So many Giant injuries, but a defeat to Carolina Panthers would hurt most

So many Giant injuries, but a defeat to Carolina Panthers would hurt most
December 18
New York Daily News columnist Filip Bondy
"He was so bouncy and downright joyous Wednesday it was hard to recognize Tom Coughlin, who hadn't appeared quite this pleased with life since winning the Super Bowl.

He performed some jumping jacks in the bowels of Giants Stadium, announced that the previous two losses didn't really matter and declared, "How can it be any better than this?" It's impossible to argue with such a happy man. Coughlin is positively smitten by this stretch run that climaxes Sunday night against Carolina.

The game is huge, though not for the reason you keep hearing. The home-field edge against the Panthers in a potential NFC Championship rematch is hardly worth celebrating. The geography could well come back to haunt the Giants, on a windy, 10-degree January day that turns Eli Manning's passes into fluttering kite tails.

This game is essential for other reasons - psychological and physical. Victory is required to avert panic, if only in the local media. And it is even more desperately needed to create considerable down time, a competitive vacation. That became clear when the assembled press was handed an arm's-length list of a dozen injured players that included Brandon Jacobs, Kareem McKenzie, Ahmad Bradshaw, Justin Tuck and Domenik Hixon.

Or as Coughlin put it, smiling: "What injuries do you want to talk about first?"

It's December, and every NFL team has its bumps and bruises. But the Giants, more than others, require some serious healing time between now and the real games. A victory on Sunday means the Giants wouldn't play another meaningful game until the weekend of Jan. 10-11, three weeks later. That is a schedule lifted right off a doctor's prescription pad.

"It would mean a lot," said Hixon, whose ankle is giving him all kinds of trouble. "If we had that time, we would be at 100%."

Consider two very different paths: The Giants beat Carolina. They coast in Minnesota, fielding a backup cast at the skill positions for part of the game to avoid further injuries. They take a week off with the wife and strip clubs. Then they could return to work refreshed and healed, looking ahead to the NFC semifinal game with renewed vigor against, possibly, Arizona.

If they lose, however, they may well face a must-win game against the Vikings in Minnesota, with the bye and the No.2seed at stake. They would be chasing their own injuries right into the postseason, which is unlikely to end well.

It's all about the rehab time now. The home-field edge doesn't mean a whole lot, as we learned during the Giants' uncanny (and healthy) playoff run last season. This is a team that thrives on adversity, on hostile fans, and doesn't always enjoy the bitter gusts of North Jersey."
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