New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list by the team effectively ending his season.
Burress was suspended without pay for four games for conduct detrimental to the team for multiple and repeated violations of club rules, according to The New York Times.
The report indicates that the team physician believes that Burress would have been unable to play for at least four to six weeks in any event as a result of the gunshot wound that the wide receiver sustained.
Even without being placed on the non-football injury list, the earliest Burress would have been able to suit up for the Giants would have been in the divisional round of the playoffs and perhaps as late as the Super Bowl.
This is the second time this season the Giants have suspended Burress. He was suspended for 12 days, including a game against Seattle, because he missed team meetings without explanation.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin held him out of the first quarter of the Oct. 26 game against Pittsburgh because he missed treatment for an injury the day before.
Burress pulled his hamstring in the Giants' win over Baltimore on Nov. 16. He aggravated the injury in the opening series the following week against Arizona and sat out the rest of that game.
The Giants, as required by league rules, listed Burress as inactive because of the hamstring injury the Friday afternoon before the game against Washington on Nov. 30.
Between the late evening hours of that Friday and early morning on Saturday, Burress' gun incident occurred at a Manhattan nightclub.
Where Will The Giants Go From Here?
Domenik Hixon, Burress' replacement throughout the season, has made the most of his opportunity. Hixon has made major contributions on offense in the four games in which Burress was out or missed significant playing time. He also has continued to make a significant impact on special teams.
Hixon was one of the keys in the Giants defeat of Arizona on Nov. 23.
Before this season, Hixon had started all but one game. This season, he has started two games. He will most likely be in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.
Quarterback Eli Manning has had stronger performances without Burress in the lineup this season. Against Washington last week, Manning completed five passes each to three different receivers and six receivers in total had a least one pass reception.
The Giants will rely more heavily on 13-year veteran Amani Toomer. In the game against Washington, Toomer was sometimes lined up in the split end position, which Burress usually occupies as the deep threat.
Without Burress, Manning has completed more passes into the flat (the area of the field between the hash marks and the sideline near the line of scrimmage) to running back Derrick Ward. Tight end Kevin Boss has also been more involved in the passing game in the intermediate and middle area of the field.
Burress' unavailability this season has not proved detrimental to the Giants passing game. In fact, the offense has performed more efficiently.
It remains to be seen what the long-term affects will be for the Giants without Burress on the field. As a deep threat, Burress faced consistent double teams, which provided single-coverage to other receivers.
So far this season, the Giants have able to maintain their offensive output. The team currently ranks No.4 in the league in offense.
Did The Giants Do The Right Thing in Suspending Burress?
As the Giants look to secure the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC, the team's swift and immediate suspension of Burress will allow the rest of the players to return their focus to football.
Injury, retirement, trade, and suspension have failed to slow down the Giants' momentum this season.
The team has compiled an 11-1 record with injuries to Osi Umenyiora, Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, and James Butler, the retirement of Michael Strahan, and the trade of Jeremy Shockey.
Will Burress' suspension prove to be too much to overcome for the Giants? The team's continued success in the face of adversity would indicate otherwise.
The only thing more certain is that Burress most likely has played his final game in a Giants uniform.
8 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
David Geller 7 months ago
Good riddance Plax.
On every game ticket this year the Giants put a player on it. Who's the player on it for the Eagles game? None other than Plax.
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Edgar Antonio Nunez 7 months ago
Man, to be honest David, I'm hurting over this. I hate to see him go. Got a tear in my eye writing this. No, seriously. We'll see how much we need him. Hope I'm wrong.
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Jim Bouchard 7 months ago
These guys have got to get their acts together. The fact is that any of us would be sitting in a jail cell right now hoping that friends and family would put up a house as bond. Athletes work hard to get where they are but too many of them lack fundamental self-value and self-worth that would help them transcend some of these problems. Plax is a textbook example.
I hope for his sake he learns something from this and is able to continue his career. First he's going to have to face justice; Bloomberg is out to make an example of him and I can't say I blame him.
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Edgar Antonio Nunez 7 months ago
Can't really say I disagree with you on these points, Jim. I like Burress as a player. But from a personal standpoint, I do hope this is a lesson for him to get his head out of you know where.
He's been a behavioral repeat offender, but doesn't have any previous criminal history. I wouldn't lump him in with the Pacmans and Carruths of the world, but he's certainly making a name for himself in the wrong way.
I agree he should get his due justice. My lament in an other article however about the mayor is for him to be a leader and calm the mobs and say everyone's due their day in court, and not to jump all over the situation for political self-aggrandizing.
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David Geller 7 months ago
It's been tough for me too Edgar. These guys are almost like family. When Osi got hurt in August I got really upset too. It's hard to imagine he'll never play for us again.
But the show must go on.
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Edgar Antonio Nunez 7 months ago
Don't get me wrong I'm not on the ledge of my first floor apartment window or anything.
We got rid of Barber. We got rid of Shockey. We lost Strahan (we was no big fan of Eli's). We lost Umenyiora (he'll be back big next year). We lost Wilson and Mitchell to free agency.
Now Burress.
I'm afraid we might miss him on the field. The guy IS a 6-foot-5 receiver that would consistently win the jump balls with defenders PLUS Manning-Burress were the most prolific QB-WR tandem in the last 2-3 years in the NFL in terms of TD receptions. Teams won't have to double anyone on the Giants' offense.
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Mike Craig 7 months ago
However the kind of person Burress is, I don't know if he is somebody you would want on your team. Terrell Owens is good, but I wouldn't want him on my team.
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David Geller 7 months ago
Teams can win championships without a guy who can make the occasional circus catch and draw double coverage. Teams that play us have the same problem as playing the Cowboys. Who do you double cover?
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