Giants coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he isn’t concerned about CB situation
Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo talks to Jason Pierre-Paul during a game against the Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 22, 2017. Credit: Getty Images / Al Bello
Steve Spagnuolo said he has no concerns about the tenor of the cornerbacks room despite having two of its most prominent citizens suspended for violating team rules in the past month.
“I feel very confident in the guys in there, the coaches in there, the players,” the Giants’ defensive coordinator said on Thursday. “The way we function, who they are, how we feel about each other, I’ve never lost any confidence in that.”
Still, for the second time in three games, Spagnuolo will have to go into a game without a key player. Janoris Jenkins, who failed to report for practice on Monday after the bye week, was suspended indefinitely by Ben McAdoo earlier this week. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was suspended for the Week 6 game against the Broncos.
To further thin resources at cornerback, first-year player Donte Deayon sprained his ankle in Thursday’s practice. His availability for Sunday against the Rams is up in the air.
“I’ve been in this business long enough to know that these things happen during the year,” Spagnuolo said. “You lose guys, they come, they go, whether it’s injury, whatever it is. I know you get sick of hearing it, but it’s the next guy up. We’ve got to keep moving up. It doesn’t change what we have to do here as coaches and players. We’ve just got to keep going forward.”
Third downer
It was pretty easy for offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan to pinpoint the Giants’ biggest problem during the self-scouting process of the bye week.
“Third down, definitely,” he said. “You look at this last game, you know, 2-for-12. It’s hard to have any type of drives that we’re sustaining . . . Our most recent game was disappointing. That has been an emphasis.”
The Giants have converted only 33 percent of their 92 third-down opportunities this season. Only the Dolphins, 49ers and Browns have been worse. The Giants also are a feeble 1-for-8 on fourth-down attempts.
“To be able to score more points, to get some type of consistency, to get guys opportunities, we have to stay out there,” Sullivan said. “So, third down. Definitely.”
Giant steps
TE Rhett Ellison returned to practice on Thursday, a day after being excused for the birth of his daughter. Kaia Rose Ellison was born on Wednesday afternoon. Ellison said mother (Raina Ellison) and baby are doing well . . . LB B.J. Goodson (ankle), OL Justin Pugh (back), C Weston Richburg (concussion), DE Olivier Vernon (ankle) and DE Kerry Wynn (knee) did not practice on Thursday and appear unlikely to play on Sunday.
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.
