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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Nine games into his rookie season, Sam Darnold looked absolutely lost. All the promise he previously showed was gone in a downward spiral. His head was spinning and his play was getting worse.

That's when fate stepped in and left the Jets' newest franchise quarterback with a sprained foot that would keep him sidelined for a month - an injury that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Currently in his first season with the Cleveland Browns, former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is having arguably the most disappointing season of his career.

On Thursday, Beckham was unclear on his desire to be back with the Browns next season.

"No one knows what the future holds tomorrow,'' Beckham said. "I couldn't tell you what's going to happen. My locker is right beside one of the men (Jarvis Landry) that means the most to me in the world. I think about just being able to come to work and see him every single day and how special this could be. I couldn't sit here and tell you whether I'm going to be here, want to be here, don't want to be here."

Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones is "getting better" after suffering a high ankle sprain, according to head coach Pat Shurmur. Though, "the chances are very slim" that he'd be able to play on Monday night when the team travels to Philadelphia to play the Eagles.

Eli Manning will likely be the starting quarterback against the Eagles in Week 14.

Shurmur is "optimistic" that Jones will play again this season, as the team has four more games left.

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur could find himself on the hot seat this offseason depending on the result of these final four games. In fact, with a 2-10 record and a 7-21 record overall through his short tenure with New York, it's hard to say it's not hot as we speak. 

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch added to that heat on Tuesday at the 36th annual sports luncheon for the March of Dimes when he wouldn't commit to Shurmur or GM Dave Gettleman as being the men to lead the team in the future.

"Those decisions aren't going to be made today, so respectfully I'm going to wait until after the season and start those conversations with my partner," Tisch told SNY.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Fast forward to the end of the 2019 season and make a big assumption: That Eli Manning plays well for at least a few games in December, and the Giants win a game or two, too.

That's what it would take to give the soon-to-be-39-year-old a shot at an NFL quarterbacking job next season. But if that happens, where would he even find an open job?

There are only a few possibilities with so many franchises set with young quarterbacks for their future, and none of them seem very likely. Manning could go anywhere as a clipboard-holding backup, of course, but that's not something someone who spent 15 years as a starter is likely to do. If he continues his career, he's going to want to play -- or at the very least he'll want a chance to play.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eli Manning has never once even hinted about his plans for 2020, and those close to him have sworn they either don't know his plans, or that the Giants quarterback really hasn't made up his mind. Everyone, though, seemed to think his NFL career was likely over.

Until now.

Now, of course, the Giants' long-time franchise quarterback is back for one last hurrah, thanks to the "moderate" high ankle sprain to rookie quarterback Daniel Jones that will likely force Manning to start again for the Giants in Philadelphia on Monday night.

While the Giants do not release their latest injury report until Thursday, second-year head coach Pat Shurmur shared one optimistic update as they prepare for Monday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Shurmur said the Giants' chances of getting third-year tight end Evan Engram back were "trending up" with five days to go before Week 14 kicks off at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Engram added to Shurmur's update, telling Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, "Yes, sir," when asked if he expected to make his return for the 8:15 p.m. start on ESPN.

The Giants revealed Wednesday that QB Daniel Jones suffered a high ankle sprain against the Packers on Sunday, and though Pat Shurmur won't say it definitively, Eli Manning should be getting the start against the Eagles on Monday night. 

So the veteran signal caller that spent 15 years leading the Giants offense will return after taking a back seat these past 10 games for Jones' rookie progression. It was in that moment leading up to Week 3 that many believed it was the official end of Manning's time with the Giants -- and that still might be what happens when the regular season is over at the end of the month. 

But Manning hasn't been viewing things that way, especially not now with a start -- and maybe more -- in his sights. It's time to get down to business.

Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones said on Monday he should be good to go this week after twisting his ankle against the Packers. 

Now it's the exact opposite. 

