Wayne Gallman

New York Giants get bad injury news ahead of Patriots showdown

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants are preparing to face off against an intimidating New York New England patriots team on Thursday night football, but they have several injuries on both sides of the ball, which will undoubtedly hurt their chances.

Last week, there was plenty of optimism that star running back Saquon Barkley would be able to play against the patriots, but reports have stated that the Giants are not going to risk his long-term health and will rest him at least one more game. Forcing him to play on a high ankle sprain against a team that will realistically beat the Giants by a large margin, doesn’t make much sense.

Saving Barkley for the future and ensuring he’s 100% healthy when he returns should be the goal and priority. Barkley injured his ankle in the first half of the week three win against the Tampa Bay buccaneers — he left the game with a walking boot on and using his crutches to stabilize himself.

Initially, most believe that Barkley would return after the BYE in week 12 against the Chicago Bears, but his miraculous recovery spread optimism that he might even be able to play last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

The New York Giants journey forward with a ton of injuries:

Barkley’s backup, Wayne Gallman, suffered a concussion in last week’s loss to the Vikings, and Sterling Shepard suffered the same. Shepard’s injury will keep them out for a few weeks considering this is the second concussion he has picked up the season. Also, star tight and Evan Engram has a sore knee and could miss the game on Thursday as well.

The Patriots have allowed just two touchdowns in five games, so having to venture forward without four primary playmakers will make it very difficult for the Giants to have any success.

Hopefully, linebackers Alec Ogletree and Tae Davis will return to bolster the middle of the defense, which featured David Mayo and Nate Super last week against Minnesota. The center of the defense was thrashed, and the Giants missed 12 tackles in a disappointing effort in week five.

New York Giants could take flier on veteran free agent running back

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Could the New York Giants look into CJ Anderson at running back?

With the New York Giants losing to the Minnesota Vikings 28-10 on Sunday, the loss was accompanied by another injury to the running back position. Backup Wayne Gallman was knocked out due to a concussion early in the first quarter, leaving Jon Hilliman and Elijah Penny to handle the reigns in his absence.

With star back Saquon Barkley still recovering from a high ankle sprain, the Giants would be smart to dive into the free-agent pool and see if they can find a serviceable backup to Barkley, who’s expected to return next Thursday against the New England Patriots.

If Barkley is unable to go next week and Gallman is also out, Big Blue will be traveling into enemy territory with a lack of talent at an essential position.

Here is one veteran the New York Giants should consider:

Former Los Angeles Ram and Detroit Lions running back, CJ Anderson, has proved he can be a capable runner in the past. Last season, he averaged 6.0 yards per attempt with the Rams and Carolina Panthers over 67 carries. The attractive part of Anderson is his ability to act as a receiver as well, hauling in 224 receiving yards just two seasons ago in a permanent role with the Denver Broncos. He’s also a significant body you can protect the quarterback well.

The only issue with signing Anderson is his potential price tag, as the Giants have about $3 million in cap space remaining. Bringing in Anderson would likely cost the team somewhere in the 700k-$1 million range, considering his $1.5 million deal with the Lions earlier this season before being cut.

Ultimately, the Giants need support at the running back position, and Anderson is a proven player with the qualities to supplement the loss of Barkley to a degree. He might even be a better option over Gallman in the grand scheme, and the issue is primarily his lack of familiarity with the Giants offense. However, head coach Pat Shurmur is running out of options to trot out at running back.

New York Giants news, 10/8 – How long will Giants lose Sterling Shepard for?

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New York Giants, Sterling Shepard

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

On Monday, the New York Giants announced that star wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffered another concussion, this time coming against the Minnesota Vikings.

Shepherd entered concussion protocol after reporting symptoms to the team Monday morning, and some have said that he will be out for an extended period.

After a deep ball on the left sideline by Daniel Jones, a defender fell on top of Shepard’s head on a diving play, and he was shaken up immediately after the collision. With his helmet twisted sideways and his body moving motionless, there were concerns that he might have suffered another head injury, but he bounced right back up and re-entered the game.

Team neurologists sent word to bring Shepard over to the sideline for an examination, but he was allowed to go back onto the field after passing initial screenings. Having suffered his second concussion in the last month, Sterling could be out for the next two weeks, at least.

His future health is the primary concern in this scenario, and ensuring he is fully healthy is the priority. Running back Wayne Gallman also exited  Sunday’s game with a head injury and was forced out.

With the Giants preparing to face off against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, the team is without several influential players and could also be without tight end Evan Engram, who picked up a knee injury.

