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I recently gave my report card for the Giants 2011 season position-by-position. But because there was only so much space to discuss each position, I wanted to go more in-depth on each position and spin it forward to next season.

Today we look at the linebackers. Tomorrow: Secondary.

LINEBACKERS
Grade: B

During last year’s draft, fans wanted the Giants to draft a linebacker in the first round. When they didn’t, fans wanted Jerry Reese to sign a linebacker in free agency. And when Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim went down with torn ACLs in the preseason, the calls for adding a linebacker grew to a deafening pitch.

But in the end, the Giants only added Chase Blackburn to the mix late in the season and were able to win a Super Bowl with the linebackers on the roster.

Michael Boley emerged as one of the most valuable pieces on Perry Fewell’s defense. He relayed calls into the huddle and was the Giants’ only every-down linebacker. When he missed two games due to injury, the defense struggled badly.

Mathias Kiwanuka grew more comfortable with his hybrid linebacker/defensive end role and speedy rookie Jacquian Williams showed promise. The Giants might not have won the Super Bowl without the late addition of Blackburn, who made the big interception on Tom Brady while covering Rob Gronkowski.

While the Giants could draft another linebacker, they seem pretty upbeat about the potential about the linebackers from last year’s rookie crop. Head coach Tom Coughlin mentioned the young linebackers when asked about which young players he is looking forward to seeing emerge this season.

Williams, Greg Jones, Mark Herzlich and Spencer Paysinger saw plenty of special teams action and will receive a full offseason of coaching and training this year after having the lockout shorten their on-the-job training last year.

Goff and Blackburn are unrestricted free agents. Reese and Coughlin have said that they will try to bring Goff, who is still recovering from ACL surgery last year, back. But the Giants could use another veteran linebacker since they won’t know how Goff and Sintim will be returning from knee surgery. Also, depending on what happens with Osi Umenyiora's contract, the Giants may need Kiwanuka to play more defensive end. That remains to be seen.

Perry Fewell played three safeties -– Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips and Deon Grant –- often to help cover at linebacker. Fewell still might do this next season even with Grant becoming an unrestricted free agent. Tyler Sash is waiting in the wings and could become the team’s third safety. And if Fewell wants to play three safeties again, he’ll go with two linebackers again as well.

What do you guys think the Giants should do at linebacker? Tell us below.

Tom Coughlin sounded the alarm here at the combine last year that the Giants needed a center entering the draft.

Of course, the Giants didn’t end up drafting a center but they did sign David Baas in free agency.

This year, Coughlin says tight end is the priority after the Giants watched Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum tear their ACLs in the Super Bowl.

Both underwent surgery on Tuesday and Coughlin said the rehab process will take at least seven months, which means the head coach will need tight end bodies in camp. At the moment, they have Bear Pascoe, who will be a restricted free agent, and Christian Hopkins, who was on the practice squad, as the two healthy tight ends on the team.

“That’d be nice,” Coughlin said when asked about getting a tight end. “It would be a nice thing. We had a pretty good combination we thought in terms of people who could block, people who could run up the field, that type of thing. Jake Ballard really did an outstanding job in all capacities. Became an excellent receiving tight end, made big play after big play for us and that was a great thing. Unfortunately, Ballard and Beckum both get injured, seriously injured in the Super Bowl. They both had their surgery and they’re on their way to recovery, but as you know that’s a lengthy recovery.”

The Giants draft 32nd overall in the first round.

ROAD TO RECOVERY: Coughlin said cornerback Terrell Thomas and middle linebacker Jon Goff are both part of his plan for next season. The two are unrestricted free agents and also recovering from ACL surgeries last year.

“All you can do is you have a plan,” Coughlin said. “And the plan certainly does include those two guys. How soon or whatever, that remains to be seen. The overall scope of needs, who you’d like to have and so on and so forth, that all becomes part of the plan.”

Coughlin -- who also revealed that Justin Tuck, Chris Canty and Linval Joseph underwent surgeries -- said Thomas and Goff should have enough time to be ready for the season if they re-sign.

PROTECTING THE LINE: Coughlin defended his offensive line when someone asked the head coach about the Giants’ O-line in his press conference.

“Well, I would argue with you about talent,” Coughlin said. “It's a very talented offensive line. Two out of the past four Super Bowls we've just won, and it basically was the same guys, give or take one or two. Eli [Manning has] always been a quick decision-maker, but the combination of our protection schemes, our athletes up front, the quarterback's ability to get the ball out quickly. That has served us very well because our sack numbers over the years have been down. That may be that one game Eli was exceptional at getting rid of the ball, but it comes down to protection as well. We're certainly a good offensive line, but in every circumstance, you have to continue to build and develop and bring along young players."

