GIANT NOTES
One of the many missing ingredients in the Giants offense is the big play, and with the Eagles coming to town on Sunday, this would not seem to be the week to find a few. If rookie Eli Manning and the offensive line can deal with the multiple blitzes by the Eagles, though, there may be opportunities to burn the blitz with plays downfield.
“It’s just a matter of reading the defense right, protecting everything, guys getting open and being accurate with the ball,” Manning said yesterday. “A lot of things have to happen. I don’t think you can try to say we’re gonna take shots or call every play to take a shot, it’s just a matter of us having the right protection on and right route protection on to take advantage on.”
In his starting debut in a 14-10 loss to the Falcons, Manning’s longest completion went for only 18 yards. But in his NFL debut back in the season opener, Manning entered a 31-17 loss in Philadelphia and on his first play the Giants caught the Eagles in a blitz and Tiki Barber scampered 72 yards for a touchdown. Later in the fourth quarter, Manning and Barber connected for 34 yards.
“You got to make plays; when they do blitz you’re going to have to take advantage of some big plays when it’s there,” Manning said. “Sometimes you’re going to have to throw short routes and have guys break a tackle and try to make big plays that way. It’s not all throwing the ball downfield, you can hand the ball to Tiki on certain blitzes and make the guy miss and get a big play there.”
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With the recent NBA brawl spilling into the seats and involving fans, Eagles coach Andy Reid was asked whether better crowd control is needed in football stadiums. “I know if I ever decide to change my name, I’ve got plenty of options coming from that tunnel in New York,” Reid said. “The fans in football I think are a little bit different. They get after you and that’s all part of it and they’re a little bit [farther] away from the action than maybe some other sports, so there is a boundary there that maybe isn’t there in some of the other sports.”
S Gibril Wilson (neck burner) has progressed but not quickly enough to allow him to practice. “It’s a slow process,” Tom Coughlin said. Wilson is questionable, as are LB Nick Greisen (ankle), C Shaun O’Hara (ankle), LB Barrett Green (knee) and RB Derrick Ward (concussion). The only one of that group able to practice was Green.