Thomas

Hey, our video's back!

Here's Terrell Thomas. I understand he needs to put up a good face on all this, but if you listen closely, you might find yourself wondering what games he's been playing in.



We'll take him at his word that the problems in the secondary are fixed, or at least improving. I just have a hard time accepting it after watching Tony Romo cut it up for 392 yards last week.

By the way, here's a good stat courtesy of my friend, Patti Traina, at Inside Football. In eight of the Giants' 12 games, the opponents' leading receiver has been the tight end. Approximately 44 percent of the opposing passing yards in those eight games were surrendered to tight ends.

Patti's going to have a bunch more stats that you won't find anywhere else, so give her a visit.

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Back Out Here...

And praying hard that my blog server's video service is up and running again so I can provide you with all those good images from practice and the locker room. But even if I can't, you know Big Ern won't leave ya hangin'.

There'll be an update on the progress of Chris Snee's knee and other things. So stick around.

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The General

The Giants had a special, though not unfamiliar, guest at practice today. General Ray Odierno, the commanding general of the multi-national forces in Iraq, joined behind the line of scrimmage during practice and then addressed the team afterward.

He's a big Giants fans, having grown up in Rockaway, N.J., and has been a frequent guest of Tom Coughlin's. He told the squad that there are plenty of servicemen and women out there who are keeping tabs on them.
“I think about you all the time,” said Odierno, who watched the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII victory over New England in his Baghdad office. “And all the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines think about you guys all the time. On Saturday afternoon, the conversation starts about whose team is going to win and it goes all the way through Tuesday morning when the Monday night game is over. And it means a lot to them as they have that discussion.

"All I ask you to do is go out there this week against the Eagles and depend on each other. And when you come off that field, no matter what happens in the end, you can say, ‘I’ve left everything I possibly could have done on that field.’ You only get so many opportunities in life. As you get older, like me, you realize you don’t ever want to have missed opportunities. So with that opportunity, do and work the hardest you possibly can so you can carry through with that opportunity.

"I want you to know that in Iraq right now there are 115,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who love watching you all perform. But what they like to see most is the compassion, the excitement and the downright toughness that you show every day. I always talk about mental and physical toughness. … Good luck. I know this is a big game for you this week. I will be rooting for you hard.”

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Eli's Take

Well, it looks like we're not going to have any video today because, I believe, there's a problem with the server. Thankfully, it's not with my computer, so perhaps tomorrow we can get things up and running as usual again.

In the meantime, I did have some Eli Manning video prepared. Here's what he said. Just make believe, for now, that you can see his head and his lips are moving.

"You approach every game the same," Manning said when asked about whether he regards the Eagles as anything special, considering they've beaten the Giants three straight games. "You go out there and prepare. You try to put your team in good situations and you have to make plays.

"Everybody has got to come together. Everybody has got to do their job and you play and win as a team. When everybody comes together, that’s offense, defense, special teams, and everybody plays the way we are capable of, then we will be in good shape."

That's kind of been the problem this year, however. Everybody hasn't played the way they're capable of. Brandon Jacobs hasn't run to expectations, and the defense for the most part hasn't risen above its injuries.

But then again, late-season division games have a way of pushing teams past the annoyances of the season.

"Every division game is going to be big," Manning said. "But when you get into December and things are winding down and playoff spots are becoming an important factor, it is always going to be a big game. The NFC East always seems to be a tight race at the end and it is between a couple teams. These games are always important and big. This time of year needs to be when you are playing your best football."

Just so you know, I noticed a pass in practice where he seemed to be favoring that right heel. Combined with that and at least three throws against Dallas where I feel the heel factored in, and I truly believe he's being bothered by it. However, he's not one to complain.



As for defensive end Justin Tuck, he didn't even realize the Eagles had beaten his team three straight, including last year's playoff loss, until a reporter brought it up to him.

"You want to win every game, obviously," Tuck said. "But we've had runs against them. We've won three in a row and blah, blah, blah, blah. We've just got to do a good job of killing their streak here."

Also was interesting to hear Tuck say he respected the Eagles as a team far more than he does Dallas. No wonder. Flozell Adams doesn't play in green and white.

Speaking of Mr. Adams, Tuck had no opinion on the tackle's reported $50,000 fine for pushing Tuck in the back.

"I could care less about Flozell," Tuck said.

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Encouraging News

Sorry about how late this one is, but I'm dealing with some video issues that I hope, in the long run, are not too serious. In the meantime, I will tell you that G Chris Snee said his hyperflexed knee is getting better, and he did some pushing of the Gatorade cart on the sideline to strengthen it.

When I asked him how he felt in the locker room, he said, "Feeling all right." And he answered in the affirmative as to whether he felt better than Monday. Tom Coughlin earlier said there was "always hope" of him playing Sunday.

S Michael Johnson was not in pads, but he and his injured groin did take some light work in individual drills. And RB DJ Ware was back to work after missing last week with a concussion.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw sat out practice with his sprained ankles and right foot, but Eli Manning (foot) worked.

TE Travis Beckum (groin) was mostly on the side during individuals, but was expected to work.

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Pre-practice Injuries

Here's the preliminary injury report.

TE Travis Beckum (groin), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles and foot), S Michael Johnson (groin), QB Eli Manning (foot), G Chris Snee (knee), and RB DJ Ware (concussion).

It'll be interesting to see where, exactly, Ware is on the concussion. If he's still suffering symptoms, don't expect him for Sunday because of the NFL's new rules. As far as concussions go, there is theoretically no such thing as an "all hands on deck" situation anymore. He's foggy, he sits.

By the way, reports indicate Flozell Adams got hit with a $50,000 fine for his hit on Justin Tuck Sunday. That's a dinner and a lunch to the beefy Cowboys' tackle, who has raised questionable tactics to an art form.

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Rainy Day

Looks like practice will be indoors today, which is fine now that they have a full field with a high ceiling. I'll be paying special attention to see if Chris Snee is back working after suffering a hyperflexion of the knee Sunday.

Will also be interesting to see what they have the secondary doing, considering they'll face the lightning-fast DeSean Jackson this week.

