Giants’ running back Rashad Jennings will not require surgery for a sprained MCL, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. However, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reported it’s likely that Jennings will miss time.
Rashad Jennings definitely does not need surgery. Was told after MrI it is just a sprain, he said
— Ebenezer Samuel (@ebenezersamuel) October 6, 2014
Jennings suffered the injury against the Atlanta Falcons, and he left the game during the second half after rushing for 55 yards on 10 carries. Jennings has been impressive in his brief stint with the Giants, and he has provided the offense with a stable running game after an abysmal 2013. Jennings told ESPN his knee, “just kind of got ruffled up under the pile a little bit.”
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The former Jaguar and Raider is currently 4th in the NFL for rushing yards with 396, per NFL.com.
It’s good that surgery is not necessary, but the Giants will miss Jennings as both a runner and a receiver. With Jennings out for the time being, the Giants will turn to rookie Andre Williams. Williams took over the starting duties once Jennings was injured, and he recorded 65 rushing yards and a touchdown. Williams’ hard nosed running style makes him a reminiscent of former New York Giants.
From what we’ve seen so far, Williams running ability is similar to Ahmad Bradshaw’s, although Williams relies less on finesse and more on power. I would classify Williams as a mix between Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.
The rookie out of Boston College is hard to bring down on the first hit, and he is explosive out of the backfield. However, I am still slightly skeptical about Williams. Atlanta is dreadful against the run, so it’s no surprise Williams found success. The same thing happened in 2012 when Andre Brown had good games against bad defenses, and the same thing happened when David Wilson had a great game against an awful Saints defense. I won’t believe Williams can be a feature back until he proves he can.
Williams also caught two passes on Sunday, two more than his entire senior year at Boston College. Veteran Peyton Hillis will likely see an increased number of carries as well. The Giants are hoping Jennings can be back on the field as soon as possible as they enter a tough stretch of games.