DYNAMIC DUO: While David Wilson (right) was dangerous against the Saints two weeks ago, the return of Ahmad Bradshaw (left) makes the Giants’ running attack all that more dangerous, writes George Willis. (
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Tom Coughlin was asked this week about the intangibles Ahmad Bradshaw brings to his football team.
“You asked me questions you already know the answer to,” was the coach’s response.
Anyone who has watched Bradshaw run the ball for the Giants over the last six seasons knows the answer, too. He is as much the heart and soul of the Giants as any player on the team. His competitive spirit is infectious, an energy this teammates feed on.
“When he plays, he plays with fire,” Coughlin said. “He plays with determination. He’s focused. He’s extremely physical. He takes great pride in that aspect of the game. For him, he takes great pride in defying what anyone says he can’t do. He’s someone on the sideline that’s not very patient and is not afraid to make a few comments about it.”
There was that brief spat earlier in the season when Bradshaw snapped at his head coach when he felt the Giants weren’t running the ball enough.
There was the slap on the head of Victor Cruz when he felt the receiver wasn’t exactly at full throttle.
The Giants missed his leadership and demand for accountability in Atlanta last week where they were embarrassed in a 34-0 loss. It’s why they were bubbling with optimism yesterday as Bradshaw returned to practice after vowing to play with a sprained knee in tomorrow’s game in Baltimore.
“We’d love to have him out there,” said offensive lineman Chris Snee, himself questionable for tomorrow’s game. “I don’t know what the official word is yet, but it’s a good sign that he was out there [at practice]. His passion for the game rubs off on everyone. He’s got tremendous energy and just his physical play inspires people. So I sure hope that he makes the trip down with us and we’re running out of the tunnel together because his energy is infectious.”
Sprained knees can be tricky and there’s no guarantee Bradshaw will be at full strength for the game. But his mere presence has to be a positive for the desperate Giants. The intangibles he brings are especially needed on the road.
The Giants were once the league’s preeminent Road Warriors. They won at Green Bay and San Francisco during the playoffs last year and took three of their first four on the road this season. But they have dropped the last three games away from MetLife Stadium, a trend that has to end in Baltimore if the Giants are going to extend their season.
“We’ve just got to get back to Giants football,” linebacker Michael Boley said. “Run the ball, stop the run. That’s where it starts. We have to make sure we dominate the line up front.”
Bradshaw’s legs will help the running game. With bad feet and now a bad knee, he has rushed for 869 yards on 196 carries this season. He has scored five touchdowns. Those aren’t Pro Bowl numbers. But he has a Pro Bowl heart. He didn’t make the trip last week, not so much because he was injured, but because watching from the sidelines and not being able to play would be heart-breaking.
“We talk about it all the time how tough he is and it’s just another example as to how tough that man actually is and what he plays through,” Snee said. “When you love something as much as he does … he loves this game. It’s an empty feeling when you’re not out there with your teammates.”
Two weeks ago, rookie running back David Wilson was spectacular against the Saints, posting a team record 327 all-purpose yards in a home win. But playing on the road is a whole different animal. It makes sense that if Bradshaw is available, Wilson becomes a more dangerous player and vice versa. It will make the Giants more dangerous, too.