Giants Getting Much Needed Insurance in Pivotal Game vs Washington

Sep 16, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; The New York Giants offense lines up against the Washington Football Team defense in the second quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

NFL: New York Giants at Washington Football Team

There was a lot of uncertainty about the overall health of the New York Giants coming into this Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders. Three areas have been suffering injuries the most recently, but the practices from this week are starting to show us a good forecast of who we could expect to see back in a Giants uniform. Here’s the latest on what to expect.

Offensive Line

Half of the offensive line was absent in their game against the Dallas Cowboys last week. Daniel Jones was being pressured all day long by the stingy Cowboys pass rush who took advantage of the opportunity. Now, the Giants seem to be getting back on their feet in this area for another NFC East contest. For starters, OT Evan Neal (knee) is set to return to action after three full participations in practice. G Mark Glowinski (back) was a late addition to the injury report, but with no call-ups from the practice squad, there seems to be little to no concern here despite his questionable tag.

C Jon Feliciano (neck) was limited all week and is listed as questionable, but is also expected to return as well per Jordan Raanan of ESPN. G Shane Lemieux (toe) remains on the sidelines for this one along with backup G Joshua Ezeudu (neck). Nevertheless, Mike Kafka should be operating with a much better offensive line than what was displayed at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving. They are going to need it if they are going to take out the Commanders.

Receivers

Illness seems to be spreading like wildfire in the Giants’ locker room thanks to RB Gary Brightwell, who was the first member to go on the injured list with an undisclosed sickness. However, things got worse as the week progressed, with WR Darius Slayton picking it up as well on Thursday, forcing him to miss Thursday and Friday practice. WR Kenny Golladay was the latest addition to that list as those three men happen to have lockers right next to each other. Go figure. All three men are questionable.

WR Richie James (knee) was absent on Wednesday but he went limited Thursday and Friday. He was on the field for Big Blue last week, racking up 5 catches on 6 targets for 41 yards and a late TD. Knee injuries are always tricky, so we will have to wait 90 minutes before kickoff to see if he will suit up. The G-Men have James down as questionable for Sunday.

The biggest hope, along with a healthy WR room, is for TE Daniel Bellinger (eye) to make his much-needed return. He has been out since the eye poke from week 7 in Jacksonville, but he returned for a full week of limited practices. If you are concerned about his status, take it from Bellinger himself. “We had some pretty big hits, had some nice contact with some of the linebackers and there were no problems with it, that’s why I feel confident,’’ Bellinger said. “I really felt the same as I did before, there was nothing, vision-wise, pain-wise so I feel a lot more confident now.’’

Secondary

So many players have been taken out of the lineup defensively since the start of the season. CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee) continues to heal so he will remain on the sidelines this week along with S Xavier McKinney (hand). Luckily for the Giants, McKinney has reportedly indicated that he believes he will return at some point this year to help with the playoff push.

We could see the return of one starting CB in Fabian Moreau (oblique) after limited practices all week, marking him as questionable. CB Darnay Holmes (shoulder) also practiced in a limited fashion this week and his status is questionable. CB Cor’Dale Flott (concussion) got banged up in Dallas, but he cleared protocols after full practices to end the week, signaling that he will be good to go.

S Dane Belton (clavicle) is also one to look out for as well as he has been stepping up in McKinney’s absence. However, there is added insurance here as S Tony Jefferson (foot) was activated off of the Injured Reserve list after returning to practices this week. Jefferson has been out since the London game on October 15th when the Giants stunned the Green Bay Packers.

One notable for this weekend is the fact that OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf) was activated from the Injured Reserve list as he is set to re-claim his starting role on that Giants pass rush opposite rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux. Ojulari is coming off of a stupendous rookie season in New York, playing all 17 games while accumulating 8.0 sacks, which is a franchise rookie-record.

LB Carter Coughlin (thigh) is also questionable this weekend, with the total of players in question rising to 11. Fear not, while a couple of names may need the extra week of rest, we will definitely be seeing more starters on the field.

Other Moves:

• DT Vernon Butler & CB Zyon Gilbert were elevated from the practice squad for Sunday
• TE Nick Vannett was signed to the active roster
• TE Tanner Hudson has been waived