Al Bello/Getty ImagesKevin Dockery, left, and James Butler celebrate Dockery's interception against Seattle on Oct. 5.

On a play late in the second quarter against the Seahawks last week, three Giants defensive backs handled a crossing route perfectly.

Kevin Dockery jammed Keary Colbert off the line, which allowed Corey Webster to get excellent position when Colbert crossed with Billy McMullen and ran a flag pattern to the end zone. Safety James Butler, positioned behind the two cornerbacks, was ready to come up and make the tackle if Matt Hasselbeck threw to McMullen underneath.

As the pass to Colbert fell incomplete, it looked like the Giants' defenders knew exactly what they were doing and had worked together to get it done.

"Funny you say that," Dockery said the other day, "because we all did the wrong thing on that play."

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerAntonio Pierce figures to be chasing after Browns Monday the way he chased after Bengals earlier this season.

Last December, while the Giants were riding the team bus to Philadelphia, Justin Tuck remembers Antonio Pierce telling him he probably wouldn't be able to play the next day.

A badly sprained ankle had kept Pierce out of practice all week, and he doubted he would be ready for the Week 14 meeting with the Eagles.

But come game time, Pierce was on the field and recorded three tackles and two pass deflections in the Giants' 16-13 victory.

"I don't know if he took a miracle pill or what it was," Tuck said. "But he found a way to get on the football field, and he played a great game for us."

Joe Epstein/The Star-LedgerKareem McKenzie was back at practice Friday.

Star-Ledger Giants beat writer Mike Garafolo gives us an update on the team from Friday's practice:

BOOTHE ANSWERS THE CALL

Kevin Boothe said he "had some moments" in his first career regular-season action at tackle last Sunday against the Seahawks.

Some "moments?" Does he mean his 10-yard holding penalty and his sack allowed, which also resulted in a forced fumble he recovered to somewhat redeem himself?

"Some interesting moments," Boothe said with a laugh.

The NFL is a copycat league in which effective schemes and strategies developed by one team quickly find their way into many others' game plans.

Apparently, trash talk is contagious as well.

One week after Seahawks running back Julius Jones vowed to "hit (the Giants) in the mouth," Browns defensive tackle Corey Williams used the same phrase to describe what Cleveland plans to do to Brandon Jacobs on Monday night.

TYREE TO RETURN NEXT WEEK

Six months after having his right knee surgically repaired, WR David Tyree plans to rejoin the Giants on the practice field on Wednesday.

"I'll definitely be out there," Tyree said Thursday. "I've been spending enough time with (the doctors) to know that I'm ready to go."

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards pressed play on the compact stereo system in his locker and suddenly the room filled with that signature song.

First, the horns: Bum, bum, ba-da-da, bum, bum. Then, Sinatra.

"Start spreadin' the news, I'm leaving today," belted Ol' Blue Eyes. "I want to be a part of it ... New York, New York."

"All right," quarterback Brady Quinn said. "I've been waiting for some Sinatra all day."

The Browns, who have an upcoming Monday night game against the unbeaten Giants (4-0), are in a New York state of mind this week.

In the locker room after Sunday's convincing victory over the Seahawks, Antonio Pierce was asked how the Giants have avoided a "hangover" in the early part of the season.

"I don't even know what you're talking (about) with 'hangover,'" Pierce said with his signature smirk that not only reveals he knows what you're talking about but also that he's setting you up for his next response.

But we'll play along.

"Some people say when you win the Super Bowl," the follow-up question began, "you come back ..."

Pierce interrupted to insert the punch line.

"I forgot we won," he deadpanned. "I'm trying to win a new one. Let's talk about Super Bowl XLIII. That's new. We like new stuff."

Mitsu Yasukawa/The Star-LedgerJeff Feagles, Giants punter, coaches his Ridgewood peewee football team from the sidelines during a recent game against Ramsey.

He quickly and sternly silenced a groundswell of grumbling about the officiating, then started his speech.

"The difference between winning and losing comes from here," he said, tapping his chest and leaning in for emphasis. "It comes from the heart. You have to want it. Football is about desire and toughness. It's about reaching down and ... and ...