According to head coach Pat Shurmur, Jones suffered a moderate high ankle sprain and will need to sit out the Giants' Monday Night Football game against the Eagles this week. In turn, veteran QB Eli Manning will likely be back in his starting role. 

As the Giants continue to plummet this season, the prospect of Pat Shurmur being let go as head coach has begun to come up lately. Even GM Dave Gettleman may be on the hot seat. 

But that's a conversation the Giants will be having after the season -- not with four games still left to play. 

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch was present at the March of Dimes' 36th annual Sports Luncheon to accept the Sports Leadership Award. During a short media availability, he was asked whether or not he believes Shurmur and Gettleman are the right men to lead this team back to greatness. 

With four games left in the season, the Panthers have fired head coach Ron Rivera, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. 

"I have a great deal of respect for Ron and the contributions he has made to this franchise and to this community," Panthers owner David Tepper said in an official statement via ESPN's Adam Schefter. "I wish him the best. I will immediately begin the search for the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers."

It has been a rough year for the Panthers, with the biggest issue being Cam Newton sidelined for the rest of the year. Kyle Allen has taken over, and hasn't been bad in the slightest. In fact, Carolina may move on from Newton after the season, which means Allen would be the No. 1 quarterback for the 2020 season. 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a way of making headlines virtually every week, and he did so again on Tuesday with a very interesting comment regarding his head coach Jason Garrett. 

There has been speculation that Garrett's days are numbers in Dallas, and Jones didn't necessarily help reverse that narrative much during his daily spot on 105.3 The Fan. Here's what he said about Garrett:

CLICK BELOW TO SEE JONES' QUOTE

The Giants have played 28 games under head coach Pat Shurmur and have only won seven of those since the start of the 2018 season. 

At 2-10, the final four games for the Giants this season will be all about letting young players get playing time, guys such as rookie Daniel Jones. 

But those final four games could be about Shurmur's job security, too. 

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Pat Shurmur's fate has not been sealed, but every loss brings him closer to unemployment. Not long ago it was unthinkable that the Giants would go into 2020 with their fourth head coach in six seasons. But eight losses (and counting) later, they might.

But who would that be? That's a tough question, if John Mara and Steve Tisch decide to go that route. There's no obvious successor on Shurmur's staff, and really none from the recent staffs of Ben McAdoo or Tom Coughlin either. The field of available candidates is generally the same as it was two years ago when they decided to hire Shurmur - and that field wasn't considered great.

Given the need for "an adult in the room," as GM Dave Gettleman once called Shurmur, it seems unlikely they'd take a chance on a hot, young, unproven assistant. Head coaching experience mattered in the end last time, and it likely will be a preference again, since this franchise has no time for on-the-job training. NFL experience always matters to the Giants. And they'll need someone who has shown to have a thick skin to handle the New York heat -- something they really haven't had since Coughlin was pushed out.

After a frustrating eighth straight loss for the Giants, CB Janoris Jenkins wasn't afraid to speak his mind about the team's defensive scheme. 

"You've got to use your weapons. I'm the only one in the league that doesn't travel (with the opponents top wide receiver). I don't understand why," Jenkins said. "It's common sense. I'm on the left side of the field all game. I get two passes thrown my way. All the top corners in the league travel. Rabbit doesn't travel anymore."

What Jenkins said was true. The Giants left him on the left side of the defense, and the Packers only looked his way on two passes, both of which went incomplete. 

After taking the ball up the middle on fourth down to pick up a first down on Sunday against the Packers, Giants QB Daniel Jones was noticeably grimacing in pain. And that pain stemmed from his ankle getting twisted up underneath a pile of players. 

Though he was seen limping throughout the rest of the game, Jones played through the pain in the Giants' 31-13 loss on Sunday. But that injury doesn't have head coach Pat Shurmur worried in the slightest. 

Speaking on Monday, Shurmur said that Jones didn't need to go for an MRI or have any further tests done on his ankle. It was a normal evaluation that had a positive result.

