Giants missing key weapons against Bears

Some rather big names led the Giants’ defense once upon a time: Carson, Marshall, Banks and of course, LT. The kind of names that had plenty of quarterbacks checking the fine print of their life insurance policy.

And then there are the names who will suit up for the Giants tonight: Robbins, Cofield, Awasom and of course, Kiwanuka. The kind of names that’ll have plenty of people checking their eyesight.

For the last two decades, whenever they were good, the Giants won with defense. They applied pressure on the pass rush, used linebackers who specialized in breaking limbs, and had enough coverage in the secondary to get by most weekends. The defense carried the offense, kept the team in playoff contention and in the Bill Parcells years, won Super Bowls. They were Big Blue.

And now: Big Who?

“People don’t know who we are,” said defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who received his second NFL start last weekend and should be pressed into getting his third. “I understand. If I was an offensive coordinator and I was game-planning against us, I’d much rather take my chances with someone named Kiwanuka than someone named Michael Strahan.”

As they prepare for the Bears in a midseason struggle for NFC supremacy, the Giants will enter with a limp. The biggest loss came Wednesday in the form of Amani Toomer, done for the year with a torn ACL in his left knee. In a two-week stretch that claimed a few healthy bodies, the Toomer loss had the Giants shaking their heads and wondering who’s next. This undoubtedly will test the resolve of Eli Manning in his quest to become a quarterback who can thrive no matter what weapons, or lack thereof, he has to work with. Given the frequent aches of the other top receivers, Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey, the vulnerable offense, already stretched thin, can’t afford another injury, not even a paper cut.

Yet the real carnage is being felt on the other side of the ball.

Strahan has a foot in worse shape than those belonging to some of the kickers the Giants once used. Osi Umenyiora, his tag-team partner at the other defensive end, will likely miss a third straight game. And even before these two Pro Bowlers felt pain, the Giants’ defense was lacking in a few areas. Namely: additional Pro Bowlers, players with rich experience, players who scared anyone, and names that anyone recognized.

The Giants are facing their biggest game of the year so far and must replace their defensive stars with a rookie and a practice-squad call-up, who’ll join a collection of players who don’t exactly jump out in bold face.

Therefore, the Giants don’t have a choice. Their nobodies better become somebodies by kickoff.

The good news for the Giants is they won’t face Jim McMahon, but Rex Grossman, who threw three interceptions last week against Miami and hasn’t proven he can beat a quality team. But the Bears, coming off their first loss, have every incentive to make the Giants their first legitimate victim. Chicago will certainly attempt to exploit the missing and the unproven on the Giants’ defense, which means they’ll have plenty of targets.

Kiwanuka is a first-rounder who would still be relegated to spot duty had Umenyiora not come up lame. Kiwanuka held his own against Tampa Bay and Houston, getting a pair of sacks, but the competition he’ll see will be a bit stiffer. So, too, will Kiwanuka, he says.

“You want to come in, learn and get your opportunity fast,” he said. “It’s about getting respect.”

Awasom was practice meat the first seven weeks of the season and had Sundays off. Now, after getting warm-up reps on special teams, he’ll get his first NFL start in place of Strahan. All anyone knows about Awasom is his talent for pulling pranks on teammates.

Should he fill Strahan’s shoes, the ultimate prank will be pulled on the Bears.

It’s not just those two. It’s Barry Cofield, the rookie starter at tackle. It’s a linebacking group that’s proud yet unpolished, in terms of awards. And a secondary that needs the benefit of a great pass rush, or else.

“We’re out to show we’re not a bunch of guys they just pulled off the street,” Cofield said.

Maybe not. But still: Where’d they come from?