Chris Faytok/The Star-LedgerGiants quarterback Eli Manning throws a long pass as Seattle Seahawks defensive end Patrick Kerney pressures during Sunday's game.

For the third time in his career, QB Eli Manning has gone three straight games without throwing an interception. His streak of pass attempts without being picked off stands at 105 -- 19 short of his career-best 124, which stretched from midway through the opener until the fifth game in 2005.

Manning threw only one interception last postseason. It came in Super Bowl XLII when CB Ellis Hobbs, who also intercepted Manning in Week 17, recorded another one. But since Hobbs' interception in the 2007 regular-season finale, Manning has thrown only two interceptions in his past 232 attempts.

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerPlaxico Burress of the Giants.

That was one enlightening conference-call performance Monday by Plaxico Burress. The Giants' supremely talented wide receiver clearly has too many personal issues for couch-potato psychoanalysts to address properly in a single newspaper column. We can't resist giving it a shot, though.

It's easy to chalk this nonsense up to "Plax being Plax," like Manny was just "being Manny" until the Red Sox could no longer sell their souls to Manny Ramirez World. Guys like Burress and Ramirez rarely snap out of it.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerGiants WR Domenik Hixon catches a 32-yard touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday at Giants Stadium.

TOP FIVE

1 -- Giants (4-0)

Star WR Plaxico Burress insists on behaving like a jerk? It doesn't matter to the defending champs. No one thinks the Eli Mannings are a one-year wonder anymore.

Scott Lituchy/The Star-LedgerGiants receiver Plaxico Burress returned to the team Monday after being suspended for one game.

"That's the earliest I've ever seen him here," Michael Strahan said at the time. "It was like 8 o'clock and he didn't have to be in until 8:25."

Burress' efforts showed on the field that week, when he had 10 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams.

Monday, Burress was once again early getting back to work. Having served a 12-day suspension for missing positional meetings Sept. 22, he was one of the first to show up at the Giants' practice facility for mandatory weightlifting.

Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesRookie Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan

Star-Ledger staff writer Paul Needell assesses the NFL picture:

NFC

THREE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Should we start taking the Falcons seriously?

They're sure hard to shrug off now. By beating the Packers at Lambeau Field, Atlanta improved to 3-2 -- one win less than they had all of last season. This with a rookie QB (Matt Ryan), first-time head coach (Mike Smith) and rookie GM (Thomas Dimitroff). Even with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (shoulder) toughing it out like Brett Favre always did, Atlanta hung on behind two Ryan TD passes and ex-Chargers RB Michael Turner (121 yards, 26 carries, 1 TD) running out the clock at game's end. Ex-Jets DE John Abraham had six tackles and his seventh sack for the Falcons.

David L. Pokress/MCTGiants backup QB David Carr and Sinorice Moss celebrate their touchdown against Seattle.

Star-Ledger sports writer Jenny Vrentas pulls together some noteworthy tidbits you might have missed from the Giants' 44-6 victory over Seattle on Sunday:

DID YOU NOTICE?

QB Eli Manning completed his first seven passes to open the game. His first incompletion wasn't until the beginning of the second quarter, when he misfired to WR Amani Toomer.

David Carr's 5-yard touchdown pass to Sinorice Moss was the Giants' first non-Manning TD pass since Kurt Warner threw one early in the 2004 season.

The Giants didn't have to bring their punting unit onto the field until 8:59 remained in the third quarter.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerBrandon Jacobs goes airborne to score his second touchdown against Seattle.

Brandon Jacobs' third touch Sunday produced the longest play of his pro career -- a typically powerful 44-yard burst to the Seahawks' 32-yard line.

But afterward, the Giants' offensive linemen kidded their running back for getting caught by Seattle safety Brian Russell and not making it to the end zone.

"We said, 'Take it to the house! You got caught,'" guard Rich Seubert said. "He came back with, 'I'm 6-4, 260 pounds.'"

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerSinorice Moss celebrates his second touchdown of the game against Seattle.

NOTEBOOK

Sinorice Moss was watching Seahawks safety Brian Russell and waiting for him to drift to his right. Moss knew he would, as the Giants had practiced the play all week long. All Moss needed was a pump fake from Eli Manning.

