Injury to former Raiders star affects ailing Giants offense

Darren Waller’s left hamstring barred him from starring for the Raiders last season.

This season, his right one is hamstringing his first season with the New York Giants.

“Feeling a little bit better, but there are strides you need to make as far as coming back from this,” the tight end told reporters last week.

“It’s very frustrating. A little bit discouraging … like any human being would be in my position. (But) no stranger to tough hands and tough circumstances. I’m not one that’s going to fold up right here. I’m going to do whatever I can in however much time I get left with this team this season. I’m (going to) give it all I got.”

Waller, 31, won’t be active Sunday when the Giants play the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, his hamstring thereby denying him the chance to torch his former team. The 6-foot-6-inch, 238-pounder has 36 receptions for 384 yards and a receiving touchdown, though New York’s offense has little to show for it.

The Giants are last in scoring (11.9 points per game), last in yards (267.9) and parked at 2-6 at the bottom of the NFC East.

“We’re all focused on (igniting the offense). We’re all focused on doing what we can to help make plays, score points and do what we can to put the team in position to win games,” quarterback Daniel Jones told reporters.

Acquired in March for a third-round draft pick after five seasons with the Raiders, Waller, with his size and speed, was a natural complement to the run-heavy scheme Giants coach Brian Daboll constructed. But struggles across the offensive line and injuries to key skill players have underscored the regression the Giants have faced.

Running back Saquon Barkley missed three games with a high ankle sprain, and Jones missed the past three games with an injured neck.

Their offense hardly whole, the Giants hardly resemble the team that finished 9-7-1 a year ago en route to the NFC’s divisional round.

Yet Jones in his return this week remains “confident in our group. confident in what we’re doing. We’ve just got to put it together, and we’ve got the guys to do it. I’m confident. I think we all are. We’ve got to go out there and show it on Sunday.”

Even without Waller, who missed eight games last season with the Raiders.

Filling in for the former Pro Bowler should be second-year tight end Daniel Bellinger, a Las Vegas native and Palo Verde High graduate who had 268 receiving yards and two touchdowns a year ago.

“You’ve always got to be ready,” Bellinger said. “Of course, Darren is going to be the same leader he always is and help us continue to be better players.

“We want to be better as a group and individuals. … There’s definitely a lot of things that didn’t go our way. We’ve got to be better.”

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on X.