NY Giants Week 6 Offensive Player Review: A Throwback to the Good Ol' Days

Well, that was a treat to watch, wasn’t it?

The New York Giants offense, which through the years seemed to have lost its pulse, found it once again behind the leadership of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and the co-leadership of fellow rookie running back Cam Skattebo.

Head coach Brian Daboll, who is clearly overjoyed that Dart, who was “his decision” to start over veteran Russell Wilson, has delivered the goods so far, as has Skattebo, but the head coach went out of his way to make sure not to gloat too much about the energetic rookie pair.

“This is a collective team win. Everybody contributed. I know there's been a lot made of it because he is your starting quarterback, and Cam plays with a certain edge and style. But this was a team win and they're part of it,” he said.

Daboll still couldn’t help but interject some roses at the duo, particularly Dart, but after catching himself, he said, “I want to focus more on our football team, and I know that's how they would want it too. Do their job, lunch pail mentality, improve on the things that they can improve on.”

Let’s get into the offensive side of the ball in more detail.

Quarterback

⏹Jaxson Dart

Are we really talking about beating the dreaded Eagles on national TV at home? How did that happen? It happened because the Giants have themselves a franchise quarterback who isn’t afraid of the bright lights.

For the third straight week, he led an offense that is starting to believe, primarily because the quarterback is a playmaker every time the ball is snapped.

For the third straight game, Dart led this offense to game-opening touchdown drives. These fast starts serve to put the opponent on their heels and really get their own team’s juices flowing.

Dart’s 34-yard deep ball to Lil’Jordan Humphrey on the first series was the right decision, finding the single-covered man and then throwing it up there for the big guy to make a play.

Soon thereafter, Dart extended a play with that great pocket sense of his, broke the pocket, and ran untouched into the end zone from 20 yards out. Wow. 7-0, right off the bat, just like that.

Two more first-half touchdowns followed, one the beneficiary of Dart extending another play and then a bullet throw to Wan’Dale Robinson for the 35-yard touchdown.

Dart finished that first half going 10-13-127, and nearly as important as those completions was the 4-38 on the ground. His scrambles are really frustrating the defense.

He’s got a great feel for pressure and patience while scrambling, never panicking and making smart decision after smart decision.

Dart’s a playmaker because he’s a great decision-maker. He’s making quick decisions with the ball, and he threw the ball tonight with great accuracy.

His deep ball to Jalin Hyatt that drew an interference flag in the end zone was our favorite throw of the night, but there were others. Finding Theo Johnson on a 10-yard out to defeat a blitz.

An earlier drop by Johnson came on another pitch-perfect throw. Dart got Hyatt his first two catches of the year, and that’s not been easy for anyone.

Dart moved this offense up and down the field without Malik Nabers and also without Darius Slayton (hamstring). It didn’t matter who was out there; Dart treated every play like it was supposed to be treated, like it meant something.

Dart scrambled on a second-half, third-down, and literally launched himself at the sideline down marker to get an important first down. Dart’s offense converted an ungodly 11-of-16 on third downs, another big factor in winning this game.

Most of those conversions came on Dart throws or Dart runs; he really did it all. He did have to leave the game for a snap after another helmet hit, but he soon returned.

His compete level is off the charts, as is his joy of the game. With this kid at QB, this team will be in every game. All by himself, he’s turned this franchise around.

No longer national TV laughingstocks, this team attacks the game with a fearlessness that electrifies the fan base, and Dart is its leader. Buckle up, Giants fans: the dark days are over.

Running Backs

⏹Cam Skattebo

Talk about fearlessness, this rookie’s pores are simply oozing with it. When Skattebo was struggling to find running room early on – focusing more on ball security than running to daylight – he was laying more of those vicious blocks that he is quickly getting known for.

We saw him launch himself into several blitz pickups that made us wince with joy. Even when this kid isn’t gaining significant yardage, he’s contributing with this physical approach to blocking.

