Here are some New York Giants notes for you on the Saturday morning before the first clash of 2011 with the rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Newly-re-signed wide receiver Michael Clayton said he was in Tampa getting ready to buy a lot and build a home when the Giants called on Thursday.
"You never know what is going to happen," Clayton said. "I stayed ready to go and whatever they need me to do on Sunday, I am down for it and excited about the opportunity."
Maybe the most interesting thing coach Tom Coughlin said in his Friday meeting with reporters was in regards to Travis Beckum, the tight end/H back who missed the first two games of the season with hamstring issues.
"He has gone back out there and conducted himself as he did before he was injured. He has picked up where he left off, which is a good thing," Coughlin said.
The Giants could undoubtedly benefit if Beckum is able to be productive Sunday.
Giants special teams coach Tom Quinn met with reporters earlier this week and was, of course, asked what went wrong on DeSean Jackson's game-winning punt return last season.
"The snap, the punt, and the coverage. It was very poor tackling. It was a poor punt and the snap didn’t help. That’s my job to have the snap where it’s supposed to be and the punt where it’s supposed to be and the coverage where it’s supposed to be," Quinn said.
He was asked if the Giants would simply have punter Steve Weatherford kick the ball out of bounds every time Sunday.
"You would like to, but if you could punt it out of bounds 40-yards all the time I think we would be all doing that and have a 40-yard net and feel good about it at the end of the day," Quinn said. "He’s explosive, both him and Maclin. You have to be right in coverage and you have to be aggressive in coverage. You have to make sure that everyone’s doing their job - from the snapper, to the punter, to all of the coverage,"
Giants center David Baas, who spent his first six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, understands that Eagles-Giants is different than other games.
"I haven’t been here that long, but I understand it," Baas said. "All you have to do is look at the faces of all of the other guys, you’ll understand it."
I gave you my 'Five Things to Watch' earlier today. Here is a look at what I see as Sunday's key matchup, something I penned for SB Nation New York.