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ESPN.com's Michele Steele sat down with Giants' offensive lineman David Diehl to talk about his two Super Bowl championships and his NFL career.

Considering the Giants' 7-7 start this season, GM Jerry Reese may need to tweak things a bit. Do you have any recommendations?

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It's hard to look at a 6-foot-4, 264 pound running back, a man who says he welcomes a helmet-to-helmet hit because it means his legs are clean, a man who trains with boxers in the offseason, and call him soft.

But that's just what Hall of Famer Jerry Rice said of Brandon Jacobs earlier this week.

Jacobs, who is preparing to play in the NFC Championship Game, responded to Rice's contention.

"I grew up a San Francisco 49ers fan," Jacobs said Thursday. "I've loved Jerry Rice. I still love Jerry Rice. I give him a lot of credit for the game being what it is today. I have nothing negative to say about Jerry. If he feels that way, he feels that way."

Then came the punch line.

"I bet you he won't tackle me."

Giants quarterback Eli Manning was in the field house and heard Jacobs' retort.

"I agree with that statement," Manning said.

In case you missed what initially caused the fracas, Rice said the 49ers had an advantage when it came to rain, and evaluated the Giants' running backs.

"That [advantage] goes to San Francisco," Rice said. "I like Ahmad Bradshaw. I like Brandon Jacobs, but I feel like Brandon Jacobs is a little bit soft. ... He can't get away from a defender. This guy is 265 and it upsets me when I see him get tackled by a guy that's like 190 or 200 pounds."

Jacobs gets that sometimes, a fact that offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride acknowledged. But Gilbride said it wasn't really the defensive backs who cause trouble, but defensive linemen -- the guys with a size advantage over Jacobs -- who keep him from pickup up stream.

"I think just because you see this big, powerful man and if he's not running over somebody every snap, then people are almost disappointed," Gilbride said. "Once he gets going he's really -- and I mean this in a positive way -- a freak of nature. To be that that big and powerful and run as fast as he does, there's not many people who have that combination."

San Francisco is going to attack the Giants' running game, just like they did in a win over the Saints. Jacobs addressed the helmet-to-helmet hit safety Donte Whitner put on Saints running back Pierre Thomas that took him out of the game, even though it was a legal hit.

"That was a helmet-to-helmet hit," Jacobs said. "I want one of those, because that mean they're staying high; they're not digging in the ground and trying to make tackles at your shoestrings."

The running game would be crucial in a wet game on a muddy field. And there hasn't been as much balance in the offense this season; against Green Bay, the Giants had 330 passing yards and 95 rushing yards. But to conclude that it's due to Jacobs being soft?

"I think he's proven he's not a soft player,” offensive lineman David Diehl said. "I think we've seen the way he's able to run the ball how tough he is as a competitor. You see guys not wanting to take him on. I think if he had an opportunity to run in the open field, I think he’d get the best of Jerry Rice. That's in my opinion."

1050's Jared Max caught up with David Diehl after Giants-Falcons. Diehl says that Tom Coughlin keeps them focused on the little things that can become huge in the playoffs.

 

The Giants finished dead last in the NFL in rushing offense this season, though you wouldn’t know it after watching Big Blue demolish the Falcons on the ground in Sunday’s 24-2 NFC wild-card victory at MetLife Stadium. The Giants finished the game with a season-high 172 yards on 31 carries, an average of 5.5 yards per carry.

“We stuck with it,” right guard Chris Snee said. “That’s what we’ve done all year. We couldn’t get down. We couldn’t get discouraged. I thought throughout the course of the year we were close to breaking off some big runs, and we proved me right [Sunday].”

The Giants’ much-maligned offensive line wasn’t creating any push early, but as the game wore on, the holes started to open up. In the second quarter, Brandon Jacobs ripped off a 34-yard run, and in the third, Ahmad Bradshaw got free for a 30-yard gain.

“At this time of the year, the running game has to be a strength for you,” left tackle David Diehl said. “It allows you to get in third and manageable situations, and keeps your defense off the field.”

The Giants ranked 30th in the league with 89.2 yards per game in 2011 -- the fourth-lowest average in franchise history. But they’re peaking at exactly the right time heading into their divisional-round matchup in Green Bay on Sunday.

