New York Post - 13.08.2019

New York Post, Tuesday, August 13, 2019

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By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The Giants were able to

exhale Monday when they

learned rookie cornerback

DeAndre Baker did not

sustain a serious injury to

his left knee and might not

miss substantial time.

Baker was diagnosed

with a sprained knee. The

diagnosis was confirmed

Monday morn-

ing by team

physician Scott

Rodeo after he

examined Baker

and checked out the results

of an MRI exam at the Hos-

pital for Special Surgery.

The Giants say Baker is

day-to-day.

“Yeah, it’s a big relief, cer-

tainly,’’ coach Pat Shurmur

said. “He’s been coming

along real well and I think

to know it’s not serious at

this point is good.’’

Baker sustained the injury

while warming up on Sun-

day. He watched the second

half of Monday’s practice

from the side and was not

wearing a brace on his knee.

“That’s a blessing,’’ sec-

ond-year cornerback Grant

Haley told The Post. “He

was a little down

yesterday so

hearing that

news was proba-

bly good for him.

He’s had great OTAs and up

to camp now, he’s kinda get-

ting in a groove, watching

the game you could see why

he was drafted so high.

When someone goes down

like that and he’s starting to

have that confidence, you

can only help them pick that

confidence back up and re-

mind him how well he was

doing when he was healthy.’’

The Giants traded up to

take Baker with the 30th

pick in the NFL draft. He is

a starter on defense.

➤The Giants continue to

await word of WR Golden

Ta t e’s appeal of his four-

game suspension for vio-

lating the league’s Policy

on Performance Enhanc-

ing substances.

“Again, we’re waiting just

like the rest of the world

is,’’ Shurmur said. “I don’t

know. Originally it was re-

ported that it was three

days. It’s not three days,

obviously. I think it can

take as long as it needs to.’’

➤Shurmur had a large

scratch on the left side of

his face.

“I was putting the dog

out,’’ he said. “She’s a big

girl, and she kind of ran be-

tween my legs and I just

fell.’’

➤It sounds as if Eli

Manning will play in the

second preseason

game, Friday night

against the Bears.

Shurmur said

he would

like to get

all four

quarter-

backs in

the game, if

possible.

The three-

and-out series to

start the preseason open-

ing victory over the Jets

came after Manning

handed off to Wayne

Gallman on a third-and-8

draw play — certainly a

low-percentage call hoping

to pick up a first down.

Shurmur said it was a

draw-pass check and that

Manning noticed both

safeties were deep.

Giants dodge injury scare with CB Baker

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Um ... no.

That is the very quick take on

what Saquon Barkley feels about

the need to get hit this summer.

You know the sentiment that

sometimes surfaces this time of

the year. It is the preseason and

thus beneficial for a running back

to get walloped or knocked

around once or twice to get him-

self ready and acclimated when

the real pounding starts in the reg-

ular season.

Barkley is built like a tank and

not shy about contact — taking or

dishing it out. The more he and

the Giants talk about his workload,

it sounds more and more likely

that he will not take a single snap

in any of the four preseason games

— or, at most, make only a cameo

appearance. It also sounds as if

Barkley, as ultra-competitive as he

is, is fine with this.

“I mean, I don’t think anyone

needs to be hit,’’ Barkley said. “I

think if everyone could choose not

to get hit until Week 1, they would

choose that. Some people like to

get that first contact, like to get

that first hit. But for me, I’m the

type of player that no matter if it is

preseason, playoffs or the regular

season, once that first play goes

and I get hit, I’m fine. Sometimes

the first play can be a 60-yard

touchdown and you’re fine. Just

once I get to step on that field,

whenever that opportunity is go-

ing to be, I’m going to go out there

and try to lead and try to play to

the best ability I can for my team.’’

The Giants are fully cognizant

what they have in Barkley and

how much of a load he will handle

in year No. 2 after starting all 16

games as a rookie and amassing

352 touches (261 rushing attempts

and 91 receptions). No one associ-

ated with this team anticipates

Barkley getting his hands on the

ball less frequently this season.

Thus, the desire to curb his

touches this summer.

