--CB Aaron Ross (concussion), one of the starters held out of the game last Sunday, is making "excellent progress," according to coach Tom Coughlin, and should be 100 percent for the Giants' first playoff game Jan. 11 against Philadelphia, Arizona or Atlanta.

--RBs Brandon Jacobs (1,089) and Derrick Ward (1,025) finished as the first pair of backs in the NFL since 1985 to go over 1,000 yards in the same season, and only the fourth overall. They're the first duo to accomplish the feat since Cleveland's Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack in 1985.

"It's a nice feeling," Ward said of his 1,025-yard season. "And now we go into the playoffs as the top seed. That's a nice feeling, too."

--QB David Carr, the first overall pick in the 2002 draft (two years before Eli Manning in 2004) hadn't played since the fourth game of the season vs. Seattle. But he played the entire second half, completed eight of 11 passes for 110 yards and a TD and finished with a 134.7 QB rating.

"It didn't hurt for the guys to see I can actually play," he laughed. "I hope they built up some confidence in me."

Head coach Tom Coughlin was intent on playing Carr, feeling it was just one snap away from disaster if starter Eli Manning got hurt. "I agreed with that," said Carr, "and it felt good to get out on the field again."

--QB Eli Manning shrugged off Sunday's loss to Minnesota. "We could have played better," he said. "I am sure of that. But the regular season is over and it (the defeat) didn't change our status. So now I think the guys would rather look ahead and not back. We are all excited about our playoff opportunities."

REPORT CARD VS. VIKINGS

PASSING OFFENSE: B-minus -- The Giants split the game between Eli Manning and his backup, David Carr. Both did well. Manning completed 11 of 19 for 119 yards with no TDs or interceptions. Carr was even better, with eight of 11 completions for 110 yards, no picks and a 23-yard TD to WR Domenik Hixon. His passer rating was 134.7 in just his second stint in a game all season. He last filled in for Manning in the fourth quarter of their 44-6 rout of Seattle in Week 4. Hixon has become the replacement for the departed Plaxico Burress and caught four passes for 62 yards, including the 23-yard score. Protection was fine, even with a sometimes makeshift offensive line. Neither quarterback was sacked, even with the presence of Minnesota sack king Jared Allen. TEs Darcy Johnson and Michael Matthews filled in for starter Kevin Boss, who was kept out (concussion). OT Kevin Boothe made amends his previous performance as a fill-in for RT Kareem McKenzie, playing much more satisfactorily and not allowing a sack.

RUSHING OFFENSE: B -- RB Derrick Ward joined teammate Brandon Jacobs as a 1,000-yard rusher for the season. He needed 52 rushing yards and got 77 (in 15 carries). He had a 33-yard TD jaunt taken away by a penalty. The tandem of Jacobs and Ward is the first since 1985 to go over 1,000 for the same team in the same season (Cleveland, 1985, Earnest Byner-Kevin Mack). The Giants gained 135 yards rushing despite the fact that the Vikings led the NFL in rush defense, allowing just 73 yards per game. Guard Richie Seubert was particularly effective in seal blocking and acted as a pulling guard frequently. FB Madison Hedgecock, a Pro Bowl alternate, continued his outstanding blocking.

PASS DEFENSE: B -- There wasn't much going on with the overall QB performance of Tarvaris Jackson, but he did hit a couple of long bombs -- 54 yards to WR Bernard Berrian and 41 yards to WR Bobby Wade. Berrian's went for a touchdown, but the long one to Wade was neutralized when Giants' SS James Butler picked off a pass in the end zone and returned it to the Giants' 45-yard line; a subsequent penalty on the play moved it to the Vikings' 40. With a smattering of replacement bodies on defense and, in the fourth quarter, an almost entirely new unit, the numbers held up fairly well for the Giants. The Giants recorded four QB hits and an unofficial seven pressures on Jackson.

RUSH DEFENSE: B -- The fear was that RB Adrian Peterson was going to shred the Giants' defense, especially without players such as CB Aaron Ross, DT Barry Cofield and a banged-up DE Justin Tuck. But aside from Peterson's 67-yard TD ramble, he was held to 36 yards on 20 carries. OLB Bryan Kehl, a rookie, led the team with eight tackles, while LB Chase Blackburn added six. The team recorded eight tackles for losses. DT Fred Robbins returned to action after sitting out two games with a jammed shoulder and played well. So, too, did CB Corey Webster, while CB Kevin Dockery, the replacement for Aaron Ross (concussion) did well but had a few coverage and formation mixups.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C -- Nothing untoward occurred for either the Giants or the Vikings, although RB Ahmad Bradshaw did return three kickoffs for 101 yards. Minnesota's Maurice Hicks returned three kickoffs for 110 yards. P Jeff Feagles kicked four times for a 48.3 average (45.8 net). K John Carney was successful on four of five field goal tries, missing a 48-yarder but making the others from 51, 42, 39 and 20.

COACHING: B -- For the second straight year, head coach Tom Coughlin had to decide how to handle the final game lineups, and for the second straight year he played it straight. All the starters who were capable of playing did so, although he did rest those who had been injured and then substituted liberally in the second half. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo mixed up coverages and blitz packages to confuse young Vikings' QB Tarvaris Jackson and for the most part it worked. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride ran the ball more than he normally does, in an obvious attempt -- though not admitted -- to get RB Derrick Ward his 1,000-yard season. The Giants kept many things close to the vest, in anticipation of what other playoff-bound teams were going to see on tape.