NY Giants

Giants Injury Update: Daniel Jones trending up, Andrew Thomas poses question mark

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are heading into Week 6 with a nasty case of the injury bug. With the Los Angeles Rams coming to town, the Giants have a ton of questions left to be answered. Regarding injuries, the Giants lost a bevy of players to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, and there’s a solid number that won’t be available for the next week or two.

One player who missed the Week 5 contest is left tackle Andrew Thomas, who the team sorely missed as Nate Solder put forth an awful performance. In the loss, Solder allowed three QB hits, five hurries, and eight pressures, all more than Thomas has allowed in the first four weeks of the season.

At this point, the team desperately needs their stud left tackle, but he was unable to practice on Wednesday, or at least the team had him sit out of caution. Considering Thomas suited up and was prepared to play against Dallas if need be.

I believe this is more maintenance-related, as they feel he can step in and perform well without physically practicing this week. This is probably a smart move as they try to avoid any potential re-aggravation of the injury.

How is Daniel Jones progressing for the Giants?

The Giants are also closely monitoring quarterback Daniel Jones, who suffered a scary concussion against Dallas in which he stumbled over his own feet, putting doubt into his availability moving forward.

However, Jones was able to throw the football around on the practice field and run without any limitations. While he was listed as a DNP, there is hope that Jones can pass the concussion protocols and play against the Rams this upcoming weekend.

Reports indicate that Jones is on step three of a five-stage protocol for concussions, which bodes well for his chances. However, given the fact that the Rams are a strong opponent, the Giants might be wise to sit DJ one extra week to ensure he is 100% healthy.

With that being said, general manager Dave Gettleman is not in a position to lose games purposefully, so if he is able to go, we should expect to see Jones suiting up.

New York Giants work out LG Forrest Lamp, but what would he bring?

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forrest lamp, new york giants

The quest to find a competent left guard has been a difficult task for the New York Giants, as they went onto their fifth option in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys. Utilizing both Matt Skura and Wes Martin, the Giants worked out a veteran option on Tuesday afternoon to add more competition.

With a tough stretch of games coming up, the Giants are keen to add more talent in the trenches, which is why they brought in former Los Angeles Chargers lineman Forrest Lamp for a workout. After agreeing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, Lamp is looking to make a return to the NFL after starting at left guard for the Chargers in 2020.

Lamp enjoyed 1,174 offensive snaps last year, posting a 60.7 pass-blocking grade and 42.8 run-blocking grade, per PFF. While he doesn’t offer above-average play, he has plenty of experience at a position of weakness for the Giants. He allowed two sacks, 14 QB hits, 22 hurries, and 38 pressures last season, but Big Blue isn’t it in a position to spend draft capital or resources on a big name player; they need a solution now on a cost efficient deal.

The Giants currently have about $4 million available in funds to allocate if need be, and it is a strong likelihood they bring in another guard, which preferably would be Lamp given his experience. He did have a few solid outings last year, posting 85+ pass-blocking grades against Tampa Bay, Miami, and Atlanta.

Martin, who was signed off the Giants’ practice squad prior to the team’s loss on Sunday, allowed two hurries and two pressures on 39 snaps. Skura, who had never play left guard before the season, was injured early on in the contest, allowing two hits, one hurry, and three pressures over 29 snaps. He posted a solid run-blocking grade but, unfortunately was ineffective as a pass protector.

With the lack of continuity in the trenches, the Giants can’t be picky with their options, which is why Lamp and his experience represent one of their better ones. He likely would agree to a cheaper deal and compete for starting reps immediately, giving him an opportunity to build a sample size in hopes of landing a more luxurious contract in the future.

Giants Injury Report: Daniel Jones enters protocol, Toney dodges bullet, Barkley, Golladay could be out awhile

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daniel jones, giants

The New York Giants lost several important players to injury against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday evening. Unfortunately, several of the injuries could be long-lasting, which could force backup players into more prominent roles moving forward. Of course, the most prominent names include Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones, and Kenny Golladay.

While the loss was undoubtedly the biggest negative over the weekend, we can’t help but shift our focus to the health of the players, which are very much in doubt heading into a big Week 6 contest against the Los Angeles Rams.

