New York Giants

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney could be a special teams playmaker

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new york giants, kadarius toney

The New York Giants kick off their season at 4:25 pm on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. The wait for the regular season is finally over as the 2021 NFL season kicks off Thursday night in Tampa Bay. The Giants are hoping to get off to a strong start after having a fantastic offseason that saw them drastically improve their roster. One of the team’s most exciting acquisitions was first-round wide receiver, Kadarius Toney.

It was a wild summer for Kadarius Toney unlike any other. The rookie barely practiced with the team and did not participate in the preseason. Toney had a fight with COVID-19 and a mysterious injury that held him out of practice for a while. Despite this, Kadarius is expected to play on Sunday.

The Giants are excited to see their rookie wide receiver line up with the rest of their offense. However, the area of the game where Toney might make the biggest instant impact is on special teams.

Kadarius Toney as the punt returner

The New York Giants would like to ramp Kadarius Toney up to game speed. This is a difficult task, though, as the rookie missed all of the preseason, losing his opportunity to learn the game’s speed. One way for the Giants to get Toney involved early is through special teams.

Initially, Kadarius might struggle while going up against NFL cornerbacks. The competition is bigger, stronger, and faster in the pros than in college, and one criticism of Toney’s game coming out of school was his inability to beat bigger opponents. But as the Giants try to get the ball in Toney’s hands and give him a chance to create an explosive play, placing him as the team’s punt returner is a fantastic way to get the rookie involved.

On the Giants’ unofficial depth chart, Jabrill Peppers is listed as the starting punt returner. Adoree’ Jackson is second string and Kadarius Toney is third string. Jackson, though, has been dealing with an injury for the last few weeks. Peppers is also a valuable player that typically plays over 90% of snaps for the defense. This could give Kadarius Toney an avenue onto the field.

On 177 touches in his collegiate career at UF, Kadarius Toney forced an insane 64 missed tackles (PFF). Toney was the best tackle-breaking wide receiver in this year’s NFL draft. Toney forced a missed tackle on 35% of touches since 2018, which was first among the 2021 wide receiver draft class (PFF). Anytime he has the ball in his hands, Kadarius Toney is a threat to take it to the end zone. As a punt returner in college, Toney has done just that.

Kadarius Toney returned 13 punts in his collegiate career. In his 2020 senior season, Toney returned 11 punts for 139 yards and 1 touchdown.

Few are more explosive with the ball in their hands than Kadarius Toney. New York would be wise to put Toney’s electric playmaking ability to use on special teams as a punt returner in Week One.

New York Giants: Evan Engram sits on Thursday, Saquon Barkley close to 100 percent

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New York Giants, Evan Engram

For much of the offseason, a fear was that the New York Giants could end up missing running back Saquon Barkley in their season opener. However, now that we’re only days away from that opener, it looks like a different player is likely to miss the week one matchup with Denver. That player is Evan Engram, who may once again have to sit out with an injury and this time miss the first game of the season.

It’s looking more and more like Engram will miss the game, and the latest evidence is his absence from practice on Thursday. On the Giants’ injury report for the day, a number of players were listed as limited – but Engram was notable for not participating entirely, and was the only player on that part of the list.

There is good news, however. While the Giants may not have Engram for the game, it looks at this point like they will have Saquon Barkley on the field. That’s been the feeling for the past week, but Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett made some statements on Thursday that might support the idea of Barkley getting back for week 1.

Garrett on Barkley getting back to 100 percent

“Yeah, a lot of confidence in him as a player and I think he’s done a great job to get himself back healthy and 100 percent,” Garrett said when asked by reporters whether Barkley was the same player he’d seen before.

With Barkley looking 100 percent in the eyes of the team’s offensive coordinator, it doesn’t seem like there’s much holding the player back at this point.

Losing Engram will be a blow to the offensive depth of the Giants for Sunday’s game, but the offense should still look like an improvement from what we saw in the preseason if Barkley and the team’s new additions at wide receiver play.

