The Images

Before we get to the summary of last night's 45-12 victory over Washington, here are the images to go along with, you know, that morning java.

Pass the sugar.

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The Game

Inactives

Here are the Giants' and Redskins' inactives. Looks like Aaron Ross couldn't pull off a comeback after that day of practice Saturday, so Kevin Dockery will start at left corner across from Terrell Thomas, and Bruce Johnson will remain at nickelback.

GIANTS:

CB Corey Webster
CB Aaron Ross
T Kareem McKenzie
WR Ramses Barden
RB DJ Ware
WR Sinorice Moss
TE Darcy Johnson
T Adam Koets

REDSKINS:

QB Richard Bartel
CB Kevin Barnes
OL Edwin Williams
LB Alvin Bowen
LB Gatewood
OL Paul Fanaika
WR Marko Mitchell
DT Cornelius Griffin

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Eagles Highlights

Thought you might appreciate some of the highlights of the Eagles' playoff berth-clinching victory over the 49ers yesterday.

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Live Blogging

Just a reminder that we're live-blogging the game tonight. I'll crank it up at about 8:15 p.m. so we can get the conversation flowing heading into kickoff.

As usual, just look for the Cover-It-Live box and start commenting. I'll have the inactives before that.

Looking forward to seeing you all later.

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Forget It

Forget about the Eagles coming back to the Giants. They clinched a playoff berth today with a win over the 49ers. But the Packers did lose, though they remain a game and a half ahead of the Giants in the wildcard race.

The only realistic playoff scenario for the Giants now involves the Giants winning two of their last three games the Cowboys losing their remaining two games against Washington and Philadelphia. The other less-likely scenario is the Giants winning out and the Cowboys losing one of those games.

Green Bay would enter the picture only if the Giants win their final three and the Packers lose one, in which case the Giants could make it on the common opponents tiebreaker. Not very likley.

The pressure at FedEx Field tomorrow night should feel something like the center of a steel mill furnace.

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Clear Road

The task ahead is pretty clear now, thanks to Dallas' unlikely 24-17 win over New Orleans last night. The Giants must keep winning to stay within shooting distance of both the Cowboys and Eagles, one of whom will fall on the final day of the season because they play each other.

If the Eagles beat the 49ers today, and the Giants lose to Washington tomorrow night, we can pretty much start writing end-of-season obits because it'll take a miracle for them to finish in a tie with either team. So the Giants go into FedEx Field knowing full well the implications of a bad performance, or even a good one that falls just short.

Here are the Cowboys-Saints highlights for your pre-football Sunday pleasure, or whatever.

Enjoy the games today. If you can!

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Game 14 Scouting Report

GIANTS (7-6) vs. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (4-9)

THE TEAMS: Must-must-win right here, thanks to the Cowboys' victory over the Saints last night. The Giants come off a 45-38 loss to Philadelphia that they could have won if not for their continually leaky defense and horrible kickoff coverage. Six big passing plays and three big runs, plus a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown proved enough to overcome a strong passing performance from Eli Manning, who threw for a career-high 391 yards and three touchdowns. The Giants have now lost six of eight, but are still in the hunt for the sixth playoff seed. The Redskins fell out of the playoff hunt long ago, but that has allowed them to play a lot looser, with predictable results. They're still losing games, but they're playing top teams tough. They've lost seven of nine games, but the last three to Denver, Philly, and New Orleans came at a total margin of seven points. And then they put up 34 points in a win over Oakland. All this despite a slew of high-quality players who hit the injured reserve list after the opener, including running back Clinton Portis, tight end Chris Cooley, left tackle Chris Samuels and guard Randy Thomas. They are joined by the top reserve running back, Ladell Betts, and Chad Rinehart, who started four games at right guard after Thomas went down. Portis, a six-time 1,200-yard rusher, Cooley and Samuels have been selected to a combined 10 Pro Bowls. Washington opened its season with five recent Pro Bowlers on offense. Only Santana Moss and fullback Mike Sellers remain, and the latter didn’t play last week because of a groin injury.

