T-Rock's Take on the Giants

Treat it like you would a preseason game. The Giants season starts the Sunday after in Tampa.

I think you rest the guys that need rest (Jacobs, Plax) but everyone who plays; plays to win.

Sit 'em.

Let the Hefty Lefty get his shot in the 2nd half.

There is NO QUESTION Coughlin should be resting his starters for the final three quarters if not the entire game. The Giants do not owe it to the league to put up a fight against the steamroller that is New England, but they certainly owe it to themselves to get ready for the first-round playoff game against Tampa. Just look what Gruden did with his Bucs in Week 16.

Furthermore, anyone who has any sort of injury or condition on the Giants, no matter how minimal it may be, should only dress to play in an emergency situation. That means Jacobs, Burress and anybody else in our secondary prone to injury -- Sam Madison included -- should be riding the pine. In fact, don't even dress Jacobs or Aaron Ross. We are going to need a healthy, fast defense to be able to contain the Garcia-to-Galloway connection.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Let's hope there is one present we won't unwrap until Jan. 6.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the Giants have ever beaten Jeff Garcia before. Thus, they should be spending MORE time figuring out how they are going to contain his escapability and proficiency on the run and LESS time on how they are going to contain Tom Brady and Randy Moss. The Giants can't and won't contain the NFL's most dynamic duo no matter what they do -- that is, unless Belichick decides to rest his players for most of the game, which he will not do unless (A) the Pats are leading 28-0 at halftime or (B) Brady and Moss have already reached their NFL record milestones.

Giants Stadium would be a perfect site for Brady and Moss to make history considering (A) it is where Brett Favre let Michael Strahan eclipse wife-beater Mark Gastineau's single-season sack record in 2001, (B) its windy conditions are what all those Giants fans so blindly in love with Eli Manning have used as an excuse for his continued inconsistency and ineptness, and (C) Brady is undefeated in his career (7-0?) there.

Although I do agree with other fans who state that it will be more memorable for the Giants to deny the Patriots' bid at perfection than if they win one playoff game and/or do another one-and-done -- I still vividly remember the Dolphins' MNF win over the Bears in 1985, and I was at Giants Stadium for the 20-16 denial of Denver in 1998, when Toomer made his first big catch as a Giant -- there is no reason for Coughlin & Co. to tempt fate. It took them 15 weeks and an ankle injury to figure out to give Ahmad Bradshaw some snaps with the first-team 'O', and they still refuse to take the burden off Eli's shoulders by pounding the rock on the ground from start to finsh. So how long do you think it's going to take them to game-plan for the Bucs? Hint: Run the ball and throw only play-action passes unless you are in the shotgun spread/no-huddle offense.

Whatever the weather, I can see Eli throwing at least one pick-6 in that game, most likely to Ronde Barber. And if we are eliminated because of him, maybe the powers-that-be will start to realize that he is not the answer and actually bring someone in that could challenge him for the job next year... or, at worst, serve as a capable backup should we need to give him the hook at some point.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Let's hope there's at least one present we won't unwrap until Jan. 6.

Rest all the starters. No one in Giants Land cares about the Patsies.

Rest most of the starters. Maybe play the DB's so they can get work in against a top notch WR group so when they play TB, it will seem easier. Treat it like the second exhibition game. Maybe play the starters a quarter minus Eli,Plax,Jacobs,Pierce,Strahan.

Its not up to the Giants to take down the Pats thier we 15 other opportunities to make that happen, I do however feel that its a good chance for Eli to get connected with some of the receivers that he has not had a limited chance to work with in game situations.

sit plax, ross, jacobs, and wilson entirely, there is absolutely no sense in putting them at risk. all other starters play a quarter. I'd even keep Bradshaw off the field for most of the game with the way our running backs get injured, dont want to chance losing him. then when one of the Giants' third string DTs lands on brady's knee and tears his MCL in the 3rd quarter Coughlin can say for once he made a smarter move than Belichick.

very smart comments all-around, until "e" jerk had to throw in the INJURY dig...

If the Giants decide to play all thier starters for the entire game & give it thier best shot to win I seriously doubt there's a Patriot or Pats fan wishing the same upon Eli, etc.

mtlgiant actually hit it right on the head...there were 15 other opportunities to defeat new England this Season, and it didn't happen, with many of those teams certainly trying thier best.

