No Need for NY Giants to Rush WR Steve Smith Back

The New York Giants have lost number one wide receiver Steve Smith for at least two weeks due to a pectoral injury. Looking ahead at the Giants schedule, there really isn't much reason to rush Smith back onto the field until he is 100 percent.

November 14: The Giants host the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. There's absolutely zero chance of Smith playing in this contest. Moving on.

November 21: The Giants travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a crucial NFC East showdown. There's little chance of Smith playng in this one. Moving on.

November 28: The Giants host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags currently have one of the worst pass defenses in the entire NFL (ranked 28). Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Ramses Barden, Kevin Boss and Travis Beckum should, in theory, be enough targets for QB Eli Manning in this contest. Oh yeah, Jacksonville isn't much better at stopping the run. They give up an average of 119 yards on the ground per game. It could be bad times for the Jags when they face off against the number three rushing attack in the NFL at the end of the month.

December 5: The Giants host the Washington Redskins in another important NFC East match-up. The Redskins currently have the worst pass defense in the conference, which is really impressive considering they have DeAngelo Hall and his six interceptions at cornerback.

Initial reports state that Smith should be healed by the time the Giants face the Vikings in Minnesota on December 12. Unless things go terribly wrong with the New York offense in the team's next four games, the Giants should be able to survive without Smith for the next month.

More from Associated Content: Smith out 2 weeks, Nicks talks Smith injury, Coughlin previews Cowboys