The 0-1 New York Giants will head to Arlington, TX, to take on the 0-1 Dallas Cowboys in a Week 2 divisional showdown. It's the second NFC East contest for Big Blue in as many weeks, as the opening schedule appears to be just as gruesome as everyone thought it would be.
Understandably, confidence in Big Blue might be at an all-time low, following a six-point, 231-total-yards effort against a middle-tier Commanders defense. That includes a measly 74 rushing yards. Something's gotta give, and Dallas presents an interesting opportunity for the G-Men to turn their offense around... at least in one facet.
Russell Wilson's debut was a nightmare from start to finish, and if New York's first injury report is any indication, it could be another long day for the 36-year-old signal-caller. He'll have to hope for a better outlook as practice continues throughout the week, because Wednesday might as well have hit him with a spot on the bench.
Giants’ first Week 2 injury report offers little relief for struggling offense
Initial signs suggest the air attack might be all but non-existent in Week 2. When the report dropped, starting left tackle Andrew Thomas was understandably on the "Did not participate" portion (that was planned), but it was the wide receivers' names that made the list that will spark the panic.
Below is the Giants' Week 2 injury report:
Did not participate
- DL Dexter Lawrence (Not Injury Related/Personal matter)
- LB Micah McFadden (Foot)
- WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Ankle)
- OT Andrew Thomas (Foot)
Limited at practice
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (Calf)
- WR Malik Nabers (Back)
As stated earlier, Thomas is an obvious name. He's working his way back from a season-ending Lisfranc injury, and his timetable is up in the air. However, he is practicing and getting closer.
Additionally, after suffering a foot injury in Week 1 (when they needed to bring out the cart), McFadden will be out for Week 2 and will likely miss several weeks after. It's a gut-punch for the team for sure, as he's amassed 100-plus tackles in each of the past two seasons, and looked to be a player primed for a breakout season in a contract year.
The Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson names are the ones to keep an eye out for. While Nabers has been battling back tightness throughout camp, Robinson's ankle injury, which held him out of practice, is worrisome. There have been no further details on what's going on there, so it's something to monitor for sure. If the slot receiver is good to go, expect a healthy dose of targets as Cowboys' star nickel corner Da'Ron Bland is likely out for the game.
Out of the 17 Wilson completions and 168 passing yards, the duo accounted for 11 of those catches and 126 of the yards. That's not going to be easy to replace.
Wednesday's initial report certainly isn't anything to lose sleep over... at least, not yet. The Nabers and Robinson injuries are the ones to monitor because if they can't go or are limited, this offense is in for another brutal performance. And that would be a colossal nightmare for Russell Wilson.