QUARTERBACK
Russell Wilson: 17/37 – 168 yards / 0 TD – 0 INT / 59.3 RAT
Wilson also led the team in rushing with 44 yards on 8 carries. The first Week One starting quarterback besides Daniel Jones since Eli Manning’s start against the Dallas Cowboys in 2019. Wilson was signed to bridge the position to the future. There was a little bit of fantasy in everyone’s mind that he could tap into his successful career despite his below average play over the past four seasons. That fantasy (what was left of it) came crashing back down to reality rather quickly. While the offensive line did him no favors (he was pressured on half of his drop backs), Wilson did not raise the level of the room. That is the number one requirement for a franchise quarterback and while we know he was never going to be considered the long-term answer, I did leave the tape disappointed in multiple downfield throws. The truth is, he did have a few shots downfield to open targets and he failed on almost all of them. Always known as a high-level deep passer, Wilson had to be bailed out by most of his throws 15+ yards downfield that were completed. He also looked slow and caused a few pressures himself. I will touch on the quarterback situation below, but if you want the Cliff Notes version? There is no shot I am making a move at quarterback in the first month. No matter what. Thankfully Dallas traded away the best pass rusher in the NFC.
RUNNING BACK
Tyrone Tracy: 10 att – 24 yards / 2 rec – 11 yards
There wasn’t much room to work with for Tracy. The middle of the NYG offensive line was tossed around from start to finish and he was continuously getting contacted at or near the line of scrimmage. On just one carry, I thought he was late to find the crease which could have resulted in an explosive play. For an offense that had just two plays that gained 9+ yards in the first half, that miss could have meant something for one of least explosive offenses in the NFL the past few years. He also dropped a pass (that was nearly a fumble).
-Cam Skattebo got into the game and created a few positives. On his first drive of game action, he threw an excellent block in pass protection and then created a couple missed tackles on a short pass. He had 12 yards on 2 catches but lost three yards on two carries. There is a different level of physicality and punch to the offense when he is in there. As much as I know the NYG coaches and front office members tell the media how much they love Tracy, Skattebo is just different. And different is what this offense needs.
WIDE RECEIVER
Malik Nabers: 5 rec – 71 yards
Nabers averaged about 80 yards per game as a rookie. Week 1 as a sophomore was not too far off from that, but the fact he was targeted a game-high 12 times was the struggle point. Bringing in 42% of his targets is far below what can be considered acceptable, so what happened? The ball was almost never put where it needed to be. Under throws, over throws, wide throws, balls batted at the line, Wilson hit as he threw…all of the above. Nabers was sulking for the majority of the second half and understandably so. Even a couple of the plays he made were only a result of him creating from a poor situation whether it was a badly-timed throw or poorly-placed ball location. Nabers’ routes, releases, and play strength all look top notch. Perhaps the lack of reps with Wilson over summer threw off the chemistry they need to have. No matter what, if this NYG offense plans to reach even 80% of their ceiling, Nabers needs to catch 60+% of those targets. He is so good that if and when that number becomes automatic, the perception of games will change in an instant.
Wan’Dale Robinson: 6 rec – 55 yards
Very solid game by the fourth-year pro. Four of those catches came in the first quarter, as he was a clear focus of the preliminary offensive game plan. On an offense without a true number two receiver, Robinson is going to get his shot. He excelled at quickly gaining yards after the catch. Four of his catches resulted in a first down, but his most impactful moment may have been the 3rd-and-13 play where he gained a fast 12 and a half yards, leaving them with 4th-and-inches which they successfully converted. Robinson brought in a 20-yard catch in the fourth quarter on the best throw of the day by Wilson. He had just one catch of 20 yards in 2024. He also was the team’s primary kick returner, gaining 41 yards on two attempts.
No other NYG receiver caught a pass. Darius Slayton was targeted just once and it was a terrible miscall by the refs to not call pass interference on the 1st-down deep ball.
