Preseason isn't about winning or losing. It's about evaluating the players, and certainly the Giants have some tough decisions they'll need to make by the end of the month when the final rosters need to be formed. So don't get too hung up over the final score.
Look for the starters to play maybe a dozen snaps or so. It's all about the young kids who are looking to add depth to the team and for the team to emerge from the preseason opener relatively healthy. The outcome doesn't matter. What's more important, besides the coaches getting a chance to evaluate players, is that the team emerges from these preseason games as healthy as possible.
With David Tyree (knee/PUP) likely to start the season on PUP, Hixon, who also doubles as a kickoff returner and who has been seeing some work as a punt returner, seems to be well on his way to nailing down a roster spot, possibly as the third receiver behind Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.
Meanwhile the original trio I thought would compete for the third receiver spot have struggled either with their performance or with health. Mario Manningham and Steve smith have missed practice time with injuries and Sinorice Moss, while healthy, has been inconsistent and has dropped some easy catches.
Kenny Phillips is making a strong case to earn playing time with the one's, and last week he finally did crack into the one's thanks to his aggressive play. Incumbents James Butler and Michael Johnson, who are currently penciled in as the starters, are not about to go quietly into the night although it would seem inevitable that Phillips, who thus far has shown to be an upgrade at the position, will be in there sooner than later.
QB David Carr found himself behind the eight ball when he opened up camp on the PUP list with a foot injury. Since returning to action, Carr has looked skittish in the pocket and often times unsure of himself as he goes through his reads. Head coach Tom Coughlin said that Carr knows the offense, but so far he hasn't been able to consistently translate that knowledge onto the field. He'll need a strong performance to move up the depth chart, and with Carr scheduled to see his snaps after Anthony Wright. It will be interesting to see how he does behind a makeshift offensive line when many of the players might not last beyond the first cut down date.
Safeties James Butler and Michael Johnson are penciled in as the starters, but rookie Kenny Phillips has been getting noticed for his aggressive play and his uncanny ability to be in the right position to knock balls away (not to mention knock people down), Phillips is making a very strong case for a starting role. Meanwhile, veteran Sammy Knight was added in the off-season as insurance and he too has been having a strong camp. Johnson and Butler certainly have their hands full with these two worthwhile challengers.
The Giants are still trying to find their punt and kickoff returners. Among the candidates for kick returner are Domenik Hixon, Michael Jennings, Craphonso Thorpe and Ahmad Bradshaw. The punt returner candidates include R.W. McQuarters, Bradshaw, Jennings and Hixon. The criteria, of course, are ball security first, breakaway speed second, so this will be an area worth keeping an eye on.The Giants are 18-20-1 vs. Detroit and 4-9-1 in preseason. The last time these two teams met was in 2007 when the Giants beat Detroit 16-10 at Ford Field.
