Good morning, New York Giants fans. Time for your Thursday morning dose of Giants' news and notes, so let's get started.
Quarterback Eli Manning wanted nothing to do Wednesday with praise for his career-best 101.1 passer rating. Asked about it, his quote reads like he was answering with the aid of a prepared text:
"Offensive line is doing well. Receivers are getting open, making plays, doing a good job of just finding completions. Everybody is doing their assignments correctly. Guys in the right spot. Have hit some big plays, [we'll] try to stay with that. Not forcing things that aren't there. Play smart football, but also be sound in our offense," Manning said. "That's usually the way it works with quarterbacks. [If] everybody else does their job, it makes my job a lot easier."
Prince Amukamara is practicing, but the first-round draft pick is still uncertain of his status for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. Wednesday he admitted that he still feels some pain in his broken foot, and that he is still adjusting to the speed of play.
" I am just trying to catch up to speed. The speed was a bit fast so I have to get used to that," Amukamara said. "I haven't lined up across from someone in a couple months so I am just trying to get acclimated to that speed."
Asked about the possibility of overlooking the 0-6 Dolphins, cornerback Corey Webster gave an answer that coach Tom Coughlin would be proud of.
"It doesn't matter who we are playing or what their record is, our next best challenge is the next team on your schedule, no matter what their record is. Any given Sunday, anything can happen," Webster said. "Everybody is professional, everybody is good and anybody can win. They haven't put it together yet but that doesn't say that they are not going to be prepared and come out here and work hard to put their best foot forward. We have to do exactly the same and match their intensity and even be greater at that. We will get the W if we do those things and take care of our business."
Around the Web
Giants vs. Dolphins: David Carr knows something about how struggling Miami feels | NJ.com
Carr, a former top overall pick, played in the "Reggie Bush Bowl" in 2005 as a Houston Texan. It was the last game of the season and the Texans came into San Francisco with a 2-13 record while the 49ers were 3-12 with Reggie Bush possibly at stake. Houston lost the game (and won the top pick) in overtime and selected future Pro Bowler Mario Williams No. 1 in the draft.
"It was terrible," Carr said. "We tried to win the game. We ended up losing. We ended up getting the first pick, we picked Mario Williams and it worked out for us. But it was something as a player, it was very frustrating going through that week because that’s all you heard about. So I can understand how Miami feels, for sure."
Politi: Giants need to do more than simply beat the Miami Dolphins | NJ.com
Right now, this team stinks. Or, to quote Miami running back Reggie Bush, "Right now, this team stinks."
So barring an absolute catastrophe, the Giants will be 5-2 heading into the varsity part of their schedule. But this is the type of week when merely putting that notch in the win column isn’t enough.
If the Giants are truly better than everyone expected in 2011, this would be the time to prove it. Treat the Dolphins like an SEC team treats Troy State. Beat them in all three phases of the game. Make sure that, by halftime, fans can safely grab their rakes and head out into their backyards.
"We have to expect it’s going to be a tight game," quarterback Eli Manning lied Monday. "They are talented. They do good things. A lot of teams have had trouble with them."
Giants' Ramses Barden, now healthy, may be right fit at slot receiver | NJ.com
"I’ve played more slot than I have anywhere else. It’s actually a surprise to me I’m comfortable there," the Giants’ wide receiver said yesterday. "If you’d have asked me that coming out of college, I’d have been like, ‘Slot? What are you talking about?’
"But slot is fun. There’s always a way to win. It’s a mind game as much as it is anything."
Dolphins' Sparano puts house up for sale - Scoop Du Jour - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
According to CBS Miami, Sparano may be giving over to the idea that he'll soon be leaving South Florida. CBS reports that Sparano has put his 5,182-square-foot house up for sale for $1.5 million.