Moore, Rookie Giants Pass Rusher, Finds It Hard to Break Through Damontre Moore (79) at camp. "We're trying to get him in a position where he can play and contribute," Tom Coughlin said. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - When the Giants took defensive end Damontre Moore with their third pick in this year's N.F.L. draft, General Manager Jerry Reese defined Moore's worth in three words: "He is sacks." With the number of Giants sacks down by more than 30 percent in 2012, and especially after defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had back surgery this summer, the selection of Moore was viewed as a textbook example of a team drafting a talent who also matched a glaring, demonstrated need. Nicknamed "Damonster," Moore had some off-field issues because of a marijuana arrest at Texas A&M, but he also had 26 ½ sacks as a collegian. Once he put on a Giants uniform, it was not long before some were calling Moore a steal. In the spring minicamp practices, he often overwhelmed offensive tackles with his quickness, and before the Giants had played a preseason game, Moore wowed the coaches. "He's a young man who has gotten our attention," Coach Tom Coughlin said. Defensive line coach Robert Nunn added: "I really believe the guy is going to contribute early for us. I think he'll have a meaningful impact. But 11 games into the season, despite the back and shoulder problems that have limited Pierre-Paul's playing time, Moore has barely stepped on the field for anything other than special teams. At the same time, the Giants" sack totals are down another 21 percent. Moore has been exceptional on special teams, blocking a punt in the preseason and the regular season. Pierre-Paul missed another practice Wednesday because of his shoulder, and Coughlin conceded that the injury could linger, which brought up Moore's name again. "We're trying to get him in a position where he can play and contribute," Coughlin said. He's physical. He's big, he can run, all of those kind of things. We're trying to make sure that he is prepared to make all of the adjustments that are necessary over the ball, so that we don't get some of the mistakes that we had in preseason; this is where it is. Justin Tuck sympathized with Moore. Asked if it is that difficult to get a talented rookie prepared for a job as seemingly one-dimensional as rushing the passer, Tuck recalled his first year as a Giant. "I know I had some troubles," he said. You're not getting many reps in practice. You're playing a different defense than you did in college. And this year, unfortunately for Damontre, we're seeing a different offense just about every week. He's coming in every day and working at it, but it's tough. But would it be that hard to devise some scheme that allowed Moore six to eight opportunities to rush the passer each game? "You could do that," Tuck said. But we're all selfish. The guys ahead of him want to stay in, too. Tuck and Pierre-Paul are joined in a rotation at defensive end by Mathias Kiwanuka. "It can be tough to break in with three established guys on the team," Tuck said. But you can't deny Damontre's athleticism and explosiveness. It'll be there when he gets comfortable with the system. And I think you'll see a big jump from him as he goes from his first year to his second year. Moore, 21, has had little to say on the subject and was not available in the Giants" locker room Wednesday. But a week ago, he said he was confident he was growing into the job. "I think I'm fully ready," Moore said. I like taking the challenge. I feel like I can go out there and make something happen. In Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Pierre-Paul's playing time was diminished, but Moore played little. With the Giants" sack total in a continuing decline, the player drafted to help stem that deterioration continues to wait. NICKS PRACTICES Hakeem Nicks, who did not suit up against Dallas, practiced Wednesday. Nicks, who did not make himself available to reporters after practice, has an abdominal strain. He insisted last week that he would play against Dallas. The Giants said Nicks was limited in practice. Asked if Nicks's condition had improved, Tom Coughlin said: "Hopefully, it is. Jason Pierre-Paul (shoulder), Brandon Jacobs (knee), cornerback Trumaine McBride (groin) and Terrell Thomas did not practice. THANKSGIVING MEMORIES Eli Manning, who shaved his month-old beard, was asked about his favorite Thanksgiving memories. He said he was usually playing in games or watching his older brothers play in games or practice. "I don't have as many backyard memories on Thanksgiving as other people," he said. SHRUGGING OFF CRITICISM On a conference call, Robert Griffin III said he was not bothered by the criticism he has received during the Redskins" 3-8 season. "I've been criticized before," Griffin said. It comes with losing in the N.F.L. My life hasn't only been sunshine and rainbows. But the tough times can define you.