Last year, with Strahan retired, Umenyiora missing the entire season with a knee injury, Tuck slowed by a lower leg injury and defensive tackles Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins playing on bum knees, the Giants' pass rush ran out of gas when they needed it most. They had just 12 sacks in their final eight regular-season games and never got within a $10 cab ride of Donovan McNabb in their 23-11 January playoff loss to the Eagles at the Meadowlands.
In fact, the Giants failed to register a sack in any of their three meetings with the Eagles last year. Had none in a 36-31 win at the Linc in Week 10, none in a 20-14 Week 14 loss at Giants Stadium, and none in the playoff defeat.
"We just wore down," said Tuck. "Osi got hurt right out of the gate, then other guys got banged up and we just weren't getting there [to the quarterback] like we were the year before or even earlier in the year."
Determined not to let that happen again, Giants general manager Jerry Reese went out and added more defensive line depth, signing end Chris Canty (Cowboys) and pass-rushing tackle Rocky Bernard (Seahawks).
Neither Canty nor Bernard played Monday night. Both have been sidelined most of training camp with hamstring injuries. Neither did Robbins, who is recovering from microfracture surgery. But all three are expected to be ready to go when the Giants open the season againt Washington on Sept. 13.
With Umenyiora, Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and Canty rotating outside and Cofield, Bernard, Robbins and Jay Alford rotating inside, the Giants will have one of the deepest - and best - defensive lines in the league.
