New York Giants

New York Giants: 3 keys to beating the Denver Broncos in Week 1

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are gearing up to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 1, and while virtually all of their offensive weapons are clawing their way back from injury, there’s optimism some will be available. With John Ross being placed on injured reserve this past week and Kenny Golladay still unsure if he will be available, QB Daniel Jones must prepare for the reality that his arsenal may be without a few weapons.

It’s entirely possible head coach Joe Judge is keeping the injury designation for their top players under the table, restricting Denver from gaining a competitive advantage. Forcing them to game-plan for multiple different players and combinations could cause issues with their defense. Judge will provide injury updates early this upcoming week, but they will likely avoid updates regarding Golladay, Saquon Barkley, and Kadarius Toney until the final moments.

Three keys for the New York Giants to beat Denver:

1.) Daniel Jones must avoid bad decisions

After witnessing an ugly red-zone interception in the Giants’ final pre-season game against the New England Patriots, it’s clear QB Daniel Jones is still prone to making poor decisions. Jones has 22 total interceptions and 29 fumbles over two professional seasons, and unless he can alleviate these turnovers, Jones will once again by battling himself on a weekly basis.

However, Jones did enjoy a three-game stretch last season before suffering a hamstring injury where he didn’t turn the ball over one, indicating he’s capable of playing safe and efficient football. Against a tantalizing Broncos defense, Jones must stay safe and live to see another down. If he can accomplish that, there’s no question Jones has the ability to be the catalyst for the Giants in Week 1.

2.) The offensive line must stand their ground

Everything boils down to the Giants’ offensive line, including Jones’s ball security and decision-making. With Shane Lemieux in limbo before Week 1 and a position battle still unsettled at right tackle, there’s no telling who will be starting the season in the trenches. We can make educated assumptions that Andrew Thomas, Will Hernandez, and Nick Gates will all be featuring, but the acquisition of Ben Bredeson and Billy Price have complicated things a bit.

The front office being forced to send draft picks for unestablished OL talent right before opening day is a bit problematic, and expecting this unit to hold their ground against Von Miller and Bradley Chubb is a tough sell. If they can give Jones just enough time to get the ball out of his hands, the offense should have some success but expect a heavy running attack against Denver.

3.) The defense must hold Denver to sub-20 points

The Giants will likely have to rely on their defense in Week 1 as the offense works out its kinks and figures out their offensive line woes. The defense was the pride and joy of Big Blue in 2020, holding opposing teams to just 22.3 points on average. With Denver electing to go with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, the Giants will have to send plenty of blitzers to disrupt his vision and ability to read the coverages. The return of Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines should aid in that goal, but it ultimately boils down to winning the turnover battle and winning time of possession.

Since the Giants averaged less than 20 points per game last season, we are using that standard for the defense’s performance. If Denver stays under 20 points on the afternoon, the Giants will have a far better chance at victory.

New York Giants: Victor Cruz predicts breakout year for Sterling Shepard

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sterling shepard, new york giants

With recent additions to the wide receiver position, some wondered where Sterling Shepard would fall in the New York Giants‘ plans for this season. However, it looks like Shepard is in for a large role after a training camp and preseason where both Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney have dealt with injury troubles.

Shepard is one of the offense’s main healthy weapons right now, and former Giant Victor Cruz is predicting a big year for the wide receiver.

“I think watch out for Sterling Shepard. I think he’s going to be a guy… Sterling Shepard is going to be a guy that’s going to do some really big things this year that might slip under the radar,” Cruz said to TMZ Sports on Saturday.

Things have changed a lot for Shepard over the past year. He’s had a hard time playing a full season, participating in 10 games in 2019 and 12 games in 2020. He hasn’t had a 1,000 yard receiving season yet, and the closest he came was back in 2018 when he racked up 872 yards.

Because of problems with concussions that led to his long absences in 2019, many believed the Giants should trade the player while his value is still high.

This season appears to be the other way around. Shepard is the healthy one, and it’s other high profile Giants receivers that are at risk of missing time with injury. Given these circumstances, this is just about as good of a time as any for Shepard to have a breakout season and assert himself as the top weapon in the receiving game for Daniel Jones.

