Jeremy Shockey’s latest stupid decision may leave the Giants short-handed tomorrow afternoon.
Shockey’s availability for the 1 p.m. game against Buffalo is highly in doubt after the Giant tight end missed practice again yesterday due to his balky left knee.
The second-year pro aggravated the knee when he disobeyed Jim Fassel’s direct orders Monday and worked out strenuously despite being inactive for the Tampa Bay game.
Fassel indicated Shockey – as well as injured left tackle Luke Petitgout – could be scratched as early as this morning’s practice. But the Giant coach also left open the possibility that Shockey would play against the Bills at Giants Stadium.
“If he can go and he feels fine, he’ll go,” Fassel said. “Same thing with Luke. We need him.
“But we’ll have to see how they’re feeling on Sunday.”
Asked if it would be a game-time decision, Fassel answered, “Could be, or could not be.
“Maybe [today] it would be ruled out,” he said. “Maybe you just know that it’s not going to work. That could be, or it could be game time.”
The colorful but occasionally misguided Shockey was ticked off by Fassel’s decision to deactivate him for the Monday night game against the Buccaneers. He ran as many as 50-60 pass routes without his knee brace, aggravating the partially torn posterior cruciate ligament that was injured Nov. 9 against Atlanta. He’s now listed as questionable.
“I thought I could play last week and got the word I wasn’t going to,” Shockey said Thursday. “I went out there and did some stupid things that right now I’m kind of regretting.
“If it was an injury where I didn’t think I could do it, I wouldn’t play. But I felt I could play [Monday].”
Fassel chalked up Shockey’s bonehead move to the 23-year-old’s personality.
“I told him [on Monday], ‘Just don’t do much,’ ” Fassel said. “‘Just relax and go out and stretch out a little bit and jog around a little bit.’
“I didn’t stay out there the whole time. I don’t stay out and watch injured guys work out.
“That’s his personality. He doesn’t go half-speed. But maybe it was also an indication that he wasn’t ready, and I did the right thing.”
Shockey walked around the lockerroom with no apparent limp yesterday and seemed to be in a cheerful mood. He said he had “no idea” whether he’d be able to practice today.
Asked if he could play tomorrow without any practice, he answered, “It’s not up to me.”
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Petitgout (back) also was held out of practice and appeared to be moving around slowly in the locker room.
“I don’t discuss my injuries,” he said.
Jeff Roehl would start if Petitgout can’t go.
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Giant owner Wellington Mara did not seem perturbed by the booing from fans.
“I’ve often said the worst thing that you can hear is silence,” Mara said. “I don’t like (the booing). I don’t worry. That shows they’re still into it.”
Asked whether it bothered him that his players began firing back at fans this week, Mara diplomatically replied, “I wouldn’t say one way or the other.”