The offensive line will remain a point of contention for the foreseeable future and for good reason, but the Giants are far from uncompetitive with their first opponent of the season. Given the way the injury news is looking recently, the Giants should be able to put more weapons on the field than they’ve featured on any previous roster in years.

Giants’ Kadarius Toney drops legendary comment regarding status for Week 1

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new york giants, kadarius toney

The New York Giants will need every offensive weapon against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. With a strong secondary and fantastic pass rush, Denver is looking to establish themselves against an offense that ranked 31st in points per game last season. The Giants, who added Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Kyle Rudolph, and will likely have Saquon Barkley at their disposal, should provide more consistency and production in the scoring department.

However, the injury report following Wednesday’s practice was packed to the brim. The players categorized as limited were Barkley, Golladay, Toney, Adoree Jackson, Rudolph, Danny Shelton, Kaden Smith, and Andrew Thomas. To summarize, the majority of the Giants’ most important players were all limited in some fashion due to individual injuries.

Despite the designations, rookie receiver Kadarius Toney strongly indicated he would be available against Denver. It seems as if head coach Joe Judge is trying to keep things under wraps, putting as many players on the injury report as possible to create confusion for Denver’s coordinators.

Toney, though, essentially made it clear that unless somebody made up a reason for him to miss Week 1, he would be available and ready to play.

When asked if Toney if an injury or issue would keep him from playing against Denver, he said:

“Nah, I mean, unless you wanna go make one up.”

Toney has had a problematic off-season, missing time due to a hamstring injury, and contracted Covid. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a rookie receiver miss plenty of time, as Odell Beckham Jr. returned from a hamstring issue in Week 4 of his rookie campaign.

Kadarius, who has the capabilities to spark an offense and create electrifying plays, will finally get an opportunity to showcase his abilities. Missing all three preseason games and joint practices, there’s a little film to work off of regarding the 20th overall pick.

With the Florida product on the field, the Giants can get a bit more creative, utilizing jet sweeps, pre-snap motion, and more unique play calls to get him into space with the ball in his hands.

In addition to Toney, fellow receiver Kenny Golladay is also expected to suit up against the Broncos. Golladay, who earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019, will feature as quarterback Daniel Jones’s WR1. Jones hasn’t had a receiver like Golladay since general manager Dave Gelman traded Odell Beckham Jr. just weeks before the Giants selected Jones in the first round. Golladay hauled in 65 receptions for 1,190 yards and 11 scores two years ago with Detroit but played in just five games last year with a myriad of injuries.

Golladay has been dealing with a hamstring injury this off-season but has been moving crisply and seems to be prepared to play this upcoming weekend. With the majority of the Giants’ top playmakers likely to be available, the scheme should also improve with it. One of the biggest knocks on the offense has been coordinator Jason Garrett’s playcalling, but expect more downfield targets and fewer curl routes, which was his preference in 2020.

Giants News, 9/8: Injury update per Joe Judge, why starting Nate Solder is the right move

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New York Giants, Nate Solder

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge is keeping injury news and updates under wraps ahead of Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. Keeping all information a secret should give them a competitive advantage, forcing Denver to game plan for multiple players while the Giants continue to rehab some of their offensive stars, including Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay.

On Monday, Judge was a bit more honest regarding his injured players, hinting that the majority of them will be ready for the regular season.

“I’d say a number of these guys coming back right now, we’re optimistic about all of them, to be honest with you. We’ll see how they do throughout this week in practice,” Judge told reporters. “Saw a lot of guys make a lot of gains last week. There are a lot of guys that are getting reintroduced to the team that missed some time in training camp.”

If Big Blue has Golladay, Barkley, Kyle Rudolph, and Kadarius Toney available against the Broncos, their scheme should be far different than what we saw against the New England Patriots in the final preseason game. Ultimately, the utilization of pre-snap motion, vertical route concepts, and more creative playcalling should contribute toward a more explosive offense. Coordinator Jason Garrett has admitted that his unit needs to take a step forward in curating chunk plays and being more “explosive.”

However, the playcalling will only take the Giants so far, as the offensive line holds the keys to Daniel Jones being an effective quarterback and throwing the ball downfield. Allowing route concepts to develop, especially vertical ones heavily relies on the quarterback being safe in the pocket and having time to spare.

