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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The defending Super Bowl champions were back on the practice field for the first time this offseason on Wednesday, taking part in the team's first OTA (Organized Team Activity) workout.

Almost every player on the roster was in attendance, despite the fact that OTAs are technically optional -- Osi Umenyiora being the most notable exception. Fellow defensive lineman Justin Tuck was present though, and afterwards he defended the "dynasty" talk that he started last week at the Giants' ring ceremony.

"Why wouldn’t I feel that way," Tuck said. "I don’t need to be playing the game if I’m not thinking about winning a championship every year.

"I feel very confident in this team’s talents and this coaching staff, and I believe we have that shot [at being a dynasty]. Me saying it, is that gonna make it happen? Absolutely not, but we do have a shot at it."

In general, the Giants seemed excited to be back in action, going through a spirited practice (without pads) that lasted a little more than an hour.

"It’s just great to be back on the field, practicing," said quarterback Eli Manning. "Wear a helmet. And competing against a defense a little bit."

"I’m glad to be back out here on this field," said wide receiver Victor Cruz. "Glad to be having this helmet back on, and these gloves, and getting back out there and catching some footballs."

Neither Manning nor Cruz spoke quite as strongly when asked about Tuck's "dynasty" comments, but both sounded confident about the upcoming year.

"I think of trying to get better for next year, that’s the mindset," Manning said. "The season ended up well, but if you look at our regular season, we still lost seven games. There’s a lot of room for improvement."

"Winning the Super Bowl last year, everybody kinda looked around and understood that we have the pieces in place to be a very good team for a very long time," Cruz said. "Dynasty? Too early to tell, but we’ll see what happens as the years come along."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin has high expectations. "I think we’ve kind of raised the bar for our own performance," Coughlin said, "whether it be in meetings, on the practice field, on the game field -- that’s what I want to see."

Several rookies who could play key roles this season got their first taste of action with the veterans on Wednesday, including running back David Wilson and wide receiver Rueben Randle, the team's first- and second-round draft picks.

"The development of these young guys is real important," said Coughlin. "Just to learn the new language is really critical."

Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka believes the team's relative youth will serve it well in 2012.

"We’re a very motivated team," Kiwanuka said. "There are a lot of guys that even though they’ve had success, they have a lot left to accomplish in their careers. I think that’s gonna work in our favor.

"From the coaching staff on down, everybody’s just hungry to win another one. It doesn’t matter how many we win, we’re always gonna want another one. We’re in a good spot. Yeah, we enjoyed the championship -- we have the rings, and they look nice -- but we’re ready to move on."

As soon as the news came out that the Giants had given Mathias Kiwanuka a three-year contract extension, many wondered how Osi Umenyiora would feel.

Umenyiora says he is happy for his teammate and friend.

"Happy for Kiwi, he deserves it for sure," Umenyiora wrote in an email. "Especially all he has been through. A very good player. Honestly, it's a good, smart business move by the Giants. Take care of a good player and buy some insurance at the same time. Very well done."

But how will it impact Umenyiora's future? As Umenyiora says, the Giants did the smart thing, locking up Kiwanuka for a few more years with an extension worth $21.75 million through 2015 which includes an $8.5 million signing bonus and a total of $10.95 million in guaranteed money, according to reports. The New York Daily News first noticed the Kiwanuka extension.

Remember, Umenyiora has been asking for a new deal for years and sat out the first two weeks of camp last summer before later opting for minor knee surgery. He still had nine sacks in the regular season and another 3.5 in the Giants' Super Bowl playoff run.

"How that impacts me remains to be seen, though," Umenyiora said of Kiwanuka's extension. "But I understand why they would do that [extension for Kiwanuka]. It makes sense."

By signing Kiwanuka to an extension, the Giants have insurance in case Umenyiora doesn't return or if Justin Tuck or Jason Pierre-Paul were to get injured. Kiwanuka is still considered a hybrid linebacker/defensive end but he could see more snaps at pass rusher depending on Umenyiora's future, the addition of linebacker Keith Rivers and Dave Tollefson's departure in free agency.

Umenyiora will likely be watching the draft tonight and this weekend to see if he gets traded. We'll have to see what happens if the Giants draft another defensive end.

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

Vote here in our Take 'Em or Trash 'Em poll.

Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka stood at halfcourt during the Knicks-Jazz game Monday night, along with some of his Super Bowl champion teammates, absorbing the thunderous cheers from the crowd. The moment validated his reasoning for being in New York; there was no other place he wanted to play and celebrate football's highest honor.