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And Just In Case You Were Wondering...

Cowboys tackle Flozell Adams will not be suspended for his flagrant push in the back of Justin Tuck that nearly started a free-for-all on the sideline as the first half ran out.

Apparently, the NFL hasn't had enough of Adams' shenanigans yet, at least not enough to sit him for a game. He'll likely be fined a major sum, however. Here's the story from the Dallas Morning News.

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No Surprise

Shouldn't come as any surprise, but Domenik Hixon won the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.

All he did was return a punt 79 yards for a touchdown to provide the eventual winning margin in the 31-24 victory over the Cowboys.

It was the Giants’ first punt return touchdown since Sept. 11, 2005, when Chad Morton brought one back 52 yards in a victory over Arizona. The Giants had gone 74 regular season games and seven postseason games without a punt return touchdown.

Hixon’s punt return was the Giants’ longest since Tiki Barber’s 85-yard touchdown on Oct. 18, 1999 – also against Dallas. It was the first punt return touchdown of Hixon’s career. He has two receiving and one kickoff return touchdown.

He's the first Giant to win that honor since Chase Blackburn in Week 9 of last season, and the first Giants returner to be so honored since Amani Toomer ran a punt back 53 yards for a touchdown in 1997.

The Giants also made some moves on their practice squad, placing DB Vince Anderson on the practice squad injured list, and signing London Fryar in his place. Fryar is a 5-foot-11, 192-pound DB with some bloodlines. He's the son of former receiving great Irving Fryar, who played in the league for 17 years.

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Smith To Pro Bowl?

You take a look at Steve Smith's stats, and you get the feeling he's just a few catches away from becoming the first Giants Pro Bowl wide receiver since Homer Jones went in 1967.

That's 42 years, in case anyone's counting. And it's entirely possible if Smith keeps up his current pace. Right now, he's second in the NFC in catches with 78 catches, just five behind leader and current top Pro Bowl vote-getter Larry Fitzgerald of Arizona. And his 979 yards sit second behind Minnesota's Sidney Rice.

There's no telling how these things go, of course. Given the fact that he only has five touchdowns and, really, is just becoming recognized as a go-to receiver around the league, it's not unfair to think Smith won't make it. But it's a nice thought, anyway.

"Wow, I didn’t know it was 42 years," Smith said the day after he caught six passes for 110 yards against the Cowboys. "Can’t really worry about all that stuff right now. That would be nice, but I am just trying to help my team win."

Smith, just four short of Amani Toomer's franchise record for single-season receptions, will probably pass that mark Sunday against Philadelphia. And he certainly has a shot to pass Toomer's yardage mark of 1,343 by season's end. But those numbers won't necessarily get him into the Pro Bowl, since there are more recognizable names out there with numbers close to his.

But as he said, that's not important. Beating the Eagles, who sport the league's 11th-best passing offense headlined by big-play receiver DeSean Jackson, is the pressing issue here. The Giants saved their season with Sunday's win over Dallas. Now they must continue to pull the division back to them by beating the NFC East co-leaders.

Besides, there's a lot going against him that could not only affect his chances for personal recognition, but the team's chances for a postseason berth. Eli Manning's right foot is obviously bothering him, and it's not going to get better anytime soon.

And even if his quarterback was completely healthy, there's the matter of the cold and windy conditions of East Coast football at this time of year. Consider that the Giants play three of their last four games between Giants Stadium and FedEx Field before heading out to Minnesota's dome for the season-finale. The Giants will have to make a point of ramping up the running game and throwing the shorter routes to keep the sore-footed Manning out of trouble.

Those aren't the strategies that produce Pro Bowl wide receivers. But they do make for winning efforts, which is what Smith is what consumes Smith right now. He's absorbing the renewed energy in the locker room.

"I feel like I do feel a sense," Smith said. "Just from talking to the guys, I think there is a different bounce of energy around here. Talk is good, but you just have to go out and do it. So I feel like guys aren’t really talking as much about what we want to do. I think we are just going to go show it."

Smith said he'll remember that this 8-4 Eagles team ended the Giants' postseason in a one-and-out domination at Giants Stadium last year.

"Yeah, of course. Any time you lose, especially to a team in your conference, it is tough and it hurts. I think guys are going to remember that and are going to come out and play our butts off."

Personal glory will have to wait. There are bigger things at stake this week.

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Lotsa Good Stuff

But the 31-24 win over Dallas wasn't perfect now, was it? For all the intensity the re-jiggered defense showed, there were still some problems, and this report card will show that.

But if we could give an overall grade to this team, let's award a big "A" for achievement. They needed this win to stay in the NFC East and playoff race, and they got it despite the bumps, bruises, and inefficiencies recently shown by both offense and defense. It was a heck of a comeback from their 26-6 no-show against Denver, and it could well serve as a jumping off point in the drive for a playoff spot.

But report cards deal in specifics, so a note of realism is called for here. And there's nobody better at keeping it real than us, meaning me and you. So here we go with grading a great, but flawed, victory.

QUARTERBACK: For the first time since he injured the right foot against Kansas City in Week 4, Eli Manning showed evidence that it is bothering him, especially on the deep throw. He floated three long passes, one of which was intercepted in the end zone, another that sailed wide of Steve Smith and would have been picked had the defensive back been two steps closer to center field, and another that Smith made a great catch on. He had basically a rough day in going 11-for-25 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. But he did manage to throw a couple right on the button, none better than the flat pass that hit Brandon Jacobs in stride to spring him for a 74-yard touchdown. GRADE: B.

RUNNING BACKS: Jacobs was the pass-catching star of this group, of course, with his fantastic catch-and-run down the sideline. He showed tremendous balance as S Gerald Sensabaugh tried to knock him out of bounds, and then made a final lunge to the pylon as he was hit. He also scored a rushing touchdown, powering his way up the middle despite being hit early. Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled away his first touch, but atoned for that by popping a 29-yard run that set up the fourth-quarter field goal that put the Giants up 24-17. And tight end Kevin Boss was credited with a 16-yard run when he headily positioned himself to take a lateral a split second before the pass rush dragged Manning down for a sack. Still, the ground game only had 23 carries for 100 yards, and was unable to get the Giants into a good rhythm. GRADE: B.

