Heading into the season, the New York Giants planned on utilizing a two-running back system featuring last year’s first-round pick David Wilson and oft-injured Andre Brown. Unfortunately, they’ve had to rely on the likes of guys like Brandon Jacobs, Da’Rel Scott, Peyton Hillis and rookie Michael Cox, while Wilson and Brown spent time on the mend with their respective injuries.
This week, that will finally change — slightly.
While SNY insider Ralph Vacchiano reported that Wilson’s return has once again been delayed and more tests await him in the coming weeks, Brown is finally ready to return to the lineup from a fractured leg he suffered during the team’s preseason finale. He is expected to play Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, though no one can really predict how many snaps he will see.
The return is much needed for a backfield that has been dinged up beyond belief this season. The Giants have started five different players at tail back in eight games and all but Hillis and Cox have landed on the injury report — so far.
During that time, New York has rushed for just 69.9 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry — both numbers place them 30th in the NFL. They have achieved just one 100-yard game this season, which came via Brandon Jacobs in a Week 6 meeting with the Chicago Bears. He leads the team with 154 yards on 44 carries (3.5 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.
Brown is a blessing for the Giants who will need a big second-half push to sneak into the playoffs after starting 2-6. Though Hillis and Jacobs might be bigger names, Brown is simply a better talent at this point in their careers — if he could just stay healthy.
And he’s healthy now, so the Giants better take advantage while they have him. He’s a hard-nosed runner with underrated speed and a penchant for getting into the end zone. He showed this a season ago when he scored eight touchdowns in 10 games as a backup to Ahmad Bradshaw. He was not too shabby in situations outside the red zone either; he rushed for 5.3 yards a carry over 73 carries for 385 yards.
To make matters better, unlike most of the crop of backs the G-Men have brought in this season, Brown is a solid pass protector, providing added value at a time when they need it the most.
The Giants currently trail the leading Dallas Cowboys by two-and-a-half games in the NFC East. Andre Brown is key to the improvement of his team’s running game if they want to make a surge in the division race. Expectations shouldn’t be too high for him coming out of the gate. But once he’s back in game shape, he should see the majority of rushing touches for New York.
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. All quotes were acquired first hand or via team press releases unless otherwise noted. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.