The Giants released their unofficial depth chart on Tuesday, and surprisingly, veteran Nate Solder was listed ahead of second-year player Matt Peart. Solder, who hasn’t played right tackle since his rookie season back in 2011, is expected to start at the spot against Denver. Ultimately, the Giants must consider Jones’s health and his future, which is why going with a more experienced player who can adapt appropriately makes sense.

Despite Solder being listed ahead of Peart, I do expect the Connecticut product to be rotated in, as the Giants try to force development for both players. It will take a few weeks for them to gain their footing, but in the meantime, protecting Jones needs to be the coaching staff’s top priority.

New York Giants: What the tight end position would look like without Evan Engram in Week One

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New York Giants, Kaden Smith

The New York Giants are preparing for the start of the regular season this week. Their season kicks off on Sunday afternoon with a home game against the Denver Broncos. Today’s injury reports have given fans encouragement on running back Saquon Barkley, however, they have also given a bleak outlook on tight end Evan Engram.

Evan Engram suffered a calf injury in the Giants’ final preseason game this year. The Pro Bowl tight end has been healing up in hopes of playing in Week One. According to Ian Rapoport, Engram has yet to be ruled out for Sunday, however, he is considered a “long-shot” to play.

What the Giants’ offense would look like without Evan Engram

Despite being doubtful to play, the Giants still listed Evan Engram as one of two starting tight ends on their unofficial depth chart ahead of Week One. The Giants like to run a lot of twelve personnel (two-tight end sets). This is why the team lists two first-string tight ends on their depth chart.

The other first-string tight end is Kyle Rudolph. The Giants signed Rudolph this offseason to be a reliable underneath receiver and a top-tier red zone threat. If Evan Engram is unable to play, Rudolph will likely stay in his original secondary role that complements Engram’s primary role. A practice squad tight end could also be promoted to the active roster.

Kaden Smith is listed as the second-string tight end for both starting positions. The Giants are surprisingly holding only three tight ends on their roster going into this season. Kaden Smith is the team’s backup tight end but he is no scrub. Smith has been with the team since 2019 and had an impressive performance in the preseason finale, hauling in a contested 23-yard touchdown reception.

Kaden Smith is a young tight end that has the ability to contribute as a receiver and as a run-blocker. The Giants’ offensive attack might be altered slightly on Sunday if Evan Engram is unable to go. However, Kaden Smith should be able to make up for most of what is lost.

New York Giants: Andrew Thomas responds to criticism of preseason performance

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

This season is make or break for New York Giants tackle Andrew Thomas. While it will only be Thomas’ sophomore season in the league, his performance in year one failed to live up to the expectations of many and made it look like the Giants overdrafted him when better performing players were available. There’s not going to be much patience from the fans and media for Thomas to turn it around, and that bounce back must begin in the early season this year when the Giants face multiple tough defenses.

Despite all the pressure, Thomas is still confident in his abilities. He said as much while talking to reporters on Monday, when the matter of his preseason performance came up.

When asked if the preseason game against the Patriots was a fair indicator of where his game is right now, Thomas disagreed with the idea.

“I wouldn’t say that. I would say I had a long camp, a lot of practices, a lot of good practices. Didn’t play in the Browns game, but I’ve been working hard in training camp and I think I’m prepared for the season,” Thomas said.

Thomas did indeed make mistakes in the performance, which will surely be highlighted by the Broncos’ pass rushers in week 1. However, he also claimed that some of those mistakes have already been addressed in practice.

He described the performance as more of a learning experience than a step backwards.

“I wouldn’t say necessarily a step backwards, but definitely a learning experience. Like I said, I went back over the tape, (and) corrected some things going into the season.”

Major expectations on Thomas in week 1

Like last season, an undermanned New York Giants offensive line will have to go up against some intimidating defenses early in the season with a lot on the line. This time, the season is opening against the Broncos and the matchup at hand is particularly unforgiving for Andrew Thomas.

Thomas is faced with a Broncos pass rush including Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, posing a similar challenge to some of the tough defenses that he faced in the early run of games in his rookie season.

