INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Behind the scenes, the New York Giants would have signed for this reality with two primetime games against one opponent that was a prohibitive Super Bowl favorite and another viewed as a legitimate contender.
They are 1-1, and as much as Monday night’s 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams was hard to stomach at times, especially with four franchise cornerstones having left the game due to injury, the season has just begun.
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The NFL is a league of extremes, of course. One week the Giants beat the Cowboys in the best atmosphere at MetLife Stadium in more than a decade, and the challenge is about refusing to be complacent.
Now, after falling to the Rams, the Giants’ resolve is going to be tested just the same.
“This is a test for everybody,” outside linebacker Brian Burns said. “You know, obviously coming off a huge win with Dallas, you know, this is a little piece of humble pie just the way the game went. Nobody should be happy how stuff played out. But all in all, it’s not gonna define us. We just gotta get back to work, get back in the win column and that’s something I feel like we’re gonna do.”
The questions that remain center on those injuries to quarterback Jaxson Dart, Burns, left tackle Andrew Thomas and wide receiver Malik Nabers. Losing one to injury in a game is tough enough for the Giants. All four?
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It’s a Big Blue nightmare. So what’s next and here’s what we know about the status of those players?
What we know about Jaxson Dart’s injury
John Harbaugh says the Giants will know more about Dart’s knee injury after tests on Tuesday. The initial hope for the team leaving the stadium for the overnight flight back home to New Jersey is that Dart suffered an MCL sprain, a source confirmed to NorthJersey.com and The Record. An MRI will tell the full story, however, but that’s better news than what was feared on first look when Dart’s left knee collided with the Rams’ Josaiah Stewart.
Dart did not speak to reporters in the locker room after the game. If testing shows no additional damage, a typical timetable for an MRI sprain is 2-4 weeks. Dart could return sooner, of course, but for now, the expectation would be that Jameis Winston would start Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium if the former is unavailable.
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What we know about Andrew Thomas’ injury
Thomas’ groin injury might be the most concerning, given what his presence means to the offensive line. He was on the ground laboring badly following the final two plays for the Giants. With a short week, the Giants could turn to either rookie J.C. Davis or more likely second-year pro Marcus Mbow to fill in for Thomas at left tackle against the Titans.
What we know about Malik Nabers’ injury
Nabers said his shoulder popped out after Rams corner Trent McDuffie took a swipe at the football in coverage and raked his right arm. The Giants’ No. 1 receiver will undergo further testing, but the hope is that there is no further damage, considering he returned to the game and played to the final whistle.
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What we know about Brian Burns’ injury
Burns had his left ankle rolled up late in the fourth quarter and he could barely put any pressure on it. The cart came for Burns after he made his way to the bench, but the Giants’ Pro Bowler refused and walked back to the locker room with some assistance.
After the game, Harbaugh said Burns suffered a low ankle sprain. It will be interesting to see how quickly the swelling goes down and the stiffness is alleviated, but considering Burns has played through ankle sprains before – he did so for most of his first season here with the Giants – it’d be hard to count against him being back soon, maybe as early as next week. If not, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux would be in the starting lineup in Burns’ absence.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What we know about Giants injuries, including Jaxson Dart and Andrew Thomas
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