Saquon Barkley wasn't in a positive mindset after the Giants suffered their eighth straight loss on Sunday against the Packers. However, his play was something to at least smirk about. 

Barkley has repeated that it wasn't his high ankle sprain hindering his production on the field the past few weeks, and he may have confirmed that with his first 100+ yards from scrimmage game since Week 8 against the Lions. 

His 83 yards rushing on 19 attempts was the most yardage since Week 2 against the Bills when he had 107 yards on 18 carries. Barkley also hauled in three receptions for 32 yards from Daniel Jones as well. 

Brandon Jacobs attended Sunday's game between the Giants and the Packers and came away greatly disappointed in his former team after he watched New York's 31-13 loss to Green Bay.

The former Giants running back, who played for the franchise from 2005-11 and 2013 with Super Bowls won on the 2007 (10-6) and 2011 (9-7) teams, told Bob Glauber of Newsday that the current locker room has more talent than either of his championship squads.

"If you ask me, talent-wise in this locker room, they're better than we were," Jacobs said. "Player for player, they have more talent. You have to understand, when we won Super Bowls, we didn't have these amazing seasons."

Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones played through an ankle injury in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

On 4th-and-1 near midfield from the Giants' 49 near the nine-minute mark of the second quarter, Jones ran up the middle for two yards to the Packers' 49 for the first down.

But on the way down, Packers linebacker Preston Smith landed on Jones' right ankle as linebacker Blake Martinez recorded the tackle, which left Jones hobbled for more than two quarters.

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Pat Shurmur has been through this before, so he's "well aware" of what is happening. He can trumpet all the "behind the scenes" progress he wants, remind everyone he's coaching an "historically young team,' and be impressed with how hard they practice. But all that matters is this:

Eight straight losses. A record of 2-10 this year, and 7-21 in his two years as the Giants' head coach. That's bad. It's really bad. And unless you look through Shurmur's glasses it's hard to see how it's going to get any better.

So he knows the fans judge him harshly. And in a few weeks his bosses may judge him harshly, too.

Another Giants loss saw another up and down performance by rookie QB Daniel Jones. And his performance wasn't enough to match up with one of the best in the game in Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. 

But the established veteran had some nice words to say to the young gunslinger after the game. 

Meeting when the final whistle blew and the score read 31-13 in a Packers win, Rodgers found Jones on the field to tell him this:

After the Giants 31-13 loss to the Packers on Sunday, veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins expressed his frustration with defensive coordinator James Bettcher.

"You've got to use your weapons. I'm the only one in the league that doesn't travel (w/the opponents top WR). I don't understand why," Jenkins said. "It's common sense. I'm on the left side of the field all game. I get two passes thrown my way. All the top corners in the league travel. Rabbit doesn't travel anymore."

Jenkins had one tackle and one pass defended in the game, while going up against a good Green Bay receiving corp. WR Allen Lazard had three catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, while WR Davante Adams had six catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - John Mara is going to have to do something after this season is over, assuming it keeps heading in its current direction. But if he doesn't want to fire Pat Shurmur - and so far all indications are that's not a move he wants to make - an easy scapegoat is emerging.

So defensive coordinator James Bettcher shouldn't feel too comfortable right now.

His defense is atrocious and it wasn't all that better last year, and it was bad again on Sunday in the Giants' 31-13 loss to the Packers. The coach with the supposedly aggressive scheme can't seem to find a pass rush, and his secondary has become a mess of blown coverages. The defense is far from the sole reason why the Giants are 2-10 and riding a miserable streak of eight straight losses.

It was bound to happen, but Giants QB Daniel Jones set a new franchise record in style on Sunday against the Packers. 

During the team's opening drive, Jones was throwing well to lead the offense down the field. And on a sweet 18-yard touchdown pass to the Sterling Shepard, Jones broke the Giants rookie record for passing yards in a single season. 

