least he said he wasn’t. But the Giants’ wideout also couldn’t hide his excitement, either.

When Manningham takes the Lucas Oil Stadium field next Sunday against the New England Patriots, he knows that he might see Juian Edelman line up against him. And to Manningham, that’s a matchup that he should own.

“I hope he’s out there when we play them,” Manningham said, according to a report in the Boston Herald on Friday. “I don’t want to sound like, you know what I mean. To our advantage, I hope he’s out there.”

It will likely happen at some point, because Edelman, a regular wideout, has spent the past two months moonlighting as a nickel back for a Pats secondary that has battled injuries and inefficiency all season. The third-year pro has rarely looked out of place at corner, but he struggled in the AFC title game win over the Ravens, giving up four catches to Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin. (continue)

Giants will make use of extra week off

Last week the Giants couldn't wait to play the 49ers. JPP said that he was ready to do so the minute they beat the Packers and others noted that it felt like a long week of waiting for the NFC Championship Game to roll around.

Now they have two weeks to wait until Super Bowl XLVI. That must be killing them, no?

Actually, a few are relishing the break. "I have to be honest with you, I'm not too antsy," said Antrel Rolle, whose very first words at his first Super Bowl news conference on Tuesday were an unprintable expletive mumbled under his breath but audible enough to show just how tired he was. "This last stretch has been an exhausting one, a lot of hard work. You're just putting everything to the side for these five games, which was very much needed. It took a lot of mental space, as well as physical pounding and doing whatever it took to get to this point. And you know, once we're here, we're not going to stop now. So I'm going to enjoy this little time off, and once we come back to work on Thursday, I will be ready and full speed." (continue)

 

Eli joining elite company

Eli Manning will become the 19th quarterback to start multiple Super Bowls, but he wants to be on the list with 10 names: The list of quarterbacks who have not only played in but won multiple Super Bowls.

"Having seen my brother win a Super Bowl and seen him lose a Super Bowl, it's no fun just going there and not winning, I can tell you that," Manning said in his weekly spot on 1050 ESPN Radio Monday. "I don't want to experience that." 

Giants-Patriots rematch after OT victory over 49ers

Lawrence Tynes came running off the field after another overtime field goal, his index finger high in the misty air and pointing straight to another Super Bowl.

It all seemed so deliriously familiar to the erupting Giants on the sideline, who once again await the New England Patriots after a 20-17 overtime victory on Sunday night to advance to Super Bowl XLVI.

Even Tom Coughlin admitted resisting comparisons to the Giants’ Super Bowl victory four years ago over the Pats is now futile, and there’s no avoiding comparisons to the Giants’ glorious past. These Giants, once on the brink of a “historical” collapse, are now on the verge of history.

“It is kind of eerie,” said defensive end Justin Tuck. “We tried to downplay it all along, but I’d be lying to you if I said it didn’t feel like 2007.”

“It’s pretty similar,” added Giants co-owner John Mara. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”

They’ll have a chance to make sure it does on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis when the Giants (12-7) face the AFC champion Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII — one of the greatest Super Bowls in history. And just like they did four years ago, they set that up that showdown with an overtime field goal by Tynes on the road. (continue)

When push came to shove Tuck pushed back

The text message lit up Justin Tuck’s phone on the morning of Nov. 30, two days after the Giants had been blown out by the Saints in New Orleans.

“When you get in,” Tom Coughlin wrote, “come see me.”

It was probably the lowest point of the season for Tuck, the Giants’ defensive captain.

Injuries to his neck, groin, ankle, toe and shoulder had limited him to two sacks in seven games played, not to mention knocking him out of four other games. He had spent a few seconds on the Superdome turf that Monday, disgusted by his inability to bring Drew Brees down. A player who prides himself on hustle and hard work got to his feet slowly while Brees scrambled toward the right sideline to make a play.

It was the lost season of Justin Tuck. At least that’s the way it looked at that point.

Discouraged by physical aches, and some emotional wounds that came from the loss of a few family members, he admits now he almost gave up.

“There were a lot of times I contemplated asking to be put on IR,” Tuck said the other day, referring to season-ending injured reserve. “I was pretty close a couple of times. I just felt as though I was doing more harm being on the field some weeks than me being off it.

“Sometimes it’s pretty easy to fight through pain. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re tough; it sometimes means you stupid.” (continue)

Jacobs cooks Rice

Brandon Jacobs remained defiant, refusing to let his latest detractor ruffle his feathers.

Even if it is his childhood hero, Jerry Rice.

A day after the Hall of Fame wide receiver called out Jacobs for being "soft" and further questioned the running back's toughness in an interview with Newsday, Jacobs maintained he's still good at what he does.

"Every week I think I can come out and set a tone if the chance is given," said the 6-4, 264-pound running back, who will face the 49ers' top-ranked run defense in Sunday's NFC Championship Game. "I'm not afraid of them, I'm not afraid of anybody on their team, I'm not afraid of anybody in their organization. I'm ready to play football."

Jacobs apparently isn't afraid of Rice, either.

He initially took the high road when responding to the former 49er's criticisms, but Jacobs -- who said he grew up a Niners fan -- ultimately couldn't resist taking a shot of his own. "I give him a lot of credit for the game being the way it is today. I have nothing negative to say about Jerry," he said of Rice, now an ESPN analyst. "If he feels that way, he feels that way."

But before stepping away from the lectern, he added: "I bet you he won't tackle me." (continue)

 

Manning ill, but he will be ready

Eli Manning hasn’t missed practice all year. So today, when Giants right guard Chris Snee looked back and saw backup quarterback David Carr stepping to the line and making a call, he teased, “Are you sure?”

Manning left today’s practice early with what coach Tom Coughlin called a “stomach bug,” but no one in East Rutherford seemed overly concerned about the starting quarterback’s absence having an impact on Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.

“Hopefully, it is just a 24-hour deal,” Coughlin said, “and he’ll feel better (Thursday).”

Manning was in meetings all morning, and participated in the jog-through period of practice, but went inside when he felt ill after taking a few reps. Carr took over and said he took about 75 percent of the reps. (continue)