The Minnesota Vikings would be formidable enough even if Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer were his durable old self.
But Toomer missed his second straight day of practice on Thursday with a strained hamstring. The Giants have begun preparing to play without him at Minnesota on Sunday.
Toomer injured his leg late in a 28-13 loss Sunday to Detroit. He has not been ruled out of the game against the Vikings, but he is not definitely playing either.
Coach Tom Coughlin sounded as if Toomer's recovery was not complete and had been slower than expected.
"We felt like he may very well have been in good shape by midweek, but it wasn't to be that way, so now it'll end up being day to day," Coughlin said.
"He's trying to stay as upbeat as he can," Coughlin said, adding that Toomer was working on the sideline. He said Toomer had made good progress and his forward movement is "not too bad."
Toomer has played in 118 straight games, a streak that began with the first game of the 1997 season. He has caught at least one pass in his last 89 games, a Giants record.
He has caught 444 passes in his career for 6,737 yards, another team record. Only Tiki Barber, with 448 receptions, has caught more passes in a Giants uniform.
Although Toomer has not caught a touchdown pass this season, he and Barber share the team lead with 26 receptions.
"We're missing one of our top players if he can't go," quarterback Kurt Warner said.
Toomer, who was not available to talk to reporters on Thursday, would most likely be replaced by Jamaar Taylor, who played in his first professional game last Sunday and caught two passes.
"I'll try to be as focused as I can be, and blank out all the nervousness," Taylor said.
Taylor, a sixth-round draft choice from Texas A&M, established some self-confidence with his play against the Lions.
Coughlin said Toomer felt the strain in his leg before the two-minute warning. He had been Warner's intended receiver on a third-down incompletion with 2 minutes 22 seconds left.
The Giants (4-2) had already thought they would need to score plenty of points to beat the Vikings (5-1), who have the No. 1 offense in the NFL. The Vikings, who have won four straight games, have scored at least 27 points in four of their six games. The Giants have scored 27 points just once.
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