I love when ESPN is wrong because they do it so consistently.

Today makes them 0-for-2 on Giants injuries. First, it was Eli Manning missing a month with a sprained shoulder. He didn’t miss a game. I believe they’re still reporting he’ll miss time.

Today, one of the other dot-coms picked up an ESPN report that Derrick Ward was out. This was about 1 p.m.

EHHHHHHHH!!!!! Ward is starting. Why anyone would count out a player who, along with his coach, indicated he’d start despite a sprained left ankle seven hours before gametime, with a full day of treatment available to him, is beyond me. But that’s how it goes with those folks. Take a shot, and if you’re right tell everybody you had it first.

Me? I’d rather give it to you guys right. That’s why any info you get on this blog may not be immediate, but it will be as correct as I can possibly get it as fast as I can get it. I’d rather get it to you late-and-right than first-and-wrong.

Okay. Self-promotional commerical over.

The Giants’ inactives bore no surprises. Brandon Jacobs is out, but he said there was a good possibility of that Friday. There were no changes in the Giants’ starting lineups except for Aaron Ross starting at left cornerback and Sam Madison moving over to right corner to replace Corey Webster.

The Eagles go in a real mess. William Thomas is out at left tackle, Lito Sheppard is out at cornerback, and Brian Dawkins is out at safety. But their biggest loss is do-it-all running back Brian Westbrook. After a week of missed practice, the prevailing theory was that Westbrook and his strained abdominal muscle would make the game. It’s apparently bad enough that he needs the rest, though. Correll Buckhalter takes his spot at tailback, and there should be a dropoff in terms of rushing and pass-catching consistency.

L.J. Smith is also out at tight end, replaced by the less-accomplished Matt Schobel.

Can you spell Opportunity?

We’ll get back to you sometime later. Gonna be a busy time with deadlines, but I’ll try to blog something at the half. If not, then definitely after the game.

Enjoy if you can after the Mets mess this afternoon.

Ciao for now.

You know ‘em.

You love ‘em.

Here’s your five questions for tonight’s Eagles-Giants game.

1. How much of that four-defensive end alignment will we see tonight?

If defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is smart, he’ll throw out a front of Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Justin Tuck, and Michael Strahan out there quite a bit. Not always, of course, because you have to change things up. And sometimes you need the big guys in the middle if there’s a run threat, which the Eagles have in triplicate with one-man gang Brian Westbrook. But that front generated a heck of a pass rush last week in Washington, so don’t be surprised to see it again. Besides, it’s a plus to the whole defense whenever Kiwanuka can be relieved of coverage responsibilities at linebacker.

2. What about the Giants’ own rushing threat?

Derrick Ward has done just fine in Brandon Jacobs’ absence. Now the question is how long will Ward last? He’s got a gimpy left ankle and may have to split carries with Reuben Droughns, assuming Jacobs will sit until next week to make sure his sprained right knee is fit and ready. The guess here is that Ward and Droughns will get a pretty even division of the workload. But Droughns isn’t the runner he was two years ago. Could be a problem.

3. Can Aaron Ross handle starting at right cornerback?

If last week’s final three quarters was any indication, Ross should slip right in there in place of the ineffective Corey Webster. The first-rounder from Texas is strong enough to get his hands on people at the line and fast enough to keep up with them downfield. And that’s going to be important with Kevin Curtis coming off a 221-yard, three-touchdown receiving game. It’s going to be vital that Ross and Sam Madison bump Curtis and Reggie Brown off the line to disrupt Donovan McNabb’s timing with them. A frontal pass rush will help, too. But if McNabb is given a free hand, he’ll chew up the Giants’ secondary just as badly as he did the Lions’.

4. Are there areas inside the Eagles’ defense for Eli Manning to exploit?

Yes. Especially on the left side where injured Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard is replaced by Joselio Hanson. Just make sure Plaxico Burress’ sprained right ankle is bound up well, because he could see a lot of business tonight. Burress has some extra motivation to come out strong this week, since last week’s first half netted him an embarrassing zero catches. Manning might also want to give the short throw over the middle a good look, as middle linebacker Omar Gaither is a different, less physical player than his predecessor Jeremiah Trotter.

5. Can the Giants build some momentum here?

There’s certainly the opportunity. After last week’s win, they are in the same 1-2 spot as they were last season. No better, but no worse, either. And you may remember that they ripped off five straight wins from there to finish the first half at 6-2. Problem is, this is a primetime game. The Giants have never done well at night. Issues with goblins or something. Anyway, if they don’t get past the Eagles, it’s down to 1-3 and the talk about lost seasons and coaching changes will start all over again.

