kadarius toney

New York Giants: Daniel Jones out, Sterling Shepard questionable going into Cowboys game

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sterling shepard, new york giants

When the New York Giants take on the Cowboys for the second time this year, they’ll have to dig deep and win with less talent than usual. That’s because some important players will be out for this game, including Daniel Jones and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.

The player that is the most important in all of this, of course, is Jones. Some reports have indicated that he’ll be shut down for the season, but we aren’t seeing that yet. Still, he hasn’t been cleared to return from his neck injury, and it looks at this point like more than a regular neck strain.

Mike Glennon is once again the starter for the Giants, who lack a fitting alternative.

Jones isn’t the only player out, though. The Giants will have cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Aaron Robinson missing, after they were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week. Kadarius Toney was also placed on the list, giving the Giants one less weapon in the receiving game.

For some players, the verdict isn’t out yet but things aren’t looking great. Ben Bredeson, Austin Johnson, Leonard Williams, and Sterling Shepard were marked as questionable and participated in limited practice on Friday. Shepard made his return from an absence since week 8 when he played against the Chargers, but is now dealing with a calf injury following that game.

Saquon Barkley was also limited in practice, but it looks more likely than not that he’ll play. Barkley played in the past 4 games despite being listed with an injury, and hasn’t been placed on the ‘questionable’ section of the injury report.

All in all, it’s clear the Giants will need a well thought out game plan to remain competitive in this one. With the current injuries, talent alone isn’t enough.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney doesn’t practice Thursday, Saquon Barkley limited

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new york giants, kadarius toney

At this point, many of the top playmakers for the New York Giants are synonymous with being injury prone. Just about all of their main skill position players on offense have spent time on the sidelines due to injuries in 2021, and some have been there more than others.

Promising rookie Kadarius Toney has battled injury from week to week, and that trend continues headed into the Eagles game. After playing on Monday Night Football and receiving 12 targets for 7 catches and 40 yards, Toney did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday according to the team injury report. The cause is a quad injury.

Another notable name dealing with an injury right now is Saquon Barkley. Barkley still isn’t completely over his ankle injury from earlier in the season, and was limited in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday.

It’s easy to see why the Giants believe Barkley is still hurt, given his performance coming back against Tampa Bay. Barkley had 6 carries in that game for 25 yards, and while he also had 6 receptions, he was far from the kind of impact player the Giants were hoping to get with his return.

Barkley has only played in 6 games this season and, before the Bucs game, was out since week 5.

Sterling Shepard rounds out the group of big-name playmakers to be limited or sit out. Shepard, who has only played 5 games this season and hasn’t taken to the field since week 8, did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday.

The New York Giants have one of the most injury prone offenses in the league

With the firing of Jason Garrett, many fans are considering the future of the offense. The problems, however, aren’t just in the realm of playcalling. While scheme and tactics are important, it’s equally important to have top talents that stay on the field and play consistently.

Every NFL team contends with injuries, but it would be a lie to say that every player is injured at the same rate. Some teams manage injury risk better than others, and the Giants appear to have built their offense on a house of cards that depends on specific players defying trends and staying healthy.

At times, the offense has even been lackluster after getting “offensive weapons” back – even as these players take the field again, they are often out of form and require more time before they can play to their potential.

This is undoubtedly an issue of roster construction. And when the team owners review Dave Gettleman’s performance this offseason and decide whether to keep him, the injury problems faced by the team right now should definitely be one o the topics brought up.

New York Giants offense should get a full force of weapons back on Monday

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kadarius toney, giants

The New York Giants have a crucial Monday night matchup coming up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 3-6 Giants are beginning to turn their season around after a painfully slow start to kick off the year. Miscues, poor execution, and an abundance of injuries have held the Giants back this season. Thankfully, entering this primetime Week 11 matchup, the Giants’ offense is set to get a full force of weapons back in the lineup.

