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Justin Tuck is motivated to get back to having a "normal Justin Tuck year."

And the defensive end thinks it's time to block everything out and just play.

The Giants' defensive captain wonders if he has been too preoccupied with always trying to do everything the right way as a leader and player recently and whether that has affected his play. He finished with four sacks last season and has a total of nine sacks in the past two seasons after collecting 11.5 sacks in 2010.

"I played with Antonio (Pierce), Michael Strahan, a lot of guys that showed me the ropes," Tuck said on ESPN New York 98.7 in New Orleans on Thursday. "Every team is different. And it is hard to find that button to push with every team. I think to me, a lot of times you want to be so correct that it weighs you down and I think I’ve allowed that to happen to me the last two years."

Tuck takes his role as a captain seriously and is always concerned about how to lead, when to be vocal and what buttons to push.

"The next chapter for me is just saying I am going to go out and play," Tuck said. "And not worry about what people say and not even worry about the outcome. Let the outcome happen.

"The last couple of years I have tried to make the outcome what I wanted it to be instead of just saying go out there and give 100 percent and whatever happens, don’t have any regrets about it. I am not going to worry about what other people say because I know what I put into this game."

Last December, Pierce said Tuck has not been the same player for a few years now. Pierce, the former Giants defensive captain, won a Super Bowl with Tuck during the 2007 season.

"I played with Justin Tuck and have a tremendous respect for him," Pierce said in December on ESPN New York 98.7. "But he has not been the same player emotionally, mentally or his play in the last three years. It's just the facts. He came on late last season and once Antrel Rolle and a couple of other guys said he had to pick it up, but for the most part, he's a situation, third-down, passing situation defensive end."

Tuck disagreed with Pierce's assessment on Thursday.

"He said three years... I think I made the Pro Bowl three years ago," Tuck joked. "I understand where he is coming from. I respect Antonio. I have a tremendous respect and won a Super Bowl with him. But do I agree with him? No. I know the nights when I got out of bed to go watch film and my wife is like what are you doing? I know what I have invested in trying to be the leader that this team needs."

Osi Umenyiora may not know where he will be playing next season but he says he does know one thing -- Tuck will return with a vengeance this coming season.

"Justin Tuck I think is going to have his best year as a pro this year," Umenyiora told reporters in New Orleans on Thursday. "I’m calling that right now. You guys give me credit when it happens. I just have that feeling about him. I have that feeling."

Osi Umenyiora says his preference is to remain a Giant.

And the defensive end says there's a chance he could stay even though his agent will contact teams once free agency begins. The defensive end, though, also told the New York Post that he would not rule out the Jets.

Umenyiora was asked what he thinks about potentially joining forces with Rex Ryan.

"Rex Ryan, when I was coming out of college he was with Baltimore at the time and he came down to work me out at Troy, he came to Atlanta, just me and him,” Umenyiora told the Post when asked about the Jets. “We had a pretty good time out there so I’ve always enjoyed him as a coach and as a person. That might be a good fit. Hopefully it will be with the Giants.’’

Umenyiora told reporters in New Orleans that there's still a chance he could remain a Giant despite the fact that he wants two things the Giants very likely cannot give him -- a lot more money and a starting spot.

The Giants are projected to be $4.7 million over the cap according to ESPN NFL insider John Clayton. They have several of their own free agents like Will Beatty to take care of and restricted free agents like Victor Cruz, who told reporters in New Orleans he is not getting antsy while continuing to wait for a possible contract extension.

“There’s a chance, absolutely,” Umenyiora told reporters in New Orleans of sticking with the Giants. “Of course (there) is. Hopefully that’ll happen. I prefer to finish out my career there. But there’s a lot of things in play here. It’s not going to be totally my decision. They’re going to have some decisions to make also. It’s going to be a collective effort. My agent’s going to have his say. Hopefully things will work out there. I prefer to stay there.”

“Honestly man, I think not only do I want to get something financially, but I want a chance to prove I am who I say I am,” he added. “Wherever I get the best opportunity to do that is I think where I’m going to go. I feel like I’m a Pro Bowl player and I feel like I’m a starter in this league. Obviously that might be difficult to do in New York. But the door’s still open there. It’s something I would really relish that opportunity to finish my career there.”