RECEIVERS: Anybody doubting that Steve Smith deserves the first Pro Bowl nod for a Giants' wide receiver since Homer Jones in 1967 should have watched this game. He caught six passes for 110 yards, putting him 21 yards short of 1,000 for the season, including a couple of acrobatic ones. He also broke a 36-yard gain, setting up his blockers in his left-to-right journey to the far sideline. But he, too, wasn't perfect. He dropped a tough but catchable throw to the end zone that forced that fourth-quarter field goal that kept it a one-score game. Hakeem Nicks continued to shine, showing great awareness on his 21-yard touchdown grab by catching it and stepping around Terence Newman for a clean trip to the end zone. Manning's interception proved as much Mario Manningham's fault as Manning's, considering he made no play whatsoever after being outleaped by Mike Jenkins. GRADE: B+.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Once again, the line didn't open many holes for Jacobs and Bradshaw, and the pass blocking left much to be desired. Though Manning was sacked only once, he was under fire much of the night. The Cowboys had four tackles for losses. With the Giants up by two touchdowns with 3:28 remaining after Dallas turned it over on downs, they failed to block well enough for Jacobs to gain sufficient yardage to run the clock on first and second downs, and then they allowed a sack on third down to force a punt that resulted in a final touchdown. GRADE: C.

DEFENSIVE LINE: The move to replace Osi Umenyiora on most running downs with Mathias Kiwanuka paid off, as the line helped hold Dallas to 45 yards rushing. It also juiced up Umenyiora, whose huge recovery and 29-yard return of Kiwanuka's forced fumble on Marion Barber created a go-ahead touchdown just before halftime. Kiwanuka had six tackles and a hit on Tony Romo, and Justin Tuck and Barry Cofield had two hits each to keep Romo ducking and dodging. Tuck and Cofield had batted passes. Dave Tollefson stopped Miles Austin for a yard on third-and-3 to help stop a deep Cowboys drive in the fourth quarter. There was a lot of pressure, but much of it was thwarted by Romo's quick release. Still, it was a major improvement over the general performance of the last six games. GRADE: B+.

LINEBACKERS: Jonathan Goff looked very comfortable at middle linebacker in place of Chase Blackburn. He appeared to have a forced fumble, but it was reversed on a replay challenge. Still, Goff had eight tackles. Michael Boley called all the defensive signals and kept a good line of communication going. He had 11 tackles and a pass defensed. Clint Sintim was sent up front a few times and had one of the Giants' two sacks. The glaring problem remains pass coverage, however. Tight end Jason Witten found every seam in the zone coverages, with nary a linebacker in the frame most of the time. And when a linebacker was on him, Witten won the foot race. That problem shows no evidence of improving, either. But at least the blitz packages applied more pressure than usual. GRADE: B.

SECONDARY: S Aaron Rouse had the other sack. That's the good news. The bad news is that Romo threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns, two of them easy tosses to Roy Williams against Corey Webster. He was the weak link that game, a departure from the high level he's played at this year. Bruce Johnson should have had an interception on a deflected 32-yard completion to Witten in a second-quarter field goal drive. C.C. Brown did okay against the run, making nine tackles, including one behind the line, but looked typically lost in coverage. Give Aaron Ross credit for dropping Barber for a no gain on a fourth-and-2 completion in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys moved way too easily in the air despite Romo being under pressure. And there was no excuse for the safeties failing to challenge Witten during a 14-catch, 156-yard performance. The Cowboys' final touchdown pass to Miles Austin was too easy, and it made for a tense on-side kick. GRADE: D.

SPECIAL TEAMS: If not for Domenik Hixon's 79-yard punt return for a touchdown, this one would have gone into overtime for sure. But the return unit was great on that play, starting with Hixon's change-of-direction at the outset to the formation of a wall that produced key downfield blocks by Terrell Thomas and Derek Hagan. Jeff Feagles did fine, averaging just under 40 yards on five punts. Lawrence Tynes hit a 23-yard field goal, never a gimmee for him. GRADE: A.

COACHING: Embattled defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan did the right thing in switching out three starting spots and using some of the younger players. It added fire and enthusiasm to what had become a stale, moribund group. Guess the little speech he gave quoting King Leonidis of the Spartans didn't hurt, either. Still can't decide if he grabbed the quotes from Greek literature or the movie "300," but it doesn't matter. It worked. Tom Coughlin did an outstanding job motivating his team, keeping them focused on the mammoth job in front of them instead of dwelling on the past. But have to wonder, Kevin Gilbride, about the whereabouts of tight end Kevin Boss. With Manning's foot obviously hurting, a return to the quick passing game would have been in order, and Boss could have contributed greatly to that. He needs to get more than the one pass for 10 yards he received against Dallas. Still, the offense did just enough. GRADE: A.

Go ahead, gang. Make my day!

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Dealing With Flozell

Tom Coughlin was less worried about what the league would do to Flozell Adams for his behind-the-back cheap shotting of Justin Tuck that triggered a sideline melee as the first half ran out than the fact that the ensuing personal foul call was immediately declined, not by the Giants, but by the officials.

The assumption was that the Cowboys would be penalized 15 yards on the second-half kickoff. But that wasn't the case. So the beefy tackle basically got away with yet another in a growing list of miscreant acts against unknowing defenders.

It's something Coughlin said the competition committee needs to take a look at after the season. For the time being, he placed a call to head of officials Mike Perreira's office and was told the staff was already reviewing the incident and deciding what action, if any, should be taken against Adams. But for the call and lack of on-field punishment itself, he had no answer.

"We were given no option, and to say it was declined gives the wrong impression," Coughlin said. "That's something Mike is reviewing. There's no place in our game for the act that he took. To have that happen and not to have some kind of immediate officiating response, there's something that needs to be addressed there.

"Not that the officials were wrong. It's the way the rule is."

