Giants' Tuck sits out practice

Justin Tuck was in violation of the Rolle Doctrine Friday.

For the last two weeks, the Giants have been focused on having every available player give every available ounce of himself in practices. It's a philosophy that began with safety Antrel Rolle sounding off on teammates after the loss to the Redskins on Dec. 18. Many have credited it for carrying the Giants through their two must-win games to close the regular season and into Sunday's playoff opener against the Falcons.

Even Tuck -- especially Tuck! -- had participated in every practice since then. The defensive end had made a big point of being able to put his many injuries out of his mind and push through them, something he wasn't always able to do for most of the season, and proudly noted that he was no longer on the injury reports.

"It shows what the mind can do," Tuck said after last week's win over the Cowboys in which he had a game-clinching sack. "The body hurts, but when the mind tells it to go, it just seems like you can get the job done."

For nearly three weeks, it worked. Rolle was credited with inspiring the best from the team throughout the week. Even Osi Umenyiora, who began the season pouting on a stationary bike, has embraced the "all-in" mantra.

Until Friday, when Tuck was sidelined at practice with a sore shoulder. He's been dealing with that injury for most of the season and even spent a few snaps sidelined because of it during the Cowboys game, but this is the first time it has appeared on the injury report. The shoulder joins his neck, groin, ankle and toe as causes of his missing practice time.

It is not, however, expected to cost him any game time. Tuck officially is listed as probable for Sunday.

"He was just sore," coach Tom Coughlin said, expressing little concern that the defensive captain might not be available to face the Falcons. "It's not what you want. But we had good work out of everybody else."

Tuck did not answer four questions about his injury and his missed practice, giving a "no comment" to each question, including one about whether he will play Sunday.

"He's a warrior," backup defensive end Dave Tollefson said. "He'll be all right."

Tuck's absence Friday throws off the practice mojo that the Giants had been thriving on for the last several weeks. It had been a point of emphasis not only with the players but with Coughlin.

"I think it grows, to be honest with you," Coughlin said of the intensity at practice when he spoke Thursday. "It moves along. The energy and the excitement are even stronger than yesterday, and that's the way I think it works. I think it goes along. Tomorrow will be a very upbeat day, good tempo."

Except for Tuck. It's been a difficult week for him, one that began when he started a firestorm by saying that some people might call the Falcons' offensive linemen dirtbags and then trying to backtrack away from it. Now he's back on the injury report.

"He did a really good job the last two days of practicing and doing everything," Tollefson said of Tuck. "To miss one day, it happens sometimes. That's just the nature of this game. You can get dinged up at practice and wake up and be sore and not be ready to go. I'm not too concerned about it and I don't think anybody else is, either."

"The game of football is tough," Mathias Kiwanuka said. "It's tough on your body. We all know that if he could be out there, he would. And when Sunday comes, he'll be ready to go."