NFL

Giants aware Cowboys coaching change could provide spark

The Giants today get to see first-hand the initial response by the Cowboys to the ouster of head coach Wade Phillips and the promotion of Jason Garrett. At 6-2, the first-place Giants are thinking big and aren’t much concerned with the doings in Dallas or the plight of the 1-7 Cowboys. But there is the matter of an NFC East game to be played.

“I don’t think it hurts them in any way,” special teams captain Chase Blackburn said of the Cowboys coaching switcheroo. “It might bring a little spark to them. They’ll be ready to play, I have no doubt about that.”

There’s no such drama around the Giants but there are some hurting bodies, as the offensive line is without starters Shaun O’Hara and David Diehl and receiver Steve Smith is out with a pectoral injury.

Usually when coaches get canned at midseason, it’s an indictment of the leadership as well as the talent base. The Giants believe that’s not the case with the Cowboys.

“A lot of times when you see a coaching change during the season they don’t really have the players there to get what they need to get done,” linebacker Michael Boley said. “They have great players there. It’s all a matter of getting it done.”

With their season in tatters, no doubt there’s nothing the Cowboys would like better than to get is done against the rival Giants.

“They’re playing spoiler at this point,” Boley said. “They want to try to be that team that says, ‘We took the Giants wind away from them.’ We’re not going to let that happen.”

A look inside the game:

BEST BATTLE

Cowboys NT Jay Ratliff vs. Giants C Rich Seubert. Playing left guard, Seubert has gone up against Ratliff before, but never like this — with Ratliff lined up directly opposite him, helmet on helmet. O’Hara out again, Seubert makes his second straight start at center and Ratliff is one of the best nose tackles in the league.

“It’s still football,” said Seubert, who prefers to simplify everything about his job. “You know where you’re help’s coming from. He’s a good football player and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play against him.”

BEST BATTLE II

Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware vs. Giants LT Shawn Andrews: Takes some getting used to not referring to Diehl as the Giants left tackle, considering he started 127 straight games on the line before hurting his hamstring last week. Andrews makes his second NFL start at left tackle. He did fine last week in Seattle against Chris Clemons, but Ware (eight sacks) is a much tougher challenge.

BACKUP BLUES

When the Giants knocked Tony Romo out with a fractured clavicle, Jon Kitna, for the sixth time in his long career, entered a game because of injury or roster change. Kitna has gone on to start 31 games as a replacement and is 12-19, with 48 touchdown passes and 51 interceptions. He’s had a rough go of it since taking over for Romo, with four touchdowns, six interceptions, nine sacks and no wins in nearly three full games.

“He’s a pretty decent quarterback, he’s very capable of handling that role,” said Boley, who made the hit that sidelined Romo. “He’s got the skill guys around him to make that team roll.”

In his 14 NFL seasons, Kitna is 46-71 as a starter: 18-15 with the Seahawks, 18-28 with the Bengals, 10-26 with the Lions and 0-2 with the Cowboys.

FOE FOLLY

As a rookie in 2008, cornerback Mike Jenkins caught some grief in Dallas after he failed to make an attempt at a tackle against Giants running back Derrick Ward on a touchdown run. Jenkins, a first-round pick, went on to turn in a Pro Bowl 2009 season. He’s struggled this season, and in many ways his blasé reaction to a James Jones scoring pass play in last week’s 45-7 loss in Green Bay was symbolic of the Cowboys’ effort. Jenkins basically ignored Jones, prompting NFL Network (and former NFL head coach) Jim Mora to call the play “high treason” and insist that Garrett’s first move should be the immediate cutting of Jenkins. Of course, no one lets go of a talented former first-round pick like that, but it will be interesting to see how Jenkins responds today.

LET’S GET PHYSICAL

Everyone is guessing what Garrett will do to change what the Cowboys look like on the field. For his first practice running the show, he put his team in full pads, an indication he wants more toughness. Perhaps that means he’ll try to run the ball more.

“We expect him to come out and try to establish the run,” defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. “It’s our job to try to destroy the run, so again, we can change that. We can dictate what he wants to do.”

PAUL’S PREDICTION

The Cowboys have been getting so progressively worse that you have to think they hit rock-bottom last week in Green Bay and that the coaching change will snap some of them to attention. They have talent and if even a shred of pride kicks in this should be competitive. Could get dicey for the Giants up front vs. Dallas defensive line. Expect fewer points than first meeting (41-35) in Arlington.

GIANTS 27, COWBOYS 17

paul.schwartz@nypost.com