PLAYER NOTES

--QB Eli Manning leads the Giants with seven fumbles this season. Of those seven, he has lost five, which ties him with RB Ahmad Bradshaw for the team lead in that negative statistical category.

--RB Ahmad Bradshaw's 4.7 yards per carry is second to teammate Brandon Jacobs' 5.0 average. Both Bradshaw and Jacobs each have five touchdowns; however, Jacobs has only lost one fumble this year and was named the starter for Sunday's game.

--RB Brandon Jacobs' 10 rushing yards against Philadelphia increased his career total to 3,842 yards and moved him past Ron Johnson (3,836) and into fifth place on the Giants' career list.

--TE Kevin Boss' 15.1 yards per reception average leads the Giants receivers. Boss has 21 catches for 318 yards and two touchdowns.

--WR Duke Calhoun caught his first career caption last week against the Eagles, a four-yarder.

--WR Derek Hagan received quite a bit of work in his first game back with the Giants. He was targeted nine times against Philadelphia; however, he only came up with three receptions for ten yards and one touchdown.

--WR Michael Clayton signed with the Giants. He adds depth to a WR corps that will be without Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks for a few weeks.

--DE Justin Tuck, who had three sacks against Philadelphia, increased his 2010 season total to 7.0, one behind team leader Osi Umenyiora. Tuck now has 36.0 sacks in his career, tying him with Carl Banks in seventh place on the Giants' official sack list, established in 1982 when sacks became an official statistic.

--LT David Diehl, who has been working hard to come back from injury, said on a radio interview with WFAN in New York that he's optimistic of being back on the practice field this Wednesday "to do some stuff." Diehl also told WFAN that he's hoping to have a chance at being back in the lineup on Sunday when the Giants host Jacksonville.

--C Shaun O'Hara's status remains in limbo. As of Monday, the Giants' starting center was still in a walking boot, as he awaits the green light from the team's medical staff to return to work following his lisfranc sprain. Head coach Tom Coughlin said on Monday that he didn't have anything new to share about O'Hara's status.

--P Matt Dodge's job continues to be safe despite his rather rocky performance Sunday against the Eagles. Dodge finished with a net average of 39.8, but also had two touchbacks in addition to a short, 25-yard shank on his first kick. Head coach Tom Coughlin said there were no plans to bring in any punters on Tuesday for tryouts.

--S Antrel Rolle said he would be willing to step in and help at wide receiver if the team needed him. While the chances of him playing both sides is remote, head coach Tom Coughlin didn't dismiss the possibility. "We're aware of Antrel's athletic skills and ... we'll take everything into consideration."

REPORT CARD VS. EAGLES

PASSING OFFENSE
C -- For the second week in a row, QB Eli Manning contributed to the turnover parade, this time throwing three interceptions (two of which looked to be his fault). He also had a fourth-quarter fumble on a fourth-and-6 where he ran for the first-down yardage yet dived head first instead of sliding, the result being the ball popped out of his grasp before he was ruled down by contact. That miscue ended any chance the Giants might have had at a comeback. On the plus side, Manning did hold up well to heavy pressure, and he wasn't sacked despite playing behind a makeshift offensive line. However, the mistakes and the missed opportunities that week in and week out Manning says need to be corrected keep occurring.

RUSHING OFFENSE
C-minus -- Is there a more frustrating runner in the NFL right now than the Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw? When he is not showing patience and following his blockers, he seems to be fumbling, and his ball-security issues are really starting to become a problem for the Giants. While he can't be faulted for trying to get as much as he can on every play, there comes a time when a runner has to play smart, disciplined football, and Bradshaw continues to be guilty of failing to deliver in this regard. Also of note: This week was the first time this season that the Giants' collective running game was held to fewer than 100 yards, though the Eagles should be acknowledged for mucking up the running lanes.

PASS DEFENSE
B -- The Giants usually sent four defenders at QB Michael Vick, amassing their three sacks on mostly a four-man rush. In particular, DE Justin Tuck, who had all three of the sacks, did a marvelous job of fighting off double-team blocks. Also, credit DE Osi Umenyiora, who mostly kept Vick from rolling to his left side, the side from which he seems to be most comfortable. When it was all over, Vick completed 24 of 38 passes for 258 yards and no interceptions.

RUSH DEFENSE
C -- The Giants once again allowed more than 100 rushing yards by an opponent -- this week, the total was 148, the back-breaker being the 50-yard gallop by RB LeSean McCoy for the go-ahead touchdown. Not coincidentally, in each of the Giants' four losses this season, they've allowed opponents to rush for more than 100 yards. DT Barry Cofield appeared to be at fault for allowing McCoy to burst through on his score after Cofield lost his gap contain on McCoy's cutback.

SPECIAL TEAMS
C-minus -- Where to start with this unit, which put forth a performance that was forgettable? There was the fourth-quarter kickoff out of bounds by Lawrence Tynes, which gave the Eagles the ball on their own 40. There were a couple of miscues by P Matt Dodge, including a 29-yard punt sent out of bounds on his first kick of the night and another dropped ball on his next-to-last kick that he managed to get off in time. There was the foolish decision by returner Will Blackmon to field a slow-moving punt as an Eagles defender closed in, the ensuing result being Blackmon's absorption of a big hit and subsequent muffing of the ball (which was recovered by New York). Last but not least, there were a couple of penalties, including a hold against gunner Aaron Ross on punt coverage and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike flag on Clint Sintim. The good news? Terrell Thomas blocked a 42-yard field-goal attempt by David Akers on the final play of the first half. The bad news? The Giants weren't able to find a way to do much with the gift.

COACHING
C-minus -- Head coach Tom Coughlin is fast becoming a mystery. Once touted as a disciplinarian who simply wouldn't accept subpar football from his team, week after week, his players continue to make stupid mistakes that cost them football games. More alarmingly, week after week, Coughlin doesn't seem to have any answers as to why the errors are happening or what to do about them. While he certainly can't shake up his entire roster, somehow, some way he has to get to the habitual offenders whose ball-security or chronic rules-infraction issues are hurting the team's chances and drive home the message that this type of play is not going to win football games nor is it acceptable. On offense, it's hard to blame Kevin Gilbride for the unit's inability to get much of anything going in the first half. As the Giants found themselves deeper and deeper in the hole, they obviously had to move away from what they wanted to do in order to get caught up. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said he thought that he had a good plan in place to control Vick, and for the most part, he did. The Giants primarily rushed with four, getting three sacks in the process, and the defensive secondary stood toe-to-toe with the receivers. However, Fewell's unit wasn't immune to errors, as on a critical third-and-5, rookie DE Jason Pierre-Paul was flagged for being offside. With the Eagles opting to go for it on fourth-and-1 from midfield, RB LeSean McCoy ran right past a charging Antrel Rolle, who was coming with the pressure, and the ensuing score gave the Eagles the lead for good.

========

Copyright (C) 2010 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.