THE HISTORY: The teams will meet for the 154th time in one of the NFL's oldest rivalries, with the Giants leading 88-61-4. The teams met in the opener, the Giants winning 23-17. The Giants have won the last three meetings and seven of the last eight, the last Redskins win coming in 2007. The Giants are 6-5-1 at FedEx Field. But Monday Night Football has always held a certain drama for the Giants, having compiled an 18-31-1 record there. They did beat the Redskins in the teams' last Monday Night meeting in 1989, however.

INJURIES: Giants -- CB Corey Webster (knee) and T Kareem McKenzie (knee) are doubtful. CB Aaron Ross (hamstring) is questionable. RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles and foot) and QB Eli Manning (foot) are probable.

Redskins -- T Stephon Heyer (knee) is doubtful. DT Cornelius Griffin (shoulder), CB DeAngelo Hall (knee), DT Albert Haynesworth (ankle), S Kareem Moore (ankle), and FB Mike Sellers (quad) are questionable. K Graham Gano (foot) is probable.

WATCH THIS: Manning will have to duplicate, or at least come close, to his performance of last week to give the Giants a chance to win in the final quarter. An early touchdown, something that hasn't happened the last eight games, would certainly help. But so would a great effort from the offensive front to keep pass rushers Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo off the quarterback. For all of Manning's passing stats last week, the blockers didn't do that great a job as Manning was sacked three times and hit eight other times. Washington's pass rush, the third-best in the league with 36 sacks, will look to punish him even more. Manning is tough, but the constant pressure the Redskins have exerted the past few games may make him throw early and force him into mistakes.

If Manning can keep his passes straight, however, he'll have the opportunity to get into scoring position. The Redskins are vulnerable to the big play, so folks like Steve Smith (85 catches for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns), Hakeem Nicks (38-685-6) and Mario Manningham (48-691-4) should see some openings in a physical secondary led by safety LeRon Landry and cornerback Carlos Rogers. The Redskins only have nine interceptions on the year, and injured cornerback DeAngelo Hall has four of those. The defense has given up 32 passes of 20 yards or better, which ranks as the league's 24th fewest.

The Redskins' Red Zone defense is even better. They're tops in the league in preventing touchdowns, as teams have scored just nine touchdowns in 31 trips there. Considering the Giants rank 25th in the league in Red Zone offense (22 TDs in 48 trips), they'd be better off sending one or two big plays directly to the house. The Giants did convert three of their four chances last week into touchdowns.

The weather is expected to be cold, so the running game will once again come into major play. This would be an ideal time for Brandon Jacobs to get his first 100-yard game of the season, if only to keep a rejuvenated Redskins offense off the field. Ahmad Bradshaw will back him up, as usual. But both backs, who have had fumble problems this year, must keep ball security in their minds first and foremost. The Giants were minus-3 after four fumbles, one by Jacobs, last week, and they won't beat the Redskins with similar numbers.

The Redskins' two-pronged pass rush of Orakpo and Carter will probably force Manning into a quick-trigger mode, which means a lot of throws underneath to tight end Kevin Boss, the running backs, and perhaps even H-back Travis Beckum. Both David Diehl and rookie Will Beatty, filling in for McKenzie, will see plenty of both, as they flip sides on obvious passing downs. Orakpo and Carter are both fast, and the combination of the two will stand as the biggest test yet for a rookie Beatty making his second career start. Bradshaw and Jacobs will have to be aware of Landry and linebacker London Fletcher on the blitz. The middle of the line will have to handle big Albert Haynesworth, whose three sacks rank third behind the two star pass-rushers.

The Giants would like nothing more than to mirror the Redskins' pass-rush potential, especially against an offensive line that has undergone seven changes, and may have an eighth this week if tackle Stephon Heyer can't make it. Five different players have started at right guard. If Heyer is out, Will Robinson, who spent most of the season on the practice squad and has never played an NFL down, will replace him. Still, that line has played amazingly well considering the circumstances, and the offensive production has risen, surprisingly, despite the varied injuries. "It’s a little unusual (to improve after losing so many good players), but a situation like that brings a team together," linebacker Michael Boley said. "It helps develop a stronger bond. They always say what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger."

