Patricia Traina
Inside Football's 2019 Preseason Game 3 Review
***Please scroll to the bottom for a link to the PDF version.***
Need help? Have Questions?
Drop us an email and we'll be happy to assist.
HOW THE GIANTS OFFENSE CHANGES FOR EACH QUARTERBACK
By Chris Pflum
The 2019 preseason has been a novel one for the New York Giants. For the first time in 16 seasons, they have to get a freshly drafted quarterback ready to play.
While the Giants have had several rookie quarterbacks since Eli Manning became a Giant in 2004, this is the first time the Giants are preparing one with an eye on him starting at some point in the next calendar year.
But that the same time they have to get Manning ready to start the season with an eye toward winning games and keeping the rookie on the bench.
While there are eerie physical similarities between Manning and Daniel Jones, the two players are different quarterbacks and at polar opposite points in their career.
While Eli has a decade and a half of experience in a variety of offenses, Jones is a rookie from an offense predicated on quick passes and the run-pass option (RPO).
As such, it would only make sense for the Giants to emphasize the elements of their offense which fit each quarterback the best.
So, how has the Giants' offense differed when quarterbacked by Eli Manning versus Daniel Jones in the second and third preseason games?
(Because neither player saw much action against the New York Jets' starting defense and it was the first preseason game, we'll ignore that game.)
When Eli Manning is on the Field
As a long-established veteran and cerebral quarterback, it should be expected that the Giants wouldn't hesitate to put a relatively large amount on Manning’s plate.
As far as preseason goes, that is what we saw from the Giants' starting quarterback.
Manning was only on the field for eleven snaps against the Chicago Bears, but what we saw was pretty consistent with what we came to expect from the offense in 2018.
The Giants made use of both 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers) and 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two wide receivers) packages.
The Giants called both run and pass plays out of each personnel package, as well as making use of play-action.
They called seven plays out of 11-personnel and four plays out of 12-personnel, or 63 percent and 37 percent, respectively.
While undoubtedly a small sample size, that roughly corresponds to their rate of using those packages in the 2018 season.
We also saw the Giants give Manning plays that require full-field reads as well as longer developing concepts which needed both patience and presence in the pocket while the receivers worked free.
The Giants continued to play a similar brand of offense against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Giants mixed 11 and 12-personnel packages with Manning, starting the game in 12-personnel before rotating in receivers.
When Daniel Jones is on the Field
The Giants have been relatively cautious in how they have brought Jones along as he begins his NFL career.
With Manning as their starting quarterback, they don't need to rush Jones onto the field.
Interestingly, while Giants played plenty of 11-personnel with Jones against the Bears, they countered it with 21-personnel (two backs, one tight end, and two receivers) with Jones on the field instead of 12-personnel.
As with Manning, the Giants called both running and passing plays out of both personnel packages.
In a nod to his experience in college, the Giants subtly adapted their offense to something more familiar to the offense in which Jones played at Duke.
He only attempted one pass from under center in the second preseason game and the Giants only asked him to make a couple full-field reads.
Instead, he spent most of his time on the field in the shotgun, with one-read passes that had the ball out of his hand after one (and occasionally three) step drops.
That began to change in the third preseason game as the Giants put a bit more on Jones’ plate.
The Giants gave Jones plays involving offensive concepts involving multiple reads and longer drops. They also asked him to play under center a bit more.
The Giants also asked Jones to be more aggressive than Manning, giving him plays with more vertical elements, which has been one of his strong suits throughout the preseason.
Final Thoughts
We have to be careful drawing conclusions from preseason games – particularly in a preseason such as this one where coaches league-wide have begun pulling starters much earlier than in years past.
Considering some of the injuries we saw this week, such as Cam Newton and Packers' rookie Rashan Gary getting carted off the field, perhaps caution isn't unwarranted.
But it still makes evaluating teams and schemes difficult.
So too does it make things difficult when coaches are doing everything, they can to hide their new schemes and wrinkles in advance of the regular season.
Undoubtedly things we saw in Weeks 2 and 3 will be there in the Giants' regular-season schemes. The personnel packages, plays, and schemes we saw from both players are in the Giants' offense.
It is possible—even likely—that the Giants tailored the personnel packages to each player's strengths and preferences.
QUARTERBACKS
Eli Manning: Manning only played one series this week, but it was a good one. It was a six-minute-plus drive that consisted primarily of quick passes.
Cody Latimer let him down with two drops, including what should have been a touchdown pass from 21 yards out. On this skinny post, Manning placed the ball right where it was supposed to be, away from the closing safety, but Latimer let the ball get into his body and flubbed it.
Earlier, Manning hit Russell Shepard on a key 3rd down, 19-yard slant but his best throw might have been a 9-yard out rifle shot that was right on the money to a tightly covered Latimer, who this time made the catch.
The offense settled for a field goal on this drive, the lengthy possession persuading the coaches to pull Manning, who finished four of eight for 41 yards, from the game.
Daniel Jones: For the third straight week, Jones was very, very impressive. This week was his best performance of the preseason simply because of the pocket pressure he was facing, and how well he handled it.
On his very first snap, Jones finally ran his first bootleg of the preseason and boy did he look athletic in getting outside quickly and getting the ball to the wide-open tight end very quickly, giving his receiver plenty of time to make a bigger play.
Throughout his three first-half drives Jones made smart, quick decisions with the ball. He rebounded from a vicious blindside sack by standing tall in the pocket under another heavy pressure, making the correct read (going to the single-covered guy), and getting the ball deep down the left sideline to Darius Slayton who made the play at the 1-yard line.
