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Every Super Bowl has a dominant story in the days leading up to the game. For Super Bowl XLII that story will be Tom Brady. Or more specifically the superstar quarterback's injured right ankle.
So let's go ahead and get that out of the way. ... The NFL's Most Valuable Player missed three practices last week with what has been characterized as a mild high-ankle sprain. But Brady was on the field -- albeit with the ankle heavily taped -- for Monday's first workout in Arizona.
According to a pool report filed by the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei, the only reporter allowed to watch practice, the star quarterback appeared to have a slight limp. But he participated in all phases of practice, including jogging the length of the field twice at the end of drills.
Head coach Bill Belichick, as he always does, refused to comment on any injuries, or on Brady's presence at the workout.
"Everybody practiced," Belichick said. "The injury report will be out Wednesday."
Brady's return from an injury he said he sustained in the AFC championship game against San Diego was a welcome sight to receiver Wes Welker.
"Anytime the MVP of the league is back, it has to be a positive," Welker said. "He looks good -- the same dimples and all."
Brady said his ankle was feeling good when the AFC champions met with reporters for the first time Sunday shortly after arriving in Phoenix.
"I'm not concerned about how it's going to affect my play," he said. "This won't keep me out."
Nor do his teammates seem concerned.
"I don't worry about Tom," tackle Matt Light said. "He can take care of himself. I have a bunch of guys in front of me from the Giants to worry about."
For those who somehow missed it, Brady's health became an issue a week ago when he was spotted wearing a protective boot on his right foot while visiting supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bundchen in New York.
He subsequently sat out all three practices last week, when much of the game plan was being installed. But he doesn't believe the lack of preparation would be an issue come Sunday.
"I'm not concerned. I'm really not," Brady said. "I think it was a good week in terms of mental preparation, getting ready to play. It's nice because I feel very energized coming to the hotel to start this process.
"It's going to be a very fast week. I'm not concerned about how it's going to affect my playing. I can't run anyway, so it's not going to have much of an effect."
While he has been limited by the ankle, Brady said he didn't completely shut it down over the past week.
"(I threw) a little on the side," he said. "I've jogged around and shuffled, done some (drop backs) and thrown the ball a little bit. Not as much as I would had I been practicing, but enough to know that I realize I'm going to play on Sunday."
When asked to compare this ankle injury with the left ankle injury suffered in the 2001 AFC Championship Game against Pittsburgh, Brady claimed he couldn't remember that far back.
"This won't keep me out of this game," he said. "That ankle didn't keep me out of the last game.
"It would have to take a hell of a lot more than an ankle."
Agreed. ... Barring an unexpected (and a very serious) turn of events, Brady will start and play as usual.
The only real question is whether the ankle will in any way limit Brady or force the coaching staff to make adjustments. Given the Patriots' "Iron-Curtain" policy when it comes to the dissemination of injury info, that's a much trickier question.
The team certainly has the weapons -- and coaching know how -- necessary to make adjustments. Don't be surprised if they're forced to do so.
This might be a good time to remind you the Patriots were just three points better than the Giants less than a month ago. And as Boston Herald staffer John Tomase pointed out, that was before the New Yorkers took their game to another level in the postseason.
Although the Pats can take comfort in their 38-35 victory on Dec. 29, they also should recognize that not only did the Giants give them all they could handle, but New York since has knocked off the top three seeds in the NFC en route to the Super Bowl.
Tomase went on to note the Giants pose a number of problems, particularly on defense, where they are fast enough up front to get to Brady and are physical enough outside to slow receivers off the line.
In fact, the past two weeks have illustrated the importance of that second concept, particularly on Randy Moss.
For all the talk of double and triple teams and safety help over the top, Moss largely was taken out of the AFC title game at the line of scrimmage, where San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer succeeded in not giving him a clean release.
The Giants undoubtedly took note.
They gave Moss some room the last time these teams played, and it cost them dearly. Moss caught six passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning 65-yarder.
The Giants have played differently in the playoffs, expertly rerouting receivers against the Bucs, Cowboys and Packers. They did so 3-4 yards off the line within the 5-yard chuck box where it's still legal to hit receivers.