Quarterback Jason Campbell can certainly kill the Giants. Once an inaccurate, mistake-prone mess, Campbell pulled his act together after his benching in the second half against Kansas City in Game 6. Since then, he's completed 153 of 235 passes (65.1 percent) for 1,749 yards and 11 touchdowns against six interceptions. His 18 completions of 25 yards or more over the past eight weeks ranks third-highest in the league over that span. "Campbell is playing as well as I have ever seen him," defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said. "His completion percentage has just gone up so much; he is very patient in the pocket. He is still athletic and can move and can run for first downs, which he does regularly. They have always had a quality receiving corps and still do and he has done a good job of taking the easy throws, making them and getting first downs. And he is such a scramble threat that he can run for a first down just as well." Campbell has thrown seven of his season's 17 touchdown passes in the last three games.

Antwan Randle El is Campbell's go-to guy on third down, having caught 18 throws for 200 yards in that situation. But Santana Moss is the downfield threat with a moderate 13.2-yard average on 53 catches. He has just three touchdowns. He does have the NFL's third-highest single-season performance this year, however, in a 178-yard outing against Detroit in Week 3. He's only had one touchdown in the last nine games, however.

The Giants did a decent job of stopping Philadelphia's ground game. Now, they'll face Quinton Ganther, whose starting job was sealed when Portis went to the IR last week. He wasn't even on the roster for good until the Nov. 15 game against Denver, and has only rushed for a high of 50 yards on 14 carries in his five appearances. Make no mistake, the Redskins are a passing offense now, one that looks downfield for the big play.

Hunter Smith punts at a 43.3-yard average and proved he can throw the ball with his 35-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Sellers against Denver. The punt return team is only average, however, as is the kickoff return game. Graham Gano, signed Dec. 8 after a season with Las Vegas of the UFL, has gone 2-for-2 in field goals after Scott Suisham's surprising release. The Giants counter with Lawrence Tynes, who hasn't missed a field goal in three games.

PREDICTION: No more time for such luxuries as throwaway games. They're all must-win now, so the Giants are going to have to shoo away the MNF hobgoblins and win this one if they expect to have any reasonable shot at the playoffs. That means the defense is going to have to do a 180-degree turnabout against an improved Jason Campbell, and the offense is going to have to stop the Redskins' pass rush to give Manning time to throw downfield. This has all the potential to be an ugly game, but they give no points for style in the NFL. Just win, baby. Giants 17-14.

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Talkin' Skins

Here are Brandon Jacobs and Justin Tuck talking about how tough the Redskins can be. Have to agree. Don't let the 4-9 record fool you, this is not the Redskins team that faced the Giants in the season opener.

Between Albert Haynesworth up front and fast linebackers like London Fletcher and a hard-hitting safety like LaRon Landry, the Redskins will be tough to run on. So don't expect Jacobs to get his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season.

"They’ve got those big boys up front," Jacobs said. "They play very well up front. They’ve got London Fletcher who is orchestrating a really good defense and who is a very, very underrated player, in my opinion. They are tough down there. It kind of limits half of your playbook or what you can do down there. They are pretty good at stopping people."

As far as the defense goes, the pass rush will want to get into gear to hold down Jason Campbell, whose improvement started seven games ago, right after he was benched after the first half against Kansas City.

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Some Good News

Here's a bit of good news. CB Aaron Ross returned to practice today and said he's good to go on Monday. He told reporters that an MRI checked out OK, so it doesn't look like there's anything serious.

He's still listed as questionable, so how he feels tomorrow will tell a lot about whether he'll start in Corey Webster's left cornerback spot, or whether they'll have to go with Kevin Dockery there.

Also practicing was RB Ahmad Bradshaw. But Webster (knee) and T Kareem McKenzie (knee) remained out. Figure both to be very long shots at best for Monday.

If you want to feel a little better about things -- a very little better -- the Redskins canceled their final practice today because their practice facility was snowed under. Somehow, with all the changes going on down there -- Jim Zorn probably out after the season, GM Vinnie Cerrato resigning and Bruce Allen taking over -- I don't think that's going to affect their enthusiasm when the primetime lights go on Monday night. Too many players jobs at stake.

