Just came in from practice and can report that everybody except Plaxico Burress is working. No need to worry about the wide receiver, though. That sprained right ankle remains bothersome and, according to plan, he continues to sit out to get ready for the game.

Rookie WR Steve Smith (shoulder blade), RB Derrick Ward (ankle), and RB Brandon Jacobs (ankle) were all suited up and working, and it’s possible that Smith might see some action Sunday. If not, he’ll probably be in there next Sunday in London.

By the way, Tom Coughlin has a photo op next week with Chelsea FC manager Avram Grant, and the players of both teams will also get together for photos. Bet the Chelsea guys look like midgets next to the offensive linemen. But, hey, it’s nice Chelsea is letting them practice on their field. Guess its the least they could do after Lend—Lease.

Ciao for now.

Looks like Trent Dilfer will start for the 49ers Sunday.

Don’t get too excited. Dilfer may be a mediocre quarterback at best, but he’s the guy who completed about three critical passes to beat the Giants in the Super Bowl. So he does have a history of success against them.

He’s only completing 46.2 percent of his passes and has three interceptions to go with one touchdown. He’s immobile and has been sacked eight times, which should make the Giants’ defensive front very, very happy. Which is exactly why they need to charge him hard up the middle and get him off—balance. It doesn’t take much to do that, but the last thing they want is another Brandon Stokely—Jason Sehorn scene.

Be back after practice.

Ciao for now.

Now that Reuben Droughns has stepped to the forefront of the rushing attack, the Giants have proven they have three backs who can do the job. Which should come as good news for Derrick Ward.

He’s struggling along with that sprained left ankle, aggravated in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game in Atlanta. But Ward knows that if for some reason he becomes incapacitated, Droughns can be an able replacement for him. Or for Brandon Jacobs, for that matter.

"We’ve got three interchangeable backs now," Ward said. "No matter who we put in there, we still get the same results."

"I think teams should be fearful," said Droughns, who had back—to—back seasons of 1,200 rushing yards before he landed with the Giants from the Browns in an offseason trade for Tim Carter. "They’ve got to take us all into consideration now. You’ve got to decide what style to defend."

So it’s all good out at Giants Stadium. They’re winning. And the ground game is churning away with consecutive 188—yard efforts.

Still, the Giants need all their weapons, and Ward has turned into one of them. So he’s trying to get healthy.

"I’m trying to get over it, but I don’t get any rest," said Ward. "I have to practice to get the right reads and blitz pickups."

Ward blamed the Georgia Dome’s artificial turf for his current predicament, saying it was "like cement." But he’ll continue with at least limited work during the week.

"I just try to be cautious about how I cut in practice," Ward said. "I try to save it all for Sunday."

Okay, so here’s the question. Do you think the Giants are better off now with the three—headed attack of Jacobs, Ward, and Droughns, or were they in better shape last year with a do—it—all guy like Tiki Barber, distractions excluded?

Tell me what you think?

Ciao for now.

Logistics and time constraints—2 a.m. is way past my bedtime—prevented me from blogging after the game. Sorry about that, but you’ll be happy to know I learned a good lesson from it all. When you don’t do your blogging, the cybergods get good and ticked. They took their vengence on me this morning at the Atlanta airport, where my 9:55 a.m. flight turned into an 11:35 a.m. flight because the flight crew got in late last night and had to have extended rest.

Funny, I got in late, too, and was ready, willing, and able to fly. Maybe they should have given me the keys.

Well, I’m finally home—I’m sure you were concerned about my convenience and comfort—and ready to review. It’s a good one, too. Eli Manning had a tremendous first half passing, and Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer had great first halves receiving. It doesn’t get any better when the running game gets going and the play-action works, as seen when Manning hit Burress for a 43-yard touchdown pass. Burress was comfortably behind the entire secondary, and it was just a matter of reeling in the pinpoint pass.

It was also good to see Toomer get into the end zone for the first time this year. But what was even better was to see him catch seven balls after getting shut out the previous week. That allowed him to break Tiki Barber’s alltime team receiving record. A deserving honor for a good guy and a consistent receiver.

The special teams did a good job, though not a perfect one, in keeping Jerious Norwood in check. Gosh, he’s fast. Watching him blow up the middle and over on that 67-yard touchdown run was something to behold. But the kickoff coverage held him to reasonable field position throughout. Credit Lawrence Tynes with a lot of that. They had him kicking directionally, putting the ball at the 13 but outside the numbers to give Norwood a bigger challenge getting the ball to the middle of the field.

As good as Manning was, and he was good in collecting his second 300-yard game of the season, can he please stop making those horrendous throws at the end of the first half. Had it not been for the current defensive resurgence, he’d have been in real trouble. As it is, two of those picks the last four games have cost him points. And Tom Coughlin should also think twice, since the plays Manning is giving up are running through his headset wires. A bit of greed at work, and that can hurt a team.

Anyway, they’re 4-2, a game behind Dallas in the NFC, and facing a short week before they get San Francisco on Sunday. At worst, they’ll come out of London at the midpoint with a 4-4 record, which in these days is good enough to set up a team for a playoff chase. My guess is they’ll beat the Dolphins over there. Don’t have a feel yet for Frisco, but you guys could be looking at 5-3, maybe even 6-2.