It's not Coughlins job to try and salvage what others couldn't do to protect the stinkfins record...it's his job to beat Tampa Bay in the Wild Card game (with no rest between games) and get the Giants into the 2nd round of Play-offs.

By the way - I rooted for Buffalo big-time last week - simply because I wanted the Giants FORCED into giving 200% against the Patriots.

That way, there wouldn't be any whining from the "haters" about not EARNING the last victory needed for HISTORY.

Congrats on making the playoff run Giants - and good luck to you once they start.

rest as many as you can; prepare for the Bucs and let's meet the Pats in the Super Bowl and upset them there!

anyone healthy enough to play should play. they whould play to win..

run the ball down the Patsies throats . they are suce[table to the run....

imagine if they could beat them, what momentum it would give the Giants whom have a extra day to rest up for the Bucs..

Play the starters.........

Last time I checked, I'm a New York Giants fan. The Patriots record means nothing to me, unless it's a matter of ruining their perfect record in an NYG/NE rematch in the Super Bowl. Resting the starters is the right move, which I'm sure TC knows.

I'd start the starters and let them shoot for their numbers. Plaxico needs 59 yards for 1,000 receiving. Considering he's played the whole season on a bad ankle, it would probably mean something to him to start all 16 game and have 1,000 yards. Same for Jacobs, who needs 54 yards. If he can go, I'd start him. With all the injuries he's had, to still compile that many yards is something. If Jacobs breaks off a 54-yarder or Plaxico catches a 59-yard bomb on the first possession, then pull them.

Well said mattniss. If we were playing in any other contest than the Patriot's last leg of their Perfecto tour...there would be no question about sitting starters. Who's asking the Cowboys this question? Who's asking the Colts this question? And those games still have playoff implications...

If you play the starters only bad things happen. Someone gets hurt, or they get blown out and go into the Tampa game as awful as can be. Play the scrubs. Make it not matter. And besides, any true giants beleiver has seen our backups outplay our starters often

Dress everybody but sit BJ, Plax, Strahan, Bradshaw and Pierce. Spot them if needed. If Jitters does his juggling act with the ball and continues to miss wide open receivers PULL HIM and put the Hefty Lefty in.

I would say to rest some key guys, like Plax, Jacobs and some DB's or atleast limit them

Would definilty keep Manning in, and just work on the short passes, build up some convince and get the offense on the right page

If by some chance the Giants knock off the Pats, that is a huge boost to beat the #1 team, and a big momentum builder heading into the playoffs

If they dont beat the pats, oh well, nobody would of expected us too anyways, so there is no real loss.

I just want the offense to get back on page, whether its short passes, screens, consecutively running the ball, whatever just get the offense on the same page

No sense going into the playoffs with an misque offense

Should be intresting to see what they do

WOW,,Im kinda shocked..I consider myself a die hard Giant fan and I want this team to go all out against the Pats....Everybody is talking about the negative,Worrying about injuries,worrying about rest,BLAH,BLAH,BLAH....Listen,,one week of rest will do jack S**T for this team..What this team needs to do is continue to find a rythem,to keep improving...And what better way to improve then playing the best team in the league...I mean win or lose after playing this team,Let me put it like this...You know how u feel after you run with ankle weights and then you take them off and run again,how fast and strong you feel..Well after this team plays the Pats,, Tampa will feel exactly like that..And just imagine If somehow the GMEN pull off the upset,(which I accually think we are the type of team to play well against the Pats with a great Pass rush and a very strong Run game). The type of momentum that would give this team could bring you straight to the superbowl..LEts go Giants,and for you fans who dont wanna play this game u should be very dissapointed in yourselves...JUST GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!

I'm wondering how most of the players are spending their holiday. Perhaps Arthur can get us some info in his Friday list.
All I know about Saturday is they better have Jacobs play at least a half. If he sits this week we all know he'll be putting the ball on the floor in Tampa and that won't help. As far as everybody else, I'm not sure. If I was going to play the starters I would do it because I want the offense to get some kind of chemistry going since they have not been looking too good lately, not because I care about the Pats record.

Play guys like Eli, Moss, Smith etc extensively who can benefit from extra practice to get into rhythm. Maybe even Jacobs, as he seems to come back rusty when he misses time.

If Eli is getting hit a lot of course, take him out.

Other than that, this is a preseason game. Crucial players who are nursing injury, like Burress, should not be in pads.

