When the New York Giants travel to London to take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 5, they will likely be without wide receiver Kenny Golladay.
While speaking to the media on Monday, Giants head coach Brian Daboll said it “doesn’t look promising” for Golladay to play this Sunday.
Via Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic:
Statistically, it’s difficult to quantify the potential loss of Golladay. After catching two passes for 22 yards in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans, he has gone three straight games without recording a single catch (four targets over that span). In Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, he played just 27 snaps, which equated to less than half of New York’s offensive snaps (42%).
Schematically, losing Golladay does hurt the Giants. Because they are dealing with so many injuries at the wide receiver position, there aren’t many options to plug in at WR1. Former practice-squad receiver David Sills has seen his playing time increase over the past three weeks, but he only has six catches for 62 yards this season. Darius Slayton’s snap count is also on the rise, but he just caught his first pass of the year in Week 4.
Daboll said both Wan’Dale Robinson and Kadarius Toney are “making progress,” according to Carroll’s report, but neither one can be trusted to step in and immediately take over as the No. 1 receiver. Robinson is a rookie who caught just one pass for five yards before getting injured in Week 1, and Toney has two receptions for zero yards this season.
The only wide receiver who has exceeded expectations this season is Richie James, who leads the team with 155 receiving yards on 15 receptions. The only Giants wide receiver who has scored a touchdown this season is Sterling Shepard, and he’s out for the season with a torn ACL.
While the Giants have struggled to move the ball through the air, they are thriving on the ground. New York is the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL (192.5 yards/game), and star running back Saquon Barkley leads the league in individual rushing yards (463).
Brian Daboll Delivers Good News on Daniel Jones
The passing game may be a mess, but starting quarterback Daniel Jones has been a huge factor in New York’s rushing game. He carried the ball six times for 68 yards and two touchdowns before suffering an ankle injury in Sunday’s win over the Bears.
Brian Daboll said that Jones “is feeling a lot better” on Monday and did not rule him out for Week 5 against the Packers in London.
Via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post:
Jones was briefly replaced by backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor against the Bears. When Taylor suffered a concussion, however, Jones was forced back into the action at less than full strength. He did not attempt a pass after the injury, as the Giants were able to seal the victory with their running game alone.
The Latest on ALL the Injured Giants Players
As for the rest of the injured Giants, Art Stapleton of The Record has a full update from Brian Daboll’s Monday press conference:
The Giants were able to win a physical game against the Bears in Week 4, but the injuries sustained in that victory now put them behind the eight ball heading into Week 5.
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Brian Daboll Provides Bleak Update on Injured Giants Wide Receiver