New York Giants look safe in NFC East, but not at center

The Giants woke up the morning after their bye week alone in first place of the NFC East and no longer in danger of being challenged by Dallas, which fell to 1-6 after the Cowboys’ loss to Jacksonville.

But the Giants didn’t hit the field with a whole squad, and that could affect them down the road. Center Shaun O’Hara was missing, this time with what coach Tom Coughlin characterized as a “mild mid-foot sprain.”

And though Coughlin declined to term O’Hara’s problem a Lisfranc injury — players tend to miss seasons with that — he didn’t offer a time frame for O’Hara’s return, either.

“We’ll see how that goes,” Coughlin said of O’Hara’s status for Sunday’s game in Seattle.
For O’Hara, it’s the continuation of a long, frustrating season. He had just returned in the Detroit game from a three-game absence due to a chronic Achilles and ankle condition in his left foot that is now being managed. That same injury cost him most of training camp. The new injury is to the right foot.

And so after two showings from the front line that produced consecutive 100-yard rushing efforts for running back Ahmad Bradshaw, backup center Adam Koets might have to jump in again.

Backup cornerback Bruce Johnson was also absent, having undergone arthroscopic knee surgery over the bye. Coughlin would not say whether he would miss the remainder of the season.

NFC EAST    W    L    T    PCT
GIANTS         5    2    0    .714
Philadelphia   4    3    0    .571
Washington    4    4    0    .500
Dallas             1    6    0    .143