The New York Giants lost their emotional leader on defense when they placed linebacker Antonio Pierce on injured reserve this afternoon because of a bulging disk in his neck. It shouldn't come as a shock to anyone because of the nature of the injury, but it's still a setback for a unit that feeds off Pierce's energy and his ability to get the defense in the correct alignments.

“The doctors have told me that given my current condition, the risk of playing is too great, regardless of how I feel physically,” Pierce said. “That is the most disappointing part of this, because I feel great and have no pain. But I will keep my head up and be there the rest of the way to do my part to keep the boys going."

Pierce suffered a stinger Oct. 25 against the Cardinals, but he kept playing until the bulging disk was diagnosed by specialists Nov. 20. Because he's such a competitor, I'm sure there's part of him that wishes he'd never undergone that MRI. Coach Tom Coughlin is very fond of Pierce and it sounds like he feels awful for him.

“He was so abruptly taken away,” Coughlin said. “The original shock was that he was going over there to get an MRI just to see what the status was. We didn’t expect this kind of news. Originally our concerns were for him and I told the team this. In a team meeting I said, ‘Our concerns are for A.P., because it was a shock for him.' I remember seeing him right after he found out the news and he couldn’t hold back the tears. He’s a very emotional guy. He loves the game, loves to play. He’s very smart. He does an outstanding job with all the intellectual parts of the game. The players have relied and depended on him."

Pierce, a nine-year veteran, is heading into the final year of his six-year, $26 million contract. He'll continue to be replaced in the starting lineup by Chase Blackburn, who's seen plenty of playing time over the years.