Giants' Weston Richburg could be starting again this week
Giants center Weston Richburg (60) blocks against the Buffalo Bills during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, in Canton, Ohio. Credit: AP / David Richard
To find the last time Weston Richburg didn't start on the offensive line, you have to go back to 2009, when he was a redshirt freshman at Colorado State. Once he got on the field for the Rams, he stayed there, starting a school-record 50 consecutive games. And when he came to the Giants, he became an immediate starter in the NFL, lining up at left guard for the team's first 10 games this season.
But last week, something happened to the rookie lineman that had never happened in his life.
He was benched.
The Giants reconstructed their line and Richburg was the odd man out, losing his starting spot to veteran Adam Snyder.
How did he react to this unpleasant anomaly?
"I was obviously sad that I wasn't in there,'' he said. "It was 60 straight. It's a bummer.''
Richburg may have been feeling gloomy about the decision, which he knew was coming early in the week as the team prepared for the Cowboys. No one wants to lose his job. But there was a part of him that suddenly was allowed to be a little carefree. For the first time, he spent a week not worrying about things so much. He wasn't a stressed-out rookie starter for a struggling team with plenty of outside fingers pointing at his position.
"I think I went out and tried to have a little more fun and enjoy it a little more, which I think led to practicing a little better,'' he said. "I knew [Snyder] was going to get to start. I knew I had to be ready. I was prepared if need be. You always have to be prepared to start, but I knew I wasn't [starting], so I think I may have had a little more fun last week but still getting the work that has to be done done.''
And then a funny thing happened. Maybe even more strange than being benched. Snyder injured his knee late in the game and Richburg had to come in and finish. He was at guard on the fourth-quarter touchdown drive that gave the Giants a lead with three minutes left.
With Snyder not practicing this week and another option at the position in Geoff Schwartz missing practice Thursday because of the dislocated toe that put him on injured reserve for most of the season (he was limited Wednesday), Richburg might be back in the starting lineup Sunday against the Jaguars.
He'd never been benched, so he's never had to come back from being benched. If he indeed is back on the field on Sunday, he has no idea if he'll be able to use that mental break and refocus.
Some players respond to demotions. Backup quarterback Ryan Nassib certainly did during the summer when the Giants dropped him to third string for a week. Others prove the coaches' initial decisions correct when they return.
"I took some time this weekend to think about it,'' Richburg said. "You learn a lot about the NFL and how it works. It taught me that you have to be ready to play in any kind of role. I started playing on kickoff return last week, first time ever. Whatever role I can be in to help, that's what I have to do.''
Most of all, he wants to keep enjoying the ride the way he did last week when his job was taken away from him.
"It always helps,'' Richburg said. "It's a serious business, but you have to be able to have some fun.''
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.
