Don’t know whether center Shaun O’Hara can come back in time for Tampa from his sprained left MCL. But he told Sirius Radio that he’s going to give it a try and that the extra day between now and Sunday’s game might help.

Here’s the transcript of what he told hosts Vic Carucci (a heck of a nice guy and a friend for years, by the way) and Randy Cross.

“Well, I think that you know that as offensive linemen we’re never really injured, we’re just hurt. The knee is pretty sore. I got looked at yesterday and it doesn’t seem to be anything too threatening so I’m just kind of on a day-to-day basis right now. The first couple of days after the game you are always the most sore anytime you tweak anything so we’ll just have to wait and see. We found out that we’ll be playing on Sunday at 1:00pm so that actually gives me a little more time so I’m hoping that everything works out.”

As to whether O’Hara thought Tom Coughlin’s idea of sticking with the starters the whole Patriots game was wise, O’Hara was non-commital. However, it’s worth noting he got hurt in the second quarter, when he probably would have been in there, anyway.

“Well, I think that that is a selfish mind-set for me to just say, ‘You know what, it’s all about me.’ I think that after watching the Redskins-Cowboys game and seeing how the Cowboys tried to rest some guys and kind of went in there and just kind of played sloppy, I don’t think that would have been good for our team.

“Obviously, the biggest factor right now, and really for the whole season is how do we respond now after this game, how do we respond with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game? Because if we go down there and we do not win that game then everybody is going to second guess what we did against New England. And that’s really the biggest factor in my eyes is going down there and trying to get that win.

“If we can win that game then we’ll all come out smelling like roses. Obviously, no player wanted to get hurt and any time anybody went down in that game against the Patriots we all kind of held our breath hoping that they were going to get up. It is part of the game. You have to kind of roll with the punches when they do happen but as a competitor I don’t really think that I can sit back and say, ‘Man, I wish we didn’t go after those guys.”

O’Hara said his goal is to get back to practice Wednesday, but not necessarily to take every snap in every drill. He said he can get by with limited practice.

“Really, I’m going to have to take it day-by-day but I think at this point in the season I don’t necessarily need to take every single rep to feel comfortable to go. So I think that later on down the week we’ll be able to make a decision.”

Ciao for now.

Just thought you might want to give Michael Strahan a listen as he talks about this playoff game possibly being his last as he’ll once again think about retiring after the season ends.

Download:

Also, the Giants placed S Craig Dahl on IR with a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament and signed DB Geoffrey Pope from the practice squad to take his spot.

Ciao for now.

The NFL confirmed just a few minutes ago that the Giants’ playoff game in Tampa will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. It will be televised on FOX-Channel 5.

That to me is a darned sight better than Saturday at 8:15. The Giants will be given an extra day off as a result, and will begin practice in earnest on Wednesday.

Ciao for now.

Just so you can get a jump on some early planning, here are the Giants’ opponents for next season.

In addition to their home-and-home series against divisional opponents Washington, Philadelphia, and Dallas, they’ll face San Francisco, Seattle, Carolina, Baltimore, and Cincinnati at home. Their away games are Arizona, St. Louis, Minnesota, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.

The schedule won’t come out until April at the earliest.

Ciao for now.

Just got off with Tom Coughlin, who reported that special teams player Craig Dahl is done for the season with a torn ACL. And the news on Kawika Mitchell and Shaun O’Hara was mixed in that both have sprained MCLs. Both are undergoing MRIs today.

That somewhat good news for O’Hara, since the replay of the injury made it look like an ACL that would have finished him for the season. Not sure if the MCL sprain is mild enough to be managed, at least in time for Tampa, but at least he’ll have a shot at further play if the Giants beat the Bucs. Ditto for Mitchell.

The good news is that both their replacements played well last night. Gerris Wilkinson did a whale of a job, making a couple of stops behind the line and breaking up one end zone throw to Randy Moss. And Grey Ruegamer did okay for O’Hara. Coughlin will spend much of the next couple of days deciding whether to keep Ruegamer at center, or shift someone like Rich Seubert in there instead and put Ruegamer at guard, where he’s more comfortable.