Jerry Reese admitted recently that he is not sure how the offensive line will look this coming season with left tackle Will Beatty having been cleared to return and Kareem McKenzie set to hit free agency. Extra offensive linemen Tony Ugoh and Stacy Andrews are also free agents.

NASCAR AT NASCAR: Three members of the Giants’ NASCAR package will be at NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on Sunday Feb. 26.

Osi Umenyiora, Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka will ride in the Grand Marshal pace car before the 54th running of the Daytona 500.

NASCAR was the name for the Giants’ four defensive end alignment on passing packages.

I recently gave my report card for the Giants 2011 season position-by-position. But because there was only so much space to discuss each position, I wanted to go more in-depth on each position and spin it forward to next season.

Today we look at the defensive line. On Monday: Linebackers.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Grade: A

It was a roller coaster-like season for the defensive line last season.

Osi Umenyiora opened camp refusing to practice over his contract, temporarily was allowed to seek a trade before coming back for three practices only to opt for surgery on his knee. But this might’ve been the biggest blessing in disguise for the Giants. While Umenyiora was missed, his absence allowed Jason Pierre-Paul to get valuable first-team reps in camp and the second-year stud took off, emerging into a superstar with 16.5 sacks.

He carried the defense on occasions during the season and, of course, even found time to block a field goal to help save the Giants’ season in Dallas.

The season was a battle for Justin Tuck, who suffered a stinger in the preseason and wasn’t himself until late in the season. Tuck battled through injuries and personal grief with the death of relatives throughout the season. But he finished the season strong with 5.5 sacks in his last six games, culminating with a two sacks in the Super Bowl.

After his turbulent start to the season, Umenyiora returned after missing the first three games and was sensational early on. But a high ankle sprain cost him four games later in the season and the Giants struggled without their speedy pass rusher.

But like Tuck, Umenyiora came on strong when the Giants needed him most at the end -- he had 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in his last five games -- and the pass rush came to life during the Giants’ final six-game winning streak.

Coinciding with this was the solid play of Chris Canty, Linval Joseph and Rocky Bernard inside. All three plugged the inside and even provided an added dimension to the pass rush.

The Giants’ depth at pass rusher is pretty much unmatched. Mathias Kiwanuka got more comfortable with his hybrid linebacker-defensive end role as the season progressed. And Dave Tollefson was another one of Reese’s underrated offseason moves. Re-signing Tollefson, who is popular in the locker room, was big and the veteran provided incredible depth at pass rusher.

The future, though, remains a bit hazy on the defensive line. Umenyiora still wants a raise and is under contract for this season at just under $4 million. He also still views himself as a starter and JPP is now the starting right defensive end. Tollefson, Bernard and DT Jimmy Kennedy are free agents.

The Giants will have second-round pick Marvin Austin returning after missing all of his rookie season due to injury but Austin still hasn’t played any football now since the 2009 season.

The Giants also have young developmental players like defensive end Justin Trattou and DT Dwayne Hendricks.

Draft-wise, do not discount Jerry Reese from taking another defensive lineman. He will always subscribe to the best player available theory and this year should be no different since the Giants are Super Bowl champs.

Tell us what your assessment is of the Giants defensive line and what you think the Giants should do this offseason below.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Stuck in traffic on a bus headed for rainy Candlestick Park on Sunday afternoon, Devin Thomas had a vision. Thomas is the No. 4 wide receiver for the New York Giants, and as such he doesn't get too many chances to make plays. He's a special teams guy, mainly, and not even a return man anymore after flopping in that role earlier this season. So when Thomas has a vision of himself making a huge play to help win a game, it's a special teams play -- a frantic, full-speed crazy play that no one could have seen coming.

"I knew I was going to do it," Thomas said. "I was just thinking today was one of those crazy days where something crazy's going to turn the game. And I had a vision in my mind that I would be the guy who did it."

Thomas made two such plays Sunday. He recovered two fumbles on punt returns by Kyle Williams, the 49ers' backup return man. The first set the Giants up for a go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown at a time when they appeared totally incapable of moving the ball against the San Francisco defense. The second came in overtime, and a few minutes later, after Lawrence Tynes kicked the second NFC Championship Game-winning field goal of his career, the Giants had a 20-17 victory and a date with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

"Our guys never quit, never have any doubts," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who spent his night being knocked around by fearsome 49ers defenders but never flinched, completing 32 of 58 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns. "We just keep believing and keep fighting until the very end, no matter what the circumstances are."