The timetable for Shepard’s return has not been set yet, but he will surely miss Thursday’s game against the Patriots and could easily miss the following Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. I anticipate a two-week recovery time-table makes the most sense if his concussion symptoms are not excessive.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Ed Valentine – Bill Belichick knew the Giants were interested in Daniel Jones

Ben Shpigel – Giants’ Improvement Plan Hits a Snag

Paul Schwartz – Golden Tate wasn’t expecting Giants debut to go like this

Matt Hladik – Pat Shurmur Gives New Update On Giants RB Saquon Barkley
Alexander Wilson – New York Giants: There’s a real problem on the offensive line

New York Giants: Concussion Problems Build Up Following Minnesota Loss

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New York Giants, Sterling Shepard

The New York Giants don’t just have a general injury problem this season, but rather a problem with concussions in specific. The team lost Sterling Shepard for the Washington Redskins game after the wide receiver sustained a concussion against Tampa in the game prior, and in the team’s most recent game, a loss against Minnesota, Wayne Gallman had to leave before the first half could even finish due to a concussion of his own.

It appears that wasn’t the only one picked up by a Giants player, however, as Sterling Shepard is ending up on the concussion protocol once again after showing the symptoms of one when returning to practice on Monday. It’s the second time that Shepard is being put into concussion protocol after going back into the game following a hit.

This comes right after the first game where Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate were able to play together – Tate was suspended four games before the season for a substance violation and week five was his first chance to play at the same time as Shepard, who was signed to a big extension this offseason to become the team’s main receiver.

Instead of the offense taking a big step forward, though, it produced less than it had in the past two games and Pat Shurmur’s former team was able to get the better of the Giants with strong play on the defensive side of the ball.

It remains to be seen if the Giants are going to make any roster changes due to the absences of Shepard and Gallman in the next game, against the Patriots, which the team is already a sixteen point underdog in. The team looks outmatched even with both players, so it will be intriguing to see what the Giants do to compensate for losing them both right before one of the most notable games of the season – at least, however, no one will blame the Giants if they are unable to pull off the upset.

How the New York Giants can beat the Minnesota Vikings in week 5

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While the New York Giants have had relative success against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins with rookie quarterback Daniel Jones at the helm, the Minnesota Vikings present an entirely different challenge. Concerning the Vikings, the Buccaneers own the 21st ranked defense, and the Redskins the 28th ranked defense.

Minnesota sits at number six, allowing just 312.75 yards per game, but they do allow a 72.1% completion rating to opposing quarterbacks, ranking 27th. That should give Jones an advantage considering his accuracy thus far and efficiency on third downs.

Where the New York Giants might find it difficult to succeed is when they throw the ball downfield, as the Vikings rank seventh with a 5.9 pass yards per attempt. They also rank incredibly high in rushing yards per attempt with just 3.7. The Giants will, unfortunately, be without star running back Saquon Barkley to handle the load, so they will look to Wayne Gallman to supplement his loss.

Fighting for extra yards against a tough Vikings defense will be incredibly difficult, so we should expect to see Jones throwing the ball a lot and moving the chains on short completions.

Here are three New York Giants players than need to step up:

1.) Evan Engram

There is not a single linebacker in the NFL that can cover tight end, Evan Engram. The third-year player has totaled 167 receiving yards with Jones at the helm. His yards per reception skyrocketed from approximately 9 to 15 after Eli Manning was benched.

His influence will be essential in beating the Vikings, especially in the middle of the field, and creating bad matchups for opposing linebackers. He will also be a security blanket for Jones in the passing game, and we should expect to see him featured quite often.

His blocking will be necessary as well, especially for Gallman, who will find it tough to run against a stout Vikings defensive front.

2.) Daniel Jones

Next on the list is inevitably Daniel Jones. The rookie passer has faced off against decent-to-bad defenses in his first two NFL starts, but the Vikings represent an entirely different beast. They are the number one team in spending on the defensive side of the ball and will utilize those assets to put pressure on Jones and force him to make mistakes.

Luckily, head coach Pat Shurmur is familiar with their defensive scheme. Hopefully, he can dial up some unique plays to get around their strengths. Jones must stay calm and prepared for this matchup.

We should expect to see the rookie under pressure a lot and need to utilize his legs. Ultimately, it comes down to third-down conversions, which he has been extremely advantageous with in the last two weeks. He has averaged over 50% on converting on third downs, where Manning was achieving just 21%.

3.) DeAndre Baker

DeAndre Baker is one of the highlights from the last two weeks as well, bouncing back from two terrible performances to allow just five catches and 35 yards. He completely shut down Chris Godwin, who thrashed the Los Angeles Rams defense for 173 yards and two scores only one week ago.

Baker will now have to face off against Stefon Diggs, who has publicly announced his displeasure with the Vikings team. That could cause him to feel a bit overwhelmed and underappreciated, giving Baker a mental advantage. The Giants need him to step up in this big game and lockdown his opponent as he is capable of doing.

