In cornerback Adoree Jackson’s absence, the New York Giants have struggled to be the same defensive juggernaut they were prior to his injury.
With the Giants needing a victory this week against the struggling Indianapolis Colts to secure their first playoff berth since 2016, New York is going to need its star corner back into action to help ensure a victory for a Giants team that badly needs one.
The Giants’ defense is much different with Adoree Jackson:
Before Jackson’s injury in Week 11, he was having himself a very nice season, totaling 51 tackles and seven pass deflections in just 10 games. He was on pace for a career season until his injury sidelined him.
As a team, Big Blue have struggled without him on the field, as their secondary has had problems containing opponents’ fast and agile wide receivers.
Opponents have gotten 333 first downs against the Giants this season, with 182 of those through the air.
The red zone passing defense has also been an issue without Jackson, as opponents have thrown 20 passing touchdowns this season compared to the Giants’ 14.
During the first 10 weeks, the Giants were giving up just 20.4 points per game to their opponents, which was 5th best in the NFC. Since Jackson was forced to watch from the sidelines, they have given up a whopping 27 points per game to their opponents in five games, which is 6th worst in the entire NFL during that span.
It is clear that the Giants need Jackson more than ever, as the fill-ins of Fabian Moreau and Darnay Holmes have not been able to provide the same elite production Jackson brought.
The Giants did get some encouraging news this morning regarding Jackson’s rehab, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN tweeted that head coach Brian Daboll said that Jackson’s knee is “making progress,” but Daboll also admitted that playing this week against the Colts could be a long shot given that he has still yet to practice.
Will Daboll still give Jackson the nod at cornerback even if he hasn’t practiced a ton? Only time will tell, but if he does return this week, the Giants will certainly welcome back his services instantaneously.
Follow this writer on Twitter @DylanBacker_ for more Giants coverage.
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