“It was very cool," Kiwanuka said, after being honored at Madison Square Garden. "This is one of the greatest cities in the world and I’m privileged and I’ve been blessed enough to play football, one of the greatest sports in the world, on this stage.”

Realizing how far he had come since Oct. 2010, Kiwanuka knew the halfcourt setting felt even more special, basking in the applause from the tens of thousands of New York sports fans in attendance.

Not only did Kiwanuka's fast start with the Giants that season come to an end, but his stint -- and even his career in the NFL -- looked stifled. Up until that point, Kiwanuka had four sacks in the first three games, but then he was diagnosed with a herniated cervical disk and the Giants placed him on injured reserve.

Fortunately, because doctors caught the injury soon enough, he was able to avoid surgery. But, according to Kiwanuka, many teams still had doubts about signing him heading into last summer. In the end, though, the Giants came through and the rest was a success for the 28-year-old. He finished with his best season in the NFL, totaling 62 tackles in all 16 games in 2011, and went on to earn his second Super Bowl ring with the team.

"I came off of a neck injury and a lot of teams said, 'We’re concerned about whether or not your neck will hold up for an entire year,'" Kiwanuka said. "But the Giants said, 'You know what? You’re ours. Once you’re back here, this is a role we have for you.' And I accepted it. I embraced it with open arms and I knew it was going to be a lot of moving around. I knew it was going to be a lot of learning. It was stuff that I had to study. But in terms of how I fit into this team, it was a great experience for me."

Before the Giants' ticker-tape parade on Tuesday, Kiwanuka said he hadn't had time yet to fully digest Sunday's victory. Give me a week, he said. Then, he'll be back to business.

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Mathias Kiwanuka has probably gotten a ton of ticket requests, seeing as how Super Bowl XLVI is being played in his hometown.

As for Devin Thomas, he only needs one.

“As long as my dad is there, that’s all that matters,” the Giants special teams ace said Thursday. “Everybody else can celebrate after we handle our business.”

Thomas has a special bond with his father. His father was the one who introduced him to the game of football, and the one who has been with him through his best times and his worst.

“He’s the one who I need to be there supporting me,” Thomas said.

Thomas called his father immediately following the conclusion of the NFC Championship game.

“I told him, ‘Pops, we’re going to the Super Bowl!’” said Thomas, who had two crucial fumble recoveries in the Giants’ 20-17 overtime victory over the 49ers. It’s funny, because the story is, the last Super Bowl I went to was the Steelers versus Arizona. Me and my dad went together. And I told him, ‘Pops, we can’t go to Super Bowls anymore unless I’m in it.’”

How come?

“I was in the NFL already, and I’m sitting there watching guys play at that magnitude, and I’m like, I can’t come back and watch this, I gotta be a part of this.”

So this must be pretty surreal then, huh?

“It’s a dream come true,” Thomas said.

Thomas’ 2011 season has been much like his career: up and down. Earlier this year, the 25-year-old lost the starting kick returner role due to fumbling issues and was relegated to punt and kick coverage. On Dec. 18, he had to be carted off the field after he was nearly paralyzed while making at tackle on the final play of the first half of the Giants’ 23-3 loss to Thomas’ former team, the Redskins.

But on Sunday, Thomas redeemed himself. He scooped up a ball that caromed off Kyle Williams’ knee in the third quarter, then pounced on Williams’ second fumble in overtime after Jacquain Williams stripped him. Five plays later, Lawrence Tynes kicked the Giants to Indianapolis.

“It’s very gratifying. It was all about perseverance, working hard and just grinding,” said Thomas, who was supposed to be a big play wide receiver in Washington, but fell into the doghouse and was eventually fired. “So many things happened this year, and I just kept pushing and trying to play my role as best as possible and for a huge moment like that, it took a lot out of me and made me fee great about the situation. now we’re in the Super Bowl.”

• Thomas on his two recoveries: “I couldn’t believe that [Kyle] was getting that close, I was waiting to see if he was going to pick it up, and then it grazed his knee, so I knew I could recover it. And the second one I couldn’t believe it, Jacquain got the fumble, and I was like man I gotta get this ball, and once I got it no one else could take it, and that sealed that situation.”

