WATCH: Coach Coughlin updates injuries and previews #NYGvsPHI http://t.co/RwdDOi8JB4
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 15, 2015
New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin confirmed on Thursday that cornerback Prince Amukamara has a partially torn pectoral muscle and will be sidelined 2-4 weeks. The absence of Amukamara headlines is another blow to the Giants, whose injury list heading into Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles is 11 deep.
"It's most unfortunate," Coughlin said of the injury to Amukamara. "He's made a lot of plays for us this fall, but we'll continue on and we will get him back."
Coughlin said Amukamara will not be placed on short-term IR.
Amukamara said he "felt something weird" during the third quarter on Sunday.
"I stayed in on that drive and then when I realized, "Ok, I'm having a hard time running," I never want to be a liability out there so I had the trainers come check it out. They said, "Ok, the tendon is still attached." I said, "Ok, good. If I can still go, then you're not going to stop me. I'm going to go." So then I ran out and of course that's when Anquan scored on that play. Just finished the whole game with it," Amukamara said.
Amukamara has now missed time in four of his five NFL seasons, and said he does wonder why he struggles to remain injury-free:
"Yeah that question has definitely come into my head. I try different things. I tried switching my eating habits, my workout habits," Amukamara said. "So I'm still just going to continue to just try to figure it out."
Here is the full injury list.
CB Prince Amukamara (pectoral)
DE Robert Ayers (hamstring)
LB Jon Beason (concussion)
WR Odell Beckham (hamstring)
LB Jonathan Casillas (calf)
WR Victor Cruz (calf)
LB Devon Kennard (hamstring)
CB Trumaine McBride (groin)
OG Justin Pugh (ankle)
WR Rueben Randle (hamstring)
DE George Selvie (calf)
In addition to Amukamara, Coughlin said that Kennard, Cruz, Beckham, Casillas and Beason would not practice today. In terms of Beckham, Coughlin said "we'll see" if he can practice later in the week.
Hosley next man up at corner
Coughlin said that Jayron Hosley would start in place of Amukamara, and that he has "a lot more" confidence in the fourth-year cornerback than he has had in previous years.
"We played a game and won a game with Hosley starting at corner. He'll have to jump in there and do that, which I'm sure he's excited about," Coughlin said. "We must continue on."
On injury prevention
Coughlin said that having to discuss the lengthy injury list made Wednesday "just a wonderful occasion." It is, unfortunately, something he has had to do all too often in recent seasons. Why the injuries -- of varying types -- continue to happen to the Giants is something they have tried diligently to solve in recent years, but been unable to.
"We've inserted major changes. We've changed pretty much everything that we do, starting with the GPS," Coughlin said. "Some of these soft-tissue injuries are very troublesome. Occurring in games, if you will, and being so long trying to get people back. I'm not going to get frustrated by it, but it's very bothersome."
Coughlin said the Giants won't make any adjustments to their current routine, whiich includes a late-week "recovery day."
"Why would I,?" Coughlin asked. "It's not a time to change now. For years we did it one way, we're doing it this way, we're going to stay with it, see how it goes."
Why isn't Cruz on short-term IR?
Coughlin said that Cruz has yet to be cleared to run after the latest setback with his calf. He was asked why the wide receiver, yet to play, has never been placed on short-term IR.
"This was thoroughly discussed when he injured himself the last time," Coughlin said. "The doctors battled for him being back before the time would be up on the IR."
Coughlin had no timetable for Cruz to return.