Ralph Vacchiano from the Daily News provides us with a pre-practice report from Tom Coughlin.
Brandon Jacobs will be on the sidelines when the Giants practice today, but Tom Coughlin is hopeful that he’ll be out at practice tomorrow. In fact, Coughlin said “We expect he will be able to go tomorrow,” though he cautioned “as you know, these things are day-to-day. He feels good,” Coughlin said. “Hopefully with another day he’ll have made the progress he needs.”
Sounds pretty….well day to day, as Coughlin said. I think the only reason the Giants would hold him out is fro precautionary reasons. Yes, this is a big game, but at 9-1 why risk injury to your starting back when you have a three headed monster. That said, when healthy, Coughlin is all about playing his guys so they don’t get rusty. This will be a nice problem to have later in the year, as it will mean the Giants have locked up a playoff spot and perhaps home field. As every analyst around the country noted last year, one of the smartest moves Coughlin made was playing his starters against New England in the last game of the year. If the Giants are put into a similar situation, where they are already guaranteed a playoff spot, it will be interesting to see what Coughlin does this year. Perhaps, this Jacobs scenario might give us some insight, but maybe not.
CB Aaron Ross (hamstring) and LB Chase Blackburn (neck) will also be held out of practice today, though Coughlin is expecting them to be ready tomorrow. Meanwhile, CB Kevin Dockery (back) and LB Jonathan Goff (concussion) will practice, though it’s not clear if they’ll be limited or not.
Like I said before, with the likes of Breaston, Boldin and Fitzgerald the Giants will need all the healthy corners they have.
As for the longest tenured member of the injury report — LB Gerris Wilkinson(knee) — Coughlin said he’ll be doing some individual work today and he said “We’re hopeful of getting more out of him this week.”
I am not doubting Gerris’s injury for one second, but his rehab is starting to get a bit long. You wonder where he will fall on the depth chart when he gets back. For now I think it is Chase’s job to lose, but due to injury Brian Kehl will take snaps with the first team
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Another interesting article about Jacobs — http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8817328/GIANTS-CHALK-TALK:-Jacobs-hoping-to-re-sign?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=5
Quote from the man himself: “”No question about it, this is where I want to be,” he said. “If they come up with something fair, this is where I’ll be. I’m not really trying to break the bank like some other people. I just want what’s fair.”
I’m sure that makes Giants fans feel better, that he won’t just whore himself out for the most money, because I have no doubt that Reese will put aside something “fair” for Jacobs. It also has Jacobs reaction to Ward most likely being gone next year…
Anyway, for Arizona I definitely want the Giants’ most prolific offensive player (Jacobs) in the game against the brutal Warner-led offense of the Cards, but the corner situation is probably a little more worrying. I have no doubt that Jacobs sets the tone, wears down defenses, and intimidates teams, but you have to believe that Eli can step it up if he has to (we know he has the talent), and Ward and Bradshaw will also have something to prove.
The defense, though… we need them healthy for this game, especially in the secondary.
I just also want to say that I think the Cardinals are one of the classiest fans out there. Warner is such an upstanding guy, as Giants fans know, and Boldin seems to have more heart than any other player in the NFL. It should be a fun matchup!