By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.(AP) -- The job of turning around the New
York Giants belongs to Eli Manning, Antonio Pierce and the other
leaders on the defending NFC East champions.

Coach Tom Coughlin went out of his way Wednesday to tell the
team its leaders have to take control and end the Giants'
current three-game losing streak.

"Leaders are lifters," Coughlin said twice during his news
conference Wednesday. "And normally what has to happen when a
team does fight their way out of a problem, your best players
have to show the way. They are the ones that show the way. The
guys that are in the role of a foot soldier, they will play and
they will work their tails off.

"But what ultimately shows is when the guys that are recognized
as your quality football players, your better football players,
they have to play themselves into a position where they are
showing the way."

That's not happened for the Giants (5-3) in the recent slide
that has seen them slip from first place in the NFC East to
third, a game behind Philadelphia and Dallas.

Manning has thrown six interceptions in the losing streak and
Pierce has been the leader of a defense that has allowed New
Orleans and Philadelphia to both score at least 40 points.

Things won't get any easier Sunday when the Giants are home for
the San Diego Chargers (4-3), who have won their last two games.

Manning and Pierce both welcomed the coach's challenge in what
will be New York's final game before a bye, a week that the
Giants want to avoid entering with a four-game losing streak.

"You always expect your leaders and the guys who expect to play
well to go out there and do their job and play at a high level,"
said Manning, who has thrown three TD passes in the last three
games. "That level motivates the other guys and gets everybody
going. We have to do our job. Each individual has to do their
job, whether you are a guy expecting to make plays. If you are
out there on the field, everybody has to do their job."

Pierce admitted he has played poorly in the streak.

"Coach didn't need to challenge any of us," Pierce said. "We are
on a three-game losing streak and we're turning into pretty much
the laughingstock as far as how we're playing on defense, so
it's a fun week for us. So he doesn't need to call none of us
out, we'll step it up this week. We had a good practice."

Pierce scoffed at the idea of having a team meeting, saying the
Giants need to do their talking on Sunday.

"It's one of our biggest games of the year," said Pierce, who
earlier this week in a radio interview equated this game with
another Super Bowl.

Pierce echoed Coughlin, saying the stars need to play like
stars, the contributors need to contribute and everyone needs to
do a little more.

"Obviously what we are doing now is not working," he said. "It
has nothing to do with Xs and Os. Sometimes it does. Sometimes
you have to go above Xs and Os and play a little harder, run to
the ball more, have energy, show some spirit that you want to
enjoy playing the game, have some passion about the game because
it passes you by fast and we don't what to see our season pass
us by."

Linebacker Danny Clark said there is a definite sense of
urgency.

"I don't think at this point we need a bunch of 'rah-rah' guys,
we need more leadership by example, going the extra mile to get
us better," he said. "That's something we've taken pride in, the
veterans, going out on the practice field and doing a little
more, going a little harder, faster, longer."

The defense will probably get some help Sunday: defensive tackle
Chris Canty and weakside linebacker Michael Boley are expected
to play.

Canty has been sidelined since the opening game with a calf
injury. Boley had surgery on his right knee last month.

Boley expects to play but noted the final decision will be left
to the medical personnel.

"It's a young season, it's a real young season," he said. "It's
not one of those things where I am going to sit here and say I'm
rushing to get back, it's Week 15. That's not the case. The
season is still young, we've got another half of the season."

Canty, who never missed a game in four seasons with Dallas, said
having to sit out seven in a row has been hard.

"It's difficult in any circumstance, even when we were winning,"
he said. "When we were 5-0 it was difficult not being out there
contributing to the success of your football team. It's tough. I
have never had to deal with that and it comes with a dose of
humility as well."