Golden Tate

New York Giants: 3 Giant positives from the loss to the Patriots

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones, Jon Hilliman

The New York Giants might have fallen to the New England Patriots 35-14, but they put up a resilient fight that proved they’re capable of hanging with the best.

The NFL’s best team and top-rated defense had fits with Big Blue all night, especially their defense, who returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown and dominated in the trenches all game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure the win as star running back Saquon Barkley, and a slew of influential players were forced out due to injury.

Here are three positives from the New York Giants loss to the Patriots:

1.) The defense showed they can fight

Typically, allowing 35 points is nothing to write home about, but the Giants defense stepped up in a big way in Foxboro.

The pass rush was dominant, and outside linebackers, Markus Golden and Lorenzo Carter, both made colossal impact plays to keep the Giants alive late in the game. Golden returned a fumble for a touchdown, and Lorenzo Carter was in the backfield, frequently putting pressure on Tom Brady.

Also, interior defenders Dexter Lawrence, BJ Hill, and Dalvin Tomlinson all wreaked havoc on the Patriots offensive line and forced Brady to get rid of the ball quickly. Before a late-game scamper by Sony Michel, the Patriots hovered around the 50 rushing yard mark, an impressive number for a defense who was without starting linebacker Ryan Connelly.

The resiliency showed by the unit proved they could be a quality defense moving forward. They have the puzzle pieces and are finally coming together with improved chemistry. Some weak spots need to be addressed next off-season, but they are beginning to understand James Bettcher’s scheme and take advantage of what his style can provide.

2.) Darius Slayton is the real deal

The New York Giants might have found themselves a quality wide receiver in late-round pick, Darius Slayton. The rookie was lined up across from Stephon all game, the league’s top cornerback. He finished the night with three receptions for 32 yards, but a majority of his catches came on third downs. He seems to be Rueben Randle on steroids, a player that can contest the balls and act as a trustworthy target for Daniel Jones.

Slayton has 179-yards over 12 receptions and one score this season. He has elevated his game lately, securing a majority of those numbers in the last two contests. We should keep an eye on his development and improvement as the season progresses.

3.) The reality of Saquon Barkley is REAL

If there is anything we learned from Thursday night’s loss to the New England Patriots, it is that running back Saquon Barkley is extremely important to the functionality of the Giants offense. On the night, Jon Hilliman ran for 38 yards on 11 carries. He also fumbled the ball towards the end of the game that put the Giants to bed. Barkley’s shiftiness an ability to break off big runs makes him a constant threat for opposing defenses.

His influence forces opposing defensive coordinators to take players out of coverage, which ultimately helps open up the field for quarterbacks. Gaining back Barkley soon will be a huge boost and support the Giants succeed down the road. However, we now know they can battle against the best teams, but they certainly need their best players to do so.

New York Giants news, 10/11 – Pat Shurmur blasphemy, Positive signs, Saquon Barkley

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

I rarely feel this spry after a disheartening loss, but watching the New York Giants fall to the best team in football with a defense that hadn’t allowed a passing touchdown through five weeks isn’t as bad. The Giants were the first team this year to find the endzone through the air against the New England Patriots, coming on a 64-yard juggling catch from Golden Tate, the Giants’ top receiver on Thursday night.

However, the loss came with its fair share of disappointing plays and decisions, especially from head coach, Pat Shurmur. With about eight minutes left in the game down two scores, Shurmur elected to punt the ball on 4th-and-2. Against the Patriots and their quality offense, you must take the risk and go for the first down.

Evidently, he gave the ball right back to them, and they marched down the field and scored with ease. The defense was too tired after facing off against Tom Brady for over 70-plays on the night.

After the game, Shurmur stated:

“I felt like it was the right thing to do,” in regard to the punt on 4th-and-2.

Well, Pat, it wasn’t the right thing to do, and you inexplicably put the ball in the hands of the best quarterback of all-time and let him secure the win with ease. Understanding the logic behind that play is simply impossible, and we can only hope he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

On a positive note, the Giants will likely gain star running back Saquon Barkley against the Arizona Cardinals in week seven. They have 1-1/2 weeks to regain their health and heal up before tackling a more manageable portion of the schedule. Ideally, the Giants can crawl to a 7-4, 6-5 record by the BYE week.

What did Daniel Jones have to say about the Giants’ performance?

“We’re pushing to play better and by no means are we panicked or are we at all questioning ourselves. We know we’ve got to play better. I certainly know I’ve got to play better. So we’re trying to do that.”

