Insult to injuries for Giants, Rams: 0-2

Of all the injuries that have hit the Giants and the Rams -- and they range from torn ACLs and dislocated elbows to season-ending strep throat -- the one that hasn't been listed on any documents so far is insomnia.

Maybe that's just because coaches' conditions aren't required for the reports.

Asked about how he slept last Sunday night after a 31-13 loss to the Eagles in which three key pieces of his offense were sidelined, Steve Spagnuolo understatedly replied: "It wasn't the best."

"When you're told the injuries in the fourth quarter of a game and your starting quarterback, best running back and best receiver are out of there, that is tough," he said this week. "In this league, nobody feels sorry for you."

If there is a team that could, it would be the Giants. Monday night's prime-time game could be renamed the Battered Bowl because it features the two NFL teams that have taken the biggest injury hits so far this season.

Even if the Giants are able to play with Justin Tuck (neck) and Hakeem Nicks (knee) Monday night, both of whom are listed as questionable, they'll still be without three of their projected defensive starters. The Rams are holding out hope that running back Steven Jackson (quad) will be able to play -- he'll be a game-time decision despite not practicing all week -- but he would appear to be a long shot at best.

Looming for at least one of these teams is perhaps the most difficult bruise to overcome: the dreaded 0-2 start.

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Seventeen teams have started their season with two straight losses in the past two years, and none have made the playoffs. Since 2000, only nine of 98 teams that started 0-2 made the playoffs. Since 1990, it's 22 of 177.

How bad would it be to drop to 0-2?

"It's no fun to be 0-1," Tom Coughlin grumbled.

There is some hope for whoever loses Monday night. Both the 2007 Giants and 2001 Patriots won a Super Bowl after stumbling at the green light. And in 2008, three teams -- the Dolphins, Vikings and Chargers -- started 0-2 and made the playoffs.

No one wants to have to try to do that this year, though.

"This week is a Monday night game," Coughlin said. "It's the second game of the season. We're 0-1. St. Louis is 0-1. Both teams, I'm sure, feel like this is a critical game."

Losing this game to the Rams would be bad enough for the Giants. But to have to play in Philadelphia next week to avoid going 0-3? It's not even something the Giants are considering.

"We haven't even thought about losing this football game," defensive tackle Chris Canty said. "That's not an option."

The Rams, who play in the decidedly weaker NFC West, would have the best shot of losing Monday night and still playing in January. But that's not something they want to try, either.

"I think last year, we had some close games early in the season that we could have won and possibly put away and didn't," said Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, who will play despite a bruised index finger on his throwing hand. "Last year, we ended up in a tie for our division [title] and then lost in the tiebreaker and didn't go to the playoffs.

"I think everyone on our team understands the importance of these early games and how they can come back to bite you if you don't put them away when you have the opportunities to."

Looking at each other's injury reports this week, both teams likely see an opportunity to get a win against a weakened opponent.