This rookie combination, spectacular at both ends of this play, sure whets the appetite.
Jones nearly got a field goal opportunity late in the half when he made two big-time decisions and throws but he couldn’t quite get his backup offense lined up on time and the clock ran out.
Thus, Jones finished off this extremely positive first half by going 9 of 11 for 141 yards while, absorbing a handful of hits in the pocket plus plenty of pressure, and making a ton of smart decisions with the ball.
This week the pressure was amped up, the offense finally facing a first-team defense (the Bengals’ front is very talented), and Jones did not look out of place out there for a single moment.
His accuracy was another plus as he gave several short receivers balls right on the money for yardage after the catch. This is one impressive rookie.
Alex Tanney: One of the ongoing negatives in Tanney’s game is his lack of accuracy with his deep balls.
He consistently failed to give his receiver a chance to make a play with at least four overthrows this week, and they weren’t even close, sailing out of harm’s way.
Each of these throws came off of a clean pocket, too. These consistent failures, after his egregious turnover under pressure at the 1-yard line last week, sure is making Tanney’s hold on a roster spot extremely tenuous.
Another troubling part of his game that is leaking out is just an average feel for pressure in the pocket.
He was very late to react to some pressure this week and took a sack, also showing very little escapability.
Tanney’s 2 of 6 for 25 yards night continued a downward pre-season trend of his. He’s looking less impressive the more he plays.
Kyle Lauletta: Moving the arrow in the other direction, Lauletta has improved every week this preseason. This week was his best night so far.
He went 4 of 7 for 77 yards with three egregious drops. That’s right, folks: It should have been a perfect night if Lauletta had gotten requisite play from his receivers.
He runs the naked bootleg as well as Daniel Jones does, and since he doesn’t have the arm to overthrow his deep balls, dropping one into the arms of Reggie White down the right sideline was a very welcome sight to behold.
The resulting score would have tied the game except Lauletta stood tall in the pocket on the 2-point conversion and threw a pinpoint slant to Alonzo Russell for the conversion.
Lauletta also ran the huddle and his fellow backups very calmly and effectively. None of the drops seemed to get him down. He even avoided a sack with a good feel for the pressure, bouncing away from it and squirming upfield for a 1-yard gain (unlike the 8-yard sack that Tanney took).
Lauletta’s youth and a better feel for the position sure seem to make him a lock for the third quarterback spot (if they keep three), though his lack of arm strength and deliberate release makes him rather unattractive to other teams.
We suspect a practice squad year for Lauletta and the team carrying just the two quarterbacks.
Lauletta will likely hang around the league for a few years since his feel for some aspects of this game is rather high. He doesn’t have enough to be a franchise guy, but he should have enough to back up one.
RUNNING BACKS
Wayne Gallman: Getting the start and his fair share of the first half snaps, Gallman’s first run went for ten hard inside yards, then his second went for 15 when he finally showed the feet for the cutback and found himself following an Eli Manning block around left end.
However, Gallman’s lack of breakaway speed hurt on this play as he failed to out-run pursuit.
Gallman really is primarily a between-the-tackles runner, but he also looked a bit tentative on a handful of his other touches this week.
He caught one ball out of the backfield for ten yards and a first down, dropped a tough one, and made a poor decision on a third-down red-zone pass blitz pickup to allow pressure and a throwaway.
Gallman better watch over his shoulder because of Paul Perkins’ stellar blitz pickup ability, which may edge him closer to the backup role behind Saquon Barkley.
Paul Perkins: The one thing holding back Perkins is his poor vision and feet. He just runs into too many piles with the ball and has very little feel for making something out of nothing.
The next defender he makes miss this pre-season will be his first. On the plus side, Perkins remains the team’s best blocking back and it’s not even close, and he’s also a fine receiver out of the backfield, leading the offense this week with 3 catches at 9 yards per.
If the Giants keep three backs, and they should, we think Perkins has locked up that third spot.
Rod Smith: Getting a handful of first snaps late, Smith looked a bit slow identifying some open real estate on two of his runs, but he did well to power his way into the end zone from the 1-yard line to give the Giants a 10-7 lead.
Smith suffered a groin pull however and had to leave the game, putting his teetering roster status in serious jeopardy.
Jonathan Hilliman: Getting a handful of late-game snaps, Hilliman showed enough to make the Giants’ practice squad, but his lack of experience should preclude his making the final 53.
A year of experience will really help this low-built, hard-charging inside runner who has a much better feel for the position than anyone not named Barclay in this group.
Hilliman showed off that feel on his 1-yard touchdown run where he re-directed his attack of the line of scrimmage very adeptly, bouncing it away from traffic and to the proper gap.
Then he lowered his head and powered into the end zone with that tough-to-stop low power of his.
We think Hilliman will be a serious contender for the Giants ‘2020 team, after a season of learning the offense and his reads on the sideline. This kid’s got some talent.
Elijhaa Penny: After last week’s soft blocking performance, Penny was taken off of ball duty and told to stick his nose into the action and boy did he deliver.
On both of the team’s 1-yard plunges, it was a Penny lead block that led the way. His contact and toughness at the point of the attack were key parts of both touchdown finishes.
Give Penny credit for realizing the reason he’s making this team is his blocking, and that anything else will be gravy.
