Jason Pierre-Paul visits sports hernia expert
Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants reacts during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: Mike Stobe
Jason Pierre-Paul walked through the Giants locker room late Tuesday afternoon without an apparent limp. But that does not mean the defensive end will play against the Cowboys on Sunday night.
Pierre-Paul, who declined to speak to reporters, is nursing an apparent groin injury and on Tuesday he traveled to Philadelphia to meet with William Meyers, an expert in sports hernias. NFL Network first reported the trip.
Teammates seemed to be under the impression there was little chance of Pierre-Paul playing Sunday night regardless of Meyers’ assessment and are preparing for life without him.
“The last couple of games he’s been playing better than anybody at any position,” linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. “No one is Jason Pierre-Paul. No one can do the things he can for us, or for anybody.”
Casillas cited JPP’s history of strong games against the Cowboys. “[Tony] Romo probably had nightmares about him for years. So it’s going to be tough without him. But next person up.”
Eli admires Prescott
Eli Manning went 1-6 as a rookie out of Mississippi in 2004 and did not win his first game until the last one of that season — on a Sunday night against the Cowboys at the Meadowlands.
Dak Prescott is 11-1 as a rookie out of Mississippi State and has not lost since falling to the Giants in the opener.
“He’s done a fabulous job just learning the offense, protecting the football,” Manning said. “It doesn’t seem too fast for him . . . He’s played extremely well, at a high level for such a young quarterback coming in right from the get-go. It’s been impressive.”
OBJ smile no bigee to Eli
Did Manning feel the need to say anything about Odell Beckham Jr. smiling on the sideline Sunday after watching his friend and fellow receiver Antonio Brown catch a touchdown pass for the Steelers against the Giants?
“No, we don’t talk about that,” he said. “I think it’s just people looking for something. I wouldn’t worry about that at all.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