TIGHT END
-Following an offseason where the second-year developmental project had to rehab a foot injury, Theo Johnson blew two opportunities. He dropped a second-down pass in the red zone that could have easily put them inside the five-yard line and then dropped another in the third quarter on a 3rd-and-10 attempt. There wasn’t much he could have done after the catch there, but the fact remains Johnson, who led NFL tight ends in drop rate last season, is not a smooth pass catcher. As a blocker, there isn’t much to report. NYG ran away from him most of his snaps, but he did get solid contact for the most part. He missed a Freddie Luvu block in the second half that created a stop for the WAS defense, but overall his mechanics and strength looked solid.
-The forgotten Daniel Bellinger caught his only target for 14 yards. It was an impressive, contested catch near the end zone in the fourth quarter while the game was hanging on by a thread. If NYG had mounted a comeback, this would have been a play many talked about as a turning point.
-Chris Manhertz made a couple of key blocks on his limited snaps.
OFFENSIVE LINE
-The Andrew Thomas injury snuck under the radar. The entire preseason/training camp period it seemed like they were keeping the former All-Pro on the sideline for preservation more so than recovery. That was wrong. Thomas missed Week One and he is likely to miss Week Two (at least). Over the last two seasons, this team is now 3-16 without Thomas with an average just barely over 14 points per game.
-We can start off with their prized offensive free agent signing this past offseason outside of the one-year rental Russell Wilson. The offense that has finished bottom three in points scored four of the last five seasons brought in James Hudson to fix their shortcomings. After a poor preseason where I was very concerned by the tape, he allowed a game-high 6 pressures, two of which were hits on Wilson that impacted the throw. He looked like what we have gotten used to with the Thomas replacements: terrible. The leash can’t be long with him if Thomas is out longer. Yes, at some point you throw Marcus Mbow in for a quarter and see what happens.
-The interior of the offensive line brings me to a notion that is growing on me more and more when I look at the problems with their personnel. They have too many players good enough to get some playing time, but not good enough to make a consistent positive impact. “Good enough to play, bad enough to suck”.
-Center John Michael Schmitz allowed a sack and a QB hit. He was also seen flailing on the ground trying to keep up with linebackers in space. He plays with minimal people-moving power and I don’t trust the adjustment-speed when teams play tricks up front with athletic interior pass rushers.
-Guards Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten both allowed a TFL and multiple pressures. While they weren’t getting torched for sacks, they allowed the pocket to shorten and they simply did not win their match-ups in the run game. It was Van Roten in particular who just seemed a step too slow and it caused the leakage up the middle. Their lack of ability to push near the goal line was evident as well.
-Jermaine Eluemunor was flagged for a false start on 3rd-and-8 and then was flagged for lining up too deep late in the game. Those penalties need to stop, but he was clearly more productive in pass protection. He allowed one pressure and stayed on his man in the run game. As frustrating as this offensive line, Eluemunor continues to play with a high floor and a limited ceiling. I’ll take that.
EDGE
-Before I get into my Abdul Carter stance and evaluation, I have to say this edge trio played a fantastic game. Jayden Daniels is approaching Lamar Jackson territory in terms of how difficult he is to rush. Talent aside (and he is loaded with it), Daniels excels at getting the ball out on time but also knows where the pressure is coming from. Even with that, the trio of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter combined for 3 sacks and 6 pressures. Solid day at the office. Burns led the way with 2 sacks and added four tackles. Thibodeaux had a tackle for loss and split a sack with Carter. And lastly, Carter had three pressures (in addition to a half-sack) and 2 tackles.
-Carter played the 11th most snaps on defense and I’m not sure there was a better player on the defense than him. He even blocked a punt on special teams. He and Burns were fantastic. While I understand the notion of spreading out snaps and keeping players fresh, Carter should have been on the field more especially with the early injury to Micah McFadden and the need for a spy on Daniels (which Carter was tasked with for 3 or 4 snaps). The fair question is, who comes off the field if Carter needs to play more? If it is too hard to schematically keep the trio of edge guys on the field, Carter should see more snaps at inside linebacker especially in a defensive game plan that needs to defend the mobile Daniels. This brings me back to a question I asked before and after the draft (and took some heat for it)…is Shane Bowen the right guy to call the defense with this unique personnel?
