OBJ to miss 3rd straight game with quad injury
Darren Woodson and Tedy Bruschi say the Colts will continue their hot streak at home vs. the Giants in Week 16. (0:49)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will miss his third straight game because of a quad injury on Sunday when the New York Giants play on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. Beckham didn’t practice at all this week. He did work on the side with a trainer for the first time in several weeks.
There is a chance that Beckham returns for the Giants’ season finale next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
“He’s closer. He’s closer,” coach Pat Shurmur said. “He did more this week. He’s able to do more field work. We’ll just have to see what this next couple days brings.”
Wide receiver Russell Shepard (ankle), linebacker Alec Ogletree (concussion) and center Spencer Pulley (calf) were also ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Colts.
The Giants (5-9) will look for Corey Coleman, Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler to fill the void left by the absence of Beckham and Shepard. They will likely each get snaps at wide receiver alongside Sterling Shepard.
Evan Engram could be the biggest beneficiary of Beckham’s absence, even though Shurmur insisted he doesn’t call more plays for his explosive tight end. Engram had his two more productive games (77 and 75 yards, respectively) without Beckham in the lineup the past two weeks.
Beckham was originally injured on the final play of a Nov. 25 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was leg whipped by linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, who was fined $20,054 for unnecessary roughness for the play. Beckham played through the injury in a win over the Chicago Bears but suffered a setback at practice the following week. He hasn’t returned to the field in over two weeks.
The Giants have split their two games without Beckham this season. They scored 40 points against the Washington Redskins two weeks ago, before being shut out by the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. Shurmur downplayed Beckham’s absence as a major factor.
“Two different scenarios. I would say we didn’t do anything that we needed to do against any opponent with any player on the field last week. We didn’t do enough on first down, on third down, we turned the ball over in a tight game. So it didn’t matter who was on the field,” Shurmur said. “The week previous, we did all the things necessary. That is how I balance it in my own mind.”
Quarterback Eli Manning has thrown for 213.5 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in the 13 games the past two seasons without Beckham in the lineup. He’s averaged 273.8 yards with 23 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions in the 16 games that Beckham has dressed.
His absence is a major loss.
“Yeah, no doubt,” Colts coach Frank Reich said earlier this week. “He’s a unique player, and any time you take someone of that ability, if he’s not there, that’s a big hole to fill.”