FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Giants could not escape their final preseason game without suffering a major injury, to running back Andre Brown, who went down in the first half of Thursday night’s 28-20 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium with a broken left leg — the same leg he broke in Week 12 last season.
The cruel blow for Brown, who seemed primed for a breakthrough year, leaves the Giants precariously thin at running back, with second-year David Wilson intact at the starter and a whole lot of uncertainty behind him.
Brown was set to be part of the 1-2 running back tandem with Wilson, providing the muscle and inside running to augment Wilson’s speed and big-play ability. Now Brown 26, will miss most or all of the season and the Giants will have to find another capable back. Their roster is not exactly teeming with prospects, with rookie seventh-round pick Michael Cox and veteran journeyman Ryan Torain the best options at this point.
Last season, Brown broke his left leg in Week 12 and was put on the injured reserve “designated to return’’ list. He could be headed to that list again, if the Giants believe he can return after the eight-week mandatory stay on that IR list.
Figure the Giants will scour the waiver wire when final cuts are made on Saturday. A former Giants running back, Brandon Jacobs, is unemployed and would love to return, although the Giants, before this latest injury, were not believed to have much interest. Jacobs had an unfulfilling and injury-filled season in 2012 with the 49ers.
Other available veteran backs: Michael Turner, Cedric Benson, Willis McGahee, Ryan Grant and Tim Hightower.
Brown was set to be a big part of the offensive game plan, as he is the best pass-protector among the running backs and also the best short-yardage back on the team. Now Wilson will have to handle an even greater load.
Brown played in 10 games last season and registered career highs in rushing attempts (73), rushing yards (385) and rushing touchdowns (eight) before breaking his left leg. As a restricted free agent, he signed his one-year tender of $2.02 million. As a rookie in 2009, Brown was a fourth-round draft pick of the Giants out of North Carolina State and was set to make the team when he tore his Achilles tendon in training camp, landing him on injured reserve.
Coming into the game, the Giants were not desperate, but they were exceedingly anxious to finally see some good signs from their struggling starting offense. Eli Manning, on his third and last preseason series, finally got cooking, working against the Patriots’ second-team defense, on a 10-play, 91-yard drive culminated by a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks.
“Two series didn’t look that good, but we brought it down and scored, so from that standpoint we got in the end zone,’’ coach Tom Coughlin said. “Hopefully [it] will lead to a little confidence.”
Manning finished the night completing 6 of 9 passes for 74 yards and the one TD. He and the other starters were on the field for 18 plays. It took a while, but finally the unit was able to make a positive impression before the real thing in nine days.
The first series produced one first down — Manning to tight end Brandon Myers for 15 yards — and also a misread between Manning and Rueben Randle, with the pass going deep and Randle cutting his route off short. The second possession was a three-and-out, with a false start penalty on rookie right tackle Justin Pugh. Two series, two duds.
Knowing he had one more try before the season opener to get something, anything accomplished, Manning put together a sustained drive. Backed up on his own 9-yard line, Manning changed things in a hurry, hitting Louis Murphy on the left sideline for 37 yards. Myers hauled in a 10-yard pass on third-and-4 and a slick-looking pitchout to Wilson picked up 16 yards. On third down from the Pats’ 3-yard line, Nicks got inside rookie cornerback Logan Ryan to give the Giants’ starting offense its third touchdown in the four preseason games.
On defense, the Giants’ starters went against the Patriots Lite, as Tom Brady never got off the sideline and most of New England’s first-team offense never took the field. As a result, the Giants pitched a first-quarter shutout, keeping backup Ryan Mallett out of the end zone.
Safety Antrel Rolle started, returning from a sprained ankle and getting some valuable tune-up work. Cornerback Corey Webster also returned from groin and knee issues, and showed he needs work. Webster stayed in the game when several starters were removed and was called for pass interference in the end zone, leading to a Patriots TD plunge by rookie George Winn.
paul.schwartz@nypost.com