The annual Giant’s -Patriots preseason game is now behind us and we have gained as much insight as one can expect considering the patriots played none of their starters.
Offensive Line & Quarterbacks
You may have heard some panic about the offensive line yet the New York quarterbacks had more time in the pocket Thursday than they have had in the last two years combined. The pressures Daniel Jones faced were directly the result of the two rookies, Joshua Ezeudu and Evan Neal finding their footing in their first pro game.
Ezeudu saw some time earlier and longer than expected since Shane Lemieux and Jamil Douglas went down with injuries. Yes, Jones got hit four times and the Giant offensive line depth got hit twice, but at least we saw something we have not for a long time, a pocket. The QBs had a clear pocket form around them the majority of the time not that any of the quarterback performances should make fans comfortable.
Hopefully, Jones can learn from Taylor, particularly on how to scramble and throw the ball away. Even with a pocket Jones is slow to make decisions and those who think Taylor should be the starter need to consider his inconsistent accuracy and habit of tossing tipped balls. On a good note the QB’s were good selling the RPO and reverses.
Fun Play Call, Yes Fun
The play call was varied and even in a preseason game more creative than Giant fans have seen in a while as far as non-trick plays are concerned. Just because you see the tight end or a guard pull does not necessarily mean it’s a run. A modern offense for the Giants is like discovering peanut butter for the first time, tasty and the possibilities are endless. They used many different formations but what we didn’t see was much pre-snap movement which is likely to show up later.
The Run Game
The run game was quite promising making mediocre backs look good. It was a delight to see Evan Neal’s large frame blocking five yards down the field. The running backs ran well but I am giving credit to the line for their performance. Gary Brightwell had major issues in pass protection and I personally was more impressed with those buried on the depth chart. Jashaun Corbin and Sandro Platzgummer looked quicker and had better field vision than Gary Brightwell or Antonio Williams. Rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger saw extended time due to injuries, looked good in the run game but was also suspect in pass protection.
Wide Receivers
I would not expect any surprise wide receivers on the final roster. 6’6″Colin Johnson had a good statistical game but he is not as fluid as Richie James, but then again, you can’t teach height. The usual suspect plus C.J Board will likely be the six for none of the other receivers really helped their case. I hate to give any fuel to the nay-sayers out there but Kenny Golladay does not seem like a big-time wide receiver. He does not have the on-field presence of say Plaxico Burress or Hakeem Nix and certainly not the hands. He needs to get his groove back in a serious way.
Defense
Considering they were facing the Patriot’s second string I find the starting run defense slightly concerning but the defense, in general, is fun to watch. You can’t tell who is coming or going and not only was Thibodeaux in coverage, at one point so was 328-pound D.J Davidson dropping back. Thibodeaux was unable to make penetration but set the edge well in against the run. Darrian Beavers got the start and played well as did fellow rookie linebacker Micah McFadden. here was lots of blitzing from the secondary and much like in practices, Julian Love is very quick around the edge and takes the most direct path to the QB.
The Patriots seemed to only throw at Aaron Robinson or Zyron Gilbert the entire game. Aaron lost some of the battles but that was partially due to Patriots veteran QB Brian Hoyer being very accurate. If the league insists on calling more penalties like some of the ones called on Thursday it is going to be a frustrating season for fans as the game is pushed closer to flag football.
Special Teams
There was concern about punter Jamie Gillan’s hang time but he it was not an issue Thursday night. Kick and punt coverage on the other hand showed it needed a lot of work. For the Giants, Corbin returned all three kicks for 74 yards and C.J. Board returned the only punt for six yards.
Fans Should Stop Expecting a High-Flying Offense and Settle for Consistency