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Dallas in New Orleans

For those of you with access to the NFL Network, don't forget to take a look at the Dallas-New Orleans game tonight. So much of what the Cowboys do these next three games is going to determine whether the Giants end their season on Jan. 3 in Minnesota or go into postseason play. And tonight's game is the beginning of that string.

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On Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson will continue his role in the nickel defense while Kevin Dockery steps ahead of him as starter in case Aaron Ross can't make it. That's not a knock on the undrafted rookie, however. Simply by virtue of taking over the nickel spot from Dockery all season, he's advanced further along the rookie curve than expected.

He's had his up and downs this year. He started fast with a forced fumble in the opener against the Redskins and a touchdown off an interception against Dallas in Week 2. But he's had his problems giving up the big play of late, lowlighted by his failed attempt to reel in his own deflection on a long pass to Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

Now, after a rocky second-half appearance against Philadelphia at left corner following Corey Webster's departure with a sprained left knee, the 5-foot-11, 182-pound Johnson needs to be ready for an expanded role this week. If Dockery is shaky at left corner, Johnson might well be in there again going one-on-one against the dangerous Santana Moss.

Here's a video with defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan and Johnson talking about his rookie season.

Tom Coughlin is apparently very willing to forgive Johnson's flaws.

"He's done an outstanding job all year long from a guy who wasn't drafted to the impact he had on us in the early season," Coughlin said. "We've been pleased with Bruce.

"He's improved. He's gotten an opportunity to play a lot of football."

As for the big plays, Coughlin passed it off as part of growing up.

"He's a rookie," Coughlin said. "The other guys watch tape, too. Does it bother me? No more than any other area of concern or other ways in which the opponent attempts to attack."

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Another Injury

You can't help but feel sorry for Aaron Ross. Just when it looked like he might become a useful part of the secondary, his left hamstring acted up again and knocked him out of practice and, probably, for Monday's game.

Now, with both Ross and Corey Webster (knee) expected to be sidelined, it will fall to the demoted Kevin Dockery to start at left cornerback. Ross, who was taking snaps this week at both corner and safety, was slated to start for Webster.

The hamstring, part of the two-pronged problem that caused him to miss the first nine games before his comeback as a safety, acted up again after yesterday's practice. And Tom Coughlin said there's only a chance that he, along with Webster, could be gametime decisions.

"I'm concerned, yes," Coughlin said. "It's a fair question. It's too bad the English language can't allow for some other way to say that. I am concerned.

"I don't think it's quite as bad (as before), but it's day-to-day."

When asked if he and Webster could be gametime decisions, Coughlin only said, "possibly."

Possiblys are almost never good. And for Ross, who has had such severe hamstring problems this year, the question may soon become not when, but if, he'll ever get on the field again in 2009.

Ross did not make himself available to address that matter, or any other. But Terrell Thomas, his replacement at right corner and the Giants' top defensive back right now, was hopeful that Ross' absence will be a short-term thing.

"He finished the whole practice," Thomas said. "It was his first practice back after playing his first full game, so you're going to have some nicks and bumps. Hopefully, with a couple of days of rest, we can have him on Monday."

Asked whether he thought Ross would play, Thomas said, "I think he will."

For the time being, however, the coaches spent yesterday preparing Dockery for the lead role, while putting nickelback Bruce Johnson on alert that he could also see an expanded role.

So, if all stays the same, Monday night's starting secondary will look like this going right to left: Thomas, Michael Johnson, C.C. Brown, and Dockery. Considering Dockery, once a vital part of the secondary before he was demoted almost directly out of training camp for the undrafted rookie Johnson, has played little in the defense this year, that can't be a comforting thought heading into a matchup with a much-improved Jason Campbell.

Then again, this is the final year of Dockery's contract, and a good showing against a division rival wouldn't hurt his prospects for a new deal in the offseason.

"Monday night, primetime, division game, I'll definitely be jacked up," Dockery said. "This team and I both have a lot at stake here, so I just have to go out and give them what they want.

"I try not to think about next year. I still have three more games on my contract with the Giants. Having a great game would only help."