Players returning to the lineup

Wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney were NOT LISTED on today’s injury report. This is significant because these two have been appearing on the injured list consistently this season. Golladay missed time with a knee injury. Toney missed a game with an ankle injury and also dealt with a thumb injury. Entering Week 11, both of these playmakers are healthy and ready to go for the Giants. The Giants’ passing attack is receiving a couple of huge boosts.

The New York Giants’ biggest and most explosive playmaker might make his return to the lineup on Monday night. Yes, Saquon Barkley, looks set to return. Barkley has been OUT since Week 5 after suffering an ankle injury versus the Cowboys. But he is now listed as QUESTIONABLE for Monday night and there seems to be a strong possibility he will be good to go.

Andrew Thomas is not listed on the injury report because of his injured reserve designation. However, there seems to be a real chance that the second-year left tackle gets back in the lineup on Monday. Thomas would likely be listed as questionable if he could be placed on the injury report. Andrew Thomas was placed on injured reserve after Week 6 with a leg injury. The Giants have absolutely felt Andrew’s absence and are eager to get him back in the lineup. According to reporters, Andrew Thomas is indeed trending toward playing on Monday night.

While he has not missed a game due to injury, running back Devontae Booker is hobbled and placed on the injury list. Booker suffered a hip injury in the Giants’ Week 9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite being injured, Booker totaled 99 rushing yards and propelled the Giants’ offense to victory. Coming off the bye week, Booker is listed as QUESTIONABLE with this hip injury. Booker and Barkley are both questionable to play, but both seem destined to see the field in some capacity this week.

Who will miss Monday night?

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard has already been ruled OUT for Monday night with a quad injury. Shepard’s season was off to a fiery hot start before it was derailed by injuries. Shep suffered this quad injury in Week 8 and has been sidelined ever since. The Giants have not placed the receiver on injured reserve, so they must be hopeful that Sterling can make a return soon. However, Sterling Shepard will not return this week to play the Buccaneers.

New York Giants: One stat showing Kadarius Toney’s presence in the offense

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kadarius toney, giants

New York Giants rookie Kadarius Toney is having a strong opening season, but even many Giants fans might not realize that he leads all rookies in one interesting statistic.

Toney hasn’t just put up good numbers, he’s also been an all around useful weapon for the quarterback – whether that QB is Daniel Jones or Mike Glennon. In fact, Toney leads all rookies in the passer rating when targeted statistic with a score of 109.8.

In other words, Giants quarterbacks this season have just performed better when throwing the ball Toney’s way. For most of the snaps, it’s been Daniel Jones making these passes, but Glennon did receive some time in the spotlight too when Jones was out of the game against Dallas.

Toney began to pick up momentum in weeks 4 and 5, but fans are still waiting on his next breakout performance after picking up 26 and 9 yards respectively in his last two appearances.

Notably, Toney was only targeted one time in the victory over the Raiders. The lone completion resulted in a catch, but any time one of the team’s most dynamic weapons isn’t given much focus in the offense, it will raise some questions about the playcalling.

Whether the Giants’ usage of Toney during the Raiders game is questionable or not, it seems certain that the receiver will be more involved in the offense when the Giants take on Tampa Bay.

He’s one of the most efficient offensive players on the roster right now, and the Giants need all their biggest playmakers to step up against a talented opponent.

For the season as a whole, Toney so far has 352 yards but no touchdowns – something that will surely change as he gets more chances to score down the stretch this season.

New York Giants: Barkley and 3 receivers worked with trainers at practice

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants are seemingly doomed to suffer from injuries this season. That’s the case for every team to some extent, but Big Blue has been hit especially bad in 2021.

Multiple offensive stars missed the victory against Carolina, but those players are making progress towards returning.

Those players are running back Saquon Barkley and receivers Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard and Kenny Golladay. Toney and Shepard both played in the Rams game but missed week 7, while Barkley and Golladay have been out since the Dallas loss.

