Hakeem Nicks and Martellus Bennett not practicing

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and tight end Martellus Bennett are not practicing today, but coach Tom Coughlin did tell Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger that they are “doing better”.

William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via US PRESSWIRE

Bennett hyperextended his knee during the first quarter of the Giants eventual victory over the Cleveland Browns, and he managed to catch three passes for 30 yards in the game. He still stayed in to play in order to provide the Giants with some key run blocking, as Bennett is one of the best run blocking TEs in the game.

Known for being an immature player for the Dallas Cowboys, he has matured quickly and showed some great toughness by staying in the game to focus on blocking. He has caught 19 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns this season, and it will be interesting to see how soon he can being practicing in full- if at all. It will likely take some time to see if he can be ready to face Patrick Willis and the vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense next week.

The Giants will also need Hakeem Nicks to be healthy in Week 6 in order to beat the 49ers; the team that has been playing the best ball in the NFC so far this year. Nicks should be able to practice on a limited basis tomorrow, and he looks like a game-time decision. The knee and foot injuries that Nicks is suffering from are serious, but he is a tough player and has a shot at returning.

The last time he played in a game was in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going off for 199 receiving yards on ten catches in an insane day to help Eli Manning and the Giants win in a game that was a lot closer than it should have been. Bennett caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in his best game of the season in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, so having both out on Sunday would be a terrible worst-case scenario to have on their hands against the Niners.

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