EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants' defense has a lot of question marks entering Sunday's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, but they're still hopeful they'll have their leader in the middle.
Middle linebacker Jon Beason, who has been dealing with a knee injury since the second week of the preseason, missed practice Thursday. Week 1 was always in doubt after Beason sprained his knee a few weeks ago, but recent signs had been encouraging.
"He was sore today and the medical people decided to hold him," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow."
If Beason can't play, his backup would be either Uani' Unga or newly signed Jasper Brinkley.
While Beason insists he's confident in both players, he also said he expects to play Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
"That's the plan," Beason said Thursday. "Trust me, I don't want to miss Dallas."
The best-case scenario for Beason is likely that he plays but is limited, with Unga or Brinkley spelling him in sub packages from time to time. But Beason is determined to play after missing all but four games last year due to a toe injury.
Jameel McClain, the veteran who served as his replacement in 2014, was cut Saturday for the younger, cheaper Unga, so the Giants have a bigger question mark behind Beason than they did a year ago.
The Giants also are dealing with an injury to rookie defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, who sat out Thursday's practice with a foot injury. Odighizuwa said he expects to make his NFL debut Sunday despite the problem, but that could depend on how the next couple of days go.
"He has a sore foot, and the trainers thought it was best that he get treatment and hold him out today," Coughlin said. "Again, we'll see how he feels tomorrow."
Odighizuwa, this year's third-round pick of the Giants, is not a starter but is expected to play a role as a rotational defensive end early in the season.
The only other Giant who didn't participate in practice Thursday was wide receiver Victor Cruz, who has missed the past three weeks of practice with a calf injury and appears extremely unlikely to play Sunday.