These Giants are as improbable a Super Bowl participant as the NFL has seen in some time. Widely predicted (especially here) to miss the playoffs during the preseason, losers of four games in a row in a tough stretch in late November and earlier December, their record stood at 7-7 after a Week 15 loss to the division-rival Redskins. They have not lost a game since. If they had -- if they'd lost even one of the five games they've played since that loss to Washington -- they would not still be playing. The defining aspect of these Giants is their toughness, but out of that over the past five weeks has grown a patience and a discipline that's rooted in intense self-belief and has propelled them to unexpected heights.

"They have grit, now," a beaming head coach Tom Coughlin said of his second Giants Super Bowl team. "We've had five straight single-elimination games. We've played an awful lot of superior football teams this year, and that has certainly helped."

But no one could have seen this coming. Not from 6-6 or 7-7 and certainly not from the preseason, when they were dealing with a major injury per week and everybody was in love with the offseason the Eagles had. Back then, there was no way to know that Jason Pierre-Paul would become one of the best pass rushers in the league or that Victor Cruz would become one of its best wide receivers. The odds against both of those things happening were astronomical.

"I think we knew, here in this locker room," said rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams, who stripped the ball from Kyle Williams so that Thomas could pounce on it in overtime. "You see the talent those guys have on the practice field and you know it's just a matter of when they're going to get their opportunity."

From October, you couldn't have seen Williams coming. But he's become a critical asset in the Giants' coverage units over the past couple of months, and as he showed Sunday, he's capable of making game-changing plays on special teams. He laughed when I asked him how this was matching up to the expectations he'd had for his rookie season.

"Rookies don't usually have an opportunity to play," he said. "Especially when you got picked in the sixth round."

But this has been an all-hands-on-deck kind of season for the Giants, and opportunities have piled up. Brandon Jacobs got an opportunity to be a big part of the running game again when Ahmad Bradshaw got hurt. Bradshaw had the bigger game Sunday, but Jacobs has been a key part of the current streak. Osi Umenyiora came back from a late-season ankle injury and has elevated the pass rush to teetering heights, terrorizing quarterbacks and forcing fumbles during this run and helping Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck get free to wreak their own havoc.

"I love these guys. They've had my back the whole time," said Umenyiora, who's transformed from cranky contract complainer to peaceful, happy team player in a span of a few months. "So I wasn't going to come back and be selfish. I just wanted to come back and do what they need me to do, whatever that is. That's what I've done and it's had an impact."

This Giants team may have led the league in surprise clutch performances. You may be able to say you thought Cruz would be good, or that Pierre-Paul would come on quickly, or that Umenyiora would put his personal stuff aside for the good of the team. You may be able to say you knew Manning was going to play turnover-free football in the conference title game against a team that forced 43 turnovers in its first 17 games. You may be able to say you knew Mathias Kiwanuka was going to change positions and be a critical part of the defense, or even that you believed Williams and Thomas would be making key plays in the biggest game of the season.

But to say you saw all of that coming? You'd have to be crazy to expect anyone to buy that. These Giants represent the reason we watch sports -- to be surprised and amazed, to see human beings push their own limits and achieve things few expected of them. These Giants are overachievers, a team that has found ways to win all year when it didn't appear they should. And you can't be that without getting big-time contributions from every corner of the roster.

"I think we always believed -- in ourselves, in our coaches, in our plan, in each other," wide receiver Hakeem Nicks said. "And that's the reason why we're here."

There are so many reasons, and they range from the obvious to the obscure. Nobody picked Thomas to make the plays that won the NFC Championship Game, because Thomas is the kind of guy you have to work hard to remember is still on the team. But as the Giants left their locker room late Sunday night, Thomas carried the ball he'd recovered in overtime and got right back on the bus where he'd envisioned himself doing just that. It may have been a surprise to the rest of us, but it wasn't to Thomas, and it wasn't to the Giants. There are many, many people who are surprised to find the Giants still standing. But the Giants are not among them. They may not have known how they were going to do this, but they always believed they would. And it's quite a varied and remarkable collection of players that has found a way.

The wind blows, fish swim and New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle talks. Rolle is a very good football player, but talking is the activity for which he is best known. At a time when pro athletes are looking for ways not to talk the media -- specifying only one day per week on which they'll do interviews, for example -- Rolle is a nonstop talking machine.

He talks on Mondays, when players are still weary from the game and the flight home. He talks on Wednesdays and Thursday and Fridays, when the locker room fills with reporters looking for colorful quotes and insight. He talks after games, win or lose, happy or angry. Heck, he even talks on Tuesdays, which is the players' day off. He does a weekly radio appearance on Tuesdays that's appointment listening for everyone who covers the team because it almost always generates news.

