Giants-Buccaneers Preview

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• Countdown Daily Recap: Giants-Buccaneers

SCOUTING REPORT

Giants-Buccaneers: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Giants-Buccaneers matchup. 1. Giants will run with eight in the box: The Buccaneers often bring an extra defender into the box, but that doesn't mean New York cannot be successful on the ground against such tactics. It isn't as if the Giants are unfamiliar with such circumstances -- most of their opponents bring an extra defender. This week will be no different.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
NYG	6-4	266	235	3-2	3-2	2-1	4-3
TAM	1-9	164	294	1-5	0-4	0-2	1-6
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

NY Giants Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Mannin... 60.5 2454 18 9 Carr 62.5 172 1 0

Tampa Bay Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Johnso... 50.4 685 4 8 Leftwi... 54.2 594 4 3

NY Giants Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Jacobs 163 656 4.0 3 Bradsh... 115 549 4.8 4

Tampa Bay Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Willia... 117 450 3.8 3 Ward 66 243 3.7 1

NY Giants Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Smith 65 798 12.3 5 Mannin... 40 617 15.4 4

Tampa Bay Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Winslo... 47 483 10.3 5 Bryant 19 269 14.2 2

Full Player Stats: NY Giants | Tampa Bay

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	NYG	386.0
	TAM	271.0
Yards Passing	NYG	251.7
	TAM	169.8
Yards Rushing	NYG	133.8
	TAM	100.7
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	NYG	282.2
	TAM	378.3
Pass Yds Allowed	NYG	177.4
	TAM	209.4
Rush Yds Allowed	NYG	104.8
	TAM	168.9

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
NY Giants leads 3-1
Jan 6, 2008	NYG 24, TAM 14
Oct 29, 2006	NYG 17, @TAM 3
Nov 24, 2003	NYG 13, TAM 19

The New York Giants are coming off a thrilling comeback road win over perhaps their biggest rival. Although they are set to enter a softer portion of their schedule, coach Tom Coughlin is hardly worried about a letdown.

The Giants look to improve to 3-0 when they face the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second of three straight road games Sunday.

New York spoiled the opening game at Cowboys Stadium in dramatic fashion last Sunday night. Eli Manning directed a drive in the final 3:40 that culminated in Lawrence Tynes' 37-yard field goal as time expired for a 33-31 victory.

"People were talking about this like it was the Super Bowl in the second week of the season," linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "We just came here to win a football game."

That approach is exactly why Coughlin seemed unconcerned this week that the Giants would still be celebrating the win over the Cowboys as they arrived in Tampa.

"As I say to them each week at the end of the week, 'Win one game. Win one game and then we will come back together and we will worry about what it is we need to do to be in position to win the next game,'" Coughlin told the Giants' official Web site.

"So I think that has been the position we have taken. The players have understood what is meant by that. And I would expect that that will continue."

The Giants face Kansas City and Oakland, a combined 1-3, in the following two contests.

Manning was the biggest reason why New York won last week, going 25 of 38 for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He was aided by a suddenly dangerous receiving game, an area that was the Giants' biggest question mark coming into the season after the departure of veterans Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.

Second-year wideout Mario Manningham -- filling in after starter Domenik Hixon was injured in the first quarter -- caught 10 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, while third-year player Steve Smith had 10 receptions for 134 yards and a score.

The prolific air attack allowed the Giants to overcome a sub-par effort from their usually potent ground game. Brandon Jacobs was held to 58 yards rushing, while Ahmad Bradshaw had 37.

"The whole team did a good job of gutting it out," Manning said. "This is a good thing to build from."

New York may have to gut it out again this week as its injury list continued to grow. Starting left defensive end Justin Tuck joined Hixon on the sidelines last Sunday, sitting out after injuring his left shoulder in the first half. Tuck and Hixon are questionable.

The Giants also found out Thursday that starting safety Kenny Phillips will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Phillips, who had two interceptions against Dallas, has been bothered by the knee for about a month.

C.C. Brown will start in Phillips' place Sunday.

New York will also be without defensive tackle Chris Canty (calf) and cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) again this week.

While New York will be short-handed, it might not need its full roster against the Buccaneers (0-2). Tampa Bay, once known for its dominant defense, allowed 900 yards and 67 points in the first two games -- both second most in the league.

