The Giants will be without Brandon Jacobs when they try to corral the Cowboys on Sunday night. The running back's sore left knee has kept him out of practice all week, and Tom Coughlin announced that Jacobs wouldn't play while meeting with reporters following Friday's session.
"We just didn't feel like he'd be ready to play," Coughlin said.
Jacobs first injured his knee against Seattle on Oct. 5, and the problem has ranged from benign to serious in the interim. He missed the game against the Cardinals and only got 10 carries against the Eagles on Sunday. Derrick Ward will start in his place and Ahmad Bradshaw also will be available, but the Giants will miss Jacobs nonetheless.
Since Plaxico Burress has exited the scene, opposing defenses have loaded up to stop the run. The Giants need Jacobs to plow through whatever holes are made available. Ward and Bradshaw are nimbler than Jacobs but they don't have the same bowling ball quality that has kept Jacobs on top of the running back food chain.
With any luck, the week of rest will help Jacobs get healthy for Carolina and the showdown for the top spot in the NFC a week from Sunday. Failing that, the Giants hope he'll be fit for the playoffs when they'll absolutely need the rugged, between-the-tackles running they'll miss in Dallas.
Jacobs has his own reasons to hope for a swift recovery. The injury has lingered for a long time, and every week draws him closer to free agency. His toughness is bolstered by the way he's played through the pain, but teams always will look for a reason not to spend big money on a running back. They're among the most fungible players in football, and Jacobs will be competing with Ward and others for big slices of salary cap space when the season comes to a close.