“This is a very good football team we’re about to face,” Diehl said. “There's a different speed of game in the playoffs. If you lose, that’s it, you’re done. And I think the most important thing for this team is we don’t want this season to end.

“We’ve been fighting extremely hard to get to where we are at this point. People haven’t thought we can do this, and we’ve kind of had that us-against-the-world mentality and really band together.”

The Giants have not played a postseason game in almost three years -- since Jan. 11, 2008, a 23-11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Several key players from that season are still with Big Blue, but many others are new, some of whom have never played in a playoff game before.

Coach Tom Coughlin and the Giants' veteran players are trying to prepare the new guys for what lies ahead on Sunday against the Falcons.

"You talk to them all, about everything you can," Coughlin said Thursday after practice. "You have to really teach as much as possible to everyone, and that filters down through to the younger guys who’ve never been through it."

The Giants are fortunate to still have a bunch of players from their Super Bowl run in 2007, meaning they have plenty of postseason perspective to share. One of them is left tackle David Diehl, and he believes his team has been aided by the fact that it had to win its final two games of the regular season just to make the playoffs.

"I think it has," said Diehl. "But there’s nothing that simulates the playoffs. There’s nothing that simulates that speed and the excitement that there’s gonna be out here on Sunday. But I think that they’re prepared.

"That’s where a veteran like me, and the guys around this locker room, have to step up and make sure that they’re ready to go."

Running back Brandon Jacobs, another vet from the Super Bowl run, shared the advice he has for the younger players. "I tell them that it is the third season for a lot of the young guys," Jacobs said. "You have the preseason, which is going to be turned up from training camp. You have the regular season, which is going to be turned all the way up and is a whole different ball game. The playoffs are going to be turned up a lot more as well and that is just the way it goes. Teams are going to be that much stronger, they are going to hit that much harder and be that much faster."

Defensive tackle Chris Canty is another veteran with playoff experience, although he got it with the Cowboys, prior to joining the Giants in 2009.

"One thing that you have to say when you get in that playoff atmosphere, the intensity, physicality picks up and you have to mentally be prepared for it," said Canty. "You can’t simulate it. You have to have been through it to understand it. The best you can do is to tell the young guys to try to prepare them."

"After that initial surge, that first quarter, all that kinda wears off and you get down to the nuts and bolts of football, and you gotta execute," added Canty. "You gotta be sharp out there. One step here, one missed assignment there, and you can cost your team dearly. Playoff football is about execution, intensity and physicality."

Rising stars like defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and wide receiver Victor Cruz are eager to show what they can do on the postseason stage starting Sunday. But the Giants' veterans sound just as eager, if not more so.

"As a competitor you’re here for one reason, and once you hold that trophy it’s contagious, and you’re gonna do whatever you can to get back there," said Diehl. "I think we’ve used that as motivation."

DALLAS -- Giants coach Tom Coughlin hovered near an official on the sideline, waiting for the precise moment to shout the word Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey didnt want to hear.

"Timeout!"

It was an ice-the-kicker ploy with a twist. The timeout canceled Bailey's 47-yard make that would have sent Sunday night's game into overtime and it gave Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reason to change his rush angle on Bailey's next try.

Pierre-Paul blocked Bailey's attempt after the timeout to secure the Giants' 37-34 victory.

"I was talking to the referee the whole time,telling him when I was going to go,"’ Coughlin said.

"I knew he was going to call it," Giants defensive end Jason Tuck said. "I was right beside him. It was like Coach Coughlin had the best get-off of all get-offs because it seemed like he saw the twitch of the ball and then, 'Timeout!' It was pretty timely.’’

Eli Manning watched it unfold from the sideline after leading his team to two touchdowns in the final 3:14.

"That was good," Manning said. "It worked out very well. Good idea by Coach Coughlin, and the guys executed well in getting it blocked."

Said Giants offensive lineman David Diehl: "That's the way to do it. You wait until the kicker lines up and at the last minute, just before they snap the ball, you call a timeout. You've got to credit Coach Coughlin there for calling it that way."

