Giants want to make good first impression against new-look Redskins

The Giants will get their first look at Robert Griffin III Sunday. It won't be their last.

Griffin appears to be in place as the Redskins' franchise quarterback, meaning he could be facing the Giants twice a year for the next decade or more. While Giants coach Tom Coughlin has noted that Griffin's presence has "energized" the Washington offense, he could do the same, too, for a rivalry with the Giants that has been dormant in recent years.

The Giants have been fighting with the Cowboys and Eagles for division titles for the last several seasons. The Redskins? Well, they've just been a team the Giants also play.

Few words have been exchanged between the two and the buildup for the meetings does not include the fire and vitriol that those other division opponents bring out of both sides.

Sure, there have been some memorable games between the Giants and Redskins recently, including two emotional ones last year. And yes, NFC East contests are important. But for the most part, Giants-Redskins has been a moribund rivalry.

That's about to change.

"They made a lot of upgrades," Justin Tuck said of the Redskins' offense led by Griffin, "and I feel like for years to come [the rivalry is] going to be pretty good."

The Giants have had this kind of rivalry with opposing division quarterbacks over the years, going back to the days of Roger Staubach and Joe Theismann and all the way up to recent showdowns with Michael Vick and Tony Romo.

Now they'll have to face Griffin on a regular basis, and whoever comes out on top Sunday could hold an advantage for the next few meetings. Naturally, it's important to set parameters early in a long-term relationship, and Griffin and the Giants will be trying to make a first impression that will stick. Very often in these cases, impressions linger beyond just one game.

Giants backup QB David Carr once was in Griffin's place, a hotshot rookie quarterback taken at the top of the draft and looking to establish himself -- and his new team, the Houston Texans, for that matter -- in the AFC South. Carr recalled beating the Jaguars in his first meeting against them on the road in 2003.

"And then, from then on, for some reason, we beat Jacksonville a lot," Carr said. "We didn't beat a lot of teams, but we had Jacksonville's number.

"It was one of those deals where, especially against a team you're going to play a lot and a coordinator you're going to play, I think that it's very important to get off to a good start. It kind of puts it in the back of their mind that, all right, these guys have done this to us in the past and they might do that again. If something goes bad, they might be like, 'Here we go again.' But it's very important."

It works the other way, too. Carr said that was the case with the Indianapolis Colts. "The first time we went up there and played them in Indy, they beat us like we stole something, and it didn't change for the next four years," Carr said. "We beat them one time and that was at home. So yeah, you can get a sense of how a team plays against you and it goes from there."

On Sunday, the Giants will get a sense of Griffin. For better or worse, it's likely to leave a lasting impression on them.

Notes & quotes: The Giants activated DT Chris Canty off PUP Saturday, making him available to play against the Redskins. To make room on the roster for him they placed RB Da'Rel Scott (knee) on injured reserve.