Giants Q&A: Geoff Schwartz suffers another fractured leg
New York Giants guard Geoff Schwartz #74 watches practice during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on Friday, Aug 7, 2015. Credit: Brad Penner
Can Geoff Schwartz go a full year without a catastrophic leg injury?
Apparently not. Three hundred and sixty-four days after his 2014 season ended with a shattered lower left leg that required surgery and insertion of a steel plate, he suffered another fracture to the same area Sunday when he was rolled up from behind on a running play in the first quarter.
"I don't know what else I can do,'' Schwartz said. "I obviously don't go out and try to get hurt. I just don't know.''
Was it the same leg?
Yes, and Schwartz said the plate caused this fracture. "If I didn't have the plate in there, I probably wouldn't have broken it again,'' he said. "Having the plate in there caused the stress on the bone, and I was hit kind of awkwardly.''
Schwartz wondered if playing on the left side for the first time this season somehow left him exposed to having his legs in the wrong position. At first, he thought it was a knee injury; the Giants announced it as such and said he would return to the game. "I thought I was fine,'' he said. "X-rays showed that I wasn't.''
How did the Giants handle the loss personnel-wise?
They already had made changes because starters Weston Richburg (ankle) and Justin Pugh (concussion) were inactive. Dallas Reynolds started at center, Schwartz moved from right to left guard and John Jerry was on the right side. After Schwartz's injury, Jerry moved to left guard and rookie Bobby Hart saw his first significant playing time at right guard.
How did they handle it performance-wise?
Not well. The line was leaky, allowing steady pressure on Eli Manning (three sacks). The Giants ran for only 33 yards, and even a screen pass to Shane Vereen was so poorly blocked that it went for a loss of 4 yards.
"I give credit to our offensive linemen, who were in a difficult position with some guys missing,'' Tom Coughlin said. "But they battled. We got beat sometimes; other times we rose up.''
How did Prince Amukamara make it through his first game since Oct. 11?
"Absolutely great,'' he said after missing five games with a partially torn pectoral muscle. He said it felt good to make a few hits and be physical with receivers. He made four tackles.
What did Hakeem Nicks contribute in his 2015 debut for the Giants?
The team's former first-round pick caught one pass for 4 yards and had a handful of snaps as the fourth receiver.
"That felt real good,'' Nicks said. "Felt real good putting the 8's back on my chest, felt real good wearing the Giants jersey, being back with the team.''
Nicks, who signed during the bye week, is learning a new offensive system. It was his first game as a Giant since 2013. "He has to keep learning, get another week, and get all the signals and everything down so that he can play fast,'' Manning said.
Did DeSean Jackson's touchdown look familiar?
For those who remember his punt return that sunk the Giants' 2010 season, yes. In that notorious game, he cruised along the goal line before going into the end zone. On his 63-yard catch Sunday, he did the same horizontal maneuver.
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.
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