Manning said the Giants were well-aware of Dallas' troubles in a similar circumstance in an overtime loss at Arizona last week.

"Obviously, everybody knows what happened last week," Manning said. "They called the timeout and they missed the second one. This one was similar, except we blocked it."

The Giants were forced to shuffle their offensive line shortly before kickoff on Sunday.

So Kevin Boothe shifted from left guard to center and backup Mitch Petrus slid to guard.

At the time, it was seen as a stop-gap measure.

Turns out, it could be the Giants' line for the rest of the season.

With center David Bass' return uncertain at this point and Will Beatty out of the season, the Giants may be forced to go with Boothe at center, Petrus at guard and David Diehl at left tackle for the rest of the way.

And, if that's the case, Diehl believes the Giants are in good hands.

"With those guys in there, there wasn’t a dropoff," Diehl said of Boothe and Petrus, who made his first career start against the Packers.

The numbers support Diehl's sentiment.

The Giants ran for 100 yards on 20 carries Sunday. That was the first time they'd topped the 100-yard mark since Week 9.

They also allowed just three hits on Eli Manning, though one forced a costly fumble.

But, by and large, the group got the job done.

"This entire season, guys have been accountable," Diehl said. "Guys go down, somebody steps in and steps right up for us."

The line faces a tough task on Sunday night; Dallas ranks second in the NFL with 35 sacks.

DeMarcus Ware, who missed practice but expects to play Sunday, leads the NFL with 15. Anthony Spencer has six.

Diehl is familiar with Ware from previous NFC East battles.

"We compete, we fight, we punch each other, we do a bunch of stuff," Diehl said of Ware. "... After the game you sit there and say great game. But when you are out there, there is no love."

There's never any love between Dallas and the Giants, particularly this season.

The two rivals face off twice in the next month. The Giants currently trail Dallas by a game in the NFC East standings. The division title is still within reach, even though Big Blue has lost four straight.

So for the offensive line, and everyone else on the Giants' roster, Sunday night's game at Cowboy Stadium is as close to a must-win as it gets.

"Our playoffs start now," Chris Snee said. "That’s how you have to look at it. We know what’s at stake.... If we take care of our own business, hopefully we’ll be playing in January."

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The Giants' offensive line failed to open holes on two crucial short-yardage plays in the second half on Sunday, one of the many reasons they fell short in their season-opener against Washington.

"Physically, we have to move them off the ball," guard Chris Snee said. "It's disappointing."

On a 4th and 1 from the Washington 31 with five minutes to play in the third, Ahmad Bradshaw ran over right tackle and was stopped for no-gain by London Fletcher and Josh Wilson.

The Giants faced a similar short-yardage situation early in the fourth quarter.

After a strip sack by Jason Pierre-Paul, they took over at the Redskins' 27, looking to tie the game.

But facing a 3rd and 1 from the Washington 18, the Giants' line again failed to open up a hole as ex-Giant Barry Cofield helped stop Bradshaw for a two-yard loss.

"That's something we've got to improve," center David Baas said.

Baas the newest member of a revamped Giants' line.

The team signed Bass from San Francisco to replace Shaun O'Hara, who was cut in the offseason. The Giants also released Rich Seubert and opted to insert second-year lineman Will Beatty at tackle.

"A lot of people are going to say this is a new group and this and that, but we're not going to make any excuses.... We have to play better," David Diehl said.

In addition to the short-yardage struggles, the line allowed rookie Ryan Kerrigan to break free to intercept a tipped Eli Manning pass in the third quarter. Kerrigan ran it into the end zone to give the Redskins a momentum-shifting 21-14 lead.

"That's a tough way to start the second half," Tom Coughlin said.

And a tough way for the offensive line to start the season.

"We have to get better, and we have to get better fast," Bass said.

The Giants' offensive line has undergone a major transformation this preseason. Gone are veteran stalwarts Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert. They have been replaced by David Baas and Will Beatty. And longtime starter David Diehl has shifted from left tackle to left guard, to make way for Beatty.

But Diehl said on Wednesday that the new offensive line is coming along very nicely so far.

"I think we're doing a good job of playing with one another," Diehl said. "It's just the communication and getting those things worked out."

