Game overview:
The takeaway is obvious, from afar...just using the box score/final score and not watching this affair. The overview is: Houston destroys the hapless Giants because Daniel Jones is the worst.
I know that was my takeaway after I saw the box score unfolding on Saturday.
However, it was a bit of a different story when I watched it back on tape to study it...
It was a battle of the mostly 1st-teams between NYG and Houston, so an interesting test for the debut of Daniel Jones among other storylines and battles to observe. In general, for this game, if I had to sum my ‘feelings’ of it up in a quick statement – I’d say the Texans looked good, played inspired, and were a bit arrogant/cocky...while the Giants punched their own selves in the face early...but then big credit to them, they got up off the mat and fought back. They were the underdog in the fight – but the key, for me, was the Giants got up and fought back...they didn’t lay down. NYG has a lot of young talent, and that group did not wilt in the face of adversity.
Let me give some examples of what I mean about NYG here...
The Giants went three-and-out and punted on the first drive of the game. The Texans then drove down to the 9-yard line, on their first drive...and they ran six plays to try and cap off the drive with a TD – but the Giants stiffened up and held them off. Turnover on downs forced by NYG.
The Giants get the ball back and Jones was getting sacked in the end zone, so he throws a floater out to a receiver in desperation to rid himself of a safety...and right to a Texans defender for an easy pick six. An utterly stupid play by Jones.
But then the Giants get the ball right back and ‘gets up off the mat’ and drives down the field on the Texans mostly 1st-team defense. Jones takes a shot at a 30+ yard TD strike, but underthrows it drastically, and it’s picked. Had Jones made a decent throw...it’s a TD response to the adversity of the pick-six the drive before.
Houston has the ball back, 1st-team offense...and the Giants ‘get up off the mat’ again and halt the Texans for a punt. The Giants get the ball back, after back-to-back turnovers by their offense...and they go right down the field and score a TD...albeit on the Texans 2nd-team defense.
The Giants immediately intercepted a Case Keenum pass on the ensuing Houston drive, which was going to put the game back into NYG’s hands...but defensive offsides negated it...and then Houston went on to drive for a TD in a battle of the 2nd-teams now. But the Giants answered that back with a 12 play drive that ended in a field goal.
14-10 Texans at the half...take away the stupid Dan Dimes early pick six...and the Giants would be in charge at 10-7, despite the gaffes...despite all the negatives that happened, the Giants kept scratching and clawing back. That’s the sign of a well-coached team...a collection of talent...and a team with a backbone. All things they showed in Preseason Week 1.
I’m not saying it’s perfect with NYG, not at all, and Dan Jones is likely to kill off all the upside...but this Giants team has a lot of young talent and some fight. I think they could be a shock contender in the NFC East despite Daniel Jones...and we’re only 2 years removed from Dan Jones winning a playoff game, so...
Houston was fine here. They are very well-coached/inspired...it’s still a collegiate, excited atmosphere on their sidelines...a lot of unity and talent. But NYG is the team that keeps catching my eye...despite the GM being a goof on streaming television (and what GM isn’t a scared goof in the NFL? Hell, most teams/GMs are overridden by the unqualified owners making decisions), and despite Daniel Jones being a bottom five NFL QB starting Week 1...the Giants could make noise in the NFC East.
The Giants are a QB away...and maybe they find one during the 53-man roster period in a week or so. If I were the Giants GM, I’d wait for Pitt to cut Kyle Allen and pounce on him...to see if his 2024 preseason debut was real or could add some veteran stability. Or if KC cuts Chris Oladokun, I’d be all over that – heck, make Mike Kafka call his old coach and see if he can get him in a cheap deal. Do something. Drew Lock is not an answer. The GM needs to do something to save this season's opportunity...and his job.
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- Dan Jones (11-18 for 138 yards, 0 TD/2 INTs) threw the two picks and everyone is mocking him, and I get that...I don’t like him either. But the thing I noticed in this game – he’s got open receivers (that we’ll discuss in detail) to throw to...he’s got talent on the outside running wild that needs the ball. He’s got opportunity all around him.
However, Daniel Jones is from a bygone era of QB play. He’s a game manager, he’s not a swashbuckling, aggressive, attacking new age QB. And when the Giants need him to step up and be Brett Favre or Patrick Mahomes-like...he can’t. It’s not in his DNA.
Like, if the Giants had somehow acquired Michael Penix (and still had Nabers) – I’d say the Giants would win the NFC East this season...or make it a challenge. Dan Jones at QB puts the pressure on them collapsing rather than contending...but they still have a chance to contend. If they could somehow find a real QB...or if Jones is only mildly bad not totally awful.
If I were the Giants GM, I’d throw everything I had at getting an Andy Dalton...it shouldn’t take much. Do something...anything to prepare for the Dan Dimes collapse, and thus firing of everyone. But...they (mgt) are the ones who went all in on Dimes, so they deserve the firings if/when it happens.
I think the Giants would be better suited to start Tommy DeVito because he is an aggressive thrower and showed late season that he’s ‘got something’...but I doubt Brian Daboll has the guts. Daboll is more into Drew Lock being a Josh Allen wannabe that Daboll thinks he can coach into being Allen...more reason Daboll is gonna get fired by his own decisions.
-- Malik Nabers (4-54-0/6) finally got targets in this game...and catches! At least Dan Jones seemed smart enough to just throw the ball in Nabers' general direction. That’s the best hope we can have for Nabers...but Jones at QB suppresses Nabers FF upside to some degree...even if he winds up a WR1...he could’ve wound up the #1 WR in all of Fantasy if not for Jones.
