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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. –** Jon Beason returned to the practice field today, happy to be preparing for a football game, but still seething because he missed most of the last one.
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The Giants' middle linebacker played just five snaps in the team's 30-27 victory last week over San Francisco. He suffered what he said was the first concussion of his nine-year career in a collision with 49ers running back Carlos Hyde. Beason said the real culprit was San Francisco guard Alex Boone, who shoved Beason forward.
"I can honestly say that if I hadn't got pushed in the back, I wouldn't have been concussed," Beason said. "It's unfortunate when another player, Alex Boone to be exact, can reach out, grab you from behind, and then deliberately push you in the back. It's hard enough to stay healthy in this league. I think it was a coward move, didn't show any sportsmanship, no regard for another player, their career. It could have been a lot worse. So it is what it is. I never saw Hyde, because I was too busy trying to keep my balance from being pushed from behind. I wanted to get that out there, I hope it goes back to him and that's how I feel. That's how I feel. Now we can talk about how I feel."
And that would be…
"I feel great, thanks for asking," Beason said.
The Giants' defensive captain missed San Francisco's final 59 offensive snaps, as well as practice yesterday. But he has passed all of the tests that are mandatory according to the NFL's concussion protocol and practiced today as the Giants continued their preparation for their Monday night game in Philadelphia. Beason was officially limited, but fully expects to line up vs. the Eagles.
Beason recounted in detail the play on which he was injured.
"It was a stretch play to my right," Beason said. "Alex Boone came up to block me, I got over the block and I had cleared him. Then he reached out, horse-collared me, and then pushed me and I never saw Hyde. So I never saw Hyde because my head was down. I've been tackling people for a long time. I have several hundred tackles and I've never had a recorded concussion, I've never been delusional. I didn't know what happened, but once you watch the play, it's clear there's intent there, not necessarily to harm, but you have to have some regard for other players in terms of the rules. That's why the rules are created, for a reason.
"I don't think he was intending to hurt me. But when you do something illegal, that's why it's called a clip for a reason. There's no reason to push anybody in the back in football."
The forced absence was particularly frustrating to Beason, because he was just getting back into a comfortable place on the field after missing the first two games with a knee injury.
Keep an eye on these five players as the Giants face the Philadelphia Eagles this Monday Night
QB ELI MANNING Culminating with his 32nd game-winning drive, Eli Manning completed a franchise-record 41 passes for 441 yards and three touchdowns last week against the 49ers as the Giants picked up their third consecutive win. For his performance, Manning was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, but the franchise quarterback has bigger plans for his NFC East-leading team. "I never really paid attention to what place you are in Week 6 of the season," Manning said. "There's a lot of football. We've got to handle our business. This is a big one and it's in the division, so we've got to get physically and mentally ready for it and go out there and play well."
CB JAYRON HOSLEY Starting right cornerback Prince Amukamara will be out two-to-four weeks due to a partially torn left pectoral muscle, meaning Jayron Hosley will be asked to step up once again. The fourth-year pro made his 10th career start in Week 3 when the Giants' starting left cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, missed the 32-21 victory over the Redskins because of a concussion. "We played a game and won a game with Hosley starting at corner," coach Tom Coughlin said. "He'll have to jump in there and do that, which I'm sure he's excited about. So we must continue on."
OL JUSTIN PUGH Everyone is at fault in a 27-point shutout loss like the one the Giants suffered at this time last season against the Eagles. But left guard Justin Pugh, then playing right tackle, put the onus on himself after his unit allowed eight sacks and accounted for a handful of penalties. However, he and the offensive line have changed and improved since then. "I think he's a much better player," Coughlin said of Pugh. "He's well, well-rounded now. He's had an outstanding offseason, he's studied. He's been able, obviously, to play more than one position for us, which is very, very good. And he's played well."
RB SHANE VEREEN With a banged-up receiving corps, running back Shane Vereen has been invaluable with his ability to catch passes as well as run the ball. Vereen, who is on pace for 64 receptions and 666 receiving yards in his first year as a Giant, hauled in eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown last week. On the final drive alone, he caught three balls for 51 yards to help set up the game-winning score. "He is amazing," Coughlin said after the game. "In the short time he has been here, he has made a huge difference. He is a scrappy guy, too. I like him."
DE DAMONTRE MOOREThe third-year pro continues to carve out a role for himself as a pass-rusher as he is currently tied with veteran Cullen Jenkins for first on the team with 2.0 sacks. Both came last week for Moore, who took down Colin Kaepernick and forced him to fumble on the second-to-last play of the game. "The one thing I love about Damontre is on Sunday he's all energy," defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. "He's got a high motor, he makes a lot of plays because of that. But he's kind of been a niche guy for us right now. His specialty and his skill is when we have a pretty good chance of them throwing the football."
"A lot of times when you heal from an orthopedic standpoint, it doesn't meant you're ready to play football," Beason said. "So you're back and you're feeling okay, good enough to go. And you get out there and it was smart on the staff's part, 'Hey, keep him limited, let him work himself back into playing every down.'
"I can't say enough about our linebacking corps. Between our young guys, Uani ('Unga) and (Devon) Kennard playing outstanding, and our veteran guys – (Mark) Herzlich and J.T. (Thomas) and J.C. (Jonathan Casillas), we've really done it by committee and that's what makes our room special. We don't know who it's going to be, but we feel confident about everybody's role. And a game like this, where it's so much tempo, we can stay fresh and hopefully guys can get out there and make some plays."
After being forced off the field last week, Beason is happy to again be one of those guys.
- Kennard, who missed the San Francisco game with a hamstring strain, was one of four players to miss practice today. The others were wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (hamstring) and Victor Cruz (calf), and cornerback Trumaine McBride (illness/groin).
Coach Tom Coughlin said Beckham is "coming along." The Giants will next practice on Sunday. Coughlin would prefer Beckham to work so he can get an idea if the star receiver will be available Monday. But his attendance at practice isn't mandatory.
"It would be good if we knew in advance, so we could think a little about that," Coughlin said. "Yeah, that would be good. Does it preclude (him from playing if he doesn't work)? No."
- In addition to Beason, three players were limited: defensive end Robert Ayers (hamstring), wide receiver Rueben Randle (hamstring) and Casillas (calf). Guard Justin Pugh (ankle) and defensive end George Selvie (calf) practiced fully.
- Cornerback Prince Amukamara is out with a partially torn pectoral muscle.
Playmakers on Eagles first-team offense, defense, and special teams, presented by Nike
QB SAM BRADFORD
RB DEMARCO MURRAY
WR JORDAN MATTHEWS
WR NELSON AGHOLOR
WR RILEY COOPER
TE BRENT CELEK
RT LANE JOHNSON
RG MATT TOBIN
CENTER JASON KELCE
LG ALLEN BARBRE
LT JASON PETERS
DE FLETCHER COX
DT BERNIE LOGAN
DE CEDRIC THORNTON
LB CONNOR BARWIN
LB DEMECO RYANS
LB MYCHAL KENDRICKS
LB BRANDON GRAHAM
CB BYRON MAXWELL
CB ERIC ROWE
SAFETY MALCOLM JENKINS
SAFETY WALTER THURMOND
PUNTER DONNIE JONES
KICKER CALEB STURGIS
