The Giants will be getting some help for their sagging offense, but not quite all the reinforcements they were hoping to gain for their showdown with the Cowboys.
Running back Shane Vereen was activated off injured reserve Saturday and will make his return Sunday night against the Cowboys. Vereen has missed the last nine games with a torn triceps.
There will not be help arriving for the offensive line, as left guard Justin Pugh is expected to miss his fifth consecutive game because his knee injury is not fully healed.
To make room on the roster for Vereen, the contract of offensive lineman Adam Gettis was terminated.
Vereen was hurt in the Sept. 25 loss to the Redskins and the thought at the time was he would be finished for the season. The Giants put him on short-term injured reserve and he was able to resume practicing two weeks ago. His addition gives the Giants their best pass-catching running back coming out of the backfield, which could help jump-start the passing and running attack, as many of the short throws to Vereen are similar to running plays.
Pugh was hoping and expecting to shed his knee injury concerns and make it back to take his starting spot at left guard to face the Cowboys, but that is not going to happen. Marshall Newhouse is expected to start in place of Pugh, as he did last week in Pittsburgh.
Pugh was listed as a limited participant in practice every day this week and there was concern if he came back for this game he risked further injury that could possibly keep him out the remainder of the season.
Cowboys rookie RB Ezekiel Elliott gets to run behind the NFL’s best offensive line. Still, he averages 107 rushing yards per game and is on pace for 1,713 yards for the season.
“He is running all over everybody,’’ said DT Damon Harrison, one of the premier run-stoppers in the league. “From the very first time we played against him, we all said that that guy is going to be a player in this league and that seems to be true up until this point.’’
The Giants limited Elliott to 51 yards on 20 rushing attempts in the opener, Elliott’s NFL debut.
Ben McAdoo on whether there are statement games in a season: “Yes, there’s one every February.’’ … This will be the seventh time in Giants history they have played a regular-season game against a team that has won at least 11 consecutive games — the Giants have been the home team in every game. They are 1-5 in those games — the lone win was a victory over the 13-0 Broncos in 1998. Most recently, they lost to the 13-0 Panthers 38-35 on Dec. 20, 2015.
The Cowboys will be without at least two starting defensive backs, CB Morris Claiborne (groin) and S J.J. Wilcox (thigh), and kick returner Lucky Whitehead did not make the trip because of a violation of team rules. Two other starters in the secondary are listed as questionable: CB Orlando Scandrick (foot) and S Barry Church (forearm). Others listed as questionable: DE Jack Crawford (foot), LB Justin Durant (hamstring), DE DeMarcus Lawrence (back) and LT Tyron Smith (back).