I’ll be back if any news pops up.

Ciao for now.

In speaking with the Atlanta media today, Tom Coughlin supported the new craze of calling timeout a split-second before a critical field goal attempt is snapped. It was called late enough in three instances this year that successful field goals were taken off the board. Only the Cowboys’ Nick Folk, forced to rekick a 53-yarder at the end of the Monday night game, hit the second try.

Cries have gone out for a rules change. But Coughlin, probably thinking such a manuever would come in handy for him at some point, didn’t appear amenable to one.

“There’s no doubt it is (in the spirit of the game),” Coughlin said. “There’s risk involved because you have the official right there beside you if you’re going to wait that long. If you don’t get the official’s attention, the ball might be away.

“I’m seeing people ice the kicker closer and closer to the snap. I definitely think it’s in the spirit of the game, but there’s a chance you won’t get the timeout.”

Small update: Camp cut Darren Barnett (CB) was signed to the practice squad.

Ciao for now.

Michael Strahan just had a conference call promoting his new book. He did say some interesting things, so here’s a sample for your enjoyment.

Download:

Also, C Matt Lentz was cut from the practice squad and DB Michael Stone, once on injured reserve, was given an injury settlement and is now a free agent.

Ciao for now.

Aaron Ross was benched in the first half of the Jets game because of a curfew-related issue Saturday night, according to a league source. The person would not get specific about whether Ross was late for curfew or was totally AWOL, but he did say the offense was serious enough to warrant some harsh discipline.

In other words, he wasn’t five minutes late to a meeting or wearing the wrong color socks.

Ciao for now.

Hmmmm. Wonder if the Eagles listen to ESPN Radio down there. If they did today, they heard Michael Strahan call Jon Runyan a dirty player.

A little bulletin board material to save for their Dec. 9 rematch, maybe?

Here’s how it transpired. Strahan was on publicizing his new book when the host asked him about dirty players in the NFL. Here’s his answer.

“Guys know they’re dirty,” he said. “Who’s a dirty player in the NFL? One guy I go against all the time, Jon Runyan, for instance, can be a very dirty player.”

Strahan went on to list Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, the Denver offensive line, and receivers who cut-block him when he’s out of the play as other offenders.

But I doubt the Eagles care much about the rest of the list.

Here’s the other interesting tidbit that came out of that interview. He talked about his first meeting with Tom Coughlin, not a particularly warm chat.

“My first conversation with him, I write about it, we were not necessarily nice,” Strahan said. “I went home and told my wife at the time, ‘You know what? Enjoy this season, because next season I’m not here. I’m not playing for this guy, no way, can’t do it.’”

“He was a jerk, he was mean. He basically wanted to say, ‘You haven’t had a career. You’ve done nothing in your career unless you listen to me from this point out. Right now, I’m the boss. I’m the big Kahuna. I run this show, and you’re nothing.’ As if I was a rookie starting all over again. That’s very tough for veteran players to deal with.

“But I always talked to him as a man, and I think we respect each other because of that. Now, I can honestly say I enjoy playing for him, because he wants to win. That’s his main focus and goal. And he’s a different coach than he was four years ago. I couldn’t stand him back then, and now I have a great relationship with him. I enjoy playing for him.”

Just another NFL love story. Having trouble seeing through the tears.

Ciao for now.

Here’s one for you. Aaron Ross does something stupid like misses a meeting or comes in late for curfew and he gets benched for a half against the Jets.

Tom Coughlin has his rules, and by now the veterans on the team know his rules are for everyone, no exceptions. As a rookie, Ross needs to learn and, like many people, needs to learn that lesson the hard way.

The question before the court is this: Does Coughlin’s punishment of one player put his whole team in jeopardy? For a squad trying to get above .500 for the first time this year, could he have blown it all just for the sake of making a point to a rookie? Was he justified in his punishment, no matter what the infraction?

When you answer, keep in mind that Ross isn’t any old shlub. It’s not like he’s the 53rd guy on the roster. He’s the best cornerback they have right now. As shown in the second half, he’s dynamic and explosive, and the whole defense gets better with him in there.

If you want my two cents—just about what my opinions are worth these days—I’m a fan of discipline. I had no problem with Coughlin sitting Plaxico Burress for a quarter against San Diego in 2005 because of tardiness to meetings. And I had no problem with Ross getting benched if Coughlin thought the infraction was severe enough.

But that’s just me.

Fire away!

Ciao for now.

Here’s a clip of Tom Coughlin talking about why the kickoff coverage unit gave up that 98-yard touchdown return by Leon Washington, and how the team fought back from its 17-7 halftime deficit.

Download:

The Giants also cut CB E.J. Underwood from the practice squad for missing a meeting. Unlike Aaron Ross, a starter who can cool his heels for a half, practice squad kids have few disciplinary options. And, let’s be honest, who needs the headache with someone who couldn’t make the 53-man roster. So say goodbye to a kid who had a promising training camp derailed by a busted jaw.

Ciao for now.