Moss got it. And as expected, Russell moved toward Steve Smith when Manning pumped in that direction.

"Here it goes. It's going to start," Moss said he was thinking. "It's really about to start."

Manning delivered a perfect pass into the area vacated by Russell for Moss' first NFL touchdown, which came three seasons into a career that began when the Giants traded up to select him in the second round of the 2006 draft.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerEli Manning threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks.

Antonio Pierce had showered, gotten dressed and done a few minutes of interviews. Including the fourth quarter when he merely watched from the sideline, Pierce was more than an hour removed from his last snap.

But when asked to describe the Giants' 44-6 victory over the Seahawks -- in which 523 yards of total offense contributed to the team's biggest margin of victory in the regular season in 36 years -- Pierce acted like Seattle was still mounting a comeback.

"Stressful," the middle linebacker said. "Guys get lackadaisical and all of a sudden the game is close."

Sometimes that's the way it happens in the NFL -- but not with the way the Giants are playing right now.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerA fan at Giants Stadium lets Plaxico Burress know someone else was doing his job against Seattle.

Some free advice for Plaxico Burress: Get to Giants Stadium at the crack of dawn Monday, armed with an apology and a few dozen donuts. Oh, and Plax? Make sure the crullers are fresh.

The best team in the NFL deserves that.

His one-game suspension for missing a team meeting ends Monday morning, but forgive the Giants if they don't greet Burress with hugs and high fives. His predictable immaturity -- call it Plax being Plax -- could have cost his team a chance at taking control of the NFC.

Instead, the Giants missed their star receiver about as much as "The View" misses Rosie O'Donnell.

Rich Kane/US PresswireWhen time is running short and the Giants need a score, Eli Manning knows how to lead the way to victory.

A pirouette away from a rusher before hitting Plaxico Burress for a 28-yard pass against the Cowboys in 2005.

A pivot and reverse across the field on a third-down scramble and completion for a first down the following week against the Broncos.

The left-handed throw against the Rams in Week 2 this year.

Oh, and that little escape on the pass to David Tyree and his helmet in Super Bowl XLII.

After Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield studied film of the Seattle Seahawks all week, one play stuck in his head.

It was a second-and-3 near the end of the first quarter of Seattle's Week 3 win over the Rams. Seahawks running back Julius Jones took the handoff from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and disappeared in a mound of St. Louis defenders. But then, all of a sudden, Jones emerged with the ball and sprinted to the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown.

"That was something he wasn't doing in Dallas," Cofield said. "He definitely flashed some greatness right there."

US Presswire"We want to make people earn whatever they get against us, and we don't want to give them any unearned points or yardage," said LB Danny Clark.

After the Giants returned from their bye-week break, LB Danny Clark noticed the referees officiating the team's practices have been especially alert.

"They were erring on the side of throwing the flag," Clark said. "That's one way of us staying conscious of penalties."

Heading into Sunday's game against the Seahawks, that has been a point of emphasis for the Giants defense. Coach Tom Coughlin is known for presenting his team with telling statistics, and here's one it has been chewing on this week: Six out of the nine scoring drives the defense has allowed this season, or 66.7 percent, have been helped by penalties called on the Giants. That accounts for 30 of the 43 points the defense has given up.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerWill Plaxico Burress' absence mean Amani Toomer sees double coverage against the Seahawks on Sunday?

"Who you talkin' about?" Droughns said in a tone that suggested he was ready to shoot down Tyree's scouting report.

"Marcus Trufant," Tyree replied.

"Oh," a defeated Droughns said quietly. "Yeah, he's a good corner."

That's the type of conversation one might expect in an opposing locker room in the week leading up to a game against the Giants:

"Who you talkin' about?"

"Plaxico Burress."

"Oh. Yeah, he's a good receiver."

Rich Kane/US PresswireSeattle coach Mike Holmgren says Brandon Jacobs, taking a handoff from Eli Manning, presents a challenge.

