Goff Starting

It looks like Tom Coughlin has decided to see what young Jonathan Goff can do at middle linebacker. He took all the first-unit snaps today ahead of Chase Blackburn, which means he's been moved to starter.

They let Blackburn know of the move Monday, and as you'll see, the feisty backer has accepted it. Now it's up to Goff, the Giants' fifth-rounder last season, to see if he can offer suitable replacement value for Antonio Pierce.



Pierce, by the way, was at practice and was coaching up Goff despite going to the IR. Coughlin has encouraged the charismatic Pierce to hang around the team, which is uncommon among most IRed players.

Danny Clark, who played a bit of middle linebacker during his career, has also been in his locker room neighbor's ear.

"He played a little MLB in college (14 starts there between 2004 and '05 at Vanderbilt)," Clark said. "This is Year 2 for him. He'll go out there and get us lined up, be physical, and make some plays. He's one of my locker mates and we have great conversation off the field. But more importantly, he has what it takes to play middle linebacker."

What the Giants will miss with Goff is the same as what they missed with Blackburn -- Pierce's ability to sniff out a play and make a defensive audible. But with Blackburn playing at no better than an average level, slipping Goff in there to get that full look at the future can't hurt.

"He understands his job and what it entails," Clark said. "This is just an opportunity to get the job done."

Michael Boley, limited by a sore back today but expected to play Sunday, said he expects Goff will do the job.

"He knows what he's doing," Boley said. "Look, we all know what we're doing. I wouldn't be in there myself if I didn't know what I was doing."

EP