"Twice on Opening Day the Giants needed one little yard to keep a drive alive, and twice they couldn't get it. Both times they handed the ball to 5-10, 214-pound running back Ahmad Bradshaw.

Both times, the 6-4, 264-pound Brandon Jacobs watched helplessly from the sidelines.

So why not send in one of the biggest running backs in the league? Why not let him plow straight up the middle and take the first down by force?

"Unfortunately you've seen it not work, haven't you?" said Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "That's your answer."

It's true, despite a huge running back and a powerful offensive line, the short-yardage game has been a problem for the Giants for the last several years. It's why they took the job from Jacobs last year and gave it to Bradshaw in the first place. Despite Jacobs' size, one yard sometimes seemed like a mile."