EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- One of the few bright spots for the New York Giants during the preseason was the team's new combination at running back.

Free agent acquisition Rashad Jennings and fourth-round draft pick Andre Williams looked like a potent one-two punch in the backfield.

But, through two regular-season games, the Giants are ranked 29th out of 32 NFL teams in rushing yards per game -- the same lowly spot they were ranked a year ago.

And their average output, 67 yards, is even significantly lower than last year (83.3).

Yes, it's only been two games -- but the Giants desperately need a stronger running game to be successful this year.

"I put the running game on us in the backfield," Jennings said Friday. "The offensive linemen, when they get a body on a body, the running back's gotta dig out hard yards and move the chains. I take responsibility for that."

Jennings has 34 carries for 110 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per carry. He also had a very costly fumble in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Williams has gained just 21 yards on 13 carries (1.6 yards per carry), and coach Tom Coughlin said Thursday that he believes Williams is going through some natural rookie growing pains.

"He missed a couple opportunities the other night and he’s well aware of it," Coughlin said. "He made the error of not believing or not staying with his initial key and kind of getting off and being a little helter skelter and then finding nothing."

Williams, who led the NCAA in rushing yards a year ago at Boston College, doesn't sound like he's lost his swagger, though.

"I think we just have to execute better, play faster, play with more confidence, and just make sure we stick to our fundamentals," Williams said. "I think this week is gonna be a good week for the run game."

The Giants' opponent this week, the Houston Texans, are ranked 18th in rushing defense, allowing 116 yards per game. But they're giving up 5.0 yards per carry -- tied for the worst mark in the league.

If the Giants can't run the ball effectively this week, that's a really bad sign.

Music to our ears: As the Giants were stretching at the start of practice on Friday, loud music was playing, including "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G.

This is commonplace at Rex Ryan's New York Jets practices, for instance, but not common at all with Tom Coughlin's Giants -- leading to a question about it afterward.

"The players wanted that," Coughlin said. "We’ve done that before; we did it years ago. Just a little bit of noise in the air, like a stadium pregame."

Coughlin added that the topic came up during a meeting with the players' leadership council.

This appears to be another example of Coughlin loosening up a little bit -- but he clearly did not pick the soundtrack.

"What’s an iPod?" Coughlin said. "I see everybody with these things sticking out of their ears all the time. What the heck? What, you need music to run? You can’t exercise without that stuff? What the heck?"