GIANT NOTES

Tiki Barber appears ticked off about the way he was used – actually, the way he was not used – in the Giants’ 28-16 loss to the Vikings on Monday night.

“I will neither defend nor criticize the play-calling,” was all Barber would say yesterday.

But it sure sounded like he was upset.

“That’s for you guys to interpret,” he added.

You make the call. Barber broke off a 24-yard run to help the Giants to a field goal on their first possession. He broke off a 29-yard run and then scored from a yard out on the next play to give the Giants a 10-7 lead on their second possession.

After one quarter, Barber had six rushing attempts and 49 yards.

The Giants ran 13 plays in the second quarter, and Barber did not get his hands on the ball on any of them.

Barber finished with eight rushing attempts for 55 yards, meaning after the first quarter he carried the ball twice.

While admitting he wanted Barber to touch the ball more frequently, coach Jim Fassel defended the play-calling of offensive coordinator Sean Payton, saying Barber’s other four runs in the first quarter went for minus-four yards, and that the offensive line was opening few holes.

“You can’t count on your run game that way, you just can’t do it,” Fassel said.

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Michael Strahan was incensed following the game at what he viewed as a series of non-calls by officials.

Strahan felt he was repeatedly held by Viking tackle Chris Liwienski and others but attracted only one holding penalty. It might have been a vendetta, Strahan said, as he believed it was the same officiating crew as the one he had problems with in Washington.

“We had a little verbal stuff in Washington, so what can I expect?” Strahan said.

In fact, it was not the same crew. Larry Nemmers’ crew worked the Redskins game, while Bob McElwee’s crew worked in Minnesota.

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Fassel said he thinks C Dusty Zeigler (concussion) will be able to play vs. Raiders . . . There’s a good chance Ron Dixon has been removed from kickoff return on a permanent basis. “He needs to hit it, I don’t need anyone patting their feet back there,” Fassel said.

CB Will Allen had a nasty closed and swollen right eye to show for his first career two-interception game. He got poked in the eye but attracted praise. “He was one guy who showed me we need to have the battle and win the battle,” Fassel said.

As expected, Giants waived P Gabe Lindstrom, who was signed last week but never appeared in a game.