Antonio Pierce's role with the Giants hasn't changed -- and isn't expected to any time soon.

The middle linebacker is being investigated by police for his role in teammate Plaxico Burress' accidental shooting of himself at a Manhattan nightclub, but Pierce was back at work at Giants Stadium Wednesday and is preparing to play Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"He is practicing," coach Tom Coughlin said, "and I fully expect that he will continue."

Continue reading "New York Giants' Antonio Pierce practicing as police wait" »

Everything was dissected Wednesday, from the way the Giants players bounced around the indoor practice facility to the tone of their answers about Plaxico Burress' suspension for the remainder of the season.

Even the quietness of the locker room, which was likely due to the fact most players were elsewhere eating or lifting at the time, was presented as evidence this team was in mourning for a player who divorced himself from the organization with a self-inflicted bullet wound Saturday night in a Manhattan nightclub.

"It's not (quiet)," guard Chris Snee said to interrupt one reporter's question. "But go ahead."

Continue reading "New York Giants regrouping under intense glare" »

LOOKING BACK

Derrick Ward is working toward a big pay day. Due to become a free agent at the end of this season after signing a one-year deal with the Giants during the offseason, Ward has seen his value continue to rise as he shows off a skill set that could make him coveted by teams looking for a No. 1 running back.

Continue reading "Tuesday with the New York Giants" »

Antonio Pierce didn't stop to talk to reporters outside Giants Stadium Tuesday, but the Giants linebacker will speak with authorities soon, according to his lawyer.

Michael Bachner said his office has been in communication with the New York Police Department and the New York County District Attorney's Office to schedule a time for them to interview Pierce, who is under investigation by police for his role in teammate Plaxico Burress' accidental shooting of himself in the thigh early Saturday morning in New York.

"It is our intention to cooperate fully in their investigation," Bachner said. "We'll continue to do everything in that regard."

Continue reading "Attorney 'confident' New York Giants' Pierce will be cleared of wrongdoing" »

Antonio Pierce has always taken pride in being the ultimate teammate and leader during his NFL career. Now the Giants can only hope he didn't take that responsibility too far. Continue reading "Loyal to a fault, New York Giants' Antonio Pierce learning a tough lesson" »

As an injured player -- he had a hamstring injury in addition to the gunshot wound -- Plaxico Burress is required by the team to go to Giants Stadium today for treatment. If not, he's subject to yet another fine.

Burress was excused Monday because of his hearing, but plenty of Giants players were at the stadium on what could have been a day off to get some extra workouts, film study and treatments. As they left the building in the afternoon, they encountered three reporters and a television camera crew. A few of the players stopped to chat, but none of them wanted to address the Burress situation.

Continue reading "Coverage by media will test New York Giants' focus" »

So what does Plaxico Burress stand to lose if the Giants place him on the non-football injury list and cut him after the season? Nearly $32 million, according to an agent who looked at his contract Monday and broke it down payment by payment:

Continue reading "Burress could be Giants' money pit" »

Giants vs. Redskins wrap-up

Box score

Newspaper Articles

Giants keep rolling despite Burress situation

Burress plans a "not guilty" plea

Politi: Burress no distraction for Giants

'Skins don't stack up against Giants' offense

Notebook: Jacobs understands why Burress had weapon

Quick Takes: Things you might have missed

Blog posts

As they played: A rundown of all the action on the field

Photos

Slideshow

LANDOVER, Md. -- The word of the day was "distraction," and it was a bigger presence in the visiting locker room at FedEx Field than any 350-pound offensive lineman.

How would the Giants deal with the latest distraction with troubled receiver Plaxico Burress? Would linebacker Antonio Pierce be distracted by his own involvement in the gun-shot investigation? Would all the distracting questions about the distractions be a ... well, you know?

The result, of course, was predictable if you have been following this team. The Giants were not remotely distracted by anything, unless that word can apply to only winning 23-7 on the road against a divisional rival that will probably end up in the playoffs.

Continue reading "Politi: In spite of Burress, New York Giants keep eyes on ball" »

While his teammates were in Landover, Md., adding another win to the Giants' impressive 11-1 season, wide receiver Plaxico Burress was holed up in his Totowa mansion, the eye of a weekend-long storm of uncertainty and unresolved circumstances.

But some of those clouds could begin to clear Monday, when Burress is expected to turn himself in to New York City police and plead not guilty to criminal possession of a weapon, his lawyer said Sunday.

