Justin Tuck Injury: Why Return of Pass Rusher Will Be Huge for New York Giants

The New York Giants fell to divisional rivals Washington Redskins in their season opener last night, 28-14.

With the Redskins earning 305 of their 379 yards in the air, it is clear the loss of key defensive end Justin Tuck had a negative impact on the Giants pass rush.

Tuck missed the game after suffering from a stiff neck, with team doctors thinking he was not healthy enough to take the field. He will likely play in the Giants' home opener next Monday against the St. Louis Rams.

This will be a major improvement for a Giants team that needs to rely on its ability to rush the passer to stop opponents' air games now that they've suffered extensive injuries in their secondary.

Tuck's void was certainly evident last night against the Redskins.

Not only did the Redskins dominate in the air—with quarterback Rex Grossman completing 21 of his 34 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown—he was able to do so with adequate protection from his offensive line, which was thought to be one of the more porous in the league.

This allowed Grossman to get the ball to six different receivers and to control the tempo of the game throughout the contest. Though he was sacked four times—twice by the Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul—the pressure wasn't consistent enough to throw Grossman off his game.

With Tuck back in the defensive lineup next week, it is doubtful the Rams will have the same type of success as was afforded Grossman, even if quarterback Sam Bradford (who has an injured finger on his throwing hand) is reasonably healthy enough to play.

The pass rush is definitely the key for the Giants defense in stopping the passing game this season. Their secondary, plagued with injuries, still has much catching up to do to be a truly effective squad.

With Tuck's return, the Giants should be able to have much more control over the line of scrimmage, and thus a greater chance to emerge from their games with wins.