Eli Manning and Tom Brady postgame chat has fans thinking of third Super Bowl rematch

Eli Manning and Tom Brady are a couple of NFL warhorses who share a pair of epic Super Bowl match-ups on their distinguished resumes. The two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks also seem to possess a mutual respect for each other after the Giants' two dramatic victories.

Once again they met on the field — albeit a more serene environment — after they both sat out Thursday's preseason finale at Gillette Stadium, but it was their little postgame chat which has fans seeing something bigger.

"I didn't tell you this summer, but congrats on last season on the championship," Manning told Brady in the exchange. "It was awesome. It was a great game. Fun to watch. I'm proud of you."

And it was what was said as the two players headed to their respective Giants and Patriots locker rooms that has fans envisioning a third Super Bowl meeting in the future.

"See you down the road, I hope," Brady said.

"See you down the road," Manning replied.

#RESPECT @Bose pic.twitter.com/2yTwdbRlpI

— New York Giants (@Giants) September 1, 2017

The two teams do not meet in the regular season leaving only one option at seeing you down the road — meaning Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis. 

Talk is cheap but, whether or not you believe Manning's optimism or Brady's sincerity, a third meeting is quite a possibility for the two contending squads.

See you in February?

Giants fan arrested for trying to set Buccaneers flag on fire

Giants fans celebrated the team's win over the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium peacefully Sunday until one Big Blue supporter decided to commemorate the victory in a blatantly illegal way.

Daniel Justin Raboni was arrested Sunday night after trying to set fire to a massive, 80-by-50 foot Bucs flag at the team headquarters near the stadium, said police. The flag costs $26,000 and hangs from 15-foot pole at One Buccaneer Place, the Tampa Tribune reports.

Photo by Tony Mangia

Lighting up the flag like a giant Tampa cigar ended up being a problem because it was made of fire-retardant material, said authorities. So the 32-year-old firebug was only able to melt a small portion of the flag.

Raboni, of North Palm Beach, Florida, now faces charges of criminal mischief and possession of marijuana. He's being held at Hillsborough County Jail on $2,500 bond.

And nice mugshot.

Heavily-bandaged Jason-Pierre Paul seen for first time following fireworks accident (PHOTOS)

A day after Giants owner John Mara said that he didn't know the extent of Pierre-Paul's injuries, the New York Daily News has obtained exclusive photos of the injured defensive end and his bandaged hand — and it doesn't look good.

JPP was spotted with his arm in a sling supporting a heavily-bandaged right hand and forearm —making his hand look like a club.

This was the first public sighting of Pierre-Paul since he nearly blew off his hand in a Fourth of July fireworks incident gone wrong. He was dressed in a white shirt, black shorts and sandals as his classic car was loaded onto a flatbed truck in south Florida.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: First look at Jason Pierre-Paul after fireworks incident. http://t.co/GDZFp6XjKU pic.twitter.com/QqtccAqpEv

— NY Daily News Sports (@NYDNSports) July 31, 2015

After the horrific accident, Pierre-Paul spent 10 days in a Florida hospital, where he had his right index finger amputated. Pierre-Paul’s refusal to respond to the Giants organization's inquiries into his condition and offers of medical assistance lead to all kinds of conclusions.

"We don't even know how extensive the damage is, that's the problem," said Mara on Thursday. "I don't even know how many fingers he has."

And from looking at the photos, I'm guessing they still don't know.

Jason Pierre-Paul selling his Florida mansion after one-year franchise tag: Report

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is pulling up his southern stakes after he didn’t get the financial security he was looking for from the team up north this offseason.

So if you are in the market for a high-end Florida mansion, JPP has one for you.

Although it's about a 1,200 mile drive down I-95 from MetLife Stadium, Pierre-Paul has put his 5,433-square foot home in Boca Raton, Fla., on the market for $2.1 million probably because there's a good chance he will be with another team after next season.

The sixth-year veteran bought the palm-shaded house in 2012 and has added an open floor plan with high ceilings, a spa, a renovated kitchen, and a custom office area among other amenities.

And it’s not that JPP can’t afford the place — he'll make $14.8 million this year — it’s just that the one-year franchise tag the Giants gave him leaves the door open for a potential move. Pierre-Paul can leave the Giants as a free agent after the 2015 season, so he probably would not want to be tied down in Florida if he ends up with another team off the East Coast.