TIGHT ENDS
Evan Engram: Finally getting his first playing time of the preseason, Engram’s lone action in the passing game was a back-side screen that he took nine yards for a first down, showing off that impressive acceleration and open field speed of his.
Otherwise, he threw a couple of decent blocks and got off the field quickly and safely.
Rhett Ellison: Looking sharp in his role as this team’s starting tight end, Ellison was up-and-down with his blocking but made his most noise in the passing game, catching two of those naked bootleg passes that promise to be open all season long in this offense.
Ellison did well to get a few yards after the catch on the first one which went for 20 yards.
The second one went for another positive six yards. The Giants sure could use a faster guy in this role, someone who can threaten but also block.
Ellison stuck his nose into every one of his in-line blocks this week, but he wasn’t always able to sustain, which is the story of his game.
Scott Simonson: The offense’s lone true blocking tight end had a bit more success at the point of attack this week and held up well to the physicality of the job, but Simonson dropped a wide-open pass for the second week in a row and that’s got to stop.
If the kid is not living with the ball machine after practice, he better start soon because he’s going to continue to be ignored by opposing defenses so those wide-open opportunities are going to be there. He’s got to make defenses pay.
C.J. Conrad: Getting some late-game action, Conrad continues to stick his nose into the action, but his severe lack of size and bulk makes his blocking suspect, especially in short-yardage situations where he’s too easily overpowered.
He did catch his one receiving opportunity for 11 important yards and a first down when the offense was bleeding the clock late, but he stumbled after the catch which limited his yardage take.
Conrad’s a tough call at a position where the Giants really need to get bigger and stronger to support the running game they’ll want to push. We don’t think Conrad has the size to fit this offense.
Garrett Dickerson: Another longshot at the position, Dickerson was given lots of early and mid-game snaps this week to impress, and that’s just what he did.
He was very alert and productive in the passing game, either throwing blocks or catching everything thrown his way and making yards after the catch on both of his catches.
Dickerson has some speed and athleticism to work with, but his blocking remains rather suspect. He knows where to be now and how to shield but sustaining blocks against top defenders doesn’t look like something, he’ll be able to do.
Dickerson did make some plays on specials this week too, so he did have a productive game, but we’re not sure it’s enough.
We’d love to stash him on the practice squad, try and persuade him to bulk up that upper body that remains too sleek for blocking.
RECEIVERS
Cody Latimer: Latimer got off to a rough start, dropping two passes on the team’s first drive. The first was a quick slant route. This was an easy catch that needed to be made.
He did make a catch on an out pattern, shielding the defender well but ended up short of the first down. The Giants were unable to convert on third down, but they went for it on fourth down and were able to get in the end zone.
However, they could have scored earlier had Latimer not dropped a perfect pass to him in the end zone.
This wide receiver group is young and may not get a lot of separation so when a ball is thrown perfectly, they need to make the grab.
Russell Shepard: Shepard ran a nice route from Shepard working from the slot on first down on the first possession.
He got a step on the corner at the onset and made the most of the opportunity. A perfect pass led to a solid first down pick up.
He then picked up 12 on an out pattern early in the second quarter. Shepard has looked very fluid and the pass from Jones was right on target.
T.J Jones: Jones did not get off the line of scrimmage quick enough and therefore threw off the timing on a quick slant pass. As a result, the pass was batted away.
Jones needed to make a cleaner break and run a tighter route.
Jones had a step on the defender in the middle of the third quarter, but this was another pass that was badly overthrown by Alex Tanney.
Bennie Fowler: Fowler did a poor recognition of the first down marker early in the 2nd quarter.
He made the grab just at the marker then went backward, got tackled which forced the Giants to punt the football. This is inexcusable for a veteran receiver to not know where the first-down marker is at.
Brittan Golden: Golden was part of a really nice pitch and catch midway through the second quarter. Golden went up well to catch the pass.
He followed this up with a heads-up play two plays later as he came back to pick up the fumble which prevented the turnover.
Golden finished the first half with a circus catch that resulted in a first down. The Giants could not get to the line of scrimmage fast enough to get the next play off and the half ran out.
Golden did miss a pass from Kyle Lauletta late in the 3rd quarter. The pass was on target but thrown late.
Darius Slayton: The rookie made his Giants debut with a very impressive catch midway through the second quarter.
He came back on a Daniel Jones pass, made the grab and did a nice job of staying in bounds. This left the Giants at the 1-yard line and they were able to convert the touchdown two plays later.
Slayton went deep early in the third quarter. The pass was badly overthrown. Slayton is interesting because he has a lot of speed which is something the Giants or any team can always use.
Alex Wesley: On a slant pass early in the 4th quarter, he did not do himself any favors as he dropped an easy pass. Wesley did a nice job of getting open but failed to hold onto the football.
Reggie White: White ran a nice stop-and-go route midway through the fourth quarter that gave the Giants a 1st-and-goal and a touchdown on the next play. This was a very good route by White that resulted in him getting wide open.
Alonzo Russell: Russell looked really good on a two-point conversion midway through the 4th quarter. He burst into the end zone on the slant route and then went up to get the football in traffic for the conversion.
As he did last week, Russell again displayed hustle as he made not one but to blocks on Golden’s 68-yard punt return.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Nate Solder: Solder was on roller skates on a handful of third-down pass protections this week and was much too easily driven back into the pocket by various Bengals edge rushers. These included the big blindside sack he yielded that de-cleated Daniel Jones.
Solder may be the best blindside protector this team has right now, but that doesn’t mean he’s good enough to have his quarterback stand back there and scan the field.