As for a suspension, the NFL will notify the Cowboys by the end of business tomorrow if they've suspended Adams. He was previously fined $12,500 for the Week 2 trip on Justin Tuck and an attempted trip of Osi Umenyiora, and $5,000 in the opener for unnecessary roughness.

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Injury News

Tom Coughlin said Chris Snee is "day to day" with what was called a hyper-flexion of the knee. Snee wobbled off the field in the third quarter and was still "very sore" today. But Coughlin said Kevin Boothe did well in a fill-in role.

"He's done a good job whenever called upon to come in and fill a spot, whatever it might be," Coughlin said. "He's been used in many capacities over the course of his time with us, and he works hard at his craft. He's a student of the game, and when called upon, he's done well."

K Lawrence Tynes also wound up hurting a bit with a bruised elbow. But, hey, you don't kick with your elbow, right? So don't expect him to miss time. Snee could be another story, however.

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Not So Old News

Tom Coughlin has often said that if he was the NFL's commissioner, his first act would be to take the names off the backs of the jerseys.

The message there is that team comes first, and that it doesn't matter what a player's role is, as along as it helps the team win.

That's probably why he was downplaying the changes he and his staff ordered for the defense, particularly the one that sent Osi Umenyiora to the bench in favor of Mathias Kiwanuka. But whether he wants to admit it or not, the demotion of Umenyiora did spark a better performance out of a run defense that held the previously formidable Cowboys ground game to all of 45 yards.

Umenyiora's fumble recovery, caused by his replacement, played a huge part in the win, since the Giants converted it into a second-quarter, go-ahead touchdown.

Take them all into account, however -- Jonathan Goff replacing Chase Blackburn at MLB, C.C. Brown shifting off with Aaron Ross at safety in place of injured Michael Johnson, and DT Chris Canty going in for Fred Robbins -- and the Giants had a group that made up for any shortcomings through a renewed enthusiasm. So it's hard for Coughlin, or anyone else, to downplay the effectiveness of it.

Even Umenyiora had to admit it was the right thing to do.

"My definition of crazy is doing the same thing and losing every game," Umenyiora said afterward. "I have no quarrels with anyone. I'm all for it. I just keep my head up and don't let it break my spirit."

Coughlin characteristically downplayed the major move, however.

"That's old news right now," Coughlin said today of the demotions. "The contributions of Osi, of Fred Robbins, of Blackburn; the attitudes were tremendous. Everybody has a role, and will continue in that role. It's a true example of guys who decided that the team was the most important thing, so they put themselves below the team.

"The team came first, and they all set an example."

In light of the switches came different responsibilities, too. For the second straight game, weakside linebacker Michael Boley wore the radio helmet and made all the defensive huddle calls. Only when they came to the line did Goff take over, setting the front according to the alignment the Cowboys were in.

That has never been a routine part of Boley's job, but he said he had few problems accepting the responsibility that used to belong solely to his IRed teammate, Antonio Pierce and then to Blackburn.

Considering how the Giants held the Cowboys to 45 rushing yards, the transition went smoothly up front. The back eight, not so much, as coverage became a matter of talking and communicating between each other on the run. The results there were obvious, as Tony Romo racked up 392 yards of passing offense and three touchdowns.

"I'm not surprised it went good," said Boley, who wore it during the Denver game, too. "It's one of those things you have to take in stride, especially being in a situation like that with new pieces. It's something not to panic about. It's different, but it's one of those things you don't really panic about."

Boley also had relayed plays from time to time in practice.

Playing with two new linebackers in Goff and Clint Sintim, who recorded a sack, also went smoothly for Boley.

"They did a good job," said Boley, who finished with 11 tackles and a pass breakup. "They each brought something different to the field, a different spark. Goff having his first start, he was excited. He was real uptempo and upbeat, and you like that, especially when you got guys in there who are new to it.

"They hit it going full speed."

Make no mistake, however. There are still problems with this defense that the Eagles can easily exploit Sunday night. DeSean Jackson showed he can cut up a secondary with his sheer speed and separation ability in the first meeting in Game 8, and Brent Celek can hit the same seams in the middle defense that Jason Witten exploited for 14 catches and 156 yards yesterday.

Witten, in fact, was just another example of how this team fares against quality tight ends. They've faced five of the top guys in the league so far -- Witten (twice), Celek, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Tony Scheffler -- and have been cut up for 40 completions for 452 yards and two touchdowns.

Also, make no mistake that Corey Webster did not have a great day as Roy Williams beat him twice for easy touchdowns.

So, despite the emotional victory and the stepped up intensity of the defense, that unit remains vulnerable. They still have work to do if they expect to beat the Eagles. But at least the intensity that appeared sorely lacking against Denver had returned. And much of that was due to the personnel switches.

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Well-Watched

In case you thought you were watching last night's game alone, well, you weren't.

The 18.9 rating the Cowboys-Giants game drew marked the highest rating for any NFL broadcast this season. Just thought you'd like to know.

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More Info

Here's a couple of more links for you -- Mike Eisen's notes and anecdotes and the complete stats package.

Here's a couple of interesting statistics. The Giants actually lost the all-important turnover differential 2-1. But they were aided greatly by the fact that they only had two penalties the whole game, as opposed to the six to eight penalties they've averaged over the last seven games.

Also, Dallas controlled the ball for just under 39 minutes. Considering the pace the Cowboys employed, it's a wonder any of the defenders was standing at the end. The Cowboys racked up 424 total yards, all but one of those coming from completions to Jason Witten (okay, I'm exaggerating there. But he did get 156 of them on 14 receptions).

Just shows you the value of the big play and of taking advantage of a turnover. But keep in mind, too, that they still left points on the board in the Red Zone, scoring a touchdown and a field goal in two trips there.

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Tuck And His Buddy

Not that it matters anymore because the Giants won't face the Cowboys again until, at least, the playoffs. But I'm curious to know whether you guys think Flozell Adams should be suspended, fined, or both for his push in the back of Justin Tuck as the first half ran out last night.