Some will undoubtedly be cautious in making predictions about Shepard thanks to his history of missing games, but Victor Cruz is certainly confident in Shepard making something happen this season and definitely knows a thing or two about Giants wide receivers.

Giants projected to land 8th and 10th overall picks in 2022 NFL Draft

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new york giants, joe judge

On paper, the New York Giants have a solid team capable of making the postseason. However, with holes on the offensive line and a scheme that hasn’t projected any confidence, most have lowered their expectations ahead of the 2021 season.

Last second changes to the offensive line and acquisitions have brought problems to light, but the Giants have plenty of playmakers on offense to have a better unit this upcoming season. Last year, they ranked 31st in points scored per game, so even reaching the average mark with a top-10 defense would propel them to the top of the NFC East.

Nonetheless, not many are convinced that Daniel Jones can lead the team to success, and without a proper protection scheme and starting level talent on the OL, expecting them to win double-digit games this season is optimistic.

ESPN has the New York Giants landing the 8th pick in the draft, with Chicago’s pick coming close behind at No. 10:

8. New York Giants

Projected record: 7-10
Average draft position: 11.9
FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 4.4%
FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 26.9%

Stat to know: Daniel Jones threw 11 touchdown passes in 2020 (14 starts) after throwing 24 in 2019 (12 starts), but despite the drop-off he actually had a better Total QBR last season. While he had the second-highest completion rate on throws 25-plus yards downfield (52%) last season, he could use more consistency in the quick-passing game. He had the second-worst completion rate (66%) on throws 10 or fewer yards from the line of scrimmage.

If the Giants were to settle with the 8th and 10th picks next year, they would likely be targeting a quarterback to replace Daniel Jones and restart the rookie QB window. This would also indicate the departure of general manager Dave Gettleman, who has failed miserably to build a competent offensive line, despite promising he would solve the issue since taking over in 2018.

There’s still reason for hope that the offense can reach an average level, with the additions of Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Kyle Rudolph, and the return of Saquon Barkley. Strategically, these weapons should force opposing defenses to feature fewer blitzers and have more players in coverage.

This season for the Giants ultimately boils down to the line winning their individual battles, something that left tackle Andrew Thomas struggled with in the final preseason game against the New England Patriots. If they can hold their own in 1V1 situations as the Giants expand their scheme and design plays for specific options, they will have far more success. The defense is capable of holding opposing teams to under 20 points per game, but the offense must average more than that if they want to walk away from the season with positives in tow.

NFL executives rate New York Giants poorly in new NFC rankings

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new york giants

This season, it looks like the odds are stacked against the New York Giants. While additions during the offseason have been a cause for optimism, some of that optimism is going away for parts of the fanbase after a winless preseason and continuing problems with the offensive line. The national media, which hasn’t had much faith in the Giants all offseason, has also observed these problems.

A combination of things has led to the Giants typically being placed in the bottom echelon of the league in overall ranking lists, and it wasn’t a change when five NFL executives worked with The Athletic to create a list of the top teams in the NFC. On this list, the Giants narrowly avoided finishing in last place but still picked up far from a flattering score.

They were ranked the number fifteen team in the NFC, placing them second to last.

NFL executives bearish on the New York Giants

The Giants have won the NFC East three times in the past 20 seasons and not since 2011. Their nine-season run without a division title is their longest since a 22-season gap from 1964-1985. They were 11th in the conference last season, spent big in free agency and didn’t get a vote higher than 13th in this poll, despite a weak division and a defense that can be difficult to play against.

“Their defense has a chance, but without Saquon Barkley, an offense built around Daniel Jones does not,” a voter said. “They do a lot of things with weird special teams formations that take up practice time, but their season is riding on some of the basics, like whether they can protect the quarterback.”

Of course, the Giants are set to get Saquon Barkley back this season. However, it remains to be seen what state Barkley is in after tearing his ACL last season.

The results in ACL recoveries vary wildly, and it’s unknown if the Giants will be able to rely on Barkley as the most reliable weapon in their offense. And while it looks like Barkley will be back for week 1, there’s a chance that his return is delayed.

Placing the Giants as the second worst team in the NFC is ultimately a take that assumes their offseason additions don’t pan out. While that take does lean on the pessimistic side, it’s also hard to dispute it based on just the information we have now.

