Giants must solve their biggest problem: turnovers

PHILADELPHIA - Tom Coughlin went through a statistical comparison between the Eagles and the Giants this past week and found that they were virtually even in nearly every category. From points per game to big plays to sacks, there was no way to differentiate between the teams who played for first place in the NFC East last night.

Until, that is, Coughlin got to turnovers.

"The only thing that's not close, quite frankly," he said. "I'm tired of that stuff. I told the players that. When you look at them, they're plus-12 and we're minus-5.

"Ridiculous."

The Giants have been battling a turnover rash all year. It's been their season of giving. In only three of their first nine games did they go without an interception, and in those three games they lost a total of five fumbles.

The Eagles have thrown only four interceptions all season, none by Michael Vick, who started last night. They have had slippery hands, fumbling 16 times, but only five were recovered by the opponent.

As much as the Giants needed to keep a lid on Vick and stop the big plays by his receivers, it was the self-inflicted errors they were most wary of containing. They not only would negate scoring opportunities for the Giants but also would give unnecessary opportunities to those dangerous Eagles.

"You have to take care of the ball," Eli Manning said. "You can't give their offense easy field position and momentum . . . We have to run the ball and be effective, don't go backward and be consistent. Take what they give you."

The Giants' recent history against the Eagles does not include a chapter on securing the ball well.

"We're minus-five in the last four games against them," Coughlin said (leaving unsaid that the Eagles won all four). "Last year, we fumbled and they ran it in the end zone. They ran a punt back for a touchdown. You can't help a team that's as talented and as versatile as this team. You can't help them.

"Hidden in all of your defensive numbers is the number of times they got the ball when they shouldn't have gotten the ball. And where they got the ball."

The Giants have survived most of their miscues, but last week against the Cowboys, they were killers. Manning had an interception returned 102 yards for a touchdown and had a pass picked off in the closing minutes.

The offense has been revving at a historic pace. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Giants had never totaled at least 480 yards of offense in three straight games until these last three games. They had 480 against the Cowboys but only 20 points to show for it.

That it annoyed the coach was no surprise. That the even-keeled Manning seemed frustrated by that game shows how bad the situation has become.

"We've been playing at an unbelievably high level," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "Last week, 480 yards with those mistakes and with those penalties and the yardage is almost inconceivable."

Gilbride pointed specifically to the interception returned for a touchdown by Dallas. The Giants had a touchdown negated by a penalty, then had the interception, a 14-point swing in a game decided by 13. Though he wasn't condoning the play, he hopes it will be the tipping point in the Giants' turnover-plagued campaign.

"I think things like that, you wouldn't be a human being if you weren't frustrated," Gilbride said. "But I think that's a good thing."

Notes & quotes: Despite not practicing all week, former Eagles guard Shawn Andrews started at left tackle for the Giants. Andrews, whose career with the Eagles was cut short by two back surgeries and a bout with depression, did not work this past week because of soreness in his back . . . TE Kevin Boss (back) and CB Corey Webster (toe), other starters who missed practice time during the week, also started . . . TE Jake Ballard, promoted from the practice squad Saturday, was active for the game.