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          NFL Nation

          Coughlin report: Starters will play vs. Pats

          • Kieran Darcy, ESPN Staff WriterAug 27, 2013, 07:38 PM
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              Kieran Darcy is an ESPN.com staff writer. He joined ESPN in August 2000 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, where he played four years of JV basketball.
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          EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Giants coach Tom Coughlin confirmed Tuesday that he will play his starters against the Patriots, in the team's final preseason game.

          Coughlin expects to play his first units for 12-15 snaps on Thursday. Rookie quarterback Ryan Nassib will come in after Eli Manning, followed by David Carr, and Coughlin hopes to play Curtis Painter as well.

          The first-team offense in particular has struggled thus far in the preseason. They've scored just two touchdowns, and both came on big plays as opposed to sustained drives -- Manning's 57-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz against the Steelers, and David Wilson's 84-yard TD run against the Jets.

          "I'd like to see some continuity and some execution, some performance," Coughlin said, when asked about the offense. "I'd like to see us get the ball in the end zone, I'd like to see us do well on third down. I'd like to see our passing game, with our protection, look like some type of an efficient operation. I'd like to see progress, that's what I'd really like to see [Thursday]."

          The Giants are 1-2 in the preseason, have lost two in a row and have looked very mediocre in the process. Coughlin was asked if he is satisfied with what he's seen thus far from his team.

          "I don't like the word, I never have. Satisfied is not a good word for me, it doesn't work and it never never has," Coughlin said. "I see things that I like, and I see things that I don't like, and I see things that have to happen, and have to move along. ... It's a work in progress, there's no question about it. It'll be a work in progress when we get ready to play the first [regular season] game, it's just been one of those [summers]."

          To be fair, the Giants have had a bunch of injuries to deal with during training camp and the preseason.

          "We're trying to get 11 guys to work together, [that] has not been easy," Coughlin said. "There is, I hope, a silver lining in that lots of people have played, lots of experience, lots of guys have been in positions of flexibility. So we've had some things we could see, and I'm hoping that becomes a good thing."