Plaxico: Giants are 'always a great possibility'

Another off-season and another possible Plaxico Burress return to the New York Giants.  Haven't we gone through this routine before?

It's that time of year when Burress— the former Giants receiver who caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, shot himself in the leg, spent 20 months in jail then signed with the New York Jets— tells everyone about the prospect of his return to the Giants.

He's at it once again.  Burress, in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio, today with Rich Gannon and Adam Shein, said he wouldn't mind re-signing with the Giants next week when free-agency begins.


"It's always a great possibility," Burress told the hosts.

Too bad the optimistic wide-out has probably used up his three wishes with the Big Blue genie.

Last summer— after his release from prison for weapons charges— Burress spurned the Giants after a much-ballyhooed free-agent visit to the Timex performance Center in the Meadowlands for dinner with the owners and Tom Coughlin.

The Giants offered him an incentive-based contract which Burress turned down; then promptly grabbed a guaranteed deal with the Jets.

Afterwards,  he said he never wanted to play for the Giants and had nothing but distain for head coach Tom Coughlin.

Now it sounds like the 34-year-old Burress has changed his tune... again.  The Lomabrdi Trophy can do that to a person.

"Playing in Kevin Gilbride's system is definitely one of the best," said Burress.  "You see the production those guys are having at wide receiver position.  Victor Cruz obviously with the year he had, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  You just look at some of the plays that those guys are making out there on the edge.  And Eli [Manning] has really just become a man of his position, leading those guys the last few games of the season, the last five or six winning, and obviously the Super Bowl."

Is there a spot for Burress on the Giants?  Probably not.

The Giants are preparing themselves for the loss of free-agent Mario Manningham but still have Cruz, Hicks and a re-signed Domenic Hixon.  There are high hopes for Jerrel Jernigan and Ramses Barden and Burress didn't exactly do anything with the Jets.

The free-agent has bandied about the names of the Giants, Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles as teams he would like to join.

Burress told a Philadelphia radio station that "Nothing would make me happier" than playing for the  Eagles, but he said that last summer too.

The Giants got over the loss of Steve Smith to the Eagles without any complications.  Burress would be a no brainer.

"I haven't been able to talk to any teams as of yet obviously because it's not free-agency time," Burress said today.  "But I'm looking at all offers , I'm just looking for an opportunity to go into an offense, have fun, make some plays these last few years and the goal is always to win a championship."

Too bad he gave up that chance last season.

New York Giants to get "blue carpet" treatment at film screening

Super Bowl winners Eli Manning, Jason Pierre-Paul, Antrel Rolle, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks will be strutting down the "blue carpet' at tonight's screening of a new DVD that captures the New York Giants season leading up to their upset victory over the New England Patriots in  Super Bowl XLVI.

Some might even call the DVD a remake of the Giants Super Bowl XLII win because there are so many similarities between the two championship runs.

In both scenarios, the Giants' season seemed to be over before the underdog squad gets hot down the stretch and defies all odds by making the playoffs.  Combine that with freakish last minute catches and comeback wins— over the Patriots— in both Super Bowls and you can see how the two championship runs look alike.

The two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning and the other players will be getting front-row seats for tonight's event at the Regal Theater in Times Square for the V.I.P. showing of NFL Films and Vivendi Entertainment's "Super Bowl XLVI Champions: New York Giants" which will be released today.

According to a sneak peak by The New York Post, the DVD begins with clips of the Giants' stunning upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII then fast-forwards to to reveal how "eerily similar" the first championship was to the second.

The game by game account of the season highlights themes like Manning's ascension to "elite" status, the emergence of Victor Cruz and the steady hand of head coach Tom Coughlin.

After the comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys, Coughlin exclaims to his jubilant players in the locker room, "Take the star down off the mountain, put the NYG on top."

There is a slo-mo replay of Cruz's game-breaking 99-yard TD catch and run against the New York Jets and, of course, Manningham's unbelievable catch in the big game.

If those scenes don't get tonight's crowd cheering, nothing will.

Sprinkle those season-turning plays in with poignant sideline shots like Brandon Jacobs, sitting next to Manning, saying, "You're a beast, man, I can't say that enough" and there won't be a dry eye in the house.

Especially Patriots fans who will give it two thumbs down.

Even Bill Belichick gets a supporting role.  The Pats' coach commands his defense to concentrate on Cruz and Nicks before Manning lands the perfect pass to Manningham on the winning drive.

The only problem with this movie is everyone knows the ending but— as the credits roll over shots of the Giants parading up Broadway with ticker-tape raining down— Big Blue fans will already be waiting for a third installment in the series.

Cruz and Manningham Rock the Grammys

It's been quite a week for Victor Cruz.  Seven nights ago, the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis and it's been a a dance in the park for him ever since.

In the following days, Cruz finalized a new multi-million dollar contract, was in a Broadway ticker-tape parade and cut the ribbon at Lincoln Center to open Fashion Week.

Tonight, the Giants star receiver was rubbing elbows with the the music industry's top recording stars at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.  He even handed out the award for "Best Rock Performance" alongside his teammate Mario Manningham.

During the whirlwind of a week, the only constant for Cruz at all of the events was re-enacting his famous touchdown salsa dance.

