Thursday was a good day for Hakeem Nicks.
"Did a full practice today, so real good," said Nicks, who was officially listed as limited. "Felt good."
Nicks didn't practice yesterday. He may or may not work tomorrow, when the Giants hold their final full-scale practice prior to their Sunday home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His practice status could change from week-to-week as the Giants manage the soreness in his surgically-repaired foot and do what is necessary to get him on the field for game day.
"We're going to hope that he's going to be able to work on Thursday," coach Tom Coughlin said. "I think it was really good for him to be out here on the grass. The fields are exceptional. He moved well, he moved well."
The Giants play a game next Thursday at Carolina, but that's an issue for next week. The Giants want to guarantee that Nicks is on the field to face 1-0 Tampa Bay. He caught four passes for 38 yards in the Giants' season-opening loss to Dallas.
"We'll see what they say about tomorrow when I come in," Nicks said. "But to my knowledge I know I was practicing today, so we'll see about tomorrow and then maybe it'll just be working my way in. Next week it will be a little bit more."
Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was asked if Nicks' foot influences whether he has him run specific routes during a game.
"When I remember it does." Gilbride said. "It's hard to remember which routes it hurts on and which side of the field he's on. You're certainly sensitive to the fact that he's gutting it out and trying to play as hard as he can. When we put it down we try to be a little bit conscious of that. But during the heat of the game those things sometimes go by the wayside."
Nicks prefers to receive no concessions, whether it's in practice or on game day.
"I just let them call the offense and I play accordingly," Nicks said. "I always play within the system. (I) don't tweak anything due to this foot. The mind overcomes all, so I'm strong-minded. I feel like if I'm out there, I'm going to be ready to do everything that I can do."
"He wants to play," Gilbride said. "He doesn't want anything limited. He wants to get every throw in his direction, so he's never going to tell you candidly, 'I can't do this' or 'I can't do that.' (He'll say), 'I'll fight through it, I'll feel good and the adrenalin.' These are all the things I've heard already. It's hard to bet against him, because whenever you need something he comes through for you. Or he has."
The Giants need him to keep doing it.
*Sean Locklear will apparently continue as the starting left tackle, with Will Beatty playing as an extra tight end.
"There will be no change there unless I let you know," Coughlin said.
*Rookie defensive end Adewale Ojomo (hamstring) was the only Giant to miss practice.
Cornerbacks Prince Amukamara (ankle) and Michael Coe (hamstring), defensive tackle Marvin Austin (back), center David Baas (hip) and linebacker Keith Rivers (hamstring) were limited.
Coughlin seemed confident Amukamara would make his 2012 debut vs. the Buccaneers.
"I didn't really see anything that made me think otherwise," Coughlin said. "I know it's a slow process, and he's in the process."
*Coughlin has been pleased with the practices this week after expressing dissatisfaction with the team's work prior to the Dallas game.
"I think we're getting better, I really do," he said. "Yesterday, the effort was very good. The execution wasn't as good as you'd like, but I probably can never say that. Today was, for the most part, pretty good. I didn't think the last period was good. The effort, again, and the focus was better."
*The Giants lead the regular-season series with the Buccaneers, 11-6, and won the only postseason game between the teams. The Giants have a three-game winning streak in the series, including a 24-14 victory in a 2007 NFC Wild Card Game. This is their first meeting since Sept. 27, 2009, when the Giants shut out the Bucs, 24-0, in Tampa. The teams last faced each other in New Jersey on Oct. 29, 2006, a 17-3 Giants victory. The Giants are 6-1 in home games vs. the Buccaneers.
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