Alright guys, tell us what you think of Osi's latest comments and the idea of him playing for Rex.

The New York Giants are grateful for Hakeem Nicks trying to gut it out through a painful knee injury and play as much as he did.

But now that the Giants are out of the playoffs and have had some time to digest what went wrong, Jerry Reese wonders if the Giants might have been better off resting Nicks down the stretch earlier than they did.

When asked about Eli Manning's performance this season on ESPN New York 98.7 FM's "The Mike Lupica Show," Reese talked about the impact Nicks' injury had on the team.

Reese, Manning and Tom Coughlin have all said this week that Nicks' injury had a major impact on the Giants.

"(Manning) has played at a very high level and I don't think he played up to the level that he can play," Reese said. "Again I think it starts (with)... Hakeem Nicks has been one of the linchpins in our offense. He was banged up and I really think it took its toll on our offense and what we are trying to do.

"He was trying to fight through it," Reese continued. "But in hindsight, I think if we had to think about it again, maybe we would have taken him out a little quicker than we did. But that is neither here or there at this point. But I do think it affected the quarterback's play some."


Nicks played just one snap in the season finale against Philadelphia as the coaches went with rookie Rueben Randle, who had four receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Nicks failed to have a catch in his final two games of the season and finished with 53 receptions for 692 yards and three touchdowns.

He started the season with pain in his surgically repaired foot. He then injured his knee in Week 2 against Tampa Bay and missed three games after that. Nicks said he was initially told that the knee injury could require up to eight weeks of rest but he decided to play through it.

He clearly wasn't the same player as swelling in his knee popped up from time to time. Nicks was visibly hobbled and lacked the explosive burst that has made the Giants' aerial attack lethal in recent years. Manning said the lack of practice time with Nicks, who routinely rested during the week, affected the offense.

Coughlin agreed.

"I think it’s important that Hakeem comes back and is the player that he was a year ago," Coughlin said in an interview on WFAN radio on Thursday. "And we need that desperately to happen, not only because of what an impact he makes on the game but also because of the versatility that is created by having Randle and (Victor) Cruz.”

"Quite frankly this year, (Nicks was) really having a lot of trouble just getting to that other gear, and (was) very frustrated by that," Coughlin later added. "But the great competitor that he is, trying to be in there every week and trying to help his team... but (it) just kind of strapped (the offense) a little bit along those lines. That was just one part of it. We had been so much a big-play team, and then we had a stretch of games where the big plays in the pass game just weren’t there."

Osi Umenyiora is ready to move on.

The defensive end said during his weekly spot on ESPN New York 98.7 that “now is probably time to move on.”

“I feel fortunate to be able to play 10 years in New York,” he said on The Michael Kay Show. “It was a great run. I think now is probably time to move on.”

Umenyiora is seeking a new lucrative contract and a starting position -- both of which will likely take place elsewhere.

“There’s really not much left for me to accomplish here in New York,” Umenyiora said of the timing of moving on to another team. “Look at things that have been done here, what is there that is to be done that I haven’t done?

“We won a championship twice,” he continued. “I think I’ve been a Pro Bowl player. Everything has pretty much gone better than I could have imagined in New York. So if there is a time to leave, it probably would be now but there is no telling what would happen.”

While the defensive end has left the door open for a potential return, Umenyiora sounds like a man ready for a change of scenery.

“I’ve earned the right to be a free agent,” Umenyiora said. “It’s been 10 years. I signed a seven-year deal and they made me play out all seven of those years. If they (the Giants) wanted me back, I think something would have been done before now.”

The New York Giants sound exhausted trying to figure out what their problem is with their maddeningly inconsistent play.

Safeties Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips and Osi Umenyiora hit the radio waves today struggling to find answers for the Giants’ 34-0 no-show in Atlanta on Sunday. At times you could actually hear the exasperated Giants players let out sighs of frustrations between answers.

"As a team there is something we need to fix," Rolle said on his weekly spot on WFAN radio. "And we have to fix it right now. There is no tomorrow."

"For us it is either fight or flight," Rolle added. "There’s nothing left to be said at this point. If you want it, you got to go out and take it."