If that makes sense.

But there is still plenty of time for the team to work out a long-term extension with Pierre-Paul before he hits the open market. 

So Giants fans, don't take this move as some sort of long-term plan.

“Geographically, he might want to be in a different location,” explained his real estate agent.

Giants' No.1 draft pick says 'threesome' story is a hoax: Report

The New York Giants have asked the NFL to investigate a woman claiming to be the fiancée of their newly signed No. 1 draft pick, Odell Beckham Jr., after she spread sordid tales about his sex life — and he flat-out denied even knowing her.

The woman, identified as Erica Mendez, claimed in a report published Tuesday that the Giants’ new receiver had a threesome with strippers and even had a love child with another woman.

Beckham, the 12th-overall pick in the NFL Draft, reportedly claims he is the victim of a scam perpetrated by the unknown woman claiming to be his fiancee. 

“The entire story is fabricated. I have never been engaged. I don’t have any children. And I have never met this person who is making these claims,” Beckham told the New York Post in a statement.

Foolish if u belive tht... It's pure fiction
— Odell Beckham Jr (@OBJ_3) May 20, 2014

Coincidently, Mendez shared her story on the day after Beckham signed his first professional contract. 

"The organization has contacted NFL security to look into finding the person responsible" and to "help investigate the matter" on Beckham's behalf.

Beckham's family has also hired a private investigator, according to the The Post.

Giants' Will Hill fails another drug test, could be facing lengthy suspension: Report

Will Hill, the troubled New York Giants safety who has received drug-related suspensions each of the past two seasons, has apparently failed another test. 

According to a person familiar with the situation — who requested anonymity in order to speak freely on the matter — the team has been informed of the incident, according to NJ.com.

It is unclear if Hill failed for performance enhancing drugs like he did in 2012 (Adderall), or if he failed for drugs like he did in 2013. Hill has been candid about his use of marijuana and its calming effects on his mind.

Either way, Hill could be facing a more significant suspension. He will appeal.

Hill was arrested toward the end of the 2013 season for being delinquent on his child support payments. When police pulled over a car he was riding in, they detected an odor of marijuana and found cigar shavings all over the vehicle, "suggesting that marijuana was prepared and smoked in the vehicle."

It was the latest in a long line of missteps for Hill, quite possibly the Giants' most athletically gifted defensive player, but also one of their most troubled.

Hill, a former New Jersey high school standout, started nine games for the Giants last season, registering 60 tackles and two interceptions.

Luckily for the Giants, the team currently has an abundance of safeties after re-signing Stevie Brown to a one-year deal. Newly acquired Quintin Demps, Antrel Rolle and Cooper Taylor and Brown will all compete for the starting spots if Hill is suspended.

Colts won't let Hakeem Nicks wear No. 88: Report

After wearing No. 88 during his five-year career with the New York Giants and as a standout receiver at North Carolina, Hakeem Nicks has been given No. 14 by the Colts, according to the team's website.

And not by any choice of the newly acquired wideout.

To be clear, the Colts have not officially retired the 88 jersey which the team’s all-time leading receiver, Marvin Harrison, wore during his 13 seasons in Indianapolis, and which Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey wore for nine seasons in Baltimore. But the Colts aren’t giving No. 88 out anymore.

“Everybody knows I love those eights on my chest, but we’ll have to see how that pans out,” Nicks said when he signed with the Colts in March.

The Colts are running out of numbers in the 80s, with Raymond Berry’s 82 and Gino Marchetti’s 89 both retired, and Reggie Wayne’s 87 likely to be retired some day as well. But it's only right they retire 88, and when they do they should honor both Harrison and Mackey.

The Colts open their offseason conditioning program Monday, at which time Nicks will work out in his new number.

Jadeveon Clowney to Lawrence Taylor comparison is 'ridiculous': Carl Banks

Jadeveon Clowney hasn't even stepped into an NFL locker room and already he is being compared to one of the league's all-time greats — Lawrence Taylor.

Though no fault of the pass-rushing South Carolina lineman, Clowney's size and freakish athletic abilities makes the comparison to the New York Giants legend inevitable — especially with all of the pre-draft hype leading up to Clowney being the potential No. 1 overall pick.

