As New York Giants receiver Sterling Shepard hauled in a completion in Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears, he seemed to fall awkwardly on his side, suffering an injury that forced him out of the game for some odd plays.
Shepard returned to the increasingly intense game, clutching his side in agony. He played through the pain, reeling in four receptions for 28 yards. While his influence wasn’t significant, his surely played a part in the win, catching two third-down balls that helped the Giants secure the win.
Is Sterling Shepard injury serious?
The Giants’ veteran receiver went for an x-ray at halftime to confirm that his injury was nothing more than a bruise, and to his good fortune, the results came back negative when tested for broken ribs. Shepard came away with merely a soft-tissue injury to his rib cage, which caused him discomfort on Monday.
When asked about the pain, Shepard stated:
“From time to time, deep breaths, and just like really sudden movements.â€
Upon Sterling’s return, he hauled in three receptions for 18 yards, nearly coming up with a game sealing 26-yard touchdown pass in overtime. His progress will be monitored throughout the week, but his state for next week’s game against the Washington Redskins shouldn’t be in doubt.
Additional injury news:
Both tight end Evan Engram and linebacker B.J. Goodson missed the Giants’ fourth and arguably most impressive victory of the season. Engram remains out with a hamstring ailment and Goodson is suffering through a neck injury. Both should make progress this week, but only time will tell if they can return against Washington.
In the mean time, tight end Rhett Ellison has done a superb job in the absence of Engram, racking up an impressive 11 catches for 119 yards over a two-game span. Ellison is mostly known for his blocking abilities, but head coach Pat Shurmur has utilized him in the passing game frequently since Engram’s injury.
Goodson on the other hand has been seamlessly replaced by “man on fire” Alec Ogletree. The middle linebacker has recorded two interceptions returned for touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, while earning himself two INTs in the win against Chicago. One of which was an impressive one-handed snag on an intermediate route over the middle. The once dismal cover linebacker has suddenly begun to flash a talent in coverage that was not present for the first 11 weeks of the season.