Big plays elude Golladay
The last time he played a full season, 2019 with the Lions, Kenny Golladay led the NFL with 17 receptions of 25 or more yards. He was second in the league in receptions of 20-plus yards (22) and 30-plus yards (12). In his first four NFL seasons, he averaged 16.8 yards per catch.
This big-play ability is one of the main reasons why the Giants signed Golladay to a four-year deal worth $72 million. The Giants’ pop-gun attack in 2020 averaged just 17.5 points a game and Golladay was one of the best playmakers on the market.
Three games into his Giants’ career, there has not been much from Golladay. He has 11 receptions and his longest one is only 19 yards. He is averaging a healthy 15.1 yards per catch, but does not have a touchdown and thus far has not been used as a deep threat.
Where are all the big plays Golladay was supposed to provide?
“I mean, I don’t really have an answer to that,’’ Golladay said Wednesday after a brief practice.
Golladay missed most of the summer work with a strained hamstring and had to fight through a hip issue to get on the field for last week’s 17-14 loss to the Falcons.
Used often on routes down the field with the Lions, Golladay has not found that long-range part of his game with the Giants. His most noticeable impact came on the sideline in Week 2 at
Washington, when frustration boiled over and he yelled at offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to run what the guys want me to run,’’ Golladay said. “If it’s short or long, I‘ve just got to go out there and make the play. That’s my mindset.’’
The Giants started the clock on WR John Ross, who is on injured reserve with a strained hamstring. The team has three weeks to activate Ross or keep him on IR. There is a shortage of healthy receivers, with Sterling
Shepard and Darius Slayton both dealing with hamstring issues.
The Giants held a walkthrough practice on Wednesday. If they had held a full practice, the injury report projection was the following players would have been limited participants: RB Saquon Barkley (knee), FB Cullen Gillaspia (ankle), TE Kaden Smith (knee), DB Logan Ryan (hamstring), DB Keion Crossen (elbow), special teamer Nate Ebner (quad) and long snapper Casey Kreiter (knee). Three players would not have practiced: Shepard, Slayton and G Ben Bredeson, who had his left hand heavily wrapped.
LB Omari Cobb and G Sam Jones were added to the practice squad and WR Matt Cole ,OT Foster Sarell and DT Willie Henry were terminated from the practice squad. LB Blake Martinez, out for the season after tearing his ACL last Sunday, was officially put on injured reserve.