Jacobs has his mind in right place

It was around this time last year that Brandon Jacobs started losing his grip on the starting tailback job, partly because he wasn't running very well, and also because he wasn't thinking very well.

When he saw teammate Ahmad Bradshaw start, Jacobs reacted not by running harder, but by questioning whether he was truly wanted by the Giants. He thought about asking for a trade, and needed a series of meetings with general manager Jerry Reese and coach Tom Coughlin to convince him he really was valued by the organization.

But even then, Jacobs still wasn't right. Remember that early-season 38-14 loss in Indianapolis, when he threw his helmet into the stands in frustration and incurred a $10,000 fine? It wasn't until late in the season that Jacobs finally started showing the form he once displayed as a 1,000-yard rusher. But by then, it still wasn't enough to supplant Bradshaw, who became the Giants' feature back.

New year, new attitude and maybe, just maybe, we're seeing the old Jacobs.

"I think he's matured," Reese said at halftime of Monday night's's game against the Bears, in which Jacobs had 48 yards on six carries. That included an 18-yard touchdown in the second quarter, in which Jacobs juked safety Major Wright and made him look foolish before the 6-4, 265-pounder powered into the end zone.

It has been a complete turnaround for Jacobs, who has shown none of the pouting that marked last year's preseason.

"He seems to be embracing his role," Reese said. "Don't forget now, nobody wants to tackle a 265-pound running back. So if he's running hard, watch out."

And it isn't just the running that has distinguished Jacobs this summer. He restructured his contract so that the Giants could re-sign Bradshaw to a four-year, $18-million deal.

"He loves me, man," Bradshaw said of Jacobs earlier in training camp. "I respect him more than anything for doing that. He called me when he did it and said, 'You know I want you here.' "

Jacobs' presence helped the Giants retain Bradshaw without having to give him an exorbitant deal. "When you have a 1,000-yard running back in the building, it makes it easier," Reese said.

Even so, there was no guarantee Bradshaw would be paired with Jacobs. Reese said he considered other runners, including DeAngelo Williams, who re-signed with Carolina in a deal worth $22 million in guaranteed money -- more than the total value of Jacobs' contract. The Giants also pursued free agent Joseph Addai, who wound up re-signing with the Colts.

"We considered some others, yes, because we had to keep our options open," Reese said.

But the Bradshaw-Jacobs tandem remained intact, and the Giants are in a good place because of it. With Jacobs as the power back and Bradshaw as the elusive runner, they form a 1-2 punch that figures to keep the Giants as one of the league's best running teams.

"I kind of look at it like we have two starting running backs," Reese said. "If one of them is going, then let him get the ball. If the other one has it going, then give it to him. I think it's a good situation for us."

Sure looked that way Monday night, as the Giants' offense showed consistency after a sluggish preseason start. They finally put points on the board, driving for a field goal on their eighth preseason possession to break a scoreless streak for the first-team offense. The Giants scored on three straight drives to take a 13-6 second-quarter lead. They made it 20-6 on backup David Carr's 5-yard pass to Domenik Hixon and 27-6 on Danny Ware's 1-yard run in the third.

Eli Manning's job will be that much easier with two productive backs right from the start. Seems as if Jacobs is ready to make that a reality now that he's got his head in the right place.