Week 11 was a disaster for the New York Giants. Not only did they lose their game to the Detroit Lions, but their depth is also going to be seriously tested in the coming weeks because of the injuries that piled up.
Depth was a major issue for the Giants coming into the season as general manager Joe Schoen was hamstrung in what he could do given the mess that David Gettleman left the team in. Years of poor drafting have left New York without strong depth at multiple spots and it is beginning to show.
One area that the Giants knew that they would be tested in is at cornerback. Adoree’ Jackson has shown that he is a more than capable No. 1 option, but beyond him, there were a lot of question marks. New York is going to need someone to step up as Jackson will be sidelined for multiple weeks.
The USC product was recently named the team’s punt returner after Richie James struggled with fumbles. Jackson began returning punts against the Houston Texans in Week 10 and escaped unscathed, but unfortunately, that streak did not continue.
Jackson injured his knee while returning a punt against the Lions on Sunday. He has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain and will be sidelined for at least 4-to-6 weeks according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
This is a huge blow for the Giants as they are already playing without starting safety Xavier McKinney, who broke his hand in an ATV accident during the team’s bye week. Jackson wasn’t the only Giant to suffer a serious injury against Detroit.
Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson tore his ACL in the game, ending his season. Starting cornerback Fabian Moreau was forced out of the game with an injury to his ribs. Safety Jason Pinnock went to the hospital with a jaw injury while offensive lineman Jon Feliciano and Tyre Phillips exited with neck injuries.
Injuries are always difficult to overcome, but the Giants will face an especially difficult turnaround as they are traveling to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. New York will have a short week to get healthy and will be without multiple starters in a huge game against a division rival that is always battling for playoff position in the NFC.
