Andrews Doubtful, Still In Hospital

Shawn Andrews is not going to play Sunday, that much we now know. He was still in the hospital when papers were delivered this morning and his chronic back pain is the culprit. The Giants are going to be starting Will Beatty at LT and at LG will be Kevin Boothe.

Both Boothe and Beatty have seen limited action is season due to injury, and are not yet in sync with the patchwork offensive line. Both players had critical penalties against the Cowboys at home weeks ago and potentially cost the Giants a game many feel they should have won. While sacks have not been an issue, I look for how the proliferation of running lanes are going to be established this week as an indicator of success with the young players stepping in to a battered offensive line.

With Rich Seubert at center, Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie have not enjoyed his help in opening up holes on the right side of the line as they were in the first half of the season. It may be the mossy important aspect of Shawn OHara being out that has hurt the team – the run blocking has suffered without the starting offensive line pulling in unison.

Bear Pascoe has done an admirable job creating opportunities as FB this season but against Philadelphia last week it was clear the patchwork line didn’t standup to the challenge in controlling the line of scrimmage against the Eagles. Even Pascoe struggled to open cracks in the defense – and even when the line pulled to the right with Pascoe assisting the Giants were unable to get anything opened for the backfield to work with. The Eagles did a good job of stuffing the run no question – but the Giants were running effortlessly on top rush defenses earlier in the year with their starters in play.

With Centers Koets and OHara sidelined, the Giants run game may not be able to execute until a bona fide center returns to action and Rich Seubert is back at left guard.

One more week will go by after the Giants face the Jaguars this Sunday, hopefully by then some semblance of cohesion will return as well.