Brian Burns Goes Down Against Titans After Giants Gamble on Sprained Ankle

Playing a guy who missed three straight practices with an ankle sprain on a wet field went exactly how anyone with a functioning brain thought it would.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Sunday that New York Giants star edge rusher Brian Burns went down during the team's ongoing matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

"Mike Garafolo reported: 'Brian Burns down for the #Giants.'"

This is the entirely predictable sequel to Week 2. Burns suffered a left low ankle sprain late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams when he got rolled up on. He spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday watching practice in sweatpants.

Somehow, the Giants looked at a rainy MetLife Stadium and decided their star pass rusher was good to go. Head coach John Harbaugh is already facing heat for the team's injury management, and rolling the dice on a compromised ankle is only going to turn up the temperature.

For anyone holding Giants defensive props or live betting the under, this is a massive structural shift. New York built an early 12-0 lead against Tennessee, but their entire defensive identity relies on Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Abdul Carter wrecking the line of scrimmage.

Taking Burns out of that equation turns a terrifying pass rush into a highly manageable problem for the Titans. You cannot replace a guy who commands double teams by just shuffling the depth chart.

We will wait for the official medical update, but you do not need a medical degree to know that re-aggravating a joint injury in the mud is bad news. The Giants now have to figure out how to close out this game without their defensive anchor, and Harbaugh is going to have a very uncomfortable postgame press conference.