David Wilson works to know Giants' offense inside and out
David Wilson is looking forward to the day that Eli Manning messes up.
It's not that he wants his quarterback to fail. Rather, Wilson wants to be the one to point him in the right direction. He wants to be such a master of the Giants' offense that he can be a beat ahead of its maestro.
"I still haven't learned everything that the running back needs to do like a second nature," Wilson said. "That's the point I'm striving to get to, where I can be like, 'Hold on! Eli, look at this!' Where I learn the offense that good that I can correct some things."
That may take some time, but as Wilson noted, "There have been running backs in this system that know it that well."
Wilson is only in his second season and, as his predecessor Ahmad Bradshaw said this past week, it will take some time before he is completely comfortable and capable as an every- down back.
"He was in this offense and he knows what it takes to be successful in this offense," Wilson said of Bradshaw, who will be at MetLife Stadium Sunday night with his new team, the Colts. "He tried to teach me everything he could while he was here . . . I'm just taking it one day at a time, trying to get better and better each week."
And one day, maybe he'll be able to tap Manning on the shoulder.
Brown sees a difference
When Stevie Brown came out to talk to reporters before practice Friday, it was just one of the differences between last year's training camp and this one for the Giants safety.
"I didn't have to do interviews with this many cameras and stuff last year," he said. "I just got to eat lunch and go back."
Now the good old days of obscurity are over. Of course, having eight interceptions in a season and landing a $2.02-million salary as a restricted free agent changes a lot of that. And with the newfound responsibilities comes a change in the way he is perceived not only by the media but inside the walls of the Giants' facility.
"It's definitely a little bit different," Brown said. "Coaches talk to you in a different way, players talk to you in a different way. It's not about 'keep it going, keep your head focused, see if you can try to make this team.' Now it's like: 'We're going to need things from you this year, we expect things from you this year' and everything like that."
Tuck, Snee need snaps
After eight and nine NFL seasons, respectively, Justin Tuck and Chris Snee probably could dive right into the regular season without taking any preseason snaps. But neither will. After sitting out against the Steelers last week, both are expected to play Sunday night.
"The longer you play, the less preseason you need, but you need some snaps," Tuck said.
He recalled Michael Strahan skipping the entire 2007 preseason before playing in the opener against Dallas. "He sucked it up, he played, but he had no preseason and he could tell,'' Tuck said. "I remember on the plane back, he was like, 'Man, that was the worst game of my life.' You tend to second-guess everything you're doing when you haven't gotten the opportunity to get in the groove."
Snee echoed those thoughts. "I feel like I have to," he said of the preseason. "Maybe some guys think they can get away without playing in the preseason, but I wouldn't feel comfortable going into Dallas without having done some reps in this preseason."
Tuck said he thinks playing in two preseason games will get him in a good place for the regular season.
"The last two, get your body ready to go, mentally ready to go, your eyes sharp and things like that, but I appreciate preseason, I really do," he said. "It's all about the fundamentals and getting back in the groove of things."
Sprain for Donnell
TE Larry Donnell was diagnosed with a left knee sprain after falling and being carted away from practice Friday. There is no timetable for his return. Donnell participated in the Giants' walk-through Saturday ut is not expected to play Sunday night. He had been competing for a spot on the 53-man roster at tight end and fullback.
