Here are some “things I’m thinking” after the New York Giants’ 28-10 loss to the Houston Texans in Saturday’s preseason game.
I will not freak out
Daniel Jones threw a horrific pick 6 on Saturday that just shouldn’t have happened. Instead of throwing the ball out of his end zone, he double-clutched and then made a desperation throw that ended in a 5-yard touchdown for Houston.
That doesn’t work. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t work.
But… I’m not going to freak out. I’m not going to say Jones is terrible. I’m not going to call for Drew Lock. Or Tommy Devito. Or start counting the days until the Giants draft a new quarterback.
Let’s put this into perspective. Jones said recently that he wouldn’t be thinking about his knee on Saturday. Yet he was standing in the end zone when an attacker rushed at his legs for the first time since his ACL tear. He panicked. Later, he was intercepted by Derek Stingley on a long throw that was actually intended for Jalin Hyatt.
Bad. Bad. Bad.
But…but…but. Jones finished his day 11 of 18 for 138 yards. He managed a 12-yard run. He threw a beautiful 44-yard run to Darius Slayton.
“The first quarter obviously didn’t go the way we wanted it to,” Jones said. “Bad decision and a bad throw. I’d like to see that again. But I think overall we got things going in the second quarter and executed, moved the ball. You want to finish with touchdowns, but I was happy with our response in the second quarter.”
I understand Jones is coming off a terrible season. However, this was a starting point for Jones and the 2024 offense. The quarterback is now hit. He has seen and felt the speed of the game. He and Malik Nabers have played well together on some close plays.
Yes, it was a mixed bag for Jones. Ultimately, the results don’t mean much. Perhaps most importantly, Jones’s surgically treated knee passed the test.
“Physically, I’m feeling good,” Jones said. “My knee felt good. It felt really good. I’m excited to be out there. I’m thankful for everyone who helped me get to this point, all the doctors, trainers and staff we have here.”
The Malik-Nabers effect
Nabers caught four passes for 54 yards. However, the decisive factor was the type of pass catches.
- A 14-yard catch for a first down after a ball that he had to reach back for in the crowd.
- A 16-yard catch on third and 10 kept the drive alive and led to a field goal within the two-minute warning.
- A subsequent contested 21-yard catch on the same drive brought the ball into the red zone.
Nabers is changing the Giants’ passing attack and we saw examples of that on Saturday.
The offensive line was … good
This was without a doubt the most encouraging thing about Saturday. The offensive line played well. LT Andrew Thomas, LG Aaron Stinnie, RG Greg Van Roten, RT Jermaine Eluemunor and the combination of John Michael Schmitz and Austin Schlottman at center were exactly what the Giants need them to be – functional.
Jones had time to throw, which I think even surprised him at times. According to Jordan Ranaan, the starting offense allowed only one pressure in 19 dropbacks. There were well-blocked running plays.
Even in the second half, quarterback Tommy DeVito was given the opportunity to run the offense without having to run for his life.
Match of the day
That’s 6’1″, 275-pound defensive tackle Elijah Chatman preventing a touchdown by outrunning JJ Taylor. The undrafted free agent was really trying hard and in good spirits. As Carl Banks exclaimed on the show, “He just made the football team, folks.”
The depth of the Texans shows
The second half showed the difference between a Super Bowl contender (the Texans) and a team in the process of rebuilding and struggling with depth (the Giants). Houston dominated the second half, holding the Giants scoreless and turning a tight 14-10 halftime game into a comfortable 28-10 victory with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, most of which came against players who will no longer have jobs in the NFL in a few weeks.
Short thoughts
- Defensive tackle DJ Davidson has done himself no favors with his penalties for “unnecessary force on the passer” and offsides. Davidson will not be a dynamic tackle who dictates the game. His job is to not hurt the team when he is on the field.
- I liked that Brian Daboll stuck with the pass after Jones’ rocky start. I especially liked that Daboll gave Jones another chance to hit a deep ball, which he did to Darius Slayton.
- Isaiah Simmons can’t cover true slot receivers in the short areas of the field. He had no chance on a 3-yard touchdown pass to John Metchie.
- The preseason in football can be crazy. At times in the second half, the Giants’ backfield consisted of Jakob Johnson, who signed on Friday, and Joshua Kelley, who signed on Thursday. Unbelievable.
- With Dyontae Johnson, Micah McFadden and Matthew Adams out injured, inside linebacker Darrian Beavers had a chance to make an impact on Saturday. Unfortunately, his performance was poor with a couple of missed tackles. Before suffering a torn ACL in 2022, Beavers looked like a player who could capitalize on his status as a sixth-round pick. That’s not what it looks like anymore.
- Lessons for young players. Wide receiver John Jiles and running back Lorenzo Lingard learned they were no longer in college when both had the ball taken away. Jiles had the ball taken right out of his hands after he caught a pass.
- I don’t think the Giants have found an answer to their cornerback dilemma, and I’d be stunned if they don’t strengthen that position before their game against the Minnesota Vikings on September 8th.
- News after the game that Gunner Olszewski has a groin injury that will likely cost him 2-4 weeks will cost him a place in the squad. It is believed that Olszewski will go on the injured list ahead of the 53-man reduction, meaning he could be recalled during the season if needed.