The Giants can only hope, especially after watching the secondary -- with Webster -- allow a slew of big plays the past two games. The Redskins sit right in the middle of the league in the production of big pass plays, and the Giants have given up the ninth-most big plays in the league. Now, with the incendiary Brown back at safety and a rusty Dockery probably facing Santana Moss, the outlook can't be good.

Even if Ross does play, it's unlikely he'll be at full speed.

The injury couldn't have come at a worse time.

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Feagles And The Gang

Here's some of the special teams work, featuring Jeff Feagles and the need to get the inside guys downfield to minimize any damage Antwan Randle El might do.

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We've Got Pictures!

Here's some practice video for you. Watch the defensive line in particular working on their pass-rush moves, a factor that should come in big against an improved Jason Campbell.

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Practice Stuff

Looks like there might be another health issue with CB Aaron Ross. He wasn't out at practice today, or at least the part the media is allowed to watch. We'll hear more about that from Tom Coughlin later, but Ross did complain about soreness in his back immediately after the Philadelphia game.

Also, CB Corey Webster remained on the stationary bike with a sprained left knee, along with T Kareem McKenzie. RB Ahmad Bradshaw also sat out the media portion with his two ankle sprains and injured right foot.

WR Mario Manningham returned from his one-day illness and practiced.

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There's No Quit In Ed!

The Giants might be sliding again, but Ed Valentine is still in there punching. Here are his answers in our weekly Q&A swap. Don't forget to swing over to Big Blue View to get my answers to the same questions.

Here's Ed:


1. Tom Coughlin said he will not fire defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan despite his obvious flaws. Is Coughlin showing too much loyalty to an underachieving coach?

"I don't think so. Even though more than 80% of readers I polled at Big Blue View wish Sheridan was already gone, I think it is a pretty pointless move to make mid-stream, or late-stream if you want to call it that. Sheridan will be gone if this continues -- and he might be a dead man walking already considering how far this defense has fallen. But, I think TC is right to stick with him now. Largely, it's players not doing their jobs. Look at the touchdown to DeSean Jackson last week. Michael Johnson knows its two-deep coverage, and he is the second deep guy. He knows Jackson is going long. So, where the heck is he? Covering the tight end short, that's where. Is that Sheridan's fault that Johnson can't seem to do his job? Is it his fault that the only defensive tackle he has who has done a thing all season is Barry Cofield. Or that his corners, who are supposed to specialize in press coverage, can't seem to get a glove on anybody. Or that his vaunted pass-rushing defensive ends are mostly invisible. Or that, outside of Michael Boley, the linebacking has been mostly non-existent? On paper, this defense has -- or had -- lots of nice names. But, you know, paper never was good for much."

2. With playoff hopes hinging on how the Cowboys fare over the next three games, do you think the Giants will continue to play hard?

"Yes, I do. I questioned how hard they played in Denver on Thanksgiving night, but not the last two weeks. There are crazies out there calling for Coughlin's dismissal, but that is nonsense. This team still plays for him. They got a great win in Dallas. And Sunday night against Philly they played with a lot of heart, they just did not play well on defense or special teams. It had nothing to do with effort, it had to do with execution. And a couple of really inexplicable, unfortunate turnovers."

3. Would you elevate Ramses Barden from the inactive list, even if Coughlin only uses him in Red Zone situations?

"Nah. At this point I think the Barden stuff is irrelevant. If the Giants were to lose to Washington and basically be out of the picture, sure. Get the kid some experience. But, at this point, no. The Giants seem to be getting a handle on the Red Zone stuff, I think. They are using Kevin Boss more. They seem to be running the ball a bit better w/some different alignments. I would like to see them throwing the ball to Hakeem Nicks on those corner routes instead of Steve Smith or Mario 'Where is the Field Again?' Manningham, but that's about it. Oh, and every week I hear talk about designing some plays for Travis Beckum. Like that will ever happen. At least not until 2010."