• Thomas dispelled the notion that the Giants were going after Williams with the intent to injure given his concussion history: “It’s more so just understanding personnel. You wanna find every strength and weakness that you can. And the whole concept of him having concussions is just the fact that he’s been hit a lot, and sometimes, like I’ve had a concussion, so when you get rattled like that, sometimes you’re judgment changes. Sometimes you worry about getting hit instead of holding onto the ball and what not on top of that he’s the backup returner. Huge role. Huge game. Just things like that that you key on. And making a legal hit. No cheap shots. But let’s see if we can rattle him and get a turnover. You’re just going after somebody knowing that you can try to do something that could change the game.”

When the Giants made their last run to the Super Bowl in 2007, linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka was on injured reserve after breaking his left leg in a game against the Lions that November.

He didn't make the trip to Green Bay for the NFC Championship Game, but was at least on the sideline for Super Bowl XLVII in Arizona.

"It's emotional because you want to be out there so bad, but there's not a whole lot that you can do or say," Kiwanuka said Thursday, recalling his experience four years ago. "It's a tough situation to be in."

Kiwanuka also missed most of last season with a neck injury, but played in all 16 games this year. When asked what it means to him that he'll be out on the field Sunday in San Francisco, he said, "It's huge. This entire season has kind of been up and down, but there's no place I'd rather be than out here right now with these guys."

The converted defensive end had a career-high 84 tackles and 3.5 sacks during the regular season. A reporter asked him Thursday if, in his heart, he feels he is a defensive end or a linebacker.

"I'm a football player," Kiwanuka said. "I always say just put me on the field and I'll make plays.

"Going back to my college days, when I was a captain and young guys would come and ask me questions and all I would tell them is you have to make plays. If you make enough plays in practice, they will put you on the field. If you make enough plays on the field, you'll stay on the field."

If Kiwanuka and his teammates make enough plays on Sunday, they'll be headed to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis -- which just so happens to be Kiwanuka's hometown.

"It's been brought up a lot. Obviously I can't get around it, but we have to take one game at a time," Kiwanuka said. "We don't want any letdowns at all, and I don't want one. So yeah, that would be awesome -- but for right now let's just focus on getting this game and making sure we accomplish our goal."

The Giants will be doing everything they can to shut down Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on Sunday.

But Ryan does have a few friends on Big Blue.

Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka, guard Chris Snee, cornerback Will Blackmon and linebacker Mark Herzlich all were teammates of Ryan's at Boston College.

"I played with all those guys at BC and know all of those guys really well," said Ryan in a conference call with Giants reporters on Wednesday. "I have a lot of respect for those guys and they have done a great job. It will be fun to play against them and see them. I am happy for their success."

Blackmon actually played wide receiver as a senior in 2005 and was one of Ryan's favorite targets. "I was his guy," said Blackmon on Wednesday. "It was he and I the whole time. We swapped jerseys and he wrote on it, 'To Will, my first playmaker.'"

Snee's final year at Boston College as Ryan's first. "I hung out with him a little bit and we have spoken over the years," said Snee. "We were at the Pro Bowl together last year. Good guy.

"You could hear the coaches his freshman year saying he could be something special in the way he tore apart our defense. And how vocal he was -- he was barking at guys and that is very rare as a freshman."

Now in his fourth NFL season, Ryan threw for a career-high 4,177 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2011, with just 12 interceptions. But he is still looking for his first playoff win, after losing to the Cardinals his rookie year and the Packers last season, when the Falcons were the top seed in the NFC.

"All the stuff that happened in the past doesn’t really make a difference," Ryan said Wednesday. "It comes down to preparing this week and doing whatever we can to keep advancing throughout the playoffs."

Herzlich said he sees a difference, and a similarity, between Ryan and Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

"Eli seems very quiet and reserved a little bit -- Matt not so much," said Herzlich. "He is very vocal, not only on the field but off the field. He will joke around and play pranks on people. But they both win and that is something they have in common."

We'll see which QB comes out on top on Sunday.

Mathias Kiwanuka is a supporter of his former Boston College teammate Matt Ryan -- except for when he squares off against his former quarterback in the playoffs on Sunday.

"I try to keep track of all the guys you played with and I am very proud of him and very happy for all the stuff he has done," Kiwanuka said on Monday. "Just hope he slips a little bit (this Sunday)."

The Giants linebacker and Atlanta quarterback played together at Boston College in 2004-05, with Ryan leading the team for two more seasons after Kiwanuka finished up his eligibility. In that short time together, Ryan left a favorable impression on Kiwanuka.

