The New York Giants and Dallas
Cowboys will face off Jan. 1 for a spot in the National Football
League playoffs as the U.S.’s most-watched television sport
enters the final week of its regular season.

The Giants beat the New York Jets 29-14 on Dec. 24, setting
up a season finale against the Cowboys for the National Football
Conference East division title, with the loser eliminated from
postseason play. Both have 8-7 records. The Giants beat the
Cowboys 37-34 in Texas on Dec. 11.

“I did remind our team that a year ago we won down there
and lost at home,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said at a news
conference yesterday.

The Jets are among five teams still competing for a playoff
spot in the American Football Conference, along with the
Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and
Tennessee Titans. The Jets can make the playoffs if they defeat
Miami, both the Bengals and Titans lose, and either Oakland or
Denver also gets beat.

“What I talked to the players about was that there’s hope
and possibilities,” Jets coach Rex Ryan told reporters
yesterday. “Obviously the game against Miami is critical. When
you look at all the factors involved, the most difficult thing
to happen, I think, is to beat the Dolphins.”

No. 1 Seeds

Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdown passes on Dec. 25 to
help the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears, clinching the
top seed in the NFC and home field throughout the playoffs. The
New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and
Detroit Lions have also locked up NFC playoff spots.

The Saints clinched the NFC South title last night with a
45-16 victory over the Falcons, as New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees set the NFL season passing record at 5,087 yards.

The New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens
and Pittsburgh Steelers have all gained playoff berths in the
American Football Conference.

A New England win over the Buffalo Bills on New Year’s Day
would give the Patriots home field in the postseason, while
Baltimore can win home field by beating the Bengals if New
England loses.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Aaron Kuriloff in New York at
akuriloff@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net.

Read More: D.J. Ware (RB – NYG), Derrick Martin (S – NYG), Jimmy Kennedy (DT – NYG), Michael Coe (CB – NYG), Will Beatty (OT – NYG), Jake Ballard (TE – NYG), Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants

One day after falling to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, the New York Giants suffered another loss Monday. Cornerback Michael Coe needs season-ending surgery on his shoulder, and the team will place him on injured reserve. 

Coach Tom Coughlin said Jimmy Kennedy will be placed back on the 53-man roster. Kennedy recently ended a four-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing substances. 

Coughlin also noted that tackle Will Beatty was sent to have his back examined. Beatty played against the Philadelphia Eagles, but experienced discomfort during the week of practices leading up to the game. 

Tight end Jake Ballard is not expected to miss any time after suffering an elbow injury, but defensive back Derrick Martin has a small tear of his hamstring.

D.J. Ware also left Sunday’s game with a concussion. There has been no update today on the running back’s condition, however.

The Giants lost to Philadelphia 17-10 on Sunday night, leaving Coughlin to steam about his team’s performance.

“As I just said to each one of the players, first start off with yourself and look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself. Because my question for them was ‘why?’ What does it take to understand what the Eagles were going to be like coming here? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the team is 3-6 with their backs to the wall, they are going to play their butts off. To get to where we wanted to go, we had to play better and harder and we didn’t,” Coughlin said.

– For more Giants coverage, visit our team page, or our blog Big Blue View.

By TOM CANAVAN
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants aren’t worrying about another meltdown in the second half of the season despite starting it with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Tom Coughlin seemed slightly amused Monday when asked about the team’s recent trend of getting off to good starts and then folding down the stretch. New York failed to win a playoff game after the 2008 season and then missed the postseason the next two years.

Coughlin dismissed any similarity after a 27-20 loss on Sunday that left the Giants (6-3) with a one-game lead over Dallas (5-4) in the NFC East.

Different year. Different team. And Coughlin wasn’t about to apologize for a loss on the road to San Francisco (8-1), which has the second best record in the NFC.

