GIANT NOTES
TEMPE – All week, Jim Fassel downplayed the injury to center Brian Williams, but it appears Williams was more in tune with the severity of the injury than was Fassel. Williams was deactivated yesterday because of sprained ligaments in his right thumb, forcing seldom-used Derek Engler into the starting lineup.
It was a big loss for the Giants, who desperately wanted to establish a running game to support Kerry Collins, who made his first start at quarterback. Williams is a more accomplished run-blocker than Engler and the Giants got little going on the ground in their 14-3 loss to the Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium.
Williams hurt his thumb last Sunday against the Eagles and tried snapping during practice with his left hand. He could not complete shotgun snaps, though, and maintained all along that his thumb had to get a lot better for him to play. Apparently, it did not.
Engler had not started since he was an emergency fill-in for the first five games of the 1997 season, when Williams was lost because of an eye injury that cost him two full seasons.
The long-awaited debut of RB Joe Montgomery finally took place yesterday, as the second-round pick from Ohio State was activated for the first time. This figured to be an opportune time for Montgomery to see his first action, for a variety of reasons. With Collins in at quarterback for the first time, Fassel wanted to run the ball as much as possible, and in the 95-degree heat, the Giants needed every available runner. Also, Gary Brown had some tightness in his calf this week, and insurance was needed in case he could not hold up in the heat. To make rook for Montgomery on the roster, CB Jeremy Lincoln was deactivated for the first time this season.
Of course, activating Montgomery is one thing, but getting the ball in his hands. Montgomery did not get a single rushing attempt, which makes one wonders why he was activated in the first place.
Kent Graham was listed as the No. 3 quarterback … Two starters did not play for the Cardinals: WR Rob Moore (hamstring) and DT Mark Smith (knee).
It did not take long for CB Jason Sehorn to gain the respect of opponents. The Eagles threw at him only three times last week and the Cardinals unquestionably made a point of throwing away from Sehorn and at Phillippi Sparks. Sehorn last week said “it makes it an easy game if they don’t want to throw your way” and added he didn’t care if teams never throw at him. Sparks, though, is supposed to be a top-notch cover corner, but he did not fare well against rookie WR David Boston, who had been struggling.