The record was previously held by Charlie Conerly, who had 2,175 yards in his rookie season back in 1948. Eli Manning wasn't able to break that record after throwing for 1,043 yards in nine games his rookie season. 

Jones continues to progress throughout the season, and though he's had his ups and downs, he has been stringing together good performances that has led to this rookie record being rewrote. 

As the Packers come to town on Sunday, the Giants will be without a few playmakers once again in this Week 13 matchup. 

Highlighting the group is WR Golden Tate, who suffered a concussion in the loss to the Bears last week. Since he returned to the Giants after his suspension for the first four games of the season, Tate has been a consistent target for Daniel Jones. 

The veteran receiver has seen at least six targets in each game this season, with a 63.2 percent catch percentage. He has 36 receptions for 450 yards and four touchdowns over seven games. 

The 2-9 Giants face off against a tough opponent in the 8-3 Packers on Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX. Here's what you need to know about where to watch...

DATE/TIME: Dec. 1, 2019 at 1 p.m. ET

NETWORK: FOX

As the Giants prepare for their Week 13 matchup against the Packers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, head coach Pat Shurmur knows the on-field results haven't been there. Since a 24-3 victory over the Redskins in Week 4, the team has dropped seven straight games and Big Blue's record sits at 2-9.

Still, Shurmur is trying to find the positives where he can.

"We just need to keep fighting through it," Shurmur said. "I love the way our guys train. I love the way they work. There are many things that happen in the ball game that is really good football."

The Giants have officially placed long snapper Zak DeOssie on injured reserve, the team announced Saturday. They have signed Colin Holba off the practice squad to take DeOssie's roster spot.

It was previously reported that the move was possible on Thursday when DeOssie was listed on the Giants' injury report with both knee and wrist issues. The Post reported on Friday that he had suffered a torn meniscus. 

DeOssie, a 13-year veteran, is not eligible to return in 2019 and is a free agent at the end of the season.

Zak DeOssie was not at Giants practice Friday because he reportedly got his knee examined.

The result appears to have revealed the worst-case scenario for the veteran long snapper.

DeOssie suffered a torn meniscus and is set to be placed Saturday on season-ending Injured Reserve, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

The Giants will continue their trend of missing keys pieces of their team against the Packers this week, as Golden Tate, Jabrill Peppers, Evan Engram, Rhett Ellison and Zak DeOssie have been ruled out for Sunday's matchup.

DeOssie did not practice this week with knee/wrist injuries and was believed to potentially be heading to the injured reserve, but head coach Pat Shurmer said nothing was official yet and that DeOssie was held out of practice Friday to be evaluated--DeOssie was ruled out for Sunday's game later in the day than the rest of the players.

Tate and Peppers were both injured in last week's loss to the Bears. 

While the wins do not necessarily support the narrative, Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has gotten better with each NFL start.

In his past four games, Jones has completed 101 of 158 passes (63.9 percent) for 990 yards and 11 touchdowns to one interception.

Despite the Giants' seven-game skid, the No. 6 overall pick in April's 2019 NFL draft has taken the losses hard, but is keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

After the Giants listed Zak DeOssie in Thursday's injury report with knee and wrist issues, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network subsequently reported that the long snapper is expected to be placed on Injured Reserve.

Tight ends Evan Engram (foot) and Rhett Ellison (concussion), safety Jabrill Peppers (back), wide receiver Golden Tate (concussion) and DeOssie did not practice Thursday morning.

If the Giants do in fact place DeOssie on Injured Reserve, the season-ending move could mark the end of the veteran long snapper's career with Big Blue.

Pat Shurmur is unsure of whether or not three top playmakers will be available for Week 13, but the second-year head coach and the Giants know what boost they would get if their banged-up trio could give it a go.

Ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. game against the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers (8-3), the reeling Giants (2-9) -- who have lost their past seven games -- could see tight end Evan Engram and wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate all back on the field together.