“I can’t imagine why this question keeps coming up,” Coughlin said Monday. “You have to take each year one at a time, You have to take each game one at a time. This is a game against a team that was 7-1. It’s not that we played poorly or not that we da-da-da-da. We didn’t win the game.

“We don’t feel we should ever give up 27 and I am certainly not satisfied with 20 points,” the 65-year-old coach said. “As far as analyzing why and what — we didn’t play well enough to win. Does it have to do with anything in the second half? No!”

Coughlin’s biggest problem with the performance was the two interceptions thrown by Eli Manning and the ability of the offense to generate one touchdown in four trips to the red zone.

Even with those problems. the Giants were in position for their sixth fourth-quarter comeback of the season before their final drive stalled at the San Francisco 10 yard line when they failed to convert on third and fourth down. Manning’s final pass was batted down by Justin Smith.

“We did some positive things but there are no moral victories here,” Giants Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee said. “We felt like we left stuff out there on the field. We left a game out there in San Fran that we thought we should have had. We are well beyond being happy about playing and coming up losing. That is not the mentality that we have around here.”

Safety Kenny Phillips believes this group of players is a different that the past two year.

New York missed the playoffs two years ago after losing eight of its last 11. Despite a 10-6 record last season, the Giants cost themselves a playoff berth giving away a 21-point fourth quarter lead to Philadelphia in December with first place in the NFC East on the line. They also lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers in Green Bay with a playoff berth on the line.

Phillips knows there are people who expect the Giants to stumble again, but he said no one is spending a lot of time thinking about it.

“We’re more mature, knowing the opponents we have coming up,” he said. “I think we are ready for this stretch. You could tell by the moral in the locker room, just by the way we handled this loss. As far as individuals and as a team. I think we are heading in the right direction.”

The Giants will get a chance to bounce back on Sunday night when they play the Eagles (3-6) in a game that conceivably could end Philadelphia’s hopes of repeating as the division winner. The Giants beat Philadelphia earlier this season and another win would give New York a four-game lead in the division with six to play.

Philadelphia also might be without quarterback Michael Vick, who broke two ribs in Sunday’s loss to Arizona.

New York will follow that game with a contest at New Orleans (7-3) and then one at home against the Packers (8-0). A game in Dallas would follow in what has to be one of the toughest stretches for any team in the league.

“We have a group of fighters,” Coughlin said. “We have a team of guys that will fight you and battle you. It’s not always going our way. Yesterday wasn’t. We didn’t play especially well yesterday, but we do fight and we do battle. Despite some errors and so-on and so-forth, our effort is good and we do fight. We do battle. That’s the key thing. As long as we continue to do that I think we can correct a lot of these other things. I know we can play better because many people who played yesterday didn’t play as well as they did the week before. That’s something that we have to get straightened around, no doubt. But there are a lot of positives, yeah, a lot of positives.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The New York Giants aren’t worrying about another meltdown in the second half of the season despite starting it with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Tom Coughlin seemed slightly amused Monday when asked about the team’s recent trend of getting off to good starts and then folding down the stretch. New York failed to win a playoff game after the 2008 season and then missed the post-season the next two years.

Coughlin dismissed any similarity after a 27-20 loss on Sunday that left the Giants (6-3) with a one-game lead over Dallas (5-4) in the NFC East.

Different year. Different team. And Coughlin wasn’t about to apologize for a loss on the road to San Francisco (8-1), which has the second best record in the NFC.

“I can’t imagine why this question keeps coming up,” Coughlin said Monday. “You have to take each year one at a time, You have to take each game one at a time. This is a game against a team that was 7-1. It’s not that we played poorly or not that we da-da-da-da. We didn’t win the game.

“We don’t feel we should ever give up 27 and I am certainly not satisfied with 20 points,” the 65-year-old coach said. “As far as analyzing why and what — we didn’t play well enough to win. Does it have to do with anything in the second half? No!”

Coughlin’s biggest problem with the performance was the two interceptions thrown by Eli Manning and the ability of the offence to generate one touchdown in four trips to the red zone.

