New York Giants: What We've Learned Through Week 4 of Preseason
Ready or not, the preseason is over, and the start of the 2015 NFL season is literally just days away.
That’s right, the games are finally going to start counting for something, so in what few remaining days the New York Giants have before they open up the 2015 campaign against the Dallas Cowboys on the road in prime time, the time to experiment has ended.
Still, there are questions galore that need to be addressed as well as the usual share of unexpected twists that if not properly handled by the team, could send the Giants—who need to start out quickly—down a hole in a hurry.
Let’s look at some of these developments from the past week and the implications they might have on this team moving forward.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul Will Reportedly Return to the Giants Next Week
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With players set to receive their 2015 base salaries starting next week, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been absent from the Giants in the spring and then again in the summer, will join the team next week, according to a report by Dan Graziano of ESPN.
The report, confirmed by Giants team president John Mara (h/t Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News) would have Pierre-Paul reporting to the Giants' facility sometime next week.
Pierre-Paul, remember, has been down in Florida recovering from a July 4 fireworks accident in which he lost his right index finger and suffered burns to his hand and forearm. He was initially given a six-week recovery period.
Despite recent increases in communication between Pierre-Paul and his coaches and teammates, the Giants have been kept in the dark regarding the exact nature of the 26-year-old defensive end’s injuries and his physical condition.
While the Giants defense could badly use a healthy Pierre-Paul, if he is not physically ready to play, his appearance is bound to cause a distraction for a team that is coming off a shaky preseason and opens the regular season against the Dallas Cowboys, a division foe, in prime-time television.
K Josh Brown Is Nursing an Injury
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Giants kicker Josh Brown has barely missed a beat this preseason, nailing seven of his eight field-goal attempts this preseason.
So imagine the surprise when the Giants, who dipped below the 75-man roster limit Tuesday, filled the open spot with kicker Chris Boswell, whom they had waived August 18.
Brown apparently bruised his leg making a tackle against the Jacksonville Jaguars August 22. In retrospect, the first sign that something wasn’t quite right with him came in a practice the week leading up to the New York Jets game.
That’s when the Giants had punter Steve Weatherford make all the field-goal attempts, prompting head coach Tom Coughlin to tell reporters that they were testing out their backup kicker options.
Brown, who didn’t make the trip to New England, is expected to be good to go for Week 1 against Dallas.
S Stevie Brown Is Back
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Desperate times call for desperate measures, and when it comes to the Giants’ safety position, these are indeed desperate times.
Every single member of the Giants’ safety unit this summer has missed time due to an injury. Justin Currie, Bennett Jackson and Mykkele Thompson are already on injured reserve. Nat Berhe, who had surgery on his calf to remove a blood clot two weeks ago, is out indefinitely.
The Giants were also without Jeromy Miles (groin), who was the last man standing of the group in the preseason finale against the New England Patriots.
To help bolster the unit, the Giants added old friend Stevie Brown, who turned out to not be a fit down in Houston, and was granted his request for release ahead of the NFL-mandated 75-man roster cuts, per Giants.com's Dan Salomone.
“We parted ways on good terms down there as well,” Brown said. “As for the release, it just wasn’t playing into the strengths that I have as a safety, so you know there [was] no point in being around there.”
The Giants are hoping that Brown, who played the 2012-14 seasons for them, but who missed the 2013 season with an ACL injury, can deliver the kind of production he did in 2012 when he led the team in interceptions with eight.
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WR Victor Cruz Is Still Ailing
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Receiver Victor Cruz’s rehab from season-ending knee surgery had been going so well, and in fact continues to go well.
The problem, though, is that he’s developed some inflammation in his other calf, a condition that has officially kept him from fulfilling his goal of getting some preseason snaps with quarterback Eli Manning and the rest of the offense.
What’s even more concerning is that Cruz has not only been unable to practice for three weeks and counting, he didn’t sound very convincing when he talked about whether he’d be ready for the start of the regular season next week.
“Nothing has been set in stone in terms of playing that first week or not playing that first week,” he said regarding Week 1. “I’m still excited for Week 1—that’s still the goal, that’s still the plan, in my opinion."
“Obviously, the training staff will advise if they see differently as the next week-and-a-half comes along. But we’ll see. So I’m just taking it one day at a time and making sure that I’m ready to go.”
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
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