Judging from the especially dour expression Tom Coughlin has lugged around of late, his mood has gone from serious to deadly serious.
In 11 days, the Giants play for keeps, and they aren’t ready. The coach obviously senses this.
Rather than threats, Coughlin offers harsh facts. He’s yanking people off the roster, shuffling his offensive line on the fly, going with a kid kicker over a more-established veteran, dangling the important position of middle linebacker like a feather in the wind, grinding his teeth as injuries keep key players off the field.
Patience is in short supply. Even the most basic question can prompt a terse response. Are the Giants, 1-2 this preseason, practicing or meeting this weekend?
“You will see what the schedule is at the right time,” Coughlin snapped. “They don’t know what it is, so we are not going to tell this group.”
No comfort zone here. Coughlin had not even informed his own players of their weekend plans. He doesn’t mind rampant uneasiness.
Tonight, the Giants close out their preseason against Baltimore with their former coach, Jim Fassel, back at Giants Stadium on the Ravens sidelines, serving as a consultant for his friend, coach Brian Billick. Fassel will barely recognize the team he guided for seven years before his dismissal following last season’s 4-12 plunge.
Every coach uses the final exhibition game to sort through the bottom rungs of the roster, but with Coughlin, these personnel decisions have a threatening quality to them. Just look at what’s transpired in the past week or so:
Two new offensive linemen, Solomon Page and Brandon Winey, were signed, and not merely to sit and watch. Another, former Giant Jason Whittle, was acquired in a rare trade.
Bill Gramatica, considered the heavy favorite to land the place-kicking job, was sent packing.
Earlier, the team’s only proven punt returner, Delvin Joyce, was jettisoned, even though there was no logical replacement.
Tonight, Coughlin said he’ll play his starters for about 1½ quarters, but some of them will play longer.
“I think the offensive line needs to play more,” Coughlin said. “I think that obviously I would like Kurt [Warner] to have enough time to feel comfortable.”
This is the first game for Warner since Coughlin announced Sunday that he’d be the regular-season starter, relegating Eli Manning to the bench (for now).
Along the line, Coughlin wants to take a hard look at Page and Winey, but there’s probably not enough time to prepare Whittle, who was brought in Tuesday from Tampa Bay. The job of left guard is open now that Barry Stokes’ health (lower back) is in question and there are plenty of candidates to choose from.
Reading Coughlin is nearly impossible; he’s as open as a locked vault. However, it’s no secret this is a huge night for several players.
Kicker Todd France can make a statement even though he’s never been in a real NFL game. Chris Douglas can show he’s worthy of sticking around as the third running back and Avion Black can prove he should be the main punt returner.
Only one long snapper will remain, giving Carson Dach and Ryan Kuehl a last opportunity to separate themselves. Kevin Lewis starts at middle linebacker ahead of Nick Greisen, but who gets the start on Sept. 12 vs. the Eagles is unknown.
“A lot of young players will get a lot of snaps for further evaluations for the [final 53-man roster],” Coughlin said. “There could be five or six serious opportunities here in this game.”