Not only did the incident trigger a sideline melee, but it marked the second go-around for those two. You must remember that in Week 2, it was Adams' trip of Tuck that caused the damage to Tuck's left shoulder that he's still battling with. And it's not like Adams hit him face-to-face, either. He came up from behind, another potentially dangerous action.

Adams later called Tuck "a nobody." And Tuck called Adams "a dirtbag" and "a coward." But that's just schoolyard stuff.

Here's the video of it.

The thing is, Adams has been fined thousands this year. I'm wondering if it's time to sit him down and take a full game check from him. Any ideas?

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Happy Images

The coffee ought to taste a little bit better this morning, now that the Giants have saved their season. Here are the highlights.

Game 12 Summary

Guess all those defensive changes worked. In fact, the energy they generated may have affected the entire team as they put it all together for a 31-24 win over Dallas.

They saved their season at 7-5, and completed their first sweep of 8-4 NFC East leaders since 2004. They now hold outright tiebreakers over the Cowboys and Falcons.

It couldn't have happened without their two longest plays of the season -- a 74-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown by Brandon Jacobs and Domenik Hixon's 79-yard punt return for a touchdown.

"That's the first time we've beat the Cowboys twice in a season since I've been here," Jacobs said. "I'm not scared of them.

"We're back to our old selves. We knew we could play better. I'm just hoping we can keep this going because we've got another big game next week against Philadelphia."

This couldn't have come at a better time. The defense, which Dallas had gashed for 250 rushing yards in Week 2, was in complete disarray until Bill Sheridan made changes at four positions. And each one of them -- Jonathan Goff at middle linebacker, Mathias Kiwanuka at defensive end, Chris Canty at defensive tackle, and Osi Umenyiora, who was taken out for Kiwanuka to shore up the run defense, made contributions.

The run defense wound up holding the Cowboys to 45 yards on 23 carries, with no touchdowns. The pass defense wasn't nearly as effective as Tony Romo went 41-of-55 for 392 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Jason Witten caught 14 of those balls for 156 yards, and was open all day. But they did make key stops toward the end.

Whether they keep the momentum from this potential launching pad remains to be seen. But Justin Tuck, who got into it once again with Flozell Adams on the sideline at halftime, said he believes now.

"I have no choice," Tuck said. "We know we've got a tough road ahead. Philly embarrassed us down there, so we've got a lot to prove. I hope we have a repeat performance next week."

Here's the summary.

BIG PLAYS:

If not for Hixon's 79-yard touchdown return, the teams might still be playing. Once Hixon got the ball on Mat McBriar's fourth-quarter punt, the Giants up 24-17, he headed left and stopped on a dime, pivoting to the right and barely eluding a tackle. He found running room and moved into the open field where, sitting before him, he saw a wall of Giants blockers. "Once I got into the wall and saw all those blue shirts downfield, it was a great feeling," Hixon said. Dave Tollefson picked off a Cowboy midway through the return, and then Terrell Thomas and Derek Hagan landed blocks near the 15 that allowed Hixon to get into the end zone for a 31-17 lead with 5:33 remaining.

With the Giants down 17-14 in the third, Jacobs went out to the flat as a third passing option. Manning hit him in stride, and Jacobs turned upfield, shook a tackle by the sideline, and motored down the field as he got a partial block near the 8 that allowed him to dive over the goal line for a 21-17 lead with 3:39 remaining in the period. A replay challenge on whether Jacobs stayed inbounds at the top of the reception was upheld. "I wasn't worried," Jacobs said. "I knew I stayed inbounds. My foot went above the sideline, but it came down inbounds. A coach asked me if I was inbounds and I said, "That's all six! I was in."

As the Giants trailed 10-7 toward the end of the second quarter, the Cowboys appeared to be driving until Kiwanuka knocked a completion out of Marion Barber's hand. Osi Umenyiora recovered it and brought it back 24 yards , setting up Jacobs' first of two touchdowns and a 14-10 Giants lead.

THE VETS:

Eli Manning: He found receivers when he needed to, but he didn't have a tremendous day. He finished 11 for 25 for 241 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, the pick coming in the end zone as he threw off his back foot. The troublesome right foot appeared to bother him at times, as he floated several passes.

Steve Smith: He grabbed six passes for 110 yards, but couldn't handle an end zone throw that would have been a tough, but catchable ball.

Justin Tuck: The defensive end pressured Tony Romo into an intentional grounding call in the fourth quarter that forced the punt that Hixon returned for a touchdown.

Dave Tollefson: His stop for one-yard on Miles Austin's third-and-3 reception in the fourth quarter brought up a fourth-down try, a swing pass to Marion Barber that was foiled when safety Aaron Ross came up and dropped him for no gain. With the Giants up by two touchdowns, it was a key set of downs.

THE KIDS:

Clint Sintim: The second-round linebacker got a lot of time and was seen standing up at the line on several passing downs. He blitzed effectively, getting a sack on third-and-goal from the 9 to hold the Cowboys to a field goal and a 3-0 lead in the second quarter.

Hakeem Nicks: The first-round wide receiver made a great catch against Terence Newman, turning afterward and going into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown to cut Dallas' second-quarter lead to 10-7.

THE UGLY STUFF:

For all the achievements of the defense, the secondary proved extremely vulnerable as Corey Webster was beaten twice, easily, on end zone passes to Roy Williams. The most serious of the plays came in the third quarter when the Cowboys lined up WR Miles Austin in the backfield and ran a play-fake to him, freezing Webster so that Williams was open by five yards for the easy throw to put the Cowboys up 17-14.

The offense had its problems, too, as Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled away his first touch and reliable tight end Kevin Boss was, again, nearly absent from the gameplan. The pass protection left something to be desired as Manning was under considerable pressure and barely eluded a couple of sacks.

THE BUMPS:

RG Chris Snee sprained his knee in the third quarter and did not return.

EP

The Game

Inactives

Here's the Giants and Cowboys inactives.