It seems like Thomas has more or less been unlucky throughout his career, being handed a tough schedule to start his rookie year with in 2020 and also playing with an injury. Despite that, the crucial nature of his position means that the expectations are just as high even if Thomas has understandable reasons to struggle.

While you can’t judge a season from one game, the one this weekend will definitely make an impression in one way or another that lasts for weeks after the game has happened. We won’t know until after the game on Sunday if that impression is a positive or negative one.

How much better is the New York Giants’ offense with Saquon Barkley on the field?

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New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley

When the New York Giants drafted Saquon Barkley 2nd overall in 2018, they saw a generational running back that could change the dynamic of a modern NFL offense. Barkley, who the Giants paired with WR1 Odell Beckham Jr. during his rookie season, helped lead the unit to 23.1 points per game on average.

Fast forward to 2020, and the Giants or struggling to average over 17 points, as Barkley suffered significant knee damage in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, holding him out for the remainder of the season. During Barkley’s rehabilitation, the Giants rolled with Wayne Gallman at running back, and while he served valiantly, they simply didn’t have the talent at receiver to help quarterback Daniel Jones maximize his talents.

In fact, the Giants have done very little to help Jones succeed in the NFL, building a liability of an offensive line and failing to provide him with high-end wide receiver talent.

However, the return of Barkley will help the offense tremendously, as Jones has earned a 92 passer rating with Barkley in the backfield compared to 78.9 without him. In addition, the offense averaged 22.5 points per game, with the star back on the field since 2019 compared to 17.5 without him.

We know how polarizing a player like Saquon can be, as he tallied 2,028 yards from scrimmage in his rookie season, paired with 15 total touchdowns. His success entirely depends on the playcalling, and it seems coordinator Jason Garrett will get him more involved as a receiver this upcoming season than a traditional back.

If the Giants were smart, they would steal a few pages out of the New Orleans Saints’ playbook and how they use Alvin Kamara, one of the most deadly pass-catching running backs in the NFL. Barkley has that type of talent, the Giants have forced him to run inside zone and power, which doesn’t fit his mold entirely.

The best way to maximize Barkley’s talents is to use him on outside zone runs and running back sweeps, giving him more time to pick holes and make the defenders miss. In the passing game, Barkley can be utilized on angle, seam, flat, and wheel routes to get him more involved. Barkley has a 73.4% catch rate in his career, which is better than most receivers. Of course, the majority of his receptions come in the shorter portions of the field but still averages 8.2 yards per reception.

The offense has more elements at play with Barkley in the mix, as he commands attention from opposing defenses. However, it is a combination of Barkley and a WR1 that really creates havoc for opposing coordinators, as they can’t simply stack the box to shut down the running game in fear of a top receiver taking advantage. With fewer linebackers and safeties playing in the box, Barkley will have more room to work with and play action will be more effective.

Against Denver in Week 1, anticipate a heavy running game and play-action scheme, as they have a tremendous group of corners and safeties, which will limit how successful the Giants are moving the ball downfield via the passing game.

New York Giants name 2021 team captains ahead of Week One

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New York Giants, Nick Gates

The New York Giants are days away from kicking off their regular season. The team has announced its new team captains for the 2021 season with kickoff only six days away. There are a few players returning as captains with a couple of new names also added to the mix.

New York Giants 2021 Captains

Offensive Captains:

  • Daniel Jones
  • Saquon Barkley
  • Nick Gates

Defensive Captains:

  • Blake Martinez
  • Logan Ryan

Special Teams Captains

  • Jabrill Peppers
  • Graham Gano

Offense

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is entering his second season as a captain of the team. This is his third career season, one that fans expect to be a big breakout year. He is a carryover captain, along with star running back Saquon Barkley. Saquon was named a captain in 2019 and has maintained that role ever since.

The new captain on offense is starting center Nick Gates. Entering his third season with the team, Gates has been named a captain. Nick Gates has proven to be the definition of a good teammate and a hard worker during his time in New York.

