REST CAN WAIT UNTILAFTER SEASON

Asked a few times recently about resting players for Sunday’s regular-season finale, which has no bearing on the Giants’ playoff opponent, coach Brian Daboll has suggested he will not.

“No,” he said, “you get rest after the season. It’s a long season. This is the fun part of the season when you’re winning. You get rest after the season.”

The Giants are the sixth seed in the NFC. They will play either the Vikings or the 49ers in the first round of the playoffs. Daboll said his focus is on Week 18.

“Full-steam ahead on getting prepped and ready for the Eagles,” Daboll said.

Why?

“Because that’s this week’s game. It’s what’s most important, make sure our guys are ready to go.”

Not surprisingly on Thursday, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka agreed with his boss.

Daboll’s intentions are contrary to how Kansas City coach Andy Reid has handled resting players in previous years. Kafka was most recently the Kansas City passing game coordinator before joining Daboll’s staff.

“I probably wouldn’t speak for coach Reid on his philosophy of it,” Kafka said, “but I know what we’re doing here and how Dabes wants to handle it. That’s what we’ll fully support.”

Asked again about Reid’s pattern, Kafka deferred.

“For me, that’s so far in the past,” he said. “I’m just so focused on this week and getting our guys ready to play.”

n Receivers have improved

One topic Kafka was pleased to talk about was the Giants’ unheralded wide receivers, a group that seemingly has come a long way during the season. Richie James, Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins, who joined the Giants in early November after being claimed off waivers from Buffalo, have improved as the season has gone along.

“They’ve done a tremendous job being in the right spot, executing, playing really hard in both the run and the pass game,” Kafka said.