EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings won't need surgery to repair his injured left knee, but an MRI on Monday revealed a sprained MCL, and Jennings is expected to miss at least a few weeks with the injury.
Rookie Andre Williams will take over in the meantime as the Giants' starting running back, with Peyton Hillis serving as his backup.
"We're all hoping this young man is a fast healer with the way he conditions himself and takes care of himself," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said of Jennings. "But we'll see."
Jennings is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards this year with 396 and third in carries with 91. He injured his knee on a play in the third quarter of the Giants' 30-20 victory over the Falcons on Sunday, and Williams took over and rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
The Giants drafted Williams in the fourth round of this year's draft after he led the NCAA in rushing last year at Boston College, and they believe he can replace Jennings as a runner, though because of his inexperience he still needs work as a pass blocker and as a receiver out of the backfield.
"There were definitely some areas where I made some mistakes and some where I did well," Williams said of his work in Sunday's game. "I think with time and preparation, I'll definitely get better."
He has little choice now, as the Giants head into a very tough portion of their schedule with him as their lead running back. They play divisional road games against Philadelphia and Dallas the next two weeks, then after a Week 8 bye they face the Colts at home, the Seahawks on the road, the 49ers at home and the Cowboys at home.
"We've got the utmost confidence in Andre, and in Peyton as well, and I'm sure [Michael Cox] will get a chance to get bumped up," Jennings said. "Andre and I, we had a long talk. He's kind of been my little brother throughout this whole process. So I'm giving him as many weapons as possible mentally to go with what he has physically."
Jennings compared his injury to one he suffered in Week 1 of the 2012 season while he was with Jacksonville. He missed only two games with that one, and he's hopeful his recovery on this can be a quick one. He walked with a significant limp and a brace on his left knee Monday at the Giants' team facility.
"History has shown that I always heal up quicker than expected," Jennings said. "So I don't see why that would change now."
In other Giants injury news, Coughlin said cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has a leg injury that is forcing him to have to come in and out of games. Coughlin said the injury was tough to describe because "it starts with an ankle, but I have noticed he has some issues up in the hip area as well, so I'm just going to call it a leg injury."
Coughlin said Rodgers-Cromartie believes he can play through the injury, but that he was having tests Monday afternoon to determine the severity of it. It's possible he could end up missing a game because of it, and it's also possible they'll just have to keep rotating him in and out of games as the pain dictates.
"Of course I'm not OK with that," Coughlin said. "I would rather he could play and stay out there. Unfortunately, he has felt a need to come off the last couple of games. So if that's what we have to play with or work with, we'll do it."
Linebacker Spencer Paysinger also was having tests done on his injured hamstring Monday. The team was expected to activate cornerback Jayron Hosley to the 53-man roster following his four-game drug suspension and the one-week roster exemption they got upon his return, and they'll have to make room for him by releasing someone or placing someone on injured reserve.