Saquon Barkley jogged over to Sterling Shepard because the Giants’ extensive receiver was being carted off the sphere in Monday’s fourth quarter loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The look Shepard gave him advised Barkley the information on his left knee was probably as dangerous as he feared.
“I’ve been in that situation. Everyone’s around you when they do the test [on your knee],” Barkley mentioned. “So I kinda simply tried to get a way and browse what occurred. He simply gave me a glance of disappointment.
“I’ve been through this process,” Barkley added. “So I’m definitely gonna be there to help if it is that. But also [I’ll] go to sleep, say a prayer and hope for the best. You never know.”
Coach Brian Daboll confirmed “it didn’t look good on what I saw.”
Shepard rehabbed from final December’s torn left Achilles to be prepared for the Giants’ Week 1 win in Tennessee. He even caught a 65-yard landing go in that 21-20 win.
But he suffered a merciless destiny Monday, dropping to the MetLife Stadium turf in agony with a non-contact damage on the Giants offense’s closing play.
A member of the family or good friend was seen wiping tears from her eyes as she was escorted into the Giants’ locker room postgame. The gamers have been all despondent.
Daboll had given Shepard a day without work from follow final Wednesday to relaxation the receiver’s Achilles and physique, given the heavy workload he’d endured by the primary two weeks (80% of the offensive snaps).
But on his 54th snap of Monday’s recreation, his leg gave out. His closing catch, maybe as a Giant, was a 12-yard completion from Jones to begin that closing drive.
Shepard, the longest tenured Giant courting again to his 2016 draft choice, was solely again on a one-year contract after taking a paycut to stick with the crew.
“It definitely hurt me when I saw him go down like that, grabbing his knee, still hurts,” receiver Kenny Golladay mentioned. “Almost choked me up a little bit to be totally honest. I know how much he’s put in and how much he cares about it. And that’s tough.”
Safety Julian Love referred to as Shepard the Giants’ “heart and soul.” And Barkley, who could be Shepard’s finest good friend, took it as laborious as anyone.
“When I saw Shep, I was kinda like what the heck is happening?” he mentioned, recounting the play that Shepard went down. “In that moment, you see him on the ground, I didn’t even wanna walk over there. I just dropped, said a quick prayer. It’s really tough. He got a lot of injuries recently and it’s hard to come back and battle from an Achilles. And then to go down on a play like that? It’s tough.”
KENNY DROPS THE BALL
Golladay performed 22 snaps on Monday evening, up considerably from his two snaps in opposition to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. But he completed with no catches on three targets, together with a foul drop on a 3rd and 13 Daniel Jones go within the fourth quarter that may have prolonged a drive whereas trailing, 20-13.
“I missed one opportunity that wish I had it back,” Golladay mentioned. “[That was] me simply not wanting all of it the way in which in, me simply attempting to make a play for the crew and get upfield, working earlier than you actually safe the ball. That’s just about all that was.
“Stuff that can’t happen especially when eight [Jones] is pretty much doing everything to get us the ball and get us in the position to win the football game,” the veteran receiver added. “I want to be a guy that can make that play. So I definitely put that on myself. It’s third down and that can’t happen.”
Golladay mentioned “I’m beating myself up” in regards to the drop. He additionally mentioned he “didn’t see” Monday’s NFL.com report a couple of potential commerce.
“I’m not worried about that right now,” he mentioned. “I just got done with a game.”
The report offered eventualities that the Giants would possibly discover amenable to dump the disgruntled veteran. Also, it famous that the Giants could be prepared to eat the majority of Golladay’s costly contract to do away with him in trade for a late-round choose.
It amounted to an invite for the NFL’s different 31 groups to name. Time will inform if anybody does. The actuality is that whereas GM Joe Schoen has appeared to drum up motion on his receiver, he hasn’t discovered any takers but this yr.
POSTGAME PROBLEMS
Some Giants and Cowboys gamers have been pushing and shoving after the sport. Edge rusher Jihad Ward mentioned one of many Cowboys’ rookie tight ends, both Jake Ferguson or Peyton Hendershot, was “talking crazy” whereas he and Cowboys go rusher DeMarcus Lawrence have been saying “what’s up.”
“We tried to push him back to the tunnel,” Ward mentioned of the Cowboys tight finish. “I guess he[’s] happy, but I’m gonna let you be happy. Laugh now, cry later, that’s all I gotta say, you know what I mean?”
Love mentioned “there is animosity” between the Giants and Cowboys.
“We don’t like them at all,” he mentioned. “They don’t like us. Things boil over.”
Center Jon Feliciano mentioned he acquired in the course of the pushing and shoving “to make sure none of our guys got in any extra trouble and missed any games.”
GAME NOTES
Barkley on how he executed his landing run: “We ran the same play earlier. I cut it back and Malik [Hooker] made a really good tackle for like six yards. So I kinda knew what I was gonna be able to do if the opportunity came again.” … Defensive deal with Dexter Lawrence mentioned the Cowboys run-blockers “out-leveraged” the Giants’ defenders. “They found the little seams and squeezed through it,” he mentioned. Asked if Leonard Williams’ absence on the line of defense was the explanation for Dallas’ dominance on the bottom, Lawrence mentioned; “Nah. they [weren’t] challenging us inside. They were trying to get the edges and that’s what they were getting.” … Lawrence was furious on one third down within the second half as a result of he was being subbed off the sphere. “It’s a divisional game so the stakes are higher,” he defined. “I wanted to do all I can to help the team win. And I can do that being on the field … and help leading from the sideline.” … Shepard was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct within the third quarter for leaving the Giants’ sideline to problem Cowboys gamers after a late hit on Jones by Dallas defensive finish Sam Williams. It was a shocking lack of self-discipline from Daboll’s sideline that should go addressed this week … Kicker Graham Gano had his proper foot stepped on inadvertently late within the recreation by deal with Devery Hamilton. Gano completed the sport, although.
WILLIAMS SITS FOR FIRST TIME
Williams missed a recreation on account of damage on Monday for the primary time in his NFL profession. A sprained MCL in his proper knee stored him out. Williams had performed in 114 consecutive video games from 2015-22 for the Jets (71) and Giants (43) previous to Monday’s scratch.
The Giants’ different inactives have been WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), CB Aaron Robinson (appendix), CB Nick McCloud (hamstring), CB Justin Layne (hamstring) and wholesome LB Tomon Fox.
Toney’s begin to his second NFL season: In Week 1, seven snaps and two rushes for 23 yards. In Week 2, 28 snaps and two catches for zero yards.
Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari have been each energetic Monday for the primary time this season. Thibodeaux, this yr’s No. 5 total pick of Oregon, made his NFL debut.
The Cowboys’ inactives have been QB Dak Prescott (proper thumb), WR Michael Gallup (knee), S Jayron Kearse (knee), TE Dalton Schultz (knee), OL Connor McGovern (ankle), OLB Luke Gifford and CB Nahshon Wright.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com