Osi to test ankle to determine availability
New York Giants' Osi Umenyiora tosses a football as he rides a stationary bike during training camp in East Rutherford, N.J. (Aug. 3, 2011) Credit: AP
Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora will test his injured ankle later this week to determine if he is able to play against the Cowboys on Sunday night.
A source said Umenyiora, who has been sidelined since the Nov. 28 game against the Saints with a severe ankle sprain, will see if he can get any "push" off the sore joint, likely Thursday, before deciding about his availability for the do-or-die contest. "No push, no play," the source said. Umenyiora wants to play, the source added, but there is not a great deal of optimism that he will be able to.
If the Giants' season ends Sunday with a loss, it also could mean the end of Umenyiora's career with the team. He's had a volatile season with the front office and has expressed his desire for a new contract or a trade to a team that will give him one. He missed the first three games of the season recovering from knee surgery, had seven sacks in the next seven games, then injured the ankle early in the Saints game in Week 12. He has one year left on his contract after this season.
Prime-time showdown
NBC had until early this week to decide which game it would flex for its Sunday night broadcast, but it went with a no-huddle instead. And a no-brainer. The network grabbed the Giants-Cowboys game, a winner-take-all tilt that will exist in a bubble -- it will not be influenced by any other game that day and neither team can back into the playoffs -- and happens to be between teams with the largest viewing markets and fan bases in the country.
The game, which was on the schedule as a 1 p.m. start, instead will kick off at nearly 8:30 p.m.. That may be an inconvenience for some Giants fans, but the following day is a federal holiday, with New Year's Day being observed Jan. 2.
Giant steps
Saturday's win over the Jets guaranteed that the Giants will finish with a non-losing record for the seventh straight season, the franchise's longest streak since 10 straight from 1954-63 . . . Whichever team wins Sunday will be the first NFC East winner in the history of the division (1970) with fewer than 10 wins . . . The Giants, off Sunday, provided no update on injuries, including the one suffered by Tom Coughlin in the fourth quarter when he was run over on the sideline.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo bruised his hand early in Saturday's loss to the Eagles and did not return to the game, but X-rays were negative and he is expected to face the Giants. It is unclear how much he will be able to practice in the week leading up to the game. Cowboys backup Stephen McGee finished the game Saturday.
