Locker Room Report: September 17, 2008

GIANTS: BENGALS ARE A DANGEROUS TEAM
The Cincinnati Bengals might be 0-2, but as usual, the Giants aren't looking past them.

"We know they are going to be coming out ready to fight," said QB Eli Manning. "We have been in that situation.  You feel like it is a must-win situation at times.  They are going to come in excited, fired-up, ready to go out there and play well.  They have tons of talent.  They can get hot at any time.  So from a defensive standpoint, they have been playing pretty well and they have playmakers on the offense.  So we have to come out ready to play our best football, knowing to expect their best and it should be a good, close game."

So what has been the Bengals' problem, at least based on what the Giants have seen on film? Head coach Tom Coughlin thinks it could be the fact that the Bengals' top two wide outs haven't played much all summer has something to do with it.

"This will be the third game and they expect that they are ready to perform like you would in the third game if you had been playing in the preseason as well.  So they have gone against two very, very difficult opponents.  They have been very physical games."

But he also added, "Their opportunities were there.  They just weren't able to capitalize on them."

Which is something the Giants hope continue this week.

CHARTING UNFAMILIAR WATERS
According to the Bengals' press release, the series with the Giants is tied for third in fewest meetings. So how does a team prepare for an opponent it rarely sees?

“Our approach is exactly the same as it is every week,” said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. “Our concern is with our team and the improvement of our team.  The challenge being to our team and our players to be the best they can be individually and the best we can be as a team.  We look at the previous performance.  We isolate some things that have to be improved upon.  If it is penalties, it would be one of them.  And then we challenge ourselves to incorporate that into our play and to do a better job with that.  So our concern is always on our team and our team being as good as we can possibly be.”

Okay, so they take care of internal issues first. Makes sense. But what about addressing the strengths of the opponent? Said Coughlin, “We introduce on Wednesday mornings.  We might take a little bit longer, as it did a few minutes longer this morning, to really spell it out.  We showed them at their best.  We show what they are capable of doing.  We talked about each individual and their contribution.  And then the coaches then go into great detail about the individuals and the schemes and the players take that information home with them at night and look at it also. 

“But we will do as much educating as we can.  And quite frankly, it is the same no matter whether there is a common opponent -- somebody that we know well or not. There are always small details about the preparation that are critical.”

STICKS AND STONES
We’re not quite sure what the Giants have to do to earn the respect of the national media, who continues to point out how the Giants beat up on two subpar teams (Washington and St. Louis) and who this week face another struggling franchise in Cincinnati. Heck, even the Bengals took a somewhat backhanded swipe at the Giants in their pre-game release in which they described the Giants’ two wins as “clinical disposals.”

But that’s just fine with the Giants, who take the lack of respect and use it as motivation. “We have to be focused and mature enough to understand that is all fine and dandy what everyone says on the outside,” said head coach Tom Coughlin.  “Come Sunday afternoon we have to take the field and perform.  And the only way to be able to do that is to have a great week of preparation, to pay a price so that you have what is necessary invested and then you can call upon that on Sunday. “

Oh and by the way, the Giants, at least publically, respect the talent level that the Bengals have, just as they did with St. Louis and Washington. “We have great respect for, in this case, the Bengals organization, the players, and their talent,” Coughlin said. “We know full well that what you did yesterday doesn’t necessarily apply to what you are going to do today or tomorrow.  It can, provided you prepare properly, and that is what we always try to do.”

Then again come Sunday we’ll see just how much respect the Giants really have should they manage to get the upper hand and have their way against Cincinnati.

EMBARASSMENT OF RICHES
Most teams would give anything to have a good one-two punch at running back. So when a team like the Giants has a triple threat to help take some of the pressure off its quarterback, that signal caller can’t help but smile when asked about his embarrassment of riches.

“Definitely,” said QB Eli Manning when asked if the trio of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw made life easier on him. We are going to try to establish a running game, be physical up front, do some play action, and get some big plays.  If they load up the box, we can throw it.  So we are going to mix things up.”

Does he have a favorite that he likes to watch? Manning grinned and said, “Obviously all of the guys have played for us, played well for us in the last couple of seasons.  They know what they are doing; they know how to run the ball.  They know all of the pass protections and the routes.  I feel comfortable whoever they put in there.  They all have a different style, but they all have playmaking ability in them.”

