A GIANT PROBLEM ON OFFENSE: Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, being brought down against the Redskins on Oct. 21, may not play this week against the Bengals after missing practice yesterday with swelling in his knee. (
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It is not as if the Giants need a GPS or even an old-fashioned road map to find the red zone. They have reached that coveted real estate 38 times this season, matching the Patriots for most trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. When it comes down to pushing through into the end zone, however, it’s been too many barricades and detours, especially lately.
Eli Manning and Co. have managed just one touchdown in each of the past two games, and their work inside the 20-yard line has plummeted as sharply as LIPA’s approval rating. They have reached the red zone six times the past two games and come away with just two touchdowns, dropping their red-zone efficiency to 44.7 percent — 24th in the league.
Up ahead for the Giants on Sunday is a Bengals defense that resembles a swinging door in the red zone, allowing everyone to pass on by. Cincinnati is 30th in the league in red-zone defense, allowing touchdowns on 66.7 percent of offensive trips inside the 20.
“I know they do some all-out blitz [in the red zone], we got one-on-ones, got to win those matchups,’’ said Manning, who has struggled lately even though he doesn’t like calling it a slump.
It is not going to be any easier to reach the end zone without Hakeem Nicks, who has suffered a setback with his knee. No one has declared the wide receiver out for Sunday’s game but, given the way he’s struggled with his foot and knee issues, it doesn’t look promising.
After finally being off the injury report the past few weeks and able to practice, Nicks missed practice and was back on the injury report yesterday and coach Tom Coughlin said Nicks experienced some swelling in the knee after the 24-20 loss to the Steelers. Unlike safety Kenny Phillips — who has been shut down until after the Week 11 bye because of ongoing knee problems — there has been no determination with Nicks.
“He’s been battling,” Domenik Hixon said. “He goes out there when a lot of guys, you see it throughout the league, they’re a little nicked up, they’re not playing, they’re not going out there.’’
It figures Hixon would be the replacement for Nicks in the starting lineup, although rookie Rueben Randle got more snaps against the Steelers. Randle was targeted three times but didn’t have a catch. Hixon, used for just 18 plays, was targeted once and drew a 46-yard pass interference penalty.
Whenever the Giants call on Hixon, he usually produces. Asked if he knows why there’s been a decrease in playing time, Hixon said, “I can’t pinpoint anything. I can’t tell you why or how or anything like that.’’
Asked if he is curious why Randle has seemingly vaulted past him on the depth chart, Hixon said, “I see where you’re going with that and I don’t know. You always want to play but you can’t control any of that.’’
Given the way he has struggled coming off a broken foot and the ensuing knee problem that surfaced, it seems unlikely Nicks will be able to make the trip to Cincinnati. He has looked like himself in just one game all season — a 10-catch, 199-yard eruption in Week 2 vs. the Buccaneers — and ever since he has been either out (three straight games) or a shell of his former self (13 catches, 152 yards, no touchdowns in the past four games). Now that his knee has swelled up again, it might be time to sit Nicks down and see if he can be ready to roll for the Nov. 25 game against the Packers.
“Hope he’s back and be able to go,’’ Manning said. “I don’t know what the circumstances are. Hopefully he’ll be able to play.’’