Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches Among Those Unable to Practice for Giants
The New York Giants listed 13 players on their Week 16 injury report, including some key starters.
Defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence (hamstring) and Rakeem Nunez-Roches (knee) were among the five who didn't practice on Friday. The injuries to Lawrence and Nunez-Roches have left the Giants defensive line depth thin to the point where they poached Timmy Horne off the Atlanta Falcons practice squad to shore up the depth.
Lawrence's injury is concerning. He was able to practice on a limited basis for the last two weeks after missing his first career game due to injury in Week 12. Lawrence has since been on a pitch count for the last two games.
That he hasn't been able to go so far this week--he also didn't practice yesterday--puts his availability for Monday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles in doubt, though head coach Brian Daboll did not yet want to rule Lawrence out for the game.
Joining Lawrence and Nunez-Roches on the "did not practice" list are tight end Lawrence Cager (groin), safety Xavier McKinney (illness), and offensive tackle Evan Neal (ankle).
Neal, who was limited all last week but ended up inactive after being listed as doubtful for the game, also appears to have suffered a setback in his quest to get back on the field. Neal, like Lawrence and Nunez-Roches, didn't practice on Wednesday either.
The Giants listed four players as limited, including defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson (back), punter Jamie Gillan (left groin), linebacker Carter Coughlin (neck), and running back Matt Breida (hamstring).
Gillan, who had to handle the place-kicking duties in addition to the punting after Randy Bullock strained his hamstring, was injured in last week's game against the Saints, though it's unclear exactly when it happened. Gillan did, however, look to be a little sluggish in his movement in the second half of that game.
Running back Gary Brightwell (hamstring/DTR), tackle Matt Peart (shoulder/DTR), guard Justin Pugh (calf/neck), and tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) were all listed as full participants.
Brightwell and Peart had their 21-day windows opened this week after being designated to return from injured reserve. Pugh had been dealing with a calf issue last week, so the neck ailment is new. And the Giants are hoping that Waller, who last week came off IR after missing five games with a hamstring injury, can hold up the rest of the way.
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