"He had no fear," Kiwanuka said. "He was going to release that ball regardless of what was there because he always felt he could make those throws. Over time you could see that confidence didn't come from nowhere. He has that ability to make tough throws and the confidence to go out there and do that. It is not a challenge we haven't done before. We got to get it done."

The linebacker went on to say that Ryan can make every throw in the NFL and is a prototypical quarterback, but he believes that as long as the Giants defense is in the right spots and knows what it is being asked to do, his team will emerge victorious. Kiwanuka and the Giants are 1-0 against Ryan, securing a 34-31 win in overtime in 2009.

Kiwanuka's play could play a large role in helping decide if the Giants can keep Ryan and Atlanta's offense in check. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin talked highly of Kiwanuka's play against Dallas on Sunday night, especially against the run. The coach said he hopes to see the continuation of that play moving forward.

"That was really an outstanding game for Kiwi," Coughlin said. "He penetrated, you saw him run through the back side and make the play on the power right off the bat, first play of the game, did that with some consistency throughout the game. Had some good rushes in the third-down packages as well. One of the packages was what you saw right away early in the game with Kiwi. He certainly did respond and play well."

The Giants have long talked about the potential they have for being a great team if they can play with an edge they have shown at times this season and clean up their defensive mistakes and mental lapses.

The defense has yet to put together a complete game. But if they do, Mathias Kiwanuka knows what the outcome will be on Sunday night against the Cowboys.

"If we play a complete game from beginning to end, we'll pitch a shutout, which is what our goal is," the linebacker said. "The issue about miscommunication for missed gaps, gaps assignments, that kind of stuff -- this is the most important game on the schedule, so those kind of things are being taken care of right now."

The Giants had gap-control problems the last time they face the Cowboys, when Felix Jones rushed for 106 yards on just 16 carries.

As for the secondary, the Giants' defense had major issues in their previous meeting in Dallas. A breakdown in communication allowed Dez Bryant to walk in for a 50-yard touchdown catch.

The Giants were able to eliminate significant lapses in the secondary during last week's win over the Jets.

"I think when you watch the tape, they are playing really good football," Dallas quarterback Tony Romo said. "We caught a break one time when they had a miscommunication. ... They are a good group, so you have to be ready for them to come out and play their best game. I expect for them to come out and play tight man coverage and come after us. That is what our game plan is, to be ready for that."

The Giants will definitely try to get to Romo quicker, knowing he has an injured throwing hand.

"I think during the course of the game you get a sense of whether a guy is at full go or not," Kiwanuka said when asked about Romo's swollen hand. "The only thing that changes is you want to get after him and you want to get there a little faster.

"But in terms of Romo and the rest of the Cowboys playing, we expect them all to play. This is a playoff game for both of us. Everything is on the line. We’re expecting their best game."

Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka was fined $7,500 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness/grabbing opponent by the facemask for his tackle on Jermichael Finley in Sunday's game against the Packers, the NFL announced.

Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson was fined $15,000 for roughing the passer on his hit on Giants quarterback Eli Manning. The Packers won the game, 38-35.

Listen to Jared Max's postgame interviews with Victor Cruz, Mathias Kiwanuka, Hakeem Nicks and Prince Amukamara.

The Patriots have protected Tom Brady well this season. Brady's been sacked just 14 times and hit 33 times so far, putting the Pats in the top 10 in both categories.

But they will be tested on Sunday.

The Giants lead the NFL with 26 sacks, one more than Baltimore.

But can they bring enough pressure to bother the normally unflappable Brady?

Mathias Kiwanuka thinks so.

"I don’t care who you are, if you get hit in the face by a 300-something pound lineman, it’s going to change your day," Kiwanuka said.

Kenny Phillips agrees.

"(Brady) is very accurate but I think if we get after him we can rattle him up a little bit," he said.

The Giants defensive line has been doing an awful lot of rattling lately.

They sacked Matt Moore five times last Sunday. In their previous game, they got to Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick three times.

The Pats, it should be noted, allowed Brady to be hit four times and sacked three times in a loss to Pittsburgh last week.

Perry Fewell hinted that the Giants may borrow a page from Mike Tomlin's playbook on Sunday.

If they can identify what worked for Pittsburgh, Sunday may be reminiscent of the Giants' Super Bowl XLII performance in which they sacked Brady five times.

Fewell wasn't around in the 2007 season, but he says the approach from that day hasn't changed much.