-Chauncey Gholston played a very quiet 11 snaps.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
-There were some worries about Dexter Lawrence’s availability due to a potential family priority (his wife is due any day now). Lawrence was on the field, but he was barely heard from. He made three tackles (all in the first half) and was shutout as a pass rusher. After a preseason that didn’t have him on the field for a single snap, Lawrence looked gassed in the second half. While his power and stoutness were fine, he did not seem to have any stretches of play where he was repeatedly winning over and over like we are used to seeing. He did see a lot of double teams though.
-Roy Robertson-Harris had a very quiet debut in an NYG uniform and Rakeem Nunez-Roches was put on ice skates a few times in run defense. He was also flagged for an outside run. Broadcaster Tom Brady spoke about his time with “Nacho” when they were teammates in Tampa Bay and he repeated something we have heard of a few times. “Full of energy” and “fun guy.” That’s all great but when do we ever hear anything about his play on the field? The options next to Dexter Lawrence don’t look promising.
-D.J. Davidson and Elijah Garcia both did nothing in backup roles.
LINEBACKER
-Bobby Okereke had 16 tackles which was by the most by any defender in the NFL Week One (not including the Monday night game). The reason I’m not celebrating that is the fact the vast majority of them were 5+ yards down field. Okereke looks very solid between the tackles, but he has multiple plays in space where he just looked old and stiff. He was playing tall and was juked out of his shoes by Austin Ekeler in the fourth quarter on a play he ended up making the tackle 15 yards later. He tripped over his shoelaces a few times and that got my attention. If he isn’t stable and quick, he is a liability in this particular situation.
-Micah McFadden went down with what appeared to be a serious lower leg injury on a tackle where he got bent in the wrong position. Reports are saying he did not break his leg which was a surprise to me. Second-year seventh rounder Darius Muasau came in and played 38 snaps (same as Abdul Carter). Washington attacked him in coverage (the weak point to his game) right away and he allowed a touchdown to tight end Zach Ertz. He was barely heard from all game and was unable to get off blocks. Not a good showing for him.
CORNERNBACK
-A common discussion pre-Week One was the position battle between Deonte Banks and Cor’Dale Flott. Size and speed versus a more reliable skill set and understanding of the game. Flott out-snapped Banks 59-11. Flott broke up a pass and added 3 tackles but he did allow a couple catches for 52 yards combined, most on the team.
-Paulson Adebo was fairly quiet in his debut with his new team. He had 7 tackles, majority of which were against the run. He limited yards after catch well and I trust his eyes. He moved well in coverage and he plays big.
-Nickel Andru Phillips showed more of what we saw a year ago. High level, physical tackles behind or around the line of scrimmage, but he also was one of two defenders to miss multiple tackles, one of which resulted in a touchdown. He plays so fast and aggressive, which I like, but he needs to show more control. He is still a young player and I would rather see these mistakes than indecisive ones or a lack of hustle.
SAFETY
-The other defender to miss multiple tackles was the other second-year defensive back, Tyler Nubin. He was also flagged for defensive holding and allowed both pass attempts thrown in his direction to be completed.
-New safety Jevon Holland played all 70 snaps in his debut with the Giants and had a solid showing. He had 7 tackles and allowed just one completion. His one negative was a holding penalty and he was saved by a poor throw on a play he got beat deep.
-Dane Belton had a tackle and a pressure. He also allowed a reception that went for 12 yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS
-K Graham Gano: 2/2 (Made 21, 55)
-P Jamie Gillan: 6 punts / 47.8 avg – 41.2 net
3 STUDS
-ED Brian Burns, ED Abdul Carter, WR Wan’Dale Robinson
3 DUDS
-OT James Hudson, OG Greg Van Roten, DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches
3 THOUGHTS ON WAS
(1) I’m sure some will assume I am jumping the gun here, but this is what I believe. Jayden Daniels is going to be on the Lamar Jackson level within two years. He is on the trajectory Lamar was in 2018-2019 but faster. He understands the game, how to manipulate angles with his speed and swiftness, and can make every throw with ease. The biggest issue a team that will need to face him for decade barring injury? He does what he needs to a defense when he needs to do it, period. It may not always work (that is the case with every QB, even great ones) but the vast majority of his games he is going to dictate what happens. It looks easy and relaxed for him.
