The New York Giants could soon be getting a dynamic playmaker back in their offensive lineup. Second-year WR Wan’Dale Robinson could be returning soon after spending the entire summer recovering from an ACL injury. The dynamic playmaker was inactive in Week 1, but there is a chance he will make his season debut this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Brian Daboll says “there’s a chance” Wan’Dale Robinson will play in Week 2
Robinson has been limited at practice this week after being inactive in Week 1. The 22-year-old wide receiver is still working his way back to full strength after tearing his ACL back in November. Robinson spent the entirety of the summer on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list before being activated just prior to the start of the regular season.
Despite being on the active roster, Robinson was held out of Sunday’s game as he continues to recover. However, head coach Brian Daboll gave an encouraging update on Robinson’s recovery during Wednesday’s practice, saying “there’s a chance” he will play Sunday vs. Arizona, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
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What should the Giants expect from Robinson this season?
After being selected in the second round of last year’s draft, Robinson showed flashes in his rookie season. He sustained an injury in Week 1 that kept him sidelined for over a month. Upon returning to the lineup, Robinson immediately made his presence felt, scoring the first touchdown of his career against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6.
Soon thereafter, Robinson would have a breakout game, totaling nine receptions for 100 yards in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions. But as soon as Robinson began to break out, his rookie season ended. Robinson tore his ACL in the second half of that breakout performance against Detroit, ending his season prematurely.
If Robinson can return to full strength, he could be a breakout performer in the Giants’ offense. His 100-yard performance against the Lions fully demonstrated the shift receiver’s dynamic ability in a Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka-led offense that emphasizes getting the ball to its playmakers in space.
According to Pro Football Focus, 220 of Robinson’s 229 offensive snaps came in a five-game stretch between Week 6 and Week 11. During that stretch, he was targeted on 22.8% of his snaps to lead Giants receivers and rank 18th among receivers in the NFL.
His high volume of targets created endless opportunities for Robinson to make plays in Big Blue’s offense. While he may not receive such a high workload this season recovering from injury and playing in a more loaded offense, Robinson should still find opportunities to make plays. As he is slowly incorporated into the Giants’ lineup, Robinson could become an impactful component of Big Blue’s passing attack- once they fix their issues on the offensive line.