On Baas, the team's new center, who was signed as a free agent from the 49ers, Diehl said: "David Baas is doing a great job of stepping in and really getting involved in the offense. It's nice to have a veteran coming in, who's very familiar with the terminology and language."

On Beatty, who was a reserve with the Giants in his first two years in the league, Diehl said: "I see him stepping up. This is his opportunity to play. He's working extremely hard, learning from (offensive line) coach (Pat) Flaherty, going through the techniques."

Diehl, an eight-year NFL veteran, has spent his entire career with the Giants. He has played in 124 out of a possible 128 regular-season games, starting each and every one of them. He has played various positions along the offensive line -- but after starting at the glamorous left-tackle position in recent years, some thought he would be insulted by the Giants moving him back to guard.

Diehl hardly sounded insulted on Wednesday. "They moved me, it's because we want to put our five best guys out on the field," Diehl said. "Obviously with Rich and Sean gone, adjustments have to be made, people have to be moved. I do it because the Giants believe in me, and know that I can do it, and also you gotta do what's best for the team. If moving me to guard we're gonna win more games and have a better group out there, so be it."

As for the Giants fans out there who are worried that this new offensive line won't have enough time to gel this preseason, Diehl has a message for you:

"We're doing everything now, and will continue to do everything we need to do to be ready. Because to have a good offense, you have to have a successful offensive line, a group that's connected and can play together. So I have no worries at all, because I know we're gonna take every step we need to. Whether it's doing extra things on the field, watching extra film, doing extra talking, all that stuff."

The Giants' revamped O-line is clearly another unit to keep a close eye on in the team's first preseason game, on Saturday night against the Panthers.

David Diehl is moving to left guard.

The move allows for Will Beatty to start at left tackle.

“I’ve always been a team guy and I’m up for the challenge,” Diehl said at the Giants practice facility on Friday. “If this is the best way for us to get back to the Super Bowl, I’ll do it. I just want to win.”

“He worked extremely hard,” Diehl said of Beatty. “This is the way they wanna go. I'm willing to work with him and teach him.”

The move will cost Diehl $750,000, which he would've earned if he started 15 games at left tackle, according to multiple reports.

As for Beatty, Coughlin said: "He's worked hard, he looked good. He's coming in at an outstanding weight. It's time."

David Diehl says his past comments about Plaxico Burress "needing a fresh start" were overblown, and Diehl would love to have the wide receiver as a teammate if Burress elects to return to the Giants.

Burress is slated to have dinner with head coach Tom Coughlin, who he’s clashed with in the past, on Friday night to discuss the possibility of a reunion.

"Did you read the whole article?" Diehl asked. "That’s what I was saying for Plaxico, because people were asking me, 'Do you think he should stay? He’s saying he wants to go, how can he say that?'

"I was stating the whole time that if (I) were in Plaxico’s shoes, I could see a reason why he would wanna go. That wasn’t my personal opinion. I was stating what he was probably thinking -- and all of us would probably think that way. But would I want him as a teammate? Without a doubt. If it wasn’t for him and things that we did in 2007 and ‘08 to win the Super Bowl, who knows if we would’ve even gotten that far.

"I never said that he shouldn’t be a Giant. I said I could understand why he’s coming off to a point and saying that he doesn’t know if he wants to be here."

"He’s a tremendous player," Diehl continued. "He’s a guy that if you have him out there, he draws a lot of attention. You can’t play eight guys in the box against us when he's in there, which opens up the run."

Speaking to the NFL Network in May, here’s what Diehl had to say about Burress:

"He's had a lot of success for us as a player," Diehl said. "But, if I were Plaxico, I would say no. With everything that happened, Plaxico has taken a lot of heat, not only through the media. I think about Michael Vick's situation. He went into a new situation, a new city, where he could almost start fresh with new teammates and go back to basics."

"If I were Plaxico, I don't think I would want to," Diehl said of returning. "It's reality. It happened. It's easy for someone on the outside looking in to judge. But it's a whole different experience when you're the person it happened to. From this point on, he's going to live with this for the rest of his life. He can change, and I'm sure he's changed, since it happened. And I'm sure when he comes out, he'll be a better husband and father. He's going to want to prove all the naysayers wrong. That's enough to fuel anyone.