"Trel likes to talk, but he's a guy you listen to," Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said Sunday, after Rolle turned in his best game as a Giant in the playoff victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field. "When he says something, he usually has a reason why he said it."

Of this season's Giant developments, the emergence of Rolle as a voice of locker-room reason had to be among the least likely. This is his second year in New York; he signed as a free agent from Arizona before the 2010 season. A year ago, he was complaining about Tom Coughlin and saying the playoff-bound Jets had better team chemistry. A month ago, after the loss to the Redskins that dropped the Giants to 7-7, Rolle stood at his locker and talked about how guys needed to stop sitting out practice with minor injuries.

This is stuff you're not supposed to say to the media -- stuff that stirs controversy and can injure that aforementioned team chemistry. And with the Giants' secondary playing as poorly as it was at the time, the immediate reaction was to proclaim Rolle a malcontent. Columns were written in New York suggesting that all Rolle did was talk -- first guy to the microphone, last guy to the ball, stuff like that. Outside the Giants' locker room, the first reaction to Rolle's words was concern that the team could be on the verge of a meltdown.

But inside the locker room, the reaction was much different. Rolle's words in the wake of the Redskins loss hit home with defensive end Justin Tuck, who had been sitting out practices with nagging injuries but playing on Sundays. Never mind that Rolle went out of his way, that day and in his radio spot two days later, to say specifically that he wasn't calling out Tuck. Tuck, a tenured Giant with a Super Bowl ring who could either have easily brushed off Rolle's perceived swipe or angrily fired back, took the words to heart. In Tuck's own words, what Rolle said "struck a chord." After that, and a conversation with Coughlin, Tuck was back on the practice field that week along with Ahmad Bradshaw and several other teammates whose nicks and bruises had been keeping them on the exercise bikes.

"I can't take credit for that," Rolle said Tuesday on that weekly radio appearance on WFAN in New York City. "Guys have turned things around on their own and for the betterment of this team. We have one goal in mind, and that's to compete and win a championship."

In that same interview, Rolle was asked about 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, who'd said a few days earlier that he'd "prayed" for the Giants to beat the Packers. Rolle's answer was this:

"If he said that, I can only hope that he was saying it just because they wanted to get a home game. You know, they'd better be careful what they ask for, because their wish has been granted and we will see those boys come Sunday."

The second part of the quote is the one being played up, because that's the way things work in this league and this business these days. But the fact is, Davis was clearly, and as he himself explained, only saying what he said because the 49ers preferred to play the NFC Championship Game at home. By now, Rolle surely knows that, and although it's possible this "Rolle vs. Davis" storyline will be kept alive this week, you can be certain Rolle won't be the one responsible for doing so. He talks, yes, but he doesn't appear to suffer nonsense. Rolle's talking has a purpose.

He may come off as a blustery yapper, but what Rolle has done over the past few weeks defies the modern sports establishments' attempts at easy categorization. This is a guy who talks -- all the time, yes -- but also backs it up. His individual performance against the Packers, which included occasional one-on-one coverage of Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley in addition to his usual safety role, was one of the main reasons the Giants' secondary held up against Green Bay's aerial attack. Earlier this year, while they were waiting for top draft pick Prince Amukamara to return from injury, Rolle served as the nickel cornerback. For all of his talk, he has been an obvious and willing team player since arriving in New York. And upon further examination, all of Rolle's talk seems to have real, team-oriented purpose behind it.

Rolle's not out there bellowing about how great he is. He's not getting in the opposing coach's face and yelling, "Time to shut up, fat boy!" as a teammate of his did. He's not planting deleterious information about teammates in off-the-record interviews. Rolle is out there, playing hard, and the talking he does is intended for the good of the team. Although his personality might not appear to fit the traditional Big Blue profile, Rolle has emerged late this season as one of the leaders in the Giants' locker room.

He's doing it his own way, sure, and it's doubtful anyone saw Rolle-as-leader coming. But when he talks, even the veterans in that room listen. And leaders are judged, in the end, on results.

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."

The Giants have faced Tony Romo before. The same goes for Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten. For the most part, the Giants are very familiar with the Cowboys offense --- except for breakout rookie running back DeMarco Murray.

For the first time on Sunday, the Giants will face Murray, the rookie who has revitalized Dallas' run game and is a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Murray has rushed for 872 yards and two touchdowns on the year and also has 25 catches for 177 yards.

