ARLINGTON, Texas -- New York Giants defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins left AT&T Stadium on Sunday night on crutches and with his injured right leg in a walking boot. Jenkins left the Giants' 31-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the first half with a calf injury and will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of it.

"Felt like somebody hit me with a hammer," Jenkins said. "It was one of those things where you're running and you feel like you got hit, then you realize there was nobody behind you, and you're just like, 'Aww, man.'"

Jenkins' injury would be another tough blow to a Giants' defense that may be more banged-up than the banged-up offense. In addition to Jenkins, middle linebacker Jon Beason left Sunday's game early with a re-aggravation of the toe injury that's been bugging him since June. Beason has missed three games this season after missing all of training camp and can't seem to shake the injury.

"I really wanted to put that behind us, but it cropped up again," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.

Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who's been missing practice with leg and back injuries, was active for the game and was in on some early third downs (and on the field-goal-block team for Dan Bailey's late game-clincher), but he's clearly not healthy either. His hope is that next week's bye gives him time to heal and that he can be back to 100 percent in time for the "Monday Night Football" game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 3. With nickel cornerbacks Walter Thurmond and Trumaine McBride out for the year, the Giants' once-deep secondary is leaking oil.

"If I get on the field, I have to feel like I'm myself," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "Can't go out there half-steppin'."