NFL

Giants lose Locklear for year with knee injury

The Giants signed Sean Locklear to provide depth on their offensive line, not expecting the 31-year old to play a prominent role. Instead, he started nine of the 12 games, filling in at left and right tackle. But his season is finished after suffering a knee injury late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 17-16 loss to the Redskins.

Tom Coughlin did not want to give specifics other than to say the injury is “serious,’’ Locklear will need surgery and will be put on injured reserve. He is believed to have torn his right ACL and possibly has other damage in the knee.

“We feel badly for Sean,’’ Coughlin said. “Here’s a guy who come in here not knowing our system, played well for us. He’s come in there when we needed him, did a heckuva job. We all feel bad about it taking place at that place and time, a serious injury. We’re all very upset about that.’’

Locklear’s leg got caught under Ahmad Bradshaw and Redskins safety Madieu Williams after Williams dragged Bradshaw down with a horse collar tackle for a 15-yard penalty. Locklear will be replaced at right tackle by David Diehl, the veteran who has started just five games this season because of knee, neck and shoulder injuries.

* Coughlin, on the nine penalties called on the Giants — six on offense, three on special teams: “Just flat-out eats away at your gut. How in the world can a team with something this important be as careless as we were?’’

The Giants came in averaging 4.4 penalties per game, the second-fewest in the league. Asked what led to the penalties, Coughlin said, “Probably sloppy, careless play. Everyone knows the rules. Everyone knows what you can and can’t get away with.’’

* Bradshaw ran for 103 yards against the Redskins, his 11th career 100-yard rushing game. The Giants won the previous 10. … Victor Cruz now has 11 100-yard receiving games for the Giants, one more than Hakeem Nicks and Plaxico Burress.

* Zak DeOssie’s snap was wide on a missed 43-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes, but the snap was pulled in by holder Steve Weatherford.

“I asked Lawrence about it and he said, ‘The kicker is the reason that that was a miss,’ ” Coughlin said. “I’ll leave it at that.’’

* DT Linval Joseph was hit with a 15-yard penalty for retaliating when Redskins C Will Montgomery kicked him in the groin amid a pileup going after a fumble. Montgomery also was hit with a penalty.

“I would like for him not to retaliate,’’ Coughlin said. “Let the other team make the violation and let us get 15 yards. That’s what we preach. It didn’t happen. I’ll talk to Linval about it. He’ll be very agreeable with me about that moment in time.’’