Coughlin mining Giants' rookies for special team

At one practice earlier this week, rookies Tim Brown and Victor Cruz were fielding punts. Or trying to at least. One after another they would bobble, whiff or otherwise muff the footballs flying at them. Last weekend against the Ravens, Andre Brown tried to return a kickoff only to have the ball bounce off his chest.

It's almost like a war of attrition for these potential return men. No one seems to want the job, and it may wind up going to the one who is the least awful at it.

That's not the way things are supposed to go for guys trying to make the team or find a role on the 45-man game day squad. And it's not the way things were supposed to go for the Giants. They had Domenik Hixon ready to be their primary returner, but his season-ending knee injury in minicamp foiled that plan. Then Aaron Ross emerged as the most intriguing punt returner. A torn plantar fascia has put those plans on hold.

So here we are, the day of the final preseason game, and the Giants are still in the audition process. "We're continuing to try to resolve that issue, try lots of people and keep an open mind about what's going on in the league and who is available," coach Tom Coughlin said.

Even a guy like Cruz, who leads the NFL in receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns this preseason, realizes that special teams is where he most likely will be used if the Giants do keep him around.

"The day I feel secure is the day they come to me and tell me I made the team," he said. "With what I've done so far you feel confident with what you can do against NFL talent, but you have to keep working and keep striving, especially on special teams because you know that's an area of importance."

While the Giants search for returners, there are other areas of special teams that need addressing. Rookie punter Matt Dodge has been inconsistent, although he's shown an ability to kick the ball a long way. "You've just got to work those one or two poorly punted balls out of the routine," Coughlin said of Dodge's clunkers. And then there is Dodge holding for kicker Lawrence Tynes. He's done well in games so far, but in practice on Tuesday Dodge nearly had his right hand broken by Tynes when Dodge failed to pull his hand out of the way and Tynes kicked it with the ball.

Besides the specialists on special teams? Coughlin summed up their three basic problems.

"No tackling, no tackling, no tackling at all," Coughlin said. "Not tackling well enough. They need to tackle better."

Every year at this time NFL coaching staffs remind the younger players that the easiest way to make the squad is to excel on special teams. That's true for the Giants as well, as they consider who will be whittled away to get to 53 by Saturday. But in their case, they're not just looking for special-teams players. They're looking for special-teams playmakers.

"The thing that all of those young guys - you preach, but sometimes they don't listen - it's going to be special teams," Coughlin said.

Notes & quotes: The Giants were one of the teams that reportedly had contact with the Cardinals about acquiring QB Matt Leinart. Although the Giants are keeping an eye out for experienced backups after Jim Sorgi landed on IR with a shoulder injury, a move to get Leinart seems unlikely . . . Coughlin said that S Kenny Phillips and LB Keith Bulluck, both coming back from knee surgeries, will play a full rotation Thursday night against the Patriots.