Star-Ledger sports writer Jenny Vrentas gives us the highlights from Wednesday's Giants practice:

SEAHAWKS BRACING FOR JACOBS

The last time the Giants played Seattle -- during the 2006 season -- Tiki Barber was their leading rusher and Brandon Jacobs had just one carry for 9 yards. And in 2005, Jacobs' rookie season, he didn't touch the ball at all against the Seahawks.

So this weekend, Seattle's defense will have to develop a game plan against a ground attack it hasn't faced before.

"It can be an advantage," Jacobs said, "but this is the NFL. They've seen me (on film) last season and in the beginning of this season."

Rich Kane/US PresswireFred Robbins reacts to fan noise at Giants Stadium in the preseason -- the team wants more of the same this weekend.

Barry Cofield knew things were bad when Qwest Field became Quiet Field.

It happened in 2006 after the Seahawks scored their sixth touchdown of the game to take a 42-3 lead over the Giants early in the third quarter.

"Their fans stopped making a lot of noise. They felt they were piling on," Cofield, the Giants' third-year defensive tackle, said Wednesday of his third game in the NFL. "When a pack of rabid fans starts to feel bad for you, that's a pretty low point."

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerEli Manning says the Giants' first post-bye practice was anything but sluggish.

After Monday morning's practice, Giants cornerback Sam Madison showered, changed and pulled on a black Florida Marlins baseball cap -- then turned around to find a cluster of quizzical reporters.

"Hey, don't get me in trouble with these New Yorkers," Madison said quickly. "I have a Mets hat, too."

On Sunday night, the Mets and Yankees would have liked to be where the Giants found themselves: on top of their division. After the Cowboys' 26-24 loss to the Redskins, the Giants are alone in first place of the NFC East for the first time since the 2006 season, while on their bye week no less.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerJustin Tuck and the Giants defense are using the bye week to shore up a defense that looked vulnerable against the Bengals.

When the Bengals picked up several blitzes late in the Giants' overtime victory a week ago yesterday, the defense looked ordinary -- and exploitable -- for the first time in a long while. So last week provided time for coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the players to do some self-scouting in the hope of remaining one of the most harassing defenses in the league, starting next weekend against the Seahawks.

Saed Hindash/The Star-LedgerSinorice Moss wants to get more involved in the Giants' offense.

Star-Ledger football writer Jenny Vrentas fills us in from Giants' practice Thursday:

MOSS, MANNINGHAM LONGING FOR ACTION

Other than the season opener against the Redskins, receiver Sinorice Moss' time on the field this year has been limited to pregame warm-ups. And rookie receiver Mario Manningham has yet to be included on the active roster for a regular-season game.

But with Plaxico Burress' suspension keeping him out of next week's game against the Seahawks, the two speedy receivers are suddenly on the offense's radar.

"You know how you're so antsy to play?" said Manningham, while shaking his body. "That's how it is now. I feel like it might be my opportunity to make a play. I'm going to make the best of it."

John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerPlaxico Burress, left, has said he and Giants coach Tom Coughlin, right, haven't always seen ``eye-to-eye.''

The Giants have begun to cope with the Plaxico Burress suspension -- each in his own way.

Tom Coughlin is done talking about it.

"I have no comments on that at all," the coach said Thursday. "I said all I was going to say about it (on Wednesday), thank you very much."

Justin Tuck is either in denial or he's a visionary.

"You know what? Sometimes distractions are a good thing," the defensive end said. "In this situation, we're just going to rally behind it and play football."

Rich Kane/US PresswireGiants wide receiver Domenik Hixon gets tackled by Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Chinedum Ndukwe in the third quarter of Sunday's game at Giants Stadium.

"When he gets back, we will come back and we will get going again, but for Seattle we will have a new guy," Manning said. "We will have (Domenik) Hixon playing 'X,' and obviously he has proved that he can make plays and he can do a good job for us."

The thing about Dick Lynch, the old Giants defensive back and radio voice who died Wednesday at age 72, was that he never wanted to be anyone else. He was old school the way it ought to be. He knew who he was and what he was, and it was exactly who and what he wanted to be.

He was a man of commitment ... his family ... the New York Football Giants ... Notre Dame. That was the order, and the trinity of his devotion was rock solid.

Commitment.

