Giants Look Forward to Cowboys

The 6-2 Giants are not taking their wounded opponent lightly. Though the Cowboys may only be 1-7, they are a division opponent and the Giants need to handle them as they did the last time they played. They will face a very different team than they faced a few weeks ago.

Gone is coach Wade Phillips, who Coughlin referred to as a good person and a very good coach and coordinator. He has been replaced by former Giants backup quarterback Jason Garrett, a long time offensive coordinator and QB coach. Gone is Tony Romo, who was knocked out of the game on a hit from linebacker Michael Boley. he has been replaced by 14 year veteran John Kitna. Even without Romo, Coughlin is making sure his team is focused on their division rival.

"Our focus is on our team and preparing our team against a very talented Dallas team," Coughlin said at this morning's press conference.

A team with a new head coach and a different quarterback cannot possibly be the same team the Giants saw a few weeks ago. Though the other players are the same, though the coaches are the same, the team will not play the uninspired brand of football it had been playing the past few weeks under the dismissed Phillips.

When a new coach takes over a team he wants to do things his way. he wants to play the players he prefers and he wants to use them in the situations he sees fit. No two coaches are the same, regardless of the coaching tree they fall from.

"I would imagine there will be something different...there's a lot of hours in the day," said Coughlin. "I'm sure that they are going to do whatever is in the best interest of their team...we've got to somehow be ready for that."

Though he wished Wade and his family well, Coughlin said he did not reach out to the coach after he was let go by Dallas. Coughlin expects the Cowboys to play inspired football. 

Regarding his own team, he said  center Sean O'Hara is day to day but will not practice today. Rich Seubert will play Center and Coughlin is not sure if Shawn Andrews will play guard or tackle. Coughlin was completely non-committal on who will play left guard. "We prepare the players that are healthy to play," said the coach.

With all the injuries to his offensive line: Adam Koets out for the year with a sprained MCL, Kareem McKenzie's unspecified illness, Diehl out the next two games and O'Hara day to day; Coughlin has had to shuffle the deck on an almost play by play basis "We've just got to get the positions stabilized and get the people that are going to be in the backup roles prepared and ready to go," said Coughlin.

Coughlin is very confident in his team: "We've shown outstanding focus, we've played well the past few weeks...I expect us to play well this week."

The rest of the NFL is now starting to take notice.