"More importantly, if I were in that position, in order to move on and start fresh, you have to get back to square one," Diehl continued. "That's getting back to playing football. That's getting back to yourself, and not only enjoying your family, but enjoying your life and being happy again. For him, I think that's somewhere else."

Diehl was asked how he thinks the dinner between Burress and Coughlin will go.

"I think that they’re gonna have to discuss some things," Diehl said. "Both of them are strong-willed and both of them are gonna have their own opinions, but the thing is, both of them love football. They both love this game and I think that coach throughout the years has made a lot of changes to himself, and I think Plax is gonna see that. And Plax is gonna be a different person than what he was. I think anyone would be after spending that long in jail. I think he’s gonna be appreciative and with two kids, his passion is gonna be greater."

Diehl said it would be up to Burress as to whether he should offer the team an apology when he comes back.

"He never caused drama throughout his time as a Giant," Diehl said. "He was a good guy in the locker room. ... For me, I don’t need an apology from him."

The NFL Combine is a week away and our draft experts have released their latest mock drafts.

In no particular order, the New York Giants can use another offensive lineman, cornerback, linebacker, tight end, running back, a speedy playmaker for special teams and possibly another safety.

Here are Mel Kiper's and Todd McShay's second look at who the Giants might draft at 19, with their analysis.

Kiper: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

"Solder is another tackle defined by his athletic frame and ability to move for the position. Probably not an immediate starter at left tackle because of developing pass-blocking skills, Solder still is a good value here. A player with a massive 6-foot-8 frame who manages good leverage at the point of attack, he gets good surge as a run-blocker and works well to the second level. No injury history and very smart, he should become a solid NFL starter in short order."

McShay: Tyron Smith, OT, USC

"The Giants can use this pick to solidify QB Eli Manning's protection for the next several years. Current LT David Diehl can move inside to guard, Will Beatty can play either tackle position and RT Kareem McKenzie is entering his 11th season and will be a free agent after the 2012 season. Smith has great potential as a left tackle, but he started two seasons at right tackle at USC and is still a bit unpolished."

Ohm's take: In his previous mock draft, McShay had the Giants taking Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget. Kiper had the Giants drafting Florida's G/C Mike Pouncey. Now both draft experts have the Giants going offensive tackle.

It certainly makes sense, since the Giants' offensive line can use an injection of youth, athleticism and depth. Despite numerous injuries, the line played terrific with several bodies filling in superbly. Despite starting six different combinations last season, the Giants' offensive line allowed only 16 sacks.

GM Jerry Reese has depth and versatility on the line, but center Shaun O'Hara (foot), guard Rich Seubert(kneecap) and backup center Adam Koets (knee) will all be coming off surgeries. Tackle Shawn Andrews' surgically repaired back was problematic this past season.

The Giants currently have Andrews, Diehl and Beatty as candidates at left tackle. Diehl can play left guard, although he rather play left tackle. Right tackle McKenzie, 31, is coming off a solid season and Pro Bowl right guard Chris Snee is in his prime.

Rookie Mitch Petrus awaits his turn for playing time and Kevin Boothe, who was a valuable contributor this past season, will be looking for a new contract.

O'Hara and Seubert are as tough as they come and can never be discounted. Both veterans will rehab their tails off to be ready for the season. But with a potential lockout looming and so much uncertainty surrounding free agency, the Giants must cover themselves and add more depth and youth on the offensive line at some point in the draft.

Personally, I'd love to see the Giants add playmakers. They need more athleticism and speed since they must keep up with the Eagles' speedy trio of Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and are starving for help on special teams. But that type of player might not be available at 19, so the Giants need to take whomever they feel is the best player on their board at that time, and that may be an offensive lineman.

Who do you guys want at 19? Pouncey? Alabama running back Mark Ingram? UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers? Tell us who you want below.

David Diehl said the end of the Giants’ season felt strange. Here’s another word to describe it: rare.

