If Ahmad Bradshaw had casts on his arms and legs, he would likely declare himself probable for the Giants' next game. So it was no surprise when the Giants' leading rusher stood at his locker today and said he will play Sunday in Baltimore against the Ravens.
"I'm planning on going this week," said Bradshaw, who later added, "I'll be ready Sunday."
Bradshaw did not play in the Giants' 34-0 loss yesterday in Atlanta because of a sprained knee he suffered last week vs. New Orleans. The Giants will begin practicing for the Ravens game on Wednesday.
Tom Coughlin was much less certain regarding Bradshaw's availability.
"You know what, I'm not sure of that yet," Coughlin said. "I, medically, do not have that kind of feedback yet."
Without Bradshaw, the Giants rushed for 97 yards on 21 carries. Rookie David Wilson made his first NFL start and ran for 55 yards. Kregg Lumpkin accounted for the Giants' other 42 yards on the ground.
Bradshaw admitted it was hard to sit home and watch the game.
"That's tough," he said. "You just can't do anything about it. As bad as I wanted to try, I just did the smartest thing and waited till this week.
"I'm feeling good. It's a new week. We just want to move on from this game and I'm just disappointed not to be out there with my teammates yesterday."
We'll learn later in the week if Bradshaw will be out there for the Giants' critical game in Baltimore.
*This is stating the obvious, but Tom Coughlin admitted today he was not pleased when Lawrence Tynes missed a 30-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter. And that likely factored into his decision to try to convert fourth-down opportunities three times. The Giants failed to convert any of them.
"We missed the first field goal - I was upset about that and disappointed," Coughlin said. "When it was 17-0, I felt we needed some form to give us a little jump star. Something good to happen, something to be excited about and felt we could convert on the fourth-and-ones. We didn't. That particular thing backfired as well. I thought we should've, but we didn't. That's what we were trying to accomplish there."
*For the second time this season, Eli Manning and the Giants will face an opponent in the same stadium one week after Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. Eli consulted with his older brother after the Broncos won in Cincinnati, but it didn't help as the Giants lost to the Bengals, 31-13, on November 11.
The Broncos won yesterday in Baltimore, 34-14. Eli said part of his regular conversations with Peyton this week will cover the Ravens.
"I'm sure I'll have a few questions for him," Manning said. "I haven't seen their game or what's going on. Our offensive philosophies are a little different some ways, but I'll ask and see if he has any tips for me."
Despite the loss in Cincinnati, Manning said talking to his brother in the week prior to the game was helpful.
"It's definitely beneficial and it might be on two things," he said. "It might be just a certain look or you might be getting this if you get this look. Something I might have figured out in my preparation anyway, but you get it kind of to start with. It's not scheme of where you've got to run this play. Again, we have different styles of offense, but there might be a few little tips that he's… With Baltimore, it's a team he's played many times over the years and I don't know if it's the same scheme or changed up the last few times he's played them, but you call and maybe get a few ideas or just a few tips on trying to decipher what they're doing defensively."
*Coughlin did not have a detailed update on guard Chris Snee, who suffered a hip injury yesterday that forced him out of the game for part of the second quarter.
"It's being treated, being looked at," Coughlin said. "The doctors are in control of that. Hopefully, he'll feel much better tomorrow and then we'll know that if there's progress, then we can think that if progress continues, we would have a chance."