But one of L.T.'s longtime former teammates thinks all of the talk is just plain crazy.

Carl Banks, Taylor's former Giants teammate and fellow linebacker knows hyperbole doesn't equal a 13-season NFL career and has seen plenty "game-changers" come and go.

"No. 1, you're stepping over a lot of great defensive ends," Banks told ESPN’s Ashley Fox. "They should hope he's as good as a Richard Dent, Neil Smith, Bruce Smith or Charles Haley. If he can get to that level, he's a dominant player. But you want to jump over those players and say he's the next Lawrence Taylor? It's ridiculous. I just gave you four of the greatest defensive ends, and you don't want to put him in that category because he's already better than them?"

Besides, Clowney has zero career NFL sacks and some might suggest he is a prima donna who took almost an entire college season off while Taylor revolutionized the linebacker position and had 132.5 career sacks. And, according to Banks, L.T. never took a play or practice off.

"LT was the guy that would always set the tempo for practice, whether he hated every drill," said Banks, now an analyst on the Giants radio broadcast. "He would complain after the fact, but he would give 100 percent. ... He never took a play off, never wanted to take a play off and resented players who took plays off. He'd talk about you if you wouldn't finish."

The expectations for Clowney have almost reached almost unrealistic levels.

Taylor turned the game upside down when he came out of North Carolina in 1981. And while the comparisons to the Hall-of-Famer might be unfair to Clowney right now, they are already out there.

At least it's better than being compared to Vernon Gholston.

Only time will tell.

Nicks wants long-term contract, courts Colts, Chargers and Panthers: Report

Hakeem Nicks wants to clarify his earlier remarks about accepting a one-year, prove-it contract. What he really meant to say was that he wants a long-term deal before re-establishing himself on the free-agent market.

And he especially wants the Colts, Panthers, and Chargers to know about it.

Just one day after an ESPN report said the soon-to-be former Giants receiver was willing to accept a single-year deal so he could prove his market value, on Sunday, Nicks corrected himself and told ESPN, “I just want to make it clear that I want a long-term deal.”

He also wouldn’t mind getting it from the three teams he specifically mentioned, reports The New York Daily News.

“Ideally, this is what I want,” Nicks said. “I want to go to a team where I’m the missing link. There are a number of teams that I have my eye on once I hit the market. I know if I went to a place like Indianapolis I would be dangerous with a quarterback like Andrew Luck. I can see myself catching passes from Cam Newton or even Philip Rivers.”

He didn't even mention the Giants or Eli Manning. Not that it matters to them.

Nicks is almost definitely not going to re-sign with the Giants, the team that made him a 2009 first-round draft pick. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for the Giants to give the underachieving Nicks a lucrative, long-term contract, not after two subpar seasons and lingering questions whether he gave one-hundred percent last season.

Nicks figures to attract plenty of interest from other teams and likely will start setting up visits on Tuesday when teams can speak with him directly. Until then, the only contact interested teams can have is with Nicks’ agent.

“Players have already started to reach out to me from other teams saying they would love for me to come join them,’’ Nicks told ESPN. “I just want to make it clear that I want a long-term deal and I want to be happy. I’m excited about talking to teams and making it work.”

Tom Coughlin, Giants agree to one-year contract extension: Report

Some New York Giants fans might have been holding their breath waiting to see what direction the team was headed going into the final year of Tom Coughlin's contract.

Although it wasn't much of a surprise, now they won't have to get Big Blue in the face after the Giants head coach and the organization have agreed to a one-year contract extension — giving the two-time Super Bowl skipper a little extra security.

Coughlin was set to enter the final year of his deal after ten years at the helm. The team typically does not allow coaches to go into a lame-duck situation, and securing the extra year on his contract was among the team's priorities this offseason.

Negotiations began shortly after the Super Bowl.

"The Giants have always done that," Coughlin said. "That's the way it has been indicated to me. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it to be honest with you. We've got a lot of work going on in our business, as you know. I had great confidence that it would happen. And it did."

The move gives the 67-year-old Coughlin as much security as any of his assistant coaches or coordinators. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo signed a two-year deal in January.

