1) Will Osi be back from injury this week to face the Eagles? There are conflicting views. Coughlin says he is ready to see Osi play on Sunday. The other casts doubt. Considering the way the injuries keep piling up, it would be nice to finally get someone back.
2) Hixon and Manningham, both hurt on Monday night, have a shot at playing on Sunday. Manningham’s concussion seems less problematic than Hixon’s knee/calf, for which Hixon underwent an MRI.
3) The Giants are chock full of injury news. This time it is the feigned injury by Deon Grant that is catching some press. Steve Spagnuolo and the Rams have filed a complaint with the NFL about the dive that Grant took to slow down the no-huddle. Leave it to Antrel Rolle to give the media a sound bite. But don’t expect anything to come from it, as the link in (2) above notes that the only way that the NFL can take action is if Grant himself admits he was not injured. Do expect the NFL’s competition committee to take up the matter in the offseason.
4) Yet more injuries. This time the Philly variety. Michael Vick suffered a concussion on Sunday night. Everyone is now focused on whether Vick will be able to play Sunday. Coughlin says that the team will prepare for Vick.
5) After the Week 1 shredding of the Giants secondary by Rex Grossman, we singled out Aaron Ross for being “average at best.” Ross has his positive moments in press coverage where he can use physical skills to disrupt pass routes, but once he is in coverage he is vulnerable. Ross was healthy and active in preseason, a start. And then when TT went down, he became the starter. But Monday night he was benched for Michael Coe, a bad development. When you consider that TT, Amukamara, Johnson and Weatherspoon were all hurt, it is embarrassing for your #1 draft pick to lose his job to a journeyman who has suited up in 19 games for 3 teams in 5 seasons, with zero starts.
6) This blog has tremendous affection for Steve Spagnuolo, who brought in pressure defense and helped this franchise to a Super Bowl victory. Even less noticed is how he had the defense in prime position in the playoffs of 2008, only to be undermined by Gilbride, Manning and Carney. So it is interesting to watch how Spags is apparently catching grief from his owner in St. Louis. We can’t speak to all of his on-field decisions as a head coach. It is fair to say that the Rams shot themselves in the foot in both games here in 2011. Just because he was an excellent coordinator does not make him an excellent head coach. One commenter on the link asked why he punted without any timeouts left and a 12 pt deficit. Good point. The Rams schedule in the first half of the season is brutal. They could be 1-6 before facing the sad sack NFC West in Week 8. Good luck Steve, we still luv ya here in NY.
7) Wake up call. Tomorrow, the bear comes out of hibernation.
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