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Making do with what you have is a wonderful attitude in life and an admirable quality in an NFL team. The Giants have been forced to navigate around a series of injuries and somehow stand at 2-1 with a roster operating at far less than full strength.
That resiliency can do wonders for a team.
“There’s a feeling in the room there’s been some things accomplished in terms of guys lining up and playing with what we’ve got,” Tom Coughlin said. “We get extra people in here it’s going to be a positive thing.”
Extra people are on the way.
Receiver Mario Manningham (concussion) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) weren’t on the field and didn’t even make the trip to Philadelphia for the 29-16 victory over the Eagles that served as the ultimate pick-me-up for the Giants. Both of those hard-to-replace players yesterday hit the practice field — the Giants say both were limited — and, barring any setbacks, should be in uniform for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz.
That’s quite an injection of talent for a team that has an array of ability wasting away on injured reserve.
“When you build a unit you’re only as strong as that link,” safety Deon Grant said. “Knowing you might have a good guy behind you, still that link is missing. When that link comes back in it definitely makes it better. Osi and Mario, they’re key links. They’re starters. Not only starters, Mario’s a Pro Bowl-type receiver and Osi’s an All-Pro.”
Umenyiora underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Aug. 19 and the initial timetable for his return was 3-4 weeks (according to the Giants) and 4-6 weeks (according to Umenyiora’s camp). He’s done some work off to the side but this was the first time since a three-day stretch in training camp that Umenyiora joined his teammates on the field.
“He’s been running around for a while now,” linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said. “We’ve just been waiting for him to run around with us.”
In Umenyiora’s absence, second-year player Jason Pierre-Paul moved in as the starting right defensive end and in three games has 41⁄2 sacks, matching his entire rookie season output. Pierre-Paul said he played 64 snaps against the Eagles and admitted “I was probably tired, I’d say, five or six times.”
With Umenyiora added into the mix, the three-end rotation that also includes Justin Tuck — assuming he can play through neck and groin issues — will allow all the pass rushers to stay fresh.
“There’s enough snaps, I’m going to get at least 40 or 50 snaps every game, especially if I play both sides,” Pierre-Paul said. “People do get tired, you know.”
The key for Umenyiora will be how his knee responds the day after extending himself in practice.
“We’ll see how that is,” Coughlin said. “I’m hoping we can have one good day and no repercussions the next. That will help us understand what we’ve got. I would like to have Osi get some practice time. I think he definitely needs to spend some time on the field with his teammates, to put himself back in those situations.”
Manningham missed the victory over the Eagles with a concussion but he was able to practice after receiving medical clearance and passing his post-concussion tests. He said his symptoms are gone but he needs to get his legs back where they should be. “I did individual, I did team, I did everything,” he said.
Without Manningham, the Giants received a huge performance from Victor Cruz, who made his first NFL start a day to remember with the first two touchdown catches of his career. Cruz can now serve as the No. 3 receiver, working with Manningham and Hakeem Nicks.
“Definitely getting some key guys back, seeing those guys out there kind of boosts your confidence,” Cruz said. “You kind of understand we’re getting some guys back, we’re starting to hit our stride a little bit and hopefully we can string together some wins.”
paul.schwartz@nypost.com