Despite both coming off as joyless, gruff coaches, the Patriots' Bill Belichick and the Giants' Tom Coughlin actually are rather friendly with each other.
Both were assistants under Bill Parcells on the late 1980s Giants, with Belichick the defensive coordinator/secondary coach and Coughlin the receivers coach.
"I'd say I worked more with Tom than any other offensive coach," Belichick said of their days with the Giants. "Even though we were on different sides of the ball, we worked closely together and talked about different schemes, how receivers run certain routes, what adjustments they'd make. I'd talk to Tom about
what was hard on our coverage and he'd do the same’ with me."
"Bill Parcells will always mean so much to my career," said Coughlin, an assistant under Parcells from 1988-90. "He gave me an opportunity, and I did my best to give him everything I had."
Belichick, meanwhile, was an assistant under Parcells with the Giants (1983-90), Patriots (1996) and Jets (1997-99). After Super Bowl XV, Coughlin moved on to Boston College and Belichick to the Cleveland Browns.
"I've got nothing but respect for Bill Belichick as a coach," Coughlin said. "His teams are always tough, they are always well prepared, and they play hard. I always enjoyed working with Bill because he was always about football, what he could do to make his players better."Said Belichick: "Tom is tough, he's hard-nosed, very disciplined, and that's reflected in the way his team plays. They're strong, physical and they execute well, and you've got to be ready to play as tough and as
physical as they do.
"We've spent time with (Tom and wife Judy) away from football, whether it was at Boston College, Jacksonville and so forth. I respect Tom. I think he's an outstanding coach and wish him well in every game."
Wow, almost warm and fuzzy.
INJURY REPORT: The Patriots are pretty healthy heading into the Big Game, with only Tom Brady listed on he injury report. There is no doubt he will play, so let's not even examine that.
However, the Giants do have a few concerns. Star receiver Plaxico Burress' left knee was swollen Friday and his right ankle was sore, too. Both of those forced Burress to miss practice, but that may not be as a big a deal as you would think.
Burress has had either or both of those injuries for nearly the entire season and hasn't missed a game.
Burress sat out Wednesday's first practice of Super Bowl week with his sore ankle, in which he has a torn
deltoid ligament. He has missed a majority of the regular-season practices with that injury, which he suffered in training camp and re-injured against the Packers on Sept. 16.
Burress did do some individual route running and drills Friday and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
"He's improved," Coughlin said of Burress. "He's done it all year under all kinds of circumstances. We've just got to be hopeful he can do it one more time."
Guard Rich Seubert, who hurt a knee in the NFC Championship Game against the Packers, and cornerback Kevin Dockery, out four of the last five games with a hip flexor, both practiced and are listed as probable.
Defensive end Osi Umenyiora missed practice Friday with a sore thigh, but is also probable.
I guarantee you all of these Giants will play, so don't let this news affect any bets you might make.
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