Hakeem Nicks No-Show at Giants OTA's

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images(EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.) -- New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was a no-show for the second straight week at Giants voluntary OTA's.

Head coach Tom Coughlin was asked how he feels about the situation.

"Am I disappointed? No, I'm glad," Coughlin said joking. "Certainly I am [disappointed]. At one point Hakeem told me he was going to be here, and then he was not here. In the strictest interpretation, everyone knows it's a voluntary program."

Other team members were disappointed that Nicks failed to show up at the team's workout sessions.

"It's kind of a tough situation," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said on Thursday.  "What we're doing is important.  The guys who are here are working and working hard."

Another no-show was Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, who continues to work out a long-term deal with the team.

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Key Giants Players To Miss Game Against Panthers

Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The New York Giants will be without key players on offense for Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers.

Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was downgraded from questionable to out due to a foot injury.  He did not practice all week.

The current NFC offensive player of the week had 10 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown in a Week Two win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ahmad Bradshaw, right tackle David Diehl and wide receiver Dominik Hixon will also miss Thursday's game with various injuries suffered in the win over Tampa Bay.

Bradshaw suffered a neck injury in the second quarter of the game against the Buccaneers and did not return.  Diehl injured the MCL in his right knee and Hixon suffered a concussion. 

The short week of practice played a role in the decision to sit them.

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Eli Manning Struggles Early, Giants Top Buccaneers, 41-34

Elsa/Getty Images(EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.) -- The defending Super Bowl champs avoided a 0-2 start to the 2012 season after Eli Manning led his team back in the last 3:59 to give them a 41-34 victory over the Buccaneers (1-1) on Sunday.

Manning passed for 295 yards in the second half, tying for most in NFL history and 3 yards short of Phil Simms' Giants record.  The Giants (1-1) trailed at the half by 11 but Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Martellus Bennett within a four-minute span to seal the deal.

"We kept playing and even when we had the very huge plays that disappointed us, we kept playing," said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin on his team's resiliency on Sunday.  "That says a lot about us."

Manning threw three first-half interceptions but redeemed himself in the second, finishing with 510 yards total and credited his young talented wide receivers.

"Victor (Cruz) and Hakeem (Nicks), both of them stepped up," said Manning after the game.  "Made some big time catches, some third down conversions. I thought both of those guys really played outstanding."

Cruz finished with 11 catches for 179 yards, both career highs, while Nicks had 10 catches for 199 yards. 

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Hakeem Nicks Planning To Return Before Giants Home Opener

Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images(EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.) -- New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks is expected to miss 12 weeks after he suffered a broken right foot last week, but on Thursday in a teleconference, Nicks was confident that wouldn't be the case.

"The doctor said that he had people come back as early as four weeks, six weeks to eight weeks,'' Nicks said. "It really just ranges. We just don't want any setbacks. So we are going to take it - the team wants to take it - 12 weeks. That is what they are giving us. So I think that is what we are going go by, what the team gives us. But my goal is always to come back earlier.''

Nicks is aiming to be back before the September 5 home opener against the Dallas Cowboys but will not push himself too hard.

"I definitely feel like I will be ready to go when it is time to be ready to go,'' Nicks said.”We are just going to take it slow as of right now. But once it is time to run, and do all of those types of things, I'll be able to judge it more.''

Giants quarterback Eli Manning has faith that Nicks will return quickly as well but says others must step up while he recovers in preparation for the 2012 season.

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NY Giants Lose WR Nicks For 12 Weeks With Broken Foot

Jamie Squire/Getty Images(EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.) -- New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks broke his right foot during OTAs Thursday, and is expected to be sidelined up to twelve weeks.

The 24-year-old Nicks fractured the fifth metatarsal of his right foot while running a route during individual drills. He’s scheduled to undergo surgery Friday to have a screw inserted into the broken bone.

Nicks was instrumental in helping Big Blue win their fourth Super Bowl title last season, recording 76 receptions for 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 regular-season games.

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Giants Remain Confident On Media Day

Jamie Squire/Getty Images(INDIANAPOLIS) -- While there are many questions heading into Super Bowl 46, one thing that is for certain is the confidence of the New York Giants.

Despite beginning the season 7-7, the rolled into the playoffs after narrowly winning their division. Once the playoffs started, the team resembled the 2007 Super Bowl Giants squad that beat the Patriots. Big Blue has made no secret of the fact that they have confidence in themselves as they take on the Patriots once again in the Super Bowl.

"Our confidence has always been there," Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks said. "We always believe and thought that we were making plays and getting to where we are today."

The Patriots had the number-two overall offense during the regular season, but that doesn't seem to bother Giants safety Antrel Rolle.

"We possess a different kind of reads in our secondary that other teams don't really possess," Rolle said. "We're a hands-on defensive back unit and I think once we put our hands on guys its very hard for them to beat us."

The Giants may also have the psychological advantage over the Patriots; during Week 9 of the regular season, the Giants went to New England and defeated the Patriots 24-20.

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Giants Stun Packers, 37-20

Jamie Squire/Getty Images(GREEN BAY, Wis.) -- The New York Giants came into Green Bay as a confident bunch and will be headed to San Francisco after their 37-20 beating of last year's Super Bowl champion.

Eli Manning threw for 330 yards and three touchdown passes on Sunday.  He's hoping the same result comes from this game as it did four years ago after the Giants beat the Packers in the NFC Championship game.

"We're always confident going into a game.  It doesn't matter what happened in the regular season," said Manning. "We've been through games where we've lost to teams and faced them in the playoffs again and come out and played well.  Our team is playing well; our guys understand the way to win football games."

The Giants went up by 10 at halftime due to a 37-yard hail Mary play that wide receiver Hakeem Nicks snatched up from the sky to give New York a 20-10 lead. 

"I knew Eli could put it in the end zone from where he was at," said Nicks.  "It was just a matter of me going up to get it."

With the win, they'll play Sunday against the 49ers, the only team left in their quest for another shot at a Super Bowl.

"I think we're a dangerous team," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said of his 'road warriors'. "I like where we are and how we're playing."

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