While they haven’t returned to full speed in practice, it’s encouraging that they’re doing something at all.

Barkley and those three wide receivers were seen working out with trainers to the side of the main practice.

Will the New York Giants have more weapons vs Kansas City?

According to Jordan Raanan, it’s a toss-up as for whether or not we see any of these players against Kansas City.

The game is on Monday Night Football, so the Giants do benefit from an extra day of rest. On the other hand, though, none of the players in the running for a comeback are particularly far ahead in their recovery right now.

There will definitely be some pressure for the Giants to have their best players on the field when they take on Kansas City, one of the top teams in the AFC on paper.

Arguably, the Chiefs having a down year means this is one of the games the Giants have the best chance of achieving an upset victory.

Still, the Giants are a 2-5 team themselves. Even if momentum is trending upwards after their week 7 win, don’t expect them to take too many risks with their important talents for the future such as Barkley and Toney.

And a cautious approach may be for the better. Some would argue that we’ve already seen the Giants field players such as Barkley without them being one hundred percent this season, and the results haven’t been great.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney speaks on Jalen Ramsey matchup, Daniel Jones relationship

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kadarius toney, giants

During the week 6 game between the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, a lot of eyes will be on Kadarius Toney and Jalen Ramsey.

Toney, after all, is coming off a breakout performance where he led the Giants offense in yardage and showed some truly impressive mobility. Ramsey, on the other hand, has long been a premier corner and will have the task of shutting down whatever receiver he’s assigned to cover.

There’s practically a made-for-TV matchup there, if Ramsey does end up covering Toney rather than Sterling Shepard or Darius Slayton.

It’s also a matchup that Toney was asked about during Friday’s media availability. The Giants rookie, however, wasn’t making a big deal about it.

“It’s football, everybody has their on-plays and off-plays,” Toney said when asked if Ramsey can cover him. “It’s equal when you step on the field.”

Ramsey is a player that has a tendency to get under the skin of the opposing team’s wide receivers. But Toney isn’t too worried about that happening.

“If that’s what he wants to do, then that’s just what he’s going to do. If he’s going to try – I mean, you can always attempt, but you can’t always get the result that you want out of it.”

He called his ejection in last week’s game part of a learning process, and said to not expect anything like it again. From the looks of things, Toney plans on taking a quiet approach to dealing with the opposing team.

“I’m a silent assassin. I don’t talk to nobody on the field,” he assured.

Kadarius Toney showing chemistry with Daniel Jones already

It’s important for a wide receiver to have good chemistry with the quarterback. After an offseason where Toney had multiple absences, some wondered if Toney would be able to build that chemistry from Jones.

But from the looks of things, the first few weeks of the season have been enough to establish a bond. When asked about rushing to Jones after his concussion, Toney had some positive things to say about his relationship with his quarterback.

“That’s my brother. That’s my dog. At the end of the day, if he’s hurt, I’m hurt. That really kind of made me go harder, just knowing that he wasn’t able to do what he’ll normally do, like contribute as much as he can, just put another chip on my shoulder.”

There’s a fair chance for Jones and Toney to build more chemistry in week 6. Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay have been ruled out for tomorrow’s game, and even if Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton make a return, both players may be rusty after missing two weeks of action.

That assumes, of course, that Jones plays. While Jones has cleared the concussion protocol, whether or not he should start remains a controversial subject.

Barring a setback, there’s no more roadblocks to Jones returning to the field. But the decision is in the hands of the coaching staff. It’s still unknown to the public just how cautious the coaching staff intends to be with Jones’ return.

With that being said, the performance against Dallas shows us that Toney can still play dangerously even if Mike Glennon is at quarterback.

And given the controversy around bringing Jones back the week following his concussion, we may just end up seeing Glennon making passes to Toney instead on Sunday if Joe Judge makes the more cautious choice and rests Jones.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney named PFF’s rookie of the week

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new york giants, kadarius toney

Despite his game ending with an ejection, New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney is getting new recognition from around the league after his week 5 performance. Toney had a breakout game and exploded for 189 yards on 10 receptions, which was enough to get him noticed by Pro Football Focus and named to their team of the week. Not only that, but Toney was also named their rookie of the week for week 5.

