Giants have a rough night injury-wise in 31-29 win over Patriots

The good news is the New York Giants finished their 2019 preseason undefeated thanks to a 31-29 win over the New England Patriots that was sealed when quarterback Kyle Lauletta connected with receiver Alonzo Russell on a 14-yard walk-off touchdown pass with no time left on the clock.

The Giants' perfect preseason is their first since 2014 when the Giants went 5-0 that summer.

The bad news is that the win came at a cost for several players who were fighting for roster spots.

The most significant of the injuries affected tight end Scott Simonson, who had his left ankle rolled up on after he caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Lauletta with 2:45 left in the third quarter.

Simonson tried to jump up to celebrate, but was unable to put any weight on his left leg and had to be carted off the field. He was spotted after the game leaving the locker room with his foot in a walking boot and on crutches.

The Giants already thin receiver group which will lose Golden Tate for four weeks as he serves his league-imposed suspension also took a hit. T.J. Jones injured his right ankle, and Brittan Golden hurt his calf.

Both were competing not only for a spot on the depth chart but also for the punt returner duties.

Other injuries included outside linebacker Keion Adams (knee), inside linebacker Nate Stupar (concussion) and cornerback Ronald Zamort (ankle).

Also, running back Rod Smith (adductor) didn't make the trip as he recovers from his injury suffered in last week's win over the Bengals.

All of the injured players were to be further evaluated Friday when the team returned to New York.

Here are some additional takeaways from the Giants' win over the Patriots

Running back remains unsettled

I'm still not sure the Giants backup running back spot has been fully settled.

I do think Wayne Gallman, who missed Week 2 with a sprained foot, will make the cut behind starter Saquon Barkley as will Eli Penny. But with Smith ailing and with Paul Perkins' vision a big question mark, I'm not sure how this is going to sort itself out.

Despite rushing for 54 yards on 11 carries against the Patriots, Perkins continues to be a frustrating runner. He runs with his head down and fails to show that he has any peripheral vision necessary to spot nearby creases.

This week, he had two chances to gain one yard for a first down, and he twice missed a crease to either side of his attempted entry point because his head was down.

Perhaps the Giants will look at the waiver wire for this position, but suffice it to say, the backup running back battle was very underwhelming this summer.

B.J. Goodson is going to play somewhere this year

Sometimes a reason why a player doesn't stand out is that he's not a good fit for the system in which he's asked to play.

That appears to be the case with inside linebacker B.J. Goodson, who hasn't exactly looked like a good fit for this defense.

Goodson has been passed on the depth chart by Tae Davis and Ryan Connelly and is almost sure to be one of the players who won't be on this team Saturday night.

But if I'm the Giants, I see if I can swing a trade for Goodson to a 4-3 team in return for a conditional pick.

Brotherly love

When receiver Alonzo Russell scored the game-winning touchdown, the Giants bench emptied onto the field to celebrate in a scene that you'd probably expect to see at a game that counts for something.

For this Giants team, the game did count, just as the three before it. And hat scene speaks volumes about the locker room culture that head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Dave Gettleman have worked so hard to build.

You don't see receivers showing up the quarterbacks when there is a bad throw, and you see more instances of guys who, when they screw up, are so hard on themselves because they hate losing so much that it's a wonder they don't need to be restrained from banging their heads against the wall as punishment.

You also see a much different style of leadership as shown in particular by running back Saquon Barkley that's like a refreshing drink of water on a hot summer day.

Just about every big play the Giants have had this summer has seen Barkley lead a contingency to the field to congratulate the successful parties.

That enthusiasm tells you everything you need to know about why Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur wanted to clean out the locker room.

Whereas in the past you might see some players pout or shut themselves off from their teammates on the sidelines, or try to show up one another if a mistake was made, you don't see that any more.

This team is so tight-knit that if a major catastrophe does occur, one can't help but feel more assured that they'll handle it without the finger-pointing that has sabotaged this team int eh past.

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