Why the New York Giants should keep Saquon Barkley on the bench

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New York Giants, Wayne Gallman

The moment New York Giants star player Saquon Barkley went down with a high ankle sprain, the optimism at the running back position took a hit. After winning their first game of the season in week three against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Giants looked into several veteran free agents to help compensate for the loss of Barkley. They brought in options like Zach Zenner, Bennie Cunningham, and Fozzy Whittaker.

At the end of the workouts, the Giants allowed them to go home without executing a signing. Head coach Pat Shurmur elected to stick with the options currently on the roster. They elevated Jon Hilliman from the practice squad and plugged Wayne Gallman into the starting role.

The New York Giants rolled with a familiar face to fill Barkley’s spot:

In his third season, Gallman recorded his first start. He finished the day against the Washington Redskins with the 63 yards rushing on 18 attempts, and 55 yards on six receptions. He totaled 118 all-purpose yards and secured two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.

From a fantasy football perspective, Gallman had a fantastic day and helped the Giants to a 24-3 victory in week four of the regular season. However, moving forward it will be challenging to match up against the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots, two quality defenses.

Gaining back Saquon Barkley is undoubtedly a priority, but the Giants should not rush him and be cautionary with his recovery. Gallman is capable of handling the load despite his 3.5 yards per carry, a considering it was his first game as a starter, we should give him the benefit of the doubt concerning his deficiencies. Minnesota will likely be a tall task to handle, but Gallman is the running back moving forward for the Giants. In a season where a rebuild is underway, forcing an early return for you star player is not advisable.

New York Giants news, 9/30 – Saquon Barkley could return earlier than expected

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

The New York Giants will undoubtedly play it safe when it comes to star running back Saquon Barkley’s high ankle sprain. Despite Barkley’s ability to return from a similar injury in just two weeks while at Penn State, the NFL is a much more grueling league and the physicality of the players make injuries more frequent.

After consulting with two professional doctors, the timetable for Barkley’s return landed in the 6-8 week range. Some even believed he would return in week 12, after the Giants’ BYE week to face the Chicago Bears. That would undoubtedly be a cautionary timeline for recovery and give him plenty of rest to ensure the injury was fully healed. However, Barkley seems to be well ahead of his professional rehabilitation program, considering he is already out of the walking boot and strolling without a limp around the team facilities.

In fact, Barkley is already telling people that he can beat the timetable for recovery from the high ankle sprain, despite the training-staff pushing him to be cautious. In his absence, Wayne Gallman will act as the starter and was productive against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, picking up 60 yards on 18 touches and 55 receiving yards on six receptions. He also scored two touchdowns, helping the Giants to a 24-3 victory at home.

The Giants will look to him once more against a stout Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots defense in the coming weeks. The tough part of the schedule is rolling around, and the Giants likely lost their best linebacker in Ryan Connelly to a torn ACL. Trouble could be near.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Steve Serby – Daniel Jones’ handling of his first Giants headache says it all

Megan Armstrong – Redskins’ Landon Collins Rips Giants’ Jabrill Peppers After Postgame Scuffle

Paul Schwartz – The Giants moments that highlight this incredible transformation

Ed Valentine – Instant analysis: Giants get even, but how can they get ahead?
Alexander Wilson – New York Giants: Star rookie defender could be lost for the season

New York Giants: 3 players that need to step up against Washington Redskins

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New York Giants, Giants, NYG, Ryan Connelly

The New York Giants will face off against a winless Washington Redskins team in week four of the regular season on Sunday. The Giants are coming off their first win of the year behind rookie passer Daniel Jones.

Throwing for 336 yards and two touchdowns, accompanied by two rushing scores, Jones is in a position to continue his success in just his second start in the NFL.

The rookie’s home debut will be exciting, but the Washington Redskins are no easy team to play, especially as a division rival with safety Landon Collins seeking revenge.

Here are three New York Giants players they need to step up:

1.) Ryan Connelly

With linebackers Alec Ogletree and Tae Davis both missing Sunday’s matchup against Washington, rookie Ryan Connelly will be the catalyst the position.

Already ascending to the top linebacker spot for Big Blue, Connelly is in a position to lead the unit and show that he can communicate with the defense. After three difficult weeks in the first half of games, Ryan has stood his ground and made consistent plays to help the defense get off the field.

In week three against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Connelly made an essential stop on third-and-two on the Giants’ 5-yard-line to hold their opponents to a field goal. This ultimately allowed the offense to score a touchdown and take the lead — a pivotal moment in the game and a testament to his speed and efficiency in the open field.

The Giants need him to step up in the absence of Ogletree and Davis — this game represents a big challenge for Connelly, which I think is more than capable of handling.

