NY Giants Week 2 Offensive Review: Player-by-Player Rundown

The New York Giants should have won this game easily. Thirty-seven points, a quarterback who threw for over 400 yards, two 100-yard receivers–there was plenty there to get it done.

So why didn’t they? We’ll get to the defense in another piece, but focusing on the offense, penalties factored into the mix for one. There were 14 accepted penalties (out of 21 flags) for 160 yards. Of those 14, seven were against the offense–five on the opening drive alone!

Then there were the continued red zone struggles. The Giants were one of five in the red zone, making them one of seven this season inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

When a team’s top scorer week after week is the kicker, as was the case this week with Graham Gano scoring 13 of the team's 37 points, which by the way was his highest output as a Giant since he scored 13 points against Carolina on Sept. 18, 2022, that’s not ideal.

Quarterbacks

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) throws during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Russell Wilson: After playing a fantastic game–his best game since his heyday in Seattle four years ago–Wilson’s day started to crumble in overtime.

On a 2nd-and-3, he double-clutched an out throw and essentially fumbled it out of bounds for a loss of 14 yards.

Then, on his second possession in overtime, he had that miscommunication with Malik Nabers on a ball thrown to the middle of the field, which, regardless of who was at fault, is not the location where you want to be throwing a pass at that point in the game.

The defense had already stopped the Dallas offense twice in OT, but could not do it a third time, and the game was soon lost. These two plays were nearly the extent of Wilson’s negative plays in what was a magnificent overall performance.

He was hotter than a pistol throughout. Of his nine regulation-time possessions, seven were plus ones. In the first half, he went 17-20 for 235 yards and a touchdown. His second-half numbers were 10 of 16 for 198 yards and two more touchdowns. In total, he threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns.

Wilson gave his team the lead with 0:25 seconds left in the fourth quarter on a picture-perfect deep ball to Nabers, only to see a 64-yard field goal send the game to overtime.

Wilson’s famous moon ball was on display throughout–his touchdown passes went for 32, 29, and 48 yards. He also had completions of 50 and 52 yards. He brought back the deep ball that has been missing from the offense since the Manning days.

There were a handful of drops and miscommunications, none of the problems appearing to fall on Wilson, who seemed to make every right read and every accurate throw.

It was also great to see Wilson spread the ball around, which he did not do last week. He also unlocked the downfield talents of Wan’Dale Robinson, which have been ignored for too long.

Having two wideouts with 100+ yardage days (Robinson and Nabers) sure made the offense a fun one to watch.

You would have thought that the big plays would have opened up the running game, but alas, the offense could do little on the ground, leaving Wilson to do it all through the air.

The offense scored 37 points, and it should have been enough to win. Last week, we were wondering how soon rookie Jaxson Dart would be taking over the starting job. After this week’s performance by Wilson, that timetable has been seriously pushed back.

Jaxson Dart: Getting three surprise snaps today, each in short-yardage situations, Dart handed the ball off twice and tucked it once, all via the read option.

One of those snaps turned into a Cam Skattebo 24-yard run down to the 1-foot line. It was a smart change-of-pace move by the coaches, putting the Dallas defense back on its heels in expectation of something big from the first-round rookie.

Running Backs

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Tyrone Tracy, Jr.: Tracy went 5-15 on the ground and 4-36 out of the backfield with one bad drop. He looked better on his completions with a little room in space to exploit his build-up speed and slithery running style. However, he was not effective between the tackles at all.

Tracy, by the way, served as the kickoff returner, so his offensive snaps this week were half of what he had in Week 1.

Cam Skattebo: This rookie is built for short yardage and between the tackles, but he also showed some nice jump around the corner to threaten the edges.

He went 11-45 on the ground with one touchdown right up the gut, which followed up his 24-yard run right up the gut. He also went 2-24 through the air, though there was a tough, low red zone throw that he got his hands on but could not haul in.

On the day, he broke three tackles and was fun to watch on every single one of his touches.

Devin Singletary: Singletary got the start and the bulk of the carries that otherwise would have likely gone to Tracy had he not had a heavy presence on special teams.

Singletary’s lone target out of the backfield came in overtime, and it turned into a disaster when he was tackled immediately for a 4-yard loss.

Singletary also had a 4-yard run on the offense’s initial possession, but that was it as his playing time continued to be whittled away by the young guys in the room.

Receivers

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Malik Nabers: This was Nabers’ best game as a pro, and the numbers back that up: nine receptions for 167 and two touchdowns. A 3rd-and-1 win vs. press for 28 yards early on was one of his highlights, but that was just the start of it.

On the very next snap, he ran a neat intermediate route against a zone for an easy 15-yarder.

A leaping catch in the back of the end zone for a 29-yard second-quarter score was a spectacular route and catch, getting behind the defense and getting the offense out of its funk with the unit’s first score of the young season.

He didn’t see the ball again till the fourth quarter, when Wilson remembered his number. A second-level 12-yarder opened things up on a drive that ended in a touchdown. It’s these second-level intermediate completions that are crucial to an efficient passing offense.

Finally, Nabers hit it big when he got behind a double team and hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass that was breathtaking, and should have been the game-winner with just 0:25 in regulation, but it wasn’t to be.

Nabers caught two more passes in overtime. On the game-deciding interception in overtime, Nabers was the intended target, and Wilson, without directly blaming anyone, told reporters after the game that there was a miscommunication, which clearly they can’t have at critical junctures in games.

On the negative side for Nabers, there was one drop of a short slant early on that was a bit behind him, but catchable. Other than that, Nabers was sharp throughout.

Wan’Dale Robinson: Another player who put a career-best on his resume, Robinson caught eight of his ten targets for 142 yards and really seems to be on the same page as his veteran quarterback.

