Leave it to the official injury report to throw cold water on Kayvon Thibodeaux’s optimism.
One day after Thibodeaux said he was “confident” he would make his Giants debut Sunday, the rookie first-round pick was listed as doubtful (MCL sprain) to play against the Panthers. Fellow edge rusher Azeez Ojulari (calf) also is listed as doubtful.
Both players worked with trainers off to the side of practice during the viewing period Friday, which is a strong indication the Giants likely will be without their starting duo for a second straight game. Head coach Brian Daboll will hold out hope for potential limited roles.
“Every guy that’s injured, we have to do a good job as a staff — starting with our medical and strength staff — of determining where that player is,” Daboll said. “And if they can do something that can help us as a team, we can have different plans for that particular player — how many reps or what package we put them in, or what down we put them in.”
Receiver Kadarius Toney (hamstring) is listed as questionable, but was not in a red no-contact jersey and appeared to move well running routes. He participated in some, but not all, of team practice periods Thursday when he aggravated a training-camp injury.
Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Giants debut will likely have to wait another week. Noah K. Murray/New York Post
Kayvon Thibodeaux meets with the media during practice on Thursday. Noah K. Murray/New York Post“He does everything we ask him to do, and we’ll see where he’s at,” Daboll said. “Maybe it’s just a tightened-up hamstring. Maybe it’s a little bit more.”
The Giants will be without rookie second-round WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), CBs Aaron Robinson (appendicitis) and Nick McCloud (hamstring), and S Jason Pinnock (shoulder). McCloud was the Giants-named Special Teams Player of the Week for his work as a punt gunner.
To make up for shortages, it is likely the Giants will elevate CB Fabian Moreau and either S Tony Jefferson or edge Quincy Roche from the practice squad.
Rookie safety Dane Belton is expected to make his debut after more than six weeks on the shelf with a broken clavicle suffered making an interception during one of the first practices of camp. He immediately knew he was injured, but not the full extent, so he stayed on the field.
“I was getting good reps and I felt like it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Belton, who was part of the starting defense in sub packages. “I could barely raise my arm, but I’m a football player and my mentality was to finish the day.”
Though tackling is off-limits in practice, Belton said he tested his body by “being able to fit guys up in the run game and special teams.”
Dane Belton Noah K. Murray-NY Post“There were no hiccups,” Belton said. “I feel like I’m fully back.”
Inside linebackers Tae Crowder and Austin Calitro combined were burned for seven catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, so Belton could take away some snaps as a third safety to add to the defense’s athleticism with Panthers pass-catching running back Christian McCaffrey on tap Sunday.
The Giants plan to stick with the in-game rotation of left guards Josh Ezeudu and Ben Bredeson. It is clear the rookie Ezeudu’s development as a run-blocker is far ahead of his pass-blocking.
“Both Ben and Joshua have earned that right,” offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said. “I have a hard time looking a grown man in the face who has done everything you ask of him and telling him he’s not playing. In a perfect world, would you like it one way or the other? Sure. But right now it’s a good circumstance.”