New York Giants injury update:

Daniel Jones: Concussion

After Daniel Jones took a massive hit from Dallas linebacker Jabrill Cox, he proceeded to stand and stumble over his own feet, indicating symptoms of a concussion.

“I’m not going to get into any medical diagnosis. I saw him in the locker room afterwards right there. Just checked on him,” Judge said after the game. “In terms of where he’ll go next week, I don’t have an answer for you right now. We’ll see where he goes. Obviously we’re all hopeful that he’ll be back and he’ll be healthy.”

It is entirely possible that Jones misses Week 6 against the Rams, giving him an extra week to regain his health and focus after suffering a scary brain injury. While it is possible he makes a return, I wouldn’t expect to see Jones running the football anytime soon, but instead utilizing his arm to avoid lethal contact.

Saquon Barkley: Low ankle sprain

The first player to go down on Sunday was Saquon Barkley, who stepped on the foot of Cowboys DB Jourdan Lewis, rolling his ankle and watching it swell like a balloon. The initial diagnosis is that Barkley has a low ankle sprain that will keep him out for at least two weeks.

Hopefully, there is no structural or significant ligament damage, as anything more serious could hold him out for the majority of the season. Given the fact it is a low ankle issue, we should expect to see Barkley back in about a month, maybe even sooner.

Kadarius Toney: Ankle

Giants’ Rookie receiver Kadarius Toney had a breakout performance against Dallas, catching 10 passes for 189 yards. During the contest, Toney had his ankle rolled up on as he took to the bench in frustration. He returned soon after, playing through significant pain, trying to will his offense forward.

Toney received MRIs on Sunday after the game but was in good spirits on Monday, indicating he would be good to go in the future.

 

Kenny Golladay: Hyperextended knee

Big money free agent receiver Kenny Golladay suffered a hyperextended knee in the first quarter against the Cowboys, and despite trying to play through the injury, he was unable to last for the remainder of the contest. Golladay eventually was pulled after halftime, and given how injury-prone he’s been this year, I wouldn’t expect to see him available against the Rams.

Golladay could miss the next two weeks recovering from this issue, but it is possible he tries to come back sooner and play through the pain after taking a game off against Los Angeles.

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.

Giants’ Kadarius Toney already showing insane qualities with one stat

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kadarius toney, new york giants

The New York Giants unleashed rookie receiver Kadarius Toney against the New Orleans Saints, and he ended up being one of the catalysts that fueled the offense to a victory in Week 4.

With Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton out with hamstring injuries, Toney will once again be a priority for the Giants in the passing game against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. Last week, Toney enjoyed 50 total snaps, 40 of which came on passing downs.

His snap count increased to 78% with the injured receivers, but that number will likely hover in that area if not increase as the season progresses. The Florida product tallied 78 yards on six receptions, being targeted eight times by quarterback Daniel Jones. The Giants even tried a trick play where Toney threw the ball downfield, attempting to exercise his former quarterback lineage.

The Cowboys are riding a three-game win streak as they prepare for the Giants, and one of their young cornerbacks has recorded five interceptions this year, Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys sit just behind the Giants in points allowed per game at 24.3 but are doing a great job of limiting opposing rushing attacks, simply because their offense is so potent, teams are passing as they trail behind by multiple scores.

Dallas’ passing defense ranks toward the bottom of the league, giving up 315.3 yards per contest, but again that correlates with opposing teams passing the ball frequently to maintain pace with their offense. The Giants will be tasked with slowing down a red hot unit. They must control possession and milk the clock for as many minutes as possible. The goal is to sustain long drives while scoring touchdowns and not field goals.

Getting the ball into their playmaker’s hands is essential, which is where Toney makes his presence felt. Against the Saints, Toney forced five missed tackles, being tackled six times in total. If you factor that into his numbers, his performance is far less effective and productive without his shifty abilities and quick-twitch movements.

Toney gave some insight into how he approaches making tacklers miss, and he’s going to have to exercise that attribute against Dallas if the Giants want to have any chance at emerging victorious in Arlington.

“The process is really just more of, if he goes left, I’ve got to go right,” Toney said Friday. “It’s just kind of like playing freeze tag, something like that. It’s that kind of feel when you’re out there.”

Kadarius was known for his insane center of gravity and effort at Florida, and those characteristics haven’t dwindled at the NFL. In fact, it seems as if they’ve been maximized.

