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The New York Giants offense may soon be in for a massive boost, as The Athletic’s Dan Duggan has noted that wide receiver Golden Tate “looked much better” at Friday’s practice and is “trending toward playing on Sunday.”
Tate, who missed last Monday’s Giants season opener vs. Pittsburgh due to a lingering hamstring injury (sustained in late-August), returned to practice this Wednesday. He’s since logged limited practice participation throughout the week and noticeably improved over the past few days. All signs out of New York at the moment point towards the 11-year vet being on track to make his season debut vs. the Chicago Bears come Sunday.
Tate and the Giants dropped a Week 12 bout against the Bears one season ago, 19-to-14. The wideout was targeted seven times on the day, hauling in one of his six touchdowns on the year, second-highest single-season total of his career.
Without Tate in the Giants’ lineup this past week, the team mustered up 279 passing yards, the majority of which went to fellow wideout, Darius Slayton. The second-year pro posted a brilliant six reception, 102-yard, two-touchdown stat line on the night. Slayton’s Week 1 performance marked the third time in his last eight contests in which he’s recorded 100-plus receiving yards and two touchdowns in a single game.
If Tate were to take the field Sunday, it would be the first game in quarterback Daniel Jones’ career that he’d have Tate, Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley all at his disposal.
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Bears Front-Seven Dealing With Injuries
In terms of New York’s Week 2 opponents, the Chicago Bears, three of their top front-seven defenders are currently occupying space on the team’s injury report.
After practicing in full the day prior, defensive tackle Akiem Hicks popped up on the report on Thursday as a non-participant in Thursday’s practice due to an illness.
Pass rushers Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack again were both limited participants on Thursday, Mack for a knee issue and Quinn with an ankle injury. Quinn was held out of the team’s season opener vs. the Detroit Lions.
Rookie LB Trending Up, Safety Added to Injury List
Mr. Irrelevant, rookie linebacker Tae Crowder, was expected to play a key role for the Giants in Week 1 behind starters Blake Martinez and Devante Downs. Instead, the seventh-round draft pick was inactive vs. the Steelers due to a hamstring injury. However, Crowder appears on track to make his NFL debut in Week 2, practicing in full in each of the past two days. Joining Crowder and Tate in the hamstring ailment department, rookie Carter Coughlin was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice.
Safety Adrian Colbert was a new addition to the team’s injury report (limited) on Thursday, as he’s been slowed by a quad injury. New York claimed Colbert off of waivers from the Chiefs earlier this month. The former 49ers and Dolphins starter made his Giants debut this past Monday, logging five defensive snaps and 15 snaps on special teams.
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