GIANT NOTES

The entirely predictable – and legitimate – second-guessing of the selection of Ron Dayne with the 11th pick in the 2000 NFL draft surfaced again when Seattle’s Shaun Alexander, taken at No. 19 after the Giants passed him up, last weekend ran for 266 yards against the Raiders.

With the Giants, Dayne more frequently runs for 266 yards in a month, as he splits time with Tiki Barber. Still, in his 25 games, Dayne has yet to show much of the big-play ability that he exhibited while winning the Heisman Trophy at Wisconsin.

Naturally, Jim Fassel yesterday spoke up for Dayne, who has 466 yards this season, compared with Alexander’s 758.

“A guy has a helluva game and all of a sudden the questions are about that,” Fassel said. “I don’t buy into that. Ron Dayne brings us a different dimension than Tiki Barber. Tiki Barber and Alexander are similar. If the best player on the board is a clone of Tiki Barber, do you want two of them? I’ll still stay with Ron Dayne.”

Fassel went on to state that the selection of tackle Luke Petitgout in the first round in 1999 was highly criticized at the time, but at the moment he’s having a much more solid career than Aaron Gibson and L.J. Shelton, two more highly-regarded offensive linemen available to the Giants in that draft.

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Although he’s been given virtually no chance to play this week, Rodney Williams is listed as questionable to punt against the Vikings, meaning the Giants somehow believe he’s got a 50-percent shot. Williams is recovering quickly from a surgically-repaired fractured right wrist, but Fassel said more than likely he’ll have to go with newly-signed Gabe Lindstrom.

Lindstrom, who has never punted in an NFL game, understands his life with the Giants will be a temporary one. “I’m just taking it week by week,” he said. “If Rodney comes back, good, I’ll get exposure on TV, I’m kind of preparing that way.”