Jones threw three interceptions but was playing without his top three play-makers and backup running back. He was handing the ball off to a practice squad body in Hilliman and was relying on Rhett Ellison to pick up the slack with the absence of Evan Engram. The chances of success were slim, and the Patriots defense got the job done.

On the bright side, Jones now has experience playing against two of the best defenses in the league and one of the best he will ever see in the Patriots — essential game experience for him moving forward.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Paul Schwartz – Giants put up a fight and still get battered by Patriots

Jeremy Bergman – What we learned from Patriots’ win over Giants

Mike Reiss – Bill Belichick: Could write a book on special connection with Giants
Ben Baskin – The Final Days of Eli (Or Not. With Him, Who Knows?)
Brittany Sirabella – New York Giants: Asafo-Adjei is a True Warrior

New York Giants hanging on by a thread, can they make a surprise comeback?

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New York Giants, Golden Tate

The New York Giants entered half time against the New England Patriots with one of their better defensive performances in tow. On a windy night in Foxborough Massachusetts, rookie passer Daniel Jones threw two interceptions to give the Patriots the ball and ultimately a 14-0 lead (special teams score included).

However, he didn’t back down as he connected with new free-agent signing Golden Tate on a 64-yard touchdown pass they gave the Giants their first score of the game and the first touchdown through the air against the Patriots defense this season.

There is hope the Giants can stick around in the second half, and a Markus Golden fumble recovery for a touchdown proved that they could compete with the league’s best team.

The New York Giants are competing with minimal talent on offense:

With practice squad running back Jon Hilliman earning just 22 yards on seven carries, the Giants defense has been the highlight of the first half and will be a catalyst for success in a second.

Daniel Jones must be more efficient with the football in his hands and utilize his receivers more frequently. On the defensive side, Jabrill Peppers leads the team with five total tackles, and Golden is sitting with 0.5 sacks and two assists to go along with his fumble recovery for a score.

One of the underrated defenders for the game, though, is linebacker David Mayo, who has earned four tackles, three assists, and 0.5 sacks. He has been stellar stopping the run and clogging up the middle of the field so far.

At the very end of the first half, the Giants allowed a rushing touchdown, which gave the patriots a 21-14 lead. With Big Blue getting the ball back in the second half, they need to start with momentum and positive gains. The defense must continue to play with aggressiveness and physicality as well.

What do the Giants need to compete in the second half?

Aside from another half of quality defensive play, the Giants need the running game to establish itself and burn time off the clock. Having the wind at Jones’ back is essential and will be a huge factor in the team passing the ball with efficiency.

Some of the Golden Plays in Sunday’s Game Against Minnesota

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New York Giants, Golden Tate

While the majority of the media and fans have taken notice of the bad parts and negative aspects of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, the New York Giants still had a few bright spots most notably on defense.

While it may be hard for some to see any good in the New York Giants 28-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, there were some glimmers of positive plays.

Markus Golden had his own great game.  Golden has been doing great since the start of the 2019 NFL season.  In this past Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Golden came away with five total tackles and contributed a sack on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Golden is truly a great contributor to the team and is a force to be reckoned with.  His ferocity and fierceness give the Giants defense something to be hopeful about.  Golden is very keen and sharp when it comes to the game of football and each and every game he goes out there with such fervor and force.  He brings energy to the team and rallies his teammates to make plays.  Golden’s confidence and invigorating attitude are truly admirable!

Golden’s strength and vigor also give New York Giants fans something to be excited about.  After Golden’s tackles, he got the crowd started and all fired up.  He emboldened fans to still hold on to the positive aspects of the game.

Although, this past Sunday’s game may have been disheartening after two straight wins by the New York Giants, players like Golden keep the Giants team and fans motivated and optimistic that there can be some auspiciousness that the team can pull together and that no matter how negative things may seem, there are still some things to look forward to no matter how big or small.

New York Giants Receiver Golden Tate: “We Want To Get Back To Winning”

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New York Giants, Golden Tate

Golden Tate is one of the most intriguing players for the New York Giants this season, and made his regular season debut with the team on Sunday when the Giants took on Minnesota in their first loss in the past few weeks – interestingly enough, while it would have been easy to predict that the Giants offense would get a boost from Tate showing up, the actual performance was worse on that end of the ball as Tate finished the game with a quiet performance.

The Giants only managed 10 points compared to 24 during their previous game, a victory over the Redskins. Coincidentally, the last victory was also the last game before Tate’s four game suspension for a substance violation would be up. After coming back and immediately experiencing a slow day on offense, Tate had something about the matter to say following the loss.