How the Giants will likely supplement the potential loss of Andrew Thomas in Week 5

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nate solder, new york giants

The New York Giants are preparing for left tackle Andrew Thomas to potentially miss Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Coming off an extravagant win over the New Orleans Saints last weekend, the Giants would like to build off their success, but a strong Dallas team requires all hands on deck.

With Thomas being listed as questionable for the game, losing him would represent a massive hole on the offensive front. He currently hosts a 79 overall pass-blocking grade, a massive uptick compared to his 54.7 grade last season, per PFF. He hasn’t allowed a sack through four games, stonewalling Cam Jordan last week in arguably his best performance as a professional.

Dealing with a foot injury, Thomas was limping noticeably during practice this week but was able to participate in a limited fashion.

Thomas stated regarding the injury:

“Sore, but I’m doing everything that the trainers are asking me to do. Taking care of it, doing a lot of treatment, trying to get it ready.”

Commenting on his participation in practice, Thomas said:

Good. I was in the rotation yesterday, in the rotation today with (Tackle) Nate (Solder) and (Tackle) Matt (Peart), so we’ll see what happens Sunday.

Projected starting OL without Andrew Thomas:

LT: Nate Solder

LG: Matt Skura

C: Billy Price

RG: Will Hernandez

RT: Matt Peart

In the case that Thomas is forced to miss Week 5, veteran tackle Nate Solder will likely take over at his traditional spot. Solder has spent the beginning portion of the season at right tackle, where he struggled for the most part. Coming off a 2020 season where Solder spent his time from home opting out due to COVID-19, he has allowed two sacks, three QB hits, six hurries, and 11 pressures over 246 snaps this season. Thomas taking such a big leap forward has allowed coordinator Jason Garrett to provide Solder with a bit more help on the right side, but he would have to shift over in the worst-case scenario.

The last time Solder played right tackle was back in 2011 during his rookie season with the New England Patriots. He played in 780 snaps during that year but spent eight seasons beyond that at left tackle, presenting himself as one of the most sturdy options in the league before making his way to the Giants and struggling considerably.

Of course, that would force sophomore lineman Matt Peart into the starting RT spot. Peart has enjoyed all of just 19 snaps this year. All 19 came against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. With little to no game experience this season in the new system run by OL coach Rob Sale, the Giants could be staring down the barrel of a loaded gun if Thomas is forced to miss any time.

Giants Injury Update: Andrew Thomas limping, Kaden Smith, Shepard and Slayton still bothered by hamstrings

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sterling shepard, new york giants

The New York Giants are gearing up for a crucial game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. The Giants will need all hands on deck against a Dallas team that has won three straight games and scored over 35 points in the last two victories. Plastering the Carolina Panthers for 36 points, the Giants’ defense has gotten off to a tough start, representing another potential victim unless they can find the equation to taking down Dak Prescott and a Kellen Moore lead offense.

Ultimately, it starts with health, and the Giants had a few players on the injury report this week, as multiple faces are questionable for the contest.

New York Giants injury report:

Andrew Thomas: Limited (foot)

Andrew Thomas walked away from the New Orleans Saints victory with a foot issue. Thomas was a limited participant in practice but was walking gingerly, favoring his right foot. Thomas has been one of the more exciting players this season in terms of development, earning one of the best pass-blocking grades of any tackle in the NFL.

The expectation is that Thomas will suit up against Dallas without any limitations, but he will need the next few days to return to full health.

Sterling Shepard: Out (hamstring)

Shepard missed last week’s contest against New Orleans with a hamstring injury suffered against Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Shepard has been one of Daniel Jones’s favorite targets this season, but the third-year quarterback relied on rookie Kadarius Toney to fill the void in what was the best performance from the offense this year.

Shep was out of practice on Thursday, indicating he might miss another game this upcoming weekend.

Darius Slayton: Out (hamstring)

Slayton suffered a hamstring injury against the Atlanta Falcons as well, missing Week 4 against the Saints. He’s in the same boat as Sterling — both failed to participate in practice on Thursday. Luckily, the return of John Ross will supplement his loss, holding over the WR core until the Auburn product is able to make a return.

