Giants Q&A: Grant, Bulluck just miss big plays

Is it true that two defensive veterans were kicking themselves after the game?

That would be Deon Grant and Keith Bulluck, each of whom was in the right place at the right time with the wrong result.

Grant dropped a potential interception that he likely could have returned for a touchdown, then coughed up a fumble recovery after Osi Umenyiora's eighth strip-sack of the season. Grant said he dived on the ball and hit it face-first, causing it to squirm away from him. "That wasn't good at all," he said. "I do not want to see that on film." Grant did come back later in the game to force a fumble.

As for Bulluck, he had a chance to scoop a fumble and at least gain a few yards, if not score. "I just fell, man," he said. "I picked it up clean and started to run and my momentum was carrying me forward."

Who is Terrell Thomas' good-luck charm?

His mother, Teressa Knox, who was at yesterday's game and saw him intercept a pass. Thomas said he's come away with a pick in every game she's been to in the last two years. That includes this year's games against Carolina, Seattle and Washington - which all were Giants victories, too.

So much was made about Antrel Rolle's reaction to the team being booed at halftime last week. How was his reception in yesterday's game?

Generally positive, although when he was flagged for a tripping penalty after sticking out his leg to take down Anthony Armstrong after a reception, the crowd at New Meadowlands Stadium did boo. Whether they were booing the player or the call was hard to tell, although it was a legitimate flag.

Eli Manning seemed to be motioning to Mario Manningham to go deeper on his route after one incompletion. What was he telling him?

"I kind of wanted him to just run straight down the field," Manning said. "It's one of those where we got the blitz that we had in practice, and rarely do you get that . . . He went a little to the flat and I said, 'Hey, just take that right down the middle. You have London Fletcher running with you man-to-man.' "

Who was more surprised that Albert Haynesworth didn't play Sunday, the Giants or Haynesworth?

Hard to say.

"I thought it was a do-or-die situation that we needed to do everything to win," Haynesworth said, "So yeah, [I was shocked]."

Certainly the Giants saw it more as a good surprise. "I talked to one of the boys on the team over there," Haynesworth said of the Giants, "and he was like, 'Man, I was happy you wasn't playing.' "