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New York Giants Injury Update: Adoree' Jackson, Xavier McKinney, and Azeez Ojulari

How close to full strength will the Giants be injury-wise for their big game against the Colts this weekend?

Patricia Traina

New York Giants Injury Update: Adoree' Jackson, Xavier McKinney, and Azeez Ojulari
New York Giants Injury Update: Adoree' Jackson, Xavier McKinney, and Azeez Ojulari /
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As the New York Giants inch closer to a postseason berth--they can clinch their first playoff ticket since 2016 if they win one of their two remaining games--there's no time better than the present for them to be as close as possible to full strength healthwise.

Head coach Brian Daboll said that, for the most part, the team came out of its game against the Vikings Saturday with "normal bumps and bruises." The only notable new injury to develop was the ankle issue suffered by outside linebacker Azeez Ojualri, who had his ankle rolled up on.

Daboll didn't want to speculate this soon on whether Ojulari could practice this week, but he did sound hopeful.

"I think Azeez has gotten treatment the last couple of days, " Daboll said. "We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow, the next day--all the way through Friday. And we’ll see if he’s able to go. But we really haven’t done anything these last couple of days. So, we’ll see."

The Giants would no doubt love to have Ojualri, who has recorded at least a half sack in each game, and has seven quarterback hits since returning from injured reserve in Week 13.

"I think he’s improved from where he was. And we’ll go here these next couple days and see where he’s at," Daboll said.

The Giants' head coach is also waiting to see where safety Xavier McKinney (hand) and cornerback Adoree' Jackson (knee) are when the team returns to practice this week.

Daboll sounded slightly hopeful of Jackson being able to practice, though he emphasized that it was too soon to tell.

"I think Adoree’s making progress in the right direction," Daboll said. "Again, where that is, I think we’ll see by the end of the week. But definitely, he’s making progress."

The Giants have missed Jackson's presence in the lineup. Ever since Jackson sprained his knee returning a punt, the Giants have seen the average passing yards against them rise from 22.1 to 232.

Moreover, without him in the lineup to guard against the opposing team's No. 1 receiver, five opposing receiving targets have gone on to record 100-yard performances against New York.

Daboll didn't sound as confident about McKinney, who is still on the NFI list after suffering a hand injury during the team's Week 9 bye.

"I don’t have enough to give to you," he said of McKinney.

The likely issue with McKinney, who would have to be designated to return from NFI to open a 21-day window, is if it was stable enough to withstand the rigors of playing in an NFL game even with a club on it.

The Giants, who were off on Monday, will hold a walkthrough on Tuesday and then a regular practice on Wednesday, when they must file their first injury report of the new week.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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