The New York Giants found little to be thankful for during the Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys on multiple fronts. Not only did the team suffer a late game, 27-20 loss, but they also lost two-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence to a dislocated elbow.

Lawrence, arguably the Giants best player, exited the game in the third quarter and was ruled out after heading to the locker room for X-rays. Postgame, the star defender walked around the away team locker room with his arm in a sling, confirming he’d suffered the injury and would undergo further tests in the coming days.

Lawrence’s injury was yet another blow for the 2-10 Giants, who are already battling a lengthy list of injuries. Defensive lineman D.J. Davidson also left the game after injuring his shoulder in the first half, leaving the team thin of depth up front.

The defensive unit is just part of an injury-ravaged roster that includes quarterback Tommy DeVito, who was pushed into the starting role after Daniel Jones’ release, followed by his signing with the Minnesota Vikings. Other players sidelined include safety Anthony Johnson Jr., guards Jermain Eluemunor and Jake Kubas, plus cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins.

Defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches also left the game early with a ‘stinger.’ The team’s defense now features six players on injured reserve, three out, and three listed as questionable. Lawrence is ranked among the league’s elite defensive linemen with a Pro Football Focus grade of 90.3. He ranks 15th in the league in tackles [23, 14th in assisted tackles [14], first in sacks [10], and is tied for second for forced fumbles [1.]

Both of the Giants’ wins this season came when Lawrence had two sacks or more in a game. His best performance this season was in Week 5’s 29-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks, where he had four hits on the quarterback and three sacks while playing 76 percent of the snaps.

Dexter Lawrence leads the huddle

Dexter Lawrence suffered an elbow injury ( 

Image:

Getty)

Lawrence was one of the Giants’ vocal players when Jones was benched for DeVito. He called Jones his best friend while speaking to the media as both draft picks joined the franchise in 2019.

“That’s my best friend. It’s tough for that to happen. I can’t control it,” he said. “They made the decision based off their evaluations and their thoughts and feelings. … That’s my boy. As a player, you got to keep playing. As a human and as a brother, I feel for him.”

Lawrence blamed the entire roster for the dismal season and felt like Jones was the fallman for the collapse. “I think we trust the coaches and where they’re going and where they think we can go. That’s what you have to do. You have to be naive,” he continued. “You start thinking about the wrong —-, then you start playing like —-, you know what I’m saying? You got to be naive and trust the process.”