Giants Win With D...and Plaxico's One Arm

The thing that sunk the Giants last year was the state of their linebacking core, which had been decimated by injuries, going into the playoffs. While Ernie Accorsi made moves to ensure that such a situation doesn't hamper the G-men this year, fans should be getting nervous, although only slightly at this point. We're down to six LBs, Carlos Emmons is coming off injury and Brandon Short got dinged up this week. On the optimistic side rookie Gerris Wilkinson put in a good performance. But we'll need five of the six totally healthy going into the post-season or it's panic time again.

As I mentioned last week, the rookie D-line tandem of Barry Cofield and Mathias Kiwanuka is shaping up to be draft genius. Kiwanuka has played well filling in, but this week got the start and had six tackles including a sack (a real actual sack, not a phony graze the QB and he goes down sack). At the end of the season, if six of following seven are healthy - Strahan, Robbins, Cofield, Umenyiora, Kiwanuka, Tuck, and Joseph - it's likely to mean that the G-men will take the best d-line into the playoffs.

Defense was all the Gints needed against the Bucs, and Plaxico's highlite reel TD grab.