Brian Daboll held his final Wednesday press conference of the season. The New York Giants, eliminated from postseason contention, host the playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles in the Week 18 finale at MetLife Stadium (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff).
Here's what you need to know as the head coach previewed the week ahead:
🔹 The Giants conducted a walk-through on Wednesday, so practice participation was an estimation on the official injury report. Safety Jason Pinnock (toe) and rookie center John Michael Schmitz (shin) did not participate. Limited were cornerbacks Deonte Banks (shoulder) and Darnay Holmes (foot), linebacker Carter Coughlin (shoulder), and quarterback Tyrod Taylor (back).
🔹 Schmitz "kind of got leg-whipped a little bit in the game, so we'll see where he's at. Sore today."
🔹 Daboll is "hopeful" for Banks, but his game status will go "all the way down to the wire, probably."
🔹 Taylor is in line to start for the fifth time this season and second game in a row, Daboll confirmed.
🔹 Daboll was asked if he will take the "spoiler" approach in motivating his team this week. "No, I just try to do the best we can to prepare and play as good as we can to try to win a game. Try to be consistent with it."
🔹 Matt Peart will step in again at right tackle for Tyre Phillips, who started nine of the last 10 games before tearing a quad tendon last week. Phillips was placed on injured reserve and will require surgery.
🔹 Wide receiver Dennis Houston was elevated from the practice squad for Week 17 but was inactive on gameday. "Well, he's done a great job for us all year, so brought him up because he earned that opportunity. He's been really a tough, competitive guy throughout practice. Gives a great look for the look teams, improved, not necessarily obviously playing but I thought that was a good thing to do for him."
🔹 Daboll said the team has shown "good competitive stamina" in competing despite their record. "It went down to a wire in a few of these games. Obviously haven't gotten the results we want, but yeah, appreciate how they're working in the building. They're pros; they're doing everything they can do to try to be as good as they can be."
🔹 Linebacker Darrian Beavers, who missed all of his rookie season because of a torn ACL, made his NFL debut last week. The 2022 sixth-round draft choice was on the field for 20 special teams plays. "He's done a nice job. That's why we gave him that opportunity. We thought he could help us on special teams in the kicking game. He did some good things. We'll see how it goes this week."
🔹 On the possibility of wide receiver Sterling Shepard playing his final game in a Giants uniform: "I've got a tremendous amount of respect for Shep, and if we have things in for Shep, he'll be ready to go."
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