The New York Giants returned home to MetLife Stadium on Friday night for their second preseason game of the year and plugged their starters in for a bit.
The first-team offense looked electric as quarterback Daniel Jones and tight end Darren Waller gave the NFL world a preview of what was to come. Their opening drive was near-perfect and it provides reason for Giants fans to buy into the hype.
Things got a little slow in the second half but the Giants ultimately closed it out and picked up their first exhibition win of the year.
Here is a look at several studs and duds (and studly duds) from Friday night’s preseason win.
STUD: Darren Waller
The hype surrounding tight end Darren Waller is completely justified. He proved his value against the Panthers’ first-team defense by repeatedly exploiting mismatches to the tune of three receptions on four targets for 30 yards.
Waller did have a drop after a big hit but it was really just a minor hiccup for the Giants en route to the endzone. Tip your cap to Von Bell for jarring it loose.
DUD: Dexter Lawrence
It feels strange to list Dexter Lawrence as a dud but the placement is warranted. While the nose tackle did pick up two tackles that limited a pair of runs to one yard each, he committed two bad penalties.
The first was an offsides that gave Carolina a free play (incomplete pass) and he later got flagged for roughing the passer after inadvertently hitting Bryce Young in the head. That penalty gave the Panthers a first down and they ultimately ended up scoring points (field goal).
STUD: Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones was given one series on Friday night and it was essentially flawless. He completed eight of his nine pass attempts for 69 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed once for six yards.
The sole incompletion was a drop by Waller after he took a big hit from a Panthers defender.
The only knock on Jones is that he threw a tad behind wide receiver Parris Campbell inside the 10-yard line that could have been a touchdown (which the Giants got anyway).
DUD: Adoree' Jackson
There weren’t many duds to speak of in the first half so adding Adoree’ Jackson is a bit nit-picky. Still, he did have an offsides penalty and later missed a tackle. It doesn’t mean much in the long run as Jackson is a knowledgeable, veteran player who will quickly clean things up.
STUD: Bobby Okereke
The Giants have been missing a true off-ball linebacker for many years and they finally appear to have solved that issue. Bobby Okereke put on a show against the Panthers, recording seven tackles (four solo) in less than two quarters.
The four solo tackles were especially impressive given that several of those came while cleaning up someone else’s missed tackle.
Okereke also showed impressive range, which will bring a smile to Wink Martindale’s face.
DUD: Matt Peart
It wasn’t a great night for Matt Peart, who got flagged for two holding penalties and was run by a few times. He did have a couple of solid moments but as a bubble player, he needs to flash much more. Given the team’s need for reserve tackles, the opportunity is there but no one — Peart included — seems to be taking advantage.
STUD: Eric Gray
Eric Gray is beginning to get more comfortable as a return man and his gutty nine-yard touchdown is what will steal headlines, but what was most impressive about the rookie on Friday night were his blitz pick-ups. He got run over early on but quickly corrected his errors and then made several key blocks that led to positive gains later in the game.
DUD: Jamie Gillan
It was a windy night at MetLife Stadium but that’s no excuse for Gillan, who averaged just 43.0 yards per punt (45 long). He did have one downed inside the 20-yard line but there was meat left on the bone, including a touchback late in the fourth quarter.
STUDLY DUD: Jalin Hyatt
After a silent NFL debut last week, Jalin Hyatt certainly made some noise against the Panthers. However, it didn’t start off particularly well as Hyatt bounced a run outside of his blockers, leading to a loss of three and a penalty on Andrew Thomas (declined). The rookie also later dropped a pass that hit him right in the hands.
Hyatt bounced right back with a 33-yard touchdown. He beat his man so bad it almost looked like the cornerback quit on the play.
STUDLY DUD: Evan Neal
Evan Neal got an extended look on Friday night and the results were mixed. He certainly looks better than he did a season ago, but there were a few rookie-like moments where Neal was beaten badly. Given that he recently missed a good amount of time due to a concussion, he gets the benefit of the doubt. There was more good than bad.
Other STUDS
- WR Parris Campbell
- WR Isaiah Hodgins
- S Gervarrius Owens
- OL John Michael Schmitz
- LB Carter Coughlin
- DL Jordon Riley
Other DUDS
- TE Lawrence Cager
- DL Donovan Jeter
- DB Darren Evans
- DB Zyon Gilbert
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