GIANT NOTES
Tired of hearing all the lip service paid to how the Giants’ offensive line will hold up far better than the dire predictions? The time for talk is over as tonight, the newly-assembled line makes its debut against the 49ers in the season opener.
Two players, left guard Rich Seubert and center Chris Bober, will make their first NFL starts, while right guard Jason Whittle makes his sixth. Luke Petitgout makes his first-ever start at left tackle after two seasons on the right side. Mike Rosenthal has nine career starts but all at guard and none at right tackle, where he lines up for this game.
“I’m not worried at all. I can just go out there and play my best,” Seubert said. “The offensive line we have this year, we’re going to come off the ball every play, no matter what happened the play before.”
These matchups certainly do not favor the Giants, especially in the middle of the line. Bober, Whittle and Seubert all came to the Giants as undrafted free agents from modest college programs. The two San Francisco defensive tackles, Dana Stubblefield and Bryant Young, have been selected for three Pro Bowls apiece.
Seubert goes helmet-to-helmet against Stubblefield, who has 94 career sacks and in 1997 was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. “He’s big, quick and fast and he’s got good moves, but it all comes down to technique,” Seubert said.
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Jim Fassel said yesterday that Jesse Palmer is his backup quarterback, which was Fassel’s intention all along after the Giants re-signed veteran Jason Garrett . . . The Giants signed T Elliott Silvers to their practice squad and waived G Sean O’Connor . . . Fassel on playing the first-ever prime-time NFL opener: “It’s an honor that we’re going to be opening like this and it’s a celebration in New York.”
The last time the Giants played a regular-season game on a Thursday night was Nov. 30, 1995, when they beat the Cardinals 10-6 . . . The 49ers have won eight of the last 10 games against the Giants, including four straight. The last time the 49ers played the Giants here was exactly 10 years ago, Sept. 6, 1992. The Niners won, 31-14 . . . The Giants are 44-28-5 on opening day, including 4-1 under Fassel. This is only the 22nd time in their 78 years that the Giants will open at home.
There could be a moment tonight when former teammates collide. CB Mike Rumph, the 49ers’ first-round draft pick, is the nickel back and could find himself matched against TE Jeremy Shockey. Both played at the University of Miami.
