Immediately after the Giants sweated out a 16-13 victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia, Tom Coughlin did not come down hard on Brandon Jacobs, who twice lost fumbles that proved costly. The first handed the Eagles a gift field goal and the second, on the Eagles 5-yard line, cost the Giants points of their own.
Returning after missing two games with a strained hamstring, Jacobs was rusty with regard to ball security, Coughlin explained. Yesterday, though, Coughlin was not as forgiving.
“We’ve got to continue to force the issue there in terms of where the ball is held and how it’s held,” Coughlin said. “You see how close these games are, how one play here or there can be the difference in a game. Certainly you don’t want it to come from that.
“The thing of it is, it’s got to be understood and it’s got to be corrected. I don’t really care that it makes a guy a little bit uncomfortable and slows him down a hair. That’s not significant. What’s important is the ball.”
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The best thing Eli Manning did in Philly is what he did not do: Throw an interception. The only other game he has managed to avoid any interceptions was three weeks ago in Detroit.
“There isn’t any question he is a tough minded individual who stands up to all the criticism in the world and just resolves and focuses and has enough belief in himself that he’s going to go out and win the game,” Coughlin said.
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The Giants reported no new injuries. C Shaun O’Hara had some knee swelling.
Rookie safeties Michael Johnson and Craig Dahl, forced into starting spots because of injuries to Gibril Wilson and James Butler, held their own.
“They’re young players who played hard, they had their mistakes for being young guys, but they certainly competed well and focused well,” Coughlin said.
Dahl on a blitz did whiff on a point-blank sack of Donovan McNabb and Johnson jumped offside on third-and-2 to hand the Eagles a first down.
“Coming down here into a hostile environment, it’s what I always dreamed it to be,” Dahl said after his NFL starting debut.
The Giants game Dec. 23 at Buffalo will remain a 1 p.m. kickoff.