Defense

For the first time in his nine-year career, Logan Ryan is a captain. Ryan spent many years as one of the best players on the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots defenses but was never named a captain. The Giants signed Ryan late last offseason and he instantly proved himself as one of the team’s best leaders. The Giants have awarded Logan Ryan with a captain’s patch in his second year with the team.

Blake Martinez is a captain for the second consecutive season. Martinez was one of the Giants’ splash signings in last year’s free agency period. He quickly proved himself as one of the best players on the team and had a career year with the Giants last season.

Special teams

Graham Gano is another new captain on the Giants. Another player entering his second season with the team, Gano earned his captain’s patch after having a phenomenal 2020 season where he made 31 of his 32 field goal attempts.

Jabrill Peppers earned his captain’s patch for the second consecutive season. Peppers brings that energy every Sunday and leads the team’s defense and special teams. Peppers contributes primarily as the team’s starting safety, but also as a punt returner. The Giants are expecting a huge year out of Peppers in 2021.

New York Giants enter regular season as 2.5 point underdogs in week 1

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new york giants, rodarius williams

Headed into the regular season, Vegas is betting against the New York Giants. That won’t surprise everyone after a preseason where the Giants failed to win a game, and where their offense still performed slowly in some areas even when the starters were on the field. However, the expected margin of victory for the Broncos may be slimmer than some expect.

The Broncos are only a 2.5 point favorite against the spread based on the current odds from Odds Shark, a prediction that’s far from counting out the Giants entirely in their week 1 matchup.

The odds, of course, could change this week based on what the Giants announce in relation to injuries. The most obvious injury decision that could affect the outcome is the matter of whether or not Saquon Barkley will play. The Giants are seemingly waiting until the last minute to make an announcement, even as Barkley’s current progress points to a week 1 return being likely.

Tight end Evan Engram, meanwhile, is considered a long shot to play according to Ian Rapoport. Wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney are currently practicing, but the staff haven’t seen enough to make a decision on them playing or not.

All of these names are impact players in their own right for the offense and the odds could still shift in one direction or another depending on whether they play.

While the Broncos are favored, they also have some question marks of their own such as whether Teddy Bridgewater will live up to expectations and the final result is far from a foregone conclusion in Denver’s favor.

New York Giants injury update: Saquon up, Engram down ahead of Week 1

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Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants are just one week away from taking on the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of the regular season. Injuries have begun to mount ahead of opening day, but the Giants are optimistic star running back Saquon Barkley will be available after tearing his ACL, MCL, and partially tearing his meniscus last year against the Chicago Bears early in the season.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Barkley is gearing up for Week 1 and is expected to make his first appearance since the injury. Barkley, who has played in only 15 games over the last two years, is looking to resurrect his 2018-self. During his rookie campaign, Barkley amassed 2,028 yards, 15 touchdowns, and didn’t fumble a single time.

With Barkley on the field, the offense is far more productive and successful. The addition of wide receiver Kenny Golladay should also contribute heavily toward a more efficient unit. Barkley had his best season with Odell Beckham Jr. on the field, as the star wideout commanded attention from opposing defenses, which took players out of the box and allowed Saquon to have more success running the football.

Quarterback Daniel Jones will also be ecstatic about the return of his most lethal offensive weapon. Jones has barely enjoyed any time with Barkley on the field, and when he is, Jones’s numbers skyrocket. Jones has a passer rating of 92 with Barkley in the backfield and 78.9 without him. The offense averaged 22.5 points per game with Saquon on the field since 2019 and just 17.5 without him.

In addition to Barkley making a return, the Giants are also expecting TE Engram Engram to miss Week 1 against Denver. Engram suffered a calf injury against the New England Patriots in the final preseason game of the off-season. Engram, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, was plagued with drops last season, picking up eight in the category and was directly correlated to six interceptions.

However, Evan is capable of being a great player who changes the dynamic of the offense. Last season, he tallied 654 yards and one score, earning his first Pro-Bowl appearance. Some might say that the Giants are better off without Engram in the lineup, as they will look to Kaden Smith and potentially Kyle Rudolph as their primary TE’s to open the year.