If the Giants are to take seriously the expectations of the outside football world looking in at them, they might as well not even start their season Sunday night in Dallas. The predictions from nearly every NFL-related publication has the Giants finishing no higher than third in the four-team NFC East.
Heading into the opener, linebacker Antonio Pierce yesterday was asked if he saw the first opponent for the Giants – the rival Cowboys – as the team to beat in the division.
“I see the Giants,” Pierce immediately shot back.
The Giants?
“Why are they better than us?” Pierce said. “My answer is us. We were on top of this division the last two years, we lost it at the end of the season last year. But it’s OK, we want it that way. We’ll finish last. It probably will be Dallas, Philly and Washington all tied for first place. We’ll probably be 0-16 hoping we get, who is the No. 1 pick next year?”
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WR Plaxico Burress finally made it back to the practice field after missing most of training camp and all four preseason games with a sprained ankle, the flu and back spasms.
“I felt pretty good,” Burress said. “I just hope I can keep feeling this way.”
The other starter able to return was LB Kawika Mitchell, who had been out with a groin injury.
Former Giants QB Phil Simms, currently the top analyst at CBS Sports, doesn’t sound as if he condones Tiki Barber’s repeated criticism of Tom Coughlin. Asked on HBO’s “Costas Now” if he bought into Barber’s contention that his decision to retire was based largely on the fact Coughlin was his coach, Simms said, “I know a coach can do a lot to you as a player. He can change the way you think about it. But if I wanted to play football, I can promise you, and I’m speaking if you want to play, no coach is gonna stop you from playing.”
Simms added Bill Parcells “made my career” and won two Super Bowls, but there are still some things he’d like to say about his former coach. “But, I’m not going to, because of what he did for me,” Simms said. “And two, just my respect for the game.”
Also returning to practice were DE Adrian Awasom, CB Kevin Dockery, S Michael Johnson, G Grey Ruegamer and LB Reggie Torbor. … As expected, five players were unable to practice and will make up the bulk of the inactive list for Sunday’s game: FB Robert Douglas (knee), CB Sam Madison (hamstring), WR David Tyree (wrist), T Guy Whimper (ankle) and LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee).