NFL

GIANTS HURTING BEFORE PLAYOFFS

The Giants realize when they convene tomorrow for practice at Giants Stadium that three players who went down to injuries last Saturday night won’t be taking the field. The hope is all three – center Shaun O’Hara, linebacker Kawika Mitchell and cornerback Sam Madison – will find their way back in time for Sunday’s playoff game against the Buccaneers.

O’Hara and Mitchell both have knee problems – sprained medial collateral ligaments – while Madison was forced out with a strained abdominal muscle.

“The knee is pretty sore,” O’Hara said yesterday on Sirius NFL Radio. “I got looked at and it doesn’t seem to be anything too threatening so I’m just kind of on a day-to-day basis right now. The first couple of days after the game you are always the most sore anytime you tweak anything so we’ll just have to wait and see. We found out that we’ll be playing on Sunday at 1 so that actually gives me a little more time so I’m hoping that everything works out.”

If O’Hara is unable to play, the likely alternative is moving veteran Grey Ruegamer in at center, which is what took place against the Patriots. Another option is to move Rich Seubert from left guard to center and put Ruegamer at left guard.

“Hopefully [O’Hara] will be able to feel better and be able to play on Sunday and if not whether we have Grey or Rich go to center,” Eli Manning said. “We will get work with those guys and after a week of working them in practice we will feel very confident in what they are supposed to do.”

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The early forecast for Tampa on Sunday is partly sunny and temperature in the mid-’70s. “We have been playing in some pretty cold and harsh conditions in the past besides this past Saturday,” Manning said. “I think the team is looking forward to a nice day.” What about himself? “Yeah it sounds nice to me. I think as receivers and quarterbacks we are excited about that opportunity.” . . . CB Geoffrey Pope was signed off the practice squad to take the roster spot of S Craig Dahl, who was placed on IR after a knee injury suffered vs. the Patriots.