(2) The combination of Dan Quinn calling the defensive side and Kliff Kingsbury in control of the offense is something worth noting. There is no set template on how to build the coaching staff, but there is something to be said about finding a defensive guru to run that side of the ball and be completely hands off on the other side. Say what you want about how things fell apart for Quinn in Atlanta and their Super Bowl collapse. But his defensive coaching resume is up there with the best in football and he gets his guys to play fast and physical. We’ve seen Todd Bowles succeed in his second opportunity. We are watching Raheem Morris get his second shot. Perhaps Robert Saleh is next? Brandon Staley?
(3) I picked Washington to finish 2nd in the NFC East but with the third-best record in the conference. They’re here to stay. Coaching? Check. Quarterback? Check. Front Office? Check. While they had a fairly easy ride in 2024 with their schedule, their impressive postseason run showed they can win in a variety of ways. They can smoke you with elite quarterback play, grind you out with a versatile running game, and now make you guess with multiple weapons in the passing game. The one roadblock I’m not sold on yet is their pass defense. I do not love their cornerbacks and that was confirmed via watching a receiver like Nabers run routes against them. I also don’t know about their pass rush depth. You aren’t going to see 9 pressures from Dorance Armstrong (a career high by the way) very often unless Washington plays the Giants 16 more times this season.
3 CLOSING THOUGHTS
(1) Like the sun rises in the morning, I sit here struggling to write about not overreacting after a poor Week One. After all, I’ve had plenty of practice. NYG is 2-13 in their last 15 Week One games. The average score? 27-15. A margin of nearly two touchdowns. Over that span, they’ve had five head coaches and three general managers. One front office staffer has been with the organization in a personnel evaluation/team building role. You can have one guess who he is related to. Nonetheless, I don’t have any words about the avoidance of overreaction beyond what I have used in recent years. The good news? Objectively it is the same result as a 41-40 loss and NYG has 16 games remaining. A lot of perceptions can change with a solid game (and win) in Dallas just a few days from now.
(2) NYG’s first choice was a trade up for Cam Ward. Once they found out that wasn’t going to happen, they double-dipped in free agency. Not just one, both two quarterbacks with a lot of starting experience. Then, they trade up for Dart after going elsewhere with their initial first round selection. It was a situation made for a rookie quarterback to sit. Fast forward through an impressive training camp and preseason that showed Daboll’s obvious infatuation with Dart, and then a poor Week One offensive showing, we now have a perceived quarterback competition to some. If Daboll gives the nod to Dart, we know he is feeling the heat on his own seat as head coach. I can’t imagine it was ever the plan to put him on the field as the starter in the front half of the season, let alone in the first month. Not with two veterans in front of him. I’ll go as far as saying Daboll has zero confidence in the plan they made last spring if we see Dart listed as a starter in the next three weeks (against a crazy-hard schedule of pass defenses behind a poor offensive line by the way). If a coach doesn’t have confidence in his own plan, show him the door.
(3) Listen to this. Starting at the 10:24 mark in the second quarter, Washington had the ball:
- 2nd-and-16: Gained 16 yards = first down
- 2nd-and-19: Gained 13 yards then 11 yards = first down
- 2nd-and-21: Gained 9 yards then 21 yards = first down
- 2nd-and-19: Gained 8 yards then incomplete pass = punt
- 2nd-and-14: Defensive Holding = first down
- 2nd-and-17: Gained 12 yards then 19 yards = first down
That right there is atrocious. The odds of going backwards on first down and then converting a first down in this league are miniscule. Negative first down plays feed right into what this defense is supposed to feed off of. Not only did that not happen, but Washington toyed with NYG where they’re supposed to be strong. What an embarrassing performance by Shane Bowen and the players. Washington shot themselves in the foot a few times and still averaged 7 yards per carry and just under 8 yards per pass attempt. I’m not sure what’s worse to be honest. Get torched all game for 50 points or still get pummeled despite getting multiple head starts. Imagine you raced someone on a 100-yard dash. You got a 20-yard head start every time and kept losing. That was the NYG defense after the 10:24 mark in the second quarter.