Joe Epstein/The Star-LedgerGiants' Eli Manning throws a pass toward receiver Amani Toomer against the Cincinnati Bengals at Giants Stadium Sunday.

The Giants used the no-huddle offense to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. When the Bengals tied the game to send it to overtime, the Giants could have gone back to varying formations and personnel to confuse Cincinnati's defense. Instead, they stuck with the shotgun formation and either three or four receivers for 10 of their 12 offensive snaps in overtime.

It was basically the hurry-up offense without the hurry up, and it allowed the Giants to build off the momentum of their final drive in regulation. It was a wise decision because, if they had gone back to switching personnel from play to play, perhaps the sluggish offense they displayed for three quarters would have returned.

Tom Coughlin would like his bye week right in the middle of the season, if possible. That's what he got last year when the NFL gave the Giants Week 9 off after their trip to London. That worked out well, as Coughlin's team had plenty of gas in the tank for its Super Bowl run.

But in each of the four other seasons of the Coughlin era, the Giants have been stuck with an early bye week: once in Week 6, once in Week 5 and, including this season, twice in Week 4.

So, has Coughlin received an explanation for the regularity of the early byes?

Joe Epstein/The Star-LedgerBengals quarterback Carson Palmer is sacked by the Giants' Mathias Kiwanuka at Giants Stadium Sunday.

When DE Mathias Kiwanuka hadn't recorded a sack through the first two weeks of the season, veteran CB Sam Madison noticed he was frustrated. So when Kiwanuka got his first of the season Sunday against the Bengals, Madison made sure to tell him, "They come in bunches."

Madison and the rest of the defense are hoping the same is true for defensive turnovers. The Giants have just one takeaway this season -- an interception by DE Justin Tuck, who ran it 41 yards for a touchdown -- which ties them with the Lions and Rams for the least in the league. The Titans and Steelers lead the league with eight takeaways each.

DID YOU NOTICE?

After the Bengals' 22-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter, the Giants trailed an opponent for the first time this season.

Bengals WR Chad Ocho Cinco (still Johnson on the back of his jersey) didn't make his first catch until slightly more than a minute remained in the first half. He finished with three catches for 29 yards -- and no dances.

CB Sam Madison came in when CB Corey Webster had cramps in the third quarter and later when CB Aaron Ross was sidelined. Madison had a key pass breakup in overtime, stepping in front of T.J. Houshmandzadeh to knock away a third-down pass.

Bill Kostroun/Associated PressJohn Carney knows his time with the Giants is almost over.

NOTEBOOK

John Carney has made all nine field goals and each of his eight extra points while limiting opposing kick returners to 20.6 yards per return this season. Plus, he made a game-winning 22-yard field goal in overtime Sunday to beat the Bengals, 26-23.

Soon, though, he'll be out of a job.

The 44-year-old Carney was signed to fill in for the injured Lawrence Tynes, last year's NFC Championship Game hero for his 47-yard field goal in overtime. Tynes is now on his way back, having practiced all last week and kicking a bit before Sunday's game. He also said he could have been available for field goals if the team had no other options.

Joe Epstein/The Star-LedgerAmani Toomer kept his foot inbounds to complete a key 31-yard reception in overtime.

Early in his career, Amani Toomer would have been uneasy at points late in a game like Sunday's 26-23 overtime victory against the Bengals.

Such as when the Giants trailed by four points with 4:31 left in regulation, or when the Bengals forced OT. But neither circumstance fazed the veteran wide receiver.

"It's like we've done it so many times. It seems like every time a team scores, we have to go back and score," said Toomer, who set up John Carney's 22-yard game-winning field goal with a 31-yard, toe-tapping catch down the left sideline at Giants Stadium. "I don't know what that's about, but that's what we do."

Bill Kostroun/Associated PressAlthough surrounded by Bengals, Kevin Boss still manages to make a touchdown catch for the Giants.

Giants tight end Kevin Boss first had a hunch that Sunday might be a big day for him during practice Friday afternoon.

As the team prepped for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Boss and quarterback Eli Manning connected so many times that tight ends coach Mike Pope jokingly gave Boss an ice bag afterward so he could ice his hands.

"The plays we had in, a lot of them worked in practice," Boss said. "I just felt confident that I was going to get my shot this week."