The problem with the Giants is that nobody seems to know which team they will be from week to week.

"For whatever reason, this week we could probably be the best team in the NFL and this week could possibly be the worst team in the NFL," Rolle said. "I am definitely a part of it. I still can’t figure out what it is."

Phillips didn’t play during last Sunday’s rout due to an injured knee. From afar, he saw a team that lacked fire, energy and passion.

"I think that's why all of us at the organization are scratching our heads," Phillips said on ESPN New York 98.7. "We can't figure out why one week we come out, we have that fire in our eyes and the next week not so much."

"It's not that we're not practicing hard," Phillips later continued. "It's not that guys are not buying into it, but for some reason, since I've been here the last over four or five years, that's just how it's been. Up and down, up and down. I hate to say it, (but) I think a lot of the guys have gotten used to it. And we win when we have to. When we don't have to, we kind of just go out there flat."

If the Giants want to make the playoffs, they’ll have to win the final two games of the season to ensure that, starting with this Sunday’s game at Baltimore. Win out and they are in at the very least as a wild card team.

Umenyiora was asked on The Michael Kay Show if there’s a part of him that wonders if the Giants are just not good enough this year.

After a long pause, the defensive end said, "No."

"We’re just too inconsistent," he said on ESPN New York 98.7. "For the life of me I cannot understand how we can play so well one week and then next week play so bad. I don’t understand. I just have a feeling we will find a way to get it done."

Hello Selvish: The Giants re-signed OL Selvish Capers and waived CB Terrence Frederick.

Osi Umenyiora knows how good the New England Patriots looked on Monday night after dismantling the Houston Texans.

The defensive end also knows the Giants will need to play some of their best football to beat the NFC's best team, the Falcons, in Atlanta this weekend. But if the Giants are playing at their best, Umenyiora feels nobody is better.

"They [the Patriots] are playing the best right now," Umenyiora said when asked if he thinks the Patriots are the best team on The Michael Kay show on ESPN New York 98.7. "But honestly, when the Giants are playing our best, there is no question we are the best team in football."

The Giants have shown how dominant they can be in wins at Carolina, at San Francisco and home victories over the Packers and Saints. But they also can suffer frustrating defeats like their losses to the Eagles, Steelers and Redskins. And they've been somewhat fortunate at times like during their earlier victories over the Redskins and Cowboys.

"We just have been inconsistent," Umenyiora said. "If we play the way we are capable of playing, the way we played against San Francisco, Green Bay, the Saints for the majority of the game... I don't think there is a team that is better than us at all."

Safety Kenny Phillips said he tweaked his knee but will be ready to play on Monday night against the Washington Redskins.

"I'm good, I'm good," Phillips said on the Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco show on ESPN New York 98.7 radio.

Phillips left little doubt that he will play against the Redskins after leaving Sunday night's game in the second half due to his knee. Tom Coughlin said Phillips aggravated the MCL injury that kept him out of six straight games prior to returning against Green Bay.

With Phillips back on the field, the Giants went primarily to their three-safety look again and had success keeping Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in check.

"What it does, it gives us better matchups," Phillips said. "It gives us a different look. You have Antrel Rolle playing nickel position and he can drop back and play safety or me coming into box or play safety or Stevie Brown, who has been big for us. You never know. You go into some games you know Antrel Rolle, he will be lined up on the left or Kenny Phillips will be lined up on right. But when you can't get a beat on it, it makes you think a little more."

When pressed by Smith on 98.7 to say whether the Giants will get the job done on Monday night against Robert Griffin III, Phillips said, "We're definitely going to go in there and handle our business. I think we are going to be fine."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- No one's calling Robert Griffin III "Bob" anymore, are they?

Back in late July, Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora wondered aloud why people were calling Griffin "RG3" -- a great nickname, but one that Umenyiora felt the Redskins rookie had yet to earn.

Instead, Umenyiora suggested that we refer to Griffin as "Bob."

"Who is this RG3 guy you guys keep talking about?" Umenyiora said. "You talking about Bob Griffin? You guys are giving him a cool nickname already and everything. When he does anything in the NFL, we're gonna call him RG3. Right now he's Bob Griffin."

Well, Griffin has done plenty in his first six weeks in the league.

