It’s as unhealthy because the Giants initially feared: Sterling Shepard tore the ACL in his left knee. His season is over, if not his Giants profession.
The veteran huge receiver dropped to the MetLife Stadium turf in agony and grabbed his left leg after struggling a non-contact harm late in Monday night time’s fourth quarter in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys.
“He worked so diligently to get back, and I feel terrible for him that he had that injury,” head coach Brian Daboll stated in Tuesday’s convention name. “He’s a big part of our team, and we’ll miss him out on the field.”
The Giants’ solely wholesome receivers are Richie James, David Sills, Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton. Daboll didn’t sound assured that Kadarius Toney (hamstring) or Wan’Dale Robinson (proper knee) can be again for Sunday’s Week 4 house recreation in opposition to the Chicago Bears.
“They’re getting closer,” Daboll stated of Toney and Robinson. “Will they be ready this week? I can’t answer that yet. After the meeting I had just now with the doctors, they’re getting closer, but we’re not out of the blue yet with it.”
Daboll’s mantra is that he desires gamers who’re “smart, tough and dependable.” He was requested if a participant must be accessible in an effort to be reliable.
“Absolutely,” Daboll stated.
This reinforces why Toney didn’t play lots to start out the season and why there’s no assure he’ll quickly.
Daboll stated the Giants must proceed with “the guys that we have” at receiver. Marcus Johnson and Kalil Pimpleton are the receivers on their observe squad.
“Those guys are gonna have to continue to work hard,” the coach stated. “They’ll trust the quarterback. They’ll be practicing. And hopefully we’ll make some strides in that area.”
GM Joe Schoen clearly was busy Monday clearing some room on the roster, whether or not it’s for observe squad signings or low-cost free agent strikes.
He waived operating again Antonio Williams, who’s performed 33 particular groups snaps the previous two weeks, and reduce linebacker Charles Wiley from the observe squad.
Shepard’s loss is nearly unquantifiable within the context of this skinny, unreliable receiving corps. In the wake of his harm, it’s truthful to surprise if Shepard, 29, ought to have been on the sphere in any respect.
He made a quick return from final December’s torn left Achilles. That was additionally a non-contact harm sustained on the MetLife Stadium turf, on Dec. 19 in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Shepard rehabbed all offseason. He didn’t observe till Aug. 24. Then he logged 80% of the offensive snaps via three video games (165 of 205) earlier than his left leg gave out once more.
He is on a one-year contract after accepting an offseason paycut to stick with the staff. This might be it as a Giant for the previous 2016 second-round decide.
“It could have happened — I’m not saying it happened — you see a couple of plays before where he turns when he’s running an in-cut and he’s extended,” Daboll stated, speculating. “He went out there on the next play and did something. Again, it kind of looked like a freaky accident there.”
Free agent Odell Beckham Jr., Shepard’s shut buddy and former Giants teammate, tweeted in frustration that gamers needs to be enjoying on grass, not turf.
“Just get rid of it all …,” OBJ wrote. “Billions made off this game I can’t understand why we can’t play on grass. That s—t is rough. Prayers up for my brother. S—t just hurt my heart.”
Daboll acknowledged that’s a subject the Giants will most likely proceed to debate.
“I know there’s been a lot of studies,” he stated. “Not just here but probably in every stadium. I think, again, you look at Shep’s injury it’s — he was jogging. I’m sure that throughout the season and the offseason that we’ll sit down and discuss those type of things.”
NOT ENOUGH MEN
Film assessment revealed that the Giants protection solely had 10 males on the sphere for Ezekiel Elliott’s 1-yard landing run in Monday night time’s third quarter.
Daboll put the blame on an unnamed participant.
“I mean look, on that play on the goal line [defensive coordinator] Wink [Martindale] called for a personnel group, and there was one player that didn’t go in,” Daboll stated. “So we need to do a good job of listening to the play caller’s instructions and go in and be ready to go.”
The head coach additionally had Shepard race off the Giants’ sideline to defend Daniel Jones after a late hit, incomes an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that negated a Cowboys late hit.
Daboll’s operation must be cleaner in opposition to the Bears.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com