Prediction: Last week I went on a whim and picked the Giants. I was right. This is going to be a close one, so I’ll go with the Giants again, 21-17.

Don’t stay up too late. Work tomorrow.

Ciao for now.

Yeah, really did jump the gun there. Sorry. Brandon Jacobs is listed as questionable and said, “Nine out of 10, no,” about the chances of his playing Sunday night.

Now, players have been known to bend the truth a tad when it comes to injuries. But I’m inclined to believe Jacobs only because holding him out another week makes sense. Though he wouldn’t close the door completely on playing, he did say he would not try to talk himself into the lineup, even if he feels good when he walks into the locker room Sunday afternoon.

The big deal here is not Jacobs, however. It’s Derrick Ward, who sat out a second day of practice after coming up sore following a limited workout Thursday. Tom Coughlin said he’d play, but how effective will Ward be on that gimpy left ankle? We could be in for a significant helping of Reuben Droughns, a former featured back the Giants currently have in a short-yardage, goal-line role.

And, although they keep mentioning Ahmad Bradshaw as another possible replacement, I’m wondering if he has his blitz pickups down. This week more than any other, with the way Philadelphia blitzes from all over the field, the Giants need an experienced tailback out there to help keep Eli Manning upright and safe. Rookies heading into their fourth career games tend not to be the most aware people in the world, so I wouldn’t expect to see Bradshaw doing much offensively.

Looks like that vaunted backfield depth could get tested severely. If the Giants can’t generate a viable ground game, it’ll make things quite interesting.

Thoughts? Opinions? Concerns? The floor is yours.

Ciao for now.

Maybe I was a little too optimistic over the prospects of Brandon Jacobs being ready on time to face the Eagles Sunday night.

Though he did return to practice yesterday, it was of the limited variety. And today, in the portion the media was allowed to see, he basically stood around with his helmet off. Granted, most of that part of practice was devoted to punt, kickoff, and field goal work. But even when the offense took the field for some non—contact drills, Jacobs remained on the sideline.

He will probably need another week of good, hard practice before Tom Coughlin lets him get back in there, which means Derrick Ward will start for a third straight week.

I’ll get back to you after we talk with Coughlin.

Ciao for now.

Good news on Brandon Jacobs via my eyes and ears out there today, Josh Thomson. Josh reports that Jacobs returned to practice after missing two games with a sprained right MCL and somewhat defiantly claimed that he’s ready to play Sunday.

Jacobs said it’s up to the medical staff, of course. But if it’s up to him at all, he’s going to be out there. Jacobs ran hard on the sidelines yesterday and reported only minor pain in the joint. That to me says there’s a good chance Jacobs will be available to play against the Eagles. Maybe not a full 20-plus-carry load. But the way Derrick Ward is running, there’s no reason Tom Coughlin shouldn’t give the two of them an even split. Then, next week, if Jacobs proves ready, give him a full workload against the Jets.

More good news on Plaxico Burress, too. Josh said Coughlin indicated they’d limit him in practice as they did last week and try to get him ready for the game. Burress said he didn’t expect the sprained right ankle to hinder him past the next couple of weeks, and he said he hoped to play on Sunday.

Thanks to Josh for the info. See you guys tomorrow.

Ciao for now.

Here’s a statement from head trainer Ronnie Barnes about the second opinion Dr. Robert Anderson offered in Charlotte yesterday on Plaxico Burress’ sprained right ankle.

It’s just unclear enough to leave all sorts of possibilities for Sunday. The way I read it is he’ll sit out practice and then determine himself, with help from various bracing and orthotic devices, whether he can play or not. But that’s without getting further illumination from Tom Coughlin. Actually, I don’t know if he’s going to be available.

Here’s the statement.

“Plaxico and I visited with Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte yesterday.Dr. Anderson reviewed Plaxico’s MRI results and administered his own physical exam of Plaxico.

“Dr. Anderson confirmed our findings, which is that Plaxico has a serious sprain to his right ankle.

“Following the exam, Dr. Anderson conferred with Dr. Warren and it was determined that at this point, we will continue the course of treatment and therapy that we have used since Plaxico reinjured the right ankle when he was stepped on during the Green Bay game. Plaxcio will continue his modality therapy, and we will explore all options regarding the most
appropriate shoes, orthotics and braces.

“The best prescription for this injury is rest, and as a result,
Plaxico’s practice time for the immediate future will be limited.