GIANTS:

WR Ramses Barden
S Michael Johnson
RB Danny Ware
DB D.J. Johnson
TE Travis Beckum
T Adam Koets
T Guy Whimper
WR Sinorice Moss

The defensive line changes we predicted during the week in fact came true, with DE Mathias Kiwanuka starting for Osi Umenyiora and DT Chris Canty starting for Fred Robbins. In addition, LB Jonathan Goff starts in the middle over Chase Blackburn, and C.C. Brown will start at safety in place of the injured Michael Johnson.

COWBOYS:

QB Stephen McGee
S Ken Hamlin
CB Cletis Gordon
LB Jason Williams
G Montrae Holland
C Duke Preston
T Marc Colombo
LB Curtis Johnson

EP

Stay Tuned

We're going live around 4 p.m. today. Look for the Cover-It-Live box and start chatting away.

Due to popular demand, I'm trying something different today. Instead of signing off right away, I'm going to leave the blog live while I'm in the locker room so you guys can continue chatting. I'll shut it off when I get back up, so figure between a half hour and an hour to continue the conversation.

Meanwhile, enjoy. And hope to see all of you at gametime. I'll be back with inactives as soon as I get them.

EP

Just a Reminder

We're back to live-blogging the games. I'll activate things to go live about 4 p.m. tomorrow so we can get a head of steam going into the 4:15 kickoff. As usual, just look for the Cover-It-Live box, read the instructions, and start filing your questions and statements.

EP

Game 12 Scouting Report

DALLAS COWBOYS (8-3) vs. Giants (6-5)

THE TEAMS: The Giants need to win this one, their second matchup against the NFC East leaders, to save their season and keep their playoff hopes alive. That'll be a big feat, and an impossible one if they don't make a quantum leap from their level of play last Thursday in Denver. The Giants have already beaten the Cowboys once, 33-31 in Game 2, on a Lawrence Tynes field goal as time expired. But the Cowboys ran on them all game to the tune of 250 yards. The Giants have lost five of six, and barely beat Atlanta in overtime. So, a sense of urgency is not only a cliched notion, but an assumed one. "I don't know if we can get any more sense of urgency," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "Our sense of urgency is maxed out." Guard Chris Snee also recognized the Giants' season is on the line here. "It's a huge game," he said. "Dallas is looking to deliver the knockout blow to us. We're looking to land one on them. We'll see who delivers it Sunday." The Cowboys won their fifth game in six last Thursday, beating Oakland 24-7. They, too, have struggled in losing to Green Bay 17-7 and barely squeaking past Washington 7-6 in the two games before the Raiders. The offense under Tony Romo has been inconsistent, as Romo has gone a combined 57-of-95 for 718 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions. The running game has done well of late, however, producing two 150-yard-plus efforts the last two games, but with only one touchdown.

THE HISTORY: Of the teams' last 23 encounters, 13 have been decided by a touchdown or less, and three of those have been decided in overtime. The Cowboys hold a 55-38-2 advantage overall, and the Giants have split the season series three of the past four years. But this is a dangerous time of year for the Cowboys. They tend to fade toward the end, as Romo's 5-8 lifetime December record indicates.

THE INJURIES: Giants -- RB DJ Ware (concussion) is out. RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles and foot), S Michael Johnson (groin), and TE Travis Beckum (groin) are questionable. LB Michael Boley (back), WR Derek Hagan (hamstring), and QB Eli Manning (foot) are probable.

Cowboys -- T Marc Colombo (ankle) and S Ken Hamlin (ankle) are out. LB Victor Butler (knee), QB Tony Romo (back), S Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb), LB DeMarcus Ware (foot), and TE Jason Witten (foot) are probable.

WATCH THIS: The ground game comes off a Denver loss in which it put up all of 57 yards, 27 by Brandon Jacobs. That's going to have to change bigtime if the Giants expect to beat Dallas. With Ahmad Bradshaw probably seeing action, but likely limited because of his sore ankles, and DJ Ware out with a concussion, Jacobs will have to carry the load, and the coaches will have to commit to him longer than they have. "If Danny Ware is out and Ahmad is iffy, do I expect to see more carries?" Jacobs said. "Who else are they going to give it to? I’m joking, man. I do expect to see more carries, I do expect more playing time than I normally get. I am looking forward to that challenge and looking forward to that opportunity." That won't be easy, however, as linebackers Bradie James, DeMarcus Ware, and Keith Brooking are quick, mobile defenders. Guards Rich Seubert and Chris Snee are going to have to get out ahead of Jacobs to snag those guys, since running straight up the middle will be tough in the presence of the 3-4 front that includes defensive ends Igor Olshansky and Marcus Spears. Not coincidentally, James, Brooking and Ware are the Cowboys' top three tacklers with 131, 121, and 73, respectively. They form the league's ninth-best run defense, allowing just 102.7 yards per game. And they've only allowed four rushing touchdowns this year.

In other words, if you score on Dallas, you generally do it through the air. But the Cowboys have one of the better secondaries in the league, too, and that will be a problem for Eli Manning and his group of young receivers. A return to the short passing of the San Diego game may be in order here since Manning will not want to consistently test cornerbacks Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins, the latter of which leads the Cowboys with three interceptions. They, of course, get helped out tremendously by quarterback pressure supplied predominantly by Ware, one of the league's fiercest pass rushers. He has eight sacks this year, and comes off an Oakland game in which he had a career-high seven hurries to go along with a sack, six tackles, and a forced fumble.

Look for tight end Kevin Boss to take a bigger part in this one than he did against Denver. Manning will want to raise the tempo of play, and that means a lot of shorter throws to the tight end, whose two touchdowns against Atlanta showed his potential to be a force, especially in the troublesome Red Zone. The Giants are ranked 27th in Red Zone offense after failing to score touchdowns in three trips there Thanksgiving night. The good news is that Dallas' defense is ranked 26th in the league in that area, as they've given up 13 touchdowns in 22 penetrations. Liberal use of Boss and Steve Smith (team-high 72 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns) on the intermediate patterns over the middle might help loosen things up for Jacobs, Bradshaw, or third running back Gartrell Johnson. It has also become expected that first-round rookie Hakeem Nicks will follow his MO and produce at least one big play, if not multiple ones. That could come on the slip-screen he does so well.