Let's take last week against Minnesota as an example: Griffin ran for 138 yards on 13 attempts -- including a 76-yard touchdown run that put the game away. Griffin's Total QBR (97.6) was the third-highest by a rookie in the past five seasons.

He leads his 3-3 team into MetLife Stadium on Sunday for his first taste of Redskins-Giants.

On Wednesday, Griffin III talked about Umenyiora's offseason dig at him.

"It's not something to build up or make a big deal out of," Griffin said. "Whatever Osi wants to call me, it doesn't matter. I've had people call me worse things on the field, so it doesn't bother me at all. But I look forward to playing against those guys."

Griffin said that Umenyiora's "Bob" nickname never really caught on, except for a few Washington media types using it as a joke.

"Other than that, it really hasn't stuck. I don't plan on letting it stick either," Griffin said.

Umenyiora recently amended his comments on Griffin, saying the 2011 Heisman winner is an "amazing talent."

"He's going to be a problem in this league for a long time," Umenyiora told ESPN New York 98.7 FM's "The Michael Kay Show" on Tuesday. "We're going to have our work cut out for us. I actually stopped by the facility and saw some tape of him, and I was just like, 'Wow, this guy's an amazing talent.' It's going to be a big test for us to keep him under control."

It will be up to Umenyiora and the Giants defensive linemen to contain Griffin at the line of scrimmage. The Giants recorded six sacks last Sunday against the Niners. Umenyiora did not register a sack but was disruptive for most of the afternoon. Griffin certainly noticed.

"Osi's a guy that's proven himself in this league. He's a sack master. He's definitely done a lot of great things in his career," the rookie said. "I didn't mind (the nickname) at all. I got where he was coming from. I know why everybody blew it out of proportion because it's the Redskins and the Giants, but I also remember him saying after the Saints game that he'll call me whatever I want to be called."

Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed the team's 36-7 win over the Panthers last week, is planning to play Sunday night against the Eagles.

"You can guarantee it. You can guarantee I'll be there," Bradshaw said Tuesday, speaking with Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco on ESPN New York 98.7 FM.

Bradshaw suffered a neck injury in the Giants' Week 2 win over the Buccaneers. Backup Andre Brown has thrived in Bradshaw's place, with 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns -- including 113 yards against the Panthers. But Bradshaw expects to regain his starting role.

"I don't expect anything different," Bradshaw said. "Andre's a great back. Against the Panthers, he helped our team out a whole lot. I expect him to get his carries and help me out as much as possible.

"I don't know the game plan for the Giants with me and Andre yet, but so far it's just the same," Bradshaw added. "I'm just planning to go out and run the ball like I've been doing."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was a guest on ESPN New York 98.7 FM's Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco on Thursday, one day after making his return to the team in the preseason finale against the Patriots.

Some highlights from the appearance:

• On how he's feeling, one day after his first game action of the season: "I’m feeling good. Feels good to be back out there on the field. Get some action for a little bit last night. All went well, and I’m looking forward to next week."

• On whether the Giants have found a replacement for Mario Manningham: "Yes. I feel like we have guys that’ve been stepping up, throughout the preseason, practicing hard. And some guys have been showing up in some games. We have a rookie, Rueben Randle, who shows flashes of being a great playmaker. Ramses Barden has been showing up as well. We have guys like Domenik Hixon that’s been around for a while. We definitely have guys that can step up and make plays."

• On his response to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and his trash talk about the Giants: "Me, I’m more of a type, I don’t talk, I play the game, I let my play speak. As a team, I feel like that’s what we’re gonna do."

Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor talks about how the NFL has changed, his legacy and regrets. Taylor says he probably couldn't play in today's league.

 

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Eli Manning has noticed all the attention surrounding Tim Tebow and the Jets.

And he loves it. It means he gets to do his work in peace with little fanfare surrounding the defending champs.

"No, I am not jealous," Manning said when asked about the attention around the Jets on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York 98.7.

Manning then cracked, "I told David Carr to take his shirt off while we were running sprints after practice to see if he can get the same coverage."

Manning likes the fact that it is quiet in Albany where the Giants are while ESPN has been at Jets camp.