Barkley again reiterated he

wants to play. But he knows the

deal.

“He’s getting a heck of a lot of

reps here in practice,’’ coach Pat

Shurmur said. “I have a plan mov-

ing forward, and I said it with the

quarterbacks last time, I’ll let it re-

veal itself. I think we’ll just have to

see.’’

A year ago, Barkley played in the

preseason opener against the

Browns and raced 39 yards the

first time he touched the ball. A

few days later, he strained his

hamstring in practice and did not

play in any of the three remaining

exhibition games, finishing up his

first NFL preseason with four

rushing attempts. Looking back,

he does not in any way view that

lack of playing time as counterpro-

ductive.

“I think everyone’s different,’’

Barkley said. “When I played the

first week of the season I didn’t

feel like I was out of shape, I didn’t

feel like I needed more reps. I

think we do a really good job or

taking live, competitive reps here,

even though we don’t tackle to the

ground. We got a really great de-

fense over there that gives me a re-

ally good look.

“Do I think I need it? Depends

on the player. Every year is differ-

ent. But am I ready if I have to?

Yes. My mindset every week is to

prepare to get ready to go out

there and compete at a high level

for my team, no matter if it’s one

snap or two series or one quarter

or if I don’t play. If I don’t play I

stay locked in, I try to be the

leader I can to keep the energy

and vibes on the sideline.’’

So much of what the Giants

want to do on offense — on the

ground and in the passing

game — starts with Barkley,

which means everything

they do, and fail to do, in the

preseason must be assigned

an asterisk with him watch-

ing from the side.

“We miss him out there, but

we understand,’’ left guard Will

Hernandez said. “Either way,

we’re going to go out there and

do our job no matter who’s back

there. We know that when the

time comes down to it, he’s go-

ing to be there, and he’s going

to be 100 percent.

“We always come out and

we give it our all, it doesn’t

matter what back we’ve got

back there. Obviously, Sa-

quon makes things a little bit

easier sometimes.’’

The Giants, and Barkley,

will be fine if he makes

things easier starting Sept. 8

against the Cowboys and

not at any time before then.

[email protected]

TIGHT FIGHT

It is not going to be easy

for TEGarrett Dickersonto

stick on theroster, given the

competition at the position,

but the 23-year-old from

Northwestern makes plays.

He showed strong hands

snaringa pass fromDaniel

Jonesin the middle of the

field, with LBJonathan

Andersondrapedover his

back. Dickerson wriggled out

of Anderson’s clutches with

a nifty spin move.

TORN APART

WRAmbaEtta-Tawowas

signed early in training

camp after impressing in

a tryout camp, with the

position depletedby injury.

He did not make it through

Monday’s practice.After

hauling ina pass from Jones,

Etta-Tawo cut to makea

move but his leg gave out

from under him. He suffered

a tornAchilles tendon,

ending his season.

CAUGHT MY EYE

We have aDarius Slayton

sighting. Therookiereceiver

from Auburn finallyreturned

to full team drills after

sitting out witha hamstring

issue. Slayton gotback in

the groove, catchinga pass

fromEli Manning. The Giants

needa speed dimension in

their offense and Slayton is

the only legitimate option.

He looked outstanding in

the spring and needs to stay

on the field if he hopes to

make an impression early in

the season.

KEEPING UP

WITH THE JONES

Jones did his bestwork in the

red-zone drill, completing all

three of hispasses, including

touchdowns toT.J. Jonesand

Dickerson. Earlier, though,

Jones easily could have

turned theball over, but

what should have been an

interceptionwas not handled

cleanlyby LBNate Stupar.

MEDICAL REPORT

Still no sign of CBSam Beal,

who continues to miss

valuable time witha strained

hamstring. LBAlec Ogletree

(calf) and OLBrian Mihalik

(burner) remained out. RB

Jon Hillimanwas cleared

from concussion protocol

and returned to practice

wearinga yellow non-

contact jersey. OLGeorge

Asafo-Adjeiremains in the

concussion protocol.

— Paul Schwartz

TRAINING

DAY

GIANTS

NOTES