With offseason injuries keeping us from seeing much of the biggest additions to the offense, like Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay, it’s hard to judge at all where the offense will be week 1 – and whether or not those new weapons will be enough to make up for problems in other areas once the regular season rolls around.

3 offensive line combinations the New York Giants could test to start regular season

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nick gates, will hernandez, new york giants

The New York Giants are heading into the 2021 season with major questions on the offensive line. Despite general manager Dave Gettleman spending a monstrous amount of draft capital during the 2020 off-season, the line is still in shambles.

However, don’t expect the evolution of the line to stop just because the preseason is over, the Giants will likely use the beginning portions of the regular season to test different combinations in hopes of finding an adequate unit.

Three offensive line combinations the New York Giants could test:

1.) The Shane Lemieux experiment

LT: Andrew Thomas

LG: Shane Lemieux

C: Nick Gates

RG: Will Hernandez

RT: Matt Peart

Oregon product Shane Lemieux was expected to be the starter at the beginning of the regular season, but after suffering a knee injury early in camp, he missed the majority of joint practices and real game experience. Lemieux was diagnosed with a partially torn patellar tendon, but he is fighting through and hopes to be a part of the team’s game plan in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. Starting an injured player could have its downfalls, and this experiment must have a backup plan, especially if the Giants elect to give him the first crack.

2.) The Price is right?

LT: Andrew Thomas

LG: Nick Gates

C: Billy Price

RG: Will Hernandez

RT: Matt Peart

The Giants traded interior defensive lineman BJ Hill and a conditional seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for versatile lineman, Billy Price. Price has been coined a bust up to this point in his career, but he is a serviceable center despite the Bengals moving him around the interior of the line to play both guard spots the past two seasons.

In this scenario, the Giants move Nick Gates over to left guard, allowing Price to start at center. Gates is capable of playing almost every position on the line, and with Will Hernandez making the move to right guard, Gates takes over on the left side next to Andrew Thomas, where they could have plenty of success.

This is a combination the Giants haven’t tested yet, but one that is undoubtedly intriguing based on Gates’s efficiency at multiple positions.

3.) Whole Wheat Bredeson

LT: Andrew Thomas

LG: Ben Bredeson

C: Nick Gates

RG: Will Hernandez

RT: Matt Peart

The Giants recently acquired former Baltimore Ravens fourth-round pick Ben Bredeson, a 2022 5th round pick and 2023 7th round pick in exchange for a 4th round selection next season.

Bredeson had a fantastic preseason with Baltimore this year, allowing just two hurries and two pressures over 182 total snaps at right guard. He is capable of playing on the left side, where he featured with Michigan back in 2019. At just 23 years old, he has plenty of untapped potential and was simply buried on the depth chart behind former Giant, Kevin Zeitler.

Bredeson is a solid run-blocking lineman, but also shined as a pass blocker this preseason. He hasn’t had any regular-season experience as a true lineman, rather featuring as an in-line tight end in jumbo packages with the Ravens last year. Ideally, the Giants will start someone with a bit of experience, but they are optimistic Bredeson can feature as the starting LG if need be.

Which combination would you prefer for the Giants come Week 1? Comment below!

New York Giants: Saquon Barkley reportedly has “strong chance” to play in week 1

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The longest running storyline of the offseason for the New York Giants may be the recovery of Saquon Barkley. Barkley’s recovery has been in the news ever since it began last year, but we may be close to getting an answer on when the running back will actually return. Despite some worries about Barkley potentially missing weeks of the season, it looks like there’s a stronge chance we could actually see him in the season opener.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has reported that Barkley’s recovery is headed in the right direction and that it’s looking more likely that he’ll play in week 1. However, the team’s final decision isn’t set to come until next week.

The Giants have been careful about speaking on Barkley’s return all offseason so far. While the question of the return date has come up many times, multiple figures associated with the Giants including John Mara, Dave Gettleman, and Joe Judge have claimed there is no set return date for Barkley.

Barkley himself has given similar answers during this offseason, usually claiming that his recovery process is still day to day.

There have been some positive pieces of news recently in Barkley’s recovery process. The most recent is Barkley returning to hard contact drills in practice, a change from when he was wearing a red no contact jersey.