Coughlin said a bigger extension was not brought up or proposed by ownership.

NY Giants' David Wilson posts new rabbit head video and lights hand on fire (VIDEO)

In October, David Wilson posted some bizarre videos in which the New York Giants running back donned a rabbit head to walk around New York City and show off Domino's chicken wings.

After post-neck surgery last month when Wilson mooned New York City from the hospital, the rabbit head is back — and freakier than ever. The video below comes from Wilson's entertaining Instagram account and appears to show him dancing to Beyonce and Jay Z's "Drunk in Love" (warning: there's an explicit lyric uttered in the song).

Wilson's account has some other funny videos, but it's one from Feb. 1 that may have Giants doctors taking a look at Wilson from the neck up — a trick in which he lights his fingers on fire:

[nj.com]

Brandon Jacobs still has grudge with Jim Harbaugh: 'He's a bitch' (VIDEO)

Brandon Jacobs days of running over defenses may be over, but the former NFL star isn't done running his mouth.

The two-time former New York Giants running back made it clear Thursday there's no love lost between him and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. Jacobs spent one unhappy and frustrating season in 2012 playing for Harbaugh and the 49ers before ending his career in 2013 where he started — with the Giants.

The bruising back was vocal about his lack playing time while on the west coast and used social media to criticize Harbaugh and the 49ers organization. And it sounds like he still holds a grudge.

“I have two rings and he don’t,’’ Jacobs said of Harbaugh on WFAN’s “Boomer & Carton Show.” “He’s a bitch. It’s not that he was a bitch, he is a bitch and that’s why he hasn’t won anything.’’

The 31-year-old Jacobs played nine years in the NFL, the first seven with the Giants, earning two Super Bowl rings. As a free agent heading into the 2012 season, he opted to take slightly more money from the 49ers, which seemed like a good fit. 

It never worked out. Jacobs’ knee was an issue from the start, and when he became healthy he barely got on the field — five rushing attempts for seven yards in two games. He angered Harbaugh and the 49ers by using Twitter and Instagram to express his longing for the Giants and to complain he was “on the team rotting away.’’ Jacobs asked for his release, which was not granted. Harbaugh eventually suspended Jacobs for the final three games.

“I have one regret in my career and that’s going to the 49ers when I could have stayed in New York,’’ Jacobs said. “I just wanted to see what stuff was like with another team, and it didn’t work out for me. I wasn’t liked, to be honest with you. … I thought I was being held hostage because of the previous year. I got two rings, Harbaugh’s a bitch, so it doesn’t matter.’’

Asked why he felt the 49ers signed him in the first place, Jacobs said: “I have no idea whatsoever, and they didn’t want to release me when I kept going to them with pure respect, which I usually don’t have when I’m pissed off. I kept it respectful the whole time. They just felt we really can’t use him, let’s try to suspend him. I tell you what, I got my money back and playoff and Super Bowl money. Everything. For two years in a row, I got everything.’’

Jacobs returned to the Giants after the first game of the 2013 season and had 58 rushing attempts for 238 yards and four touchdowns. He underwent knee surgery following the season and decided to retire.

“My body, man, it wasn’t responding the same any more: I’d get hurt, then I’d try to come back and play and then I get hurt again, then the hamstring started, the knee started, everything went downhill,’’ Jacobs said. “I really fought hard to get back out there, but my body just didn’t respond to injuries like it used to do. That’s when I knew it was time to call it.’’

Giants' David Wilson moons Manhattan after surgery (PHOTO)

New York Giants running back David Wilson underwent neck surgery on Thursday and seems to be feeling better already. The 2012 first-round pick was sidelined in October by a herniated disk.

Wilson seems to be in a very good spirits the day after his surgery. On Friday he posted a photo — taken by the doctor — of himself on Instagram standing on a table, mooning New York City.

Thank God surgery went well Dr. Surprised when they came in And saw me standing and walkin to bathroom on my own haha #solider #blessed
— David E. Wilson (@4stillRunning) January 17, 2014

Hold up!!!! hold my phone (drake voice) while I moon NY traffic from the hospital room 😂😂😂 dr took pic http://t.co/Pu8lTf7jc7
— David E. Wilson (@4stillRunning) January 17, 2014

It is unclear when, or even if, Wilson will play again but the Giants are hopeful that he can return in 2014.

