GIANT NOTES

OAKLAND – Michael Strahan was forced off the field with 13:58 remaining of last night’s 30-21 Giants victory over the Raiders when he was jabbed in the left eye by a blatant hands-to-the-face penalty that was not called on right tackle Chad Slaughter.

Strahan ripped off his helmet in pain and anger and screamed at the officials, a cut under his left eye dripping with blood. He left the game, applied an ice bag under his eye and was able to return later in the fourth quarter.

“There are other ways to block people,” Strahan said afterward. “He said it was an accident; it’s just dangerous to go at somebody’s head. You can end somebody’s career by poking them in the eye, that was my biggest fear. I’ll be OK, I can see.”

Strahan’s eye was not swollen completely shut and he believes he will be fine for next weekend’s playoff game.

“Right when it happened I couldn’t see anything and that scared me, initially it scared the heck out of me,” Strahan said. “After a while it started to come back.”

The Giants received another scare with 9:52 left when Tiki Barber was tackled and had his ankle rolled over by safety Jarrod Cooper. Barber stayed down for a moment before jogging off the field.

“I’ve been hurt enough to know when it’s bad and when it’s not,” Barber said. “The pain subsided, so I knew it wasn’t serious.”

On the second play of the fourth quarter, Eli Manning limped off the field after he was hit by cornerback Stanford Routt. Manning said he “tweaked” his knee, but said he’s fine.

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The more Barber plays, the more records come crashing down, as he continues to rewrite the Giants media guide with his exploits. He ran 28 times for 203 yards, the third time this season he has gained more than 200 yards in a game. His 95-yard TD run in the first quarter broke the oldest record in team history, held by someone named Hap Moran, who on Nov. 23, 1930 took off on a 91-yard run from scrimmage against the Packers. When Barber hit the end zone, it gave him 50 career rushing touchdowns, a team record he shared at 49 with Rodney Hampton.

Barber also broke the team record for rushing attempts in a season, held by Joe Morris, who ran the ball 341 times in 1986. Barber came into the game with 329 carries and had the record by the second quarter.

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DE Osi Umenyiora had two sacks to finish the season with 14½ . . . With the Giants winning the NFC East title, their 2006 schedule is set. In addition to their six division games, the Giants will play on the road at Atlanta, Carolina, Jacksonville, Seattle and Tennessee. They will play at home against the Bears, Buccaneers, Colts, Saints and Texans.

DT Fred Robbins was helped off the field early in the second quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. Kenderick Allen replaced Robbins Raiders RT Robert Gallery, who the Giants wanted to draft in 2004 if they hadn’t gotten Manning, had a rough and brief night. He injured his right leg (fibula) on the first play – he was called for a false-start penalty – and left the game, leaving Slaughter to battle Strahan . . . Kevin Lewis, signed last Monday after sitting out the entire season, was not only activated but started at middle linebacker, where he started all 16 games a year ago. Alonzo Jackson made his first Giants start at strong-side LB.