“It felt good to get back out there. Obviously, I wish I had a few more opportunities to help us win, but I’ll watch film very critically. I’ll get with DJ, my coach, the OC and see what I can do better to help us win and help us move the chains a little bit more,” Tate stated, before elaborating more and bringing up a supposedly low usage. Tate only had 13 yards in the game, after being targeted six times and bringing in half of those passes as receptions.

“Obviously, I want to be out there as much as possible, but we’ll see. It’s the first week back for me. I hope my role increases, but we’ll see,” Tate continued.

But more recently, Tate clarified his comments and seemed to have a change of heart when it comes to complaining about his role, instead saying he and the other players simply want to win. “Honestly, whatever it takes to win, that’s the goal here for everybody in this locker room. That’s what I want my part to be, just help us win, so if that means I run more plays, so be it.”

“Less plays, whatever, just win. Coming into this locker room after last week’s win was fun and today wasn’t as fun, we want to get back to winning,” Tate clarified.

One can hope that Tate will have more than 13 yards on Thursday Night Football against the Patriots – with Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard potentially out as well as Evan Engram, the Giants definitely need the help.

New York Giants: What Golden Tate Will Bring To This Offense In Week Five

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New York Giants, Golden Tate

This offseason, the New York Giants rebuilt their receiving corps. They traded away superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. They also gave Sterling Shepard a contract extension ensuring that he will be around for the long haul. Then the Giants also went ahead and signed veteran wide receiver Golden Tate to a three-year, $27 million contract.

The Giants viewed Golden Tate as a high-character player that could add veteran leadership and performance to the team. The picture of the locker room class from Tate was quickly washed away when the receiver was suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Golden Tate appealed the suspension and failed, resulting in a four-game suspension for the veteran. Golden has now served his suspension in full and is back with the team. The Giants officially activated Tate on Tuesday. He will make his regular-season debut in Big Blue this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Daniel Jones Will Give Golden Tate Plenty Of Opportunities

Golden Tate is known as being one the best (if not the best) playmaking wide receivers after the catch. Tate is dangerous with the ball in his hands.

Thankfully, Daniel Jones is great at getting the ball into his receivers’ hands and letting them do their work. In week four against the Redskins, Jones had his ups and downs. But one area that he strived in was throwing the ball underneath.

Golden Tate Is The YAC King

The way to work Golden Tate into the gameplan is to give him the ball in space and let him work. Tate is a tough runner to take down. In 2017 and 2018 both, Golden Tate forced the most missed tackles after the catch out of all receivers in the NFL. He forced 22 missed tackles in 2017 and 23 missed tackles in 2018.

The broken tackles lead to extra yardage, too. Over the past ten years, Golden Tate has ranked 4th in the NFL in yards after the catch per reception with an average of 7.9 yards.

As seen in the clip below, Tate has the ability to turn a 12-yard reception and turn it into a 45-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. With Daniel Jones’s advanced accuracy underneath, Golden’s ability to run after the catch could be the difference-maker in the Giants’ offense and bring them to a week five victory.

New York Giants: The Daniel Jones To Golden Tate Connection Is Coming

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The new and improved New York Giants offense has helped the team achieve a .500 record for the first time since 2016. The Giants made an important offensive change in week three when they decided to bench franchise legend Eli Manning in favor of rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.

Since anointing Daniel Jones the starting quarterback, the Giants have averaged 28 points per game. New York has improved drastically on third down and has been finishing drives with touchdowns.

Daniel Jones’s chemistry with Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram has been immediately evident. Jones has developed a strong connection with the team’s plethora of offensive playmakers. Fortunately for Daniel, he is about to get another playmaker to throw to.

Golden Tate Officially Activated

This offseason, the New York Giants rebuilt their receiving corps. They traded away superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. They also gave Sterling Shepard a contract extension ensuring that he will be around for the long haul. Then the Giants also went ahead and signed veteran wide receiver Golden Tate to a three-year, $27 million contract.

The Giants viewed Golden Tate as a high-character player that could add veteran leadership and performance to the team. The picture of the locker room class from Tate was quickly washed away when the receiver was suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Golden Tate appealed the suspension and failed, resulting in a four-game suspension for the veteran. Golden has now served his suspension in full and is back with the team. The Giants officially activated Tate on Tuesday. He will make his regular-season debut in Big Blue this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Jones To Tate Connection Is Back

Giants fans were able to catch a quick glimpse of the Daniel Jones to Golden Tate connection in the preseason. Tate was allowed to play in the preseason despite his suspension. In limited exhibition playing time, Tate was able to get some snaps with his new rookie quarterback and made a couple of big plays.

