Good And Bad
-
- December
- 30
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.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, December 30th, 2007 at 3:19 pm by Ernie Palladino.
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Ernie Palladino
Happy New Year Ernie, I caught you on FAN yesterday and you questioned the “Hurry Up” offense because it tires out the offense as well as the D . The hurry up is derived from the 2 minute drill, players like P.Manning, Staubach,Marino and Montana made famous. The Bills under Jim Kelly were great at it.The method of it is that the offense knows where their going and the defense has to react to the play.You will often see defenses call a time out because they are not sure or don’t know what their up against.
So offenses set up quickly calling 2 plays in a huddle or an audible,this along with a hard count create havoc with the D ,causing encroachment penalties,too many men ,not enough,and players out of position.It works ..and It seems that Eli has a knack for it as well.