Sam Madison and his strained abdominal might just make it back to practice this week. And Coughlin said Ahmad Bradshaw should work and be ready for the game. But after seeing Domenik Hixon run back kickoffs and listening to Coughlin describe that 74-yard scoring return as “a clinic,” I’m not sure I’d put Bradshaw back there at all. Hixon has the hot hand right now, and that’s what you need in the playoffs. So if Bradshaw does get back for the game—Coughlin sounded very hopeful—he might just be restricted to backup running back duties. And that would be just fine if his leg will allow him to continue to provide the quick-cut, change of pace style from Brandon Jacobs.

Coughlin was also hopeful about CB Kevin Dockery, who missed his second game with a hip flexor injury. He’ll be needed for starting duty if Madison can’t make it.

We’ll find out after the 4 p.m. games when this one gets played. I’ll get back with a quick update when I know. So you’ll know. And I’ll know that you know.

Oh, yeah. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden didn’t play Jeff Garcia, Joey Galloway, or Earnest Graham today. Talk about defensive driving heading into the playoffs. Wonder if all that rest is going to create rust on the old pirate ironclad.

Ciao for now.

We’re getting Coughlin this afternoon, but before that I’d like to challenge anybody who thinks the Giants got nothing out of last night’s game to come forward and be heard.

As Coughlin said, there were many, many positives to take from a game like that, even if the net result was a loss. They were beating the Patriots into the fourth quarter, which is plenty. But Eli Manning also had one of his best games of the season, reserve weakside linebacker Gerris Wilkinson showed up big, and the offensive line did a credible, though not perfect job, of handling the New England defense.

That should add up to momentum heading into the playoffs. But be aware, the Giants still showed some serious flaws that have made things tough on them all season.

Eli’s interception, for instance, couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Pats had just gone up 31-28 in the fourth quarter. Instead, Amani Toomer’s holding penalty puts them in second-and-14, and Manning looks straight at Plaxico Burress and gets picked by Ellis Hobbs. You could have shut things off right there, because Tom Brady and Laurence Maroney turned that into a touchdown and a 10-point lead.

Before that, the Giants were driving in the third after the Pats tightened things to 28-22. The Giants get down to the Pats 42, and then Adalius Thomas blows past David Diehl for a 14-yard sack, and out went that drive.

Defensively, the Giants couldn’t get off the field again. But hey, they were working against Brady and Randy Moss. Nobody gets off the field against them.

The injuries? Have to wait and see. Shaun O’Hara’s knee appears the worst, and he’s going for an MRI today. Kawika Mitchell has a knee, and Sam Madison has an abdominal strain he says isn’t bad. But they all say that.

All in all, though, this should turn into a huge confidence boost going into Tampa. That should always happen when you take on the league’s best and nearly beat them. The only thing better would have been a win. But if they play like that next week, they’ll be heading to Green Bay or Dallas the following week. Guarantee it.

Ciao for now.

Just as he promised, Tom Coughlin activated all those who were physically able to play, including RB Brandon Jacobs and WR Plaxico Burress. Both were set to start.

He did not force RB Ahmad Bradshaw into the lineup after a week of sitting with a bruised leg. Nor were WR Sinorice Moss or CB Kevin Dockery among the actives.

Here’s the entire list.

Giants:
Jared Lorenzen (third QB)
CB Kevin Dockery
RB Ahmad Bradshaw
LB Tank Daniels
T Adam Koets
DT Manny Wright
WR Sinorice Moss
TE Jerome Collins

Patriots:
Matt Gutierrez (third QB)
WR Chad Jackson
DB Willie Andrews
FB Kyle Eckel
G Stephen Neal
T Nick Kaczur
WR Troy Brown
TE Kyle Brady

Deadline game tonight. See ya after the final gun.

Enjoy.

Ciao for now.

Or not. If the Giants win this one, no one will remember this Patriots team unless they go all the way to the Super Bowl, and then it’ll be for the Super Bowl championship, not 15-1.

Still, don’t expect any miracles here. The Pats have proven themselves well above the league. I’m not expecting this one to be close.

Here’s your five questions.

1) Can Eli Manning get himself straightened out against a strong defense like the Pats’?

