Bye-bye to key pieces vs. L.A.
Giants head coach Ben McAdoo wanted his players to “get away from it” during their bye week. Well, some players will still be getting away from it this Sunday, especially on defense.
The Giants will be without five defensive players, including four starters, as the Los Angeles Rams make their way to MetLife Stadium this Sunday, averaging 30.3 points per game — the second-most in the league.
Corner Janoris Jenkins is suspended while Jonathan Casillas, B.J. Goodson, Olivier Vernon and Kerry Wynn are out due to injuries and Donte Deayon is questionable with a bum ankle.
“We’re going to play with the players who are available,” McAdoo said. “We can’t control who’s not available for the game.”
To make matters worse, the shorthanded defense will be tasked with stopping running back Todd Gurley, who has finally hit his stride this season.
“They’ve really featured him a lot more,” said defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. “I was watching one of the TV broadcasts of a Rams game last week and I remember the announcer saying that he was at one time the leading receiver for the Rams. I don’t think that’s the case now, but it shows you how versatile he is and the confidence they have in getting him the football in different ways.”
Last season, the Giants held Gurley to 57 yards on 15 carries, but this is not the same Gurley, or Giants defense, from last year.
Gurley is fifth in the league with 627 rushing yards while the Giants defense has allowed 4.2 yards per carry and given up 100 yards rushing in six of their seven games this season.
Still, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul remains confident despite the missing pieces on defense.
“Football is football,” Pierre-Paul said. “You can’t always count on a guy that’s going to be there. It’s a team sport. I feel like with the players that we got here, we’re capable of getting the job done.”
While veterans like Pierre-Paul and Landon Collins are expected to carry the load and lead the team, other players are going to have to step up.
Spagnuolo said that cornerback Ross Cockrell could be someone they have play inside — a spot he is not used to — while undrafted rookies Avery Moss and Calvin Munson could see more opportunities. Moss showed some promising signs against the Seahawks before the bye, chasing Russell Wilson out of the pocket a few times, but he will be tasked with going up against veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth.
Munson, meanwhile, is returning from a quad injury and could take on a larger role, such as calling plays on defense as the middle linebacker.
“The opportunity is there and I got to step up,” Munson told the News. “Just as backers of the defense we all got to step up and fit in and kind of do your job and help the defense the best they can.”
Even with crucial players missing, Pierre-Paul and the Giants still view the first game back from their bye as a chance to start over.
“We’re going to take it one game at a time and start from there,” Pierre-Paul said. “We’re in November and we know what happens in November. Good teams fall off and bad teams come up.”
HART ATTACK
Justin Pugh’s first missed start of the season means Bobby Hart must return as the starting right tackle, giving the Giants their sixth different starting O-line.
“(I) expect (Hart) to play his best game as a pro this week,” said Ben McAdoo, who is expected to start on the line, left-to-right, Ereck Flowers, John Jerry, Brett Jones, D.J. Fluker and Hart.