Kaden Smith: Limited (knee)

Reserve tight end Kaden Smith has been listed on the injury report weekly with a knee issue, but he continues to suit up and make an impact in multiple facets. Last week, Smith primarily served as a blocker, but he is a reliable receiver who gets involved every now and again. He will likely be available against Dallas on Sunday.

Jabrill Peppers: Out (hamstring)

Peppers stated after the victory over New Orleans that it would be tough to stop him from playing against Dallas. Peppers remains the energizer of the defense, but his snaps have decreased consistently this season as coordinator Patrick Graham relies more on Xavier McKinney and Logan Ryan. If Peppers is able to go, expect him to return punts at the very least.

Ben Bredeson: Limited (hand)

With Ben Bredeson suffering a hand injury against the Falcons, the Giants rolled with Matt Skura at left guard last week, which surprisingly went quite well. Skura seems to have solid chemistry with Andrew Thomas and combo blocked with Billy Price adequately. The expectation is that Skura will start again despite Bredeson being limited on Thursday.

Nate Ebner: Limited (quad)

Special-teams ace Nate Ebner has been dealing with a quad injury for the last few weeks, but he hasn’t missed much time since attempting to join the national rugby team and making a comeback late in training camp.

Leonard Williams: Limited (knee)

Big money interior defender Leonard Williams has never missed a game due to injury, but he showed up on the injury report this week with a knee issue. Supposedly, the injury isn’t too serious, so he should be available against Dallas, and he’s going to have to bring his “A” game.

Should the Giants be entertaining trade calls for WR Darius Slayton?

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New York Giants, Darius Slayton

The New York Giants will likely be active at the trade deadline this season, but where they might be trying to bring players in the past, they have a few pieces they can let go for capital in the future.

Both Evan Engram and Jabrill Peppers are in the fifth year of the rookie contracts, representing an opportunity for the Giants to move on and acquire draft capital for their services. Engram is an athletic tight end with unparalleled speed at the position, but he has trouble holding onto the football and allowing turnovers. Over the past four seasons, Engram has dropped 25 passes, including a drop and fumble over two weeks this season.

Peppers, on the other hand, has seen his snap count decrease this year as the Giants deploy Xavier McKinney more frequently in the free safety role. Peppers has had trouble in coverage against tight ends, a spot where they desperately needed him to improve.

The New York Giants have a deep WR core:

However, the emergence of receiver Kadarius Toney has made one pass-catcher expendable, and that is third-year player Darius Slayton.

With Sterling Shepard still under contract and Toney beginning to take the reins on offense, Slayton has found himself in a peculiar situation. Fellow speedster John Ross has returned from injury and looked fantastic against the New Orleans Saints last weekend, so Slayton will already be battling for snaps moving forward.

Over three games this year, he has caught seven passes for 127 yards and a score, catching 50% of his targets. Slayton, though, has already dropped three passes this year over just 14 targets, representing a 30% drop rate.

Given his struggles, the Giants might float the idea of treating him and potentially getting back draft capital since he’s outperformed his fifth-round selection back in 2019.

With Ross providing more refined route running and gadget utilities, Slayton’s snap count will likely decrease over the next few weeks, presenting the Giants with an opportunity. The argument against trading Slayton would be that Ross is on a one-year contract while the Auburn product still has another year left on his deal.

Do you think it is worth trading Darius Slayton at the deadline? Comment here!

New York Giants: 3 keys for beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4

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kadarius toney, new york giants

The New York Giants have a tall task ahead with the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington next weekend. Dallas has won their last three games, sitting at 3-1 on the year, with their only defeat coming against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.

Over their last three contests, they have scored a combined 97 points, finishing with just a minimum of 36 points over the last two games. In their most recent victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, Dallas won the turnover battle, intercepting Sam Darnold twice and keeping the ball protected. While they did lose time of possession, they were efficient with the ball in their hands, punting four times and scoring touchdowns on five possessions.

The Giants are going to have to match fire with fire as they travel to Dallas, but let’s take a look at a few keys that help them in this match-up.

Three keys for the New York Giants to beat the Dallas Cowboys:

1.) Get Kadarius Toney MORE involved

Teams are still trying to figure out a way to stop Giants rookie receiver Kadarius Toney, who had his best game of the season, hauling in six receptions for 78 yards against New Orleans. Coordinator Jason Garrett got him more involved with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton missing the game with hamstring injuries. Toney showed flashes of brilliance, using his quick-twitch abilities and insane lateral movement to dodge incoming tacklers and pick up extra yards.