Veteran corner Sam Madison might be a step slower at 33, but he made a career of muscling Pats wideouts while with Miami. According to Tomase, he's a good bet to take on Welker in the slot. Rookie corner Aaron Ross is physical, too.
It's worth noting that Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is a disciple of Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, who has routinely fielded some of the league's toughest, most aggressive secondaries.
Tomase went on to explain the jamming works because the Giants have an excellent pass rush out of their base 4-3 that's led by ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. The two gave Pats tackles Nick Kaczur and Light fits Dec. 29, with Brady avoiding sacks more because of his unparalleled instincts than the blocking up front.
Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce was asked what he thought about Brady's presence in the pocket and if it's frustrating to get pressure on him without being able to register a lot of sacks. According to the Sports Xchange, Pierce's response was that Brady would not only go down on Sunday but that he must go down hard.
"I think he's one of the best in the league but you can never say anybody is the best at one thing," Pierce said about Brady's ability to avoid the rush. "But he's definitely one of the top guys. He's very coy about it. He doesn't mind taking that hit and throwing a perfect ball. That's the tough thing about playing a quarterback like that, he's not going to shy away from contact.
"I think we'll get him down. You just have to make sure that when you get him down it's hard and he feels it a little bit. If he's going to stand in the pocket and take that hit, you have to make sure and deliver a powerful hit to him and keep doing it all game long."
It's a good approach. Listing his five ways to beat New England, FOXSports.com insider John Czarnecki lists rattling Brady as No. 1.
Czarnecki went on to remind readers the Chargers and Eagles did that the best. Those two teams got to Brady and forced him out of his comfort zone several times. They knocked him around in the pocket and forced him to make some throws under duress and with his feet not set.
But it won't be as easy as just rushing Brady.
Tomase believes the key to slowing New England is pressuring with just four players and dropping seven into coverage. The Colts did it with ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The Giants had their moments in December.
The Chargers succeeded by disrupting the receivers at the line just long enough for the pressure to get there, leaving Brady no choice but to check down in the face of heavy pressure, which he did repeatedly.
The Giants didn't sack Brett Favre in the NFC title game, but they confused him with some blitz packages and took away his favorite underneath stuff.
Brady, of course, loves to throw short to Kevin Faulk and short screens to Welker.
"The key was getting hits on Brady," Chargers corner Drayton Florence said. "When you watch him on film, you see him sitting back in the pocket for six, seven, eight seconds.
"All through the season, he's been sitting back there confident and not rushing his throws. The first couple of series they went three-and-out because we had guys in his face. We just couldn't keep it up at the end."
That will be one of the Giants' tasks. It won't be easy. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Speaking of Faulk, SI.com senior writer Don Banks suggested last week "it's almost not fair." The Patriots beat you in so many different ways. With so many different players taking turns posing in the role of weapon.
Against San Diego, you'd have a hard time making a case that anybody was more vital to New England's 18th win of the season than Faulk.
As Banks explained, take Moss out of the New England offense, they can beat you via death by Welker. Pick Brady off a season-high three times and Laurence Maroney grinds you down with 122 yards rushing. Limit the Donte' Stallworth factor, and the Patriots just go to Jabar Gaffney for the touchdown that provided the game-winning points.
But don't forget that New England fed Faulk the ball in almost every critical situation in tough 21-12 win.
Didn't see Faulk being the difference-maker heading into the AFC title game? Surprised by his game-best eight catches for 82 yards, which included the biggest third-down conversion of the day, an 11-yard diving catch and roll for the first down on third-and-11 from the Patriots 24 with 6:30 left to play?
Teammates weren't.
Faulk's about the 12th guy you think of when it comes to the Patriots offense, but he's not underrated in his own locker room. He's a money player, and his teammates know it.
"He is a headliner," said Patriots linebacker Junior Seau, an 18-year NFL vet. "The third downs he plays are one of the reasons we're here today. Trust me, he's special. ..."
It's also worth noting the Patriots running game has been on fire of late.
As the Xchange pointed out, Maroney has topped the century mark in both playoff games. The ground attack took charge against San Diego and picked up the slack for the struggling Brady.
In fact, when you add in Maroney's 43 yards on kickoff returns against San Diego and the Pats got 264 all-purpose yards from their backs, who previously had appeared to be the least dangerous weapons in the team's all-purpose offense.
