Mark Herzlich ready to go if needed

Mark Herzlich is ready. He's been on an NFL roster since late July, has been playing consistently on special teams, and said he is feeling as good as he did before his cancer diagnosis during the 2008 season at Boston College. This week, he put the final touch on his preparation.

He shaved a Mohawk into his hair, just as he used to wear it when he was crushing running backs and breaking up passes as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. "I'm eager," he said. "It's all about getting that one shot and seizing it."

That shot may come on Sunday, and against the team he grew up rooting for no less. Herzlich is one of the candidates to fill in for Michael Boley if the veteran with the hamstring injury is unable to play. Wednesday Boley said he's feeling better but was unsure if he'll be able to practice at all this week. That essentially -- though unofficially -- ruled him out.

While fellow rookie linebackers Spencer Paysinger, Greg Jones and Jacquian Williams may all play a role in replacing Boley as they did in the second half of Sunday's loss to the 49ers, don't overlook Herzlich. Although he is the only defensive name on the roster to have appeared in all nine games without a defensive snap, it seems as though his time is here.

At the very least he has his ball-playing haircut back. He's even growing out his beard, just the way he wore it at BC.

Herzlich said stopping the run and covering the pass are characteristics that all linebackers need to have.

"I feel like that's one of the things I really excelled at in 2008 and I think they're seeing it now, too," he said. "I feel like I'm back to where I'm ready to compete at a high level."

With Boley on the sideline, the linebacker group can go by a name that sounds like a cheesy sitcom: "Kiwi and the Kids." Mathias Kiwanuka will be the only one with extensive experience at the position, and even he is not a natural linebacker but a converted defensive end.

"We're past all the switching and the how does it feel to be at a different position," Kiwanuka said. "At this point it's about doing what this team needs for us to get a win."

Still, Kiwanuka had to chuckle when it was pointed out that he is the most experienced linebacker the team has available this week. "When we lost [Jonathan] Goff early in [the season], just walking in the room and looking around I was kind of shocked," Kiwanuka said. " 'Wow, there are not a lot of veterans in here.' But watching how these young guys have responded to the pressure of being thrown out there, I'm impressed."

"There are good and bad things about having four rookie linebackers and one of the good things is we're all hungry and we're all ready for our opportunities," Herzlich said.

He in particular. When Boley went down in the second quarter on Sunday, Herzlich thought he might get his chance to finally get on the field with the defense. He hadn't been practicing at outside linebacker, however, so he remained on the sideline. That won't be an excuse this week, as Herzlich and all of the linebackers have been rotating during preparation for the Eagles.

"I'm ready," Herzlich said. "Whenever they get that number called."

Notes & quotes: DT Jimmy Kennedy practiced with the team but is not on the active roster. The Giants have a one-week roster exemption to add him to the 53-man squad. As for his suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy, Kennedy insisted that he did not take steroids and claimed that he thought he had received clearance to take the substance with which he was caught. He did not make it clear but he suggested that it was a banned cold remedy . . . CB Aaron Ross (quad) was limited in practice but appears to be on track to play Sunday.