Solder did have his pass pro wins out there, and an equal number of run block wins, but he will be at his best with a quick-throwing offense, which just happens to be a Pat Shurmur specialty, so that’s the good news.
The bad news is that, on 3rd-and-10, it looks like he’s going to need a little help.
Mike Remmers: We were surprised that the coaches were giving Remmers tight end chip help on passing downs this week, as Remmers had seemed better than good through two preseason games.
However, late in the first half he was left alone and stumbled through a couple of troublesome edge protections that turned into pressures.
Remmers had a couple of stumbles in his run blocking this week. We have to remember that the Bengals have a very, very talented defensive front so most O-lines will struggle against this type of talent.
We still like Remmers’ positional and physical game but leaving him to protect space is not the way to utilize his talents.
Nick Gates: Playing at left guard with the 2’s and the 3’s, it’s pretty obvious that Gates has this team made as a backup.
He handled nearly every single block this week with aplomb and physicality, on the verge of domination in fact.
He sure looks like a natural guard with starting capabilities. We didn’t spot a single misstep in Gates’ game this week.
We’d sure like to see him play over the ball a little as that’s a position where this team still needs an upgrade, and Gates has the size.
Chad Slade: Playing left tackle with the 2’s and 3’s, Slade turned in a solid positional game on the edges, fighting the good fight and not giving up much in pass protection, but his lack of athleticism and mobility in his run-blocking of all things became a problem.
He just couldn’t control his edge out there. This team needs a legit backup OT. We’re not sure if it has one.
Brian Mihalik: Getting all the right tackle time with the 2’s and 3’s, Mihalik was consistently overpowered (the story of his game) and contributed mightily to turning ex-Giant Kerry Wynn into a preseason All-Pro once again.
With all the battles he did not win this week, Mihalik did throw a big, tough face-up block on the goal line to help get his offense into the end zone. Kudos to this young man for coming up big when it counted.
Will Hernandez: We haven’t seen Hernandez play this poorly since he put on a Giants uniform. Perhaps it will serve as a wake-up call.
Through two preseason games we hadn’t seen Hernandez challenged, but this week he was beaten to the punch on too many snaps to count.
He committed three penalties, two of them coming on passing plays (the other was a false start, while another false start was missed by the refs).
Hernandez did have a handful of positive moments, most notably in the running game on combo blocks, but his pass blocking wasn’t up to snuff, his short arms finally becoming a problem when he was surprised by athleticism and couldn’t keep up or re-direct.
Playing this Bengals defense was a good thing for this O-Line. It certainly pointed out what it needs to do to get ready for NFL regular-season speed. This week it came at them quickly, and they had trouble keeping up.
Kevin Zeitler: The troubling aspect of Zeitler’s game is quite apparent: it’s in the running game.
He’s having difficulty sustaining positioning with his feet and contact with his hands. He missed at least three in-line blocks in that way, which blew up each play. Make his block and the run is successful.
Zeitler was also called for a hold on a running play.
On the other hand, his pass-blocking (which has been really good) was really, really good this week.
We have no allusions about this player as a big-time pass blocker, but his run-blocking game needs a lot of work.
Victor Salako: Getting all the right guard snaps with the backups this week, Salako was once again heavy-legged and unable to adjust to matters with his stiff upper body.
His power game is too easily rendered ineffective by any sort of quickness or speed. He doesn’t sustain his one-on-ones long enough to be dominating.
We don’t think he is going to make the final 53. Nick Gates does everything better.
Evan Brown: Getting the center snaps with the 3’s, Brown once again looked extremely comfortable getting off the ball and making all the blocks out there.
He also held up to power well enough, a lack of power being his biggest challenge to overcome.
We’re pretty certain that Brown can and will play in this league over the ball, but he’s still got to prove his value at the guard position.
With that said, we’re not sure he’s making this team, even if he remains a rather clean player at one position. Backups need to do more.
Malcolm Bunche: Getting snaps this week at right guard with the 3’s this week, Bunche did his huge body leaning on people thing and did not particularly impress.
Jon Halapio: Continuing his solid play over the ball, Halapio wasn’t isolated this week and thus did not have many if at all negative moments. He was pretty much in help mode.
His big body remains an obstacle for defenses, and he runs an efficient offensive line group.
Of all the starters this week, Halapio was the least beaten, and never seemed to find himself in a vulnerable position.
Spencer Pulley: Pulley always plays a sharp, smart and quick-thinking game out there. He’s always in the right place and doing the right thing, this week playing an extremely efficient game.
He’s got this team made and can step into the center role at a moment’s notice. We’d sure like to see if he can fill in anywhere else along the O-Line but for some reason, the coaches don’t want to show it on the field.
The questions remain: Can Pulley fill in at either OG or OT? We don’t know. If not, then why not keep Evan Brown as your backup center and OG? He’s younger, though smaller.
James O’Hagan: Despite being dressed for the game, O’Hagan didn’t get on the field, which is not a good sign for his chances at a roster spot or for practice squad consideration.
DEFENSIVE LINE
B.J. Hill: Completing as non-descript preseason as a starter can produce, Hill flashed into the pocket late on two occasions this week and fought tough at the point of attack against the run, but he still hasn’t made a single big play.
We can only guess that he’s saving them for the regular season.
Dalvin Tomlinson: After two positive games, Tomlinson just couldn’t find the ball this week though we still think he played his reads and gaps tough and smartly.
