There can be few things in the NFL less important than who won and who lost the final preseason game. It’s almost all about giving some work to players who need it, getting one final data point on the players who are on the roster bubble, avoiding injuries, and possibly showcasing players who aren’t going to make the 53-man roster but might bring something in a trade before cuts begin. Thursday’s 42-10 victory over the New England Patriots was the New York Giants’ third consecutive dominating offensive showing, something we’re not used to with this team. How much of a bellwether of the season it is, is hard to say.
Jaxson Dart could start, but he shouldn’t
We saw three games with extended periods of action from Jaxson Dart in the preseason. You could easily make the argument that he could start for the Giants in Week 1. In each one he’s looked composed in the pocket, he’s thrown with anticipation, he’s read the defense and made quick decisions, he’s climbed the pocket to escape pressure while still keeping his eyes downfield to complete passes, he’s taken off to run but only when he had to. He’s just looked like the moment is not too big for him.
Brian Daboll has been through this before, with Josh Allen. Allen was a raw talent who was not ready to play when the Buffalo Bills traded up to get him in 2018. However, Buffalo had traded their previous year’s starter, Tyrod Tyalor, and the ostensible starting quarterback was Nathan Peterman. Peterman lasted all of one game, a 47-3 thrashing by Baltimore in which he went 5 of 18 for 24 yards with 2 interceptions. Allen became the starter the next week. He was pretty poor as a rookie, completing only 53% of his passes with more interceptions than touchdowns. It wasn’t until his third season that Allen (with the addition of Stefon Diggs) became the top-tier QB we know today.
Dart seems much more polished than Allen at this stage. He’s looked like he has full command of the offense. He’s developed chemistry with several receivers, including Gunner Olszewski, of all people, and tight end Greg Dulcich. He only went 6-of-12 tonight, but that was only because three of his passes were dropped. You could easily imagine Brian Daboll starting him in Washington in Week 1.
Daboll doesn’t have Nathan Peterman as his ostensible starter, though. He has Russell Wilson, who has looked as if he still has it in his two preseason appearances. He also has Jameis Winston, who entered the game when Dart took off with the ball, got a bit too greedy and had to be taken to the medical tent. Winston replaced him and immediately threw a touchdown pass. The likely odd man out, Tommy DeVito, has frankly looked as good as any of them (17 of 20 for 198 yards and 3 TDs tonight) albeit in mop-up action. And all of this has been without Malik Nabers even seeing the field.
Is what was the shallowest quarterback room in the NFL last season suddenly the deepest quarterback room in the NFL? If so, is there any reason to entrust the season to a rookie when the schedule for the first half of the season looks like a murderer’s row of contenders? Better to give Russell Wilson the chance to get the Giants going against the formidable teams they will face in the first half of the schedule.
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How do you keep Greg Dulcich and Thomas Fidone II off the 53?
The Giants at this point have five tight ends who could plausibly make the 53-man roster. Chris Manhertz and Daniel Bellinger saw little preseason action. Maybe that’s just a sign that both have made the team and Daboll wanted to look at the rest. Theo Johnson didn’t play vs. New England, surely a sign that he will be the starter in 1-TE sets when the season opens. That leaves Dulcich and rookie seventh-round pick Thomas Fidone II, both of whom have caught almost everything that has come their way. Dulcich has 3 TDs to Fidone’s 1, but Fidone has more yards. Dulcich is the weakest blocker of all the tight ends.
I don’t claim to know the answer. It’s a good problem to have.
Do the Giants have a good defense?
This post is supposed to be about what we know. I’m not sure how much we have learned about the Giants’ defense, though. They looked passable but nothing special in their first game in Buffalo, and that was without Josh Allen seeing the field. Individual performances such as Abdul Carter’s three pressures in three rushes stood out. Last week they looked good after the first quarter, but that was against quarterbacks who don’t stress a defense. This week Drake Maye stayed on the sideline and the defense faced the Patriots backups, who did little. The Giants did have 9 pressures, but none by Carter. The only sack was by Tomon Fox. Rookie Darius Alexander was a bit more active tonight. Trace Ford, fighting for a roster spot, had 2 pressures but also 4 tackles and an assist in the running game. Cor’Dale Flott had a pass defensed, and O’Donnell Fortune, fighting for a roster spot, had two pass breakups, while TJ Moore had a pick-six before being injured.
Really, though, the Giants know nothing about their defense heading into the season. They will go from facing Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields, and Ben Woolridge this month to facing Jayden Daniels when the calender turns to September. In theory, the additions of Abdul Carter, Chauncey Golston, Roy Robertson-Harris, Jevon Holland, and Paulson Adebo have tightened up the defense. In practice, we’ll have to wait and see.
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