Aaron Rouse to Start at Safety: The Giants announced yesterday that Aaron Rouse will start at safety over C.C. Brown. “We are going to start Aaron Rouse,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “C.C. can play both sides and Michael (Johnson) has played. We have three guys, they all play a lot. The third safety played 26 snaps the other day. So we are just going to try to maneuver around a little bit and defend the deep ball better – that’s all.”
“(Rouse) has done okay,” responded Coughlin when asked about Rouse. “He is still trying to fully understand what is expected and what the new language is – the new language of our defense and what his responsibilities are. But I see a tall, fast athlete that can certainly contribute.”
“I completely feel up to speed,” said Rouse, who was claimed off of waivers from Green Bay earlier this year. “If I wasn’t, I don’t think the coaches would make me a starter. That shows the confidence they have in me. I am just trying to go out there and live up to it.”
“You go from three different coordinators in three years it is going to be different,” said Rouse. “(Safeties) Coach Dave Merritt brought me along smoothly. My teammates, (Antonio) Pierce, Michael Johnson, C.C. Brown, have been talking to me constantly. (Corey) Webster, making sure that we are on the same page. When you have teammates out there that constantly talk to you and make sure that you are on the same page, it works out well.”
“I mean, I pretty much knew after the (Eagles) game there was going to be a switch somewhere,” said Brown. “In this business if you’re not on your ‘A game’ all the time things like this are going to happen. The only thing I can do is keep pushing forward and try to get better…It’s nothing for me to get mad about or try to blame anybody but myself. It’s my own fault. I need to go out there and whenever I get back out there, just be more aware of where the deep ball is.”
November 6, 2009 New York Giants Injury Report – Eli Back on the Injury List: The only player not practicing yesterday was CB Aaron Ross (hamstring). Ross will not play against the Chargers on Sunday.
HB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle/foot), TE Kevin Boss (ankle), WR Mario Manningham (shoulder), WR Sinorice Moss (foot), DT Chris Canty (calf), and LB Michael Boley (knee) practiced on a limited basis.
Canty and Boley are “questionable” for the game; Bradshaw, Boss, Manningham, and Moss are “probable” for the game.
“(Canty and Boley) had a pretty good day; they had a pretty good day, yeah,” said Coughlin. “We are putting ‘questionable’ on them, but they did about half and they seemed to come through each day pretty well.”
“It looks like (I will play),” said Boley. “I’ve still been limited (in practice) this week so we’ll just have to wait and see when the game comes around as far as seeing how much I can play in the game. I plan on playing, but how much I play is up to the coaches and trainers.”
“(Manningham) seems to be okay,” said Coughlin. “Yeah, he practiced. I think he is on track.”
Somewhat ominous was the fact that QB Eli Manning (foot) appeared on the injury report after not being on the report since October 23rd. Manning is “probable” for the game.
Article on the Head Coach Tom Coughlin: As Giants Slump, Coughlin Searches for Answers by Joe LaPointe of The New York Times
Quotes: General Manager Jerry Reese on QB Eli Manning: “I don’t think there’s any question that the injury has affected him. I think it has affected his rhythm some. It may have affected his mechanics to a degree. But when you go out there and take the reps at practice, we expect you to go make the plays. He’s taken the reps at practice. Is he 100 percent? Absolutely not. I think he’s feeling better as the weeks have progressed. But has the foot bothered him some? I would imagine so because it’s not an easy injury to overcome, especially for a quarterback.”
Reese on the safety position: “You can’t just wave a magic wand and have a safety appear. Just like at every position, you want to get as much depth as you can. C.C. Brown had been a starter for a long time. He came in as our third safety and now all of a sudden he’s running with the first group. A lot of negative press has been thrown at C.C., some of it earned and some of it unearned, because the guys up front have to do their job and the guys in the middle have to do their job so the guys on the back end can get their job done.”
Reese on Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan: “There’s always a transition period for anybody. I think Bill’s done a good job. Bill can do better. Our players can do better. I can do better. Everybody can do better.”