Rookie of the Week: WR Kadarius Toney, New York Giants

Toney was a featured piece of the Giants offense against the Dallas Cowboys, generating 13 targets on 24 routes. The former Florida Gator took advantage of the opportunity by producing a 93.3 receiving grade and averaging 7.88 yards per route run — both of which are top-five single-game marks among rookie wide receivers since 2010.

Toney’s combination of balance, agility and explosiveness makes him almost impossible to tackle. The first-year pass-catcher shed three tackles on 10 catches and averaged 8.9 yards after the catch per reception.

It’s the second straight game where Toney has elevated his performance after a quiet start to the season. Much of that has to do with receiving a higher usage in the offense. Toney only played in 8% of offensive snaps in week 1 and 28% in week 2, leading to the impression that he hadn’t broken into the rotation. While Toney played more in week 3, he was only able to manage getting 3 targets.

But in the last two weeks, Toney was targeted 9 and 13 times respectively. His usage is likely to remain high, considering the other injuries the Giants have at the wide receiver position. The team has already been missing Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton since week 4, and now Kenny Golladay is included in the mix of injured receivers.

It’s not a good situation for the Giants as a whole. But with that being said, we may be witnessing the rise of a new star and that situation only accelerates the timeline for the Giants beginning to rely on Toney.

New York Giants: Silver linings in disastrous Week Five loss

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kadarius toney, giants

The New York Giants fell to 1-4 after a disastrous loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas whooped the Giants 44-20 as New York lost a number of key starters during the Week Five matchup. Nearly everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong for the Giants.

However, there were some silver linings for Giants fans to latch on to. The emergence of Kadarius Toney as a player with superstar potential is rather exciting. And on the offensive line, it was not a great performance from the boys upfront, however, Matt Peart started for the first time this season at right tackle and outplayed Nate Solder. These two young players standing out are major silver linings for the Giants.

Kadarius Toney: A star was born in Dallas

New York Giants first-round pick Kadarius Toney had a breakout performance on Sunday. The Giants spent the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on the rookie wide receiver who put up 189 receiving yards against the Dallas Cowboys.

Kadarius Toney looks like a superstar in the making. He totaled 196 yards (7 rushing, 189 receiving) on 11 touches. His 93.3 PFF receiving grade in Week Five was the highest among all receivers in the league. Toney’s 189 receiving yards are the most posted by a rookie in a single game this season.

Kadarius Toney ran some ridiculous routes to create separation, but he also made plays after the catch. Toney forced 3 missed tackles and averaged 8.9 yards after the catch per reception. Kadarius Toney is a true weapon for the New York Giants’ offense.

Matt Peart outplaying Nate Solder

All offseason long, Matt Peart was the projected starter at right tackle for the New York Giants. But, to start the regular season, Nate Solder won the job. With left tackle Andrew Thomas OUT on Sunday, Nate Solder made the switch back to left tackle as a fill-in. This opened the door for Matt Peart to start at right tackle. One tackle significantly outperformed the other, and it was not the tackle that has started the first four games of the season.

Nate Solder allowed 3 QB hits, 5 hurries, and an insane 8 pressures against the Dallas Cowboys in Week Five. He was a turnstile protecting Daniel Jones and Mike Glennon’s blindsides.

Matt Peart allowed 1 pressure and 0 QB Hits on 68 snaps as the starter against the Cowboys. He significantly outperformed the veteran. As a second-year player, Peart is still developing. With increased playing time, he could turn into a viable option as a full-time starter for the Giants.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney gives first statement since heated moment vs Dallas

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new york giants, kadarius toney

The New York Giants came away with a divisional loss on Sunday, but one of the most notable moments happened after the play itself. That moment was when wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who was having the best game of his career so far, earned himself an ejection by punching Cowboys defensive back Damontae Kazee.

