New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith celebrates his first-half...

New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith celebrates his first-half touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. (Oct. 25, 2010) Credit: AP

INDIANAPOLIS — With the benefit of a few weeks of hindsight, Giants coach Tom Coughlin now thinks injuries were a bigger factor in the team’s December collapse than he initially acknowledged in the immediate aftermath of a 10-6 season.

“I’m not going to use any excuses, but the one thing the coach wants is to have his team together at the end of the season,” Coughlin said Friday during a news briefing at the NFL Scouting Combine. “ was a factor.”

The Giants were 9-4 and seemingly headed for a playoff berth when they built a 31-10 fourth-quarter lead over the Eagles. But in a stunning meltdown, they allowed 28 points in the final eight minutes and lost, 38-31. They lost the following week in Green Bay, 45-17, and even a win over the Redskins in the final week wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. They were beaten out by the Packers for the sixth seed — and Green Bay wound up winning the Super Bowl.

The Giants suffered injuries to starting receivers Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks, and defensive end/linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka also was lost to a season-ending neck injury.

“At times during the season, I came away from games saying we may really have something here,” Coughlin said. “As soon as I said that, Steve Smith had his knee problems. It’s not all about that. Everyone overcomes injuries . . . the injury factor really did take a toll.”

Coughlin addressed several other issues in his first extensive interview since the day after the season ended:

- Injury update: Smith (knee surgery) is scheduled to resume running in a few weeks. “He’s making progress. From what I understand, late spring or whatever before we would have a chance to know where we stand.”

Kiwanuka “seems to be doing pretty well.” Surgery hasn’t been completely ruled out, however. “I don’t think the final hurdle has been overcome,” Coughlin said. “The arrow is pointed in the right direction.”

On G/C Rich Seubert (knee surgery): “If there’s anybody who can overcome, it would be that guy. He’s one tough guy.”

- A Plaxico Burress return: General manager Jerry Reese recently said he’d give consideration to reaching out to former Giants receiver Burress when his prison sentence on illegal gun possession charges runs out in June. But Coughlin wasn’t giving away his intentions just yet.

“A little bit. Not much,” Coughlin said when asked if he had thought about what might happen after Burress gets out of prison. “There may be some further discussion. There really hasn’t been any lengthy discussions to this point.”

- Antrel Rolle’s criticism: Safeties Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips created a stir shortly after the regular season when they suggested on a Miami radio show that Coughlin needed to lighten up and have some more fun. Phillips even suggested he wouldn’t mind playing for fun-loving Jets coach Rex Ryan. Coughlin’s response?

“You should have seen me a few years ago,” Coughlin cracked. “That’s my response.”  

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