There was a little less intensity in the pit this week, after two previous wins. That the team still won the game despite the intensity is probably a good thing, as is maintaining the overall team health.
Fingers crossed, through three games, mission accomplished.
Dexter Lawrence: Early on, Lawrence went against some single blocking and the results were very promising.
Lawrence made the solo tackle vs. a Bengals 1st down run, and then batted away a pass on the very next down.
He came off the field on third down, having set up a long yardage situation, which is what the big guys need to do.
Lawrence looked just as good defending against the double teams that followed and looked powerful and mobile doing it.
Olsen Pierre: A terrible hands-to-face flag on a 3rd-and-18 really derailed a solid defensive second-half series. We thought this was a ticky-tack call and were dismayed that it kept the defense on the field and eventually lead to a Bengals score.
Pierre played a solid, physical game between the tackles and will likely be used in the regular season on some passing downs as an interior push presence.
R.J. McIntosh: Getting most of his snaps on passing downs, McIntosh didn’t play with the level of desperation that he did in the first two preseason games, but he did play tall and kept his hands up which is a good thing to do in the middle.
McIntosh is not an edge guy but as an interior upfield guy, we think he’s got potential, which to date has been unrealized so who really knows?
We still think he’s made this team, just off of his ability to turn a corner and get upfield with size and height.
John Jenkins: All this big guy does is take up space and make plays between the tackles, occasionally getting to the edges and always staying on his feet.
It’s a good way to play this game, which is why this big body very likely has this team made. We’re not sure how he didn’t get on the stat sheet as he was in the middle of a bunch of run game stops.
Jake Ceresna: The one thing this inside defender seems able to do is squirm his way upfield on the pass rush and find the pocket.
He got one hit on the quarterback doing his thing, while still showing a good feel for finding the ball against the run.
We don’t think Ceresna is making this team, but we’d sure like to see him hang around on the practice squad.
Chris Slayton: If this kid doesn’t make the final 53 then we’re a monkey’s uncle. Three times this week, Slayton found the ball and either got in on the tackle or finished it, each play against the run.
We never see him on the field on passing downs, but we’d sure like to see him push the pocket with his nice combination of size and mobility.
Big physical guys with talent like him aren’t supposed to be hanging around in the seventh rounds. Slayton should have gone a lot higher. We think he’s a lock for the final 53.
Freedom Akinmoladun: This undersized interior player has the burst to cause some disruption upfield but not enough to make a difference.
On his lone flash this week he was unable to finish off the play. He needs to get bigger and thicker if he wants to carve out a niche in this league.
As an undersized pit player, he doesn’t have any special qualities.
LINEBACKERS
Markus Golden: Golden hasn’t yet shown any of the explosiveness he needs to have in order to make his way back from the knee injury he hurt two years ago.
It’s still preseason so we shall have to wait until the regular season to see if he has another gear or two, but what we’ve seen so far (including this week) is a player who’s slow off the mark and lacking the foot speed to get upfield and threaten the edges.
Golden has looked better knifing inside on stunts, where he got his lone quarterback pressure this week.
On the Bengals’ first snap Golden was slow reacting to a screen to his side that went for 29 yards.
He’s been able to hold up to the rough stuff on the ground, and he’s holding his contain as well, but the Giants signed him to rush the passer and that ability just hasn’t shown up yet.
Lorenzo Carter: Getting only a couple of snaps rushing the passer Carter looked faster and looser on his edge but he never got close. He made one nice play in pursuit and a couple at the point of contain.
We think Carter is going to compiling a lot of stats this year; we’re just not sure it’s going to be sacking the quarterback. He’s so active and strong with those long arms, all of which gets him into a lot of the action, but this team needs some big plays out of this kid.
He looks like the team’s best edge presence, which is going to draw an awful lot of attention. It’s not going to be easy if he doesn’t have any help.
Kareem Martin: Playing his power game, Martin remains tough to play against between the tackles, and easy to play against in space.
Oshane Ximines: Both of Ximines’ sacks this week came against a backup tackles who remains as confused about what to do out there as the day he was born.
Ximines did not do a whole lot to earn either sack other than staying aggressive and going all-out. We like how he plays the game, honoring the run just as hard as attacking the pocket.
Two of his four tackles this week came against the run off some power edge contain and close. This kid is going to be playing on Week 1. He will play hard and fast, and that’s how he needs to play.
Avery Moss: Continuing to play this game at a speed a step too slow to threaten, Moss was physical against several running plays but just couldn’t do enough to separate against his blocker against the pass.
He got in on those two running plays but came up empty with his pass-rushing. Moss is not making this team.
Terrence Fede: Another one in a list of longshots, Fede committed a blocking penalty on a kick-off and was not able to work his way around the corner this week against backups.
Keion Adams: This backup outside linebacker hustled his way into one close-down tackle and one hit on the quarterback but he hasn’t looked flashy enough against fellow backups to make an impression.
Jake Carlock: Getting a bunch of second-half snaps with his hand in the ground on the edge, Carlock didn’t get a sniff of the pocket or the ball.
Joey Alfieri: Also getting a fair share of edge snaps with his hand in the dirt, Alfieri played mostly a positioning game of contain, and that’s just not enough to make this team.
Tae Davis: Davis’ plays this week include a big third-down blitz early on, hitting the quarterback and forcing an incompletion with his heavy close.
On this play, one of the Giants rookie cornerbacks knocked away a slant, the type of coverage that will allow the defense to blitz more this year and thus create pressure like Davis’.