Golden Tate caught 4 passes in the preseason for 53. This includes this awesome reception down the left sideline for a 23-yard gain:

This throw was a beauty by Daniel Jones while under pressure and getting hit. It was also an excellent catch by Golden Tate as he had to track the ball over his shoulder and keep himself in bounds. This type of vertical threat down the sideline will be key for the Giants’ offense moving forward.

New York Giants news, 10/2 – Will the Giants pursue Stefon Diggs in a trade?

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Should the New York Giants inquire about Stefon Diggs?

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

With the New York Giants gearing up to face the Minnesota Vikings in week five, the biggest news of the week wasn’t in regards to the game, but rather a potential trade target, who’s coincidentally on the opposing team.

Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs was reportedly on the trade market earlier in the week, despite this reality being a rumor. Reports stated that the rumors were false, but with the displeasure occurring in the wide receiver room for Minnesota, it is only fair to believe they could be forcing their way out. After the departure of now head coach of the Giants, Pat Shurmur, the Vikings offense lost a bit of its juice.

Diggs earned 849 yards over 14 games in 2017 with Shurmur but tallied 1021 total yards and nine touchdowns last season. The Vikings have committed to a run-first offense which has ultimately hurt the statistics for the wide receivers.

Adam Thielen, Diggs’ teammate, stated:

”You have to be able to throw the ball.”

The frustration growing among the receivers could force the Vikings hand, and with Diggs potentially on the trade market, the idea of the Giants swooping in and stealing him is certainly possible. However, I wouldn’t recommend it.
The only way the Giants should theoretically attempt to trade for Diggs is if the Vikings are willing to accept a third-round pick or less. General manager Dave Gettleman has done a fantastic job drafting the past two years, which makes draft capital even more valuable.

For argument’s sake, Diggs is on a team-friendly contract. His cap hit is only $12.5 million this season and only reaches a maximum of $15 million in 2021 and 2022. In comparison, Odell Beckham Jr. is earning $17 million this season. Additionally, Diggs‘ contract has a low dead cap. If the Giants wanted to cut him in 2021, he would only count $6 million in dead cap.

The mantra for Big Blue moving forward, though, should be to alleviate any chance of carrying over dead salary into future seasons.

An argument against trading for Diggs would be how well rookie passer Daniel Jones has performed in just two NFL starts. With 567 passing yards and five total touchdowns, Jones has proved that he doesn’t need a plethora of talent to win football games. He has done so without Saquon Barkley for a majority of the time and without Golden Tate. When his offense is fully healthy, Jones will be more than capable of operating at a high-level. Therefore, Diggs is not essential.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Michael Eisen – Inside the Numbers: Historic start for Daniel Jones

Jordan Dajani – Golden Tate returns to Giants for Week 5: Here’s how it impacts Daniel Jones’ progression
Mark Schofield – Scouting the Giants defense: Pat Shurmur said the team made some tweaks, so what did we see?
John Fennelly – What will Golden Tate bring to Giants offense?
Alexander Wilson – Did the New York Giants find a game-changing defender on defense?

New York Giants Drop Two, Gain Golden Tate And Josiah Tauaefa

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New York Giants, Golden Tate

The New York Giants have one major roster change coming for their game against the Vikings – wide receiver Golden Tate, who was suspended for the first weeks of the season thanks to what appears to be an accidental PED violation, is making his return and finally giving the Giants a more complete set of receivers. It’s something that, thanks to Tate’s suspension and Sterling Shepard’s early season concussion troubles, the team hasn’t had since they made the decision to ship Odell Beckham Jr. off to Cleveland.

However, the addition isn’t without its losses – with Tate back in the mix there’s some other players that the Giants just don’t need as much, and a couple of those players were released to make room for Tate and one other addition, linebacker Josiah Tauaefa, a practice squad player meant to help fill the gap left by Ryan Connelly after the Wisconsin rookie was taken out for the entire season by an ACL injury.

The two cuts are other wide receivers, Bennie Fowler and T.J. Jones. While both players performed alright in the preseason neither one made enough of a mark to stay on the roster now that Tate is back, which seems to be the motivating factor for their release.

Connelly isn’t the only injury at the linebacker position and due to the very thin nature of the spot. Tauaefa represents a more important addition to the team which for now, is good enough to get him promoted off the practice squad.

The game against Minnesota will be the first one featuring Golden Tate and Daniel Jones playing at the same time for the Giants, which is certainly intriguing. One can hope that with a pair of additions, the team can continue to win even with the absence of their top offensive player, Saquon Barkley, for the upcoming weeks.