Part of the offensive solution will also involve getting the offensive line to block. "We all know the running game hasn't gotten into a rhythm," Snee said. "People say they're walking safeties up, but last year you would factor in the safety and still get four, five yards. It hasn't been the same as last year, but we still have time to crack it."

Manning may need to send this offense into overdrive, since the Giants' banged-up defense hasn't made a truly key stop in six games. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan and Tom Coughlin are trying to spark that unit through some changes, the major one involving middle linebacker. Jonathan Goff, a fifth-round pick last year, will replace Chase Blackburn in hopes of bringing more speed up the middle. "He's a guy who has been developing and we have a lot of faith in him," Sheridan said. "We just wanted to give him an opportunity to play. Chase is still going to play. We didn’t feel we needed to make a move. We just wanted to get Jon on the field – get some of the younger guys who haven’t played much that we think are going to be good players." Goff has only had a handful of defensive plays this year, having spent most of his time becoming one of the Giants' top kick coverage guys. He'll be getting a lot of help from unit mates Michael Boley and Danny Clark, along with Antonio Pierce, who Coughlin has urged to stick around the team despite placement on the IR. Goff is faster than Blackburn, a plus here considering the Giants will have to be quicker to shut down a ground game that gashed them for 251 yards the first time around. Between Marion Barber (137-633 and four TDs) and Felix Jones (61-421-2 and a 6.9-yard average), the Cowboys can eat up huge chunks on the ground and keep the clock running. Their total ground game, which also includes Tashard Choice (58-330-3), averages 5.3 yards per carry. They ran for nearly 200 yards last week against Oakland.

Another change could involve Osi Umenyiora on certain first and second down situations. Look for Mathias Kiwanuka to take his spot, since Umenyiora has been weak against the run this year. That will allow the former Pro Bowler to stay fresh and concentrate on what he does best, rush the passer. And they'll need to get pressure on Tony Romo because the streaky passer can be explosive at times. Romo came within a yard of his third 300-yard passing effort last week, going 18-of-29 with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He's only thrown four picks in the last nine games, but the Giants did pick him off three times in Week 2. Look for a lot of nickel alignment, with Aaron Ross going in at safety in place of starter C.C. Brown, who takes the place of Michael Johnson. Ross could turn into a presence in centerfield while Aaron Rouse comes up on run support.

It's the linebackers that will have the biggest problem, however. After an off year, Jason Witten has once again become one of the league's most feared pass-catching tight ends. Considering Boley has had problems covering the better right ends, the Giants may have to bracket Witten (team-high 59-588-1) with Ross and leave corners Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster to cover a blossoming Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton with little help. The Cowboys like to go three wide a lot, going so far as to split Witten beyond the wide receivers. So the Giants may well start out in the nickel and stay there.

If the Giants have one advantage, it's at right tackle. Starter Marc Colombo broke his ankle and is gone, replaced by young Doug Free. Tuck doesn't know much about the 313-pound, third-year player, but he certainly has the experience edge. He'd like nothing better than to even the score against left tackle Flozell Adams, whose trip caused the season-long damage to Tuck's shoulder. But Tuck said he's more concerned about his upcoming battle with Free, since that's who's across from him. "It’s pretty much over for me," Tuck said of his issues with Adams. "It is what it is and that’s it. Like I said, I think I told you all last week, it’s timeout for individual battles. Just go out there and help this football team get a win."

Crayton is the league's third-best punt returner with a 13.6-yard average, so it's no wonder Jeff Feagles was boning up on his sideline punting. Mat McBriar has the league's sixth-best net punting average at 40.1. If it comes down to a field goal, remember that Lawrence Tynes' 37-yarder with no time remaining won it in Week 2. But Nick Folk, 15-of-21 on the year, has only missed one from inside of 40 yards. Tynes isn't nearly that consistent -- note his 29-yard miss against Dallas that necessitated the final kick-- though he has come through twice with game-winning field goals. David Buehler handles Cowboys kickoffs and has 20 touchbacks, a far cry from Tynes' six.

PREDICTION: There's no doubt about the Giants' recognition of this game as a must-win. Nor is there any doubt they'll play with fire, as Dallas-Giants games always come packed with emotion. But despite the changes on defense, that unit is too banged up to perform to the level needed to beat a quality opponent. Unless Romo throws three or four interceptions and the Giants take advantage with touchdowns, not field goals, I see little hope here. As Manning said earlier in the week, they need to make a jump, not a gradual improvement. Can't see that happening at this point. Cowboys 35-21.

EP

Odd Move

Knowing that S Michael Johnson will probably be sidelined with a groin injury and RB Ahmad Bradshaw could play at a reduced capacity due to two sprained ankles, the Giants filled their open roster spot with -- wait for it -- A TIGHT END!

They promoted Bear Pascoe from the practice squad. The 6-foot-5, 251-pound Pascoe was the 49ers' sixth-round pick this year. He was waived Sept. 5 and was signed to the Giants' practice squad 10 days later.

I'm thinking he can help out blocking on third down, if he's activated at all. Or, he can help on special teams, as his school-record six blocked kicks while at Fresno State rank ninth on the NCAA career list. The move was obviously made because rookie TE Travis Beckum is questionable, but one would think a safety or a running back would have been a more pressing need.

To fill Pascoe's place on the practice squad, they signed DT Jeremy Clark, who played three games for the Giants last year, registering three tackles and half a sack.

EP

Do Me A Favor

For those of you who like the Rangers -- and I know there are many of you out there -- I want you to do me a favor. My good friend Rick Carpiniello runs the Rangers blog at my old paper, and he's just informed everybody that his numbers were down somewhat in November.

Now, that's not good news, considering how those in management are counting every mouse-click to judge the viability of every blog. He does a great job and people really like him. So I want you all to head over there and check in with him periodically. Tell him Big Ern sent you, and let's see if we can do the same for Carp as you guys have done for me.

Just click it right here, and it'll take you over there. I'm sure once you've sampled him, you'll stick with him for all your Rangers news.

Thanks for the help.