“Our medical staff thinks he will be ready to play this year,’’ general manager Jerry Reese said last week on WFAN.

Here's Wilson hanging a moon over Manhattan. From the angle, I'd say the Upper East Side got the best view.

Giants’ David Wilson to undergo neck surgery: Report

New York Giants running back David Wilson’s 2013 season came to an early end because of a neck injury that doctors told him carried an increased risk of further problems if he continued playing. Now his NFL future could be in jeopardy after Giants GM Jerry Reese revealed the former first-round pick will undergo neck surgery next week.

Wilson said during the season that he intends to keep playing, but he’ll need to rehab from surgery before he can do that.

Reese told WFAN Thursday, that Wilson will need to have an operation on his neck this offseason. Team owner John Mara, speaking on the same radio station earlier in the day, also touched on Wilson’s status.

“We’re hopeful that David will be able to play for us again next year. Time will tell on that one,” Mara said.

There was no timetable given for when the surgery will occur or when Wilson might be ready to resume his career. His status is murky at best, though, and that should make running back an area that the Giants address the offseason because an Andre Brown/Michael Cox combination isn’t a particularly appealing one for a team with lots of other holes to fill.

“Our medical staff thinks he will be ready to play this year,’’ general manager Jerry Reese said Thursday on WFAN while noting that dealing with the neck can be “tricky.’’

Here are the details on David Wilson's surgery: He'll have a fusion of the vertebrae to repair the herniated disc in his neck on Jan. 16.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) January 9, 2014

Wilson played in the first six games of the 2013 season. He started at running back Oct. 6 against the Eagles, rushed six times for 16 yards and scored his first and only touchdown before leaving the game in the second quarter of a 36-21 loss with a neck injury.

He was inactive the next three games and then put on season-ending injured reserve with what the Giants said was a herniated disk in his neck. Wilson, as it turns out, also has spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine, which is a chronic condition he played through at Virginia Tech and in his rookie season with the Giants.

The Giants and Wilson were hoping to avoid surgery, on the chance that rest and treatment alone would reduce the herniated disk. That was always considered a long-shot scenario, and now a surgical procedure has been deemed necessary.

Mara said it is likely the Giants will have to use one of their draft picks on a running back. Reese has said previously the Giants cannot go into the 2014 season projecting Wilson as their No. 1 running back.

Wilson was not very effective even when he was healthy in his second NFL season. Coach Tom Coughlin benched him after Wilson lost two fumbles in a season-opening loss in Dallas. Wilson ended up with 44 rushing attempts and 146 yards.

This doesn't bode well for the Giants at the running back position. Their other key back, Andre Brown, faded down the stretch of the season and is an unrestricted free agent. Brandon Jacobs retired, and veteran addition Peyton Hillis, a free agent, is not expected to return. The only other running back on the roster is Michael Cox, who just completed a lackluster rookie year.

Eli Manning limps out of press conference on crutches (PHOTO)

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning left Sunday's season finale against the Washington Redskins with a sprained ankle and did not return to the game, which his team won, 20-6.

Backup Curtis Painter played the second half at quarterback for the Giants and was 2 of 8 passing for 11 yards and an interception.

Manning started his 150th consecutive game before he was was hit hard by defensive lineman Chris Baker while attempting a pass with a minute left in the second quarter. He had to be helped to his feet by an official and was limping badly, but he stayed in the game.

Later, limping with a boot on his left foot, Manning left the post-game press conference on his own power, but then needed a pair of crutches for support. The team said he was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.

Eli Manning walked out of the press conference under his own power ... but then needed crutches ... pic.twitter.com/cPIjw8SflX
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) December 29, 2013

Antrel Rolle goes off on Twitter after Pro-Bowl snub

Antrel Rolle has never been one to keep his opinions to himself.  So it was no surprise that after the New York Giants strong safety was selected to join the NFL Pro Bowl team as an alternate, the outspoken Rolle vented his displeasure at not being voted to the team outright.

Rolle, who picked off six passes and has a team-high 93 tackles this season, took to Twitter to express his frustration at the perceived snub.