Nabers looked great as always. He just looks like a star.
-- Giants WR report...
Jalin Hyatt (0-0-0/2) gets lost in all this mess. He loses out on not only Daniel Jones being a terrible downfield passer, but he lives in the giant shadow of Malik Nabers. Hyatt is pretty good...but dead for FF 2024.
Darius Slayton (3-59-0/3) is also buried here, like always...but he’s a nice NFL WR to have in a rotation...with Nabers-Hyatt-Wan’Dale...the Giants have weapons, but they are going to waste their upside with Dan Dimes.
One of our FFM fave UDFA rookies, WR John Jiles (1-20-0/1) made a nice route/catch and run for 20 yards, but as he got tackled a defender just took the ball from him like a pickpocket and erased all the good vibes of the play. Jiles is showing some life, but if you think Hyatt-Slayton-Wan’Dale-Hodgins-ARob are buried here...
Jiles should make the practice squad.
-- Giants RB report...
Devin Singletary (10-20-1, 0-0-0/1) got a good amount of work in here...and his output was a reminder of how ‘a lot of touches’ is exciting and all...but if you’re a marginal talent and the overall offense/offensive line is suspect – it doesn’t equal FF gold, just because of ‘touches’.
Tyrone Tracy (DNP) will have a window of opportunity here as the season goes on, if Singletary is scuffling and the Giants are losing and desperate for a spark.
Lorenzo Lingard (2-13-0) is a 2024 UDFA out of Akron, and he has some skills...a former five-star recruit for Miami, but his career has not gone as anyone hoped. He has practice squad potential, maybe.
-- OK, enough Giants love/talk from me, let’s talk about Houston...
The Texans ran their 1st-team offense for three series and were pretty good, against a game NYG defense. I don’t know...I can’t put my finger on it...but the Texans offense/passing game looks sloppy...looks full of itself with the WR trio. It’s not tight this preseason...it’s loose...it’s not surgical/meticulous – not like watching Joe Burrow in the preseason, or even Bo Nix to a degree. I don’t know how to describe it. This doesn’t look like a well-oiled machine as much as it does a backyard football event.
Maybe/likely they’ll buckle down come the regular season...but they just look a little full of themselves, a little ahead of themselves right now.
-- Texans RB report...
Dameon Pierce (4-5-0) is about to play himself off this team. I thought it was premature, this summer, to write him off...but it looks like it’s time to write him off...or at least give him a fresh start elsewhere.
If Pierce goes, Cam Akers (6-29-0) will potentially be the #2 back...which is dicey coming off an achilles tear/surgery so quickly.
The rookie RB that impressed me here was not UDFA British Brooks (5-23-2) and his two TDs, but drafted rookie Jawhar Jordan (8-16-0, 4-42-0/5). Jordan was ‘silky’ in this game...just moves like a snake, slithering and quick. He ran the ball OK but really added a spark in the passing game. Jordan is a wiry RB, but he took some hits in this game that I thought would’ve broken him, but he got up like it was nothing – tough, slippery...he’s set to make the team, especially if Pierce gets ditched.
-- Texans WR report...
Everyone is making a big deal about Tank Dell (0-0-0/1) being on the sidelines and the Texans running a lot of two TE sets here. I am not worried at all. The Texans were running/practicing two TE sets in this game...which is what the preseason is for. Brevin Jordan (2-16-0/2) was in more than Dell...but it was just working on those looks, which they will run with Schultz-Stover or Schultz-Jordan.
But when it was passing time, there was Dell. And Tank’s lone target here – was a TD shot in the red zone on a slant inside, but the ball got batted down at the line of scrimmage. Dell doesn’t need to be in every play. He’ll get his share of the work/output...and thrive with all the attention on the other WRs. He is Stroud’s favorite target...that won’t starve to death...quite the contrary...
John Metchie (6-68-1/7) had nice stats, but just doesn’t look like a real starting NFL WR. He’s lost his juice.
-- Texans TE report...
Brevin Jordan, by the way, did look quite interesting working in this passing game. More touches away from Dalton Schultz, perhaps. Jordan is a pass game TE, who looks like he’s trying to become some version of Jonnu Smith.
Last week, Cade Stover (0-0-0/1) got work in the two TE sets. This week, it was a Brevin push. Brevin Jordan will likely see more action in FF 2024 than Stover. The future is Stover as the Schultz.
-- IDP Notes...
Jalen Pitre (2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 pick-six) was the one who had the pick-six on Dan Jones early...because Pitre was working as a slot corner here, most all the game...not as a safety. I talked about this possibility from some camp intel I had earlier this summer...and it looks like it’s happening – with Eric Murray at safety in his place.
My new NYG fave rookie UDFA from last week, ILB Darius Muasau (3 tackles) had an other good showing. I think he makes the team and is somebody in the future...just depth in 2024.
My new-new favorite NYG rookie UDFA is DT Elijah Chapman (2 tackles). Why? Watch this one play (the video will go right to at the 5:55 mark)...watch a running back break free...and watch a 5’11/280+ pound DT go in pursuit of him with a 5-yard head start for the RB...it’s stunning: https://youtu.be/xhAP-E6i2Ck?si=N6tvZb8qCXb1UqiZ&t=355
The best play of the preseason.