The physicality really came to bear in the 2H when Skattebo’s battering ram runs between the tackles started to wear down the Eagles' defense.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Eagles' defense was running up the white flag. They wanted nothing to do with meeting Skattebo in the hole. Also, 67 of his 98 rushing yards came in that second half. His physicality near the goal line was at times breathtaking.

Though he is known for his between-the-tackles grinding runs, it’s when he gets outside the tackle box that we really sit up and take notice.

Our favorite run was the third-quarter wide toss he took for 12 yards down to the 1-yard line, blowing up the Eagles' middle linebacker, Zach Baun, to finish off the run. He soon finished off the second of his three touchdown runs from 1 yard out.

Skattebo’s physicality is contagious. His mates revel in keeping up with the physical punishment he doles out. Watching the offense finish off the Eagles with a 6:50 drive – all of it on the ground save for a Skattebo catch out of the backfield – was pure joy to long-suffering Giants fans.

In the end, this offense physically dominated the Eagles' defense. This team is being led back to respectability by two very physical rookies, Skattebo and Dart. There’s nothing better than seeing the other team run up the white flag, which is what the Eagles did–and boy was it a beautiful sight.

⏹Devin Singletary

Contributing to the run game dominance of the second half, Singletary went a quiet 3-10 on the ground, but his 6-yard effort in the fourth quarter was a minor highlight.

⏹Tyrone Tracy

After missing a couple of games with a shoulder injury, the coaches eased Tracy back into the game plan by giving him four touches for 6 yards.

Nothing to write home about, but it’s nice to see the contrast in running styles that this backfield presents to the opposition.

Receivers

⏹Wan’Dale Robinson

With both Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton not playing, Robinson received this unit’s most targets and ended up leading the team with six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.

His score came on a broken play as Robinson worked himself free along the sideline when the quarterback broke the pocket.

Robinson caught the ball, broke a tackle, and quick-stepped himself into the end zone from 35 yards out for the team’s second score of the night.

Robinson hauled in a nice intermediate crossing route that went for 26 yards, and nearly had another broken play connection with his scrambling quarterback, but the ball floated over his reach.

Robinson did catch a tough, low middle throw for 15 yards. It was good to see the coaches sending Robinson on those intermediate routes, which he runs so precisely.

Finding him may be a challenge at times, but his quick feet while executing those short outs are guaranteed 5-6 yards, and they are nearly impossible to stop.

⏹Jalin Hyatt

Hyatt’s first catch of the year was a 3rd-and-4 catch on the sideline against tight coverage and contact for a big second-quarter first down.

Dart went right back to Hyatt on the very next play for 6 yards. It was nice seeing Hyatt catching the ball with his hands away from his body, as that’s the way to do it.

Hyatt failed to come up with a deep stop-and-go route, the pass dropping down right out of the sky into his hands, but one hand was being held, so a flag was thrown in the end zone.

Hyatt was actually Russell Wilson’s target on the vet’s emergency snap —a slant pattern —but the throw was woefully short and never gave Hyatt a chance.

Hyatt finished with 17 yards on three receptions, a significant improvement from the shutouts that he had been posting through the first five weeks.

⏹Lil’Jordan Humphrey

The surprise contributor to this offense after being promoted from the practice squad for the game, Humphrey committed an early false start, but soon after, he was hauling in a jump ball on a go route for a big 34-yard catch to get the offense up and running.

Humphrey did a great job of high-pointing the ball while fending off contact, something that the rest of the receiver room, not named Nabers, seems incapable of doing.

Humphrey was rather busy, generating 55 yards on four receptions, drawing an illegal contact flag, seeing two more deep balls float his way, and dropping a tough catch in the end zone.

He led this unit with eight in targets, and his blocking was also a factor in the outcome, notably downfield on Robinson’s touchdown, while also nailing several Eagles linebackers with run blocks.

Humphrey is nearly as big as the Giants' tight ends and blocks as well or better than most. It was great for the quarterback to have someone with such great size to throw to.

We suspect that Humphrey will be a regular contributor moving forward as this offense gradually evolves towards a more physical approach.

⏹Beaux Collins

Getting a handful of snaps, the rookie did not have any balls thrown his way, and when asked to block, he did so adequately.

