Tom Coughlin Talks Steve Smith, Giants RBs & Brett Favre

The big news immediately following Sunday's blowout victory over the Washington Redskins was that New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith was going to return to practice sometime during the week. That sometime is now.

"Steve Smith is going to practice," head coach Tom Coughlin stated on Wednesday. "We'll see how that is. He does have a limitation on his practice, but that could easily change if we see that he is doing well."

One person Tom Coughlin hasn't had to worry about starting for quite awhile is quarterback Eli Manning. Manning's durability (he currently has the third longest streak for consecutive games started by a QB currently playing in the league) has been a topic of discussion due to the fact that his opponent this Sunday, future Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre, has been banged up throughout the season. Coughlin credited both Eli's toughness and intelligence for Manning's ability to start game after game.

"His ability to sidestep, his ability to recognize, to point out changes in protection, his ability to get up after a hit," Coughlin explained. "He's had those as well. I think it's a combination."

Coughlin also said that the team's running back rotation (Brandon Jacobs starting, Ahmad Bradshaw getting more carries later in the game) will remain the same. The Giants have rushed for an average of over 166 yards per game since making the switch, Jacobs has remained fresh throughout contests and Bradshaw is managing to hold onto the football. Taking an "if it's not broke, don't fix it" approach seems wise.

As of the middle of the week, it is not yet known if Brett Favre will start for the Vikings this Sunday. Coughlin is making sure his defense will be ready this weekend, regardless of who is taking snaps for Minnesota. "Well, you obviously have to be very aware of what each quarterback is capable of doing," Coughlin said. "The one thing that does strike you though is that to me, because of the emphasis on the run, there have been a number of bootlegs involved. If you remember a couple of weeks ago, I guess against Washington they went into a four-minute drive, Brett Favre pulled the ball down and ran with it and made the first down, which allowed them to kneel with it. They were putting Brett on the corner, he was running nakeds, he was doing a lot of that kind of thing that they would do the same kinds of things with Jackson, so there are similarities in that way."

Coughlin didn't say that we're all thinking; "of course Favre is starting this Sunday." With how good New York's pass rush looked last weekend, preparing for just one backup QB may not be enough.

Quotes via New York Giants Communications Office