The New York Giants faced off against the Carolina Panthers in their second game of the 2023 preseason at MetLife Stadium on Friday night.
The Giants played a good deal of their starters in this game, but some players did not dress for the game, including star running back Saquon Barkley.
Injured players not in uniform: RB Gary Brightwell, WR Cole Beasley, WR Wan'Dale Robinson, WR Collin Johnson, OL Marcus McKethan, OL Tyre Phillips, DL Ryder Anderson, LB Cam Brown, CB Aaron Robinson, S Nick McCloud.
TE Tommy Sweeney also not in uniform.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) August 18, 2023
The Giants looked good early and held on late to pick up the victory.
Final score: Giants 21, Panthers 19
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Giants | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
Keys to the game
- The Giants’ quick passing attack on their opening 10-play, 75-yard drive put the Panthers on their heels early on. Playing with a lead took some pressure off the defense the whole night.
- The Giants did not turn the football over but also had no takeaways. A plus-minus of zero isn’t a bad thing.
- The 10 penalties for 82 yards are concerning but Carolina committed eight penalties for 64 yards to basically offset those infractions.
It was over when...
Rookie running back Eric Gray scored on the ground from nine yards out with 1:38 left in the first half to give the Giants a 21-3 lead they would not relinquish.
Players of the game
- Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt showed the home crowd what all the hullabaloo is about by reeling in four receptions for 45 yards and an easy touchdown. His only missed target was a wide-open drop. Teams will have problems accounting for the rookie this season (and beyond).
- Tight end Darren Waller caught three of his four targets on the Giants’ first drive, which resulted in a touchdown. He is a complete mismatch for a linebacker and safety to single-cover.
- Linebacker Bobby Okereke had seven total tackles (four solo) and gave Giant fans a preview of what he can do by providing a stable presence on the inside at the second level.
Injuries
No one limped off — or was assisted off — the field in the game, which is a good thing.
Rookie cornerback Deonte Banks was seen on the sidelines wearing a sheath on his arm but no injury was confirmed.
Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt was also getting looked at late in the first half and was late to leave the locker room in the third quarter, but it doesn’t seem to be anything major.
What's next?
Head coach Brian Daboll will hold a Zoom call with Giants beat writers on Saturday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. ET. The team will be off on Sunday before returning to practice on Monday afternoon ahead of a Week 3 preseason game against the New York Jets.
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