"I wasn’t here four years ago but I will say that we do count on our pass rush to help our pass defense. We will count on our pass rush to help our pass defense again [Sunday]," Fewell said.

GILBRIDE EXCITED TO SEE JACOBS: Last week, Brandon Jacobs said he wanted the ball more. If Ahmad Bradshaw (broken foot) is out Sunday, Jacobs will get his wish.

Can he handle it? Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride certainly hopes so.

"What would be better than the opportunity that he’s going to get now?" Gilbride said. "He’s been clamoring for a chance. The chance is here. This is an opportunity. You want to show what you can do. I’m looking forward to seeing the way he plays. I think he’s going to respond very well. I’m excited about seeing him play."

Mathias Kiwanuka’s playing time may decrease when Justin Tuck returns. But Kiwanuka is OK with that.

“I always feel like if you’re out there on the field and you make plays, they’re going to continue to put you out on the field. They’ll get me out there. It’s just my job to make enough plays to affect the game,” Kiwanuka said.

Tuck is expected to play for the first time since Week 3 in Philadelphia this Sunday when the Giants host the winlesss Dolphins.

It is unclear how Tuck’s presence will affect the playing time of current starters, but Perry Fewell said last week that Jason Pierre Paul’s snaps are likely to decrease by ten or 15 per game with Tuck in the mix.

Fewell also envisions using a package with all Giants pass rushers (Tuck, Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, Kiwanuka) on the field at the same time when Tuck returns.

As Kiwanuka aptly points out, that will be a problem for opposing offensive lines. The Giants already boast two ends who rank in the top ten in sacks (Pierre-Paul, Umenyoira). They are also tied for first in the league with 21 sacks as a team. And Tuck's presence will only make it more difficult to protect the quarterback.

“You look out on the field and you see the numbers lined up, you’ve got to pick your poison. Do you double 72 or do you double 71? Is it 91? Whoever’s out there on the field poses a big problem for the offense,” Kiwanuka said.

It reminded the six-year veteran of the Giants’ line rotation during their 2007 run to the Super Bowl.

That team featured Tuck, Kiwanuka, Umenyiora and Michael Strahan.

“The good thing about being here and doing it is that … we’ve had a lot of success in year’s past, doing it the way that were doing it,” Kiwanuka said. “So when everyone’s on board and guys are playing unselfish in terms of playing time ... that’s when we’re at our best. We know that eventually down the line everyone’s going to get a chance to shine. As long as it culminates in us holding the trophy up we’re all fine with it.”

Freddie Coleman and Ohm Youngmisuk discuss how the defense will deal with all the preseason injuries and if Eli Manning can become a Top-5 quarterback this season.

The first preseason game is finally upon us, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. in Charlotte, N.C.

Here are three things to watch tonight:

THE STARTERS: The starters are expected to only play around 16 to 18 snaps. There are a few players to keep an eye on, starting with the offensive line, where Will Beatty is the new starting left tackle. David Baas is the new starting center, and we'll have to monitor how he works with Eli Manning.

Then there's Linval Joseph, who is trying to replace Barry Cofield at defensive tackle. Mathias Kiwanuka is also expected to start at strong-side linebacker. And you will get a glimpse of Jason Pierre-Paul as a starter at defensive end with Osi Umenyiora not expected to return to practice until next week.

THE KIDS: Linebacker Mark Herzlich makes his long-awaited NFL debut. It has been a long, hard and inspiring road to get here.

Watch all the young linebackers fighting for spots on the team. Herzlich; sixth-round picks Greg Jones and Jacquian Williams; and undrafted rookie Spencer Paysinger should see action tonight. The Giants also like young linebackers Kenny Ingram and Adrian Tracy.

And we get our first glimpse at three other rookies who have been impressive in camp: DT Marvin Austin, FB Henry Hynoski and safety Tyler Sash.

STEP UP: The Giants will have a nice competition at wide receiver to see who can step up into that third spot, behind Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.

Domenik Hixon, Victor Cruz, Jerrel Jernigan, Devin Thomas, Darius Reynaud, Michael Clayton and Duke Calhoun are just a few of the receivers in the mix. Ramses Barden (PUP) is still injured.

The Giants will also be looking for standouts on special teams, where several of those young linebackers will hope to make an impact on coverage. Also, Matt Dodge and Steve Weatherford will go at it at punter, and Hixon and Jernigan will get a chance to return punts and kickoffs.