They were running option routes, both short and deep, and completing them. We love to see Robinson getting open deep, as his route-running has shown itself to be on par with Nabers.

His short and hot routes remain a part of his arsenal, but it’s the deep routes that will be making him money in this, his contract year.

On the negative side, Robinson dropped a short middle red zone ball that was right in his hands, but impending contact distracted him; he has to be stronger against contact.

On a deep corner route in overtime, Robinson stopped running his route, the ball falling harmlessly away at the spot where the quarterback had led him. This kid still has room to improve in the reliability column of that resume, but he sure looked today like an excellent No. 2 to Nabers’ No. 1, making for quite a combo.

Darius Slayton: This unit’s No. 3 with all the speed in the world caught his first pass of the year today on a blown assignment when he recognized the coverage and shook free for the team’s longest play of the day, a 52-yard catch-and-run down the right sideline.

On the negative side, he was flagged for legit holding in space to negate a 24-yard run. Slayton finished with just two receptions on three pass targets for 61 yards.

Tight Ends

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker (28) tackles New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (84) during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Theo Johnson: Johnson had a much more reliable receiving game this week, catching four of his five targets for 34 yards and zero drops.

His first catch was a tough six-yarder in traffic, which he followed up on the very next snap with a 14-yarder vs. a zone that he read impeccably while split out wide.

The one incomplete throw in his direction came on a red-zone slant when he failed to get his head turned around quickly enough, the throw hitting him right in the helmet. It wasn’t a drop per se, but it was definitely a misplay.

Daniel Bellinger/Chris Manhertz: Neither of these two tight ends had balls thrown their way as they were asked to block.

We thought Manhertz was the better of the two as he showed more quickness than last week and was more physical. Not surprisingly, he graded out as the Giants’ top blocker across the board in both run and pass blocking.

Bellinger’s blocking wasn’t quite on the same level–he had four fewer snaps than Manhertz–but he delivered just enough in that department as he didn’t allow a single quarterback pressure.

Offensive Line

James Hudson III: The amazing thing about Hudson’s first-quarter meltdown is that he was allowed to remain on the field for the entire 15-snap possession, and thus played one of the worst half-quarters of out-of-control football in NFL history.

Here’s the list: 1 QB sack allowed, 1 QB pressure/QB hit, not one but two personal foul calls (blows to the head), two false starts – and somehow the offense was still able to score a field goal on this possession.

Then, an epic temper tantrum unfolded on the sideline when he was told he was coming out. Several teammates and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka tried to calm him down, but the outcome was that they took his helmet away.

#Giants OT James Hudson was not happy that he was benched.

(🎥 @BobbySkinner_)pic.twitter.com/iDzzIpu8Pd https://t.co/BherFNYBIA
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 14, 2025

Hudson was one of the front office’s premier off-season additions as a swing tackle; alas, he was thrust into the lineup while Andrew Thomas continues his glacier-slow rehab from last year’s season-ending foot injury.

We wonder if the coaches' confidence in Hudson has run out, given how he showed he can’t keep a cool head when things get tough.

The Giants left Evan Neal on the inactive list again this week; could we see that flip next week, with Neal finally getting a gameday suit and Hudson not?

Marcus Mbow: The rookie fifth-rounder stepped in for Hudson at left tackle, and we have to give the kid his props as the situation wasn’t too big for him to handle at all.

The light-footed rookie was as sharp as a tack; no mental mistakes and a lot of solid pass-blocking (which included plenty of help blocking early on).

Mbow completely settled down the chaos on the quarterback’s blind side early on. It was truly a wonderful performance, stepping in at a moment’s notice and holding up so well.

If Thomas still isn’t ready by next week, we fully anticipate Mbow will get the nod once again at left tackle.

Jermaine Eluemunor: The unit’s best pass-blocker today, as he was last week, this veteran pretty much pitched a shutout out there. He did allow one or two quasi-pressures to power, but he always kept himself between his man and his quarterback.

Eluemunor’s run-blocking wasn’t half-bad either. His weekly pancake, however, invariably gets in the way of one of his mates and blows up the play.

With this veteran’s experience playing guard, we’re wondering how long it will take to slide him inside to guard when Andrew Thomas finally is ready to return, a move that would also allow Mbow to step in at right tackle as a starter.

Jon Runyan: For the second week in a row, Runyan was bounced around out there like a pinball. We wonder if the back issue he said he felt on the opening drive, for which he went for X-rays after the game, was a factor, or if he has not yet recovered from last year’s shoulder surgery. Whatever it is, Runyan is not playing strongly in the trenches.

There were also a couple of stunts that he did not react well to, but it was in the running game where he was regularly rag-dolled.

On an O-line that is overflowing with under-performing free agent acquisitions (Runyan, Van Roten, Hudson), only Eluemunor is playing up to expectations.

Greg Van Roten: This veteran showed improvement this week after last week’s subpar performance, but his poor footwork and mobility continue to put him in difficult situations that he simply cannot adjust to.

He was the most powerful of the inside troika this week, as he is every week, but it didn’t help. This group failed to get any movement or create any creases in the running game. The interior’s double-teams might just be the weakest in the league right now.

John Michael Schmitz: The point man in many of these weak double-teams is Schmitz, who simply cannot create any movement, even with the help. We thought he had put on some muscle this offseason, but it certainly is not translating to the field.

We do like Schmitz’s quick thinking and sharp mental game, but without the physicality and the required footwork to bring it all together, it’s just not working.

He invariably gets a piece of his man and seems like he could be effective with quick movers and thinkers around him, but the current group remains as sluggish and ineffective a threesome as this league has.

This interior needs a talent influx badly, and we think Mbow should be one of the answers. Let’s see if the coaches agree.

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Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Line

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