The Giants came out of Monday night’s 28-6 loss to the Rams with a battered roster and, at the center of it, a quarterback injury that could cost them real time.
Jaxson Dart is dealing with what John Harbaugh described as “in the neighborhood” of a sprained MCL in his left knee, and the team is set to learn more after Tuesday’s MRI back in New Jersey. Dart was already expected to miss time, and a trainer was seen on the broadcast telling Harbaugh that the quarterback could be out “four to six weeks.” He went back to the sideline in the second half in street clothes and did not address the media.
At least for the Giants, the news appears to have stopped short of the worst-case scenario.
“The fact that it’s not that outcome, the devastating outcome, is really good news,” Harbaugh said.
Brian Burns also left with an injury, though his outlook sounded less ominous. The edge rusher said his badly swollen left ankle was only a sprain after getting rolled up on by Rams lineman Coleman Shelton in the fourth quarter. Harbaugh called it a “low” ankle sprain, which usually points to a better recovery path than a high sprain.
“I’m alright,” Burns said, with his ankle elevated on a folding chair. “It wasn’t as bad as it felt, so that’s a plus.”
He added, “It’s just getting stiff,” and later said, “But it eased my mind to know it ain’t nothing serious.”
Burns is usually willing to play through pain, and he did not want to be carted after the game, choosing instead to limp to the locker room on his own. With the Giants on a short week, he said he will try to be in the lineup Sunday, though the team is expected to know more by Wednesday.
“I’ve dealt with this before,” Burns said. “It just depends on how fast you can get the swelling and inflammation out. So I’m just gonna do everything possible to get it as tamed as I can.”
Andrew Thomas’ status is even murkier. The left tackle was not seen in the locker room after the game, and Harbaugh did not have an update beyond saying, “We’ll see about that,” when asked about the exact nature of Thomas’ injury. The team listed him with a groin issue after he went down twice in the fourth quarter, and Harbaugh’s patience seemed to wear thin when Thomas was brought up.
“We’ll see about that,” Harbaugh said of the exact nature of Thomas’ injury.
Thomas has already been on the injury report this season, first with an ankle issue in Week 1 and then with a knee ailment that limited him in practice all Week 2. With less mobile backup Jameis Winston expected to start Sunday against Tennessee, Thomas becomes even more important.
Malik Nabers also had a rough night physically. The receiver needed trainers to pop his right shoulder back in after an awkward collision with Rams corner Trent McDuffie on a target, then returned and finished with just one catch for one yard. Nabers said he will get an X-ray.
“My shoulder’s OK,” Nabers said. “Gonna get an X-ray on it, see what’s going on.”
He’s in only his second game back since two offseason right knee surgeries to repair his torn ACL and MCL, and he admitted he still hasn’t fully settled in.
“Just couldn’t really get going,” Nabers said. “I’m still knocking the dust off.”
There was also some uncertainty around linebacker Arvell Reese, who came off the field for a handful of snaps at the end of the Rams’ first touchdown drive before returning after being checked by trainers. Harbaugh said he didn’t know what prompted the brief absence.
“I don’t know,” Harbaugh said. “I’ll have to go back and look at that. I don’t recall why that was [when Reese left the game].”
With the Giants dealing with one injury after another, Harbaugh made clear the response has to be practical, not emotional.
“This is what it is. All around the league, everybody deals with it,” Harbaugh said.
“This is football. This is the NFL.
This is what you do. Our job is for those guys to do everything they can to get back when they’re ready… Then go out and play the best football game we can with our football team and endeavor to win the football game.”
“That’s what we have to do, so that’s really the answer to the question,” he said. “That’s what we do.
Those guys will be back. They may be back this week.
They may be back next week. When they’re back, that’ll be great.”
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