But as Herald staffer Tony Massarotti noted, the Pats have been trending this way for quite some time. That means the Giants will have far more to consider than they did even a month ago.
In the AFC title game, the Patriots had five third-down plays on which they needed to gain 2 yards or fewer for a first down. They successfully converted all five. Maroney carried the ball on three of those plays and fullback Heath Evans carried on the other two, and the gains went for 3, 8, 4, 5 and 5 yards, for an average of precisely 5 yards per carry.
Even on a day when the Pats could not effectively pass the ball -- and at times when everyone anticipated a running play -- the runners averaged 5 yards a pop behind a stellar offensive line.
In the case of Maroney, in particular, he now appears to be turning into the back that Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan believed was the best available in the 2006 draft. In his last five games, Maroney has carried 106 times (an average of slightly more than 21 times per game) for 550 yards (110-yard average). Maroney also has scored six touchdowns and, as usual, has not fumbled.
Indeed, over a two-year career during the regular season and postseason in which Maroney has 496 total touches on rushes, receptions and kickoff returns, he has one fumble.
That ain't bad. ...
The chances seem good that Moss will re-sign with the Patriots for 2008, and probably beyond that, and perhaps even finish his NFL tenure with the franchise that this season helped resurrect his slumping career.
In fact, Moss said as much Tuesday.
"I would love to finish my career [in New England], just for the fact of they have everything you want in a football organization," Moss said. "They handle things from the top, all the way to the bottom, and they do a good job of that."
That said, short of designating him as a franchise player, the Pats cannot preclude Moss from testing the unrestricted free agent market on Feb. 29, if he so desires.
According to ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli, a technicality in the collective bargaining agreement prohibits the Patriots from adjusting Moss' contract before the start of free agency.
So unless New England uses the franchise tag to limit Moss' mobility, a move that can be made Feb. 7-21, he will be available as an unrestricted free agent and able to solicit offers from other teams. ... Given Moss' obvious desire to remain with the team, it seems unlikely this will be an issue. ...
Also. ... Lawyers for Moss and the woman who accused him of battery agreed to extend a temporary restraining order she obtained against the Patriots wide receiver, his agent said Monday.
"The restraining order will be continued by agreement of the attorneys," Tim DiPiero, Moss' agent, told the Associated Press in a statement. "The parties won't be there."
A court hearing was scheduled Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Rachelle Washington's request for a permanent restraining order. The temporary order required Moss to stay at least 500 feet from Washington. No criminal charge has been brought, and they described each other as longtime friends.
Moss' attorney, Richard Sharpstein, appeared at the hearing on his client's behalf and agreed to the extension of the restraining order until both parties can appear in court or the matter is resolved. ...
Bottom line? The situation won't be a distraction this weekend. ...
And finally. ... SI.com's Peter King advised readers the referee for the Super Bowl will be interesting on two counts.
One: Patriots-Giants referee Dec. 29: Mike Carey. Patriots-Giants referee Feb. 3: Mike Carey.
Two: Carey, an 18-year NFL vet, becomes the first black referee in Super Bowl history.
In examining the tape from the Week 17 Giants-Patriots game, King saw -- on both sides -- an awful lot of clutching and grabbing by corners and wideouts. The Carey crew will be challenged by how closely to call this game.
As King summed up: "If the crew calls it too close, there'll be grousing. If the crew calls it too loose, there'll be grousing."
Rookie starting cornerback Aaron Ross threw up on the plane just before it left Newark-Liberty International Airport, the sixth player to be hit with the bug in the past four days.
Starting fullback Madison Hedgecock, backup defensive tackle Manny Wright and rookie safety Michael Johnson all missed practice on Friday after running temperatures.
"I hope that's the end of it," head coach Tom Coughlin said after the team arrived at its hotel. "We had three guys missing last week, and some who were not quite as sick. But it didn't drain those players like the three that stayed home" on Friday.
Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan fared better than some of this teammates.
He sat out just one day with a cold from the NFC title game on Jan. 20, when the Giants beat the Packers in frigid Green Bay, where the wind chill factor made it feel like minus 24.
