Umenyiora, Tuck could be out Sunday

The Giants could be playing Sunday without two of their "starting'' defensive ends.

Osi Umenyiora still is nursing a serious ankle sprain, and although Tom Coughlin said he is "hopeful" that he'll be able to contribute this week against the Redskins, he noted that there are days when the medical reports are "not quite as positive as you thought it would be." Umenyiora already has missed two games and a source said it is very likely that he'll miss a third Sunday.

The other defensive end is Justin Tuck, who was sidelined for portions of the most recent game in Dallas with a toe injury.

"I played on one leg," Tuck said in the weekly interview on WFAN. "It's trying to fight through it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go 100 percent."

Tuck said he has "no clue" if he'll be able to play against the Redskins and is awaiting the results of an MRI on his ailing toe. The Cowboys game was the second time this year that Tuck started a game and finished without being credited with a tackle.

"Just tried to fight through it and give us a body out there," Tuck said. "For the most part, I felt I was out there just to be the fourth man on the line."

Coughlin concernedAnother game, another lapse in the secondary for the Giants, who gave up four touchdown passes to an opposing quarterback for the third straight week. The latest glaring transgressions were the 74-yard completion to Laurent Robinson over Prince Amukamara in the fourth quarter that set up the go-ahead score for the Cowboys and the 50-yard TD pass to Dez Bryant after what appeared to be a miscommunication between Antrel Rolle and Corey Webster.

"It's a tremendous, grave concern," Coughlin said Monday. "I can't express that any more."

Coughlin said there are times when people in his secondary get beat, such as the Amukamara play. Those things, of course, happen. "The thing that I'm most discouraged about and disappointed is when we do have a breakdown in communication or some type of an error that gives up a big play," Coughlin said. "That should not be happening, and we're continuing to try to eliminate those things."

Giant stepsCoughlin said S Kenny Phillips (knee) and C David Baas (neck/headaches) could try to return to action this week. "We're early [in the week]," he said . . . TE Travis Beckum left the game with a sternoclavicular injury. "I think we're going to have to see if he can play through some of the soreness that he has," Coughlin said. "Hopefully that will happen." . . . TE Jake Ballard (wrist) and T David Diehl (hand) could be limited in practice this week, but Coughlin expects them to play Sunday.