Davis made a nice read against the run for a hit in the backfield, but in coverage, he remains a late reactor who arrived late in flat coverage, took a bad angle, and badly overran the play.
His big whiff just cannot happen in the regular season as it gave up a big play. He was also called for illegal contact in coverage.
With all of his athletic gifts, Davis still needs to play a quicker-thinking game. Until he does, he will be a liability out there and a place where offenses can go with confidence.
Ryan Connelly: Getting the start in Alec Ogletree’s absence, Connelly played a solid and less out-of-control game, playing a bit more for the cutback this week which resulted in him getting into more of the action.
Last week he was too aggressive. This week we thought he found the proper level, never taking himself out of a play. It resulted in a better overall performance.
This is the type of cerebral reaction that Tae Davis needs to have. They’re opposites, of course.
Davis has always gotten along on his physical gifts; Connelly on his mental game. That’s right, it sure would be nice to combine them into one player.
B.J. Goodson: Getting all of his snaps once again with the backups, Goodson once again looked sharp, strong and reliable.
The more we have seen him play this preseason, despite playing with the backups, the more we are appreciating his stay-at-home, power style.
It has a place we think against certain teams. He also has been showing up on special teams. This week he wasn’t once beaten in coverage.
Nate Stupar: Failing to finish off three successive plays in the passing game to start the second half, Stupar’s most egregious error was a mental one.
On 3rd-and-10 he allowed too much room in front of him to not one but two receivers, over-reacting to a deeper route that shouldn’t have been his responsibility.
It gave the Bengals check down receiver a much-too-easy opportunity to get the first down, which he did. A player of Stupar’s experience needs to be smarter than that.
He spent most of the night chasing and never quite getting there. For all of his playing time and his flashing into gaps, Stupar could never finish a play and was completely shut out on the stat sheet, despite being very visible on the field.
It was a bit like watching a chicken without a head out there—a bird who just happened to be a step too slow.
Josiah Tauaefa: Playing easily his best game of the preseason, Tauaefa may have been the second- and third-team defenses’ best player this week.
His sack was a clean-up off a late blitz, but it was a smart play as he reacted instantly to the back staying in to block.
This was far from Tauaefa’s only smart play. He was constantly in the proper position, taking great angles to the ball both in coverage and against the run.
He very nearly came down with an interception off of a great drop to defend the wide receiver flat, and seemed extremely economical in all of his movements, especially in coverage.
Nothing seemed wasted in his game out there. We also admired his no-nonsense, no-celebrating style. He was all about the next play, not the last play.
We’re not sure there’s room for this kid on the 53, but we saw a mobile, smart inside linebacker who looked very comfortable in this defense.
Jonathan Anderson: We also continue to like what this young veteran brings to the table at the inside linebacker position.
One of his two tackles this week came in the backfield when he refused to be duped by a long yardage draw play, filling the gap and nailing the back.
Anderson is another tough cut at the linebacker spot—assuming his knee injury isn’t season-ending.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Corey Ballentine: On the first possession on third down, the Giants got a much-needed pass rush from linebacker Tae Davis.
Ballentine cooperated by diving in front of the receiver and knocking the pass away. This was a good example of the pass rush and coverage working in tandem.
Ballentine came up quickly on an in route to Cody Core late in the first half.
We like the way Ballentine reacted to the pass and stopped the receiver in his tracks.
Ballentine closed again quickly on a pass early in the third quarter. We really like how quickly he closes on a receiver.
Ballentine continued to have a busy evening as he closed on an out pattern to Alex Erickson. Ballentine got in the path of the football and it should have resulted in an interception.
The common theme is he appears comfortable on the field and has the right kind of aggressiveness. We agree and like what we’ve seen from him.
Jabrill Peppers: Peppers did a nice job on a flat pass on the second defensive possession as he was all over the receiver in the flat stopping him for a very short gain.
Peppers was beaten by tight end C.J. Uzomah on a wheel route late in the first quarter when he took a bad angle initially on the route and when Uzomah turned up the field, Peppers was two steps behind.
This year you are going to see more offenses challenge the safety in coverage. Let’s hope Peppers is up for the challenge.
Janoris Jenkins: Jenkins was beaten down the sideline midway through the second quarter. He tried to make up ground which resulted in a pass interference call.
The Giants need consistent play from Jenkins which he didn’t display on this play.
He followed this up with solid coverage on Damion Willis midway through the second quarter. He was all over the receiver here and this is what we need to see from the veteran cornerback.
Julian Love: Love did a solid job late in the first half as he broke up a pass on an intermediate router as the Bengals were trying to make a late second-quarter drive.
Love did not get many chances down the field but did look good on this one. Hard to get a good read on the safety play in the preseason but obviously it becomes very important once the regular season begins.
Kenny Ladler: Ladler was beaten in Cover-2 coverage on a deep sideline pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. He got turned around in coverage and because if that did not get to the sideline to cover the pass quickly enough.
Henre’ Toliver: The Giants suffered some missed tackles in the third quarter and Toliver was one of them as he went to his knees and failed to make the tackle.
Tackling is something that just isn’t worked on much and the preseason games are the only place where you can really get a feel on who is and who isn’t proficient at tackling.
Terrell Sinkfield: Sinkfield did not do well on the corner end zone pass to Willis early in the 4th quarter. He just made it too easy for Willis.
The problem was that Sinkfield did not jam the receiver at the line of scrimmage or really present any resistance down the field.
