CHICAGO — Giants left tackle Will Beatty figures he knows what awaits him Thursday night when he lines up across from Bears defensive end Julius Peppers. Surprisingly, Beatty is not expecting to be challenged on every play.
“You have to be ready at all times for his best moves,’’ Beatty said. “It’s not every play that he’s going full speed. Every now and then he turns it on, and if you’re not ready when he turns it on, you’re going to look bad. You’re going to get beat.’’
Peppers, 33, has 112¹/₂ career sacks, the most in the league since he arrived in 2002. But he is not what he once was and has only one sack this season. Still, at 6-foot-7 and 287 pounds, he can turn it on and become a physical force. He has already recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown this season against the Steelers and stripped the ball from Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford for a turnover.
Beatty got big money (five years, up to $38.75 million) in the offseason and thus far has not lived up to the hefty contract. He was especially off his game two weeks ago in Kansas City, allowing three sacks.
“If you slow up or you have the wrong technique or the wrong footwork and he sees it, he takes advantage of that,’’ Beatty said of Peppers. “Especially around the edge with his long arms, you think you’re blocking him and boom, fumble.’’
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has only faced the Giants once and he didn’t make it out of that game. The Giants set an NFL record with nine sacks in the first half of a 17-3 victory on Oct. 3, 2010, and Cutler was forced out with a concussion.
The Giants know Cutler has so much confidence in his arm he will throw the ball into the tightest of spaces.
“There’s times where he tries to squeeze the ball into tiny pockets and it’s our job to make them pay for those,’’ cornerback Prince Amukamara said.
Six Giants have already been ruled out and a seventh, rookie DE Damontre Moore, is doubtful with a strained hamstring. Not making the trip: CB Corey Webster (groin), who will miss his fourth consecutive game, C David Baas (neck), who will miss his third straight game, CB Jayron Hosley (hamstring), TE Adrien Robinson (foot), S Cooper Taylor (shoulder) and RB David Wilson (neck). Three players — TE Brandon Myers, DT Linval Joseph and WR Louis Murphy — are listed as questionable with ankle issues. The Bears also have a few injury concerns. TE Martellus Bennett (knee), LB Lance Briggs (foot, hip), CB Charles Tillman (knee) and DT Stephen Pace (toe) are all questionable.