“Tell me which safety has better numbers and made more game changing plays than me this year???? I’ll wait!!!!” Rolle wrote. “This probowl sh-- is a joke.”

Tell me which safety has better numbers and made more game changing plays than me this year???? I'll wait!!!! This probowl shit is a joke
— Antrel Rolle (@antrelrolle26) December 28, 2013

Rolle was named a second alternate. He finished behind Kansas City's Eric Berry, Seattle's Kam Chancellor and Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu. 

While some of these are deserving names, others seem to have made the list based strictly on name — or hair — recognition. Rolle leads all safeties in interceptions and has one of the lowest opposing quarterback ratings, according to Pro Football Focus.

Some Giants fans tweeted the comparisons.

Who has the best stats? How did @antrelrolle26 not make the pro bowl but the other 3 did? @Giants @nfl pic.twitter.com/HpfGYkepQL
— Matthew Intriago (@matthewintriago) December 28, 2013

And guess what?  The numbers don't lie.

Giants rookie renting out condo with MetLife Stadium view during Super Bowl

A New York Giants player found a way to cash in on the Super Bowl even though he won't be playing in it.

Rookie Cooper Taylor is renting out his New Jersey condo with roof-deck views of MetLife Stadium — because it will be too depressing to stick around for the madness, he told the N.Y. Post.

While New York City hotel room rates have already skyrocketed for the big game, the defensive back and his girlfriend, real-estate broker Susan Carlson, are offering up their 2-bedroom, 2-bath Rutherford apartment for $9,000 during Super Bowl week across the Hudson River.

“We thought it would be the best time to get out of the city and go on vacation because that week will be a madhouse,” said the 23-year-old Taylor. “I am definitely disappointed that we are not playing in it. It would make it a lot more fun.”

The couple opted not to mention Taylor’s NFL career in their Craigslist and AirBnB ads — but did drop some subtle hints.

“We are big fans of a local team here and unfortunately will not be attending this year,” they wrote in a Craigslist pitch for the space.

The 1,000-square-foot apartment is outfitted with a 70-inch TV, a pair of comfortable couches, and a pile of freshly washed NFL-player-used linens — all within one mile of MetLife Stadium. The Manhattan skyline is an added bonus.

The couple rent their furnished apartment month-to-month for $2,700.

A late-round draft pick who was unsure if he would even make the team this year, Taylor pulls in a relatively modest $450,000 annually and said he could use a quick Super Bowl cash  payout to finance a mini-vacation.

No Jets fans allowed.

Coughlin questions Eli about facing Lions behind second-string 'O' line: Report

To call it throwing Eli Manning to the Lions might be an understatement. Ford Field might not be the Coliseum, but all signs point to a thumbs-down day for the Giants quarterback this Sunday.

The Giants' offensive line is so banged up and depleted, relying on the last remnants of the depth chart, that Tom Coughlin had to ask Manning if he was comfortable enough to play a meaningless game (for the Giants at least) behind it against one of the league's most ferocious defensive fronts.

"As a matter of fact, we've talked about this,'' Coughlin said. "He wants to play and he's looking forward to playing and competing and having a better game. I wouldn't expect anything different.''

Manning downplayed his conversation with Coughlin as less than a passing chat.

"It never came up as a question whether I wanted to play or not, and I never thought about it any other way but going out there and playing,'' Manning said. "I want to compete. I want to make improvements and try to run this offense more efficiently and go out there and try to do the best I can and try to get a win.''

The Lions, on the other hand, will be playing for their playoff lives and Manning might end up being fresh meat for Detroit's Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley with the Giants'  patchwork protection. 

Manning, who has played 149 consecutive games,  already has been sacked a career-high 36 times this season. Last week against the physical Seahawks he had to cower and curl up to avoid injury by the third snap of the game.

Protection has been an issue all season, as have injuries to the line. Both current starting guards — David Diehl and James Brewer — missed practice Wednesday, and those guys were already backups to previously injured starters. That left Dallas Reynolds and Brandon Mosley taking reps on either side of Kevin Boothe, who had to slide to center several weeks ago when the Giants lost backup Jim Cordle for the season after putting projected starter David Baas on IR.

"You want to be out there protecting your guys and fighting with your teammates,'' said Diehl, who suffered a knee injury in Sunday's game. "Yeah, it definitely plays in your mind.''