2.) Janoris Jenkins

After being tortured by Mike Evans for 190 yards and three touchdowns last week, Janoris Jenkins will need to elevate his game and play like the cornerback he’s capable of being. He will have a tough matchup against Terry McLaurin, a young wide receiver that is rising in the NFL.

The Redskins top pass-catcher struggled with a hamstring injury this week and could be on a snap count, which would benefit Jenkins. However, stopping him will allow the defense to increase their efficiency and make third-down plays to keep the offense on the field.

Ultimately, Jenkins is on this list because we need to see a quality bounce-back performance from him. If the Giants can go into week five at 2-2, they will gain back Golden Tate and be in a position to succeed moving forward.

3.) Wayne Gallman

With Saquon Barkley missing time due to a high ankle sprain, the Giants will roll with number two running back Wayne Gallman on Sunday. Gallman has been waiting for this opportunity, and in his third season, he will receive it. The Giants expect him to be an in-between the tackles runner and pick up yards to help the offense move the chains. Having a balanced offense is part of head coach Pat Shurmur’s game plan, meaning Wayne must provide value to support the overall production of the offense.

The Giants offense of line has ranked in the top five this year so far in the run game. Gallman should have the resources necessary to break off a few solid runs. However, most of his value will come in the form of protecting Daniel Jones and allowing him to operate at a high-level.

 

 

New York Giants Confident In Running Game While Barkley Is Out

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New York Giants, Wayne Gallman

The New York Giants definitely lost their best offensive weapon on Sunday when Saquon Barkley was taken out of the game with a high ankle sprain – however, the team hasn’t lost confidence, and the running game is set to continue as normal even with Barkley out for four to eight weeks with the injury, which surprisingly won’t require a surgery that would increase the recovery time.

At least, the running game will keep performing if the coaches are to believed. The staff haven’t shown a lack of confidence in the talent that the Giants have in-house, and on Friday, running backs coach Craig Johnson continued to show that confidence in the players the Giants already have.

According to Johnson, the Giants won’t need to sign a player such as Christine Michael or Jay Ajayi – the combination of Wayne Gallman and Jon Hillman will be enough.

“I think that’s confidence and I think that’s a great shout out to both guys that we saw what we had. I think our personnel people are always trying to improve your talent, but the bottom line is they looked around and they liked what they had. I think that’s a compliment to both guys and now those guys get their opportunity to prove that confidence in them by playing well this weekend,” Johnson said when asked about the reasons behind the team’s level of comfort with trusting Gallman and Hllman.

Gallman was, of course, one of the backups for Saquon Barkley last season while Hillman was recently signed from the practice squad in his rookie NFL season.

Johnson also believes that the Giants may have a good player on their hands with Hillman, despite the former Rutgers back coming off the practice squad after going undrafted.

“I think that what he’s really shown is that he’s been very good, very decisive in the run game. But the key for all running backs—can you run the ball effectively? Two, can you protect the quarterback? Three, can you run good routes? And most importantly, can you protect the football?”

“He’s been good in all four phases, so I need him, and that’s a challenge to him, to do that on Sunday,” concluded Hillman.

The game on Sunday could make or break the starting positions of both Hillman and Gallman – with Saquon Barkley out for at least four weeks, the Giants once again have a running back competition for the first time since drafting him.

New York Giants News, 9/27 – Giants get amazing Saquon Barkley injury news

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

The moment New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley went down with a high ankle sprain, the hopes for any chance of a winning season flew out the window. Moments later, rookie passer Daniel Jones revived those hopes and brought the Giants one step closer to being a .500 team.

Earning their first win of the season mainly without Barkley at the helm, there is hope that back-up Wayne Gallman can hold over the position until the Pro Bowler can return fully healthy.

Barclay visited a second doctor for an alternative opinion on his ankle. Surgery was a possibility before that option was ruled out on Thursday morning. Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay recommended that Barkley can proceed with a rehabilitation program that does not involve surgery. That is a massive boost to the Giants offense who will likely game back their best player within the next 6 to 8 weeks.

However, Barkley returned after just two weeks while at Penn State after suffering a similar injury. I imagine the Giants will be more cautious with the running back. They could return him at the minimum recommended date if the Giants are in a position to contend for the playoffs, but the more realistic option would be to ensure he is fully recovered and allow him to wait until after the BYE week to make his return. Week 12 against the Chicago Bears seems like a likely timetable, but there’s always the possibility that his super-human healing abilities allow him to join the offense earlier than anticipated.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Kevin Patra – Giants RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) won’t need surgery

Alexander Wilson – The New York Giants should be very excited about this rookie
Art Stapleton – Daniel Jones: Now that NY Giants rookie QB is talk of the NFL, what will he do for encore?

Dan Salomone – Giants vs. Redskins: 5 Storylines to Follow