New York Giants Stock Report After Eight Games
Welcome to the midway point of the 16-game schedule. And what an eventful eight games it's been.
Longtime franchise quarterback Eli Manning was benched after the Giants dropped their first two games to the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.
Spirits were temporarily renewed when rookie Daniel Jones took over and led the Giants to a thrilling last-minute victory at Tampa Bay. The former Duke quarterback won his first game at home the following week, as the legend of “Danny Dimes” continued to grow.
But since that win, the Giants have dropped four straight games, and Jones has only three more touchdowns than interceptions. The defense has struggled to stop anyone, especially via the air, and injuries have hobbled the Giants on offense and defense.
In the wake of this tumultuous season that has been defined by a “next man up” mentality, we take a look at the players who have stepped up in surprising ways, and those who’s performances have left something to be desired after eight games.
Stock Up: Wide receiver Darius Slayton
After missing the first two games due to the hamstring strain that cost him most of the summer, Slayton has seen his role grow gradually since Week 3.
In the Week 8 loss to the Lions, he provided one of the few positive performances in that game, recording two receptions for 50 yards and a team-leading two touchdowns in the Giants 31-26 loss.
That performance marked the first time in his young career that he has hauled in more than one touchdown in a game. Slayton is now tied with tight end Evan Engram for a team-leading three touchdowns on the season.
And per NFL NextGen Stats, Slayton is also leading receivers who are averaging 15+ air yards per target with 17.1
“He’s a really good player,” Jones said of Slayton following the Lions game. “I think he’s come up for us and made a lot of big-time plays. I think we all have a lot of trust in him.
"Obviously, he’s super talented and his speed and just athleticism, but he’s shown to make those contested catches, the tough catches with people on him. So he’s done a great job for us.”
Despite the delayed start to his rookie campaign, the wide receiver out of Auburn has 16 receptions for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
He has stepped up in the absence of various injuries throughout the season and appears to have earned himself the third receiver spot. Blessed with the kind of speed that can be used to stretch the field, Slayton has become a constant and trusted presence that Jones can count on to make big plays.
Stock Down: Kicker Aldrick Rosas
Rosas hasn't had as many opportunities as he did a year ago in what turned out to be a Pro Bowl season, but those opportunities he has received haven't all gone as smoothly as he probably would have liked.
The third-year kicker made only two of three extra-point tries in Sunday’s loss to Detroit and has converted six field-goal attempts through eight games. This season, Rosas is four-for-six on field-goal attempts and 18-for-19 on extra-point tries.
Rosas' kickoffs have also run a bit hot and cold. His most glaring mistake to date was the botched onside kickoff attempt he had in Week 8, which went out of bounds, thereby depriving his team of a chance to mount a comeback drive.
In a game that was decided by five points, Rosas’ missed point took on an extra significance that only further contributed to the Giants' fourth-straight loss.
Stock Up: Quarterback Daniel Jones
After picking up two wins in his first two starts as the Giants starting quarterback, Jones has lost four straight games.
His ability to protect the football has become the center of attention as he now has eight fumbles on the season, six of which were lost.
The rookie has seven interceptions – three less than the number of touchdowns he has thrown this season. The former Duke star has 135 completions out of 216 attempts for 1,466 yards, but turnovers have plagued him and the Giants offense as a whole.
“I think I played fine at times, and we moved the ball,” Jones said after yesterday’s loss. “We moved the ball up and down the field. But like I said, we’ve known we can do that.
"We’ve got people who can make plays, and as an offense, we’re confident we can do that against anyone. But I didn’t do enough, and I think that’s my biggest takeaway.”
Head coach Pat Shurmur continues to have faith in his young quarterback.
“I think there are areas in each game where he has shown improvement just playing quarterback,” Shurmur said to the media Monday. “I keep saying this each week, but he’s tough, and he’s resilient, and he competes, and he fights, and he tries to do everything right.”