Play everyone, and play as hard as possible to win the game.

The Patriots game is by FAR the most important game of the year. This game is for the history books. Nobody but nobody is going to remember what the Giants do in the playoffs this year.

Yes, we would all like them to win the Super Bowl. But there is ZERO chance that's going to happen. I'm a die-hard Giants fan, but any fan who says that we need to prepare for a Super Bowl run is simply delusional. And nobody at all is going to remember a first or second round playoff loss. On the other hand, beating the Patriots will be remembered by everyone in the history of the league. (Pop quiz - we all know that the '85 Dolphins beat the Bears that year. Who remembers what the Dolphins did in the playoffs in '85? Nobody.)

You play Burress. You play Jacobs. You play Pierce. You play Eli. If you are losing 31-7 in the third quarter, sure, sit them then. But you play everyone, and you play to win.

I agree to treating it like a playoff game. Rest those who need it (Plax, Jacobs, etc.) but play everyone else for at least some substantial period of time. I would want to keep the momentum from the Buffalo game.

This game should be treated like the last pre-season game. It's also a good time to rest the walking-injured.

I don't care who we are playing - the final score of this game is meaningless.

I would also rest Kevin Gilbride. It's time for someone else to run this offense.

And for anyone out there who is still blaming Eli for everything that goes wrong on offense - our recievers aren't open all that much. And when they are - they drop a lot of passes. Eli fumbled a lot of snaps last week - this is true. He had an awful game - this is also true. But fumbles are not the norm. What is the norm is pass rushers coming in unblocked and knocking Eli around. What is the norm are dropped passes. What is the norm are covered recievers. What is the norm is a predictable offense that opposing defenses are exploiting.

(Why is Gilbride putting Eli in the shotgun when we need to establish the run? Running options are too limited in that formation.)

All of the big named QB's this year had one or two awful games. That's what happens when a good defense has you figured out. (i.e. Romo had 5 INT's and a fumble; Peyton had 6 INT's; etc.)

The difference is the offensive coordinators on the other teams and the recievers. The coordinators make adjustments. Their receivers are great. Plax is hurt. He's only been good this year - not great. Toomer is very good - not great. Shockey has been good not great. The rest - not good receiving.

It's easy to jump on Eli when he's making mistakes, but look what he has to work with.

Opposing defenses are not respecting the run. Who's fault is that? Gilbride! The man is exceptionally 'mediocre'. That's not good enough.

Rest the injured - including Gilbride.

-Big BB

I would first ask what are the positive things that the Giants could achieve in this game. Momentum, sure; Game time practice with Eli to Smith, Moss, Tyree, Kevin Boss, Michael Mathews, and Bradshaw out of the backfield, all necessary and important, we desperately #3,4,5 receiving threats in the playoffs. Resting key people with nagging injuries, yes on a case by case basis.
Having said that here's the stratedgy: Play Eli 3-4 quarters with the "new" receiving core, sit Plax and possibly sit Toomer after a quarter or two. Start the 1st string defense and have Spags dial up the most agressive blitzing scheme he can come up with, make the secondary play one on one (good practice). Then play chicken with Bellechick. After Brady gets hurried, hit or sacked 10 times in the first quarter does 16-0 really look that important to him? Besides this is a totally legitimate stategy against the Pats to try to win the game, take away the pass and make them run the ball. If the secondary gets burned and the game is out of control by the half congratulate the Pats on their records and sit the starters in the second half and go on to Tampa Bay. If its close give it another quarter while subing in a few guys like Blackburn for Pierce.

I agree with Russ. Play to win this game. What kind of professionals are we talking about if they're afraid to step onto the field with another team?

This is a great test to see what the G-men are made of against the best team in football.

But rest some of the guys who are limping...Plax, Pierce, Jacobs. Not the whole game, but maybe alternate quarters. See how the game shakes down. If Brady lights it up and it's 35-0 at the half, then pull everybody. But as long as you have a chance to win a game at home and give the best team in football a run for their money, why wouldn't you opt to take some momentum and fear into Tampa Bay with you?

If I had to go against my original opinion, I'd go with Russ' strategy. It would be fun to see the look on Belichick's face if Brady was getting battered and bringing all-out blitzes. Plus our secondary could use the man-to-man experience.

And Alex S., I think the '85 Dolphins were upset by the Patriots in the playoffs, if I remember correctly.