Even with those problems. the Giants were in position for their sixth fourth-quarter comeback of the season before their final drive stalled at the San Francisco 10 yard line when they failed to convert on third and fourth down. Manning’s final pass was batted down by Justin Smith.

“We did some positive things but there are no moral victories here,” Giants Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee said. “We felt like we left stuff out there on the field. We left a game out there in San Fran that we thought we should have had. We are well beyond being happy about playing and coming up losing. That is not the mentality that we have around here.”

Safety Kenny Phillips believes this group of players is a different that the past two year.

New York missed the playoffs two years ago after losing eight of its last 11. Despite a 10-6 record last season, the Giants cost themselves a playoff berth giving away a 21-point fourth quarter lead to Philadelphia in December with first place in the NFC East on the line. They also lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers in Green Bay with a playoff berth on the line.

Phillips knows there are people who expect the Giants to stumble again, but he said no one is spending a lot of time thinking about it.

“We’re more mature, knowing the opponents we have coming up,” he said. “I think we are ready for this stretch. You could tell by the moral in the locker room, just by the way we handled this loss. As far as individuals and as a team. I think we are heading in the right direction.”

The Giants will get a chance to bounce back on Sunday night when they play the Eagles (3-6) in a game that conceivably could end Philadelphia’s hopes of repeating as the division winner. The Giants beat Philadelphia earlier this season and another win would give New York a four-game lead in the division with six to play.

Philadelphia also might be without quarterback Michael Vick, who broke two ribs in Sunday’s loss to Arizona.

New York will follow that game with a contest at New Orleans (7-3) and then one at home against the Packers (8-0). A game in Dallas would follow in what has to be one of the toughest stretches for any team in the league.

“We have a group of fighters,” Coughlin said. “We have a team of guys that will fight you and battle you. It’s not always going our way. Yesterday wasn’t. We didn’t play especially well yesterday, but we do fight and we do battle. Despite some errors and so-on and so-forth, our effort is good and we do fight. We do battle. That’s the key thing. As long as we continue to do that I think we can correct a lot of these other things. I know we can play better because many people who played yesterday didn’t play as well as they did the week before. That’s something that we have to get straightened around, no doubt. But there are a lot of positives, yeah, a lot of positives.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—The New York Giants aren’t worrying about
another meltdown in the second half of the season despite starting it with a
loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Tom Coughlin seemed slightly amused Monday when asked about the team’s
recent trend of getting off to good starts and then folding down the stretch.
New York failed to win a playoff game after the 2008 season and then missed the
postseason the next two years.

Coughlin dismissed any similarity after a 27-20 loss on Sunday that left the
Giants (6-3) with a one-game lead over Dallas (5-4) in the NFC East.

Different year. Different team. And Coughlin wasn’t about to apologize for a
loss on the road to San Francisco (8-1), which has the second best record in the
NFC.

“I can’t imagine why this question keeps coming up,” Coughlin said Monday.
“You have to take each year one at a time, You have to take each game one at a
time. This is a game against a team that was 7-1. It’s not that we played poorly
or not that we da-da-da-da. We didn’t win the game.

“We don’t feel we should ever give up 27 and I am certainly not satisfied
with 20 points,” the 65-year-old coach said. “As far as analyzing why and what
— we didn’t play well enough to win. Does it have to do with anything in the
second half? No!”

Coughlin’s biggest problem with the performance was the two interceptions
thrown by Eli Manning(notes) and the ability of the offense to generate one touchdown
in four trips to the red zone.

Even with those problems. the Giants were in position for their sixth
fourth-quarter comeback of the season before their final drive stalled at the
San Francisco 10 yard line when they failed to convert on third and fourth down.
Manning’s final pass was batted down by Justin Smith(notes).

“We did some positive things but there are no moral victories here,”
Giants Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee(notes) said. “We felt like we left stuff out there on
the field. We left a game out there in San Fran that we thought we should have
had. We are well beyond being happy about playing and coming up losing. That is
not the mentality that we have around here.”

