NFL

Goff takes over starting role for injured Pierce

It won’t be experience coming to the aid of the defense on Sunday, but perhaps an injection of youthful energy can provide the spark the Giants need to cast aside their losing ways.

“Whatever role they want to put me in, I’m ready to do that,” Jonathan Goff said.

The role the Giants have waiting for Goff is starting middle linebacker, a key spot Goff moves into with no margin for error. One more setback for the reeling Giants — losers of five of their past six games — will mean the end of legitimate playoff contention. Goff, a second-year player with virtually no NFL snaps other than special teams, gets thrust into the fray against the first-place Cowboys.

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“We have the utmost confidence he knows what he’s doing,” said Michael Boley, who along with Danny Clark will flank Goff as veteran linebackers.

This is some leap of faith. The gaping void in the heart of the sickly Giants defense was created by the season-ending bulging disc in the neck of Antonio Pierce. For the past two games, the replacement was Chase Blackburn, the versatile fifth-year backup. The Giants were a defensive mess in a 34-31 overtime victory over the Falcons and a step behind in a Thanksgiving night 26-6 loss in Denver.

The coaching staff decided a change was needed. Enter Goff, exit Blackburn. There was no official word announcing the move, but Goff lined up with the starters in the early portion of practice and those involved didn’t hide the facts.

“I felt like I played decent, I felt like I played pretty good,” Blackburn said. “My grades have been pretty good and my production has been pretty good. Obviously, it’s not good enough. . . . I’m finding out that it’s not. They want to see where [Goff] is at. We’ll find out. He’s fine. He knows the defense, he’s been around for a couple of years. I feel he has a pretty good grasp of it now.”

What we know is the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Goff started 36 games at Vanderbilt, was a fifth-round draft pick but as a rookie year never really off the ground — injuries to his back and hamstring limited him to five games, exclusively on special teams. He’s been activated for all 11 games this season and made some jarring special teams hits, but his only work with the defense was a handful of snaps back on Oct. 11, mopping up in the fourth quarter of a 44-7 rout of the Raiders.

“I’ve been working hard all season, I’ve been following along, studying just as much as the other guys,” Goff said. “Whatever opportunity may come along I’ll be ready to step in.”

This is quite an NFL starting debut. The Cowboys are 8-3, winners of five of their last six games and back in the second game of the season ravaged the Giants for 251 rushing yards before Eli Manning bailed his team out with a late drive for a last-second 33-31 victory to christen the brand new Cowboys Stadium.

Ordinarily, the middle linebacker is asked to wear the special helmet with the speaker inside and relay all the defensive calls from the sideline to his teammates, but given Goff’s novice status that responsibility may be shared or taken by Boley, who assumed some of that role last week in Denver.

Still, much will be asked of Goff and it’s quite a load for a 23-year old starting novice who most of the time barely speaks above a whisper.

“Off the field he definitely doesn’t speak a lot,” Clark said. “More importantly he has what it takes to play middle linebacker in this business.”

Judging him on his quiet demeanor is a mistake, Goff insists.

“Being a rah-rah guy is not the same thing as making the necessary checks and calls and making the defense aware of what they might get,” he said.

Can he do it?

“Absolutely,” Goff responded. “Without hesitation.”

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The Giants expect to be without RB Ahmad Bradshaw (two sprained ankles) and will definitely be without DJ Ware (concussion) in Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. That means, for the moment, the running back situation is Brandon Jacobs as the starter, seldom-used Gartrell Johnson (11 career NFL rushing attempts) in reserve and no one after that.

The Giants have a roster addition to make after putting linebacker Antonio Pierce on injured reserve and it appears as if they will have to add a running back if Bradshaw can’t play. Tom Coughlin said “We’re keeping out fingers crossed” regarding Bradshaw.

Johnson is a fire hydrant-sized 5-10, 219-pound back from Colorado State who back on Sept. 15 was awarded to the Giants off waivers from the Chargers. He’s been in uniform for six games.

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The other injury of note is to S Michael Johnson, who did not practice because of a strained groin and isn’t likely to play. It looks as if CB Aaron Ross is now a full-time safety and he will probably start there alongside Aaron Rouse.