Justin Tuck went from guaranteeing he will play Sunday to something a lot less definitive yesterday.
Sidelined the past three games by a neck injury, the Giants’ Pro Bowl defensive lineman would only say “the plan” is for him to suit up this weekend against the winless Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.
Tuck, who guaranteed just before last week’s bye that he would face Miami, remains optimistic of returning to the lineup but is now refusing to put a percentage on his chances of doing so Sunday.
“I don’t know,” Tuck said when asked what odds he would give himself of playing, adding that the media should have “read between the lines” and realized his guarantee wasn’t entirely serious.
Tuck, who also was sidelined by a groin injury, won’t know his fate until he gets final clearance from the team medical staff tomorrow and gameday morning.
Coach Tom Coughlin appeared to indicate yesterday that Tuck would play, but defensive coordinator Perry Fewell sounded like Tuck when asked to offer assurances No. 91 would be back in uniform.
“I’m going to wait until after the practice [today] before I say something definite,” Fewell said late yesterday afternoon.
Despite their 4-2 record, the Giants badly need an effective Tuck after their defense fell to the bottom third of the league in his absence.
Big Blue is 22nd in total defense and — at least for them — a shockingly bad 27th against the run, giving up an unacceptable 4.5 yards per carry.
Tuck is a force both as a pass rusher and against the run, not to mention being one of the Giants’ captains, so having to watch him wave a towel in street clothes on the sidelines has been wince-inducing for Fewell.
“It’s been harder than I can explain,” Fewell said. “When you have somebody like that on the sideline, it’s very difficult.”
It’s been even more difficult for Tuck to swallow, considering he hadn’t missed a game since 2006 before the neck issue forced him to sit out the season opener and then knocked him out again midway through the Giants’ 29-16 win at Philadelphia in Week 3.
“Am I excited [about possibly returning this weekend]? Absolutely,” Tuck said. “It’s a game I love to play.”