One can only hope Manning isn't in for a reality check.

"I think our guys, they'll be ready,'' Manning said. "They'll compete. Hopefully, we get some guys back, but whoever is in there we'll handle, we'll have a good plan and have all the faith in the world they'll do a good job.''

That may require more than faith, though.

"We're not going to put a new guy playing one-on-one on Suh all day and take seven-step drops and pump and go this way and that way,'' Manning said. "You've got to be smart about it in a sense, but you've still got to run our offense, and we'll make the best of it.''

Giants players 'nervous' after deadly NJ mall carjacking

There probably wasn't a New York Giants  player who hasn't seen the news on the senseless New Jersey mall shooting where a 30-year-old man lost his life during a parking lot carjacking. The still-at-large suspects took a couple's gray Range Rover after an alleged struggle right outside the upscale Short Hills mall.

After all — big contracts for big athletes usually come with big luxury cars.

The story hit home for Justin Pugh — literally. The offensive lineman realizes that could have been him or anybody with a desirable car in what is generally assumed to be a safe place, writes nj.com.

“It’s one of the nicest malls in the country. It was somebody driving the same car that I have,” Pugh said while attending The Seventh Annual Giants’ Players Toy and Book Drive at Westfield Garden State Plaza. “So it kind of makes you a little bit nervous, but you can’t live in a bubble. You have to go out and live life.

“If something happens, I’ll give him my car. I’ll give him whatever he wants. I’m not arguing whatsoever. It’s a scary thing.”

To put the tragic story behind him, Pugh and some of his Giants teammates sloshed through inclement weather on Tuesday night and tried to put smiles on the faces of children in need. 

They collected toys and signed autographs, but also had a security team to escort them throughout the mall and make sure the event ran smoothly.

For Justin Tuck, he knows there are dangers that come with a being a high-profile public figure — no matter how large and intimidating. It's all in a day in the life of a professional athlete in a big market. But he's not willing to let ignorant individuals affect the way he lives.

"For us, we just continue to give people something to smile about. It is the only way we know how to combat that type of evil," Tuck said. "That is one of the reasons we continue to do [the toy and book drive]."

And the Giants players won't let the murder stop them from helping the less fortunate during the holidays.

"You can't allow ignorant people in this world to affect how you live," Tuck said. "If you're going to live in fear, you might as well not live. Obviously what happened is horrible. You just have to continue to press on.

"We're coming out just trying to put smiles on kids' faces."

There 'absolutely' was tension between Giants offense and defense on Sunday: Mathias Kiwanuka

That so-called conflict between the New York Giants defense and its offense on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks was more fact than fiction if you believe one Giants player in the mix.

Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka confirmed on ESPN radio on Tuesday afternoon that there was real tension between the two units during Sunday’s humbling 23-0 loss to Seattle.

After the game, that tension reportedly surfaced in some post-game finger pointing between the Giants Xs and Os.

“Yeah,” Kiwanuka said. “Absolutely there’s tension. We’re human. We’re a team. We consider ourselves like a family. Any family there are going to be issues that come up. It’s about how you deal with it.

“In the heat of the game, things need to be said if somebody’s not getting the job done. Somebody needs to step up and tell them what is going on so we can get out of that fight with a win.”

“I have no problem with that. I think where it starts to get into trouble is where you get into things that are said, not behind somebody’s back, but when the other person isn’t there or (you) say something to somebody else about another player.

“That becomes an issue because that can get misconstrued and it takes a lot longer to get resolved whereas if you just go to somebody’s face … you can get it settled much faster.”

Kiwanuka said Tom Coughlin’s passionate post-game speech in which he called the performance of the offense “pathetic” and said he “felt sorry” for those players who didn’t give it their all was an eye opener.

“It was real,” Kiwanuka said. “He was speaking from the heart. That’s somebody’s real heart, real passion. You see how much he cares and how much he loves this game. He meant it.

“You don’t get a lot of chances to play this game. You have to make sure you take advantage of every single opportunity. I think that’s what he was referring to. The fact that I feel bad for you because you didn’t give your best in the opportunity you had.

“You’re not going to get that game back. You’re not going to have a whole lot of chances to prove what you can do.”

[nj.com]