NY Giants Week 1 Offensive Review: Player-by-Player Rundown

How rough was the New York Giants' night?

Well, considering the only significant change from Week 1 last year was at quarterback and left tackle, it’s fair to say the night was ugly with very few exceptions.

We’re talking about an offense that couldn’t run the ball and hence couldn’t set up play action … a quarterback who lacked timing and rhythm in the passing game and who was also under duress … a game plan that tried to force-feed one receiver only to have that guy shut down.

And the red zone? Yuck! Two trips and six points. On the 16-play drive, the Giants were deep in the red zone on seven plays and still couldn’t get the touchdown. Overall, there were 13 red zone plays and three points to show for it.

Oh, and in case you missed it, head coach Brian Daboll was asked why he kicked the field goal.

“Yeah, we had three bad plays in a row down there, and we had a long drive, and I went for it,” he said.

“We got the penalty and got to go again, and didn't want to come away with no points, like it happened toward the end of the game. But we've got to be better in the red zone. That's why I elected to go for three to get some points on the board.”

Let’s review the culprits behind this abysmal showing.

Quarterback

Russel Wilson: Wilson may be a former Super Bowl champ, but he’s been on a serious downward trend of late. Five years running, he has not looked good, including this week’s less-than-stellar performance.

Though the O-line didn’t do him any favors, he also did very little to help them out. He ran into both sacks, but he also took a ton of hits and seemed to be throwing under duress the entire game.

The fact that the 37-year-old Wilson is just 5-11 makes him easy to defend. His best attribute has always been his mobility, and so it was this week as he led the offense with 44 rushing yards, all of them via scrambles.

It was curious that the coaches didn’t move his pocket much, if at all, but that may be more of an O-line issue than Wilson.

His biggest problem remains the middle of the field, which he avoids like the plague. He simply cannot see over the heads of the defensive line. His lone midfield attack went to tight end Daniel Bellinger late in the game. Otherwise, everything went to the sidelines and the outside.

Several of his deep balls hung up badly. He was being extremely careful with the ball, rarely taking a chance intermediate or downfield.

He had one standout series in the first half, where he and Wan’Dale Robinson made some key plays, and he made a great decision to run for it on 3rd down in the red zone, getting the ball down to the 2-yard line.

A defensive penalty bailed him out of a 4th down incompletion, giving him a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line. He still couldn’t find a way to punch it in (let’s reiterate that the O-Line was more of a factor in today’s offensive ineptitude than Wilson), but the QB has to make plays, especially in the red zone.

Settling for a field goal there was very deflating. Wilson didn’t have much time to throw throughout the first half, but there were legitimate second-half opportunities that he failed to exploit.

His numbers were as bad as the offense looked (17 of 37, 168 yards, two sacks). Scoring just 6 points ultimately falls on the quarterback’s shoulders. Wilson has to be better than what we saw out there.

The obvious knee-jerk reaction is that if the offense is going to struggle with the veteran, why not give the kid a chance and gain some experience? Jaxson Dart is the future–there is no doubt. How long does this team wait to make the change to him?

To these eyes, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Wilson once was a difference-maker. Now, he’s a play-it-safe game manager. Will Daboll make the switch, or are we in for more of the same next week?

Running Backs

Sep 7, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) controls the ball during the third quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Tyrone Tracy, Jr: After two tough inside power runs early on, Tracy had a miserable day. To these eyes, he made a good half dozen just-plain-bad reads that only made his O-line look worse.

A good RB has to help out his blockers with not only good vision, but with creativity. Other than those two good runs, Tracy kept making things worse.

We know he’s not very physical or very fast; he’s got to make things happen with his eyes and his feet. This week, Tracy looked ordinary, posting pedestrian numbers (10 rushes, 24 yards, and two catches for 11 yards).

Devin Singletary: The team’s veteran backup had three carries for nine yards on the ground, which included one positive run.

Singletary burst into open space, gaining eight yards on the play, but the play ultimately ended in disappointment as he failed to secure the first down, despite having ample room to maneuver.

Cam Skattebo: In his two rushing attempts, both in the red zone, the rookie was comically tackled by his own man on one, and finished with -3 yards on the ground.

He looked better in the passing game, where the coaches flexed him out wide, and he punished several smaller defenders to the tune of six yards each.

Breaking tackles is this kid’s calling card for sure. He was also very physical with several blitz pickups.

Tight Ends

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Theo Johnson: It was a clunky receiving effort from the team’s second-year tight end, who dropped at least one short throw, caught one ball for 5 yards, and had a 15-yard catch called back by an offensive penalty.

Johnson was much more reliable with his blocking, both in the run game and in help pass pro. In fact, the coaches kept Johnson in to help more and more as the game progressed, in pass pro, which limited his chances to attack the secondary.

The coaches have to find a way to get this young man more involved in the passing game and develop his obvious talents.

