The league's response to the doctored balls has been successful, ingenious and harsh, all at the same time. Instead of fining the kickers themselves, the league can levy a fine of $15,000 on the equipment manager of a team that is caught with a doctored ball. To some football players, that's pocket change. To an equipment manager, that's part of a mortgage.

The Giants' equipment manager, Ed Wagner Jr., confirmed today that he had received a memo from the league warning about tampering with the football.

When asked about kickers' doctoring balls, Bill Hampton Sr., the Jets' equipment manager, said: "I heard some did it. But it's all mental. We used to rub a little alcohol just to take the finish off it. It wasn't as slippery. But we never did anything else to the ball."

The success rate of long kicks has dramatically decreased. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, of the 26 attempts from more than 50 yards, only one -- Kevin Butler's 50-yarder for the Chicago Bears -- has been successful. The bureau said that last season after six weeks, kickers were 23 of 39 for kicks of 50 yards or more.

Last season, Daluiso, who primarily kicks off and attempts long field goals, kicked a 54-yarder in the closing seconds to defeat the Arizona Cardinals at Giants Stadium last year. This season, Daluiso doesn't have a field-goal attempt. His use has been affected by the change in spotting.

In terms of kickoffs, Daluiso on the average has been booting the ball as far as the goal line, while last season, they averaged about 4 yards deep into the end zone. That dropoff has been caused by another rules change, this one moving the kickoffs 5 yards back.

Treadwell, one of the most reliable kickers in the game, is still as accurate as he ever was. Last season, he made 80.6 percent of his kicks and this season he has made 6 of 7 attempts, 85.7 percent.