"(He) plays hard," Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said. "Has good athletic ability. Understands protection schemes and those kind of things."

Over the past few seasons, the Giants have seen the likes of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice in the Cowboys backfield. This year, it's Murray's chance to shine. The third-round draft pick out of Oklahoma has run with the starting position ever since he replaced an injured Jones against St. Louis on Oct. 23.

Murray is a dual threat out of the backfield, providing speed and giving Romo an underneath option if plays don't develop down the field. With Jones now healthy and spelling him at times, it makes the Cowboys very dangerous offensively.

"DeMarco Murray coming out of college was a hell of a player," defensive end Dave Tollefson said. "He was just dinged up. You've seen him get back to that level and they're doing a great job up front, no doubt. They're blocking real well."

Stopping Murray will certainly be a challenge for a Giants rush defense that is among the worst in the league. The Giants give up 127 yards per game on the ground while Dallas is rushing for 114.8 yards per game. Just as recently as two weeks ago vs. New Orleans, the Saints rushed for 205 yards on the Giants.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he "really" likes Murray, calling him a physical runner. He said that the strong run game has made Dallas' offense more balanced and the Cowboys are doing some good things in that regard.

Tollefson said that the Cowboys offense has done a great job each week of doing whatever it needed to do to get the win, whether that be emphasizing the run or emphasizing the pass. With so many weapons on offense, Dallas can beat teams in a variety of ways.

Still, for the Giants on Sunday, stopping Murray will be a key to the game. If the rookie has a big day, it could be a long Sunday night for the visiting team.

"It gives them the ability to do things that they like to do," Kiwanuka said of how Murray changes the Cowboys offense. "They like to run the ball and throw the ball when it's necessary. You take a guy like that out, it changes up their tendencies and things they have to do. We have to understand they're going to be more effective than maybe they have been in recent weeks. As long as we do everything we're supposed to do, we should be fine."

While the lasting image of Jacquian Williams from Sunday's loss to the Packers is of the rookie failing to intercept or knock down a critical pass that jumpstarted Green Bay's winning drive, that game helped the young linebacker.

"It was a way for me to get better," Williams said. "That's how I looked at it. I definitely got better that game."

Improvement will be needed quickly for Williams as he will face perhaps the top tight end in the league on Sunday in Dallas' Jason Witten. While Williams won't exclusively be covering Witten, he will be matched up with him at different points during the game.

"I'm definitely excited," Williams said of the game.

For as well as Williams has played this season, his gaffe on Sunday proved to be a pivotal play in the game. The linebacker tried to intercept a pass that instead went past his outstretched arms and was caught by Jermichael Finley, who then had plenty of running room down the sideline and gained 24 yards. Green Bay went on to kick the game-winning field goal shortly after.

Williams said he was matched up with Finley in man-to-man coverage on just two occasions, both catches. The rookie said he learned about some things he needed to correct through facing Finley, who got the better of Williams when the two faced off.

"Using my eyes. Just staying locked on my man," Williams said of things he can correct. "That's the thing. My eyes got a little lost. Got to focus and keep my eyes focused on my man."

Witten presents a different type of challenge for Williams. Williams described Finley as a tight end who relies on his speed while Witten relies more on his technique.

The tight end has 760 receiving yards on the year, which is the third-highest total among tight ends. Williams said he's been getting tips from Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant about covering Dallas' primary offensive threat.

Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said that Williams has responded very well this week after having some tough moments on Sunday. That will be key with Witten and a potent Dallas offense on tap.

"He's a young guy. There's going to be those learning moments when maybe those young guys maybe don't understand what the situation is but you can't expect every rookie to come in and play every single play solidly," Kiwanuka said. "He's done a great job and if you just watch him, his athletic ability, he can match up with anybody in this league; receivers, running backs, tight ends, whatever it is. I think he's done a very good job of getting back in the book and studying and understanding what he needs to do in the defense. I have full confidence in him."

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 6:

Third-down monsters: The first-place Redskins do a variety of things well on defense. For example, they are holding opponents to a 33.3 percent conversion rate on third downs. That's the best mark in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Not only do they hold the line in most big passing situations, they've been able to actually move opponents backward. The Redskins have recorded a sack on 9.6 percent of opponents' passing plays this season, second in the league only to the Eagles, who are at 9.8 percent. In a lot of ways, the Redskins are the anti-Eagles -- a team that doesn't have as many big names on the roster but wins by minimizing mistakes and adhering to the basics and fundamentals. You know? Like tackling.

