NYG's Rookie TJ Moore Suffers Gruesome Leg Injury In Preseason Game

N.Y. Giants rookie TJ Moore made the play of his short NFL life Thursday night ... only to suffer a devastating leg injury minutes later -- so gruesome, the cornerback had to be carted off the field.

It happened in the fourth quarter of Big Blue's preseason finale against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, when Moore was running down the field on kickoff coverage.

Moore's leg, after he planted it awkwardly, buckled ... bending in a very unnatural way.

TJ immediately grabbed his leg in serious pain, and his teammates surrounded him as Giants' quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart helped trainers carry him to the cart.

The unfortunate injury happened after Moore -- who the NYG signed after a rookie minicamp tryout -- secured a pick-six against the Patriots, giving the Giants a 35-10 lead.

There hasn't been an update yet, but head coach Brian Daboll said after the game that it "wasn't good."

Of course, Moore's injury reignites the long-running debate over playing surfaces around the league. Many players have been critical of MetLife's artificial turf ... and the field has been the location of some key injuries over the years.

In fact, Aaron Rodgers, Nick Bosa, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Sterling Shepard are among those who have been hurt while playing the Giants or Jets.

Now, Moore joins the list.