Aaron Ross News

Glenn Warciski, a Fifth Down reader from Louisiana and a Giants fan , has put his finger on one part of the Giants' problems.

Several defensive players -- most notably Antonio Pierce and Justin Tuck -- this past week mentioned communication problems as part of the reason for the breakdowns in recent weeks as the Giants allowed 48 points to the Saints and weren't any better in last week's 40-17 loss to the Eagles.

So what has gone wrong for the Giants during their three-game slide? How about everything, says Sirius host and Giants' play-by-play man Bob Papa.

Giants safety C.C. Brown has started since Kenny Phillips went on IR, but he was not working with the first team during Friday's practice.

Photo credit: J. Conrad Williams Jr. The New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw fighting off Philadelphia Eagles PK David Akers while running back a kickoff in the first quarter at Giant Stadium.

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw and cornerback Aaron Ross both missed practice on Wednesday and their status for Sunday's home game against San Diego remain in question.

The core of this Giants team has risen to the challenge so often the past few seasons that even when darkness is shrouding the light there's the belief that some soothing rays of sunshine will soon peek through.

Justin Tuck and the Giants have the mindset that next week's game against the Chargers may be a must-win. Justin Tuck looked around the Giants' locker room Monday afternoon and declared that team confidence is as high as it's been in nearly a month.

Nearing the midpoint of their season, riding a two-game losing streak and facing a trip to Philadelphia for a tangle with their fierce NFC East rival, it sure appears to be a crossroads moment up ahead for the Giants.

New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham is inactive for Sunday's game against the Eagles with a shoulder injury.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. If he was given a chance on kickoff returns, the Giants would be facing a quadruple threat Sunday when they meet up with the Eagles' DeSean Jackson in Philadelphia.

Mario Manningham has not been on this week's injury report, but he was working on the bike in the portion of Friday's practice open to the media.

The third-year running back, who has gained 455 yard rushing, has seemingly known about the injury since the spring but he has played in pain.

Even though Kevin Boss said he temporarily blacked out when he was hit in the head last Sunday, his name was not on the preliminary injury list Wednesday as the Giants began preparation for Sunday's game at Philadelphia.

Giants rookie OT Will Beatty gets pushed off by the Cardinals' Matt Ware in the fourth quarter Sunday.

Mike Bell and Reggie Bush celebrate Bell's touchdown Sunday against the Giants. The Saints celebrated a lot of touchdowns in their 48-27 win.

The last regular-season start RT Kareem McKenzie missed was Nov. 5, 2006. The Giants' offensive line had started an NFL-record 38 consecutive regular-season games.

What happened in the secondary? There were plenty of plays where a cornerback would seem to be looking for help in a certain spot and not get it because a safety was being suckered in by play action.

No surprises among the Giants inactives for the Saints game: the three injured players, CB Aaron Ross, DT Chris Canty and LB Michael Boley, plus RB Danny Ware, OL Adam Koets, OL Guy Whimper, WR Ramses Barden and LB Clint Sintim.

Photo credit: Kathy Kmonicek / AP Rex Ryan, left, will try to restore order for the Jets this weekend against the Raiders, who are coming off an expected win against the Eagles.