EP

On Bradshaw

RB Ahmad Bradshaw was indeed back at practice. And even though he'll be listed as questionable with sprains to both ankles and a fractured right fifth metatarsal, expect him to play.

"Yeah, he did okay," Tom Coughlin said. "He still has a couple of days to go."

S Michael Johnson (groin) sat out his third day of practice and will be listed as questionable. He probably won't play, which means C.C. Brown will start in the base defense.

Chances are, that 53rd roster spot won't be filled. Or if it is, they'll bring up a safety or running back from the practice squad on Saturday.

EP

We'll See

It's Tom Coughlin's favorite fallback when he wants to be vague about a situation, whether positively or negatively. So when he responded "We'll see" to a question regarding Osi Umenyiora's starting status, one can only assume the former Pro Bowler is outskie, for now.

Not a huge stretch there. Umenyiora worked with the second unit today, with Mathias Kiwanuka going with the ones. But will it be stay like that come Sunday?

"We’ll have to see on that," Coughlin said. "We will play everybody. We will get everybody involved. We are trying to do the best we can in maneuvering our personnel according to our team. We preach team defense. So we are going to try to get other guys involved as much as we can and see if we can’t solve some issues."

The ever weakening run defense would be the issue he's addressing right there. But even moreso might be Umenyiora's physical shape. It generally takes a long time to come back from the kind of knee surgery that cost him the 2008 season and, judging by his play this year, he hasn't succeeded fully. Playing the run was never his forte, but Umenyiora has been utterly manhandled this year. As a result, he hasn't been much of a pass rush force, either.

But Coughlin would not use that as an excuse, mainly because Umenyiora has long maintained his knee is no longer an issue.

"I think Osi would tell you 'no' if in fact he is having any problems," Coughlin said. "But if you have been in the game you know that a majority of the time that becomes an issue and can, in fact, be something that the player has to fight he way through – although he never complains about it.

"He would never say that. And I wouldn’t either."

But Coughlin said he could point to others who have had lingering issues as other seasons have progressed. From what we've seen, Umenyiora certainly appears to fall into that category.

One way or another, Coughlin said he needs to find a solution to the problems against the run.

"Run defense has been an issue and we have talked about that from day one. But it is not any one individual, now. It is not one individual. So don’t start to go that way. That is not the case.

"It is team. It is team defense. It is any number of things – from the front to the linebackers to the force players which were not evident in a lot of cases last week. So there are some things that have to be solved there."

There were also some rumblings about LB Brian Kehl going in on the nickel, which would make a lot of sense since he's one of the few linebackers who are healthy and have speed enough to cover Jason Witten on passing downs. That assignment would normally fall to Michael Boley, but it was apparent last week that his coverage ability has eroded in his comeback from a knee scope.

I'll throw this out there, too. I wouldn't be surprised to see second-round LB Clint Sintim get a shot at covering Witten, too, in place of Danny Clark.

At this point, if anybody can run, be physical, and absorb a gameplan, he's Coughlin's man. If this fails, the coach will be taking applications for the Philly game starting Monday.

EP

Kiwi And Canty

The Giants are trying every which way to shore up the run defense, as evidenced by today's practice alignment. And thanks to my guy, Ralph, whose eagle eyes noticed that not only has Osi Umenyiora been moved back to second team on the base defense in favor of Mathias Kiwanuka, but that struggling Fred Robbins is keeping him company there in favor of Chris Canty.

Throwing Canty up there achieves two goals. He's expected to be an upgrade over Robbins in the run department. And when Tony Romo goes back to pass, he'll have to consistently look over Canty's huge wingspan. If Canty can get even a little bit of a push up the middle, some of those short throws to Jason Witten over the middle might get tipped.

Robbins had been giving it a good try, but the knee surgery he continued to recover from over the summer seemed to take its toll. He just didn't look like the forceful Robbins of old the past six games, getting pushed around on the run and rarely applying facial pressure.

EP

Friday. Ed.

Here we are again with our weekly Q&A swap with Ed Valentine of Big Blue View. Thank goodness we're back on schedule after a wild and, ultimately, fruitless Thanksgiving week.

For a look at my answers to these same four questions, be sure to stop over at Ed's site, http://www.bigblueview.com/.


Here's Ed.


1. Eli Manning said the Giants have had a few team meetings in recent weeks. Do you think these things are overrated?


"Probably. If you are having "a few" meetings that means they aren't helping. If you have one meeting, hash out some obvious differences and call out some guys, that might work. A few meetings tells you the team doesn't really know what has gone wrong. What really matters isn't meetings, it's performance. And the Giants simply are not as good on defense as they were supposed to be, or as the players think they are."

2. Now that Antonio Pierce is on the IR, do you think his Giants career is done, and who will man the MLB spot next season?


"Yeah, I think Pierce is done. Even if he is cleared to play, I can't imagine the Giants paying $4 million for a guy who is smart, but whose physical skills have clearly deteriorated. Leadership aside, it's time for the Giants to move on and find a guy who can hold up physically in the middle. I don't know who the long-term answer is at middle linebacker, but I really want to see what Jonathan Goff can do. I love Chase Blackburn, but I just don't see him as anything more than an adequate fill-in. If Goff isn't the answer, then whoever is the answer is not on the Giants' roster right now."

3. Do you believe Manning when he says the newly-discovered "stress reaction" in his right foot is not bothering him, and why?

"Sure. And I still believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. Of course the foot is bothering him, it has to hurt to plant and throw the ball down the field on a bad foot. But, what else do you expect him to say? He is going to play until or unless the foot breaks, he won't make excuses, and I think he will continue to play pretty well."

4. We'll ask the question again. Can this team make the playoffs?

"Mathematically, sure. If it wins the next two weeks, sure. I really want to believe, but I just don't see any signs that this team can win four of its last five games, which is what I think they would need to do. I keep saying it at Big Blue View, but good teams and good organizations -- which is what the Giants are -- occasionally have rough years where things just don't go the way you hope. I think this is that type of year for the Giants. But, I hope they prove me wrong."

What do you guys think?

EP