Giants desperately looking for linebacker help

With three starters down with injuries, the New York squad is ailing.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Giants' linebacker situation has become so dire that the team might look to its past for solutions.
Last week, the Giants worked out Jesse Armstead, a five-time Pro Bowl selection with the team in the late 1990s. The last time he played in a regular-season game was 2003 with Washington.
Armstead was on Carolina's preseason roster in 2004, but was put on injured reserve in September with a shoulder injury and didn't play.
Philfer signed
The Giants also recently signed Roman Phifer, who hadn't played since being released by New England last spring.
Coach Tom Coughlin didn't say Sunday whether Armstead would join the team.
"I'm not going to elaborate what we thought about who, what and where," he said on a conference call.
A linebacker corps already missing starters Antonio Pierce (high ankle sprain) and Carlos Emmons (strained right pectoral muscle) took another hit Saturday when rookie Chase Blackburn, filling in Pierce, strained his neck in a 35-20 loss at Washington.
Blackburn was released from the hospital Sunday but likely will miss the final game of the regular season at Oakland next Saturday, Coughlin said. If the Giants (10-5) win that game, they would clinch the NFC East.
"There was trauma obviously in the neck area but all the tests disproved any thought that there may be some type of a fracture," Coughlin said.
Loses key performer
Blackburn was hurt on a helmet-first tackle on Redskins H-back Chris Cooley. Before that, Blackburn had scored on a 31-yard interception in the first quarter.
A week earlier, Blackburn finished with nine tackles in a 27-17 win over Kansas City.
Coughlin didn't elaborate on the status of tight end Jeremy Shockey, who hurt his ankle against Washington.
"I'll know more about that as the week progresses," he said.
Coughlin said a 72-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Ramsey to Santana Moss after Mark Brunell left with an injury in the third quarter was a big momentum shift.
"That gave them confidence then that they were going to be able to continue and that was a critical time," he said.