Chris Manhertz: Working primarily as an in-line blocker, Manhertz was decent-to-good with that blocking. On one of those first-half red-zone play-action failures, it looked like Manhertz was a primary target.

Daniel Bellinger: Getting most of his snaps as a blocking tight end, Bellinger got a chance to run a mid-field pattern. He caught the ball against contact and held onto it for a 14-yard gain while absorbing a heavy hit. This play was actually one of the better-executed plays run by this offense.

Receivers

Sep 7, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) jumps up to make a catch during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Malik Nabers: There were the occasional flashes of play-making from this sometimes dynamic playmaker, but the double-teams frustrated him and his quarterback. Without some other legit options in the passing game, Nabers had better get accustomed to the doubles because they’re not going away any time soon.

Despite all the defensive attention, Nabers still led the team in targets, but his five catches amounted to 71 yards. The coaches sent Nabers in motion most of the afternoon, but it didn’t really seem to affect the running of the offense.

Nabers’ three biggest catches – 25, 21, and 16 yards – each came against the rare single coverage.

He ran several breathtaking routes to shake open, but there were also failures on long balls where he had several chances to make tough catches but failed to come down with the ball.

We’d like to see him become a bit stronger and tougher when going up against contact–and while he’s at it, if he can get his quarterback to stop under-throwing him, that would help as well, plus when his quarterback breaks the pocket and he runs deep, he’s gotta go get the ball, not give up on it.

Darius Slayton: Incredibly, Slayton only had a single target, but it was defended well against Slayton’s soft reaction to contact.

There was one red zone misdirection that saw him open, but the ball didn’t come his way. The quarterback has to spread the ball around, or this offense is going to continue to shoot blanks.

Wan’Dale Robinson: If there was one bright offensive light out there, it was the play of Robinson. He caught 6 of his eight targets, moving the chains on nearly every single one.

On his two incompletions, he was actually open on both. One failed on a bad throw, and the other was a deep ball that Robinson had a chance to haul in, but contact knocked it away. That’s the kind of catch Robinson needs to prove he can make to earn a decent contract this coming offseason.

He got wide open and brought in a deep ball late, finishing with a team-leading six catches for 51 on the day.

He also drew a personal foul and blocked on the edge well when asked. He was also Wilson’s wild-high target in the end zone on the offense’s final drive, Robinson once again getting open.

Offensive Line

New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

LT James Hudson: Andrew Thomas was inactive, as expected (and he might end up inactive next week as well, though we hope that’s not the case). That brings us to Hudson.

Hudson played pretty much like a backup. He was very slow to react to several early stunts, resulting in significant hits on his quarterback. Washington's quicks usually defeated his run-blocking.

We thought Hudson’s solo pass-blocking efforts were solid enough; the pass-blocking hold that he was called for was a joke. He did not give up much inside pressure either, but the recognition and reactions to defensive line stunts were unreliable throughout.

RT Jermaine Eluemunor: Eluemunor was the O-line’s best pass blocker. We wish we could say the same thing about his run-blocking.

Despite managing one legitimate pancake on a running play, the entire unit simply could not sustain their run blocks with any authority, especially Eluemunor.

He was called for one false start, but for the most part, the O-line’s edges were kept rather clean throughout. It was the interior where all the problems occurred, so let’s dive into that.

LG Jon Runyan: We were surprised to see Runyan react so poorly to several stunts that gave Washington free runners into his quarterback’s face.

Runyan’s strength has always been in pass pro, but this week, he was giving up too much space while being too slow to react to these stunts.

Runyan did not look sharp in preseason, and he did not look sharp this week. He needs to pick up his play.

RG Greg Van Roten: The absolute weakest link of the entire unit was this heavy-legged vet whose movements in space continue to hurt this unit.

Van Roten allowed several early inside pressures by just getting plain beaten off the snap. He also had his difficulties handling Washington’s stunt work.

His run-blocking was sub-par as well; he was picking himself up off the ground much too often out there. Across the board, Van Roten’s game was just not up to standard this week.

C John Michael Schmitz: Everybody seems to be on this guy’s case, but we thought his play this week, as it was throughout the preseason, was a step above his previous two years’ play.

That said, we don’t like how he gives up too much space on his pass pro, thereby collapsing the front of the pocket with his back pedal.

He was also part and parcel to one of the stunt screw-ups this week, but it was more of a Runyan failure than Schmitz on this one.

Overall, Schmitz stayed in front of his man and maintained contact. He rarely found himself on the ground, which was a problem in the past.

We don’t think he was the biggest problem out there; the guards, however, were.

OT Marcus Mbow: Getting two snaps in the red zone at left tackle, on his first one, Mbow declared as an eligible receiver and was sent out into a pattern on a gadget play that failed miserably.

On the second snap, he was out-quicked off the snap. His man gained penetration, and he gave chase, running headfirst into his fellow rookie running back —a sight that would be a staple of the blooper reel.

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Quarterback

Running Backs

Tight Ends

Receivers

Offensive Line

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