The Giants have had a couple of days to come to terms with the fact that they will have to do without safety Kenny Phillips for the remainder of the season. So what's next?
The safety — who suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Cowboys — will be replaced by a combination of Aaron Rouse and C.C Brown, according to The New York Post.
Rouse was acquired off waivers from Green Bay on Thursday. Though clearly unfamiliar with the Giants' defensive schemes, he should be prepared enough to take the field against Tampa Bay on Sunday. The 2007 third-round draft pick started for the Packers last week before being waived and has started in a total of 10 career games.
"I have to put in a lot of hours with the coach," Rouse told the Post. "I am a great studier, I learn fast, I learn on the job very quickly, but my main focus is making sure I do what is asked of me and contribute where I can."
Rouse has accumulated 68 tackles in his career with four interceptions and one touchdown.
Brown, who started in 47 games in four years with the Texans, got his fair share of preseason action as Phillips battled his injury. Because of Rouse's limited practice time with the Giants, he is expected to pick up the majority of the slack.
While Giants head coach Tom Coughlin knows recovering from the loss of Phillips will be tough on his team, he realizes that staying positive will be the biggest battle.
"I think it is a mentality," he told the Post. "And I think players have to understand it as well. And they do. Our people seem to do a good job. And I think it goes back to leadership again. Now there isn't any question … when you take an outstanding player out of your team, or off your team, there is a void. And that void has to be filled in by everybody else. There are examples of it out there right now."