“For the time being, we will continue to evaluate Plaxico’s injury on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis.”

Availability for Sunday? Like I said, darned if I know. At least there’s no surgery indicated.

Ciao for now.

Brandon Jacobs is getting closer to practicing on his sprained right medial collateral knee ligament. But he’s not taking any chances, especially the way Derrick Ward is running.

Actually, he said it wouldn’t matter if Ward was performing well or not. He’s not going to take any chances with his future. Though he didn’t close the door completely on practicing this week and playing against the Eagles Sunday night, he made it clear he’s not going to let the importance of this game get in the way of a long-term comeback.

You can listen for yourself.

Download:

Ciao for now.

The situation surrounding Plaxico Burress’ sprained right ankle took an interesting turn today when he and head trainer Ronnie Barnes traveled to Charlotte, N.C. for an appointment with famed orthopedist Dr. Robert Anderson.

The purpose of the visit, advised by team orthopedist Dr. Russ Warren, is to find a way to manage the pain that keeps popping up after Burress plays. The re—sprain of the injury that caused Burress to miss the entire preseason schedule and become a gametime decision last week has kept him out of practice again.

"He didn’t practice a lot last week, and when he plays he gets sore again," Tom Coughlin said. "It’s been a continuous, nagging thing. It is what it is.�

Coughlin dismissed the idea that something was broken.

“It isn’t broken,� he said.

“He’s going to be evaluated to relieve the issue. Plaxico said to us today that he’s got to practice. He’s not practicing, and he’s coming into the games and, to his credit, knows his assignments. But obviously he’s not as sharp as he could be.�

Coughlin said he didn’t know what Anderson’s evaluation would produce, be it surgery, extended rest, or more treatment.

“I don’t know what to tell you,� Coughlin said. “He’s going to try to tell him how to manage it better. But who knows what’ll happen.�

Running back Brandon Jacobs (knee) will remain out of practice but continue his rehab on the side with the trainers. And fellow running back Derrick Ward is listed as day—to—day with a sprained left ankle, which he played through Sunday in Washington.

Back with some other stuff later.

Ciao for now.

The Giants had a wonderful day yesterday. Players were smiling and eager to talk. Nobody was blasting airhorns. And the team was 1-2 on the wings of a dramatic finish in Washington.

First, let’s start with a question from DVF. He wanted to know about the halftime adjustments and about how Mathias Kiwanuka was used and whether Justin Tuck played inside on non-throwing downs. Actually, Kiwanuka was used more as a lineman and was given a freer hand to pass rush, as evidenced by his 1 1/2 sacks and team-high eight tackles. It appeared he had fewer coverage responsibilities even when he did play back at linebacker, as Aaron Ross and the safeties were given that responsibility. And yes, Tuck did play inside some. Don’t know if it was on all non-passing downs, but there was a concerted effort to keep Tuck on the field. It’s no surprise he responded with four tackles and a half a sack to go along with a quarterback hit. That guy’s the goods.

Anyway, looks like Corey Webster has finally lost his gig at right cornerback to Aaron Ross. Tom Coughlin decided he’d seen enough after Webster took a bad angle on Santana Moss and, instead of intercepting Jason Campbell’s second-quarter bomb, he let it fly over his head as Moss made a fantastic catch. Then, on the ensuing touchdown catch by Chris Cooley, Webster was out of position.

Aaron Ross replaced him at the start of the second quarter, moving to nickelback on obvious passing downs. Ross was in much better position, though he did give up the long fourth-quarter toss to Moss that necessitated the goal line stand.

Don’t believe me that Webster’s lost his job, though. Coughlin just about admits it in this little piece of audio. He starts with Ross and goes into Webster.

Download:

Coughlin also was delighted in Eli Manning’s performance. Though not particularly great—Manning had two interceptions and a lost fumble, with two of the turnovers accounting for 10 first-half Redskins points. But Manning did smell out a fake blitz on third-and-5 from the Redskins’ 11 and checked into a Derrick Ward draw that turned into a first down at the 5. The Giants eventually scored a touchdown to tie after that at 17.

A huge test comes Sunday night against Philadelphia. But at least they’re 1-2 instead of 0-3. Puts a whole new light on the season.

Ciao for now.

I’m going to get to you guys with some Tom Coughlin and players in a few. In the meantime, maybe you’d like to read a story about the Giants’ inspirational Saturday night speaker. He’s the double-amputee veteran Plaxico Burress handed his touchdown ball.

Read about it here

Catch you later.

Ciao for now.