Tonight, Cruz was asked to do the Latin dance once again.

Cruz and Manningham were joined on the Grammys stage with NCIS star Paula Perrette who introduced the two players to cheers and shouts of "Cruuuz" from the audience.

Perrette then told Cruz, "This is a music show.  So you need to give us a little salsa."

Cruz obliged and managed a few steps before he was cut off by the Super Bowl hero Manningham.

"OK, OK," interrupted his fellow receiver.  "Save it for the field."

The award went to the Foo Fighters for their rousing rock song "Walk."

It seemed fitting because both players walked the walk on their way to the Lombardi trophy.

Coughlin Is "Optimistic Right Now" That Nicks and Manningham Will Play

The New York Giants passing game may have to Cruz alone this Sunday night if injuries to Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham keep two-thirds of their three-headed monster sidelined.

But not if Tom Coughlin's outlook is as rosy as his cheeks.

The head coach said he was "optimistic right now"  that both players could take the field in the do-or-die game against the Dallas Cowboys and join Eli Manning's latest favorite target Victor Cruz on the field.

Nicks—who re-injured his hamstring in the first quarter Saturday against the New York Jets—expects to be ready when the Giants meet the Cowboys for the NFC East title at MetLife Stadium.

The receiver sat out yesterday's practice but is feeling Coughlin's optimism.

"I don't see myself missing this game," said Nicks.

Giants fans shouldn't take that remark to heart— just yet.

"If I'm out there, I'd like to say I'd be myself, but you never know," he said.  "These things are tricky.  I'm gonna go ahead and claim I'll be myself out there.  I always got to think positive."

D'oh!  That's a big IF.

Manning will need all the help he can get in Sunday night's big game if Cruz is the only deep threat in his repertoire.

A wobbly Manningham returned to practice on Wednesday on a limited basis after resting his knee against the Jets.  He had been nagged by the swollen joint for weeks and spent most of his game time on the sidelines.

Nicks could be the key to unleashing Cruz once again if  Manning gets into a shootout with the Cowboys Tony Romo.

Cruz won't catch an opposing team by surprise any more.  After all, he leads the Giants with 76 receptions for a Giants season-high record 1,358 yards.  You can bet the Dallas D will be keying on the speedy wide-out.

As for Nicks (71 rec., 1116 yards, 6 TD's), who had only one catch for 20 yards while being blanketed by the Jets All-World DB Darrelle Revis, it sometimes comes down to a case of the dropsies.  He's dropped a couple of crucial passes over the past two games but said the weather was a factor.

"I can go a stretch where I won't drop a ball for five, six weeks," said Nicks.  "I don't normally have drop after drop after drop after drop.  It's normally... I go a whole season without drops, then I have a period where I might fit some in there, but that's me because I'm starting to lack concentration or something like that."

Concentration is one thing, injuries are another.

Asked about how far along the hamstring was Nicks said, " I notice it, I can't really dig like I want to right now."

He then put it in perspective.

"[I'm] close to 100 percent as I can get.  I don't think nobody's gonna be 100 percent playing football this time of year.  Something's gonna be hurting, but come game time, you know how to put all that stuff behind you."

How important are Nicks and Manningham in this game?

Nicks had eight catches for a season-high 163 yards and Manningham had a 47-yard TD in the Giants 37-34 win against Dallas on Dec. 11 at Cowboys Stadium.

"I ain't the type of guy that looks for no excuses," said Nicks.  "If I am out there, I've got to be ready to go."

Giants Limp Into Game Against Patriots; No Surgery For Bradshaw

It didn't take long for the New York Giants to turn their practice facility back into a M*A*S*H unit after fielding a full roster for the first time last week. The only good news out of Giants camp today is the news that Ahmad Bradshaw won't need surgery on his broken foot.

The running back is still listed as "doubtful" for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. 

Joining Bradshaw on the doubtful list are DE Jason Pierre-Paul (concussion), wide-out Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) and center David Baas (knee).

Tom Coughlin updated the condition of Bradshaw's right foot after Friday's practice.

"The doctors felt that it wouldn't be necessary for him to have surgery right now," the head coach said.

He said that Bradshaw might try to play through the injury but it was unlikely the team would take a chance.  Bradshaw played the last eight games of the 2009 season with the same symptoms.

Coughlin said Pierre-Paul would be a game time decision after showing signs of concussed head— the result of getting sandwiched between two helmets during Thursday's practice.

"I didn't think anything of it, and then all of a sudden he was off to the side, didn't feel so good so they shut him right down," said Coughlin.  "He had a headache, so we put him through all the tests for a possible concussion.  We'll see how that goes."

Losing Pierre-Paul would be a huge loss for the Giants pass rush.  He leads the team— and is fifth in the NFL— with 8 1/2 sacks.  His presence was being counted on against the Patriots sniper Tom Brady.

Pierre-Paul and Baas didn't work out at all on Friday.  If Baas can't play expect Kevin Boothe to make his second start of the season.

While those four players probably won't see any action this Sunday, expect four other gimpy players to hit the field.

LB Michael Boley (knee), receiver Mario Manningham (illness), DE Justin Tuck (groin/neck) and Osi Umenyiora (knee) are all listed as probable.