Safety Kenny Phillips(notes) believes this group of players is a different that the
past two year.

New York missed the playoffs two years ago after losing eight of its last
11. Despite a 10-6 record last season, the Giants cost themselves a playoff
berth giving away a 21-point fourth quarter lead to Philadelphia in December
with first place in the NFC East on the line. They also lost to the eventual
Super Bowl champion Packers in Green Bay with a playoff berth on the line.

Phillips knows there are people who expect the Giants to stumble again, but
he said no one is spending a lot of time thinking about it.

“We’re more mature, knowing the opponents we have coming up,” he said. “I
think we are ready for this stretch. You could tell by the moral in the locker
room, just by the way we handled this loss. As far as individuals and as a team.
I think we are heading in the right direction.”

The Giants will get a chance to bounce back on Sunday night when they play
the Eagles (3-6) in a game that conceivably could end Philadelphia’s hopes of
repeating as the division winner. The Giants beat Philadelphia earlier this
season and another win would give New York a four-game lead in the division with
six to play.

Philadelphia also might be without quarterback Michael Vick(notes), who broke two
ribs in Sunday’s loss to Arizona.

New York will follow that game with a contest at New Orleans (7-3) and then
one at home against the Packers (8-0). A game in Dallas would follow in what has
to be one of the toughest stretches for any team in the league.

“We have a group of fighters,” Coughlin said. “We have a team of guys
that will fight you and battle you. It’s not always going our way. Yesterday
wasn’t. We didn’t play especially well yesterday, but we do fight and we do
battle. Despite some errors and so-on and so-forth, our effort is good and we do
fight. We do battle. That’s the key thing. As long as we continue to do that I
think we can correct a lot of these other things. I know we can play better
because many people who played yesterday didn’t play as well as they did the
week before. That’s something that we have to get straightened around, no doubt.
But there are a lot of positives, yeah, a lot of positives.”

The Philadelphia Eagles are looking pretty far up at the New York Giants right now in the NFC East. The only thing that Eagles fans like myself have to hope for is that the 6-2 Giants collapse under a very tough schedule – even though some Philadelphia wins will be needed as well.

New York seemed more likely to collapse against tougher competition before it rallied over the New England Patriots on Nov. 6. Although there are still question marks around the Giants and Eli Manning(notes), coach Tom Coughlin has once again put them in a position to do damage – despite not being the nicest guy around.

In fact, a new survey from the Sporting News on Nov. 11 revealed that Coughlin is the NFL coach that players would least like to play for. Despite having a Super Bowl ring to his credit, Coughlin is even more unpopular in this survey than the Miami Dolphins’ Tony Sparano – who likely won’t have a job for much longer. When more players want to play for a doomed coach than one who has a 6-2 record and a Super Bowl, it certainly says something.

Of course, wins aren’t the whole story considering Coughlin’s iron fist and unbendable attitude. The Eagles helped make him look worse after Miracle at the Meadowlands II last December, as DeSean Jackson’s(notes) game-ending punt return made Coughlin scream at punter Matt Dodge seconds later. If one gets on his bad side, there is certainly little chance to escape his wrath no matter what the setting.

It seems that Coughlin’s intensity and the Giants’ difficult periods put his job in danger year after year. The Eagles have that same problem with Andy Reid, minus the intensity and red face. However, while the backlash against Reid just gets worse, especially during this season, Coughlin always seems to find a way to rally from the brink. After all, he saved his job by actually winning the Super Bowl four years ago, unlike other NFC East coaches so far.

Coughlin’s tactics may seem more and more out of place in an NFL that doesn’t have as many hard-line coaches as in years past. Yet they have kept him around in New York since 2004 and they helped him take the Jacksonville Jaguars to two AFC title games years earlier.