Tight Ends

⏹Theo Johnson

One of the obvious proponents of a physical approach is Johnson, a physical player who revels in hitting people.

He may never grow into a true receiving tight end because he’s just not nifty enough, but his physicality is legit and something that will show up every week.

Johnson laid a couple of vicious open-field blocks today, most notably on that Skattebo 12-yard run down to the 1-yard line, launching a defensive back into space.

His receiving game continues to move in drips and drabs. Johnson was very slow to cut off an early route that very nearly became a turnover when he didn’t get his head around quickly enough to see the throw.

He also dropped a perfect throw over the middle that would have beaten a blitz, as he stumbled while running downfield and lost the ball that hit him in the hands.

Johnson was on the same page with Dart on a fourth-quarter blitz, Johnson running an economical 10-yard down-and-out and catching the perfect throw.

We loved how Johnson finished off this catch by lowering his head and punishing the defensive back in his way.

He’s still got a ways to go before he’ll be considered a reliable target for his quarterback, but as a complementary receiver, he’s got some skills.

⏹Daniel Bellinger

After last week’s breakout 4-catch game, Bellinger was once again relegated to zero attention in the receiving game.

He did get his requisite dozen-plus snaps, but most of his time was spent lead-blocking on running downs.

Bellinger was decent on these blocks, rarely dominating but usually getting in the way.

⏹Chris Manhertz

The veteran got a bunch of late-game snaps on the field while the offense was finishing off the game with that power-running drive. Most of those runs came behind a Manhertz seal on his edge, which he executed with the level of physicality that this offense continues to need to build upon.

Offensive Line

⏹Andrew Thomas

This offense has been a different animal ever since Thomas returned to the field in Week 2. Tonight was Week 6, and he pitched as close to a pass-blocking shutout as you will find.

There was one inside pressure, and another outside rush that a blitz caused some hesitation, but otherwise Thomas’ edge was as clean as a whistle.

Nearly as impressive was his run-blocking, which was almost always stellar and physical.

⏹Jermaine Eleumunor

Eleumunor may pale by comparison to Thomas on his edge, but he still provides solid play there.

We’d sure like to see him stay with his blocks longer; Eleumunor seems too content to win off the snap and then too easily let his man work his way into the pocket. He has to become a bit greedier with sustaining his blocks.

He committed one false start while trying to get a head start on a long pull he was being asked to execute, and was comfortable getting off the snap a little early tonight since the Eagles are notorious for jumping the snap as well.

Since they were never called for it, Eleumunor was comfortable knowing he could do the same thing.

⏹Jon Runyan

Still struggling with his overall game, Runyan allowed several pass rush pressures, had only a handful of positive moments in the run game, and overall probably graded out once again at the lower end of the scale with this unit.

⏹Greg Van Roten

This O-line’s work at guard remains a problem. Van Roten was too slow to slide and pick up a shooting inside linebacker on several negative running plays. He also gave up a handful of pressures on the pass block.

The veteran did have some physical moments in the second half where he was winning with an aggressive approach, but most of his night was spent neutralizing opponents rather than driving them.

⏹John Michael Schmitz

The team’s third-year center was playing another clean and efficient game, which included finishing several pancakes on unsuspecting Eagles linebackers on running plays.

A blow to the helmet and face knocked him out of the game midway through the third quarter, ending his night.

⏹Austin Schlottmann

Stepping in for the injured Schmitz at center, we were very pleased with how well this veteran ran the show.

Despite getting called for a false start on a shadow snap, his snapping was as sharp as his overall game.

His pass-blocking was solid, but his run-blocking really impressed us.

Schlottmann is bigger and thus more physical than Schmitz in the pit, while reaping the benefits of the game-long beating that the offense had laid on the Eagles before he entered the game.

Schlottmann was finishing blocks and moving people out there, and certainly earned a positive grade.

⏹Aaron Stinnie

Getting a blocking tight end snap late in the game, Stinnie laid out a physical block on the Giants’ final touchdown of the night.

What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.