INDIANAPOLIS — The Giants finally hit the field yesterday and every player took part in some aspect of practice. No one sat out entirely, a positive sign moving forward that they will not have any injuries to deal with heading into Super Bowl XLVI.
Rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams came out of the NFC Championship Game with a sprained foot and spent the next few days walking around in a protective boot on his right foot. Williams sat out all three practices last week but promised to be on the field once the Giants arrived at the Super Bowl site. Williams was one of five players to practice on a limited basis. The others: RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee), and CB Corey Webster (hamstring).
COMPLETE GIANTS SUPER BOWL COVERAGE
Nicks was held out of practice last week as a precaution after coming out of the victory over the 49ers with a sprained A-C joint in his shoulder. Tom Coughlin said earlier in the day he expected Bradshaw to follow his usual routine and sit out practice this early in the week and was surprised Bradshaw worked at all. Coughlin said Bradshaw told trainer Ronnie Barnes he “wants to be a part of this” and wanted to be out at the first practice of Super Bowl week with his teammates.
“I just hope he’s OK [today],’’ Coughlin said.
Coughlin called the Giants’ first practice in four days “a good, spirited up-tempo practice.’’
Tight end Rob Gronkowski was the only Patriots player to miss practice yesterday, but said his high left ankle sprain is improving and he is still hopeful to play Sunday.
“I feel better every day. That’s the goal,” Gronkowski said. “That’s the positive direction you want to be going. You want to be moving forward every single day. If you are going backwards, that’s not good at all. I am feeling good every day. The rehab is going well. Everything is moving forward and we’re on pace of just feeling better every day.”
He said he may wear a special cleat.
“He’s day to day,” Belichick said. “He’s getting better, but we’ll just take it day-to-day.”
* Coughlin had his own thoughts for the curfew this week, but his players convinced him otherwise. It’s not what you think.
The leaders on the team asked Coughlin to make the curfew earlier and he obliged. The curfew is midnight until later in the week, when it moves up to 11 p.m.
“They were supposed to be later, but we nixed it,’’ kicker Lawrence Tynes said. “As a group, [we] decided we don’t need to be out. … This is a business trip, and we’re just going to go to sleep, wake up, go to work and do the same thing.”
The referee for Super Bowl XLVI will be John Parry, who is in his 12th season as an NFL game official. He was the side judge at Super Bowl XLI. He has officiated nine playoff games.
Patriots tackle Matt Light was feeling better yesterday, but he was not too chatty on the topic of Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora.
Last week, Umenyiora said he was looking forward to rekindling his rivalry in Super Bowl XLVI with Light and said the Pats veteran gets under his skin. Light has been ill this week and missed the first two media sessions. That left him surrounded by reporters yesterday curious to get his thoughts on Umenyiora.
“Can you have an individual rivalry?” Light said. “I thought rivalries were maybe between teams in general. I’m ready to go out there and play whatever game I have to play. We’ll have fun doing it. I’m not sure that comes at a personal level, though.”