:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50993533/usa-today-9500338.0.jpg)
Marshall Newhouse is reportedly no longer wearing a walking boot to protect his injured calf, but the right tackle has not practiced this week. That makes him unlikely to play for the New York Giants on Sunday when they face the Washington Redskins.
On Thursday, offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan was unwilling to speculate on whether Newhouse would be replaced by second-year man Bobby Hart or by veteran Will Beatty, formerly the Giants’ left tackle.
“We’re waiting to see how it plays out. We have two guys that are competing. We’ll see how it’s all going to unfold,” Sullivan said Thursday afternoon. “Based upon Marshall’s situation, we will make a final decision at the end of the week. Both guys have had a lot of reps. I don’t know what the status is as far as Marshall specifically. Obviously that’s our primary hope in terms of him being able to stay in there.”
Hart played 12 snaps, three of those kneel downs by Eli Manning, in place of Newhouse at the end of Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Beatty, re-signed by the Giants right before the season opener after missing all of 2014 with injuries, has been inactive the first two games.
Sullivan said Hart “competed well” in his limited time against the Saints. As for Beatty, he said he “couldn’t speculate at this point how ready he is or who’s going to play right tackle.”
On Rashad Jennings’ injured left thumb ...
“That’s a cast that’s there that, obviously, we want to always maintain those four points of pressure. That fifth point of pressure, the contact is imminent. He’s continuing to try to work around that. It’s something that’s not natural. He’s used to doing that without the cast. He’s a very competitive young man and is someone that will do whatever he has to to be ready. He’s working through that. It’s definitely an adjustment that we have great confidence he’ll be able to make.”
On ball security after last week’s three fumbles ...
“We have to do a better job of taking care of the football and ball security. It’s paramount for us this week ... The turnovers, first and foremost. We have made that a major point of emphasis. I’m sure every coach in America at all levels talks about it. The way that we have addressed it or tried to address it this week is if you look specifically at those plays, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why it happened. It’s not like we had the ball nice and secured. It was out loose. The emphasis is while we do those drills, we need to emphasize the high and tight.”
On the number of passes the Giants have dropped ...
* The Giants are second in the league with five dropped passes after two games.
“I think the two types of drops, we always talk about the contested catches. Are you all alone and it’s every receiver’s, coach’s and fan’s worst nightmare the ball just hits the chest and hits the ground, or is the individual having to separate it. Is there some timing that’s been disrupted? Is there a defender that he feels or a hand that is preventing him? Either the case, they’re both bad. We believe and certainly hope that it’s an aberration.”
On whether he need to speak with Odell Beckham about Josh Norman ...
“I think from being around Odell both last year and this year, but in a different capacity, different role, he is a young man that has matured. He works extremely hard. I think he has a better perspective with everything and has the approach that all of us have. That was last year. It’s a game between Washington and New York. Those happen to be two great players. They’ll have their opportunities to go against each other. Ultimately it’s about doing everything we can to get those guys in a position to win. We feel confident both from a coaching standpoint and his teammates. If you read some of the comments, the guys have said plenty in support of him and knowing where he’s at. I think the young man is determined and focused. He’s in a position to be at his best.”