It’s hard to say definitively right now whether Barkley will be back for the opener or not, but if he is on the field, it will be a major break of luck for the Giants. After the team’s top offensive additions sat during the preseason, week 1 may just be our first chance to see the new look offense on the field in full.

New York Giants: Is Will Hernandez primed for a breakout season?

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New York Giants, Will Hernandez

The New York Giants have had plenty of trouble along the offensive line over the past few years. Young, promising draft picks seldom seem to pan out on the offensive line. For example, 2018 second-round pick Will Hernandez has yet to establish himself as a high-quality starter.

In 2020, Will Hernandez was benched in the second half of the season after starting the first eight games for the Giants at left guard. Shane Lemieux took Hernandez’s place as the starter. Entering the 2021 season, both Lemieux and Hernandez are projected to start on the Giants’ offensive line. This year, Will Hernandez has made the switch to right guard and looks primed for a breakout season.

Why Will Hernandez will break out in 2021

After spending the first three years of his career at left guard, Will Hernandez has now made the switch to the right side of the line. In preparation for his new role, Big Will dropped 20 pounds. He is in the best shape of his career and looks like he is moving with far more fluidity than he has in the past.

Hernandez enjoyed a solid 2018 rookie season. Since then, however, Will has regressed on a year-to-year basis. Despite this, 2021 looks to be the year that the trend of regression ends. Will Hernandez enjoyed a phenomenal 2021 preseason playing right guard for the New York Giants.

In the Giants’ preseason finale versus the New England Patriots, Will Hernandez put together a phenomenal performance that could be looked at as the exclamation point at the end of a great summer. Hernandez posted a 92.2 overall PFF grade on 39 snaps at right guard.

Across his 57 total snaps this preseason, Will Hernandez recorded an elite 87.0 overall PFF grade. He looks like a far better player than he did a year ago. In a crucial fourth season for Will Hernandez, it is important he breaks out and establishes himself as a high-quality starter in this league. It appears Will Hernandez is ready to do just that for the New York Giants in 2021.

Why the Giants claiming WR Collin Johnson was a great move

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collin johnson, new york giants

At first glance, some might question whether or not former Texas standout Collin Johnson is capable of being a productive receiver at the NFL level. Having been released by the Jacksonville Jaguars this off-season, the New York Giants quickly scooped him up off the waiver wire.

Johnson spent his rookie season with Jacksonville last year, as a fifth-round pick. He tallied 272 yards and two touchdowns, but he offers something very specific for a Giants team that invested heavily at the wide receiver position is off-season, especially when it comes to Kenny Golladay. Big Blue signed Golladay to a four-year, $74 million deal, but having a competent back up option behind him is essential so coordinator Jason Garrett doesn’t have to upend his scheme.

In 2020, the Giants lost star running back Saquon Barkley in Week 2, and the offense saw half its playbook go with him. Adding Golladay, Kadarius Toney, and the return of Barkley should open things up tremendously for a unit that desperately needs to see improvement.

Johnson offers a supplement to Kenny, as the tallest receiver in the NFL at 6’6″, 220-pounds. Johnson isn’t known for his route running, but rather his ability to high-point footballs and make contested catches.

The Draft Network coined Johnson a “big physical WR” coming out of Texas:

Big physical WR that displays good overall athleticism for the position. He uses excellent length and excellent catch radius in contested catch situations. He shows sufficient play speed on 8 and 9 routes while also displaying good tracking ability to locate the football in the air. He will use his big body to catch a 6 route and absorb contact. Displays good willingness and courage to give up his body to secure off targeted throws. Very good competitiveness to make difficult catches at critical moments in the game. He will be a red-zone nightmare for defenders due to his big body and ability to go get the football anywhere on the field.

With a very comparable skill set to Golladay, the Giants clearly view him as a solution if need be. Does this mean he’s anywhere close to as talented as Golladay? Of course not, but it’s about consistency with the scheme and not having to tear out pages of the playbook because they don’t have a player who can replicate that portion.

Ultimately, this was a high upside signing for the Giants, with Johnson fitting a specific purpose.

