Giants Must Find a Way to Overcome Injury Bug

The injury-depleted Giants have no choice but to carry on under the "next man up!" battle cry when they face the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Nov 22, 2022 8:52 PM EST

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New York Giants

There's never a good time for the injury bug to hit a football team. And that is especially true for the New York Giants, who, after taking a pounding from the Detroit Lions Sunday, are entering their date with the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving a walking MASH unit.

Unfortunately, no one will feel sorry for the Giants, nor is Commissioner Roger Goodell going to step in and cancel the game just because the Giants are banged up. No, the mantra for head coach Brian Daboll's Giants is "next man up." If that looks scary at certain positions, given the depth on the roster, well, too bad.

"It’s the NFL; every team deals with injuries," Daboll said Tuesday before the team's walkthrough practice. "So, next guy up. And let’s get ready to play."

Daboll doesn't have to reach too far into his bag of motivational tricks to get the message across to the players left standing. It's either come ready to play and contribute to the overall cause or go home.

"It’s really that simple: prepare to play a game," he said. "(It’s) a short week; everybody plays them. So, do a good job in the walk-throughs. Do a good job of studying the team we’re playing, and make sure that we’re ready to go. Take care of our bodies and get ready to go to Dallas."

The Giants injury report reads like a "who's who" of the roster. Daboll has already said that starting tight end Daniel Bellinger (eye) and starting cornerback Adoree' Jackson (knee) will not play on Thursday.

However, the rest of the walking wounded will be game-day decisions, with some light being shed on who might be in and who's out based on the practice squad elevations the Giants end up making by Wednesday's deadline.

There are several big decisions to be made, starting with the receiver. The Giants placed Wan'Dale Robinson (ACL) on injured reserve on Monday. But Richie James, who would be the next man up not just as a slot receiver but also as a punt returner for Jackson, was dealing with a knee injury and was projected to be limited at Tuesday's walkthrough.

If James can't go, the Giants could elevate Kalil Pimpleton from their practice squad to fill both the receiver and punt returner role. Pimpleton has yet to be elevated since being signed to the Giants' practice squad at the start of the season.

Defensive back is another big problem. Besides Jackson, cornerback Fabian Moreau (oblique), the other starting cornerback, hasn't been projected to be able to practice this week. That would leave the Giants with Rodarius Williams, Darnay Holmes, Nick McCloud and practice squander Zyon Gilbert to choose from for their starting corners if Moreau can't play.

Then there is the offensive line. Jos Ezeudu (neck), Jon Feliciano (neck), Shane Lemieux (toe), Evan Neal (knee), Tyre Phillips (neck), and Andrew Thomas (illness) were all on Tuesday's injury report.

Of those, Thomas and Phillips should be good to go by Thursday, with Neal being a game-time decision. The statuses of Feliciano and Lemieux are less certain, which means that Nick Gates probably figures to get his first start since returning from the PUP list and that Matt Peart could also step in with a start at right tackle if Phillips and Neal aren't ready.

As simple as "next man up" sounds, there is a reason why some guys are starters and others are backups. There's also a reason why on the offensive line, at least, it's strongly desired to have the same five guys working together every week, as is the case with receiver, where the quarterback builds up a rapport with certain guys that often takes weeks to develop.

"I think it can be in certain situations," quarterback Daniel Jones said when asked if it was a challenge to get used to changing faces on the fly. "I think our guys have done a really good job stepping in knowing what to do, getting on the same page, and then going out and executing.

"I think our coaches have done a good job getting everyone up to speed, helping everyone learn what they need to learn, and then when guys have gotten out there, they’ve made plays."

They will have to make plays against a Cowboys team that is explosive on offense and fast and physical on defense. Jones said the players who might be called upon to step in for the injured guys have done a "great job learning what they have to" and that he has confidence in them.

That's important because if the Giants are to finish the job they started, they will need those guys that get pressed into starting roles or large roles within the game plan to deliver the goods.

"We’ve had a good week so far of practice and communicating those things and getting on the same page," Jones said. "It certainly is a challenge, but I think it’s also a great opportunity for us to show who we are, show what we can do, our toughness. We’re looking forward to going out there and playing really good football. That’s where our focus is."