In an encouraging development, guard Chris Snee, battling a sprained ankle, participated in practice for the Giants Friday after not working on Wednesday or Thursday. Snee isn’t sure if he will play tomorrow in Cincinnati, but the possibility would seem to be greater after Friday’s activity.
“I’d love to be out there, but that’s a decision we haven’t made yet,” said Snee, who was limited in practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday. “Every day is an improvement. So I’m hoping that [in] two more days, I’ll be able to do some things out there.”
Snee turned his ankle in the first quarter of last Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Steelers. If Snee can’t go, the Giants will move right tackle David Diehl to right guard and use Sean Locklear at right tackle.
“It’s one of those things where I wasn’t going to come out of the game, and I just tried to push through it,” he said.
* Coach Tom Coughlin said Chase Blackburn “practiced well” this week, and the middle linebacker is listed as probable. Blackburn missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury, with Mark Herzlich starting for him. Blackburn was not certain if the Giants would restrict him with a snap count.
“I’m going to try and push it as far as I can go,” he said, “so hopefully they’ll let me do everything I like to.”
* Cornerback Michael Coe (hamstring) is out, as are safety Kenny Phillips (knee) and LB Jacquian Williams (knee). RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) did not practice yesterday and is questionable, as is LB Keith Rivers (calf). WR Hakeem Nicks (knee), DT Chris Canty (groin), center David Baas (ankle/elbow), RB Andre Brown (shoulder) and TE Bear Pascoe (ankle) are probable.
* Former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi has been hired by the Panthers as a consultant. Accorsi will aid the organization in its general manager search. … Safety Will Hill is eligible to return tomorrow after a four-game NFL suspension for testing positive for Adderall. Coughlin said the Giants hadn’t decided whether to activate him, although Hill expects to play. … CB Terrell Thomas, out for the second straight year with an ACL injury, was in the locker room yesterday. He declined an interview.
* A report on Pro Football Talk cited a Yahoo! Sports podcast with NFL Films’ Greg Cosell in which Cosell said he and ESPN’s Ron Jaworski agreed it appeared as if Eli Manning’s “arm is a little tired. And that he’s not driving the ball at the intermediate and deeper levels the way we’ve come to expect.”