Barber Set to Return From Broken Arm

New York Giant halfback Tiki Barber is set to play Sunday in the NFC playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The only questions about Barber are what type of protection he will wear on his broken left arm and whether he will return punts.

“I really haven’t decided yet,” said Barber, who broke the arm Dec. 17 against Dallas. “We’ve tried out three different braces and casts and we’ll see.”

While there have been rumors that Barber will have a limited role, he doesn’t see it that way.

“I have confidence in the guys that are going to be in there and I have confidence in myself,” he said. “When my number is called, I’ll be ready to play. That’s all that matters to me.”

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Mention Donovan McNabb, and the New York Giants call him the NFL’s Michael Jordan.

The Philadelphia Eagle quarterback is that good. He seemingly can take over a game and win it by himself.

McNabb did it last week in the NFC wild-card game against Tampa Bay, and the Giants are worried he’ll do it again Sunday.

Or are they?

“You look at Michael Jordan, and he was Chicago,” said Giant all-pro linebacker Jessie Armstead. “But he couldn’t win it all early in his career.

“So is this the younger Michael Jordan, or the older Michael Jordan? That’s one thing we all have to find out.”

While McNabb finished second in the MVP balloting this season, he looked very much like a second-year quarterback--and a young M.J.--in two one-sided losses in which the Giants controlled the ball for 83 of a possible 120 minutes.

McNabb completed 29 of 64 passes for 343 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed eight times for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Much of the yardage came in garbage time in games the Giants won 33-18 and 24-7.

“He reminds me of a John Elway before they had a running game,” Giant middle linebacker Mike Barrow said. “He’s like Jordan before they got Scottie Pippen. But unlike basketball, this is more of a team sport.”

McNabb insisted the Eagles are a better team than the one the Giants last faced in late October. He also said his team didn’t play that well in either game.

“It wasn’t them,” McNabb said. “We’ve prepared well all throughout the week, and we just didn’t take advantage of the opportunities that they were giving us. On the offensive side, there were times where we could have definitely completed some balls, we could’ve ran the ball a little bit better, or whatever it may be, we just didn’t do it.”

LOGS

PHILADELPHIA (12-5)

41 At Dallas: 14

18 N.Y. Giants: 33

3 At Green Bay: 6

21 At New Orleans: 7

38 Atlanta: 10

14 Washington: 17

33 At Arizona: 14

13 Chicago: 9

7 At N.Y. Giants: 24

16 Dallas: (OT) 13

26 At Pittsburgh: (OT) 23

34 Arizona: 9

23 At Washington :20

13 Tennessee: 15

35 At Cleveland: 24

16 Cincinnati: 7

21 Tampa Bay: 3

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N.Y. GIANTS (12-4)

21 Arizona: 16

33 At Philadelphia: 18

14 At Chicago: 7

6 Washington: 16

14 At Tennessee: 28

13 At Atlanta: 6

19 Dallas: 14

24 Philadelphia: 7

24 At Cleveland: 3

24 St. Louis: 38

21 Detroit: 31

31 At Arizona: 7

9 At Washington: 7

30 Pittsburgh: 10

17 At Dallas: 13

28 Jacksonville :25

INJURY REPORT

Philadelphia: OUT: RB Stanley Pritchett (leg). QUESTIONABLE: RB Darnell Autry (ankle); WR Charles Johnson (ankle). PROBABLE: CB Jason Bostic (hamstring); Je’Rod Cherry (ill); S Tim Hauck (calf); TE Chad Lewis (neck); S Damon Moore (knee); DT Corey Simon (ribs). New York: QUESTIONABLE: WR Joe Jurevicius (knee). PROBABLE: RB Tiki Barber (forearm/toe).