Rookie LB Crowder placed on IR days after scoring winning TD

EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. (AP) » Two days after scoring a gamewinning touchdown in the final minutes, rookie linebacker Tae Crowder was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury by the New York Giants.

The last player taken in the NFL draft and the current Mr. Irrelevant, Crowder scored on a 43-yard fumble return with 3 ½ minutes to play to give the Giants a 20-19 win over Washington on Sunday.

Crowder did not mention an injury in a virtual conference call after the game. He did not participate in walk-through practices on Monday and Tuesday and was placed on IR late in the afternoon.

The win was the Giants’ first in six games under new coach Joe Judge and it remarkably put them back in the race for the NFC East division title.

Coupled with losses by Dallas (2- 4) and Philadelphia (1- 4-1), the Giants (1-5) are tied with Wash-

ington for second place in the division with 10 games left in the regular season.

Crowder, who had 10 tackles against Washington, will be sidelined at least three games, the first on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

The Giants plan to sign veteran defensive end Jabaal Sheard. He played for Jacksonville on Sunday. His practice squad contract with the Jaguars was terminated. Sheard will not be eligible to play for the Giants until their next game against Tampa Bay on Nov. 2. He has played for Cleveland, New England, Indianapolis and Jacksonville in a 10year career. He won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2016 when Judge was the special teams coordinator.

NOTES: WR Sterling Shepard practiced for the first time since being put on injured reserve with a turf toe injury sustained in the second game of the season. Judge did not say whether he will play Thursday.