The Bucs fell behind 17-0 after the first quarter last week and went on to lose 33-20 at Buffalo. Tampa Bay allowed Fred Jackson to rush for 163 yards and Trent Edwards was able to complete 21 of 31 pass attempts for 230 yards and two scores against a beleaguered Bucs secondary.

That unit gave up three touchdown passes of 40 yards or more in a 34-21 defeat to Dallas on Sept. 13.

"No, I'm not worried about their confidence," said rookie coach Raheem Morris, whose team lost its sixth straight. "We've just got to play better."

Tampa Bay will face a tough task in shutting down Jacobs and Bradshaw, and may try to do so by following Dallas' game plan and crowding the line of scrimmage.

"Every defensive formula revolves around stopping the run and not giving up big plays," linebacker Barrett Ruud said. "If we're not going to do either, we're not going to win many games."

The Bucs were limited to 57 rushing yards last week, one game after running for 174. Byron Leftwich threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns but was 26 of 50 and tossed two interceptions.

The Giants will see a familiar face in the Tampa Bay backfield in Derrick Ward, who signed a four-year contract with the Bucs during the offseason after five seasons with New York. Ward rushed for 1,025 yards last year as a cornerstone of the Giants' NFL-best rushing attack.

He ran for 94 yards on 21 carries in the first two games as part of Tampa Bay's three-back rotation along with Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham.

The teams will be meeting for the first time since New York defeated Tampa Bay 24-14 in a wild-card game at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 6, 2008. The Giants took the most recent regular season matchup 17-3 at home Oct. 29, 2006.

Sources: Bucs demote Bates, give Morris D

Continuing a tumultous year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers changed defensive coordinators Monday night, demoting Jim Bates and handing over their defense to head coach Raheem Morris, according to sources close to the situation.

Man pleads guilty to blackmailing Coughlin

Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia say a man has pleaded guilty to sending letters to New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin in which he threatened to expose a fictitious sexual tryst among the coach and two women.

FBO: Week 11 Quick Reads

Football Outsiders apply their metrics to Week 11. Findings: Even when Wes Welker doesn't find the end zone, he's historic; Mark Sanchez isn't ready; DeAngelo Williams needs the rock more; and T.J. Houshmandzadeh may have saved Minny's season.

Pasquarelli: Young targets come in handy for Giants

The Giants snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Atlanta in overtime. A lift from an inexperienced receiving corps made the feat possible, writes Len Pasquarelli.

Traffic charges against Plaxico Burress dismissed

Four Broward County traffic tickets have been dismissed against former New York Giants football player Plaxico Burress , who still faces another case in which he's accused of cursing several times at a sheriff's deputy, the athlete's attorney said this morning.

NFL Putting Off Plaxico Punishment

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said today there is no timetable for making a decision on league disciplinary action for Plaxico Burress.

GIANTS: Updated: Boldin hires Eli's agent

KTAR Radio in Arizona reports that Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin has hired Tom Condon to be his agent.

Moving the Chains: Giants' Umenyiora takes aim at Eagles

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. A special buzz is building around the 2009 football season in Philadelphia, and a lot of it has to do with the rivalry between the Eagles and Giants.

Canty happy to be part of 'tremendous defense' in New York

CHAREAN WILLIAMS The movers were at Chris Canty's new home last week. He is starting to feel at home in the New York Giants' locker room, too.Canty left the Dallas Cowboys almost three months ago, the Giants' six-year, $42 million offer too rich for Dallas to beat.

Bucs' Zuttah apparently ahead of Sears at left guard

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are undergoing a changing of their left guard, and it definitely appears as though the key figure in that change is second-year pro Jeremy Zuttah.

Jackson needs swagger

If Amarri Jackson wants to make sure he gets to training camp and through the preseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Antonio Bryant has some veteran advice for the Sarasota native.

Receiver Kelly Campbell savors his chance to make Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Each time Bucs receiver Kelly Campbell reads a headline about an NFL player who has been arrested or otherwise gotten into trouble, he can't help but immediately think about the potential consequences.

Dungy is moving forward

It had been a busy Thursday morning but now Tony Dungy was heading back across the Howard Frankland Bridge toward Tampa after a couple of meetings in a campaign to increase parental involvement in Florida public schools.

Mangurian looking for discipline on Bucs' OL

Two months before the start of training camp, Tampa Bay's new offensive line coach has a chilling message for his minions: If you're not planning on being smart and disciplined, don't bother showing up.