There wasn’t a ton to like about the New York Giants’ performance in their preseason-opening loss to the Detroit Lions on Friday night, but there was some. Safety Jason Pinnock tops that short list.
Pinnock played just five snaps in the first quarter before being yanked by head coach Brian Daboll. Normally, that’s the result of poor play but in the case of Pinnock, it was the exact opposite — he got benched for stellar play.
“We were going to play him in roughly 10 to 12 plays, but he had some productive plays early on. So, we got him out, gave some other guys some opportunity. But, pretty productive day for a short amount of time,” Daboll told reporters after the game.
That’s understated. In Pinnock’s five snaps, he recorded an interception, a tackle for a loss and two passes defensed, one of which came on a key fourth-down stop. It was one of the most dominant five-snap performances in preseason history.
“He’s athletic. He’s explosive. He was a good addition to our team last year. He played a bunch of special teams but I think he’s done a good job here in camp. Made the most of his opportunity in the short amount of plays, keep grinding along with him. But he’s done a nice job for us,” Daboll said.
Pinnock has been tasked with replacing former team captain Julian Love, who departed via free agency earlier this year, leaving an apparent void in the secondary. But the Giants didn’t panic and had confidence in Pinnock and defensive back Nick McCloud, both of whom are poised to play key roles this season.
If early returns are any indication, the Giants might have actually gotten better at the safety position with Pinnock back there. And his Friday night performance was no flash in the pan — he’s been dominant throughout training camp, which was highlighted by a viral one-handed interception over tight end Darren Waller.