New York Giants: Kenny Golladay on recovery, chemistry with offense

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new york giants, kadarius toney

It’s safe to say a fair amount of the hopes for the New York Giants offense rest on Kenny Golladay. Golladay is the team’s highest profile free agent, and the most visible part of the organization’s plan to focus on offensive weapons this offseason. The Giants prioritized bringing Golladay in over improving other areas such as the offensive line, and that decision will be judged in part by how Golladay plays in his debut season with the team.

Golladay and the Giants are unfortunately facing a challenge in that plan, however. Golladay is injured right now, and it’s unclear if he’ll be back in time for week 1. Despite that, the receiver has seemingly kept a hopeful outlook and is positive about his time with the franchise so far.

Golladay speaks on return to practice

Golladay, along with Saquon Barkley, is one of the Giants players who recently made a return to practice. He took questions on Thursday about it, and explained the reasoning behind a slower start.

“I mean, this is literally like the first day and a half I’m back out there, so it’s still fresh. I’ve still got to get my legs up under me and everything,” Golladay told reporters when asked about his explosiveness.

He also spoke about another subject that fans will be curious about: his chemistry with Daniel Jones. While Jones will have more weapons this season, injuries have largely meant that those weapons haven’t had much of a chance to build chemistry yet. According to Golladay, however, this isn’t the biggest deal.

“It’s definitely a little bump in the road, but we still have some days left. I’ve got to get just a lot of catches in,” Golladay said.

Golladay on Kadarius Toney

Ironically enough, injury may help Golladay’s chemistry with fellow receiver Kadarius Toney. Both players are on uncertain return timetables after offseason injuries. And as high profile additions, both of them have strong expectations to get back on the field for the Denver game.

“I’m just trying to keep him on a good track and trying to keep his mind clear. As a rookie, it’s kind of hard coming in with injuries,” Golladay said about the rookie.

“I dealt with it a little bit my rookie year and I know how frustrating it can be. You almost kind of want to rush it and get yourself back out there, so I kind of make sure his head is on straight and tell him everything will be alright, and we have time on our side.”

A quick return to form following injury is the bare minimum expectation for both Golladay and Toney after the Giants prioritized both players over other areas of the team. Based on the way things are panning out so far, that decision has been criticized with many pointing to the state of the offensive line as evidence the Giants should have focused elsewhere.

It’s still too early to say just how either of the new additions will fit into the offense when healthy, but it’s definitely not too soon to rule wide receiver one of the highest pressure positions on the team currently.

Giants sign veteran center Matt Skura to practice squad, here’s what he brings

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matt skura, new york giants

The Miami Dolphins signed veteran center Matt Skura to a one-year, $1.75 million deal this off-season. Since then, they have released him due to roster cuts, and the New York Giants came calling to scoop him up off the market.

Skura didn’t make it to the regular season with his new team, after spending his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Skura had issues last year snapping the football, which is a serious issue if you play center. It was a glaring problem during the Ravens’ Week 9 and 10 games, which ended up leading to a loss against the Patriots and him finding his way to the bench.

However, Skura is an experienced a veteran who has familiarity with Daniel Jones during their time together at Duke. As a former undrafted free agent, Skura was expected to be a starter for Miami in 2021, but after selecting second-round lineman Liam Eichenberg, things became a bit complicated.

Miami decided to go with a younger option who they can develop, making Skura expendable. This preseason, Matt played 61 snaps, all of them coming at center. He posted an 84 overall pass-blocking grade, per PFF, not allowing a sack, hurry, hit, or pressure. Of course, the sample size is small, but he’s always been known as a stronger pass blocker and inconsistent run blocker.

Skura will serve as a back up to Nick Gates for the time being, and the Giants also acquired Billy Price from the Cincinnati Bengals. While Skura is currently on the practice squad, he could easily end up finding his way to the active roster in case of injuries or deficiencies. The Giants still have a few unsolved positions to deal with, and the former UDFA could end up providing some value as the season progresses.

Last season with Baltimore, Skura was hit with one sack, four hits, five hurries, and 10 total pressures. He played 620 steps at the center, but after being benched in Week 11 against Tennessee, he sparingly played. Again, Skura is a decent center who simply has issues snapping the football at times, but otherwise is a competent blocker.