Giants' Brandon Jacobs In Line To Carry Load He's Been 'Clamoring' For

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- Giants running back Brandon Jacobs might get those extra carries he's been so upset over.

Starting back Ahmad Bradshaw has a broken bone in his foot and his status for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots is uncertain. That means the disgruntled Jacobs could carry more of the load.

"Yeah, yeah, it looks like I will get my opportunity to play more," Jacobs said on Thursday.

That's fine with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

"What would be better than the opportunity he is going to get now," Gilbride said of Jacobs. "You've been clamoring for a chance, the chance is here. This is an opportunity. You want to show what you can do and I am looking forward to seeing the way he plays. I think he is going to respond very well. I am excited about seeing him play."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin disclosed that Bradshaw has a stress fracture.

"In the past he has played with the crack or whatever you want to call it, a stress crack in his foot," Coughlin said of Bradshaw, who missed his second straight day of practice. "He has played that way in the past. I don't know what the determination is just yet. We'll have to wait and see."

Bradshaw, who has rushed for a team-high 440 yards and five touchdowns, was not in the locker room for comment. He played much of the 2009 season with the stress fractures and he has surgery on both feet and ankles in the past two years.

When he was hurt last week, the Giants said Bradshaw missed time in the second half because a screw from a previous surgery was causing pain in his foot. He was seen on the bench without his right shoe on.

"He is doing good," said Jacobs, whose locker is right next to Bradshaw. "We still really don't know exactly what is wrong with him. I didn't go into depth, I just feel bad for him. I wish he would heal up and get back our here."

Bradshaw, who broke the bone in last Sunday's win over Miami, is expected to consult with Dr. Robert Anderson, a North Carolina orthopedist who examined Bradshaw in 2009.

Coughlin would not speculate whether Bradshaw would need surgery. The injury first was reported by the Star-Ledger of Newark.

Jacobs, who lost his starting job to Bradshaw for most of last season, would not rule out the possibility of Bradshaw playing Sunday.

However, he also plans to be ready to play.

"First off," Jacobs said, "I want to be able to go out and help the team as much as I can, go out and perform to the best of my ability and when the opportunity is given to me to take advantage of it."

So far, Jacobs has done little with his chances this season, gaining 126 yards in 42 carries, a 3.0 yard average. After complaining about his lack of work, he had 10 yards on four carries against Miami and even dropped a screen pass with a lot of real estate in front of him, causing the home crowd at MetLife Stadium to boo him.

"No, I wasn't upset," Jacobs said of the boos. "That's just playing here in New York. That's just the way it is. I play for my teammates and this team, that's it."

If Bradshaw cannot play, D.J. Ware would move up to the backup spot and probably handle third-down assignments with rookie Da'Rel Scott being the third back. The Giants have only had one player rush for 100 yards in a game this season, Bradshaw (104) against Buffalo.

"It's a tough situation that just happened, unfortunately, and now we have to try to pick up the slack, me, B.J and Da'Rel," Ware said. "We are confident in each other and knew we can get out and play ball hard and try to put up a good game and get some yards on the ground."

Scott showed potential in the preseason, with his speed going through the hole raising eyebrows.

"Until he's done it (in a game), you're a little hesitant," Gilbride said.

The injury to Bradshaw could not have come at a worse time. Leading receiver Hakeem Nicks pulled a hamstring late in the game and his status for this weekend is uncertain.

Nicks, who has 38 catches for 575 yards and three touchdowns, also did not practice Thursday and he indicated he probably would not work out on Friday.

Will Jacobs prove his worth to the Giants? Be heard below...

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)