Giants extend Coughlin's deal

CALDWELL, N.J. -- Tom Coughlin was given a one-year reprieve to turn the New York Giants into a legitimate contender.

While the team's owners didn't give him an ultimatum, their message was clear.

"I think he knows we need to do better, that our expectations are much higher," co-owner John Mara said Wednesday. "I think we have enough talent on this roster to do better."

Mara and co-owner Jonathan Tisch gave the 60-year-old coach a one-year contract extension through 2008, an agreement reached just days after the Giants were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

It was a disappointing finish for a team that won the NFC East in 2005 with an 11-5 mark and thought it had a Super Bowl shot coming into this season. A 6-2 first-half fueled those expectations. However, injuries to defensive end Michael Strahan and leading receiver Amani Toomer led to a 2-7 finish.