ALBANY, N.Y. - I had a person ask me on Twitter how I distinguish a good play from a bad play in these Giants practice reports. In other words, if it's a good play for the defense, doesn't that mean it's a bad play for the offense.

As I tried to explain in 140 characters, I realized it might be better to flesh out the answer here. So here goes.

If we're talking about a drop or a blown coverage, that's easy. That's a bad play. But if we're talking about a guy out-jumping another player, that's a good play.

At this level, there are a lot of highly talented, highly motivated players looking to make an impact and improve their craft. As they like to tell the media when we ask about an opponent making a play, "They get paid, too."

So you might read these reports and think, "Boy, these are always glowing reports about guys performing well. Where's the bad news?" Sometimes there just isn't any.

And in the case of safety Will Hill, there was plenty of good to report. The former Saint Peter's Prep star stood out in a big way today. The news on him tops the section on the young guys down below.

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THE INJURIES

Add the four guys on PUP - DT Chris Canty (knee), WR Hakeem Nicks (foot), TE Travis Beckum (knee) and LB Clint Sintim (knee) - to the news here.

Also, RB Da'Rel Scott (ankle) was back in action after missing two days. And as promised, WR Rueben Randle (illness) practiced fully.

Oh, and today was a half-pads practice. They wore shoulder pads after two days in shells, so the hitting increased a bit.

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THE STARTERS

WR Domenik Hixon caught a deep in cut in front of CB Michael Coe on the second play of team drills. Safeties coach David Merritt liked how S Antrel Rolle came down and was in position to put a hit on Hixon there. One play later, QB Eli Manning hit WR Ramses Barden on a quick out in front of a slipping Coe.

Rolle also got props from defensive coordinator Perry Fewell for doing something I didn't quite catch. I have no idea what Fewell was talking about but he was seriously, seriously fired up. One more note on Rolle: With CB Terrell Thomas out today, he was back down low in that nickel spot for part of practice. So much for returning to his regular gig, huh?

Good kick-out block by FB Henry Hynoski on CB Corey Webster on a run by RB D.J. Ware to the edge. Then again, that's what he's supposed to do.

TE Martellus Bennett had a solid practice. During 7-on-7s, he got to the outside of LB Spencer Paysinger for a 13-yard grab, one of three nice catches for him.

TE Bear Pascoe had back-to-back-to-back catches to open 7-on-7 passing drills. The first was a comeback in front of Coe, the second was a crossing route and the third was the best of the bunch - a diving grab on a ball that was thrown behind him. Pascoe had a catch earlier during team drills. (See below.) Pascoe had a blocking highlight late in practice when he kicked out LB Greg Jones on a counter play.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul rejected a pass from Manning during team drills late in practice. And I do mean rejected. He could've wagged the Dikembe Mutombo finger on that one. It was a serious thump as he got up over LT Will Beatty to get a hand on that one. Side note: Good adjustment by Bennett to bail on the double team when he saw S Tyler Sash blitzing off the edge.

Funny little moment after RB Ahmad Bradshaw dropped a pass. CB Corey Webster picked up the ball and said something to RG Chris Snee. That's when C David Baas came by and slapped the ball out if Webster's hands. Baas, by the way, was very physical and quick with his "punch" when I focused on him today. Getting those hands up like that has been a focus for Baas.

THE BACKUPS

LB Mark Herzlich can defend the pass but he showed today he's there in the run game as well when he stepped up in a gap to get a hand on RB Andre Brown and then brought the wood on OG Mitch Petrus on what looked like a quick trap play.

Another guy who delivered a big hit was LB Jacquian Williams when he stuffed the running back after avoiding OT Matt McCants.

Merritt called S Chris Horton's pre-snap movement an "ugly disguise." The result was a Cover-3 look QB Ryan Perrilloux seemed to read easily. Perrilloux hit for a 20-yard gain up the seam.

WR Jerrel Jernigan added another impressive play to his camp resume today by holding onto a ball while Rolle was on him up the seam. Jernigan made the catch after a couple of bobbles, so he showed good concentration there.

CB Bruce Johnson had a good practice today. He was very aggressive in coverage and tight to the receivers.

And so was CB Prince Amukamara. One of the many plays on which he was all over the receiver was when Hixon had to tackle him rather than let him pick off a deep ball from Manning.

I mentioned QB David Carr was looking rusty. Well, not on one particular play today when he slid to the left to avoid a looping DE Adrian Tracy and delivered a strike to WR Brandon Collins near the sideline. Collins dropped the ball, however. Still, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride liked what Carr gave him there.

CB Dante Hughes picked off Manning in red-zone drills. I'm not sure what happened there but WR Victor Cruz and Manning weren't on the same page. Maybe Manning expected a flatter route from Cruz. In any event, Hughes was all alone underneath the deep in route.

THE YOUNG GUYS

And now, to Hill. He started with a diving pass defensed on a pass from Carr to TE Christian Hopkins. That came right after what I think was a missed assignment that allowed Bennett to make a catch. Good bounce-back play for Hill there. And three more good plays later: one to stay deep and help cover WR David Douglas on a play-action fake, a stop on a run after coming downhill hard to get there and one more plant-and-drive to come down hard on Douglas. Just an overall good practice for Hill, who really showed his ability today.

Really good play fake by Perrilloux on one play. I mean, really good. Tracy was following RB David Wilson when he finally realized the ball was in Perrilloux's hands. Perrilloux also laid a good ball on WR Julian Talley's hands but he couldn't hold on.

Wilson, by the way, looks pretty good when sticking a run up inside. If he has the urge to bounce these plays outside, he's fighting it very well right now.

Credit CB Brandon Bing and S Jojo Nicolas with some good coverage on a few plays. Bing was stride-for-stride with Randle on a go route. Nicolas keeps impressing the coaches in spurts.

Actually, credit the entire secondary for one heckuva practice today. They came to work this afternoon.

WR Dan DePalma made some kind of sight adjustment that pleased Gilbride. It was a short hook route, but making the right read is obviously vital in this offense. DePalma added a tough twisting catch on an out route from the slot with Johnson all over him. That was the only way a ball was going to be caught on Johnson today.

LB Jake Muasau took a catch away from TE Adrien Robinson when he poked it out of Robinson's hands as he tried to tuck it. Robinson later had a drop during team drills. It remains a slow start to camp for Robinson, but give him time.

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And finally, more passing 1-on-1s:

--Webster got props from Fewell for coming down on Hixon has he caught a hook in front of him. "That's a great close!" Fewell yelled.

--Great move by Jernigan on a route but he then dropped the ball.

--Collins was one of the players who slipped as he tried to run an in cut. Johnson's being all over him might've contributed to that.

--The shame about CB Jayron Hosley's injury was it came at the tail end of a fine defensive play to break up a pass from Perrilloux to WR Isaiah Stanback.

--Horton hears a ... pass defensed. Couldn't think of an "H" that fit there. Anyway, he broke up a pass from Perrilloux to TE Larry Donnell on an in route.

--Good out route by Randle past Hughes. He's quick out of his breaks, that Randle.

--Coe jammed up Talley very well off the line.

--Terrific move by Douglas to get outside of CB Antwaun Molden and up the field for a deep completion.

--Amukamara broke up a pass for Cruz, who was held in check by the defense for the first time in camp.

--I mentioned Johnson was aggressive for most of practice. Maybe it had something to do with secondary coach Peter Giunta getting on him early for not finishing a matchup with Jernigan after Jernigan beat him early in the route. "Don't quit!" Giunta yelled.

Mike Garafolo: mgarafolo@starledger.com