Tonight the Giants will have to prove that perhaps the biggest key to their championship, their incredible defense, will be up to the task despite losing two key members, Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan as well as linebacker Kawika Mitchell and safety Gibril Wilson.

All eyes will be on rushers Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, who moves back to defensive end after two years at linebacker. Tuck becomes the key member of the defense with the departure of Umenyiora and Strahan. Gerris Wilkinson and Danny Clark are the benefactors of the reconfiguration, gaining starting roles.

Justin Tuck talks about stepping up to the challenge.

“I didn’t see that one coming,” Tuck said. “Obviously, Osi is a remarkable player and that really hurts us, but it just means someone has to step up now.

“It is something that (Kiwanuka), all of us, really wanted, but obviously we didn’t want these circumstances for him to get back in that (defensive linemen’s) room. It is a good thing for him; it is a good thing for this team. He is definitely a D-lineman at heart, and hopefully he can just come back in and not miss a beat.”

Antonio Pierce looks forward to having Wilkinson and Clark flanking him this season.

“I think those guys are going to have their heads on a swivel for a bit,” Pierce said. “Obviously they have all been playing all three positions – Mike, Sam and Will – now it is just about getting comfortable. Now that they know, hopefully they will stay in the one place. Danny Clark is going to be our Sam, Gerris will be the Will, so now they can just focus on that and be the best player they can be.”

In the secondary, on the strong side, James Butler and Sammy Knight will share time, neither of them making a definitive case in camp or preseason. At free safety, rookie phenom Kenny Phillips turned everyones heads in camp and showed the rest of the NFL how foolish they were to let him fall to the Giants in this year’s draft. He is making a strong push to take Micheal Johnson‘s job, and should be the starter in short order.

The corners manned by Corey Webster and Aaron Ross remain solid with R.W. McQuarters, Sam Madison and Kevin Dockery will see time as well.