PLAYER NOTES
–WR Odell Beckham, Jr. (quad) did not practice Wednesday. Head coach Pat Shurmur said that Beckham continues to make progress and that there is a chance that the receiver will play in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Cowboys.
–WR Sterling Shepard (hip) was limited in Wednesday’s practice but is expected to be ready to go Sunday in the regular-season finale against Dallas.
–LB B.J. Goodson (foot) was limited in Wednesday’s practice, his status for Sunday unclear.
–LB Alec Ogletree (concussion) did not practice Wednesday. Ogletree remains in the league’s protocol and his status for Sunday is uncertain.
–DL Kerry Wynn (thumb) who missed last weekend’s game, was a full participant on Wednesday and appears on his way back to the active list.
–C Spencer Pulley (calf) was limited in Wednesday’s practice. The Giants are hoping Pulley makes enough progress to get back to the field Sunday.
–WR Russell Shepard (ankle) is making progress from his ankle injury. Whereas last week he was spotted in a walking boot, he’s been able to lose the boot and was seen moving around the locker room with no noticeable limitations. However, Shepard did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.
–TE Rhett Ellison (concussion) did not practice Wednesday. Ellison is in the league protocol, his status for Sunday uncertain.
–DL Mario Edwards (calf) did not practice on Wednesday, his status for Sunday uncertain.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: NT Dalvin Tomlinson. The Giants run defense has allowed opponents an average of 131.2 rushing yards per game since trading Damon Harrison and moving Dalvin Tomlinson to the nose. While all of that isn’t on Tomlinson, he will certainly be called upon to help with occupying blockers, allowing his teammates to fill the holes to force Ezekiel Elliott, who since his team’s Week 9 bye has rushed for no less than 60 yards and who has also had four 100-yard-plus performances in that eight-game span, to the outside where, per Pro Football Focus, he hasn’t been as effective as he’s been running between the tackles.
GAME PLAN: Somehow, someway, the Giants have to figure out how to get Saquon Barkley going again.
After recording four straight 100-yard rushing games, opponents have found a way to bottle up Barkley in the Giants last two games, holding the rookie to 31 yards on 14 carries and 43 yards in 21 carries in those contests.
Coincidentally, the Giants have been without receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in those games, a missing element that has led to the opponents zeroing in on Barkley. So how can the Giants free their rookie runner and get him back toward making a difference?
For starters, they need to get him into space. Of late, the Giants have been sending Barkley straight into the teeth of the defense where he’s had no room to run and gotten very little help from the offensive line. As a result, he’s rushed for 74 yards on 35 carries over the last two games.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
–Giants CB Janoris Jenkins vs. Cowboys WR Amari Cooper. The Cowboys have been a completely different team ever since acquiring receiver Amari Cooper from the Raiders. Cooper’s presence has allowed the other receivers to draw single coverage, an accomplishment that opens things up underneath. This week, it will likely fall on Jenkins to try to limit Cooper’s impact in the game by blanketing him at every turn while the otherwise undermanned Giants pass defense spreads what resources it has around.
–Giants run defense vs. Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last seven games, having hit his stride. The Giants run defense is missing safety Landon Collins and could be without Alec Ogletree this weekend, If the Giants can’t get Elliott bottled up early, it’s going to be a very long day for New York.
