Giants K Tynes questionable for Sunday after spraining ankle

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A sprained plant-foot ankle incurred Friday during practice could keep Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes out of the lineup Sunday against the Detroit Lions and force a late roster addition.

Tynes injured the left ankle on a kickoff during special teams drills. He walked off the field under his own power and was later sent to the locker room.

"We have to watch and see how he does," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "He did this in the summer one time, and he was able to come back after a couple of days."

The Giants (3-2) don't have a couple of days. They face the Lions (1-4) on Sunday, and the Giants might need to bring in a kicker before Saturday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. If for no other reason, they might need one on standby if Tynes cannot kick during the walkthrough.

Tynes, who is 5-of-8 in field goals and is perfect on 13 extra-point tries, is listed as questionable.

His most likely replacement, if it came to that, would be former Saints kicker John Carney, whom New Orleans released on Oct. 12. Carney played for the Giants in 2008 while Tynes recuperated from a knee injury. He kicked so well in Tynes' absence that Tynes never regained his job.

Former Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons kicker Jason Elam, former Cincinnati Bengal Shayne Graham, and former Washington Redskin and Dallas Cowboy Scott Suisham are other kickers looking for jobs.

The Giants also could use rookie punter Matt Dodge on kickoffs, considering his experience there at East Carolina. But it is unlikely they would trust the punter with field-goal duties.

"Dodge has done that. He's kicked off," Coughlin said. "We have some flexibility there."

Dodge kicked off 137 times during his three-year college career but had just 10 touchbacks.

"At times, I thought I was pretty good at it, for sure," Dodge said. "I had a few touchbacks here or there. We sprayed the ball around a lot. I feel I could do it if I needed to."

Dodge said he also hit an extra point and attempted a field goal in college, though he did miss the 40-plus-yard field goal.

"I pulled it," he said.

Dodge did some kickoff work Friday after Tynes came off, but it was not extensive.

"It was kind of like an extended warm-up," Dodge said. "It wasn't intense. Just something to make sure I could do it."

But Dodge was reluctant to pencil himself in anywhere but punter after seeing how Tynes entered the locker room.

"He doesn't look like he's hobbling at all, so encouraging," Dodge said. "I think he will be OK."

Tynes has hit 124 of 155 field goals in seven years with the Kansas City Chiefs and Giants.

Notes: C Shaun O'Hara, who has missed the past three games with Achilles and ankle issues, took snaps with the first unit, but remained questionable. "He felt good about it," Coughlin said. "He's making progress. I'm sure he'll be a gametime decision." ... WR Victor Cruz (hamstring), FB Madison Hedgecock (hamstring), DE Mathias Kiwanuka (neck) and DB Brian Jackson (neck) remained on the stationary bikes and were ruled out for Sunday, as was T Will Beatty (foot). ... LB Keith Bulluck (toe) continued to work and appears to be on track to return Sunday after missing two games, though he is listed as questionable. ... RB Danny Ware (groin) is also questionable.