Published: Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 4:45 p.m. MST

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As he has had to do seemingly all season, New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin spent much of his Wednesday session with the media discussing the long list of injured players on the team’s roster.

- The most troublesome position right now is tight end, with all three of the team’s tight ends battling injury. Starter Jake Ballard (knee) did not practice Wednesday and likely will not play against the New York Jets on Saturday. Bear Pascoe (ribs) and Travis Beckum (chest) did practice and Coughlin said the team would monitor them before deciding on whether to sign another tight end.

- Linebacker Mark Herzlich (ankle) is running on a treadmill, but not practicing.

- Center David Baas (neck) is practicing, but Coughlin would not commit to re-inserting him into the starting lineup. He said “we’ll see how that works out” when asked if he would leave Kevin Boothe at center and Mitch Petrus at guard.

- Wide receiver Mario Manninghan (knee) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle) did not practice. Devin Thomas (burner) and Derrick Martin (back) did practice.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell would neither deny nor confirm that he has instructed his players to fake injuries to slow down an opposing offense.

The St. Louis Rams accused the Giants, particularly safety Deon Grant, of feigning injuries on Monday night to slow down their offense after New York beat St. Louis 28-16 on Monday night.

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The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms with former New York Giants receiver Steve Smith on a one-year deal Wednesday.

The 26-year-old Smith had 220 catches for 2,386 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons with the Giants. In his 2009 Pro Bowl season, he caught a franchise-record 107 passes for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns.

Smith suffered a season-ending left knee injury in the Giants’ win over the Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 13 and had microfracture surgery eight days later.

He said Wednesday night he believes he’ll be able to play soon.

“I think I’m pretty close,” Smith said. “I think I can realistically be out there [the first month]. It could be week one. You never know.”

Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters Wednesday after meeting with Smith that he believed Smith faced a “long haul” before he could play again.

“I would disagree with that,” Smith said. “I feel good. I’ve been running, cutting, doing different things. I haven’t had any setbacks.”

Smith said he was examined by doctors from both the Giants and Eagles and said both gave him a positive report.

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Asked why Coughlin might have indicated that Smith faced a longer rehab than Smith’s doctors expressed to him, Smith said, “Maybe Coughlin had a plan up his sleeve when he said that. We’ll see what happens when I get out on the field.”

Smith said he believes the real reason the Giants didn’t want him was financial.

Smith is the sixth Pro Bowl player to join the Eagles in the past two weeks.

Superdome gets extensive face-lift

It’s hard to believe now that the Louisiana Superdome was once filled with water, mold and tens of thousands of evacuees escaping the flooded neighborhoods of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

State and city officials showed off its newly completed upgrades on Wednesday, touting the improvements as having “all the bells and whistles” of a new facility.

Seats have been replaced or refurbished, and new ones added; there are new club facilities and restrooms, and new video systems and scoreboards installed. Luxury suites have been added and the Saints’ locker room expanded to twice its old size.

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By Ed Valentine

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Aug 4, 2011 – New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin will be relieved to know that the new CBA is expected to be ratified today. That means all those free-agent signees who have been unable to practice should be allowed to take the field Thursday evening when the Giants practice at the Timex Performance Center.

“We need to all get on the same field for crying out loud,” Coughlin said Wednesday night. “We have so many of them [players unable to practice], you almost need to hire another field so they can hang around it.”

It is still unclear if Osi Umenyiora will take the field tonight, something that has nothing to do with the CBA. Umenyiora, of course, has been pushing for a new contract or a trade. The Giants had given his agent permission to seek a trade, but have now rescinded that permission. Umenyiora was at practice Wednesday night, but only rode a stationary bike.

– See Big Blue View for a full report on Wedneday evening’s practice.

– See SB Nation New York’s Giants page for all the news from the past few days

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Running back D.J. Ware has signed a contract extension with the New York Giants.

The extension was announced Wednesday, a day before the current collective bargaining agreement expires. Details were not immediately available.

Ware, who is entering his fifth season with the Giants, did not immediately return an e-mail left by the Associated Press seeking for comment.

Ware played in 14 games last season and had a team-high 20.6-yard average on 21 kickoff returns. He finished third on the team with 73 rushing yards on a career-high 30 attempts. He also had seven receptions for 67 yards.

Signed off the Jets’ practice squad in 2007, Ware played in one game that season, six in 2008 and eight in 2009.

That’s all the news for today.

Published: Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 1:12 PM     Updated: Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 2:01 PM

Hance Construction, a Warren County metal construction firm whose flagship project was building an indoor practice site for the New York Giants, has selected Yankee Public Relations to build its brand awareness.

Yankee Public Relations, based in Alexandria Township, Hunterdon County, works with large and small clients, including those in the pharmaceutical and financial industries.

