Ahmad Bradshaw missed practice for a second straight day, riding a stationary bike yesterday and nursing his sore foot. But the running back said it was both his decision, and a precautionary one at that, to avoid any setbacks and ensure he’ll be 100 percent for Sunday’s NFC East showdown in Dallas.
“It’s nothing. I just don’t want to go out and get it sore during the week, risk any setbacks or anything that would prevent me from being 100 percent Sunday,’’ said Bradshaw, who added that he’ll practice today. “I didn’t want to get set back. I want to be 100 percent Sunday.’’
Bradshaw has battled a foot injury suffered when he was stepped on during the blowout win in San Francisco on Oct. 14, but his proven pain tolerance has his teammates confident he’ll suit up against the Cowboys.
“Y’all have been around here; y’all know Ahmad is going to play ball on Sunday. It doesn’t matter what. I’ve seen that guy play through so much stuff,’’ said running back Andre Brown, who would carry a heavier load in the unlikely event Bradshaw can’t play. “He takes precautions, he takes care of his body, and he’s ready to go on Sunday. He’ll be out there ready to run.’’
Tom Coughlin has said he doesn’t want Bradshaw to revert to his 2011 practice schedule of getting out on the field only once a week to save wear and tear on his feet. But this week, they’ll gladly take that if it gets him on the field Sunday.
“I don’t think there’s any setback,’’ said Coughlin. “Hopefully he works [today]. That would be his day.’’
History shows that when he misses time in practice he often is not as sharp when he gets in the games. But his tough running and emotional leadership are invaluable for Big Blue’s offense.
“I’d give anything to go out and battle with these guys and have these guys behind me. That’s just the love of the game,’’ said Bradshaw, who had 43 yards and a touchdown carries Sunday.
He had just a dozen carries against the Redskins and he said he hopes he can return to getting 16, 17 carries a game, despite the foot woes.
“That’d be nice,” he said. “The foot’s no problem when my adrenaline is running.’’
Bradshaw had 17 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown in the season-opener against Dallas, but the Giants lost 24-17 at MetLife Stadium, a defeat he says still serves as motivation.
“Oh, definitely. We don’t want to go down two games to a division rival. We want to stay on top of our game and hopefully get this win Sunday,’’ Bradshaw said.