Not only did Boss get his first catch of the season, he was a critical factor in the Giants' 26-23 overtime victory against Cincinnati at the Meadowlands, with three catches for 51 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown that gave the Giants a three-point lead with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter.

Rich Kane/US PresswireJets QB Brett Favre got a good taste of Justin Tuck's defensive prowess in a preseason game against the Giants.

The rave reviews have hit Justin Tuck this week with the same force he hits quarterbacks. One website ranked him as one of the five best defensive players in the league. One talking head anointed him as an early candidate for defensive player of the year.

It is the sort of stuff that could really inflate a guy's head, but if Tuck ever needs to knock himself down a notch or 92, he only has to check the text messages on his cell phone.

You're just lucky!

That was the opinion of an unimpressed Michael Strahan, coming hours after Tuck had two sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown in the Giants' 41-13 victory over St. Louis. Soon, Tuck had another text message from Osi Umenyiora, who had reached the same conclusion while watching the game from home with his ripped-up knee.

James Lang/US PresswireUsually outspoken Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco hasn't had much to talk about beyond his name change this season.

With his offseason issues with the Bengals' organization, his battle with Reebok to allow him to put his new legal last name on the back of his jersey (instead of Johnson), the shoulder injury he suffered in the preseason and Cincinnati's 0-2 start, Ocho Cinco isn't having any fun.

And when Ocho Cinco isn't having fun, he doesn't talk as much.

NO BACK STABBING

When Ahmad Bradshaw darted into the end zone for each of his two touchdowns against St. Louis -- the first scores by a Giants running back this season -- Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward were among the first to celebrate with him. But Jacobs conceded he was still a bit jealous.

"No question I was mad," Jacobs said Wednesday. "I played the whole game and didn't get a touchdown. He gets in, and the first three, four minutes he got two."

LOOKING BACK

If QB Eli Manning looked very comfortable in the pocket on Sunday, it's because he wasn't facing a whole lot of heat from the Rams. Sure, Manning was sacked twice and pressured seven other times on 33 pass plays (29 attempts, two penalties and the two sacks), but St. Louis blitzed only six times.

Part of the reason was probably to keep an extra defender on WR Plaxico Burress after seeing his 10 catches against the Redskins in Week 1. It's another example of how Burress forces a defense to change its game plan.

Jeff Curry/US PresswireGiants wide receiver Amani Toomer celebrates with quarterback Eli Manning after scoring a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams Sunday.

Directions to Monday night's barbecue at left tackle David Diehl's house were strewn across the floor. Fifty-three players made a mad rush for the showers, stopping only to rag on running back Derrick Ward for an unknown offense. Brandon Jacobs proclaimed aloud his affinity for being "Earth" in the Giants' dynamic "Earth, Wind & Fire" running back trio.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerGiants tight end Kevin Boss has been open, but he hasn't yet been targeted by quarterback Eli Manning this season.

That didn't stop a few questions from being raised Monday about how they're the only team in the NFL without a catch by a tight end.

Perhaps it wouldn't be such an issue if the player Kevin Boss is trying to replace wasn't the bombastic and extremely talented Jeremy Shockey. But that's against whom Boss is being measured.

No matter how well the offense is doing as a whole, apparently.

Danny Clark peered through the translucent shield on Antonio Pierce's helmet and saw something he has never seen in a huddle.

Pierce's eyes were closed.

The Giants' middle linebacker wasn't napping or meditating. He was trying to listen to the play call coming from the sideline.

"I'm like, 'You can open your eyes. You'll still hear everything. I promise,'" Clark, the Giants' strong-side linebacker, recalled the other day with a laugh. "And later, he starts barking back at them, like, 'I got it! I got it!' So I tell him, 'You know they can't hear you, right?'"

Rams quarterback Marc Bulger was almost uncomfortably blunt when asked last week about his team's fortunes at home.

"The last couple of years, we haven't been good anywhere," he said on a conference call.

A 3-13 season in 2007 and a playoff drought since 2004 speak to that. But the Rams certainly play better at home in the Edward Jones Dome than when they're on the road.

Through two seasons under head coach Sc