DENVER — Linebacker Antonio Pierce traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to meet with Dr. Robert Watkins, a specialist who took a look at the bulging disk in Pierce’s neck.
Watkins’ diagnosis was the same as the Giants medical experts, meaning the first step for Pierce is to rest and see if the disk shrinks on its own. Surgery is an option at a later date depending on how the disk responds.
The timetable for Pierce remains indefinite, but is in the six-week range, making it possible he will miss the remainder of the regular season. Pierce did not make the trip here and — unlike last week against the Falcons at Giants Stadium — was not on the sideline as the Giants were whipped, 26-6, by the Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Chase Blackburn started again in place of Pierce and had six tackles.
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For the second consecutive week, cornerback Terrell Thomas came up with an interception. This one came in the third quarter off Kyle Orton and led to a field goal for the first Giants points. . . . Lawrence Tynes‘ 52-yard field goal near the end of the third quarter was his longest since coming to the Giants. It was one yard shy of matching his career long. . . . This is how far cornerback Kevin Dockery has fallen: He was a healthy scratch and rookie cornerback Bruce Johnson was in uniform.
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The NFL Network accidentally aired a vulgarity yelled by Broncos coach Josh McDaniels as he chastised his players on the sideline.
Coming out of a commercial break following a series of false starts near the goal line that resulted in Denver settling for a field goal, the NFL Network showed a clip of McDaniels, who yelled at his players: “We’re trying to win the [expletive] game!”
The vulgarity was clearly audible to viewers, and announcer Bob Papa immediately apologized to viewers, as did Eric Weinberger, executive producer of the NFL Network, in an interview with the Associated Press and the Denver Post.
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Safety Michael Johnson left late in the second quarter with a strained groin and was not able to return. He was replaced by C.C. Brown. . . . The first play for the Giants defense was a good one, a 10-yard sack by linebacker Danny Clark, his second of the season. . . . Cornerback Corey Webster was forced out briefly in the second quarter with a bruised knee but was able to return.
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Perhaps it was a sign of things to come that on the Giants on their second offensive play were forced to burn a time out.
“There was no confusion,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “Our headset between coach to quarterback was going out, Eli [Manning] did not get the play, the play clock was running down and he then took a time out.”