The Giants have looked a bit better on offense in the early going against the Buccaneers, but they may have to keep things rolling without starting right tackle David Diehl.
Diehl returned to the locker room after getting the back of his leg rolled up on during a running play near the Tampa end zone. He was able to walk off the field and to the back under his own power, although we’ve seen that happen only to find out that there’s a serious injury after further evaluation. The Giants have announced that it is a knee injury and that Diehl will not return.
The Giants have picked up big chunks of yardage through the air on each of their first two possessions before both drives stalled in Tampa territory. The first one was done in by a David Wilson drop, which is sure to win him love after last week’s fumble, and the second was a comedy of errors down close after the Giants moved into position with a series of passes. They tried a pass to tackle Will Beatty, who was an eligible receiver, but Beatty dropped it. The running play that cost them Diehl followed and then tight end Martellus Bennett dropped a pass on the end zone on third down after a Beatty false start pushed them back.
The score sits at 6-3 after the end of the first quarter in New Jersey.