Burress reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to his right thigh when he accidentally shot himself with his own gun at a Manhattan nightclub Friday night.

Continue reading "Burress' lawyer says plan is a 'not guilty' plea Monday" »

DID YOU NOTICE?

Need any more evidence that personnel doesn't matter to the Giants? On the team's first drive, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride called for five pass plays on seven snaps -- the final one producing a 40-yard touchdown toss down the right sideline to Amani Toomer. ...

Speaking of play calling, the Giants are pretty vanilla. And why not? More often than not, it works just fine. But in a league where gadget plays have become common this season, the Giants went as far out on a limb as they probably will with a direct snap to Derrick Ward. Ward picked up 5 yards and a first down in the first quarter. ..

Continue reading "Quick takes from Giants-Redskins" »

NOTEBOOK

LANDOVER, Md. -- Brandon Jacobs isn't excusing Plaxico Burress for carrying a loaded gun into a nightclub. Nor will he condone Burress' having a weapon in Manhattan without a New York gun license -- if that's indeed the case.

But Jacobs understands why Burress had a weapon in the first place.

"It's tough out there for us and a lot of people don't know that," the Giants' running back said after the Giants' 23-7 victory over the Redskins. "It's tough in everyday life for us to be targeted. Some people are very bothered by it. That's why I stay home."

Continue reading "New York Giants' Jacobs understands why Burress had weapon" »

LANDOVER, Md. -- It didn't take long for Eli Manning to identify what kind of defense the Redskins would play Sunday. He saw it last week in a win against the Arizona Cardinals. He will probably see it again, too -- at least until opposing teams realize it's not working.

Washington decided to stack the line of scrimmage to stop the run. So Manning dropped back and, on the Giants' very first play, threw deep down the field to receiver Domenik Hixon.

The pass fell incomplete, but the game plan stayed the same. Manning twice hit Hixon on third-and-long plays on the drive, then found Amani Toomer for a 40-yard touchdown strike to give the Giants a 7-0 lead.

Continue reading "'Skins just don't stack up against New York Giants offense" »

LANDOVER, Md. -- Barry Cofield simply wanted to rest in his room inside the Loews Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., so he shut off the ringer on his phone.

Friends, family, business associates? They could get their Plaxico Burress news elsewhere.

"People kept calling, asking, 'What happened? What happened?' Hey, you know what? Watch TV and whatever they say, go with that for now,'" the Giants' third-year defensive tackle said. "The day before the game, you don't want to have to deal with that stuff. We definitely don't want that to be bigger than the team."

It wasn't.

Read the latest Star-Ledger report on Burress here

Continue reading "New York Giants put aside Burress distraction to beat Washington Redskins, 23-7" »

Plaxico Burress' controversial 2008 season hit yet another major bump this weekend.

The Giants' top wide receiver suffered a wound on his right thigh in what the team called "an apparent accidental shooting" in a Manhattan nightclub on Friday night and was hospitalized until about 2 p.m. Saturday.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear Saturday night, as did whether the gun involved belonged to Burress, and reports indicated the wound was unintentionally self-inflicted. The Associated Press reported Saturday night that a team official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Giants were still trying to sort out all the facts, said Burress shot himself.

Continue reading "New York Giants WR Plaxico Burress 'okay' after accidentally shooting self" »

Star-Ledger coverage

Burress accidentally shoots self at nightclub

Politi: It's time to part ways with Plaxico

Q&A with the Ledger's Paul Needell: what this means, what to expect

Blog items

Official statement from the Giants

Teammate says Burress is "okay"

Photos: Police visit Burress' home in Totowa

You make the Call: Is it time for Plax to go?

Around the web

Here's the buzz (often conflicting) from other local and national outlets...

Yahoo! Sports: Burress only grazed by bullet

NY Daily News: Sources say gun accidentally fired as it slipped out of Burress' pants

NY Post: Sources claim Burress was trying to unload bullets at club entrance

Newsday: Burress has expired Florida concealed weapon permit, not valid in NJ or NY

NY Times: Burress' wife told police at home "You cannot talk to my husband"

ESPN.com: Burress admits to team he shot self; bullet did not hit major arteries, no broken bones

SNY.tv: Arrest warrant to be issued soon

Throughout his many indiscretions during his turbulent 2008 season, Plaxico Burress had been the Giants' problem, and nothing more.

