Tuck doesn't want to return too early

Justin Tuck already is paying the price for rushing back into action. He's not about to do it again.

"If I had sat out the last three weeks like a lot of people were telling me to, maybe I would be playing this week regardless," the Giants defensive end and captain said Thursday, a week after aggravating his groin injury in practice. "That didn't happen and we came back a little too early and had a setback. So I'm being punished for that right now."

Tuck, who said his status for Sunday's game against the Bills is "unknown," said the groin is the major factor keeping him on the sideline now. "The neck feels pretty good," he said. "Obviously, it's had about three weeks without any contact."

He said he can run in a straight line but has trouble exploding or running at angles. If he does not play Sunday, he will have missed three straight games and four of the first six.

"The concern is going back too early like I did last week and having another setback and then not being able to play the week after the bye," he said.

No extra fire for Fewell

Perry Fewell was the defensive coordinator who became interim head coach for the Bills in 2009, but he said facing his former team does not give him any extra motivation this week. "It's just a game we have to win," he said. "I just happen to know those guys on the other side."

Giant steps

Fewell said the defense needs to work on communication against hurry-up offenses and that he may give the players wristbands with plays written on them to get everyone together . . . Zak DeOssie (concussion) appears to be making progress, but if he can't play Sunday, Jim Cordle likely will handle the long-snapping . . . Tom Coughlin said G Chris Snee (concussion) is making progress, but he did not practice . . . DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) returned to practice.