Giants enter Monday's practice with two key injured starters

The New York Giants were back to work on Monday after the bye week, and they were without two key offensive linemen -- starting center Weston Richburg and starting left guard Justin Pugh.

Richburg suffered an ankle sprain in the Giants' Week 10 loss to the New England Patriots. His status for this Sunday's key divisional matchup in Washington against the Redskins seems up in the air.

“We’re trying to get back, obviously, as soon as I can. It all depends on how the ankle takes the rehabbing,” Richburg said to reporters, per NJ Advanced Media. “I just have to stay after it this week and try to be back as soon as I can. … The sooner I get this thing moving the better.”

In a bit of a surprise, we found out Monday that Pugh is currently in the NFL's concussion protocol. He missed the Giants' Week 10 loss to the Patriots, but it was not reported at the time that he was in the protocol. It's a bit concerning that he still remains in the process after the bye week. Head coach Tom Coughlin talked about Pugh's status for Week 12.

"It has been a continuous process," Coughlin said of Pugh. "He won't be able to do anything until he meets all the conditions."

If both players are forced to miss Week 12, the Giants will likely go with the same alignment they used once Richburg went down. That alignment includes Dallas Reynolds at center and John Jerry at left guard. This is a concern against an aggressive Washington front seven.