Missed meetings. Skipped treatment sessions. Suspensions and fines, a red-faced head coach and annoyed teammates. Burress was a headache, to be sure, but he was a manageable one. The Giants had gotten used to his immaturity and were winning in spite of him.

But now? Burress has graduated to another level. He is the NFL's problem, too, because no matter what happened Friday night, his latest incident involved two things commissioner Roger Goodell is said to loathe more than anything else.

Guns and nightclubs.

Continue reading "Politi: It's time to part ways with Plax" »

WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL

They proved last week they can win on the ground or in the air. In Weeks 9 through 11, the Giants pounded the turf for 200+ yards en route to victory. Last Sunday in Arizona, quarterback Eli Manning aired it out for 240 yards and three touchdowns.

The Giants' offensive philosophy is so adaptive -- with the talent and depth on the roster to back it up -- that opposing defenses are left between a rock and a hard place. The Giants will rely on their depth again this week, with WR Domenik Hixon starting in place of Plaxico Burress, who was out with a hamstring injury even before Friday night's shooting mishap.

Continue reading "Giants-Redskins: The Breakdown" »

Jerry Reese was watching the Giants practice the other day. To his left, Justin Tuck was laughing with his defensive linemates. Across the field, Corey Webster was working with the cornerbacks. And only a few yards away, Brandon Jacobs, sidelined with an injured knee, was needling the running backs during a passing drill.

Three key pieces of the team's foundation. All of them 2005 draft picks.

"I really thought that defensive end was going to be a player," said Reese, the Giants' general manager and former director of player personnel.

Continue reading "With just 4 picks, New York Giants got 3 key pieces in 2005 Draft" »

James Butler's parents held a barbecue on the first day of the 2005 NFL Draft. That's how much the Georgia Tech safety expected to hear his name called on that Saturday.

So imagine how he felt that Sunday night, after hearing 255 names in seven rounds that weren't his.

"I was very upset," the usually mild-mannered Butler said the other day. "Literally upset. Physically upset. I was hot."

Butler got a chance to sign with the Giants and remains a key part of the team's impressive 2005 draft class -- even if he wasn't drafted. He and linebacker Chase Blackburn made the roster that season and are now starters on one of the best defenses in the NFL.

Continue reading "New York Giants caught a few that were free" »

As defensive ends Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka were getting dressed at their adjoining lockers Friday, their conversation turned to their matchups Sunday against at Washington.

"I know you and Samuels got beef," Tuck joked with Kiwanuka.

Samuels, of course, referred to Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels, who injured Kiwanuka's left ankle on the final play of the teams' Sept. 4 meeting. With the Giants' win already clinched, Kiwanuka beat Samuels off the edge, but Samuels pulled him down from behind and fell on his ankle.

Continue reading "New York Giants' Kiwanuka has injury at hands of Washington's Samuels on his mind" »

The last time the Giants played the Redskins, Plaxico Burress had far and away his best game of the season, with 133 receiving yards in the Giants' Week 1 win. But the wide receiver won't have the chance for a repeat performance Sunday in Washington. He has already been ruled out for the game.

After Friday's practice, coach Tom Coughlin told reporters he couldn't remember the specifics of the injury report. But Burress was listed as out for the game when the team released the report a couple hours later.

"He is progressing, no doubt," Coughlin said earlier. "He is getting better, he is."

Evidently, though, he hasn't progressed well enough to play.

Continue reading "Giants WR Plaxico Burress to miss game against Washington with hamstring injury" »

The last time the Giants faced Clinton Portis, they relied on the Great Wall of China.

Not the actual 4,000-mile stone-and-earth fortification, of course, but that's how they referred to their defensive front formed by the defensive linemen, linebackers and a safety or two in the box. Together, they wanted to form an impenetrable plane at the line of scrimmage or, better yet, a yard or two behind it.

"We get up that wall," middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said, "and nobody will cross it."

Continue reading "New York Giants hope to keep Redskins' Portis pinned to the wall" »

Star-Ledger Giants beat writer Mike Garafolo gives us some insight from practice Wednesday:

PHILLIPS INSPIRED BY REDSKINS' TAYLOR

A year ago Wednesday, Kenny Phillips received a text message from his mother telling him Sean Taylor had been shot. At first the outlook was promising for the Redskins player and former Miami Hurricanes safety Phillips idolized.

The next day, Taylor passed away.

This Sunday, the Redskins will honor the late Taylor with a pregame ceremony that will certainly be emotional for the home team. But it will also be inspiring for several Giants players who knew Taylor and played with him to see him inducted into the Redskins' Ring of Fame.

