**
- RB Rashad Jennings will be a lift. **
|
|||||||||||||
Jennings was limited in practice on Wednesday, but that's part of the plan to have him ready to make his return on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Before suffering a knee injury in Week 5, Jennings racked up 396 rushing yards this season, including 176 in Week 3. While he's been out, the Giants have not won a game, dropping to 17th in the NFL in rushing yards.
"It's us working together, but we showed that he can get 100 yards rushing in a game and we can block for him," left tackle Will Beatty said. "Him coming back, his enthusiasm, he's looking forward to getting back out there. We're looking forward for that W, get that win, get that big rushing game that we haven't really achieved lately, so everybody's hungry, everybody's ready to compete and do whatever it takes to get it done."
2. RB Peyton Hillis and LB Jacquian Williams were sent home.
Hillis and Williams suffered concussions in Sunday's game against Seattle and neither were well enough to practice on Wednesday. Coughlin said they were both sent home today and were "both still under doctor supervision."
3. DE Damontre Moore is expected to practice tomorrow.
Eight players appeared on the injury report to begin the week, including defensive ends Mathias Kiwanuka (knee), who was able to practice on a limited basis, and Moore, who did not with a shoulder injury. "What we've ended up with, Kiwanuka works one of the two days at this point of the season," Coughlin said. "And I expect that Damontre will work tomorrow."
4. Spencer Paysinger and Mark Herzlich are prepared to step up at linebacker.
While the team awaits the status of Williams, the Giants will rotate in Paysinger and Herzlich, a pair of fourth-year pros who both made the Giants team as undrafted rookies in the 2011 Super Bowl year.
"Right now for us, it is just next man up," Paysinger said. "This week we'll have some different looks. You'll probably see myself in there. You'll probably see Mark [Herzlich] in there. We will be changing up a little bit. For the most part, it is the next-man-up mentality. Mark has had some starting experience, so have I within our careers here, so it is not something that I think is a concern because we know the defense and the scheme. Let's just go out there and perform."
5. WR Odell Beckham Jr. talked one-handed grabs.
Before turning heads with his play during games, the rookie first-rounder has dazzled spectators with his one-handed grabs in warmups before kickoff.
"It something that I have always done," Beckham said. "Catching the ball with one hand is something you just have to practice. The opportunity sometimes presents itself and you know you want to be prepared. That is one of those things that I have been doing for a long time. [Miami Dolphins WR and former LSU teammate] Jarvis Landry and I would always do that every day in practice. We wouldn't compete, but we would see who could make the most ridiculous catch. He has some of the best hands I have been around, hands down."
6. The Giants are standing tall.
Losing their last four games, the Giants are 3-6 on the season and sit four games back of the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles in the loss column. Coughlin said the team spent a lot of time talking this morning about standing tall and sticking together down the stretch. Message received. "It's just about finding a gut check," quarterback Eli Manning said. "You never know what's going to spark it. I think the guys know we can play better, we can make plays and feel good about what we're doing. It's just taking things to that next level and playing a little bit better."
7. Coughlin likes DE Jason Pierre-Paul's effort.
The Giants are tied for 23rd in the NFL with 16 sacks this season, 3.5 of which have come from Pierre-Paul. He is tied with defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins for second on the team behind defensive end Robert Ayers Jr., who has four. Coughlin was asked today about Pierre-Paul's overall play this season.
"Obviously you always want to see more, but he has played hard," Coughlin said. "He has given good effort. He hasn't got the numbers in terms of getting the quarterback sacks, but he has been very aggressive and, as I said, he has played hard and made things happen. I think the problem, in all likelihood, is the ball has gone the other way quite a bit, even in the run game this year. We would like everybody, the coaches, the players, everybody, to, of course, do a better job to get ourselves out of this hole. His effort has been good."
