Hakeem Nicks grabbed four passes for 93 yards and a score as the Giants fell to Green Bay 45-17 Sunday.
Our View: Nicks raced 36 yards for a second-quarter score, but he, like the rest of the Giants, was pretty quiet after that. He’s scored in each of his past two games, and he once again led the team with nine targets. The second-year player has a very bright future in the league.
Mario Manningham continued to ease the pain of losing Steve Smith with four catches for 132 yards and a score in New York’s brutal 45-17 loss to Green Bay.
Our View: 85 of those yards came on a second-quarter TD catch, leaving Manningham with just three catches for 47 yards the rest of the way. Still, he’s racked up 12 receptions for 145 yards and three scores over his past two games, and he finished in a tie for second on the team with six targets.
Brandon Jacobs ran just eight times for 47 yards in a 45-17 loss to the Packers.
Our View: Jacobs never had much of an opportunity to get going, though this was never more than a two-score game through the first three quarters. Ahmad Bradshaw led the team with 12 carries, picking up just 31 yards, but neither back was a factor in the loss. Jacobs has now eked out 81 yards over his past two games after going for over 100 in each of his previous two.
Eli Manning threw four interceptions in New York’s embarrassing 45-17 loss to the Packers.
Our View: Manning finished 17-of-33 for 301 yards and two TD, but the four picks put a damper on an otherwise solid individual day. He hit Hakeem Nicks from 36 yards out and Mario Manningham from 85 yards out in the second quarter after his first interception, but that was where the good news stopped. He’s racked up 13 picks and 13 TD over his past seven games, going under 200 yards three times during that span. It’s been a forgettable season for Eli, to say the least, though he’s been a viable low-end QB1.
Giants Week 16 inactives: DE Dave Tollefson, WR Darius Reynaud, CB Will Blackmon, TE Jake Ballard, OG Mitch Petrus, OT Jamon Meredith, WR Duke Calhoun, OT Will Beatty.
Our View: WR Mario Manningham (heel) is active and will start despite being questionable on the injury report and limited in practice. On defense, DE Osi Umenyiora (shin) is active and will start.
Dave Tollefson (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
Our View: The reserve defensive end has only one sack this season, so the Giants should manage without him.
Steve Smith underwent microfracture surgery Tuesday, though ESPN New York’s Ohm Youngmisuk reports the procedure did not involve a mosaicplasty as initially expected.
Newsday’s Tom Rock confirms the report of a less complex procedure. Smith now stands a better chance of regaining his pre-injury form. It was the mosaicplasty that involved taking "plugs" of cartilage and transporting it to the damaged area. The recovery is still expected to take "up to nine months," which puts his status for Week 1 of the 2011 season in question. Smith is expected to be on crutches for six weeks before the rehab process starts.
According to ESPN New York, Steve Smith underwent microfracture Tuesday.
Our View: Apparently, the procedure did not involve a mosaicplasty as anticipated, which means Smith will have a much better shot at regaining form once he’s healthy. Smith will still need around nine months to recover, which puts his opening week status in doubt. We’ll track his progress throughout the offseason.
Defensive Ayanga Okpokowuruk was added to the Giants practice squad today, according to Ralph Vacchiano.
Our View: The Vikings signed QB Rhett Bomar, opening a spot on the Giants practice squad. He has no fantasy value, and he won’t make the active roster any time soon.
According to Tom Pelissero, the Vikings are close to signing quarterback Rhett Bomar.
Our View: The Vikings already have four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, so they have some housecleaning to do. Joe Webb was ineffective in his first taste of extended action, leaving Patrick Ramsey and RJ Archer as the only other options with Brett Favre (head) likely done. Bomar was replaced as Eli Manning’s backup earlier this season.