Nov. 10 — the day Andre Brown is eligible to come off injured reserve — can’t come soon enough. He doesn’t just have it marked on his calendar; he created an app on his iPhone to track, down to the second, how long he has to wait.
“It’s getting close,” the fifth-year running back said with a smile. He has yet to play this season after suffering a broken left leg in the team’s final preseason game, on Aug. 29.
When the Giants return from their bye week, there is a good chance Brown will be back, which would be a major upgrade to their injury-ravaged backfield.
“That’s the plan,” he said on Monday as the Giants went their separate ways for the bye week. “We will see. … I feel great. I’m exploding off [my leg], cutting really well and I’m ready go.”
Coach Tom Coughlin said he will have to wait to see how Brown looks next week, but has been “impressed” by him in practice.
Brown returned to practice Oct. 17 and, because he was placed on injured reserve/designated to return list after suffering the injury, isn’t eligible to play in a game until Nov. 10, which just so happens to be the Giants’ next game, against the Raiders at MetLife Stadium. Over the bye week, Brown, who now always wears a shin guard over that left leg, will come to the Giants practice facility to continue rehabbing his leg and plans to take part in contact drills next week.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Brown said. “I would love to feel a little bit of soreness, to be honest right now.”
The Giants’ running game has been a major weakness all year, the result of injuries and ineffectiveness. It is 27th in the NFL with 559 total yards, and is averaging an unimpressive 3.2 yards per carry with five touchdowns.
David Wilson managed just 146 yards and a touchdown in five games before a neck injury sidelined him indefinitely. Out of desperation, the Giants picked up former star Brandon Jacobs, who performed well in a Week 6 loss to the Bears before suffering a hamstring strain. Recent pickup Peyton Hillis has gotten the brunt of the workload the past two weeks, running for 106 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s always been great at seeing what the offensive line is doing, see the hole, and he’s got both power and speed,” center Jim Cordle said. “Having him back there, it’s going to add to our offense. … He’s going to help us.”
Injuries are not too new to Brown, a fourth-rounder of the Giants in 2009 who missed his entire rookie year after rupturing his Achilles tendon. He was enjoying his finest season last year, running for 385 yards, eight touchdowns and averaging 5.3 yards per carry, before he broke his fibula Nov. 25, against the Packers.
“It’s very humbling, especially with the slow start we got off to,” he said. “[I was] mad a little because I couldn’t be out there to help them win. But it’s a process. I fought through it and I’m ready to go.”