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Brandon Jacobs' absence may leave big void in Big D
By RALPH VACCHIANO
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Life without their No. 1 receiver wasn't too easy for the Giants last Sunday. Now they're going to have to learn to live without their top running back, too.
Brandon Jacobs was officially declared "out" of the Giants' game in Dallas Sunday night after he missed his third straight practice Friday with an injured left knee. That means Derrick Ward will start at running back for the defending champions in their final visit to Texas Stadium.
It also probably means a little more action for little-used running back Ahmad Bradshaw, and it could mean the offensive debut of never-used running back Danny Ware.
But just because the names have changed - the "Earth, Wind, and Fire" backfield is now the "Wind, Fire and Water" backfield, according to Ware - doesn't mean anything will be different, as far as the Giants (11-2) are concerned.
"That's a little bit about our swag," said Ware, who has nicknamed himself "Water." "We feel you can put any one of us in behind the line we have and we can go out and be successful. I mean, everybody's confident, everybody has their own swag, and everybody's ready to go out there and take control if they have to."
Most of that responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of Ward (669 yards on 138 carries this season) and Bradshaw (54-319), neither of whom would speak to the media Friday. And it could be a tough job since the Cowboys (8-5) should be able to stack the line of scrimmage since Plaxico Burress is no longer in the Giants lineup.
Both players have had success this season, but they've also obviously benefitted from the way Jacobs (195-1,002) has used his 6-4, 264-pound body to soften up the defense.
The question they have to answer is whether they can soften up defenses on their own. Jacobs has missed one game this season - Nov.23 at Arizona, when his right knee swelled up the morning of the game - and the Giants' rushing attack struggled without him. Ward gained 69 yards on 20 carries in that win over the Cardinals, and Bradshaw contributed just four carries for nine yards.
"D-Ward and Ahmad are still physical kinds of backs," said veteran running back Reuben Droughns, who likely will be the fourth back Sunday night. "I think that's the type of running that we do, and the runners we have are more physical types of backs. Even though Brandon's a big load and does take some weight off our shoulders, I think the guys we have can handle that aspect of the game too.
"They're going to have to."
That's because Tom Coughlin said he has no plans to alter his offense even though Jacobs won't be leading the charge for what is still the No.1 rushing offense in football (154.6 yards per game). The fact that they ran for only 87 yards in Arizona without Jacobs - their second-lowest total of the season - doesn't seem to worry the coach at all.
"The scheme is the scheme," Coughlin said. "We've always utilized whichever back was in there, as if all of them were going to play, depending on who happened to be in the game at the time. So in the fourth quarter, many times when Bradshaw is in there, we're running the same plays that we run in the first quarter."
Of course, usually by then the opposing defense is exhausted from being hit constantly by Jacobs. The Giants won't have that luxury Sunday night.
"I think we're still very confident," Droughns said. "Obviously we need Brandon. Hopefully this will help him get some rest. But I'm very confident. I think the guys that we have are very capable."
HIXON READY: WR Domenik Hixon (ankle/foot) and DT Fred Robbins (shoulder) are listed as questionable after being limited in practice Friday. Hixon said he is fine and expects to play. ... Bradshaw (neck), CB Aaron Ross (ankle), DE Justin Tuck (lower leg) and RT Kareem McKenzie are probable. Tuck was limited in practice, but the other three practiced in full.
By RALPH VACCHIANO
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Life without their No. 1 receiver wasn't too easy for the Giants last Sunday. Now they're going to have to learn to live without their top running back, too.
Brandon Jacobs was officially declared "out" of the Giants' game in Dallas Sunday night after he missed his third straight practice Friday with an injured left knee. That means Derrick Ward will start at running back for the defending champions in their final visit to Texas Stadium.
It also probably means a little more action for little-used running back Ahmad Bradshaw, and it could mean the offensive debut of never-used running back Danny Ware.
But just because the names have changed - the "Earth, Wind, and Fire" backfield is now the "Wind, Fire and Water" backfield, according to Ware - doesn't mean anything will be different, as far as the Giants (11-2) are concerned.
"That's a little bit about our swag," said Ware, who has nicknamed himself "Water." "We feel you can put any one of us in behind the line we have and we can go out and be successful. I mean, everybody's confident, everybody has their own swag, and everybody's ready to go out there and take control if they have to."
Most of that responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of Ward (669 yards on 138 carries this season) and Bradshaw (54-319), neither of whom would speak to the media Friday. And it could be a tough job since the Cowboys (8-5) should be able to stack the line of scrimmage since Plaxico Burress is no longer in the Giants lineup.
Both players have had success this season, but they've also obviously benefitted from the way Jacobs (195-1,002) has used his 6-4, 264-pound body to soften up the defense.
The question they have to answer is whether they can soften up defenses on their own. Jacobs has missed one game this season - Nov.23 at Arizona, when his right knee swelled up the morning of the game - and the Giants' rushing attack struggled without him. Ward gained 69 yards on 20 carries in that win over the Cardinals, and Bradshaw contributed just four carries for nine yards.
"D-Ward and Ahmad are still physical kinds of backs," said veteran running back Reuben Droughns, who likely will be the fourth back Sunday night. "I think that's the type of running that we do, and the runners we have are more physical types of backs. Even though Brandon's a big load and does take some weight off our shoulders, I think the guys we have can handle that aspect of the game too.
"They're going to have to."
That's because Tom Coughlin said he has no plans to alter his offense even though Jacobs won't be leading the charge for what is still the No.1 rushing offense in football (154.6 yards per game). The fact that they ran for only 87 yards in Arizona without Jacobs - their second-lowest total of the season - doesn't seem to worry the coach at all.
"The scheme is the scheme," Coughlin said. "We've always utilized whichever back was in there, as if all of them were going to play, depending on who happened to be in the game at the time. So in the fourth quarter, many times when Bradshaw is in there, we're running the same plays that we run in the first quarter."
Of course, usually by then the opposing defense is exhausted from being hit constantly by Jacobs. The Giants won't have that luxury Sunday night.
"I think we're still very confident," Droughns said. "Obviously we need Brandon. Hopefully this will help him get some rest. But I'm very confident. I think the guys that we have are very capable."
HIXON READY: WR Domenik Hixon (ankle/foot) and DT Fred Robbins (shoulder) are listed as questionable after being limited in practice Friday. Hixon said he is fine and expects to play. ... Bradshaw (neck), CB Aaron Ross (ankle), DE Justin Tuck (lower leg) and RT Kareem McKenzie are probable. Tuck was limited in practice, but the other three practiced in full.