While no one may want to play for Coughlin, the Giants certainly win for him enough so that he can keep torturing players for a while longer. Unfortunately, he is doing that well enough right now to make the Eagles’ quest for a miraculous division title that much more difficult.

As such, Philadelphia will need to hope that a tough New York schedule brings the Giants down, since Coughlin’s attitude still isn’t going to do it. The Giants may not always like playing for him, but he just keeps getting enough out of them so that their frustration doesn’t show in the win column.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

Eagles unlikely to get rematch with Kolb

Eagles’ loss puts Reid back on hot seat

Eagles return to abandoning the run

Eagles tank in midst of worst fall in Philly sports history

Eagles keep failing to beat winning teams

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The New York Giants still have 14 players left from their Super Bowl title season of 2007, and their powerful home crowd makes for a mighty home-field advantage in the biting cold of January playoffs.

On the heels of Sunday’s impressive victory in New England that marked the first loss by the Patriots with Tom Brady at quarterback in 31 regular-season home games, the NFC East-leading Giants (6-2) look to entrench their playoff position when they travel to NFC West-leading San Francisco (7-1) on Sunday.

“It’ll take superior preparation and a superior game — high energy, physical game — for us to travel out there and win,” Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said.

The 49ers also won on the road Sunday, traveling to the Eastern time zone for the fourth time and defeating the Washington Redskins, 19-11 — not as impressive as the Giants’ triumph, but solid nonetheless.

Running back Frank Gore rushed for 107 yards to extend his string of 100-plus games to five. Coach Jim Harbaugh said he marvels at the small crevices Gore is able to wedge through.

The 49ers’ run defense allowed no such cracks, stuffing the Redskins to just 52 yards on the ground. San Francisco leads the NFL in rushing defense, and hasn’t given up a rushing touchdown.

Harbaugh, in fact, is taking on a slightly arrogant tone. When asked whether the team that started 0-5 last year is exceeding his expectations, the coach said, “We would’ve liked to be 8-0.”

Barring a stunning collapse, the 49ers will cruise to the NFC West title, but if they want a playoff-round bye, a victory against the Giants is a valuable marker to have in the bank with Baltimore and Pittsburgh still on the schedule.

The Giants are hoping to get injured receiver Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) and running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) back for the 49ers game.

Coach Tom Coughlin also wants to set aside questions about his team’s ability to win in the second half of seasons after struggling to do so in recent years.

Building the confidence to eradicate that reputation has been the Giants’ knack for rallies — at Arizona on Oct. 2, late field goal to beat Buffalo on Oct. 16, and back-to-back fourth-quarter comebacks engineered by quarterback Eli Manning (2,377 yards, 15 touchdowns) the last two weeks against the Dolphins and Patriots.

“We’ve talked about finishing since day one,” Coughlin told reporters Monday. “We talk about it every Saturday night. That’s the point. Do we talk about anything that has to do with the past? No. We talk about this now being an eight-game schedule and the next game is the most important game of the year.”

Pittsburgh (6-3) at Cincinnati (6-2)

Stinging from a brutal, late division loss to Baltimore, the Steelers venture to the unexpected AFC North leader, which rallied on the road last week to beat Tennessee.

New Orleans (6-3) at Atlanta (5-3)

The Saints are only 1-3 on the road, and that victory was a field-goal margin over Carolina, so this battle for the NFC South lead against improving Michael Turner, Matt Ryan and Co. is intriguing.

New England (5-3) at New York Jets (5-3)

This Sunday night game for the AFC East lead — the other leader, Buffalo, plays at Dallas earlier in the day — finds the Patriots mired in a two-game losing slump and the Jets coming off a show of manhood by winning at the excited Bills.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

twitter.com/latimespugmire

Read More: David Baas (C – NYG), Ahmad Bradshaw (RB – NYG), Hakeem Nicks (WR – NYG), Prince Amukamara (CB – NYG), New York Giants

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and center David Baas will meet with the team’s trainers Tuesday to judge their progress and set a rehabilitation path, coach Tom Coughlin said during a Monday conference call with reporters.