While he did not present too much of an update in his Wednesday media availability, Shurmur said that the return of Engram -- absent since Nov. 4's 37-18 loss to the Dallas Cowboys (6-5) with a mid-foot sprain -- remains a possibility.

If the Giants are without strong safety Jabrill Peppers, head coach Pat Shurmur has an idea of how the defense will look Sunday when New York (2-9) hosts the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers (8-3).

Ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. kickoff at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Shurmur said Wednesday that the Giants are prepared to enter rookie Julian Love and veteran Michael Thomas into the safety rotation.

"We'll have a combination with Love back there and Michael Thomas, so we'll fill in," Shurmur said. "I thought Love did a good job, first extended action last week and so he displayed a lot of the things that we thought he might have. So we'll just try to build on that if, for some reason, Jabrill can't make it."

Saquon Barkley's sophomore season has not gone how he envisioned it would, but the second-year running back refuses to make excuses about the dip in his -- and the Giants' -- performance.

With the Giants (2-9) losers in their past seven games as they host the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers (8-3) Sunday at 1 p.m. from MetLife Stadium, Barkley set the record straight after recent outings conjured questions about his health.

Barkley, who missed the Giants' three games from Sept. 29 through Oct. 10 after he suffered a highly sprained right ankle Sept. 22, was emphatic when asked Wednesday about a play from last Sunday's 19-14 loss at the Chicago Bears.

Since those two wins that Daniel Jones put together in his first two career starts, it has been an up-and-down ride to their Week 13 matchup with the Packers this week. 

But that is expected from a rookie quarterback. Jones was never going to come in and take over without facing a few tribulations. The turnovers have certainly been there, and ball security and decision making needs improvement for sure. 

In the Giants locker room, though, Jones is well respected and his running back in Saquon Barkley gave more than just his stamp of approval when speaking to the media on Wednesday. He applauded his work ethic and want to get better in every aspect of the game. 

With an extra roster spot due to the Giants waiving Bennie Fowler, the team has promoted WR Da'Mari Scott from the practice squad. 

Scott's arrival could be due to the need for a punt returner given Jabrill Peppers and Golden Tate are both injured. Tate suffered a concussion in the loss to the Bears, while Peppers left the game early with a transverse process fracture. 

There are other options already on the roster, though, depending on who head coach Pat Shurmur wants out for punts against the Packers on Sunday. Corey Ballentine and Darius Slayton have both been used for kick returns, and Ballentine especially has the prowess to return punts given his time at Wasburn University doing just that. 

With Aldrick Rosas struggling as of late, the Giants brought in four kickers for work outs on Tuesday, as first reported by ESPN's Field Yates.

Rosas has missed three extra points and four field goals this season, including missed FG's in Sunday's loss to the Bears--the Giants lose by five, clearly missing those six missed points.

Based on the 2018 Pro Bowler's performance, the Giants decided to work out Blair Walsh, Giorgio Tavecchio, Cole Hedlund and Austin MacGinnis.

As things shake out at the moment, the Giants own the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. That's prime real estate to land one of the top prospects coming out of college football this year -- if, of course, the Giants stay in that slot. 

If that is the case, GM Dave Gettleman will be in a great position to nab arguably the best player in this year's draft class in Ohio State DE Chase Young.

After watching his most recent performance against Penn State, where he collected three sacks, Young once again solidified his spot as the best pass rusher in the NCAA. He now has seven sacks in his last two games, bringing his total to 16.5 on the season with 19.5 tackles for loss. 

The Giants announced Tuesday that they've waived wide receiver Bennie Fowler ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the Packers.

This is the second time the Giants have waived Fowler this season, having been cut in October only to be brought back a few weeks later.

Fowler has appeared in eight games this season for the Giants, grabbing 23 receptions for 193 yards and one touchdown in that span.