Continue reading "Mike Garafolo with the New York Giants" »

Indirectly, Danny Clark has been keeping tabs on the Redskins.

"Just watching them on film, because we play a lot of the same teams, so we always see their defense," the Giants linebacker said Wednesday. "Those guys are truly getting after guys."

This week, Clark and the Giants defense have been looking a lot at the other side of the ball for Washington.

"Their offense, their timing is on," Clark said. "Everybody's hitting on all cylinders."

In other words, these aren't the same Redskins the Giants remember from Week 1.

Continue reading "New York Giants think Redskins have improved since Week 1" »

9:46 a.m. UPDATE The tie-breaker for the Giants and Cowboys in the scenario outlined below wouldn't be conference record; it would be common games and the Giants would still win the division. Assuming a Giants win and a Cowboys loss this week, followed by the Giants' losing out and the Cowboys' winning out, the common-games record would be 10-2 to 8-4 in favor of the Giants

LOOKING BACK

WR Domenik Hixon had eight passes thrown his way in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. Only two of them fell incomplete -- a corner route in the Arizona end zone that was knocked away by CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a hook that Rodgers-Cromartie also defensed. The other six were completions for a total of 57 yards.

This season Hixon has been targeted 28 times and has 21 receptions -- a 75 percent rate that puts him only slightly behind Steve Smith (41 receptions in 54 passes his way for a 75.9 percent rate) for the team lead in efficiency among receivers. WR Plaxico Burress' rate is 51.5 percent, WR Amani Toomer's is 54.8 and TE Kevin Boss' is 56.1. RB Derrick Ward has caught 77.5 percent of the balls thrown his way, but that's mostly because they're shorter, higher-percentage passes.

Continue reading "Checking down: New York Giants" »

If quarterback Eli Manning were one to pay attention to talk last week that the Giants offense was too reliant on its run game and that he hadn't thrown for 200 yards in a month-and-a-half, one play in the Giants' 37-29 win over Arizona Sunday would have been an especially satisfying silencer.

Faced with third-and-2 on the Giants' first possession of the third quarter, and with Cardinals linebacker Chike Okeafor charging at him, Manning stood tall in the pocket and delivered a 30-yard strike to Steve Smith at Arizona's 2-yard line.

In the same stadium where he was named Super Bowl MVP, that play was part of Manning's prolific passing performance which proved the 10-1 Giants don't live by the run or live by the pass -- they can take down opponents with either.

"We feel confident with whatever a defense wants to do," Manning said in his post-game press conference. "If they have two safeties back, we should be able to run the ball well. If they come single-high, we've got to be able to throw it."

Continue reading "Manning shows New York Giants offense is air-tight" »

Wide receiver Plaxico Burress underwent tests on his hamstring Monday after leaving Sunday's win over the Cardinals following the Giants' first series, coach Tom Coughlin said. Asked if he thought Burress made the injury worse by playing, Coughlin said, "I don't know. I don't think so. But we are going to have to wait and see based on today."

The results were not available during Coughlin's afternoon conference call with reporters. Burress, who injured his hamstring in practice last Wednesday, was active for Sunday's game after being listed on the injury report as questionable. He played the first series, catching one 6-yard pass that was overturned by an illegal formation penalty, but evidently reaggravated his injury after quarterback Eli Manning aired it out to him two plays later.

"It was the wrong kind of surprise," Coughlin said. "He has been so resilient and so tough under any circumstance. When you ask Plaxico, even when he has had a week where he has been injured, he is going to play if he can play. And he certainly went out and tried it, and I think someone mentioned last night about the deep ball. And probably he felt like he just couldn't stand on it. He couldn't get that extra little bit that he needed."

Continue reading "New York Giants waiting to learn severity of Burress' injury" »

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Domenik Hixon didn't have a whole lot of time to get ready Sunday.

It didn't matter.

Hixon found out during warmups that he'd be returning kickoffs, and very early on in Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals that he'd be counted on as a key figure in the Giants' pass offense.

But when you're a role player hoping to become more than that for the defending Super Bowl champions, short notice isn't an issue.

Continue reading "New York Giants' Hixon makes most of chance to return kickoffs against Cardinals" »

NOTEBOOK

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Brandon Jacobs was listed as probable. But by Saturday night, after a long flight here, his swollen knee made him believe he probably wasn't going to play.