In small ways, Jones is making steps towards improvement. Against the Lions, Jones did not throw an interception, the first time in his career that's happened.
Jones has also brought some mobility to the position, which opens up the opportunity for Shurmur to call some RPOs.
Jones' 134 rushing yards are second on the team, behind Saquon Barkley's 373 rushing yards, and his two rushing touchdowns tie him with Barkley and Wayne Gallman for the team lead in that category.
Jones might still be struggling to master picking apart NFL defenses, but thus far, he's done just about everything right in justifying his selection as the No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft.
Stock Down: Free Safety Antoine Bethea
The 14-year veteran is not putting up the numbers he once used to and has unfortunately been showing his age.
Entering Week 9 of the season, Bethea has 58 combined tackles. Last year with the Arizona Cardinals, Bethea recorded 121 combined tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble.
Tackles aside, the more alarming development in Bethea's game has been his coverage. The Giants signed Bethea to protect the deep portion of the secondary. But for a guy whose main job is to defend the deep-ball, Bethea has only one pass defended on the season.
Defensive coordinator James Bettcher worked with Bethea in Arizona, but it might be time for Bettcher to give Julian Love a chance at filling that role. The 35-year-old Bethea is an intelligent player, and a three-time Pro Bowl safety who knows what to do out there but knowing and doing are two very different things.
Stock Up: Punter Riley Dixon
Riley Dixon has been probably one of the most underrated players for the Giants this season. Just this past week against the Lions, Dixon booted the ball deep three times. His punts totaled 135 yards, averaging 45 yards per punt.
Dixon, 26, is a fourth-year veteran from Syracuse who came over to the Giants last year in a trade with Denver. After an inconsistent 2018 season, Dixon has more often than not been the very picture of consistency.
Against the Bucs, in what was arguably his best game of the season, Dixon kicked four out of five punts between 49 and 52 yards.
“When we play well, you don’t hear out names,” Dixon said the week after the Giants defeated the Buccaneers.
“So we just stay in the shadows and do our jobs, and hopefully, we can keep our names out of people’s mouths all season.”
The Giants special team core ranked last in the NFL in 2017. In the two years since then, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey has turned the unit around as they finished third-best in the league last year.
Dixon is a big part of their continued success. In total this season, Dixon has 31 punts, with a long of 58, and has placed 14 of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
Stock Down: Left Tackle Nate Solder
The old cliché that you get what you pay for unfortunately hasn't applied in the case of the Giants starting left tackle. Solder, for whatever the reason, has suddenly developed issues handling speed and power, and, it seems, with each passing week, he's been unable to justify the massive contract he received as an unrestricted free agent last year.
According to Pro Football Focus, Solder is second among offensive tackles in total pressures allowed (33).
While PFF's stats for pressures aren't an exact science--unless one knows the protection calls, sometimes what appears to be a sack allowed by an offensive lineman might not necessarily have been his fault--what speaks greater volumes was how, in Week 8, the coaches felt the need to give Solder a lot of extra chip blocking help, something that a premium left tackle shouldn't require.
Solder at least has been forthcoming with how he's played this year, refusing to make any excuses, especially if an injury is involved.
His play through eight games hasn't exactly been a help to a rookie quarterback who already shows a tendency to hold onto the ball a little longer than he should.
Stock Up: Special Teamer Cody Core
Cody Core, a waiver wire pickup at the start of the season, doesn't et his name called very much, but he's quietly developed into one of the Gits best special teams players this season.
Currently, Core is battling special teams captain Michael Thomas for the team lead in tackles (both have two solo efforts and one assist).
"I think it's just a mindset honestly," Core said of his special teams prowess. "It's more than just catching the football. My high school coach--he always says, 'Be the best player on the field with or without the football.' So anytime I can contribute to the team and help the game, I'm ready to do it."
According to Pro Football Focus, Core (76.0) is graded just behind Thomas (80.3), but at the end of the day, both men are playing special teams at an elite level.
