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The hits just keep on coming for the New York Giants, as they stare down the barrel at a potential 0-4 start to the season, ahead of their matchup with the mighty New Orleans Saints on Sunday, October 3.
And the injuries continue to pile on, as wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton have both officially been ruled out this week due to hamstring issues.
This is a major blow for a sputtering Giants offense, and for quarterback Daniel Jones as well. This wideout duo has built significant trust with Jones over the course of the past three seasons, and without Slayton, a reliable deep target will be out of the mix this week. With Shepard out, Jones also loses his favorite third-down option too.
To make matters worse, Ben Bredeson is out with a hand injury, which means the Giants will be forced to start their fourth left guard in the first four games.
The Giants signed Wes Martin off the Washington Football Team practice squad to take Bredeson’s spot, but he likely won’t be ready to start in time for this upcoming game.
This leaves interior offensive lineman Matt Skura, who spent the last four seasons as a starter for the Baltimore Ravens.
According to Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record, you should expect Skura to slide into Bredeson’s position at left guard.
Projected OL
With Bredeson out, the Giants’ starting offensive line is projected to feature the following from left-to-right: Andrew Thomas, Matt Skura, Billy Price, Will Hernandez, Nate Solder.
Matt Peart, the 2020 third-round pick, has also been getting some work in at guard due to the Giants’ current desperation at this position.
But given Peart’s size, 6-foot-7, 318-pounds, he is better suited to be an offensive tackle. Unfortunately, he lost out on the right tackle job to Solder during training camp.
Return of the Ross?
As Art Stapleton also noted, this could be the week, where wide receiver John Ross makes his Giants debut and gets an opportunity to make an impact.
Ross spent the first three games of the season on injured reserve, but was designated to return earlier in the week.
Now, with Slayton and Shepard out, Ross could find himself playing a much larger role than initially anticipated on offense. The former Cincinnati Bengal, and 2017 first-round pick has been a disappointment thus far through his first four seasons in the NFL, but has a prime chance to resurrect his career with the Giants.
Ross is known for his devastating speed, and if Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett decides to let Jones loose in the deep passing game, Ross is a candidate who could play into this part of the game plan.
Wide receiver Kenny Golladay is also dealing with a hip injury and 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney has yet to make much of an impact through the first three games due to a lack of usage.
However, Toney caught two passes for 14 yards against the Falcons in Week 3, and he is another option who could step up vs. the Saints on Sunday.
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Giants Down 2 Top WRs vs. Saints; Starting Offensive Lineman Out