Hance Construction made headlines in 2008 when it landed a contract to build the 87,000-square-foot Timex Performance Center, where the New York Giants practice. The pre-engineered facility was built on part of the Meadowlands parking lot.

Based on Route 57, Hance Construction handles commercial and residential projects. It was formed in 2000.

“We look forward to working with Yankee Public Relations as we continue to build our brand and strengthen our public imaging program,” Hance Construction President Arthur Hance said in a statement today.

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The days following the New York Giants’ 38-31 collapse against the Eagles have, naturally, been spent doling out blame.

Rookie punter Matt Dodge drew public scorn for giving Eagles returner DeSean Jackson the chance to pull off a game-winning return in the final seconds.

Coach Tom Coughlin claimed to have the greatest culpability for blowing a 21-point lead in eight minutes.

Still others censured themselves, including safety Antrel Rolle, who blamed the defense specifically.

Lost in all the postmortem teeth-gnashing was the fact that a running game that had been so dominant during the team’s previous three-game winning streak quietly fell flat against Philadelphia.

“To run the ball effectively in the third and fourth quarter would have assured us a win,” center Shaun O’Hara said.

In our haste to point the finger, did we completely miss what should have been the first domino? Running the ball is as much a part of the Giants as the color blue. So why did the team’s mediocre 100-yard, 31-carry performance go practically unnoticed?

Spinning that question forward, the Giants can earn a playoff berth this Sunday in Green Bay, but must resuscitate the ground attack to complete the task. That’s not a fact lost on the offensive line, which has been in the midst of some soul-searching following an uncharacteristically weak showing.

“One of the frustrating things about watching tape is when you go back and you see, man, there were opportunities here,” O’Hara said. “Sometimes it’s footwork. It’s one little block here or there that’s the difference between a 20-yard run and a two-yard run.

“I feel pretty confident if we’re in that same circumstance we’ll finish it out this time.”

The Giants have run the football effectively in their nine wins, but the ground game definitely reached the stratosphere in Weeks 12, 13 and 14.

Coughlin promoted running back Brandon Jacobs ahead of Ahmad Bradshaw after Week 11 because the latter had fumbled six times in 10 games. After the re-shuffling, the duo responded with 555 yards and six touchdowns over the ensuing three weeks, and even though Bradshaw was technically demoted, he still took 48 percent of the carries during that stretch.

Jacobs, who has rushed for only 86 yards on 30 carries in the team’s five losses, accumulated 306 yards in the three wins over that stretch. But like Bradshaw, he too was disappointing against the Eagles.

“We know that we’re the ones that were off flow last week,” said Jacobs, who had 34 yards on 12 carries. “If you’re going to win, you have to get the running game going no matter what week it is and no matter what’s at stake.

“I have a lot of confidence in the guys in this room, and a lot of confidence in our offensive line to get the job done,” Jacobs continued.

The offensive line certainly didn’t get the job done against the Eagles, but the unit might deserve a mulligan. Left tackle David Diehl was playing in only his second game since recovering from hip and hamstring injuries, while O’Hara was fresh off a Lisfranc sprain. In fact, the starting offensive line was playing together for the first time since Week 7.

“Obviously last week was my first game in seven weeks,” O’Hara said. “So I think I already feel better right now just on this Wednesday than I did even last Wednesday.”

Even if the line’s health returns in Green Bay this Sunday, the Giants still need fullback Bear Pascoe to bounce back from Sunday’s dismal performance. The converted tight end had been making tremendous progress at his new position but was derailed by an early holding penalty against Philadelphia.

“I take that on me a little bit,” Pascoe said. “I had a little trouble blocking them.

“We’ve got a good game plan [this week] and I’m going to make the extra effort to get that execution down the way it needs to be.”

Pascoe’s attitude is typical for the Giants. Yes, players have each accepted responsibility for their role in Sunday’s disastrous defeat, but the sentiment in the locker room isn’t completely regretful or morose. Instead, the team has seemed downright giddy at times.

After all, the Giants control their own destiny as they head to Lambeau Field this Sunday, which is what prompted quarterback Eli Manning to call a players-only meeting for the first time in his seven-year career.

“He came in and visited with me and asked me if it was OK if he spoke with the team,” Coughlin said. “I said ‘sure,’ so I set my schedule back a little bit. I was not there for the meeting but I do understand that he did an outstanding job of collecting everyone, getting them on the same page, and realizing that it’s time to move on.”

Of course, the best way for the Giants to move on is to beat the Packers, advance to the playoffs and, if fate is on their side, take another crack at the Eagles in January.

“I’ll say what we’ve been saying to each other,” O’Hara concluded. “We hope we see them again. I think we’re pretty confident with our ability to run the football and that’s something we’ve done here for a long time. We know how to fix it.”

What are your opinions.

The days following the New York Giants’ 38-31 collapse against the Eagles have, naturally, been spent doling out blame.