"You know what, Green Bay, everyone got sick after that," Strahan said. "I'm still, you can tell by my voice, I'm still not right since that. The flu bug, by Sunday, if you have it, it's gone because we need you. A lot of times when you are sick you play better because you concentrate."
And maybe dress better, too.
From Coughlin to Strahan and every player who appeared at the media session, the order of the day was dress blacks.
Five of the six players in the media session were all dressed alike: black suits, black shirts, black ties. Punter Jeff Feagles and Coughlin wore white shirts with their black suits and reddish ties.
"It's a business trip, we didn't come here for anything else," receiver Plaxico Burress said. "We're playing to win."
Asked whether it was a business trip or funeral, Burress smiled and said:
"It's a business trip. It could be both."
Antonio Pierce, who engineered the all-black wardrobe look, was emphatic that the Giants were neither satisfied just to be at the Super Bowl nor fodder for the Patriots' final step to a perfect season.
The Patriots opened up at 13 1/2 point favorites.
"It's never been enough for us just winning one game, or being 0-2 and winning one game," Pierce said. "We're not here to hand the trophy over to nobody. Hopefully, we'll take that trophy back to New York and put up a good fight and good game for all the NFL and everybody to see. It, hopefully, makes believers out of the nonbelievers."
The Giants pushed the Patriots to the limit before losing 38-35 in the regular-season closer.
"This is the biggest challenge, 18-0, that you can have in the Super Bowl," Strahan said. "We have to go against the only 18-0 team ever. It's like Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas. You wake up and you expect that Tyson knocked him out in the first round and you find out Douglas won.
"That's what we hope we are. If we win, this would be the biggest upset in a lot of ways."
In other words, three straight playoff weekends have brought the Giants three road games against division winners and little in the way of respect. Don't be surprised if that's the rallying cry in the New York locker room.
"I think that once you realize that you are always the underdog, that mentality fits in with some of the things that we believe in from an inspirational standpoint, having something to prove," Coughlin said Monday. "We have something to prove every time that we play because if there are 100 of you out there, 70 of you don't think we can win.
"If you're a competitor, that strikes you."
"People can tell you otherwise, but no one wants to be called an 'underdog,'" offensive lineman David Diehl said. "We've kind of gotten used to wearing that. I wouldn't say (we're) proud, but I do think it's pushed us."
Sunday's game with New England also would seem to serve the Giants. The postseason brought them two much-desired rematches, with Dallas and Green Bay, and they didn't waste either chance to repay regular-season defeats.
According to New York Daily News sports writer Roger Rubin, avenging their loss to the Patriots would be the ultimate payback against a team trying to complete a perfect season.
"When you lose to a team, you always want to have a chance to avenge yourself," Burress said. "Who could have ever thought we'd have the opportunity to compete with those guys? They're supposed to be the greatest team in football history with their dynamic offense, defense and great all-around team.
"We have the chance to compete against them for the world championship. You couldn't ask for a better position to be in."
"I never really thought about getting another shot," fellow wide receiver Amani Toomer said. "I'd thought about the Cowboys and about the Packers. This is the third time we get a shot at a team that beat us in the regular season and our record is pretty good in these playoffs against the teams we already played before. Hopefully we can keep that streak going."
The Super Bowl matchup does have a fitting feeling of closure. Many Giants point to their meeting on Dec. 29 at the Meadowlands as the game that lit the fuse on their amazing run.
"I was really upset that everybody was so happy we lost, but now looking back, it was probably one of the best things that could have happened to us," Toomer said.
The Giants essentially had nothing to play for other than ruining New England's run at history. With a playoff berth wrapped and no bye week ahead, starters could have been rested. Instead they played full-tilt -- even suffering injuries to starters center Shaun O'Hara, linebacker Kawika Mitchell and cornerback Sam Madison -- and showed they were capable of going the distance with the best the NFL could offer.
"We had nothing to lose, we were going to go do the very best that we (could and) we were going to have some fun with it," Coughlin said. "Looking back on that, it became a continuous theme with this group."
"For the three years I've been here, we've been looking for the team to come out and play the way we did that night," Burress said. "I think we learned that if we compete at that level and go out and play with that focus."
Apparently Burress really buys into that. On Monday, the star wideout told the New York Post that his team will win Super Bowl XLII 23-17.
If they do, Eli Manning will have to continue playing well.