Men in the middle: How do teams run on the Eagles? Right up the gut. Our Stats & Info group says only the Titans have had to defend more runs up the middle than have the Eagles this season, and Philly is not doing it well. The Eagles have allowed 449 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, 21 first downs and four touchdowns on runs up the middle. Each of those figures ranks them dead last in the NFL. It's still unclear whether the Redskins will use Tim Hightower, Ryan Torain or Roy Helu as their primary running back in this game, but whoever it is, expect him to run right at the middle of the Eagles' defense.

Screened in: Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson has been one of the breakout stars of this NFL season, and one place he has really sparkled is as a pass receiver in the screen game. Jackson has caught 11 balls for 152 yards on screen passes, according to ESPN Stats & Info, which leads all NFL running backs in both categories. However, he's going to face a tougher test than usual this week, as the Giants have allowed just 22 yards to running backs on screen passes this season. Giants linebackers Michael Boley and Mathias Kiwanuka are likely a big part of this, as each has the speed and instincts to make plays against running backs in space.

Full-strength boys: This should be the first time since the early portion of the Week 1 game that the Cowboys have had top receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant on the field and healthy at the same time. This should, obviously, be a benefit to Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, as six of his seven touchdown passes this season have gone to either Austin or Bryant. Romo has a completion percentage of 57.9 when targeting Austin or Bryant, versus 67.5 when targeting other receivers. But his yards per attempt are 10.7 when throwing to those two, as opposed to 7.7 when throwing to others. Also, three of his five interceptions have come on passes intended for receivers other than Austin or Bryant.

Ryan will be tryin': The Patriots have scored at least 30 points in 13 straight regular-season games, which is one short of the record held by the 1999-00 St. Louis Rams. The last team to hold New England under 30 was the Cleveland Browns in Week 9 of last season. The Browns' defensive coordinator at that time was Rob Ryan, who is now the Cowboys' defensive coordinator.

New York Giants unrestricted free-agent defensive tackle Barry Cofield seems resigned to the fact that he’ll likely be playing elsewhere next season.

Cofield, 27, wants be paid like a “quality NFL starter,” and the five-year veteran believes he’s going to have to leave the organization to get his money.

“Yeah, if they make a competitive offer, sure (I’d listen),” Cofield told the Newark (N.J) Star-Ledger on Monday afternoon. “But based on the things I’ve been hearing, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. Hopefully, I’ll get fair-market value that other quality starters get. From what I’m hearing, I don’t think the Giants can pay that amount.

“If they were competitive, absolutely. But to say I’d take an unfair contract or be willing to be paid less than that, no way I’m going to do that.”

The Giants would love to keep Cofield in the fold, but according to ESPN.com’s John Clayton, they’re already $6.1 million over the projected salary cap of $120 million and want to keep unrestricted free agent running back Ahmad Bradshaw, tight end Kevin Boss, wide receiver Steve Smith and defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, along with potentially re-working the contract of disgruntled defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

Given their limited remaining financial resources, and the fact that they’ve selected defensive tackles (Linval Joseph and Marvin Austin) in the second round of the past two drafts, the Giants appear likely to be headed in a different direction.

“I expect to hear from them. They promised they would call regardless,” Cofield told the newspaper. “Whether or not they can make a competitive offer, I expect to hear from them. If they extend the courtesy to give me a call and let me know yay or nay, to check back in with them, I’ll do that for them. They gave me an opportunity to play in this league and we did some great things together.”

The Giants are the only franchise Cofield has ever known. They selected him in the fourth round of the 2006 draft, and the 27-year-old has appeared in 79 out of a possible 80 regular season games ever since. Last season, Cofield, set career-highs for both tackles (54) and sacks (4.0).

“Being a free agent, it’s going to be a whirlwind,” Cofield told the newspaper. “If you’re a guy who’s high on the list, as soon as the clock starts ticking you’ll be talking to teams and signing. A lot of people are going to be concerned about their families and looking for places to live.

“It’s exciting and nerve-wracking, anxious, but all in all it’s a blessing to even be in this situation.”

Because the lockout was lifted on Monday, teams can begin signing all free agents on Tuesday, but the deals cannot be made official until Friday at 6 p.m. The Giants have 15 unrestricted free agents.

“It’s exciting to know we’re going to be playing football as opposed to all this courtroom stuff and all of these interviews and stuff,” Cofield told the newspaper. “Everyone, the fans and media, owners everyone, is tired of the speculation and is ready to get down to the game we love.”

Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson examines the defensive lines of each NFC East team. Today: New York Giants.