Rookie punter Matt Dodge drew public scorn for giving Eagles returner DeSean Jackson the chance to pull off a game-winning return in the final seconds.

Coach Tom Coughlin claimed to have the greatest culpability for blowing a 21-point lead in eight minutes.

Still others censured themselves, including safety Antrel Rolle, who blamed the defense specifically.

Lost in all the postmortem teeth-gnashing was the fact that a running game that had been so dominant during the team’s previous three-game winning streak quietly fell flat against Philadelphia.

“To run the ball effectively in the third and fourth quarter would have assured us a win,” center Shaun O’Hara said.

In our haste to point the finger, did we completely miss what should have been the first domino? Running the ball is as much a part of the Giants as the color blue. So why did the team’s mediocre 100-yard, 31-carry performance go practically unnoticed?

Spinning that question forward, the Giants can earn a playoff berth this Sunday in Green Bay, but must resuscitate the ground attack to complete the task. That’s not a fact lost on the offensive line, which has been in the midst of some soul-searching following an uncharacteristically weak showing.

“One of the frustrating things about watching tape is when you go back and you see, man, there were opportunities here,” O’Hara said. “Sometimes it’s footwork. It’s one little block here or there that’s the difference between a 20-yard run and a two-yard run.

“I feel pretty confident if we’re in that same circumstance we’ll finish it out this time.”

The Giants have run the football effectively in their nine wins, but the ground game definitely reached the stratosphere in Weeks 12, 13 and 14.

Coughlin promoted running back Brandon Jacobs ahead of Ahmad Bradshaw after Week 11 because the latter had fumbled six times in 10 games. After the re-shuffling, the duo responded with 555 yards and six touchdowns over the ensuing three weeks, and even though Bradshaw was technically demoted, he still took 48 percent of the carries during that stretch.

Jacobs, who has rushed for only 86 yards on 30 carries in the team’s five losses, accumulated 306 yards in the three wins over that stretch. But like Bradshaw, he too was disappointing against the Eagles.

“We know that we’re the ones that were off flow last week,” said Jacobs, who had 34 yards on 12 carries. “If you’re going to win, you have to get the running game going no matter what week it is and no matter what’s at stake.

“I have a lot of confidence in the guys in this room, and a lot of confidence in our offensive line to get the job done,” Jacobs continued.

The offensive line certainly didn’t get the job done against the Eagles, but the unit might deserve a mulligan. Left tackle David Diehl was playing in only his second game since recovering from hip and hamstring injuries, while O’Hara was fresh off a Lisfranc sprain. In fact, the starting offensive line was playing together for the first time since Week 7.

“Obviously last week was my first game in seven weeks,” O’Hara said. “So I think I already feel better right now just on this Wednesday than I did even last Wednesday.”

Even if the line’s health returns in Green Bay this Sunday, the Giants still need fullback Bear Pascoe to bounce back from Sunday’s dismal performance. The converted tight end had been making tremendous progress at his new position but was derailed by an early holding penalty against Philadelphia.

“I take that on me a little bit,” Pascoe said. “I had a little trouble blocking them.

“We’ve got a good game plan [this week] and I’m going to make the extra effort to get that execution down the way it needs to be.”

Pascoe’s attitude is typical for the Giants. Yes, players have each accepted responsibility for their role in Sunday’s disastrous defeat, but the sentiment in the locker room isn’t completely regretful or morose. Instead, the team has seemed downright giddy at times.

After all, the Giants control their own destiny as they head to Lambeau Field this Sunday, which is what prompted quarterback Eli Manning to call a players-only meeting for the first time in his seven-year career.

“He came in and visited with me and asked me if it was OK if he spoke with the team,” Coughlin said. “I said ‘sure,’ so I set my schedule back a little bit. I was not there for the meeting but I do understand that he did an outstanding job of collecting everyone, getting them on the same page, and realizing that it’s time to move on.”

Of course, the best way for the Giants to move on is to beat the Packers, advance to the playoffs and, if fate is on their side, take another crack at the Eagles in January.

“I’ll say what we’ve been saying to each other,” O’Hara concluded. “We hope we see them again. I think we’re pretty confident with our ability to run the football and that’s something we’ve done here for a long time. We know how to fix it.”

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants showed up for Wednesday’s morning meeting and were “a little quiet” a few days after The Collapse.

Head coach Tom Coughlin greeted his team with his usual “Good morning, men.”

He then repeated it to them and got a reaction from players.

“We get in here at 7 in the morning so it is always quiet and slow,” defensive tackle Barry Cofield explained.

But by late morning, when the Giants took to the practice field, Coughlin didn’t need to say anything to wake his team up. Several Giants players said Wednesday’s practice was lively, energetic and inspired.