Jacobs, who left last week's game against the Ravens with a knee injury, practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday and worked fully on Friday. It was expected he was going to play in Sunday's victory over the Cardinals and there were even reports early in the day he would play. Those reports proved to be premature because Jacobs was declared inactive 90 minutes before kickoff.

It appeared to be a mutual decision made by Jacobs, coach Tom Coughlin and the training staff.

Continue reading "Cardinals complain to NFL after Giants declare Jacobs inactive 90 minutes before game" »

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Justin Tuck has only been to this spaceship-looking, coiled snake-resembling monstrosity in the middle of the desert twice. Yet, that's been enough for the University of Phoenix Stadium to climb very high on his list of favorite road venues. "It's probably (No.) 1," the Giants defensive end said.

And why not? After all, this 3-season-old building has become the place where very good things happen for the Giants -- their last-minute Super Bowl XLII victory over the Patriots and Sunday's 37-29 victory against the Cardinals, which did plenty for them in terms of positioning themselves to defend their title in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.

Continue reading "New York Giants beat Cards in their second home" »

On a car ride back from Albany during a break from training camp this summer, Steve Smith asked Amani Toomer how many years he had left on his contract.

Since Toomer has always been a Giant -- and seems like he forever will be -- Smith expected the answer to be something like three or four.

"One," Toomer replied.

For the first time in his 13 NFL seasons, Toomer is in a contract year.

Continue reading "New York Giants' Toomer tenure ending?" »

Star-Ledger reporter Jenny Vrentas takes us through the matchups for Sunday's Giants-Cardinals game.

WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL
Playing against a team with as prolific an offense as the Cardinals could give the Giants a little extra spark when they have the ball. That's what happened to their 'D' last week against the Ravens, when the unit made it a goal to not be overshadowed by Baltimore's celebrated defense. Two of the Giants' offensive stars are battling injuries -- RB Brandon Jacobs (knee) is probable, and WR Plaxico Burress (hamstring) is questionable -- but, the way the Giants offense works, the ball can be spread to plenty of weapons. If the Ravens couldn't stop the run, don't count on that happening this week, either. But with the potential for this game to turn into a shootout, QB Eli Manning might need to ramp up the pass game and throw for 200 yards for the first time since Week 5.

Continue reading "Giants-Cardinals: The Breakdown" »

When Giants tight end Kevin Boss was a rookie last fall, he would run into some of the Red Bulls players in the Giants Stadium tunnel, or see the field being prepared for a soccer game, and think to himself, "Terry should play here."

Terry Boss, his older brother, had been a goalkeeper for pro soccer teams in Puerto Rico and Charlotte, N.C. But of all the turfs in the country, the two brothers from a small town in Oregon figured they'd likely never play on the same one.

Until Sept. 15, that is, when Terry signed a senior contract with Major League Soccer's Red Bulls. He moved in with Kevin and his fiancee in their two-bedroom Lyndhurst apartment and wondered if his luck could get any better. Turns out, it could: Nine-and-a-half months after he trailed the Giants on their road to a Super Bowl XLII victory, Terry Boss has the chance to be part of a championship team, too, as the Red Bulls play the Columbus Crew for MLS Cup Sunday in Carson, Calif.

Continue reading "Red Bulls keeper Boss is older brother of Giants TE Boss" »

Sunday's high in Glendale, Ariz., is expected to be in the 80s, but Plaxico Burress wasn't one to gloat about the forecast Friday. Trips to the Valley of the Sun have brought the Giants receiver a lot of medical lows.

"I think that place has a hex on me a little bit when it comes to game week," Burress said after practice Friday.

The last time the Giants traveled to Arizona, for Super Bowl XLII, Burress slipped in the shower a few days before the game and sprained his knee. This week, he hurt his right hamstring in practice and is questionable for Sunday's game.

Burress didn't practice Friday or Thursday, and whether or not he can play against the Cardinals will likely be a game-time decision, coach Tom Coughlin said.

Continue reading "Burress will likely be game-time decision for New York Giants" »

Star-Ledger sports writer Jenny Vrentas gives us some insight from practice Thursday:

BURRESS SLOWED BY HAMSTRING INJURY

Unlike last year, when he was bothered by a nagging ankle injury all season, WR Plaxico Burress has been a fixture on the practice field this fall -- save for his two-week suspension.

But Thursday, when the team began individual drills, Burress was in the rehab area getting stretched. Coach Tom Coughlin said Burress didn't participate in the workout at all because of a hamstring injury that popped up "overnight and into today."