Sincere? Bitter former coach of the Jets? The world may never know, but for now, Rex Ryan is going on the record again, saying he prefers Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones over Jets QB Sam Darnold. 

On ESPN's "Get Up" on Monday, Ryan was posed with that exact question. He was definitive. 

"He is better. Daniel Jones is better," Ryan said. 

Julian Love's homecoming in Chicago on Sunday was a bittersweet one. For one, he was playing in the NFL for the first time in his city with friends and family watching from the stands. However, a couple friends he was hoping to see weren't there for very unfortunate circumstances. 

Love's childhood friends in Joey Ramos and Tony Lemon tragically died after their car plunged into Lake Michigan last Sunday. The car was recovered on Tuesday, just five days before Love was supposed to hit the turf at Soldier Field. 

"Joey was a big Bears fan, and this is the game where, I have no doubt they'd be there Sunday cheering me on," Love told NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton. "It's hard, it's definitely hard, but they'll be with me this way, too. They'll be there in spirit."

The Giants saw Sterling Shepard return to the lineup in their 19-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 12. The team's top target missed the past five games for the G-Men, and the team's Week 11 bye is factored into that time off as well. 

Upon returning, Shepard had six touches which included five catches for a lowly 15 yards. 

Shepard will want to improve upon that as the season grinds on, but the 26-year-old said on Monday that he's feeling fine after missing time due to his second concussion of that year, adding he's not worried about any long-term effects.

Another Giants receiver is dealing with a concussion, with Golden Tate the player impacted this time.

Tate, who suffered the concussion during his touchdown reception late in Sunday's loss to the Bears, is in the protocol, the team announced on Monday.

Fellow receiver Sterling Shepard has dealt with two concussions this season. Meanwhile, pass-catching tight end Evan Engram is currently out due to a mid-foot sprain.

There's a chance S Jabrill Peppers' first season with the Giants is going to end early. 

The team announced on Monday following the loss to the Bears that he suffered a transverse process fracture. Peppers left the game early with what was called a hip injury, but this is actually a spinal injury. 

According to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano, this injury would be "at best" a six-week recovery. And with the Giants' record at 2-9, there would be no need to rush Peppers back out on the field. 

The Giants lost their seventh straight game when they fell 19-14 to the Bears Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Once at the .500 mark in September, the Giants have gone from NFC East contention to No. 1 overall pick favorites for the 2020 NFL draft.

SNY's Ralph Vacchiano dissects the ongoing issues plaguing the Giants and what the troubles mean for the team's 2019 outlook and beyond.

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It's hard to defend the job Pat Shurmur has done with the Giants, whether he's on an actual hot seat or not. Seven straight losses are ugly. So is his overall record of 7-20. In this case, the numbers really do speak for themselves.

But only John Mara knows for sure whether Shurmur's job is in jeopardy, and the only noise we've heard from him this season was the silent stare two weeks ago on his way out of the Giants' humiliating loss to the Jets. The owner's inclination is always to lean towards patience and stability. He surely loathes the idea of a firing a third coach in a span of five years.

But the more the losses mount, the more Mara's anger surely builds, and the less safe Shurmur appears to be.

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Saquon Barkley put a ridiculous spin move on Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara in the second quarter, and then nearly spun out of another tackle on the same play. It was a violent move that sure seemed to prove he wasn't still bothered by his ankle injury.

So if that's not it: What in the world is wrong with Saquon Barkley?

That question has to be asked after he had another low-impact performance in the Giants' ugly, 19-14 loss in Chicago. He gained just 59 yards on 17 carries - 22 of which came on one fourth quarter run. Coupled with his disaster against the Jets (13 carries, one yard) he now has just 60 rushing yards on 30 carries in the last two games.

Giants safety Jabrill Peppers went to the locker room after taking a hard hit and is questionable to return against the Bears.

Peppers reportedly suffered a hip injury after taking the hit in the third quarter.

The New Jersey native was slow to get up and walked gingerly to the locker room.