Getting the ball in Toney’s hands should be a priority moving forward, and as he further incorporates himself into the offense, quarterback Daniel Jones will begin to rely on him as one of his favorite explosive play makers. The best part about Toney is that getting the ball in his hands from short range is all it takes to curate a big play. He rarely goes down on first contact and has already been coined the “human joystick.”

Designing a few plays around him will keep Dallas’s defense on their toes. Having speed on the outside with John Ross should clear out the underneath for Toney to have more open space, which the Giants should consider if they use him on drag routes and shorter concepts. Bunching him with Golladay and Shepard (if he plays) might also be a unique strategy — something Garrett used more against the Saints to create confusion, running different routes from similar sets.

2.) Control the clock

While Dallas managed to overcome Carolina despite losing time of possession, the Giants would be smart to try and control the clock, which would help control momentum. Dallas has such a fantastic offensive scheme capable of dominating any opponent, slowing the game down is their only shot at keeping this game within reach. Despite a great performance against the New Orleans Saints, the Giants’ offense hasn’t proved they can be a high-octane unit on a weekly basis, so trading blow-for-blow will be difficult.

Garrett should still incorporate explosive downfield plays into his strategy, but if the Giants want to win this game, the run blocking needs to be far better than it has been through four weeks, and Saquon Barkley needs to have his best game of the season on the ground.

3.) Win the turnover battle

The Cowboys’ defense has been curating turnovers at an astronomical rate, as young corner Trevon Diggs intercepted Darnold twice this past weekend. In each of the last three wins, the Cowboys have won the turnover battle, forcing two turnovers in each game. The Giants have been far better protecting the football, which should provide them a bit more efficiency. Nonetheless, Dallas has a stingy defense, but they are missing a few key pass rushers, including Demarcus Lawrence, so the offensive line should be able to protect Daniel Jones well for the second consecutive week.

New York Giants: Just how great has Andrew Thomas looked through 4 games?

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants have patiently been waiting for left tackle Andrew Thomas to reach his potential, and after struggling in the final preseason game of the off-season against the New England Patriots, he has been lights out on the football field.

The New York Giants are watching their young tackle blossom:

Thomas has had a tremendous start to the 2021 season, which is also his sophomore campaign. After a tough start to his rookie season, he turned it around during the second half, posting far more optimistic numbers. Following the conclusion of the year, Thomas immediately underwent surgery to fix an ankle issue that had been bothering him since training camp. Ever since then, Thomas has completely redefined himself, thanks to new coach Rob Sale, who has done a fantastic job helping elevate the offensive line as a whole.

Currently, the Giants offensive line ranks 17th in the league in pass-blocking efficiency, a big jump from 31st in 2020, per PFF. This is primarily thanks to the establishment of Thomas at the most important position in the trenches, which has given quarterback Daniel Jones more time in the pocket to execute his throws.

Just take a look at the detailed statistics that Thomas has posted this year compared to last season. They represent an entirely different player with processed fundamentals and a focus on great pass blocking.

2021:

-1 QB hit

-5 hurries

-6 pressure

-ZERO sacks

2020:

-3 QB hits

-13 hurries

-19 pressures

-3 sacks allowed

“I think this year I’m doing a little bit better with my sets, getting to the spot a little bit better with hand placement,’’ he said. “The thing I want to improve on is double teams in the run game. I think my base blocks on the D-ends have been pretty good but I got to get better on my double teams, getting up to the ’backers and second-level blocks.’’

Thomas knows that his development is far from over, but he started off the 2021 campaign in fantastic fashion. As the team’s top-rated pass protector, he has enjoyed 264 offensive snaps, committing just two penalties, both of which came against Washington.

It is not as if Thomas has faced off against lackluster talent either, taking on Chase Young, Dante Fowler, and Cam Jordan in consecutive weeks. In fact, Jordan, who struggled against the Giants in Week 4, recorded just one hit and two pressures, arguably his worst game of the season. The week before against New England, Jordan tallied three hits and six hurries, far outpacing his performance this past week against the Georgia product.

Not only is Thomas putting together a great start to his second professional season, but he’s doing it against quality players, which is all the difference.