The New York Giants walked out of Metlife Stadium last Sunday with the "W" against the rival Dallas Cowboys. While the vibes were high, their cornerback room was banged up, which was concerning considering that the position was a weak spot heading into this season. It didn't help matters that in Week 2 they were facing off against the Los Angeles Rams, who may have lost big time against the San Francisco 49ers last week, but they are still considered Super Bowl favorites.
A banged up secondary facing off against the reigning NFL MVP and his stacked receiving corps? That spelled like bad news. But the Giants may have caught a break.
Puka Nacua trending in 'wrong direction' to play in Week 2 vs. Giants
Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua was dealing with a hip injury that forced him to miss practice on Friday and Saturday. The Rams officially gave Nacua a questionable designation for the Monday night matchup.
During an appearance on ESPN on Sunday, the outlet's NFL insider, Adam Schefter, reported that Nacua is trending in "the wrong direction" of playing against the Giants.
The Rams are already banged up heading into that game. This is a team that just placed huge offseason addition Myles Garrett on the injured reserve after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee, meaning he is out for a minimum of the next four games. Now, not having Nacua in the lineup will only make the Rams' job more difficult.
Giants have cornerback questions heading in Week 2 MNF matchup vs. Rams
The Giants were facing a tall task against the Rams' passing offense, due in part to the state of the cornerback room.
On Saturday, the Giants officially gave Deonte Banks the questionable designation due to a calf injury. Greg Newsome was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday due to a rib injury, but does not carry an injury desgination after logging a full practice on Saturday.
Then, there's Paulson Adebo, who fell down the depth chart despite being one of their big free agent additions last offseason. Adebo was placed on the injured reserve due to a knee injury, meaning he will miss the team's next four games at minimum.
With Adebo officially out and Banks questionable, expect rookie Colton Hood to receive some extended playing time. He appeared briefly in the team's Week 1 win over the Cowboys, where he helped cover for Newsome and Banks when they got injured before eventually returning.
Even if Nacua does miss the game on Monday night, the Giants will still have to contend with Davante Adams, who may not be in his prime, but is a difficult receiver to defend against. Let's not forget that the Rams run 13 personnel, which means they throw out one running back in three tight ends. If Nacua does get ruled out for Monday, expect the Rams to use that strategy a lot against the Giants.
We'll ultimately see what the Rams decide to do with Nacua once we get closer to kickoff on Monday night. However, based on Schefter's reporting, it seems more likely that Nacua will be out for Week 2 instead of active.
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