The fourth quarter scuffle began with Toney being shoved to the ground after the whistle. Teammate Evan Engram also appeared to get into a confrontation with Kazee, and was shoved in the facemask. With that being said, Toney going above and beyond and retaliating with a punch to the helmet was a quick ticket to draw the attention of the referees and receive an immediate ejection.

Toney has released a public statement about the incident, apologizing to the organization and his teammates.

The incident could have gotten Toney a suspension, too. However, in a stroke of luck for the Giants, Ian Rapoport has stated that there will be no suspension and that the most likely punishment is a fine.

Toney managed to avoid a suspension from the league, but he probably won’t avoid some kind of punishment from Joe Judge. The Giants head coach has been clear about his intentions to teach discipline – an aspect of his coaching style that has become controversial this season, as despite all the talk the Giants have still struggled with things like penalties this season.

At the end of the day, though, Toney has very quickly adapted to a higher usage by the offense and has been a primary weapon in the receiving game while the Giants have dealt with injuries to Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. Now that Kenny Golladay is also injured, we can only really expect that trend to continue in the coming game; even if Judge likely isn’t the happiest with Toney’s recent display of emotions.

The Giants, after all, are fighting for their season right now. A couple more losses will easily see the fanbase slide back into apathy, and a rising number of injuries makes winning all the more challenging. At the moment, the Giants need to take what they can get. Don’t expect to see them play Toney any less just to make a point about discipline.

Toney finished the game with 10 receptions for 189 yards. If he can remain consistent in his production, the punch will hardly be something that is remembered a few weeks later into the season.

A star is born as New York Giants fall to Dallas in injury-riddled game

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kadarius toney, giants

If it wasn’t for a punch late in the game, New York Giants rookie receiver Kadarius Toney would’ve walked away with an astronomical outlook for his future. With emotions beginning to boil over in the waning moments of a Giants loss to Dallas on Sunday evening, Toney reacted as Cowboys defender Damontae Kazee threw him to the ground at the end of a play. Toney proceeded to stand up and throw a punch at Kazee’s head, resulting in an ejection for the remainder of the game.

Aside from the moment of poor judgment, Toney had a phenomenal performance against Dallas, leading the team with 10 receptions and 189 yards. Toney averaged 18.9 yards per reception with a long of 38. He was far and away the Giants’ best playmaker on offense, and with Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones, and Kenny Golladay all leaving due to injury, it was up to Kadarius to lead the unit.

In the fourth quarter, when the Giants were down by multiple scores, Toney helped lead a masterful drive downfield with Mike Glennon at quarterback. He counted for the majority of the team’s yardage, which resulted in a Devontae Booker touchdown from 3 yards out on a Glennon pass.

Without Toney, the offense would have been abysmal, as the only player who breached 50 yards in the contest was Evan Engram, who barely made an impact.

The New York Giants are watching a player become a star:

The Giants watched their rookie elevate to stardom against Dallas, but his outburst of emotions gave fans a sour taste after years of Odell Beckham Jr. making egregious decisions during games. That is not to say Toney will end up being anything like OBJ, but if he can hardest those same talents and control his emotions, he has the potential to be one of the best players in the league.

Moving forward, the league will have to discipline Toney for his actions in the defeat, which could result in further suspension or a hefty fine. It is likely that both will be the result, but one way or another, the Giants’ offenses are in good hands once they get some of their primary weapons back. Luckily, the injury to Saquon Barkley isn’t believed to be significant, so he could make a return in the next 2–3 weeks.

Quarterback Daniel Jones was in good spirits after the game speaking with his parents, but he still has to pass concussion protocols before he can make a return to the practice field. Toney was also evaluated for an ankle injury after the game, so we should learn more about their injury situations later this upcoming week.