Before heading out to practice today New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin did not say directly that Kevin Boothe, just removed from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List, will start at left guard Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. He didn't have t. The Giants really have little choice.
Asked if Boothe was ready, Coughlin said "In about 15 minutes it'll be Boothe's time to go. He's got to go.."
Normal left guard Rich Seubert is expected to play center in place of Shaun O'Hara. Left tackle David Diehl, who moved to guard last week, is out with a hamstring injury. The only other guard on the roster is rookie Mitch Petrus.
"We prepare the guys that are healthy to play. That's what we have to do and hope that we get some of these people back faster than is being predicted," Coughlin said. "The one advantage that I think you saw the other day was that when Kareem came off for that play and in goes Koets and Koets just goes to center, Richie goes to guard and that kind of was an indication to me that moving people around and having to spend a lot of time with guys in different spots in preseason, like it or not, does have its merit in situations like that, but we've just got to get positions stabilized and get the people who are going to be in the backup roles prepared and ready to go."