Of course, Manning's late-season emergence has been a major story for the Giants. Indeed, it's safe to say that entering the Giants' final regular-season game a month ago, Manning was an embattled quarterback.
The Giants were 10-5, assured of making the playoffs for the third consecutive year, but Manning hadn't played well since a Nov. 18 win at Detroit.
As SI.com's Peter King reminded readers, in the five-game stretch prior to the regular-season finale, the Giants had gone 3-2, largely on the strength of the running game and defense. Though the weather had been brutally unkind to the passing game on two of those Sundays, Manning's numbers still were brutal: A .451 completion percentage, with four touchdowns and eight interceptions.
That's all changed.
In the narrow loss to New England, and in the three road playoff wins, Manning has been a 64 percent passer, with eight touchdowns, one interception and 213 passing yards per game, on average. What happened?
King has four theories:
Per King: "Burress, who played the game of his life Sunday in Green Bay, is one of the guttiest players I've seen in years. Both of his ankles hurt; he's playing with a torn ligament in his right ankle. Have you noticed you don't see Burress gesturing angrily for the ball anymore? It's because he's gained tremendous respect for Manning, and because he knows Manning is doing everything he can to get him the ball as often as he can."
Smith's December return after missing 11 games with a fractured scapula and then a hamstring injury has coincided, roughly, with Manning's revival. In the last four games, Smith has 12 catches for 131 yards. That's nine fewer than Moss in his 13 regular-season games.
With Burress, Toomer and Smith, King believes Manning enters the Super Bowl with the best three-wideout combo he's had in his career.
In the loss to New England, Manning nearly matched Tom Brady nearly pass-for-pass, and in the postseason, he's outplayed Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo and Brett Favre. And from the looks of it, he's treated every game the way he'd treat a September game against Kansas City -- important, but not the end of the world.
According to King, you can see Manning's confidence on the sideline and in talking with the coaches on the sidelines that there's a line of communication, not a dictatorial one-way line from the coaches to him.
King went on to suggest that maybe Eli needed Tiki Barber to leave the team so that he could exert more influence in the locker room. And maybe the Jeremy Shockey injury isn't the worst thing in the world, because now Eli doesn't have to worry about feeding Shockey the ball X number of times a game or risk his wrath after the game.
Trent Dilfer, appearing on NFL Network last week, came right out and said Shockey's absence has allowed Manning to assert himself.
Of course, Manning is also maturing.
As King explained, it takes time for a quarterback to develop, and maybe the most important trait Manning has shown in the last couple of months is his quiet resolve not to let the forces of being a struggling New York quarterback beat him down.
That shows tremendous maturity for a 27-year-old player. And that's why the Patriots have to be looking at film this week wondering, Just how good is this kid? Will we be able to rattle him now?
Much like his list for the Patriots, FOXSports.com insider John Czarnecki believes pressuring Manning should be priority for New England's defense.
Early in the regular season, this strategy worked perfectly against Manning. The Patriots must collapse the pocket by getting people in his face, and rushing up the middle. Vince Wilfork needs to dominate O'Hara and push him back.
According to Czarnecki, when Manning shortens his stride, that's when his passes sail and he gets into trouble.
Other keys for the Patriots defense?
Czarnecki ranks stopping Brandon Jacobs as No. 2 on his list.
The Giants had the fourth-best rushing offense in the NFL this season with 134.3 yards per game. If the Patriots hold Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw under 100 yards, Czarnecki believes the Pats will be home free.
New England must prevent Jacobs from getting to the corner because once the 265-pounder gets going; he is very difficult to slow down. Bradshaw doesn't have Darren Sproles' speed, but he is a home-run threat. They must keep both of them in check.
I'll also note that New York had 39 rushes to 40 passes against Green Bay. The Giants must maintain a similar ratio against the Patriots instead of getting preoccupied in a shootout.
Reducing the number of possessions the Patriots have is all important.
Other keys?
Czarnecki believes the Patriots need to put Asante Samuel on Burress. The 6-5 receiver has become Manning and the Giants' No. 1 weapon. He and Manning have been on the same wave-length in the playoffs and it showed in them connecting 11 times for 154 yards last Sunday.