Ronald Zamort: Zamort was beaten in the end zone late in the 4th quarter for an easy touchdown.
This was another example of a defender not jamming the receiver at the line of scrimmage and then not giving enough resistance in the end zone.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Aldrick Rosas: Rosas’ first kick-off was a booming touchback.
He then followed that up with a 41-yard field goal that he tucked inside the right goal post. Rosas then proceeded to execute three ideal mortar kick-offs—great height and direction both times— but was only rewarded with one tackle inside the 20.
The other two went out to the 25 and 29. For the second week in a row, Rosas had to make the tackle on one of these mortars, which is not something to want your Pro Bowl placekicker doing very often.
Look for the coaches to call for this maybe once a game in the regular season as a change of pace but putting Rosas in jeopardy out there is not something we want to see very often.
Riley Dixon: Dixon only punted once this week, a solid pooch punt that was fair caught at the Bengals 16. It could have had better distance and direction, but it was acceptable.
Johnny Townsend: Getting the other three punting opportunities of the night, all in the second half, Townsend had two positive punts of 50 and 51 yards, and a clunker of 30.
On his two boomers, he showed a strong leg by combining distance with very good height, but consistency is what this team is looking for from its punter and Townsend’s history is certainly not that.
Townsend also held for a second-half extra point without a problem.
Zak DeOssie: DeOssie handled all of the first half snapping duties with aplomb.
Taybor Pepper: Pepper handled all the second half snapping duties without incident.
T.J. Jones: Getting the start at both punt and kick-off returner this week, Jones’ first return on punts proved to be a rather adventurous track of a very high left-footed punt. Jones stumbled after making a difficult catch and fell to the ground for a nominal return.
Jones had the team’s best kick-off return of 30 yards starting off the second half. It sure looks like Jones has locked up both jobs.
Brittan Golden: Golden seemed to make the team with his big punt return for a touchdown this week, then he promptly got himself cut by muffing the next punt for a turnover.
That’s how knee-jerk preseason games can be, but in reality, the muff made a much bigger impression on Golden’s chances than the touchdown.
Golden in fact had a positive night all around, making several big catches as a receiver, alertly covering what would have been a game-turning fumble, and making some plays as a returner.
His biggest was the punt that he returned for 68 yards and a touchdown. He showed excellent vision and decision-making on this play, following his blocking around a corner and into the open field, going untouched into the end zone. It was indeed a big play.
But Golden’s muff on the very next punt pretty much doomed his longshot chances of making this team, though he will certainly be on speed dial for the things that he can bring to the field.
Golden doesn’t have the best speed on the team but he came up big a bunch of times out there this week. Also, he returned two kick-offs well enough but without the great speed, he’s got to be exceedingly reliable.
He wasn’t that this week, especially in a big spot late with the team protecting a one-score lead. You simply cannot put the ball on the ground.
Russell Shepard: Making yet another special teams tackle and playing solid coverage throughout, Shepard also made several catches on offense and obviously has this team made.
Alonzo Russell: We can’t see any way this big, fast and physical athlete doesn’t make this team.
Russell may be the team’s best gunner right now, and also one of its better all-around special teams performers. He seems to play on every special team out there.
Russell’s size/speed combo has just as much value on offense (he snatched the two-point conversion this week), but his ability to look not only comfortable but effective on specials (he indeed escorted Brittan Golden into the end zone with the smart final block) makes him as close to a lock as you can find among the backups.
Josiah Tauaefa: Besides leading the defense with 7 total tackles this week, Tauaefa flashed on several special teams plays, particularly a punt coverage on which he closed with the proper angle and finish.
This kid has improved by leaps and bounds and has the look of a special teams core player with his nose for the football and the smart way he plays his angles, as well as his field sense.
Garrett Dickerson: One of the fringe players who needs to show up on special teams more often, Dickerson made one of the kick-off tackles this week and was also involved in the team’s big punt return.
Reggie White: The big block that sprung Golden on his touchdown return was thrown by this rookie, who simply found his position and held it, waiting for the wall to form.
He became the final brick in that wall, and the result was the big special teams play that was the difference in this game.
AN UPDATED LOOK AT THE GIANTS DEFENSIVE SCHEME
By Chris Pflum
To us, 2016 feels as though it was ages ago, but it was only two years ago that the Giants were getting ready to enter the regular season as Super Bowl contenders.
That year the Giants were coming off their first playoff appearance since winning it all in 2011 and their best record since 2008, all based on the strength of one of the league's most dominant defenses: the short-lived “NYPD”.
Going into 2019 the Giants are a completely different team and it is possible, perhaps even likely, that the only player remaining from that 2016 defense will be Janoris Jenkins.
The Giants go into 2019 with a defense that has seen incredible turnover since 2018 as well.
The Giants' defense tried valiantly last year but just did not have the pieces necessary to fully implement James Bettcher's schemes.
The Giants have invested heavily in their defense, and the defensive secondary, in particular, this off-season.
So, what might we see that is different from the Giants' defense in 2019 from what they were able to do in 2018?
Communication
When the Giants decided to make Curtis Riley their starter, they decided to make a player who had never played safety before one of the most important players on the field.
The free safety is generally responsible for communication with the MIKE linebacker and relaying calls and adjustments with the rest of the defensive secondary.
Combined with having to see the field in from a new perspective and in a more complete way than at corner, the Giants made a pretty big demand of Riley.
