GIANT NOTES
If this injury is serious, the Giants are in trouble.
Midway through the second quarter of last night’s 16-10 pre-season loss to the Jets, Brian Williams limped off the field and did not return. The Giants are holding their collective breaths that what they believe is damage to his meniscus cartilage in his left knee is nothing serious. If it is, all the talk about the upraded offensive line could be nothing but idle chatter.
Williams, making a dramatic comeback after missing the past two years with an eye injury, will have an MRI today to determine the extend of the damage. Jim Fassel said an examination on the field and in the trainer’s room all but ruled out ligament damage.
“There’s a little something going on in there,” Fassel said of Williams’ knee. “Some cartilage, or a bruise. Structurally, the knee’s fine.”
One player said Williams was in considerable pain. When he exited, Derek Engler replaced him, and the Giants consider that a steep dropoff. With Lance Scott, the starter at left guard, out for at least six weeks and perhaps the entire season, the offensive line is in need of repair.
The Giants allowed five sacks – they allowed none in the first two games – and Fassel was furious about four false-start penalties, including one apiece by linemen Scott Gragg, Nate Miller and Jason Whittle. Of the group. Miller and Whittle are reserves and Fassel seemed to direct most of his anger at Gragg, whom he put on notice last week, threatening to take away his starting right tackle job.
“I’ve had a belly full of those,” Fassel said of the false-start penalties.
Asked what he could do to the guilty parties – Scott’s injury apparently saved Gragg’s job – Fassel added, “Bench ’em. Put ’em on the bench.” *DT Robert Harris left on the game’s first series with a sprained left ankle and culd be out most of this week, if not longer … The Giants have lost four consecutive pre-season games to the Jets … RB Gary Brown, making his pre-season debut, looked rusty while gaining 21 yards on nine carries. “My timing needs work and I was just getting a feel,” Brown said. *Fassel praised the play of Tiki Barber and the work of kicker Brad Daluiso and punter Brad Maynard … TE Pete Mitchell (5-50) showed again that he will be a new weapon in the passing game, especially on third down … WR Ike Hilliard fumbled after a six-yard completion. The ball was first ruled to have been touched by the Jets out of bounds, but Bill Parcells challenged the call and it was reversed … RB LeShon Johnson (10-36) showed some burst and held onto the ball, a sign of progress for his sprained right thumb … The Giants’ defense was hurt badly by screens and drar plays. “All credit to them, they were successful in what they did,” DT Keith Hamilton said.
