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With win, Giants hoping to put away Cowboys early in NFC East
By RALPH VACCHIANO
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
The Giants spent almost all of last season chasing the Dallas Cowboys, and they didn't catch them until their divisional playoff game. Even then, they needed every last play before they finally disposed of their hated rivals.
It'd be a relief if they could put the Cowboys away right now.
GIANTS BIG 4TH QUARTER BEATS STEELERS
"Absolutely," said defensive tackle Barry Cofield. "You want to try and build some space between you and your opponent. And we know that's a team that's going to get some guys back here pretty soon, and likely be playing their best ball at the end of the year. Any kind of cushion we can build right now we'd love to have."
The Giants (6-1) could build a huge cushion over the Cowboys (4-3) with a win on Sunday that would make Dallas an afterthought in the NFC East race.
And now is the time to do it, since the Cowboys have an all-star squad on their injury list, beginning with Tony Romo, out at least another week with a broken pinkie. They also won't have cornerback Terence Newman (sports hernia), running back Felix Jones (hamstring), safety Roy Williams (broken arm) and cornerback Pacman Jones (suspension). And they might be without cornerback Anthony Henry (quad), guard Kyle Kosier (foot) and tight end Jason Witten (broken rib).
That's five starters, their three best cornerbacks, and their first-round draft pick (Jones). "I'd like to beat teams when they're at their best, but I think if we go into this game with the wrong mindset, this could be a very dangerous game for us," said defensive end Justin Tuck. "If we go into this game thinking they're just going to lay down because they don't have their starting quarterback, we're fools. We've definitely got to get our minds right."
Maybe that's why Tom Coughlin's press conference Wednesday sounded like an infomercial for America's Team. He was unusually energetic and seemed like he couldn't wait to tell everybody how good the Cowboys really are.
"I would say this to start off," Coughlin began. "This Dallas team, we all know they are an extremely talented football team. The game that they played last weekend was an outstanding ballgame versus a very, very good Tampa Bay team. As I understand it, it was a game which they called a 'must win' there, and they went out and got it."
He went on to say that Brad Johnson, who apparently is in danger of being replaced by Brooks Bollinger during Sunday's game, "played well" despite throwing for only 122 yards (19 for 33). He called Marion Barber (611 yards on the season) an "outstanding runner" behind "a very, very forceful offensive line." He praised their receivers, said their defensive front seven is "as good as there is in football." He even had kind words for their kicking game, too.
"I know and everybody seems to be like the Giants are going to roll over the Cowboys," Tuck said. "No. This game is going to come down the wire. They have what, 16, 17 Pro Bowlers last year? Or 30?"
Actually, it was 13. The Giants had one.
"Obviously they're missing a few of them," Tuck said. "But they still got a lot of quality football players down there. I really expect them to come in and play their (butts) off."
KIWANUKA HONORED: DE Mathias Kiwanuka, who had three sacks against Pittsburgh, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week....LB Bryan Kehl (toe) and DT Fred Robbins (hand) did not practice. ... Nine people with ties to the Giants are among the 133 on the preliminary list of nominees for the Hall of Fame: Ottis Anderson, Jessie Armstead, Mark Bavaro, Lomas Brown, Brian Mitchell, Dan Reeves, Phil Simms, Herschel Walker and George Young. The list will be reduced to 25 next month.
By RALPH VACCHIANO
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
The Giants spent almost all of last season chasing the Dallas Cowboys, and they didn't catch them until their divisional playoff game. Even then, they needed every last play before they finally disposed of their hated rivals.
It'd be a relief if they could put the Cowboys away right now.
GIANTS BIG 4TH QUARTER BEATS STEELERS
"Absolutely," said defensive tackle Barry Cofield. "You want to try and build some space between you and your opponent. And we know that's a team that's going to get some guys back here pretty soon, and likely be playing their best ball at the end of the year. Any kind of cushion we can build right now we'd love to have."
The Giants (6-1) could build a huge cushion over the Cowboys (4-3) with a win on Sunday that would make Dallas an afterthought in the NFC East race.
And now is the time to do it, since the Cowboys have an all-star squad on their injury list, beginning with Tony Romo, out at least another week with a broken pinkie. They also won't have cornerback Terence Newman (sports hernia), running back Felix Jones (hamstring), safety Roy Williams (broken arm) and cornerback Pacman Jones (suspension). And they might be without cornerback Anthony Henry (quad), guard Kyle Kosier (foot) and tight end Jason Witten (broken rib).
That's five starters, their three best cornerbacks, and their first-round draft pick (Jones). "I'd like to beat teams when they're at their best, but I think if we go into this game with the wrong mindset, this could be a very dangerous game for us," said defensive end Justin Tuck. "If we go into this game thinking they're just going to lay down because they don't have their starting quarterback, we're fools. We've definitely got to get our minds right."
Maybe that's why Tom Coughlin's press conference Wednesday sounded like an infomercial for America's Team. He was unusually energetic and seemed like he couldn't wait to tell everybody how good the Cowboys really are.
"I would say this to start off," Coughlin began. "This Dallas team, we all know they are an extremely talented football team. The game that they played last weekend was an outstanding ballgame versus a very, very good Tampa Bay team. As I understand it, it was a game which they called a 'must win' there, and they went out and got it."
He went on to say that Brad Johnson, who apparently is in danger of being replaced by Brooks Bollinger during Sunday's game, "played well" despite throwing for only 122 yards (19 for 33). He called Marion Barber (611 yards on the season) an "outstanding runner" behind "a very, very forceful offensive line." He praised their receivers, said their defensive front seven is "as good as there is in football." He even had kind words for their kicking game, too.
"I know and everybody seems to be like the Giants are going to roll over the Cowboys," Tuck said. "No. This game is going to come down the wire. They have what, 16, 17 Pro Bowlers last year? Or 30?"
Actually, it was 13. The Giants had one.
"Obviously they're missing a few of them," Tuck said. "But they still got a lot of quality football players down there. I really expect them to come in and play their (butts) off."
KIWANUKA HONORED: DE Mathias Kiwanuka, who had three sacks against Pittsburgh, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week....LB Bryan Kehl (toe) and DT Fred Robbins (hand) did not practice. ... Nine people with ties to the Giants are among the 133 on the preliminary list of nominees for the Hall of Fame: Ottis Anderson, Jessie Armstead, Mark Bavaro, Lomas Brown, Brian Mitchell, Dan Reeves, Phil Simms, Herschel Walker and George Young. The list will be reduced to 25 next month.
