Giants Q&A: Where was Adoree' Jackson on Tyreek Hill's big play?

Why was Adoree’ Jackson not on the field for Tyreek Hill’s 69-yard touchdown reception in the first minute of the second half?

When he came out for the second half, Jackson noticed that the upper part of his chinstrap had ripped off his helmet, making it fit improperly. The equipment staff screwed it back into place and he was ready to return just as the Dolphins lined up for a third-and-4 at the Miami 31.

Jackson said when he saw it was third down, he opted against trying to rush onto the field because it was too late in the process and he did not have the defensive play call. He was hoping the Giants would get a stop and get off the field.

With cornerback Deonte Banks following Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle, Banks’ fellow rookie cornerback, Tre Hawkins III, was left to deal one-on-one with Hill, who blew past him down the right sideline and caught Tua Tagovailoa’s pass for arguably the biggest play of the game.  

Did Tyrod Taylor avoid getting sacked?

The answer is no. But he was sacked only once. He was 9-for-12 for 86 yards in relief of Daniel Jones.

When Taylor told coach Brian Daboll that he needed a play off, there was some question what the Giants would do. Ultimately, it did not come to that because of the two-minute warning. Taylor had a chance to collect himself and finished the game.

The bigger question: What would the Giants had done if Taylor had not been available? It’s likely the Giants would have turned to a wide receiver. Perhaps Darius Slayton would have taken a snap (or two) while Taylor collected himself.

There’s a different question about the Giants perhaps needing to carry three quarterbacks on their roster for games if Jones needs to miss time. But that’s a story for another day.  

What did key leaders say about the loss?

Tight end Darren Waller finished with a team-high eight catches on 11 targets. He had a team-high 86 receiving yards. Waller told the media that he’d spoken with the defensive players after the game.

“I try to make sure I go let the defensive players know that as an offense, we have to do more to help you guys out,” Waller said. “They forced three turnovers today. You have to convert, you have to play complementary football. You have to turn those into more scoring opportunities. Twenty-four points in nine halves is just not acceptable.”

That’s one reason Waller is considered a good teammate, and his good will seemed to resonate among the other Giants. But there is little doubt that this is a frustrated team, given the 1-4 record and last-place standing in the NFC East.

Said safety Xavier McKinney: “What we’re not going to do is keep blaming the defense. We lost as a team and it is what it is.”

 With Neil Best

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.