On Sunday, Justin Tuck and Cofield said they wondered how the team would respond when they got back on the practice field after the Giants’ crushing 38-31 loss to the Eagles.

So far, it appears the Giants have begun exorcising their demons. Cofield said he feels good about the Giants’ monster game against the Green Bay Packers after seeing the team’s reaction Wednesday.

“I love the way we practiced,” Cofield said. “I honestly didn’t think about Philly one time while out on that field.

“As hard as it is to believe, I think guys have actually managed to move on. We realize that if we win, we are in.”

It remains to be seen whether the loss to the Eagles will have a lingering effect and if it left a lasting mark on the Giants’ 2010 season.

While it can’t be completely forgotten or erased, the Giants can ease the pain of the Eagles’ meltdown by beating the Packers. If the Giants (9-5) can win in Green Bay (8-6), they will clinch a playoff berth. Should the Giants lose, they will need to beat the Redskins in Washington in the season finale and hope for some help to make the postseason.

The Giants and Packers are already referring to this game as a playoff game. Green Bay will have quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who missed last week’s loss to New England with a concussion but has been cleared to play and went through a full practice on Wednesday.

“I have zero concern about Aaron Rodgers as far as his health,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said.

The Giants are well aware that Rodgers has suffered two concussions this season and they will bring the pressure against an offensive line that has surrendered 34 sacks this season.

“It probably makes us a little more aggressive,” linebacker Keith Bulluck said of Rodgers’ return. “At the end of the day, the gloves are off at this point.”

Some wondered if there would be any fight left in the Giants after blowing a 31-10 lead in the final eight minutes of Sunday’s game and losing on the last play of the game on a 65-yard punt return by DeSean Jackson.

Players had never really experienced this kind of collapse after pouring their hearts into a game that they dominated for pretty much 52 minutes.

That’s why Giants quarterback Eli Manning called for a players-only meeting and delivered his first solo speech to the team to get the loss out of their system by Wednesday morning.

“You know what, man, I think it showed today,” Cofield said of the impact of Manning’s talk on Monday. “I think it probably had some effect on guys. Everyone came in with an open mind and everyone had a smile on their face at practice. It was somewhat out of character for him. He’s a leader and he’s been leading all year but for him to call that meeting like that, it was exciting for me.”

What has motivated the Giants is the fact that they have so much riding on this game. There really is no time to sulk even if they wanted to.

Last week they were essentially playing for the NFC East title. This week, they are playing for their playoff lives.

So far, there appears to be no signs of a Philadelphia hangover.

“Last week we came in on Wednesday and guys were pumped up and I felt that same kind of energy today,” center Shaun O’Hara said. “We came in on Monday and we were mad and angry and we were upset and that is the way it should be. I knew that once everybody had a chance to take care of themselves on Monday and Tuesday, I knew we would be ready to work.”

Ohm Youngmisuk covers the Giants for ESPNNewYork.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — When Matt Dodge got to his locker Wednesday after practice, it didn’t take long for a media scrum to form around the New York Giants punter.

Even though he said his way of coping with the punt that lost the game to the Eagles was to forget about it, he answered every uncomfortable question politely. Why so patient?

“Maybe in 10 years I’ll be like, ‘I’m not answering that,’ but right now, ask away,” Dodge said.

Before practice he heard about the report that coach Tom Coughlin had fired him on the field the moment DeSean Jackson ran his punt back in for a touchdown.

“I heard that and it’s absolutely not true,” Dodge said.

He said he was surprised anyone believed the report considering what Coughlin is like.

“That would be completely out of character,” Dodge said. “… To think he would do that in front of every team and teammate and players and people in the locker room, no, it definitely wouldn’t happen.”

Coughlin took a little umbrage at the question in his Wednesday morning press conference.

“Absolutely ridiculous,” Coughlin said. “I’m surprised you’d even bring that up with me. Just because it’s out there, does that mean — it’s nothing, it’s ridiculous.”

Dodge said the week has gone well. The only thing out of the ordinary is perhaps all the support he has gotten from teammates like Justin Tuck, guys who are normally supportive but who have gone out of their way to make him feel a part of the team. He’s also looking at the positives he can take from the loss at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

“I feel like [I] hit every other punt where I wanted to hit it,” Dodge said.

He said he has to focus on the positives because too much negativity will just perpetuate the problems in his game.

“You can let it negatively affect you and I’ll be out of here quicker than I can talk,” Dodge said.

He even looked at the fact that the weather in Green Bay is supposed to be freezing, just the kind of conditions designed to throw off a visiting punter.

“That’s even better opportunity to show you can bounce back,” Dodge said. “I mean if we have a dome game, anyone can do well when the conditions are perfect. I’m excited — this will probably the coldest I’ve ever been probably in my life, I’m excited.”

Jane McManus is a reporter and columnist for ESPNNewYork.com.

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There is the quick update of the day.