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Monday Notebook
Despite the unsightly numbers, the defensive players and head coach Tom Coughlin believe the talent and willpower exist to engineer a turnaround.
By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

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September 17, 2007

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - If the Giants are going to begin moving in the right direction, their defense is going to have to recover as quickly as Eli Manning did.

Manning started and played until hope was lost in yesterday's 35-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He threw for 211 yards one week after suffering a contusion of the AC joint in his throwing shoulder, an injury some speculated would sideline him for two weeks or longer.

But Manning's inspirational return and fine play weren't enough to lead the Giants to victory, largely because the defense couldn't stop the Packers. Brett Favre threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns a week after Dallas' Tony Romo passed for 345 yards and four scores. The Packers outscored the Giants 28-3 in a second half in which they converted four of five third-down opportunities. The Giants have allowed 80 points, their highest total in the season's first two games since 1966. Not coincidentally, they are 0-2 as they prepare to visit the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Despite the unsightly numbers, the defensive players and head coach Tom Coughlin believe the talent and willpower exist to engineer a turnaround.

"I'm more than confident (the defense is fixable)," safety Gibril Wilson said. "We're not going to abandon stuff that coach is telling us.  Everybody has to stay on the boat and believe we will get the job done. There are a lot of guys on that defense that have a lot of pride and a lot of zeal. We have to get it done and we will get it done."

"I think this defense is way better than what we've shown," linebacker Kawika Mitchell said. "But you have to have the effort, you have to have the attitude out there and you have to be consistent with it. I think we're capable. We're obviously way better than what we've put out there. It's just a matter of everybody taking ownership and doing it and turning it around."

The Giants' defense is currently ranked 29th in the NFL, allowing an average of 423.0 yards through two games. The Giants are 32nd and last in passing yards allowed (310.5) and opposing third down efficiency (12 of 22, 54.5 percent). But Coughlin is trying to glean positives from the game.

"There are slight areas of improvement that we can point to," he said. "There are other things that we believe we are going to get better at, pressure being one of them. I just think the improved caliber of play certainly is going to do something about those numbers and the issue is bringing a lot of people along as fast as we can in order to necessitate that aspect of it."

The defense did some things well against Green Bay. On first and second down, the Packers rushed for 47 yards on 25 carries (not counting Favre's kneel-down at the end), an average of 1.9 yards a carry. Wilson stopped a potential scoring threat with his second interception in as many games.

But the Giants seldom pressured Favre, who was sacked once for a one-yard loss. Too many Green Bay receivers roamed free. Donald Driver caught eight passes for 73 yards and a score. Tight ends Donald Lee and Bubba Franks combined for eight catches and two scores. In two games, the Giants have surrendered 14 receptions and three touchdowns to tight ends.

"We have another opportunity next week to go out and  get better," said cornerback Corey Webster, who had a pass interference penalty, gave up a 46-yard completion to James Jones and missed a tackle on former Giant Ryan Grant. "We're out there fighting hard and we're working hard. We don't want to give up 80 points in two weeks. We have to figure out a way to do it. It doesn't matter how we do it."

Coughlin emphasized the errors are correctable.

"A couple of times, not as an excuse and not as an all-the-time thing, we would give up the alignment position that we took," he said. "We would take an inside position and get beat inside, you can't do that. You have to be able to maintain leverage in the position that you are given. I think it's the continuous technical advancement, trying to get better in those areas. When (rookie Aaron) Ross played he played decently and we certainly would like to see more of him. You just have to keep working at it. On some occasions, not as many as the week before, the underneath coverage was not as good as it should have been. It wasn't like it was the week before, it was a little bit better, but it still has a ways to go."

*Manning said his injured shoulder came through the game pain-and problem-free.

"Physically, I feel fine," Manning said. "I'm ready to go. It didn't make anything worse by playing yesterday. I didn't take any big hits, so I feel fine."

*Coughlin was asked if there will be changes in the starting lineup.

"Well, there may be," he said. "The players that we have are the players that we have.  They are going to be utilized as best as we possibly can in different alignment groupings and different scenarios. The development of a couple of these young guys is going to enhance our defense as well, one being Ross if we can continue to bring him along.  I thought (Mathias) Kiwanuka played better yesterday in the role that we had for him."

*Coughlin and Manning both said they are not worried about the team's morale.

"We talked about, as we always do, to be very honest, very open, about the reason that we lost the game, and having to go ahead and improve on the areas obviously that are getting us beat," Coughlin said. "Primarily what we have to do is go back to one of the oldest axioms in football and that is to keep from beating ourselves before we can expect to go forth and beat someone else. I think that is where we are."

" think the morale is fine," Manning said. "We understand that we're making mistakes and stopping ourselves at times. We're not doing everything out there that we can do to win games. We have to fix that. We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. At times, we're performing great. We look great as an offense - we're moving the ball and we can't be stopped. Other times we're stopping ourselves and playing sloppy. We have to get on the same page and make sure we're moving forward and getting better."

*Several Giants suffered injuries in the game. Rookie wide receiver Steve Smith  fractured his scapula (shoulder blade). "He will probably (miss) two weeks maybe, and then week-to-week," Coughlin said.

Wide receiver Plaxico Burress has ankle and pinky sprains, but Coughlin indicated he will be able to play. The other injuries were suffered by backup quarterback Jared Lorenzen has (sprained ankle), linebacker Reggie Torbor (bruised elbow), running back Ahmad Bradshaw (sprained elbow), defensive end Adrian Awasom (fractured transverse process in his neck) and Ross missed time because of cramping.