Giants right tackle David Diehl left Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter with a right knee injury. Diehl was followed into the lockerroom by WR Domenik Hixon (concussion) and RB Ahmad Bradshaw (neck injury).
Diehl did walk off the field with the help of the Giants trainers. He was quickly ruled "out" for the remainder of the game.
Immediately after Diehl was hurt, left guard Kevin Boothe switched to right tackle while backup offensive lineman Jim Cordle came on to play left guard. Boothe is also the Giants’ backup at center and right guard.
However, Locklear moved over to right tackle on the next drive and Will Beatty -- the team’s starting left tackle last season -- came in on the blind side. Quarterback Eli Manning began that drive by throwing an interception to Buccaneers linebacker Mason Foster, which eventually led to a Tampa Bay touchdown and a 10-6 lead.
Beatty was used as a blocking tight end on the drive in which Diehl was injured. He actually dropped a would-be touchdown pass on the previous play before Diehl got hurt. On the play following Diehl's injury, he came back on the field as a tight end and got called for a five-yard false-start penalty. The Giants settled for their second field goal of the game on that drive.
New York can also use backup tackle James Brewer on the right side if coach Tom Coughlin wants to move Locklear back to left tackle.
Ramses Barden was used as the third wide receiver after Hixon went down. Andre Brown came into the game at running back and had a nice 23-yard gain in the second quarter.
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