"Well I think this is about football," he said. "Training camp for me is time to get the team together and go practice football. You think of training camp as time to interview all the football players but for me it is about practice. Every time you turn on the TV, it’s the Jets, SportsCenter is camped out at the Jets complex."

"I think they are moving everything from Bristol [Connecticut, where ESPN headquarters are] to right there to their complex over there," Manning deadpanned. "That will be an interesting move."

Manning displayed the dry humor that made him an attractive guest for Saturday Night Live. The Giants quarterback touched on several topics, including recent comments made by Phil Simms that Manning and Tom Coughlin are Hall of Famers.

"It is always nice when people say good things about you," Manning said. "Again my focus is on the now and about getting ready for this upcoming season and working hard and becoming a better player."

Justin Tuck said he thinks both Manning and Coughlin are Hall of Famers.

"I think they should [make it]," Tuck said. "I think they should just off of what they did so far, but obviously Coach Coughlin is signed for some more years here. Eli’s going to finish his career here barring anything crazy like what happened with Peyton. They’re going to have a few more years to improve on those stats and that record and I feel as though they should be."

Last year, Manning made headlines by stating that he was an elite quarterback in an appearance on Kay's show. This year, he was asked if he is a Hall of Famer. Manning politely passed.

"I'm learning, I'm learning," he said. "Year eight, year nine, you learn how to deal with these things."

Victor Cruz talks about being signed as an undrafted free agent, how his life has changed in the last year and Super Bowl XLVI.

 

Chris Canty made the rounds on ESPN on Tuesday and the defensive tackle was asked to do his best job of comparing some of his current Giants teammates to his former Cowboys teammates while on ESPN New York 98.7 FM.

He was asked on "The Michael Kay Show" who is better between Jason Pierre-Paul and DeMarcus Ware. And while on the Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show, Canty was asked what makes Eli Manning a better quarterback than Tony Romo.

“I believe it's Eli’s ability to elevate his game in pressure situations,” Canty said. “Tony Romo is a terrific quarterback, you can’t take that away from him. Statistically he is a top-five quarterback even though a lot of people might not realize it.”

“But Eli’s ability to elevate his game and the play of all the guys around him in the most crucial situation of a football game I believe is the difference and that is what makes him a championship quarterback.”

When asked if Manning is more clutch than Romo, Canty replied without hesitation, “absolutely.”

“It speaks for itself,” Canty said of Manning’s results. “He set the record for fourth-quarter touchdown passes.”

Canty said he is baffled that Manning was ranked 31st overall in the NFL Network’s top 100 list.

“He was disrespected on the NFL top 100,” Canty said. “I just don’t understand that. He told everybody before the season that he was an elite quarterback, nobody believed him. He only goes out and wins his second Super Bowl title and second Super Bowl MVP.”

“For goodness sake, just look at the resume,” Canty continued. “He is an elite quarterback, an elite football player and I think it is time that people recognize that.”

Chris Canty doesn't just believe Jason Pierre-Paul is the most versatile defensive end in the game today.

He thinks JPP can be as good as one of the all-time greats –- Reggie White.

When asked on "The Michael Kay Show" who is better, Pierre-Paul or Canty's former Cowboys teammate DeMarcus Ware, Canty replied without hesitation.

"It is no question in my mind," the Giants defensive tackle said on ESPN New York 98.7. "JPP's ability to play any position along the defensive front is what makes him tremendously special. He can play the shade, the two technique, the three technique ... he can do it all ... anything you want him to do along the defensive front, he can do."

Canty said the better comparison may be JPP to White.

"There is really nobody in the league right now that you can compare him to," Canty said. "The only person that kind of sticks out where you can compare him to -- and I can't believe I am saying this -- but he reminds me a lot of Reggie White. His ability to play all those different positions and to impact the football game the way he does, he is an unbelievable talent."

Canty also said he agrees with several others who believe Osi Umenyiora is underpaid even after restructuring the final of year of his contract.

"I think Osi is underpaid even though they gave him a little something to kind of appease him right now," Canty said. "He is a tremendous football player, a great teammate and person and I am glad to be able to play with him. With that being said, he is probably talent-wise a $10 (million) to $12 million-a-year defensive end and his performance and his play speaks for itself."