Giants turn the temperature down at practice to prepare for Lambeau Field and Green Bay Packers
It wasn't exactly the frozen tundra, but Tom Coughlin did try to give his players a feel for Sunday's conditions by opening the doors to the Giants' indoor practice facility.
"We had it below 45 degrees in here today, which obviously is not game temperature," he said. "But the thing that occurs right now is, it is a frozen grass field, and part of the turf field is frozen as well. So really there is no going outside. So we try to make it reasonable in here. It is better today — a little chillier today."
Asked if it helps, Coughlin said, "It gets their mind right. There are going to play in colder weather than this. It is not comfortable. Let's put it that way."
Meanwhile, the Packers did go outside for just the team portion of Thursday's practice on their high-tech heated field.
"The grass was green. It was awesome," coach Mike McCarthy said.
The Patriots, in particular, claim they play so well in the cold because Bill Belichick always has them practicing in the elements. The Giants, however, have always been a good cold weather team under Coughlin, including their win at frigid Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship Game three seasons ago.
Coughlin's red cheeks that day made him look like Santa Claus.
"Every one of these players has gone down through the color of my face," he said when asked if he'll wear warmer clothing this time. "Whatever they will pack I will wear."
Even a ski mask?
"I don't think so," he said.
Justin Tuck, who said the Giants will make sure the coach is bundled up this time, remembers a lot about that game in Green Bay: "My mouthpiece getting frozen to my helmet and having to play without a mouthpiece for a couple of plays. I still remember the Corey (Webster) pick. I still remember Coach Coughlin's face. I still remember the back of David Diehl's head where the sweat had dried up and froze into icicles inside his helmet."
Wisconsin native Rich Seubert, meanwhile, scoffed at suggestions it's a home-field advantage.
"They didn't grow up in igloos," he said.
WHAT'S THE SCORE
The Giants have forced 34 turnovers this season but none has been returned for a touchdown. Safety Deon Grant said the defense used to have a pot for who would score first but got away from it. It would be worth a lot of money by now.
"Yes it would," he said. "I think we have to start ante-ing that up again. This week, if we can make about four turnovers and take it to the house at the same time, that would be a great story. That's definitely one of our goals."
Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell can't believe the zero TDs and guaranteed his team will not finish the season that way.
"That's (ticking) me off," he said. "I'm a score-on-defense guy. We're going to get that done these last two ballgames. I've been emphasizing that for (15 weeks) and we're going to get it done. We will score."
INJURY UPDATE
Return man Will Blackmon sat out practice with a knee injury, and Coughlin said he had several options to replace him.
"Just normal wear and tear — no incident," Coughlin explained. "But toward the end of practice Thursday he kind of slowed down a little bit."
Diehl was back to work after being sick Wednesday. DE Osi Umenyiora was limited. WR Mario Manningham worked fully. In Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers participated fully for the second straight day of practice since being cleared from his concussion.
