S Michael Johnson did not participate in practice for personal reasons. C Shaun O’Hara (ankle/Achilles), CB Aaron Ross (foot) and LB Gerris Wilkinson (groin) were all limited in practice while LB Chase Blackburn (knee), DT Chris Canty (groin) and CB Corey Webster (groin) participated fully.
Even though the starting offensive line of LT David Diehl, LG Rich Seubert, C Shaun O’Hara, RG Chris Snee and RT Kareem McKenzie didn’t play together in the preseason, QB Eli Manning and RB Brandon Jacobs don’t foresee any problems, citing the unit’s experience.
Even though he is still working himself back into football shape, OL Shawn Andrews has impressed coach Tom Coughlin. “He’s coming along,” Coughlin said. “We feel like he’s getting there.” Andrews has been mostly working at guard in the preseason.
DT Barry Cofield said that the Panthers are similar to the Carolina team that rushed for 247 yards against the Giants last December. “It’s a lot of the same faces and the same schemes,” Cofield said. “It’s pretty straightforward and very effective.”
Panthers WR Steve Smith called his own comments this offseason toward Giants S Michael Johnson “ignorant” and “immature.” Said Smith: “It’s not going to prove anything from my end to just go out there and call him out. I can’t continue to be that way, and I won’t be that way. To say that is just stupid.”
DT Chris Canty on his injured groin, which he said felt fine after practice: “The real test will be when we look at the film.”
S Kenny Phillips said he is penciled in as the starter opposite S Antrel Rolle. The depth chart isn’t sitting well with S Deon Grant, who has started 144 straight games. “It’s going to be hard,” Grant said, “especially when I know I’m not a backup.”
S Deon Grant said he’ll support S Kenny Phillips even though he feels he can still contribute. “I feel better than I did five or six years ago,” said Grant, 31. “You get a guy in his 11th year, you don’t have a guy running around that much.”
RB Brandon Jacobs took offense to being asked if he and RB Ahmad Bradshaw had to put their egos aside while splitting carries in the backfield. Before walking off, Jacobs said, “You guys think I’m stupid, don’t you?”
If recently acquired WR/PR Darius Reynaud can’t handle kick returns, RB Danny Ware is another option. “We have Danny Ware back healthy,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “He’s ready to go.” Coughlin added that WR Hakeem Nicks is in the mix as well.
Will the New Meadowlands Stadium be as windy as the old one? “It really hasn’t been a big factor in the preseason games,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “We study the wind and we study the sun, so we know by game what to expect.”
There were some concerns over the turf at the New Meadowlands Stadium after WR Domenik Hixon injured his knee at minicamp. But coach Tom Coughlin said the field was “fine” after seeing his team play three preseason games on the surface.
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