“They’re improving,” Coughlin said today on a conference call with reporters. “Again it’s going to end up being how they feel tomorrow and to what extent they can do some things tomorrow, Tuesday, with the trainers.”

Bradshaw missed New York’s comeback 24-20 victory against the New England Patriots with a stress fracture in his right foot. Nicks missed the game due to a hamstring injury suffered during Week 8, and Baas missed it to nurse a knee injury.

“We’re hopeful,” Coughlin said. “We have encouraging signs coming out of the training room but I wouldn’t go so far as to say what can be expected.”

Coughlin said the team will do whatever the doctors recommend in regards to Bradshaw. The running back’s availability could depend on his ability to control the soreness.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara traveled with the team for the first time this weekend, but the first-round pick was still listed as inactive.

“There has to be in everyone’s opinion the proof, how he’s performed on the practice field before we can simply just say he’s ready to go,” Coughlin said. “He gets better each week and everyone is thinking the time is approaching. There’s still some things I think that have to be cleared up on the practice field. When that happens we will welcome him.”    

– For more Giants coverage, visit our team page, or our blog Big Blue View. 

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw will meet with doctors to determine the extent of a
foot injury that could keep him out of this week’s game against
the New England Patriots, coach Tom Coughlin said.

Coughlin said today he doesn’t know if Bradshaw, the
Giants’ leading rusher with 440 yards and five touchdowns this
season, will need surgery.

“He has had issues in the past and he has played with a
crack or whatever you want to call it in his foot,” Coughlin
told reporters after practice. “He has played that way in the
past and we don’t know what the determination will be just yet.
We will wait and see.”

Bradshaw, who is also fifth on the team with 210 yards
receiving, didn’t participate in today’s practice. The Giants
visit the Patriots on Nov. 6, the first meeting between the
teams since New York’s Super Bowl win after the 2007 season.

“The guys that are practicing are going to go out there
and perform as if the responsibility will be theirs,” Coughlin
said, referring to Brandon Jacobs and Danny Ware.

Bradshaw has told teammates he will miss at least two
weeks, the Star-Ledger reported today, citing a person familiar
with the situation who requested anonymity. Corrective surgery
could keep him out for the rest of the season, the newspaper
said.

“We will have to see,” Coughlin said. “I am not going to
speculate what the doctors are going to decide or say because I
don’t know.”

Jacobs is the Giants’ second-leading rusher, with 126 yards
and two scores on 42 carries this year. Last week, Jacobs told
Men’s Fitness magazine that the Giants have misused him and that
he would like to play somewhere else next season.

“He is working hard and that is the only thing I have
noticed,” Coughlin said when asked whether he’s seen a
difference in Jacobs this week. “He has been good in meetings
and around the players.”

To contact the reporters on this story:
Erik Matuszewski in New York at
matuszewski@bloomberg.net;
Eben Novy-Williams in New York at
enovywilliam@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

Updated Oct 31, 2011 7:00 PM ET

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)

The New York Giants may be heading to New England for their first regular-season game against the Patriots since their Super Bowl season without their top receiver and one true deep threat.

Hakeem Nicks tweaked a hamstring on the Giants’ next-to-last series of the 20-17 win over Miami and his status for Sunday’s game is uncertain.

Coach Tom Coughlin described Nicks’ injury as day to day, but hamstring injuries are troublesome. Cornerback Aaron Ross was sidelined for most of the 2009 season with a hamstring problem.

Nicks’ injury is a major concern because the Giants have relied on the passing game much more this season with the running game bogged down. The third-year pro is tied for 13th in the league with 38 catches, and that’s despite drawing frequent double coverage.

