Brandon Jacobs not sure if he will play

New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs (34) leaves the field after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Bears beat the Giants 27-21. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants had to turn to Peyton Hillis on Monday night, as Brandon Jacobs missed the game with a hamstring injury. He suffered a setback just a couple of days before the game and was unsurprisingly ruled out after being listed questionable. Hillis started to shake off the rust and was able to have a rushing touchdown, but he didn’t have an efficient game on the ground. His ability to make an impact on the passing game is something Tom Coughlin highlighted a day after the Giants signed him, and Hillis delivered with 45 receiving yards. But it’s clear that Brandon Jacobs is the Giants best bet at running back in lieu of all of their injuries.

According to the New York Daily News’s Ebenezer Samuel, Brandon Jacobs did not practice yesterday and is noncommital on his status due to the tricky nature of hamstring injuries. As we are seeing with Atlanta Falcons RB Steven Jackson, hamstring injuries are especially tough on older backs. Jacobs is 31 and has accrued a ton of mileage on his legs.

The Giants will play the rival Philadelphia Eagles this week on slightly short rest, so Jacobs’s status is squarely up in the air. I honestly think he’ll play this week, because it’s a division game and the Giants need him to be healthy. Hillis isn’t terrible, but a 1-2 duo of Michael Cox and Peyton Hillis is hardly trustworthy. Consider this a fluid situation, but his outlook will look more pessimistic if he is unable to practice today.

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