Sinorice Moss gathers gloom as Giants' final cut nears

FOXBORO - Sinorice Moss didn't know what to think Saturday night when he was sitting on the bench, being ignored by the coaches, while the rest of his teammates played in the first half against the Jets. He was sure he had earned an opportunity with an outstanding spring and summer.

Now he's forced to wonder if his opportunity might be somewhere else.

That's what the 25-year-old Moss is facing, as he heads into the Giants' preseason finale against the Patriots in New England tonight. He knows the final cuts are due at 6 p.m. on Saturday, and he's no longer sure if he has a future with the Giants.

He also knows it might be too late to do anything about it.

"If that is the case, I have no say so in that," Moss said. "I don't know what it is. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, keep working hard. This week is a new week, a new opportunity for myself to go out and make some plays."
Moss has remained positive throughout a three-year career that has been marked by injuries, inconsistent performances and a lack of opportunities. But this week, his demeanor turned sour after his unexpected experience against the Jets.

Other than on special teams, he didn't get on the field until late in the second half, although the first-team offense played most of the first three quarters. Even rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden got time in the offense with quarterback Eli Manning ahead of Moss.

That was Tom Coughlin's explanation - that he wanted to get an extended look at his young wideouts - but it was still a blow to Moss, who entered training camp as the No. 3 receiver and felt he hadn't done anything to lose the job.

Needless to say, the snub sent his mind racing with "a lot of different things."

"Uncertainty," he said. "Not knowing what's going on. Those were the types of questions running through my head. I was just very, very anxious and eager to get out there on the field."

When Moss did get out there with the offense, he was invisible, even though he insisted, "I did what I had to do. I ran my routes. I was open."

After the starters were pulled with 6:12 left in the third quarter, backup quarterback David Carr attempted 17 passes. He targeted six different receivers. He threw to Nicks six times. He even threw to Mario Manningham five times, even though Manningham had been playing since the first quarter.

He didn't throw in Moss' direction once.

Not surprisingly, Moss wanted answers, so the next day he approached receivers coach Mike Sullivan. But he got the same answer Coughlin gave, that the coaches were, "Just trying to work guys in there, get guys out there and be able to show what they can do."

Asked if that meant they already knew what Moss could do, Moss said, "I don't know. I still don't know."

"I mean, there are questions that need to be answered," he said. "It would be ideal to get those questions answered. But I'm going to stay the same way I've been, keep working hard and do what I have to do this week. When I get the opportunity, I'll go in there and do what I have to do."



(nydailynews.com)