Injuries Mount

The Giants put KC away last Sunday in a very workmanlike fashion which has typified the Giants under Tom Coughlin. Tomorrow they receive the third "freebie" in a row from the NFL scheduling gods - and they are going to need it. Eli Manning may not be pain free the rest of this season, Boss is hurt, Boley had yet another surgery, Kehl had surgery, and on it goes.

Three of their 4 wins have come against less than formidable opponents - Washington, Tampa, & KC. Yet despite the soft schedule thus far, the Giants rank 19th in defense against the run. And only Houston has given up more than the seven 20+ yard runs the Giants have allowed over the first quarter of the season. It is no secret that you can't win in this league if you can't stop the run and the Giants are going to have to tighten up against the run - a lot - and soon.

But the big issue facing the Giants is health. Alford, Phillips, Boley, Canty, Ross, Kehl, Manning, Boss. And the list goes on. Yet, the injury that concerns me the most is one that hasn't been reported. I am a huge Brandon Jacobs fan. I've watched every snap he's taken in his professional career and it has been clearly evident to me that he has been reluctant to lower his shoulder. Last week he lowered the boom on two occasions and both times went immediately to the sidelines where he remained for several plays thereafter. The only conclusion I can reach is that Brandon has been struggling with a sore shoulder - sore enough that it has forced him to adjust his running style. If true, this could be devastating to the Giants because I truly believe that Jacobs is arguably as critical as Eli Manning to the Giants success over the long term. So I will be watching carefully to see how often Brandon uses his shoulder as a battering ram as the season progresses.

One last prediction. Braylon Edwards is going to play big for the Jets this season - while, at the same time, as the season progresses into Oct/Nov, the Giants wide receivers are going to have some tough sledding. It is a bit much to expect that they will go all season long without showing any growing pains. Giants fans need to keep the faith and remember that the goal is to have the youngsters gain valuable playing experience and wind up playing strong, as a group, in Dec/Jan. So, enjoy tomorrow's game because, thereafter, the real season begins.