"We will see," Coughlin said, when asked if Burress would be okay. Burress didn't speak to the media Thursday.

Continue reading "Jenny Vrentas with the New York Giants" »

Four years ago this month, Tom Coughlin was publicly pleading with Kurt Warner to keep his non-throwing hand on the ball while he's in the pocket.

On Sunday, Coughlin wouldn't care if Warner spins it on his finger, Harlem Globetrotters style.

A fumble-prone quarterback since his days with the Rams and Giants, Warner is still showing a tendency to lose the ball. In 10 games this season with the Arizona Cardinals, he has fumbled seven times. Warner's five fumbles lost are tied with the Raiders' JaMarcus Russell for second-most in the league behind San Francisco's J.T. O'Sullivan.

With a defense like the Giants, that has plenty of rushers around the quarterback for much of the game, knocking the ball loose on Sunday could be key in an important game.

Continue reading "New York Giants aware of Arizona's fumble-prone Warner" »

Star-Ledger sports writer Jenny Vrentas gives us some insight from practice Wednesday:

JACOBS TAKES IT EASY, EXPECTS TO PLAY

Before he spoke to reporters after Wednesday's practice, Brandon Jacobs rearranged his stack of 11 touchdown balls from this season and marveled, aloud, at how many there were. Then, he turned to Ahmad Bradshaw and reassured him that if he is voted to the Pro Bowl, he'll take all the other running backs to Hawaii with him.

Not quite the mind-set of a guy worried about missing time due to injury. Three days after injuring his knee in the first quarter of the Ravens game, Jacobs said he expects to play Sunday against Arizona.

"It's just a little nagging thing that is just there," Jacobs said. "But I don't think it will hold me out."

Continue reading "Jenny Vrentas with the New York Giants" »

Admit it. You thought you had seen the last of these two old quarterbacks, hadn't you?

Oh, you might have envisioned them wearing a suit in a broadcast booth somewhere, but the only thing they'd be passing is the tapioca pudding at the Shady Acres Retirement Village.

Kurt Warner was a fumble-prone shell of a former MVP, one who had been replaced twice, in two cities, by high-profile first-round draft picks. He was washed up and wiped out, ending a great career as a place-holder for Matt Leinart in Arizona.

Kerry Collins was a cement-footed dinosaur who missed his one chance to win a Super Bowl, one who seemed resigned to finishing his career holding a clipboard. He was as irrelevant as a quarterback could be, backing up a rising star in Vince Young for Tennessee.

Continue reading "Collins, Warner both in top form after getting boot from Giants" »

For about a half-hour Wednesday, the Giants defensive backs heard question after question about the Cardinals' passing game.

How are you preparing to stop them?

Have you seen any offense like theirs?

Are you concerned about how physical their receivers are?

Plenty of questions about the other guys. Very few about themselves.

"Oh, that's expected," cornerback Aaron Ross said. "Offense always gets the glory."

Continue reading "New York Giants secondary looking to gain respect against Cardinals passing game" »

LOOKING BACK

Who would have thought the Giants would break more tackles against the Ravens than against any of their first nine opponents? Not many, but that's exactly what happened on Sunday.

Brandon Jacobs (four), Derrick Ward (three), Plaxico Burress (one) and Ahmad Bradshaw (six) combined for 14 broken/dodged tackles -- one more than the 13 the team had against the Seahawks in Week 5. Against Seattle, the broken tackles resulted in an additional 77 yards. Against Baltimore, the Giants picked up an extra 150 yards. The difference was clearly Bradshaw's 77-yard run in the fourth quarter that included a broken tackle one yard behind the line and two more before he ran free into the secondary.

Continue reading "Checking Down: New York Giants" »

The decision about Brandon Jacobs' availability for Sunday's game against the Cardinals is either his or the team's. It depends on whom you talk to.

Actually, Tuesday it depended on when you talked to Jacobs.

During an interview on ESPN in the morning, Jacobs said his injured knee is feeling better but wasn't sure if the team would let him play in Arizona. But an hour earlier, during an interview with Sirius Radio, he made it seem as if it was up to him and how much pain he could tolerate.

"I feel pretty good," he said. "I feel way better than I felt Sunday after the game. I did the same thing I did against Dallas last year, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was then. I'll be fine. It's my call and we'll be all right."

Continue reading "New York Giants Jacobs' status is all talk" »