The uphill climb for the NY Giants to try and take down the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday just got a bit more difficult for head man Brian Daboll and Co. There was an outside chance that we'd see Saquon Barkley suit up only four days after spraining his ankle.
On Wednesday, it was officially confirmed that Barkley, one of the best running backs in the game, won't be able to take the field. However, that's not the only concern for Coach Dabes. In addition to Barkley, left tackle Andrew Thomas, left guard Ben Bredeson AND pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari have all been ruled out as well. This is a huge bummer.
RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) is OUT. Right move.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 20, 2023
LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), LG Ben Bredeson (concussion) and OLB Azeez Ojulari also OUT.
That’s four starters down for Thursday night vs. 49ers. #giants
Andrew Thomas missing Week 3 for the NY Giants is a big blow
Again, it was always a long shot that Barkley would play, but plenty of Big Blue supporters were hopeful that Thomas would be ready after he was rested for the Week 2 tilt against the Arizona Cardinals. Thomas has been battling a hamstring injury, one he suffered against the Cowboys.
With Thomas set to miss his second consecutive game, the pressure will be on youngster Joshua Ezeudu to protect Daniel Jones' blindside. Ezeudu surprisingly got the start at LT in Week 2 and he impressed fans with his play. What will he be able to do trying to contain Nick Bosa and others?
Elsewhere on the offensive line, Bredeson suffered a concussion in Week 2 and with the quick turnaround for TNF, this news isn't surprising. Mark Glowinski, who was benched at RG over the weekend, should get the nod with Bredeson sidelined.
Lastly, Ojulari just can't stay healthy. He missed 10 games last year and he's already missed two in 2023 as well. Ojulari posted 5.5 sacks in only seven contests in '22, but his hamstring issues continue to plague him.