THE STORYLINE:
Training camp is already officially over. In less than a week, the preseason will be over. In 11 days, teams will be required to pare their rosters to 53. In other words, it’s about to get real very quickly.
To date, it’s been mostly a very positive summer for the New York Giants. Training camp has been productive and upbeat. The new additions have been promising. There have not been any new significant injuries. The Giants looked good in the opening preseason game against a Super Bowl contender. And the team just completed two quality practices against the New York Jets. The defense has a chance to be really good.
The potential problems? Andrew Thomas has not practiced or played since October 2024. Malik Nabers has not practiced much this summer and what appears to be a chronic issue with a toe will have to be “managed” all season. Cam Skattebo has missed virtually all of spring and summer with a hamstring injury. There are still talent or depth questions at certain spots, specifically at wide receiver, cornerback, and the offensive line.
After barely playing his starters for two straight preseasons, Brian Daboll may have had a “come to Jesus” moment this summer. “There’s no substitute for tackling,” said Daboll on Thursday. “There’s no substitute for cleaning the pocket. There’s no substitute for run after catch when you’re going to get hit. There’s no substitute for being live as a quarterback in the pocket.”
The starters played in the opener (one series for the offense, two for the defense). We should see them play more in what usually is considered the main dress rehearsal for both teams. If the Giants play poorly, is it the end of the world? No. But this is a game where you usually want to look pretty sharp, at least by preseason standards.
THE INJURY REPORT:
Andrew Thomas, Victor Dimukeje, and Eric Gray remain on the PUP.
Not practicing on Wednesday due to injury were RB Cam Skattebo (hamstring), WR Malik Nabers (unknown), WR Da’Quan Felton (unknown), TE Chris Manhertz (unknown), ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (unknown), CB Deonte Banks (unknown), and CB Tre Hawkins (hamstring). WR Darius Slayton (unknown) and WR Jalin Hyatt (unknown) were limited. S Tyler Nubin (unknown) left practice early.
NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
While many will continue to heavily focus on the quarterbacks, and for good reason, my primary attention will be directed towards the offensive line. The first-, second-, and third-team lines played well against a talented Buffalo Bills defensive front. They may face a even tougher challenge against the New York Jets. The longer Andrew Thomas remains on the sideline, the more important James Hudson becomes. He had two penalties on one drive against the Bills. Hudson needs to clean that up. In addition, while the Giants performed well in pass protection last Saturday (no sacks in 51 drop backs), the ground game was not particularly productive. It would be nice to see Tyrone Tracy or Devin Singletary break off some decent gains.
The only real competition for a starting spot on offense is right guard. Greg Van Roten remains the favorite. Evan Neal missed the Bills game and one joint practice. I would hope and expect him to play quite a bit on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if he gets time with the starting unit, or just the second team. The injury-prone Neal also simply cannot afford to get dinged again.
We also need to see if the back-ups can replicate their promising play for a second game in a row. “I sent a message to them after the (Bills) game that I’ve never played in a pocket like this,” said QB Jaxson Dart earlier this week. Guys to watch include Marcus Mbow, Josh Ezeudu, Aaron Stinnie, and Bryan Hudson. Jake Kubas needs a rebound game or he may be Practice Squad bound.
Tight end is going to be a very tough call. There is room for four on the 53-man roster, but not five. Theo Johnson is the starter. Someone else is going to be traded or cut among Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich, and Thomas Fidone.
The wide receiver spot worries me. The Giants are a completely different offense when Malik Nabers doesn’t play. Darius Slayton has been dinged up and fairly quiet this summer. Wan’Dale Robinson has been just OK. Jalin Hyatt has missed way too much time, fueling legitimate fears he is a bust. There have been some pleasant surprises such as Beaux Collins, Montrell Washington, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, but do those three really scare anyone? It would be nice for someone other than Nabers to make some big plays. The final push for a roster spot begins now and ends Thursday. (Keep in mind that Gabe Davis still lurks and knows Daboll’s system).
New York’s depth at running back makes the Skattebo injury much more tolerable, but it still sucks that he’s still out and so far behind. But it has opened the door for Turbo Miller, who Daboll said was the MVP of the first preseason game. He’s still not a lock to make the 53-man roster, but another strong game will certainly help his cause.
Which brings us to everyone’s favorite topic – quarterback. There is no question that Russell Wilson is the starter. In the first preseason game, there was a lot of dinking and dunking to the tight ends on his one drive. We have yet to see the famous “moon ball” in action, but also keep in mind that Nabers, Slayton, and Hyatt (the team’s three vertical deep threats) have been out too. Thus, we still may not see it, or see it executed successfully. Personally, I’m hoping Wilson and the starters play at least one quarter.
As for Jaxson Dart, I’d play him the bulk of the second and third quarters. The more he plays now and gets those mistakes out of his system now, the better. And yes, there will be mistakes. The critics are salivating at the thought of them. Don’t pay them any heed. Errors come with the growth process.
NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
It’s becoming clear that the New York Giants’ pass rush is real. They honestly have the potential to be the most dangerous pass-rushing unit in the entire NFL. Most media and fan attention has centered on Abdul Carter, and the early returns have been exceptionally promising. But do not sleep on Brian Burns. He dominated the practices against the Jets, including two first-round picks on the offensive line. He’s also becoming the emotional leader of the defense. What’s particularly exciting is that we have not seen a fully engaged Dexter Lawrence yet. Watch out NFL.
But what have many of us preached since the draft? The pass rush potential is all fine and good, but in order to get there, you have to stop the run first. It’s still early, but the defense is trending in that direction. The Bills could not run on the Giants. And outside of some Justin Fields runs, the Jets could not either in the joint practices. In this game, my primary focus on the defensive side is not the pass rush, but the run defense. I also hope that Fields does run too. It will be good practice with Jayden Daniels and the Commanders on the horizon.
The primary area of concern is the outside corner spot opposite of Paulson Adebo and overall depth in the the secondary. Cor’Dale Flott has missed a lot of time (again) with an injury. Hopefully he plays in this game (and doesn’t get hurt). He’s insurance in case Tae Banks has another bad season. Depth is a concern too. An injury to Paulson Adebo or Andru Phillips could be devastating. Tre Hawkins is hurt (again). There is an opportunity for one of the relative unknowns to make a statement, but again there is less than a week left. If I’m Joe Schoen, along with wide receiver, this is an area where I am heavily scouting what may be available out there. Channeling ghosts from the past, this team could use an Everson Walls, Dave Thomas, or Sam Madison type.
Some random thoughts heading into the Jets game:
- Cory Durden played surprising early at nose tackle against the Bills. Was that a one-off or should we be watching him more closely?
- I want to see more from Elijah Chatman, who I thought was far too quiet last week.
- Can D.J. Davidson keep building some momentum?
- Darius Alexander was repeatedly mentioned in a positive way during the two joint practices; again, can he build upon that?
- We will get our first look at Chauncey Golston.
- Is there any hidden gem among Art Green, Korie Black, Dee Williams, and O’Donnell Fortune?
NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
If he can stay healthy, Graham Gano may be back. He hit three 50+ yard field goals last Saturday. For those who haven’t noticed, Jamie Gillan is a completely different punter in terms of his directional skills than he was when he first came to the Giants. So far so good.
THE FINAL WORD:
To repeat myself, I am looking at the offensive line and run defense. Still keep in the back of your mind that the Giants’ offense is a different animal with Malik Nabers. This game usually gets feisty and there is a bad history of these teams suffering major injuries in this preseason “rivalry.” So the sooner this is over, the better.