The Giants are going to need a bigger alphabet.
Using Plan B to designate the first change made to the secondary and each successive letter to mark another other preferable configuration, the Giants will be far beyond Plan Z if they call on two of defensive backs Steven Parker, Jarren Williams and J.R. Reed as starters Sunday against the Cowboys. Injuries and positive COVID-19 test results have thinned out a talented group to a point where it is unclear who will play where.
“They’ll be wearing blue helmets, I know that,” defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. “We’ll see. It’s a little funky right now.”
Cornerbacks Aaron Robinson and Adoree’ Jackson both will miss the game after landing on the COVID-19 reserve list. Jackson (quad) already was hurt, which forced the rookie Robinson to move from the slot to the perimeter for the last two games, but now both are out along with four other teammates due to the virus.
Safety Xavier McKinney is in isolation/not practicing as a close contact and cannot rejoin the team until Saturday at the earliest if he continues testing negative, but a positive test before then will sideline him, too. It seems only safety Logan Ryan, cornerback James Bradberry and jack-of-all-trades Julian Love can be penciled in against the NFL’s No. 2 scoring offense (29.2 points per game) and No. 4 passing offense (280.6 yards per game).
Jarren Williams (34) works on a drill with fellow Giants cornerback Julian Love. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg“It’s a challenging week,” defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said before joking with media members that he is holding open tryouts. “You want to come out and see what you got?”
If one of Robinson, Jackson or McKinney were to be sidelined, Love could fill the role at nickel, outside cornerback safety. Problem solved.
But with two defensive backs — and maybe all three — unavailable, the Giants are digging deeper to Parker, Williams and Reed. None of those three players were on the team when the regular season began. They have played 116 defensive snaps combined since arriving at various times to provide the depth lost when Jabrill Peppers, Darnay Holmes and Rodarius Williams wound up on injured reserve.
“We’ll work everybody,” head coach Joe Judge said. “It’s something we have to do at different positions. We’re always into contingency plans and emergency plans.”
The biggest role change goes to Jarren Williams, who technically is on the practice squad but is expected to start opposite Bradberry. The best-case scenario is a Bradberry-Williams-Ryan-McKinney-Love nickel package.
“Really it’s about using practice to kind of figure it out,” Graham said. “You never know what curveball you’re going to be thrown. I can see some more adjustments coming about.”
Williams will be opposite Amari Cooper, Ceedee Lamb or Michael Gallup — probably in mostly zone coverage — for his fifth career game (first start).
“He’s definitely ready to get out there and go play,” Bradberry said. “I think just having that chip on his shoulder, that eagerness to go out there, that helps out a lot with making plays, just calming those nerves.”
Undrafted out of Albany in 2020, Williams spent his rookie season with the Giants but his development into a Love-type supersub was interrupted in August by an injury that prompted his temporary release. In his first real test, Williams was beaten last week for a touchdown from the slot by the Chargers’ Josh Palmer, but he showed up positively in other ways.
“He’s one of those guys that you’ve been waiting to see him play,” Henderson said. “The thing that jumps out is his physicalness and toughness. There’s a play in there where they are running the ball at him and he takes the receiver and literally throws him on the ground and goes and makes a tackle that most corners won’t make — not that type of tackle. He’s somebody I’m excited to work with because I see so much upside.”
Upside won’t help this week. Not when Cowboys quarterback Dak Presoctt has won eight straight starts against the Giants and has a 20-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 100.2 quarterback rating in 10 games against healthier secondaries.
“He’s got complete control of the offense and I think he’s earned the right in terms of that elite status of how he’s able to execute,” Graham said. “I hope it’s not just us he gives problems. We’ve got to see what we can do Sunday.”
It really is that uncertain.