He’d better. For the first time in a month he’ll probably get to play in mild weather. That should help his throwing. The fact that Plaxico Burress practiced all week won’t hurt, either. No excuses now for him being off the mark unless, of course, Mike Vrabel comes in breathing fire every snap. To generate enough points, he’ll have to keep the chains moving, something he’s failed to do this final stretch. And another 100-yard effort from Brandon Jacobs wouldn’t hurt, either.

2) Eli Manning? Plaxico Burress? Brandon Jacobs? Are these guys really going to play a whole game?

Well, look at it this way. They’re all going to start unless Tom Coughlin decides Jacobs’ and Burress’ ankle sprains warrant a week off. That doesn’t seem to be the case, since both practiced this week. That means if the game is still a game at halftime, they can both look forward to a full game of work. Or at least the third quarter. If New England pulls away after that, then so be it, and the subs come in.

3) Will any of the Giants be looking ahead to the playoff game in Tampa?

You mean, is a game against a 15-0 team looking to make history actually a trap game? Interesting. If I’m wrong about how Coughlin will play the starters, then it doesn’t matter, the Giants will get blown out, anyway. But if he’s playing for real, I’m not sure anybody’s going to be looking ahead. Coughlin has done a good job keeping his team focused this year on the opponent in front of them. He said he hasn’t even addressed Tampa Bay yet. Believe him, don’t believe him. The fact is the starters seem intent on taking this challenge and playing hard.

4) If they get out ahead early, will Bill Belichick try to embarrass the Giants?

Nah. He’s got nothing against Coughlin. In fact, their working relationship when both worked on Bill Parcells’ Super Bowl-winning staff—Coughlin with the wide receivers, and defensive coordinator Belichick with the defensive backs—sounded about as warm and cuddly as these two halibuts could get. Belichick was nothing but complimentary toward his old compadre, noting how they worked closely with each other to see what would work and what wouldn’t against each other’s group.

5) So, okay, the improbable happens and the Giants win. What does that do for them?

Saves them a ton of money on plane fare, for one thing. They’ll be able to fly as far as Georgia on the emotional high alone. Stick ‘em on a school bus the rest of the way and they won’t know the difference. The word springboard comes to mind, as does momentum. Two wins, one in the snows of Buffalo and the other against a 15-0 team, would be a fantastic way to end a regular season already successful because of double-digit wins.

Prediction: Don’t get your hopes up. After all the controversy of the season, the Patriots want this one in the worst way. The Giants will play hard. But eventually, probably in the fourth quarter, we’re going to see Anthony Wright handing off to Reuben Droughns just to get it over with. Patriots 30-20.

Enjoy the game.

Ciao for now.

Doesn’t look like WR Sinorice Moss (back) or CB Kevin Dockery (hip) are going to make it. But RB Ahmad Bradshaw (leg) is questionable, so he’s 50-50. Expect Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress to start despite sore ankles.

Would be nice to get Bradshaw in there to lighten the load on Jacobs. I have a feeling he’ll be there after missing the two heavy days of practice.

Ciao for now.

I’m not always a big believer in what players say in regard to team strategy before games. But going through this week and listening to them, I’m starting to believe the Giants will play this one for real for as long as possible.

I’m not saying a guy like Ahmad Bradshaw or Sinorice Moss is going to be rushed in there while injured. Tom Coughlin will be smart about those things. But certainly if a guy can play, even if a little nicked like Brandon Jacobs or Antonio Pierce, they’re going to be out there.

The reason I think this way is because of something Amani Toomer said. The Giants historically don’t do well after bye weeks. Well, if Coughlin rests key regulars early, it would be tantamount to giving this team a week off. With the Giants, that’s almost a sure way to go down in the first round. Besides, Eli Manning needs to get turned around before the postseason starts, and success against the Patriots would prove an enormous boost for his confidence. And don’t you think Jacobs would like to notch a 100-yard game against an undefeated defense, or Osi Umenyiora sack Tom Brady once or twice?

There’s a lot here that could provide an emotional springboard heading into the playoffs. But continuity is just as important. That’s why I think Coughlin will leave his starters in at least for a half. If it’s still a game by then, I’ll bet he plays his best players a whole game. And that means Plaxico Burress, too.

Just trying to connect dots here, but it makes sense.

What do you think?

Ciao for now.