Giants' Kenny Golladay may get his chance in prime time
Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) walks along the sidelines during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Sunday, Aug 21, 2022. Credit: Brad Penner
Kenny Golladay may get a chance to show the Giants how wrong they were to keep him on the sideline for most of last week’s game.
With projected starter Wan’Dale Robinson out for a second straight week with a knee injury and Kadarius Toney listed as doubtful because of a hamstring injury that acted up on him during the week, the Giants’ receiving crew will be very shorthanded in Monday’s game against the Cowboys.
Maybe they’ll even be shorthanded enough for Golladay to see more than the two reps he played against the Panthers.
“I think any time you put on that helmet and you’re out there on the field, you have to have the ability to execute what you’re called upon,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said this past week. “Kenny has done a great job in practice, he’s working hard, he’s working his tail off this week, and so I’m happy for him for that.”
A substantial role against Dallas is no sure thing, though. Sterling Shepard, David Sills and Richie James figure to play plenty. The Giants might even turn to a different spurned receiver, Darius Slayton, to provide some deep speed for the offense.
As for Toney, who has not practiced since his hamstring tightened up on Wednesday, Brian Daboll said he might be able to play depending on a pregame workout.
“I think anybody that’s injured, we try if we think maybe there’s a chance,” he said of listing him as doubtful rather than out. “If they can’t go, they can’t go. But [we] try to hold out hope as long as we can to see if those guys can go.”
Notes & quotes: One other player the Giants listed as doubtful is DL Leonard Williams, who injured his knee last week against the Panthers. Williams has played in 114 straight games and never missed one because of injury in his career . . . Three cornerbacks will not play on Monday: Aaron Robinson (appendix), Justin Layne (concussion) and Nick McCloud (hamstring) have been declared out. The Giants might wind up placing one or two of them on injured reserve before the game and signing veteran practice-squadders Fabian Moreau and Tony Jefferson. They have until 4 p.m. Monday to make any such roster maneuvers.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
