Giants Preseason Takeaways from the Loss Against the Texans
The New York Football Giants lost to the Houston Texans in their second preseason game. The Giants could not pull off a win today, and their loss was devastating. The final score was 28 to 10. The team made multiple errors on both sides. Many mistakes were made offensively and defensively. Here is the list of takeaways from today’s game that the Giants will need to work on during training camp this coming week before the approach to week three of the preseason against the New York Jets.
Daniel Jones is not ready for the regular season. It doesn’t help that the Giants' starting quarterback just returned from tearing his ACL. Today was the very first game that he was back in for. Jones and the entire starting offense were on the field for the first half of the game, and this was all part of the plan for the Giants. Jones played for five drives before they switched to Tommy DeVito for the second half. During Jones's time on the field, he struggled to make ends meet. He completed 11 out of 18 passes for 138 yards; no touchdowns were made.
On the other hand, Jones had two interceptions during this game. One of the worst plays of this game was a pick-six Jones threw due to pressure from his end of the field. Jones needs more time to get back in shape before playing against the Jets next weekend.
A second takeaway from this game was Malik Nabers. After twisting his ankle earlier this week in practice, Naber suited up and was ready for action this weekend. The rookie hauled four receptions on four targets for 54 yards. Nabers also made a 21-yard catch down the sideline from Jones. It is evident that these two have a connection, which needs to be focused on and worked on. Nabers will be necessary to the Giant's offense because of how he moves on the field. He is a much different receiver than the others that he plays with.
More on the offensive line: It actually looked like it was intact in today's game. The game struggled to find its rhythm, but the offensive line kept it coming. They could hold the Texans back at certain times, but only by a little. John Michael Schmitz played in today’s game, too, which was a big help. He had also come off of an injury to his shoulder. Having Schmitz back on the offensive line will also make a difference for this coming season.
On the other hand, the defense lacked in the way it played today. Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux made several impressive plays, but the Giant's defense recorded no sacks in today's game. They had four quarterback hits and one tackle loss throughout the entire game. It’s not a good look for the Giants.
It didn’t help that the team's injuries kept piling up in today's game. They already have several people out, such as Tyrone Tracy Jr, Evan Neal, Dyontae Jonhson, and others. At least four players were carted off the field. Micah McFadden left the game with a hip injury, Ryder Andersen left with a hamstring injury, D.J. Davidson was left undisclosed, and Yodny Cajuste left with lower body issues.
The Giants have one week to find their stride before the regular season starts. They have joint practices with the New York Jets this week before they play one another at Metlife Stadium next weekend. Hopefully, they will be able to see their rhythm then. If they can’t pull it together by then, it will be a long regular season for the Giants.