”He’s a big-play guy and he stretches that field for us and he’s a guy that can go up and get it at any given time and change the momentum of the game,” said second-year pro Victor Cruz, who would probably replace Nicks in the starting lineup if he could not play. ”We understand that he’s important to our team and losing a guy like that, you’re losing a big chunk of your offense.

”Our guys have to step up. We have to get our running game going. Myself and Mario (Manningham) and Devin Thomas and Michael Clayton are going to have to step in and fill that void.”

Nicks was not in the locker room to discuss his injury, which happened while running a pattern late. After the game, he said he felt something wrong on the play and took himself out just to play it smart. He walked off the field with his hand on his right hamstring.

The team would not say which one he hurt.

Cruz, who caught a game-winning 25-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning with less than six minutes to play, hopes to see Nicks on the field on Sunday. If not, he is ready to step in.

”Anytime you get an opportunity to go in there and play and have an opportunity to be the number one or two guy and make some big plays, you always want to be excited,” said Cruz, who has 28 catches for 497 yards and four touchdowns despite his limited playing time. ”I understand for us to play at a top notch, we need all three of us to be out there and to be clicking on all cylinders.”

Nicks has missed some time in his first two seasons. He sat out two games with a leg injury and one with a broken toe last year, and two early in his rookie season with a foot injury.

These Giants have found ways to overcome injuries, though. When Manningham missed the game against the Eagles, Cruz stepped in and caught three passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

New York also has another option if Nicks cannot play.

Ramses Barden, a third-round pick in 2009, has been on the physically-unable-to-perform list since training camp with an ankle injury. He started practicing last week, so the Giants have 21 days to decide whether to activate him or put him on injured reserve.

Barden believes he is ready.

”Hakeem is a good guy,” Barden said. ”He is a friend of mine. You don’t want to see anybody go down. We’re hoping for the best for him. He is expecting to be around. If I was in his head, I would guarantee he’s thinking he’s playing and I hope he does. But at the same time, we have to be prepared for whatever circumstances present themselves and in my mind I’m playing regardless, even if he was healthy, I’m thinking: `I’m the guy.”’

The offensive line could take some of the pressure off the passing game by generating a little rush. New York was limited to 58 yards on Sunday.

Guard David Diehl said Nicks is tough, so he is hoping he plays.

”Like I said, that puts a stress on us to get the run going, but it also allows other guys to make plays down field,” Diehl said. ”Victor Cruz has been playing unbelievably well. (Then, there’s) Mario Manningham. It gets guys in there that we know can step in and do the job.”

Nicks isn’t the only player the Giants have to worry about.

Center David Baas hurt his right knee in the first half. He felt it more on Monday than Sunday.

”They checked it out on the sidelines and stuff like that,” said Baas, who would be replaced by Kevin Boothe. ”If I was stable enough to go back in and play, that’s a positive sign. My hope is very high. We just have to watch it day by day.

”Tomorrow, seeing how it felt from today will be a big factor.”

Baas was to undergo tests on Monday afternoon.

Coughlin said running back Ahmad Bradshaw had a sore foot. He missed some time in the second half while it was X-rayed, but returned and played on the game winning drive.

The most serious injury was a broken right arm suffered by defensive back Justin Tryon, who played the final 2 1/2 quarters with the injury, not telling team trainers about it. He made a tackle on Reggie Bush on a late punt return that pinned the Dolphins at their own 16 and might have hurt his arm even more on the play.

”The thing that I appreciated and I was standing close by, as the doctors were showing him and talking to him about his injury,” Coughlin said. ”He didn’t want to hear about it and all he wanted to know was when he could play again. He said, just put a cast on it and I will play and that was something to hear a kid talk about how badly he wanted to play. It was quite an inspiration for me to listen to that and I wanted you to know about what he did.”

Tryon had surgery Monday and probably will miss the rest of the season, Coughlin said.

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin greets cornerback Corey Webster (23) at the side line during the fourth quarter of the Oct. 16 game against the Buffalo Bills in East Rutherford. The Giants won the game 27-24. / AP

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