Although the Giants could lose Mathias Kiwanuka and Barry Cofield in free agency, this is a great defensive line. Because Jason Pierre-Paul has such vast abilities -- and flashed them as a rookie -- Kiwanuka probably will leave. But Cofield, even though he might be expensive, is someone Big Blue needs to hold onto. He is in the prime of his career and has proved to be an every-down player, even though he fought a shoulder injury last season. If he plays like he did in 2010, many will start to consider him among the best at this position.

But Justin Tuck is the heart and soul of this defensive line and its best player. Tuck does everything well and is extremely consistent. Stats don’t tell the whole story, but he did record 11.5 sacks last season and recovered five fumbles, which led the league. He should always be mentioned among the best defensive linemen in the league.

But Tuck’s counterparts at defensive end are not too shabby either. Pierre-Paul looks like a superstar-in-the-making. His natural ability is off the charts. Pierre-Paul can be great. But Osi Umenyiora probably isn’t going to step aside. He also played great last season despite fighting a serious hip injury. This threesome of ends might be the best in the league, and Tuck’s ability to move inside on throwing downs, makes them extremely difficult to deal with.

Including Cofield, the group of defensive tackles is pretty strong as well. I am a believer in Chris Canty's game. He has a lot of versatility to his skill set and can line up in several different spots. His role could expand next season, although he did seem to wear down as the season progressed. Rocky Bernard also was a very solid two-way tackle last season. The Giants used a high draft pick on Linval Joseph, who hardly saw the field but does have a lot of ability. Joseph’s role would really expand if Cofield left town.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

Giants C Shaun O’Hara practiced today. That’s notable in that he played on Sunday and has been missing practice on and off ever since his ankle tendonitis began during training camp. He said there has been improvement in how he feels.

“It’s feeling good and certainly having an extra day helps,” O’Hara said. “We just decided to do some work today see how it feels I haven’t really had any issues with it even postgame so it’s feeling a lot better.”

Does he feel like he has turned the corner?

“I’m still kind of holding my breath,” O’Hara said. “I don’t want to jinx myself but it’s feeling pretty good and it seems to be handling the workload.”

And the Giants may have another injured player back. LB Keith Bulluck said that his turf toe was better, and he practiced today. He also was pretty emphatic when asked if he would play in Dallas this weekend.

“I will be ready to play,” Bulluck said.

DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka has a diagnosis of a herniated disk. It's a more severe condition than the bulging disk the Giants first said was the source of his sore neck. We have more on that here and will update later.

Giants players and coaches addressed the NFL’s decision to crack down on helmet-to-helmet hits after fining three players $175,000 for hits this weekend. Giants coach Tom Coughlin said the team would talk about it this afternoon, and watch a video the NFL had put together.

“Well, I think that the players are very serious about listening,” Coughlin said. “Whether they agree or disagree, they will listen to what the commissioner has to say.”

The comments out of the locker room broke down along offensive and defensive lines.

“Obviously, as an offensive player and a quarterback, anything that protects us, you are always a fan for,” QB Eli Manning said. “We have to hear what he says, and honestly there will probably be mixed feelings. The commissioner and the league is worried about protecting the players and keeping guys healthy, and that’s very important.”

The exception to that was RB Brandon Jacobs, who speculated that it might give the offense an advantage.

“I think all of this is insane, but it is for the safety of the players it’s going to start of having big plays because guys don’t want to get the $50,000 fine or suspension,” Jacobs said. “...Guys are going to be missing tackles when they think they’ve got it right in front of them and they can’t do anything about it.”

He added: “I’m an offensive player and I think it’s insane,” Jacobs said. “The guy’s defenseless but that’s been football for how many years now.”

Johnette Howard will have a column on the defensive side of the issue later.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tweeted a link to the video the NFL sent to all teams about the enforcement of rules on legal and illegal NFL hits. The first example of an illegal hit is one made on Giants TE Kevin Boss.

Injury report: T Will Beatty (foot) was out, FB Madison Hedgecock (hamstring) was limited, Kiwanuka did not practice, P Lawrence Tynes (ankle) was limited and DE Osi Umenyiora did not practice.

You can read a more thorough story about the injuries on the main page, but here's a quick update of the injury situation as seen during the portion available to the media.

OUT

Keith Bulluck (toe)

Will Beatty (foot)

Shaun O' Hara (ankle/achilles)

Mathias Kiwanuka (neck)

Madison Hedgecock (hamstring)--seen doing sit-ups

PRACTICED

Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle)

Terrell Thomas (foot)

Adam Koets (knee)

Kenny Phillips (knee)--did not do any reps during practice, but stretched

Osi Umenyiora (knee)

The evening practice was animated and there was a lot of jawing going on toward the end between the offense and defense. Here are some highlights from the Day 9 night session:

The defense unleashed more of its four defensive end front and we may have a name for it –- "NASCAR." Guess that is because of the speed they have up front with DE Justin Tuck, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DE Mathias Kiwanuka and DE Osi Umenyiora.

