The New York Giants are gearing up for a crucial game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. The Giants will need all hands on deck against a Dallas team that has won three straight games and scored over 35 points in the last two victories. Plastering the Carolina Panthers for 36 points, the Giants’ defense has gotten off to a tough start, representing another potential victim unless they can find the equation to taking down Dak Prescott and a Kellen Moore lead offense.
Ultimately, it starts with health, and the Giants had a few players on the injury report this week, as multiple faces are questionable for the contest.
New York Giants injury report:
Andrew Thomas: Limited (foot)
Andrew Thomas walked away from the New Orleans Saints victory with a foot issue. Thomas was a limited participant in practice but was walking gingerly, favoring his right foot. Thomas has been one of the more exciting players this season in terms of development, earning one of the best pass-blocking grades of any tackle in the NFL.
LT Andrew Thomas (foot) practicing Thursday but clearly walking with a limp.#giants #cowboys pic.twitter.com/G7nBaNZ90c
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) October 7, 2021
The expectation is that Thomas will suit up against Dallas without any limitations, but he will need the next few days to return to full health.
Sterling Shepard: Out (hamstring)
Shepard missed last week’s contest against New Orleans with a hamstring injury suffered against Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Shepard has been one of Daniel Jones’s favorite targets this season, but the third-year quarterback relied on rookie Kadarius Toney to fill the void in what was the best performance from the offense this year.
Shep was out of practice on Thursday, indicating he might miss another game this upcoming weekend.
Darius Slayton: Out (hamstring)
Slayton suffered a hamstring injury against the Atlanta Falcons as well, missing Week 4 against the Saints. He’s in the same boat as Sterling — both failed to participate in practice on Thursday. Luckily, the return of John Ross will supplement his loss, holding over the WR core until the Auburn product is able to make a return.
Kaden Smith: Limited (knee)
Reserve tight end Kaden Smith has been listed on the injury report weekly with a knee issue, but he continues to suit up and make an impact in multiple facets. Last week, Smith primarily served as a blocker, but he is a reliable receiver who gets involved every now and again. He will likely be available against Dallas on Sunday.
Jabrill Peppers: Out (hamstring)
Peppers stated after the victory over New Orleans that it would be tough to stop him from playing against Dallas. Peppers remains the energizer of the defense, but his snaps have decreased consistently this season as coordinator Patrick Graham relies more on Xavier McKinney and Logan Ryan. If Peppers is able to go, expect him to return punts at the very least.
Ben Bredeson: Limited (hand)
With Ben Bredeson suffering a hand injury against the Falcons, the Giants rolled with Matt Skura at left guard last week, which surprisingly went quite well. Skura seems to have solid chemistry with Andrew Thomas and combo blocked with Billy Price adequately. The expectation is that Skura will start again despite Bredeson being limited on Thursday.
Nate Ebner: Limited (quad)
Special-teams ace Nate Ebner has been dealing with a quad injury for the last few weeks, but he hasn’t missed much time since attempting to join the national rugby team and making a comeback late in training camp.
Leonard Williams: Limited (knee)
Big money interior defender Leonard Williams has never missed a game due to injury, but he showed up on the injury report this week with a knee issue. Supposedly, the injury isn’t too serious, so he should be available against Dallas, and he’s going to have to bring his “A†game.