Jacobs glad he's been told about his role

Brandon Jacobs just wanted an explanation. He'd been told several times - and certainly shown in practices and in games - that he was going to take a backseat to Ahmad Bradshaw in the running back rotation. But the why was never provided.

"That's what it was that lit my dynamite," he said Wednesday.

Meetings with Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese on Monday, however, provided the answer he'd been looking for. "Whatever the questions were, they were answered specifically," Coughlin said.

Jacobs did not disclose what he was told but said that he agreed with it "100 percent."

"We got it all out of the way and now it's time to go out and play football," he said. "I'm absolutely in the right frame of mind."

On Monday, Coughlin said the Giants decided to switch the order the running backs would be used heading into the preseason because "we felt that Bradshaw earned that right and it has not changed."

Jacobs offered a series of apologies to his teammates, front office and even the Colts organization. He also apologized to the fan who wound up with his helmet after he accidentally flung it six rows deep into the Lucas Oil Stadium crowd on Sunday night.

He apologized as well to the media, which has taken the brunt of his sour mood in a series of walkouts and expletive-filled rants.

"For the last month it hasn't been so pleasant dealing with me," he said to reporters around his locker. "I've been in a state of mind where I hated all of you guys and I apologize to each and every one of you for acting the way I've been acting."

He also said he wants to get back to being a punishing runner and set a physical tone for the Giants' offense.

"I'm definitely at my best when I'm a more physical running back," Jacobs said. "That keeps the defense guessing and a lot of guys are not going to take that for four quarters."

It was the consternation of Coughlin after Jacobs tried to cut back and reverse field on a second-and-8 run in the third quarter of Sunday's game that led to the helmet toss. Coughlin said he wanted Jacobs to be more of a north-south runner.

"I do feel that I can go straight ahead and hit some folks," Jacobs said, admitting that he might have an ulterior motive to doing just that. "That's all people want to see is a 1- or 2-yard gain, which I'm not absolutely happy with. But that'd keep people off my back, too."