That has been addressed with the addition of Antoine Bethea in free agency. While Bethea may not have the athleticism and range he had even five years ago, he is a very smart and very experienced veteran.
That football IQ and experience will not only help him to read the offense and make his own adjustments, but his communication ability will also let him effectively get that information to his teammates and get them in the correct position and coverage.
With better, quicker and more accurate communication on defense, the Giants should be able to play more disciplined defense and use more intricate coverages with more moving parts.
Man Coverage
Last year, the Giants got pressure at a respectable rate, ranking tenth in the NFL in total pressure and ninth in pressure rate.
The problem was that while the Giants also cut down completion percentage with pressure, passes were going nearly as far down the field and they gave up more touchdowns with pressure than without.
Bettcher's defense isn't completely predicated on man coverage, but he has shown a preference for that over zone coverage.
Janoris Jenkins has always been better in man coverage than zone, and DeAndre Baker performed better in that coverage as well.
Zone coverages can certainly be effective—the Steel Curtain, the 2002 Buccaneers, and Jim Johnson's defense were all underpinned by zone coverage.
But Bettcher tends to favor more aggressive man coverage schemes to disrupt the timing of routes and allow more players to be available for blitzing.
Man coverage is also the first line of defense against run-pass option (RPO) concepts, which figure heavily into competition in the NFC East (primarily with the Eagles).
Ideally, the Giants' new secondary players will be in tighter coverage than in 2018, when the Giants were forced to play more zone coverage (likely to account for B.W. Webb and Riley) and will be in a position to make plays on errant passes created by pressure.
Blitzes
Bettcher was known for his aggressive and innovative blitz packages when he was the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.
But not only did he like to blitz, he liked to blitz often, leading the league in blitz rate in 2015 (47 percent) and 2016 (41 percent), and ranking fifth in 2017 (37 percent).
By contrast, the Giants came in 13th in the league in blitz percentage in 2018, sending a blitz on 18.4 percent of pass rush snaps per Pro Football Focus.
With better communication between the front seven and secondary, the Giants will be able to coordinate more effectively.
That communication and coordination will allow Bettcher to open his playbook more fully with less fear of the breakdowns in coverage which plagued the Giants in 2018.
We never want to read too deeply into preseason performances as coaches try to play their cards close to the vest. The entire league gets preseason game tape and the last thing a coach wants (besides an injury) is for their schemes and planned wrinkles to be broadcast to the rest of the league before the games count.
That being said, we did see the Giants send five or more rushers on six of Chase Daniels' first eleven pass attempts in the second week of the preseason before they began to substitute starters off the field.
The Giants might have more options to bring pressure from less obvious positions on the defense. Jabrill Peppers is an experienced blitzer and was frequently sent on blitzes playing as a hybrid between a box safety and linebacker in 2018.
It seems almost a given that his number will be called frequently in a similar role for the Giants in 2019.
He has also already seen pressure brought from the second level from both the slot and linebacker positions (the first defensive snap of the second preseason game involved Alec Ogletree on an A-gap blitz).
If we assume that the Giants are keeping most of their playbook hidden in the preseason, we should expect an uptick in the number of blitzes sent in the coming season.
Of course, whether or not they are effective depends on how solid the coverage is behind them, but a more aggressive mentality is almost always welcome on defense.
Rotating Coverages
The Giants have acquired several players who can play multiple positions within the defense, and that could lead to more options for Bettcher and his schemes.
Antoine Bethea might have been signed to replace Curtis Riley at free safety, but he played in the box last year for the Cardinals and was very good at it.
Peppers played a variety of positions in college, ranging from cornerback to linebacker, and he played both safety and a pseudo-linebacker position for the Browns last year.
Julian Love was a very good cornerback in college, but the Giants are cross-training him at safety, and have already played him at both positions.
Having players who can play a variety of positions gives the defensive coordinator a number of options for disguising coverages.
By disguising coverages the defense is, hopefully, able to slow down the opposing quarterback's process and perhaps trick them into making a mistake.
We saw that on the first defensive snap of the preseason saw the Giants rotate from a Cover 2 defense to a Cover 1 look, with Jabrill Peppers coming down from the deep half of the field to play a linebacker position and very nearly come up with an interception.
Sam Darnold did not see Peppers drop into shallow zone coverage, throwing to a player he thought would be open. Instead, the ball was almost picked off before falling safely incomplete.
What It Means Going Forward
We still don't know exactly what the Giants' defense will be in 2019. There is hope that Lorenzo Carter will take a step forward and be able to consistently unleash his athletic potential and that Markus Golden will be able to play as he did in 2016.
There is also the fact that the Giants' defense has seen very little in the way of offensive starters in the preseason. The Jets only played their starters for six snaps, the Bears didn't play them at all.
We also have to remember that cornerback has one of the sharpest learning curves of any position at the pro level. The Giants' rookie corners will likely face growing pains over the course of the season as they get used to the speed and complexity of the NFL game.
But while things might not seem radically different on the front end of the defense, the hope is that the overhauled secondary will pay dividends quickly and allow for a more daring and creative scheme.
ACCESS THE PDF FILE
If you would like to download the PDF version of this newsletter, please click this link.
Inside Football is an independent publication that is neither sponsored by nor affiliated with, the New York Football Giants or the National Football League (NFL). Publisher: Inside Football LLC. Senior Editor: Patricia Traina (member, Pro Football Writers of America). Senior Analysts: Mike Iannaconi, Bob Folger. Analyst: Chris Pflum. Copyright 2019.
