UPDATE: Here is the Giants’ official final injury report for Sunday’s home game against Houston …
Out: TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), OT Evan Neal (knee)
Questionable: CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), OLB Oshane Ximines (quadriceps)
Bellinger and Neal didn’t practice at all this week, while Flott, Golladay, and Ximines were limited participants all week.
The Giants are getting healthy as they push for a playoff spot in their final nine games.
Yes, free safety Xavier McKinney is out at least four games — and on the non-football injury list — after hurting his hand in an ATV accident last week, during the bye. That’s an impactful injury.
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But the Giants (6-2) otherwise have mostly good news on the injury front, as they prepare for Sunday’s home game against the Texans (1-6-1), who have the fewest wins of any NFL team.
Two key players are out this week, as expected, coach Brian Daboll said before Friday’s practice.
Right tackle Evan Neal (sprained MCL) or tight end Daniel Bellinger (eye surgery) won’t play. Both got hurt Oct. 23 in Jacksonville, and this will mark their second missed game since then.
But three other players who missed the pre-bye loss in Seattle are trending toward returning Sunday, said Daboll: wide receiver Kenny Golladay (knee), cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (calf), and outside linebacker Oshane Ximines (quadriceps).
Daboll said all three players will be listed as questionable.
Golladay has missed the past four games, Flott the past five, and Ximines the past two. All three were limited practice participants Tuesday and Wednesday.
Receiver/punt returner Riche James (concussion) got hurt in Seattle, but he definitely will be available to play this week, since he has cleared the concussion protocol. It is unclear if he will retain his role as the Giants’ punt returner, though, because he fumbled away two punts in Seattle.
Daboll on Friday did not rule out having his No. 1 corner, Adoree’ Jackson, return punts against the Texans. Jackson has been practicing punt returns this week.
The Giants, coming out of their bye, had an irregular schedule this week. They practiced Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, but were off Thursday (instead of Tuesday, their usual off day).
With McKinney out at least four games (and maybe longer), fourth-round rookie Dane Belton will take over his safety spot next to Julian Love in the Giants’ patchwork secondary.
The Giants also have three players back at practice who haven’t played at all this year — left guard Shane Lemieux (toe), offensive tackle Matt Peart (knee), and cornerback Rodarius Williams (knee).
So all three technically could be activated for this week’s game — Lemieux and Williams off injured reserve, Peart off the physically unable to perform list. Daboll said he still hasn’t decided how many (if any) of those three players he might activate for Sunday. It could be one, two, or three, he said.
Lemieux’s eventual return — and he just returned to practice this week — could be important. That’s because left guard Ben Bredeson (knee) is on IR and must miss at least three more games before he can return.
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Lemieux was supposed to be the Giants’ starting left guard this season, but he got hurt in the preseason. So Bredeson stepped in. Third-round rookie Joshua Ezeudu replaced Bredeson after he got hurt in Jacksonville, so Ezeudu is the starter at left guard right now.
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