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Jets, Giants prepare for brawl in NY

Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich, right, finds a receiver as Falcons defender Patrick Kerney rushes during the first quarter of their game in Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday. PHOTO: AP

When the Giants and Jets last met, it was expected to be a routine joint practice in Albany. Instead, seconds into the session, three Jets and Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey were throwing punches on the ground. Later, other fighting broke out, and Giants coach Tom Coughlin was soon yelling across the field to reprimand Donnie Henderson, the Jets' defensive coordinator.

The teams meet in their annual preseason game today at Giants Stadium, and it is expected to be anything but a routine meeting. Not so fast, the players say, there is a game to play, and that may be the only score to settle.

"Everybody is a professional, nobody's an idiot, and we all know each other," Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said. "It's not like we see them in the city and run over and bust the windows out of their cars with baseball bats. When we get on the field, it's competitive, but that's enough and that's the place."

Antonio Pierce, the Giants' new linebacker, agreed with Strahan.

"It's still the preseason," he said. "We need to worry about fixing the Giants more than worrying about a brawl with the Jets.

"We've got our own things to work on. We've got a regular season to get ready for. We can't waste our third preseason game, which is the most important preseason game, going after guys on the other side."

The third of the four preseason games is considered pivotal because it is the only preseason game in which the starters are likely to play most of the game - as much as three quarters. It is the last chance to fine-tune the offense and the defense in a game situation. In the final preseason game next week, the starters will play less than a quarter, hoping to avoid injuries.

The Giants have had their share of injuries to starters. Quarterback Eli Manning will not play Friday night because of a sprained right elbow. Cornerback Will Peterson will also be out because of a sprained knee, and Strahan may not play in order to rest a strained rib muscle.

Coughlin talked with his players about the game against the Jets, instructing them not to seek revenge for any of the tussles that punctuated the joint practice on Aug. 6. "I want them to take the high road," Coughlin said. "Hopefully, the team will do that."

Comments from Jets camp in recent days have been along the same line, with quarterback Chad Pennington and coach Herman Edwards each saying the Albany clashes have been forgotten.

Even one of the main combatants, Shockey, said he would go out of his way not to fight tonight.

"I'll just stand there; I'll put my hands up," Shockey said when asked what he would do if there was any brawling after the whistle. "If they do that, they're going to have a big fine from the league. They can do whatever they want."

Besides, the Giants have other worries. Their first-string defense has had trouble stopping the run, and their pass defense has not been much better. In last weekend's victory over Carolina, the Giants won because they forced six turnovers. But the Panthers moved the ball easily, amassing 417 yards and converting 44 percent of their third-down attempts. The Panthers averaged 5.2 yards a carry on their way to 171 rushing yards.

On offense, the Giants had some big plays but little else. They averaged only 3.5 yards per rushing play and converted only 4 of 14 third-down chances.

The Giants will be operating with the backup Tim Hasselbeck at quarterback. They need to know if Hasselbeck, who has been with them three months, can ably fill in for Manning; if he cannot, they can try to sign one of several veterans available. If Hasselbeck falters, look for the Giants to bring in another quarterback next week so they can try him out in the final preseason game against the New England Patriots on Sept. 1.

The Giants open the regular season Sept. 11 against Arizona.

Another objective for the Giants on Friday night will be to get running back Tiki Barber more opportunities to carry the ball. The Giants have tried to keep Barber out of harm's way in the preseason. In the Carolina game he had only two carries and did not have a pass thrown his way. Barber has asked to be a little more involved.

Another area where the Giants will be holding auditions on Friday night is on punt returns. Coughlin said Michael Jennings, Jamaar Taylor and Ataveus Cash each may be called on to handle returns during the game.

Michael Jenkins showed he can be Atlanta's No. 1 receiver, even if it happens by default.

Jenkins caught four passes for 35 yards and scored twice, helping the Falcons beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-7 in a rain-drenched, penalty-filled preseason game Thursday.

