Giants offensive lineman David Diehl admits he is not 100 percent healthy and there are times his body alerts him that he’s dealing with a hamstring issue, but after missing two games — the first two he’s missed in his career — Diehl is ever-so-close to making his return, perhaps Sunday against the Redskins.
“It’s not a huge pain or anything like that where you’re debilitated or anything,” Diehl said yesterday. “It just reminds you it’s there.”
He was able to participate in all the individual drills and took his share of snaps with the offense in the team periods. Diehl was listed as “limited” in practice, but that’s a big step forward and he’s targeting Sunday against the Redskins to get back onto the field.
“I think every day is a big day, I’ve got three more days to see how I feel and to see if I can go,” Diehl said. “I’ve been doing everything I can to get ready and each day I’ve responded with feeling better.”
Diehl said he lined up at left tackle — he’s also started this season at left guard — and it’s likely that is where he would play if he’s activated. That would keep Kevin Boothe at left guard and move Will Beatty — who played well last week in his first NFL start at left tackle — to a reserve role.
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CB Aaron Ross
was able to practice on a limited basis and the Giants seem confident their nickel back will be able to continue to play despite lingering discomfort. Ross last week struggled with an intestinal illness and he had to come out of last Sunday’s victory over the Jaguars.
“He’s had multiple tests,” coach Tom Coughlin
said. “He’s had all the internal organs tested. There is a strong feeling there’s some kind of strain there, a back strain of some kind. We’re continuing to try to make him comfortable with all the various tests that have been done so he is confident he can go play.”
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Center Shaun O’Hara
(mid-foot sprain) did some running on the side, but has no chance to play this week. LT Shawn Andrews
(back) is not ready to return to practice, even in a limited capacity.
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Coughlin confirmed what probably should already be a given: Brandon Jacobs
will remain the starting running back. “We’ll stay right now with Brandon starting the game but Ahmad
[Bradshaw
] is very much in the hunt.”