Now they showed some multiple looks this evening, with Umenyiora back at linebacker and a couple of the defensive ends dropping back into coverage from the front while the linebackers blitzed in.

S Antrel Rolle will move up and the defensive ends and linebackers are all standing up and moving around to create some confusion on the offensive end.

For the record, we like this wrinkle a lot.

• • •

The "Big Base" package got a lot of action as well. You remember this, the one with Kiwanuka standing up at strongside linebacker with a front of Tuck, DT Barry Cofield, DT Rocky Bernard and DT Chris Canty. Canty plays right defensive end and Kiwanuka rushes in a package built to stop the run.

• • •

For those keeping score at home, RB Brandon Jacobs took the first carry tonight in the night session. No word on whether his "Free Plaxico" movement is gaining strength yet. Being that the author of this blog went to Michigan State, I support the movement.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw continued to show good burst on runs. Jacobs looks fast and lean.

• • •

WR Ramses Barden had one of his best practices of camp. He turned in his finest catch of camp when he leaped for a one-handed grab over CB Aaron Ross and then held onto the ball while falling over Ross near the left sideline. DE Dave Tollefson likely would have had a sack on the play though.

Later on he had a nice catch over the middle in stride and one in the red zone drills in the end zone.

• • •

Ross would redeem himself when he had a nice interception on the sideline. Ross bobbled the ball before securing it and tip-toeing the sideline to get both feet in bound.

• • •

WR Nyan Boateng flattened CB Courtney Brown on a blindside block toward the end of a non-contact play. Brown took exception and had to be separated.

The defense and offense standing on the sideline began jawing and Jacobs and S Deon Grant began shouting at one another. Umenyiora quickly stood in front of Grant and calmed him down.

Umenyiora, by the way, had a nice bull rush on T William Beatty.

• • •

CB Corey Webster didn’t finish the practice as he was seen gingerly walking off the field to the sideline for the last few plays. Webster seemed to be OK and stretched out afterward.

• • •

P Matt Dodge boomed some over 50-yard punts and had a good practice. K Lawrence Tynes went 6-for-8 but his two misses came back to back from 30 and 33 yards out.

• • •

WR Steve Smith (groin), WR Sinorice Moss (groin), TE Travis Beckum (hamstring), TE Kevin Boss (hamstring/ankle), G Rich Seubert (hand), G Kevin Boothe (pectoral), S Kenny Phillips (knee) all did not practice in the night session.

The last thing Giants coach Tom Coughlin told his players on the final day of the team’s mandatory minicamp was to be safe, and stay out of the headlines. It seemed a serious note of caution given the light atmosphere in the locker room on the final day of drills, and players wasted no time gathering their belongings and heading out.

Those words don’t seem so misplaced in light of a serious car accident that has doctors reportedly fighting to save rookie Chad Jones' leg. The team is gathering information, but players are sending out wishes and prayers for Jones via Twitter.

“Thoughts n prayers go out to my new teammate chad jones,” Steve Smith wrote on his account.

“Pray for my teammate,” wrote Terrell Thomas.

“Just waking up from my nap and reading about Chad (Jones) :-( Our prayers are with him and his family!” wrote Sanya Richardson, the Olympic runner married to Aaron Ross.

Jones was to attend the rookie symposium this weekend in Carlsbad, Calif., and NFL Players Association assistant director of external affairs George Atallah said, “On the eve of the Rookie Symposium in California, NYG rookie Chad Jones fights for his life. Send thoughts and prayers.”

When Coughlin said what he did about being safe, it was in the wake of a motorcycle accident that injured Mathias Kiwanuka's brother. Although Coughlin didn’t specifically mention that, it was part of the subtext.

“What you talk about here is when you make a choice make sure it is in the best interest of you and your family,” Coughlin said that day. “And always make sure that whatever you decide to do, don’t do anything that you wouldn’t be proud of if it was on the front page.”

Just a few seconds later Coughlin was asked about the rookies, and he mentioned Jones specifically.

“I think right at the end of the OTA's he was starting to emerge and doing things very well on special teams and in the secondary,” Coughlin said.

Today, plenty of Giants and NFL officials are hoping Jones gets back on the field at the team’s practice facility, and that doctors can save his leg.

And his professional career.