Fred Taylor ran four times for 18 yards in his preseason debut for the Jaguars (2-1) and showed signs of being able to recover from knee surgery.

But Atlanta looked primed for another run at the NFC championship game.

The Falcons (3-1) moved the ball with ease against Jacksonville's vaunted defense and scored on three of their first four possessions.

Warrick Dunn ran eight times for 65 yards, including a 42-yard scamper that set up a touchdown.

Michael Vick was 5-of-10 passing for 44 yards with a touchdown and did even more damage on the ground. He scrambled four times for 30 yards.

T.J. Duckett looked sharp, too, gaining 18 yards on four carries.

But the scoring was left to Jenkins and kicker Todd Peterson.

After Dunn's long run, Vick found Jenkins on a slant pattern for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Peterson then kicked two 40-yard field goals, making it 13-7.

Jenkins, a first-round draft pick in 2004 who caught just seven passes as a rookie, found the end zone again with 11 seconds remaining in the first half. He caught Matt Schaub's pass that was intended for tight end Alge Crumpler and tipped by a defender.

"It was just a matter of being at the right place at the right time," Jenkins said.

Jenkins got plenty of work early, especially with Atlanta's injury woes at the receiver position.

Roddy White and Peerless Price sat out with injuries, and Dez White hurt his knee in the first half.

Roddy White, the team's first-round draft pick, has been sidelined with a high ankle sprain since the preseason opener.

Price, the team's former No. 1 receiver who was demoted this year and is in danger of being cut, sat out after sustaining a concussion last week against Tennessee.

Dez White, third on the team last season with 30 catches for 370 yards, hurt his knee and did not return. Team officials were unsure about the extent of the injury.

Peterson added a 38-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter for the final margin.

The Jaguars finished with 13 penalties for 179 yards and struggled again on offense.

Fans attending NFL games this season will be subject to pat-downs as part of enhanced security implemented by commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Tagliabue emphasized in a letter to teams that there was no specific additional threat.

But he noted that some stadiums had done hand searches of fans for several years under the increased security in place since Sept. 11, 2001. The searches also have been used during playoff games and at the Super Bowls played since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

Tagliabue said that owners decided at their Aug. 10 meeting to extend it to all stadiums.

"This new requirement is not a result of any specific threat information," Tagliabue said. "It is in recognition of the significant additional security that pat-downs offer, as well as the favorable experience that our clubs and fans have had using pat-downs as part of a comprehensive stadium security plan."

DOPES IN CAROLINA

Carolina Panthers officials didn't know some of their players visited a South Carolina doctor suspected of writing illegal steroids prescriptions, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said on Thursday.

"I think one thing is clear already, based on what I have been presented with, that no one within the Panthers organization was in any way, shape or form involved with any of these players who were playing outside the lines," Tagliabue said, according to a statement released by the team.

The NFL began its investigation into allegations of steroid use after a CBS News report in March identified center Jeff Mitchell, tackle Todd Steussie and punter Todd Sauerbrun as having filled prescriptions written by Dr. James Shortt of West Columbia, South Carolina for steroids. Several other former Panthers have also been named as Shortt's patients in subsequent media reports.

The league has nearly finished the investigation, Tagliabue said.

"Hopefully, I'll have the report by the beginning of the season, and then we can discuss it with the [NFL] Players Association to see whether there are changes that we can make that would perhaps increase the penalties for players who might engage with others in a course of conduct that was designed to circumvent the [drug-testing] program," Tagliabue said.

The players involved in the investigation probably won't be suspended, he said.

"Based on what I've heard to this point, it would be virtually impossible to have found that any player violated the program the way the program exists," Tagliabue said.

Of the players identified in the initial CBS report, only Mitchell, the Panthers' starting center, remains with the team. Steussie is with the Buccaneers and Sauerbrun was traded to the Broncos.
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