Bradshaw does some temp work, performs well

The help-wanted ad in the Tom Coughlin Gazette called for a change-of-pace back who could spell the new/old workhorse and catch some passes.

Down on his luck after losing his job this past week, Ahmad Bradshaw submitted his resume. There was no need for an interview - Coughlin already knew his credentials.

After losing his starting job to Brandon Jacobs, Bradshaw slipped back into the role he played in his first three years with the Giants and played well in a 24-20 win over Jacksonville at New Meadowlands Stadium yesterday. He accepted the demotion like a devoted teammate, and his performance delighted the man who took his job.

"Whenever Ahmad's out there, I'm watching him run,'' Jacobs said. "We have a very strong relationship, even aside from football. Guys in our predicament usually don't get along.''

That's certainly not the case with these two. After the game, they chatted privately for about five minutes - probably about how well they had punished the Jacksonville defense.

Jacobs (87 yards on 14 carries) was slightly more productive than Bradshaw (49 yards on a season-low nine carries; 34 yards on four catches), but each made a crucial play.

Jacobs took a handoff 18 yards to the Jaguars' 32 three plays before Eli Manning threw the winning touchdown pass to Kevin Boss. And Bradshaw steamrolled safety Courtney Greene to convert a two-point conversion run after Mario Manningham's touchdown, tying it at 17.

His mind-set on the conversion run? "Just to get in,'' he said of the first two-point run of his career. "The way they played it, it was actually a bad call . . . but all I can do is run the ball.''

Not necessarily true; he also can catch it. On his first play of the game, a second-and-8 from the Jacksonville 21 on the Giants' first drive, Bradshaw shifted from the backfield to the left slot and caught a screen pass for a 10-yard gain. He slammed the ball to the turf in frustration after being tackled, believing he could have taken it all the way.

Neither he nor Jacobs scored, but the more important "0'' in that stat sheet was under "fumbles'' - the reason Bradshaw lost his job in the first place. "We've been making too many mistakes,'' said Bradshaw, who has lost five fumbles. "We did better with it today.''

Given Bradshaw's fumbling problem, it was interesting that when the Giants took over with 1:25 left and ran out the clock, Coughlin entrusted him to hold on to the ball on one carry.

And after Jacobs rushed for 35 yards on five carries during the first series, he didn't touch the ball again until the third quarter.

Although Bradshaw had a 27-yard run to set up a field goal, his final numbers were relatively modest. But they were impressive enough when you factor in that because of injuries, the Giants had a makeshift left side of the offensive line in tackle Will Beatty and guard Kevin Boothe.

"[It felt] regular,'' Bradshaw said. "I did this last year, so it's nothing different. [Jacobs] can do whatever I can do, and I can do whatever he can do.''

Except, at the moment, start the game on the field.