Injuries Starting To Add Up For Giants

BEARS 17

GIANTS 3

Keep telling yourselves, Giants fans, that it is only pre-season.

Even though it was only the second pre-season game of the year, and there are still three weeks left until the start of the regular season, the Giants have issues.

Big Blue entered tonight's game against the Chicago Bears with nine players on the DL. Cornerbacks Kenny Phillips and Aaron Ross, defensive linemen Rocky Bernard and Chirs Canty, linebacker and leader Antonio Pierce and Michael Boley all were inactive on the Giants starting defense, while offensive linemen Chris Snee and Rich Seubert were also out with injuiries.

With a defense already wounded, Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears took full advantage, scoring on each of their three possessions in the first quarter to shock the Giants 17-3 Saturday night.

The Bears went right through the Giants defense like a knife through butter as Cutler slung the football all over the field. He was 8 of 13 for 121 yards and a touchdown in a quarter and a half of action, making it quite clear that the Giants have a depth problem at linebacker and the secondary.

The Giants were unable to make key tackles in space and even had a hard time covering some of the worst receivers in football. In short, the Giants made a retooling offense in Chicago look like the 2007 Patriots.

To add insult to injury the Giants lost defensive end Jay Alford, who registered a key sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII, to a knee injury in the third quarter.

If the Giants can't get healthy on defense in a hurry, then they are in big trouble. They need Pierce and Boley to get back on the field fast, since they lack quality support at linebacker, and it would be an even bigger plus if Phillips and Ross return to solidify the secondary.

When healthy, the Giants have a top five defense. Right now, the Giants can't worry about wins and losses in their final two pre-season games; they have to make health their number one prioity before the Washington Redskins come to town on September 13. Box Score.