Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks believes the health of his right knee is progressing at a rate that will allow him to play in Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams.
Nicks didn't practice Wednesday, but he's confident his recovery is going well.
"I feel way better than I did (Tuesday)," he said, "so if it keeps going up, I don't see myself missing any time."
Nicks suffered a bone bruise and hyperextended his knee during a 68-yard reception against Washington on Sunday. The wideout remained calm despite realizing immediately the knee wasn't right.
"I'm the type that, when you start worrying, that's when stuff (goes) wrong," Nicks told The Star-Ledger on Wednesday. "So I just kind of keep a cool head the whole time. Everything came back good, so it's a blessing."
Nicks is a huge piece of the Giants' offense, even more so with the free-agent defections of tight end Kevin Boss and wide receiver Steve Smith. Quarterback Eli Manning simply cannot afford to lose his No. 1 target for any length of time.
Nicks had a breakout second season with the Giants in 2010, finishing with 79 catches for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns.