4. Should Hakeem Nicks continue to start in place of Mario Manningham?

"Umm, is that even a question? Undoubtedly. I don't know what was going on with Nicks and the back-to-back balls he dropped Sunday, but the kid is going to be big-time. More and more, he is justifying those comparisons to Anquan Boldin. Big, strong, great ability to make yardage after the catch. On a couple of his catches Sunday you saw the one thing he has that Manningham and Steve Smith don't. The pure physical ability to go up, use his body and take a ball away from a defender. Manningham can be spectacular, and I hope he is a Giant for a long time, but he needs to learn what the white lines on the sides of the field mean. Over and over the guy runs himself out of bounds without help from the corner back."

The floor is yours, people.


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All Day Battle

David Diehl and rookie Will Beatty are going to have their hands full Monday with the Redskins' pair of pass-rushers, veteran Andre Carter and Rookie of the Year candidate Brian Orakpo.

They figure to see equal amounts of each, as Carter plays over Diehl on running downs, and then switches to the strong side when Orakpo slides up and over from his strongside linebacking spot to right defensive end on passing downs. As I told you in previous posts, the pair has 11 sacks each, and Orakpo is considered an absolute beast.

That should come as rather unsettling news to Beatty, who makes only his second start while Kareem McKenzie nurses his sprained left knee. But he has sat next to McKenzie in meetings all week, trying to absorb as much information as he can. Besides that, Diehl has been in his ear constantly about what he can expect from Carter, a force Diehl has dealt with many times in the past.

Beatty's done a good job filling in for McKenzie when called upon, but he's never had to face something like the Redskins have. Should be quite an education for the young man from UConn.

Here are Beatty, Diehl, and Chris Snee talking about the rookie's development and the challenge immediately ahead of him.

And here's Diehl talking about matching up with Orakpo.

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Super Bid

The Giants and Jets have won approval to bid for the Super Bowl to be played in 2014. That can be counted as a sign of growth from the owner's Super Bowl committee, who have previously held steadfast to the policy that Super Bowls must be played in either a dome or regions where the normal temperature does not dip below 50 degrees.

If the Giants and Jets were to get the bid, it would be a one-time only deal to recognize the new Meadowlands Stadium. The league has often dangled Super Bowls as incentives for teams to build new edifices.

"The National Football League and our organization are blessed with a great tradition in the metropolitan New York region, and the Giants and Jets new home is a continuation of that tradition," said Giants president and CEO John Mara. "Our building playing host to the Super Bowl in 2014 would allow our organizations and this region to celebrate that tradition with our biggest game, and we welcome the opportunity to work with our community to make that happen."

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch said, "Even though our stadium is months away from completion, with this bid, it is setting an early precedent of what’s to come. The stadium’s quest to host Super Bowl XLVIII is a testament to our commitment to serve as a beacon for the very best."

The Giants must submit their proposal by April 1, and will know whether they were awarded the bid by the end of May.

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O'Hara's Fine

Physically, he's okay. But that's not the kind of fine we're talking about. This is about his appeal of the 15 grand the NFL took from him for trying to belt out Trent Cole in the closing seconds last week.

O'Hara maintained today that the fine was excessive, at best.

"I was surprised," O'Hara said about the arrival of the league's letter informing him of the fine. "The only thing to do is go through the process and appeal it. I hope they find me to be justified.

"Usually, they try to be pretty specific about which rule you broke, but I really felt like this one was a little more general. I'm gonna do what I'm supposed to do, do what feels right. As of right now, I've already kind of put it behind me and put all my focus on Washington."

O'Hara defended his tussle with Trent Cole.

"I know it was a very physical game, and there were a lot of things that escalated up to that point," he said. "I'm always going to stick up for myself and stick up for my teammates. There was certainly some pushing and shoving, but I felt like the pushing and shoving was going both ways and was escalating."

O'Hara said in his experience, fines that are appealed during the season don't find final resolution until February. But the center will be a little lighter in the wallet, anyway, since the league requires the player to pay the fine, and then get reimbursed if the decision falls in his favor.

"Yeah, it's bass-ackwards," O'Hara said. "You're guilty until proven innocent. The Christmas presents are going to be a little disappointing this year."

Meanwhile, here's O'Hara talking about the need to transfer some of the good the offense did the last two games to Monday night, regardless of what the Cowboys do against the Saints on Saturday.

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