Giants injury upside: Saquon Barkley; downside: Andrew Thomas
Saquon Barkley of the Giants looks on during warm-ups prior to the start of the game against the Seahawks at MetLife on Monday. Credit: Mike Stobe
On Wednesday, Saquon Barkley took his first team reps on the practice field since spraining his ankle at the end of the Arizona game in Week 2.
Barkley has missed two entire games.
The Giants have missed him.
Barring a setback, Barkley is on track to play Sunday against the Dolphins.
Which would rank as great news for a team that has seemed to have little firepower in his absence.
Barkley has been sidelined since he sustained a high ankle sprain. They would not have won the Arizona game without him. He played every snap but two in that game.
Barkley is likely to talk to reporters on Thursday.
The news on left tackle Andrew Thomas was not as promising.
There was no sign of Thomas at practice.
Coach Brian Daboll characterized Thomas’ situation as a setback and does not expect Thomas (hamstring) to play in Miami.
Thomas was originally injured on the blocked field goal in the season opener against the Cowboys. That night, he remained in the game until the final quarter.
"I was just fighting through it," Thomas said then. "The adrenaline from the game, pretty much [enabled him to stay on the field].”
And now, there are other concerns on the offensive line.
Rookie center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) and OL Marcus McKethan (knee) were riding exercise bikes at the start of practice. Daboll said he expects McKethan to play Sunday.
Tight end Daniel Bellinger left Monday’s game with a knee injury and at practice was wearing a large brace on his knee. Both Bellinger and Schmitz were injured on a failed quarterback sneak in theloss to the Seahawks.
Offensive lineman Justin Pugh, whose first season as a Giants was in 2013, worked on a side field with trainers. Pugh has been signed to the Giants' practice squad. Daboll said he did not believe Pugh would play at Miami.
Other players on the injury list, all of whom were limited, included: running back Gary Brightwell, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, tackle Evan Neal and receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
Ojulari was not injured against the Seahawks, according to Daboll. He is listed only because his practice reps were being monitored.
Hawkins spiraling
Rookie cornerback Tre Hawkins, a star of training camp, went from starter to receiving no defensive snaps on Monday.
“It was based on who we were playing, in terms of how we were matching the corners and part of the game plan,” Daboll said. "That’s probably going to be a week-to-week discussion as we go though who we’re playing, the matchups, how we want to play them defensively.”
Bredeson on center stage
A rare bright spot for the offensive line: Ben Bredeson moved over to center after Schmitz was injured and played well there.
“He’s a smart guy, knows all our calls, had a bunch of reps in the summer,” Daboll said. “It’s good to have a guy that plays guard that can play center as well.”
How were the snaps?
“A couple low ones,” Daboll said, “but nothing out of the ordinary.”
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