OCHO CINCO SPEAKS
The highlight of the day was the 15-minute conference call with the artist formerly known as Chad Johnson. We’ll have more from Ocho Cinco in our preview later this week, but the following were some of the more interesting exchanges he had with New York reporters.

Q: Your head coach said you are a different person than the one that was unhappy the past two years. Can you expand on that?
A: It is funny, I like the way you said it, but if you think I have really never really been a distraction.  You guys know me.  I am all about having fun.  My only problems my entire career has been this past offseason. That is the only part that it might have been a distraction.  One of the things is that I am so passionate, so hungry about this game and about winning and that might be what he is talking about.  I have been known to blow up.  I am not going to lie, I have been known to blow up when stuff is not going right because I get [angry] when we are not winning or I am not able to be a part of what we have going on.  I think this year, I wouldn’t say I have grown up because I am a lot more patient for what we have going on, I have wanted to do some of the things that I felt older guys who get looked up to do and I am just going to let things go the way they go.

Q: How much is that maturity being tested now after the difficult start?
A: Oh my goodness, you don’t understand how bad I had to hold my tongue after this game.  It is who I am, it is the way I am, I had to hold my tongue so bad, but I am doing my best to keep quiet and be a professional like everybody likes to say and just go out and do my job.  When my opportunities come, whether they are a lot or whether they are few, I have to make the most of them.

Q: What about all those old jerseys with your name on them, are you going to buy them up?
A: I don’t think my financial advisor would allow me to do that.  I am not sure why Reebok is holding back and really allowing me to do that because whatever the cost of the jersey is now I think they would make three times that, especially with the production that I would put up as the season goes on.  I have a lot of fans, not just here in the states, but all over, so it would cover whatever.  I am not sure who the top dog is at Reebok, but an idea like this is how you stay ahead of the competition.

Q: How did your family react when you changed your last name?
A: What do you expect?  That is what they said, that is what my grandma said, and that is what my momma said.  They didn’t expect anything else.  It shouldn’t be any surprise, especially something like that.

Q: Is there a shortened version of why you wanted to change your name?
A: No, no, not at all, there is no shortened version, just fun.  Has it ever been done before?

Q: Muhammad Ali.
A: Oh okay, I guess that will work.

Q: Would you ever consider changing it back?
A: I don’t think so.  I think right now it was for the season and the NFL, actually maybe Reebok, is really putting a hamper on my plans of having fun so I think I might just stick with it.

Q: Are you upset that they won’t let you put it on your jersey?
A: Hey, it is their money, they are losing out.

Q: Would you have been better off playing in New York?
A: Come on, man. Why are you trying to bait me into that?  Don’t get me in any more trouble than I have already been in.

Q: Do you plan your celebrations accordingly when coming to play on a big stage like New York?
A: Yeah, there won’t be any celebrating right now.  If I score, I will probably be handing the ball to the ref and going to the sideline and getting ready to see what we are going to do next.  I have no room to do any celebrating, you guys know that.

Q: You think your personality is…?
A: My personality will never change.  That is what makes me me, so that ain’t going nowhere.

Q: What would happen if next offseason the Bengals were to trade you where an established player already wears the number 85?
A: I don’t know.  The only established 85 I know in the NFL is Antonio Gates. 

Q: If you were traded to San Diego would you make him an offer he can’t refuse for his number?
A: I don’t know, I don’t know.

INJURY REPORT
CB R.W. McQuarters (calf) didn’t practice today. DE Mathias Kiwanuka (ankle), S Michael Johnson (neck/stinger), CB Terrell Thomas (hamstring) and K Lawrence Tynes (knee) were all limited.

“I think McQuarters will be on the side until we get him fully able to utilize that calf,” said Coughlin.   

Of course with the strong showing by Domenik Hixon at punt returner, there would appear to be no rush to get McQuarters back just yet.

Coughlin was asked if Kiwanuka’s injury is still lingering. “Yeah, I think it is going to be.  Let’s face it; I don’t know that those things really ever get cleared up.  But we hope that we have an opportunity to maybe shut him down a little bit.  And then maybe he can play without the ankle swelling up on him.”

Meanwhile, the Bengals were without CB Johnathan Joseph (ankle), TE Ben Utecht (chest), S Herana-Daza Jones (hamstring) and TE Reggie Kelly. QB Carson Palmer (ankle) practiced, and S Dexter Jackson (thumb) and Jones have been declared out for Sunday’s game against the Giants, and Utech is not expected to play on Sunday either, according to the Bengals’ early week press release.