EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – After his team received a double dose of help in the NFL's Thanksgiving Day games, coach Tom Coughlin now wants the Giants to help themselves.
While the Giants practiced and then enjoyed their holiday dinner, two of their NFC East opponents
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lost. Philadelphia fell to the Lions in Detroit, 45-15, and Dallas dropped a 33-14 decision at home to undefeated Carolina. The results dropped the Eagles to 4-7, and the Cowboys, who lost quarterback Tony Romo for the season, to 3-8.
On Sunday, the 5-5, first-place Giants will visit the 4-6 Washington Redskins. Already in control of their division destiny, the Giants can increase their lead to two games with five to play if they defeat Washington. So Coughlin on Friday had a succinct, yet vital, message to his players when they convened today.
"Take care of your own business," Coughlin said. "That's basically what it is. We're all aware. It's as interesting to the Redskins as it is to us, no doubt, so it put things into perspective. You have to take care of your own business and we know that. We've been down that road before, so hopefully we'll be able to do that."
The players said they are prepared to follow the directive. After acknowledging that Thanksgiving was a good business day for the Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. said, "you have to come out and take care of business. Can't overlook anybody ever, even with the lead in the division. One game at a time."
"Every game is big, but it's a divisional game, it counts as two," running back Shane Vereen said. "It definitely means a lot more because it's a divisional game, it definitely means a lot more because both teams are so close within the division. And so it is a big game, and at this time of the year, you want to be playing in big games."
The Giants, frankly, have missed that the last two seasons. In 2013, they were 4-6 and then 4-7, and in third place, a position they never escaped. They finished three games behind division champion Philadelphia. Last year, they were 3-7 and 3-8, and again stuck in third place, where they finished four games behind Dallas.
Now they are the NFC East frontrunners, and it's up to them to stay there.
"We're right here in the heart of it, going into December with the ability to play for something," running back Rashad Jennings said. "Leading the division, fortunate for that. It's wide open. We got an opportunity to kind of (widen) the gap this Sunday. It's not every day that somebody could wake up and say they're in the NFL playing for something."
Jennings never made the playoffs in his six previous seasons with Jacksonville, Oakland and the Giants.
"This is the first time for me," he said. "I'm excited."
So is everyone else on the team.
"It's definitely a great opportunity for us," linebacker Devon Kennard said. "But I'm taking the same mindset, just one game at a time. We have a six-game season that starts with Washington."
"We know it's an important one, in the division, and every game counts right now," quarterback Eli Manning said. "Every one is important, every one is big, and it's going to be a deciding factor in how the season ends. So we understand that and we've got to go out there and play good football."
The Giants have defeated Washington in each of their last five meetings, including a 32-21 victory on Sept. 24. They led early in the fourth quarter, 25-6. Despite his team's recent success, Coughlin quickly dismissed any notion that the Giants would overlook the Redskins.
Washington has won its last four home games, and has plenty of talent on offense, defense and special teams.
"I don't see that," Coughlin said. "Washington plays so well at home. They've done an exceptional job. Their finest output of the year offensively was at home against New Orleans (in a 47-14 victory). They ran into a very, very good football in Carolina last weekend and a couple weeks prior they played New England; there's two undefeated teams. They battled and so on and so forth. We have great respect for them, and when you see how well the quarterback has played, (Kirk) Cousins had played at home, they've done an outstanding job."
The Giants need to have their own terrific effort on Sunday.
"Right now, we're in a great situation, we're on top of the division," defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said. "We've just got to win. We've got to take it one game at a time, and that's what we're going to do."
Keep an eye on these five players as the Giants face Washington
CB PRINCE AMUKAMARAAfter missing the last five games with a pectoral injury, Prince Amukamara is on track to make his return on Sunday against Washington. Amukamara said this week that he feels "100 percent" coming off the bye week and is fresh for the home stretch in the NFC East race. He'll reunite with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as they form a dominant cornerback tandem and will help balance the defense. "I think he can add a lot," coach Tom Coughlin said of Amukamara. "He's a good player and he's demonstrated that over the years. He'll hang in there, he's done a nice job of that. Everybody gets beat on a route once in a while, but he hangs in there and he keeps battling away. He has a strong physical presence, so I think there's no doubt he'll add tremendously."
WR RUEBEN RANDLERueben Randle led all players with seven receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in the Giants' last game against the Redskins in Week 3. His 41-yard score in the fourth quarter sealed the 32-21 victory for Big Blue, which currently leads the division by one game over Washington. He is second on the team in receptions and receiving yards, and with Victor Cruz's hopes of playing in 2015 officially over after he was placed on injured reserve, Randle will have to keep stepping up. "We are relevant and now we've got to do something about it," Coughlin said. "'Finish,' that word we keep using, you've got to finish. We've got to be playing at our best in all three phases with no lapses, and that's where I'd like to see us go."
QB ELI MANNINGThe Giants are riding a five-game winning streak over the Redskins, and Eli Manning is 16-6 all-time against the NFC East rival as a starting quarterback. Over the current streak, Manning is completing 67.5 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also has a passer rating of 106.0. "We know it's an important one, in the division, and every game counts right now," Manning said. "Every one is important, every one is big, and it's going to be a deciding factor in how the season ends. So we understand that and we've got to go out there and play good football."
DE JASON PIERRE-PAULThe Giants are coming off a season-high three sacks against the Patriots before the break and look to keep up those numbers. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will be a major factor in doing so as he continues to get stronger playing with his injured right hand. "Everything is new to me," said Pierre-Paul, who will be playing in his third game rejoining the team following his July 4 fireworks accident. "Like you all can see, everything is new to me, still learning every day, daily, the system, and how to use to my hand. The good thing about it is that I can still play football. I have to be consistent with things, but like I said, everything is just new. I'm just learning and as time goes on, I'm just getting better."
WR DWAYNE HARRISDwayne Harris has been a major x-factor in his first season with the Giants. The ex-Cowboy is second on the team with four receiving touchdowns in addition to a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown. The special teams department is where Harris has done damage to the Redskins in the past, primarily in his four seasons in Dallas. In seven career games against the Redskins, Harris averages 16.3 yards per punt return and had an 86-yard return touchdown in Week 6 of 2013 with his old team. He also averages 26.6 yards per kickoff return with a long of 90 yards that was in the same game as the punt return touchdown. "Again, we thought he was a five-tool kind of guy," general manager Jerry Reese said over the bye week. "We thought he could fill that receiver role as the third, fourth type receiver. He's done a really good job of that. I think it hurts him a little bit on special teams because he's really playing as a full-time receiver and he still has special teams duties that we wanted him to initially have. He's done a nice job there."