With their 17-14 victory over the Redskins on Sunday, the Giants became just the 19^th team in the last 33 seasons (since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule) to finish the year with double-digit victories but without a playoff berth. The Giants last completed the forgetable feat in 1988.

Only six teams since 1990 – when the league added a sixth playoff team in each conference – have finished the year with at least ten wins but out of the playoffs.

“I told (the players) to enjoy the win and not worry about the other part of it,” Tom Coughlin said on Monday.

But that was tough for Diehl, who left FedEx Field scratching his head after the Giants missed the playoffs for the second straight season. The win in Washington was a capital punishment of sorts for the Giants, who missed two opportunities to clinch a playoff berth with losses in Week 15 and Week 16.

“It really is a strange feeling. How often do you win ten games?” Diehl said. “How difficult it is to win ten games in the NFL? We’re fortunate that we had opportunities there and we came up short.

“I still want to play, especially after we lost to Philadelphia,” he added. “I was shaking hands with those guys and I said, 'I want to see you guys again. I want to play you guys again.' It’s just unfortunate that we won’t get that opportunity.”

Keith Bulluck said the tenth win on Sunday proved that the Giants are one of the top teams in the league. But it seemed to provide little solace on Sunday night for Barry Cofield, who may have played his last game as a Giant.

“It’s the quietest locker room we’ve been in after a win,” Cofield said after the game. “A little somber. I’m thinking after a little while, it’ll set in (that) we won 10 games and we finished off with a win and we’ve got a lot to be excited about going forward.”

Tom Coughlin hit the Giants’ offensive line with a pretty damning indictment on Thursday when he said they weren’t physical enough against the Packers.

You can call an offensive lineman slow, say he’s out of shape or question his intelligence.

But saying he didn’t match the physical intensity of his opponent is about as insulting as it gets.

“Just be more physical,” was Coughlin’s message to an offensive line that hasn’t produced a 100-yard rusher in two weeks.

“That’s what we need to be. That is supposedly what we are. And for whatever reason it wasn’t that way (against Green Bay),” the coach said. “For us to play the way we are built and the way we are capable of playing, we have to win the line of scrimmage.”

The Giants’ offensive line may be without starting center Shaun O’Hara on Sunday in a must-win game against Washington. O’Hara sat out of practice for the second straight day on Thursday with left ankle and Achillies injuries. If O’Hara can’t suit up on Sunday, look for Rich Seubert to shift over to center. David Diehl says he has been practicing at left guard this week. If he starts there on Sunday, Shawn Andrews could play left tackle.

No matter who is under center, Coughlin made it clear that the Giants need to win the war at the line of scrimmage against Washington, a war they lost decisively last Sunday at Lambeau Field.

“I see us getting knocked back,” Coughlin said of a Giants line that allowed five sacks last Sunday. “You have to penetrate, you have to drive people back off the ball…. You have got to feel like you are in control of the line of scrimmage."

The Giants’ recent struggles on the ground have fueled speculation that they're better off without O’Hara. But the stats say otherwise.

The Giants have averaged 151.7 rushing yards in the six games Seubert started at center, including Week 11 against Washington when they ran for 161 yards. With O’Hara at center, the Giants are averaging 159 yards on the ground. On the season, they are rushing for 141 yards per game, the fifth-highest total in the league.

The Giants will need to mirror those numbers on Sunday, especially if wideout Hakeem Nicks is sidelined with a broken toe. They need a win against the Redskins and a Green Bay loss to earn a playoff berth.

“We need to be able to count on being able to make some yards on the ground,” Coughlin said.

Manning echoed those sentiments earlier this week while noting that the lack of a ground game against Green Bay (90 yards) forced the Giants into many third-and-long situations.

Seven times, the Giants faced a 3rd-and-7 or longer against the Packers. Not surprisingly, they converted first downs on just four of 12 third-down attempts in the 45-17 route.

“We’ve got to stay out of bad situations (on third down),” Manning said.

That starts with the five guys up front opening up holes, something that didn’t happen last Sunday.

“(The Packers) played a better football game than us,” Diehl said. “This is a new week, and we get a chance to do something about it. Last week was last week but this is a time where you have to throw all that stuff out. You have to throw it out and make sure you come Sunday prepared to play.”