Giants' Boss To Sit Sunday Vs. Colts
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants tight end Kevin Boss is going to miss Sunday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts with a concussion.
While he would not comment on the severity of the concussion, coach Tom Coughlin ruled Boss out on Wednesday.
"I think they are just trying to be conservative about it," said Boss, who has had three concussions since December 2008. "They don't want to have one of those things where I get concussed in back to back weeks and then I am stuck missing a big chunk of time."
Boss said he has had some headaches, but nothing where he had to go to head athletic trainer Ronnie Barnes for help.
Boss was hurt on the Giants' opening drive against Carolina on Sunday when Panthers safety Sherrod Martin hit him in the back on the neck. Boss was on the ground after failing to catch a pass when the hit happened.
Coughlin and Boss were upset that a penalty was not called because the NFL is trying to stop hits on defenseless receivers.
Boss, who was taken off the field on a cart, said this concussion dazed him a little more than his previous ones, making it harder for him to get back to his feet this time.
However, he noted that he has never blacked out after sustaining a concussion, which makes him lucky.
"I was twisting Ronnie's arm on Sunday to let me get back out there," Boss said of Barnes. "I felt once I got back on my feet and back in the locker room and took a few moments, I felt good enough to get back out there. It's hard for me to listen to them tell me I could not go back out there and for him to tell me I can't play this week. As a competitor, it's a tough pill to swallow but I appreciate they are looking out for me."
Travis Beckum will start for Boss. The Giants signed tight end Bear Pascoe off their practice squad on Tuesday.
"I'm just hoping I can fill Boss' shoes and do as good a job as he did," said Pascoe, who played four regular season games with the Giants last year and was in training camp with them this summer.
Receiver Hakeem Nicks, who caught three touchdowns on Sunday, did not practice because of an ankle injury. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) also did not practice along with special teams captain Chase Blackburn (knee), linebacker Phillip Dillard (hamstring) and cornerback Bruce Johnson (knee).
Backup safety Michael Johnson missed practice for personal reasons.
Cornerback Aaron Ross, who returned to practice last week for the first time since suffering a foot injury on Aug. 21 in a preseason game, practiced without limitations. His return would help the secondary against Peyton Manning and receivers Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and tight end Dallas Clark.
Linebacker Gerris Wilkinson also returned to practice.
Backup offensive tackle Will Beatty is scheduled to have surgery on Thursday to repair a broken right foot sustained on Sunday. Veteran guard Shawn Andrews has taken over as the backup tackle.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