During the playoffs, Manning has become very adept at connecting with Burress on his back shoulder, away from cornerback pressure. But Samuel is a better cover cornerback than Al Harris. Samuel has a better chance of stopping Burress; otherwise Ellis Hobbs could be worn out.
Don't forget, however, that New York learned a little something in that first meeting, too. As Manning put it: "We know they are a good team and we know what it's going to take to beat them."
He has a point. As Daily News staffer Ralph Vacchiano reminded readers, the Giants fell short in their attempt to pull off one of the biggest shockers in NFL history, but they were up 28-16 at one point, and had a 28-23 fourth-quarter lead.
So while they didn't exactly unlock the secret to beating the Patriots, Vacchiano believes the film of their last meeting should offer a few clues to help them in Super Bowl XLII. First and foremost:
Don't make mistakes. ...
One other aspect worth noting is special teams.
As Vacchiano, demonstrating a solid grasp of the obvious put it: "The Patriots score a lot. That means they kick off a lot."
It's true. ... And it's a good point. It means Domenik Hixon could be a key player in this game. He had eight returns against the Patriots the first time, including a 74-yard touchdown. That came right after the Patriots had taken a 10-7 second-quarter lead, and it sent a message that the Giants weren't going away.
Vacchiano went on to note that Hixon has been a pleasant postseason surprise, averaging 25.1 yards per return, including a big 36-yarder in Green Bay that preceded Lawrence Tynes' first missed field goal.
He needs to come through again. And R.W. McQuarters needs to hold onto the ball on punt returns, plus the coverage teams are going to have to be outstanding.
Every yard is going to matter in this game, and the last thing the Giants need is to allow Brady and company to operate on a short field. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Also according to Vacchiano, Burress told reporters his sprained ankle is now at 97 percent. It's not clear how he arrived at that figure, but that's what he said.
According to TEs coach Mike Pope, Shockey isn't in Arizona yet and the coach apparently wasn't wasn't sure Shockey is actually coming. He's been invited and Pope wants him on hand, but Shockey still wants to avoid being a distraction to his teammates.
I'll also note that ESPN insider Chris Mortensen is reporting that Shockey is still on crutches and working on his recovery from the season-ending broken fibula suffered on Dec. 16. Mortensen went on to suggest that making the trip to Arizona might be detrimental for the star tight end.
Toomer has made this Super trip once before and about all he recalls are the potholes, the mistakes, the raised voices the night before the game. That's when the offense learned that only the defensive team would hear their names and numbers announced when all the Giants came running out of the tunnel.
According to Daily News staffer Vic Ziegel, the offense was ticked off.
"I remember the offense being upset because we weren't going to be announced," the veteran wideout said. "That distracted us and it was so ridiculous, so foolish. I (still) feel a lot of hurt over that game."
That 2000 team had won its last seven games but the offensive coaches tore up the winning plans. This game, "they changed a lot of things on offense," Toomer said. "That hurt us."
The nights were as bad as the days. The players were given an 11 0'clock curfew every night and it was "very stressful," he said. "Especially the first night when my family came down and we went to dinner." Maybe the service was slow because "I had to rush back to the hotel to get there in time. Very stressful."
The other team, the Ravens, "I don't think they had any curfew until the last night."
Don't look for Coughlin to follow in Baltimore's footsteps on that one. ...
In a semi-related item. ... Giants co-owner Steve Tisch said last Saturday that Coughlin's contract extension will come "at the appropriate time, probably over the next three weeks, maybe into the latter part of February.
"No one is focused on it because there is no pressure for us to focus on it right now. If things go well next week, we are going to really enjoy the wonderful benefits and gifts of victory."
Tisch also told the Bergen County Record last Friday he believes the Giants will defeat New England. He said Saturday one reason for his confidence has been Coughlin's handling of the team this season.
"He didn't veer off the road, he didn't stop after the first two losses to Dallas and Green Bay, he didn't say 'I have to change something,'" Tisch said. ...
And finally. ... One of Coughlin's messages to his players this week was how no one remembers Super Bowl losers.
"Who lost two years ago?" he asked a reporter Saturday.
The question was followed by a delay and finally the answer, "Seattle."
"That's exactly what happened when I asked that question in a team meeting two days ago," he said, illustrating how soon we forget the runner-up.