Coughlin says Giants' Jacobs hasn't asked for trade

There have been many reports about Brandon Jacobs in the last 24 hours. He wants to be traded, he doesn't want to be traded. He wants to meet with Giants brass, he won't meet with Giants brass. He's unhappy about his role on this team, he's . . . Well, that last one seems irrefutable. Especially after the latest series of tirades and tantrums from the big running back.

This recent emotional skid began Sunday night in Indianapolis when he flung his helmet about 10 rows into the stands behind the Giants' bench at Lucas Oil Stadium (an accident, he contended). Then after a heartfelt speech in which he apologized to fans and both organizations, he snapped at a reporter with profanity (for which he later, too, apologized).

Monday, he walked into the locker room during media availability and walked out, but not before dropping his belongings at his stool and at least one more F-bomb directed at reporters.

"I have a lot on me right now, you know what I mean?" Jacobs said in one of those moments of clarity between apologetic and apoplectic following Sunday night's 38-14 loss to the Colts. "It's not good. I just want to forget about all of this."

Jacobs' sourness stems from his demotion to second-string running back. He had only four carries for eight yards against the Colts, and came off the field in the third quarter to a snarling Tom Coughlin after his last run, designed go right which he broke back to the left for no gain.

"We see too much of that, that east and west stuff," Coughlin said after the game. "Find some place to go and get up. Get up north."

That's when Jacobs said he tried to slam his helmet into the team's bench area but his gloved middle finger stuck and the equipment went soaring.

The league is "looking into" the incident and Jacobs almost certainly will be fined for that, along with his late hit out of bounds on an interception return in the first quarter. Coughlin said he would not discipline Jacobs any further than the league's investigation sees fit.

But he also said he does not condone helmet-tossing, not the least of his reasons being the risk of injury to spectators.

"The whole incident upsets me," Coughlin said. "It really makes no sense. It's a senseless act. I don't know what you're going to accomplish by that. Even if it was an accident, the frustration, you've got to learn to deal with it. You've got to have poise, you've got to have some patience, you've got to have some control, and you've got to be able to control those kinds of situations."

Those reports about trades? Coughlin said no request has been made and general manager Jerry Reese suggested Monday that Jacobs' emotions might be very high after a disappointing loss. Given the velocity with which Jacobs' passions swing, all of the reports might have been correct at some point. Several people close to Jacobs have told Newsday that the running back desires a meeting with the front office but could not confirm if any is scheduled.

Coughlin seemed to think that would not be necessary. "His role has been defined," Coughlin said of discussions he had with Jacobs when he groused about lack of snaps in the preseason finale. "That was I don't know how many weeks ago . . . and we did talk about it at that time. I'm not sure why that keeps coming up."

Mainly because Jacobs continues to seethe over it. Coughlin said he has not heard of any trade request from Jacobs. He also added that he admires the competitiveness that burns in Jacobs.

"That's fine, but there's a way to go about that," Coughlin said. "Go out on the field and prove it. Talking about it and constantly bringing this up is not the answer . . . That's not what it's about."