3 questions facing the Giants at the conclusion of the preseason
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws a pass in the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Credit: AP/Eric Christian Smith
The Giants won’t take the field again until Sunday, Sept. 8, against the Vikings. Here are three questions as the season nears.
1. Is Daniel Jones ready?
The quarterback seemed to find his stride about a week into camp, but his play in the team’s Week 2 preseason game at Houston bordered on alarming.
He completed 11 of 18 passes but had a pair of first-quarter interceptions, including a pick-6, in the Giants’ 28-10 loss to the Texans. Jones did not play on Saturday night in the Giants’ preseason finale against the Jets.
After the loss to the Texans, Jones conceded that he was “a little shaky at the start” but added that his “knee felt good.”
“It was fun to be out there [against Houston],” said Jones, who played in a game for the first time since suffering an ACL tear last November. “It didn’t start perfect, but we got going and I felt good physically.”
The fact that he has felt good physically obviously is important, but it will be critical for Jones to lead an offense that seemingly is flush with playmakers. He has weapons in a wide receiver room that includes rookie Malik Nabers, sixth-year veteran Darius Slayton, second-year player Jalin Hyatt and third-year player Wan’Dale Robinson.
General manager Joe Schoen has said that “this is the year for Daniel.”
2. Is the O-line improved?
It almost has to be. A year ago, Jones was sacked 30 times in 190 dropbacks. And yes, it’s a storyline again after John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal suffered ankle injuries on Saturday night.
Schmitz, who missed considerable time in camp with a shoulder injury, seemed to avoid major injury against the Jets, insisting that he just got rolled up on. He said after the game that his ankle was “fine.”
While an MRI was scheduled, neither Schmitz nor the Giants seemed particularly concerned.
Neal, now a backup, saw action on Saturday, too. He also was rolled up on, though coach Brian Daboll said Neal’s exit was a matter of his pitch count rather than the ailment. Neal is working his way back from offseason ankle surgery.
Both are expected to be ready for Week 1, with Schmitz back at his position as the starting center.
3. What is the primary concern about the secondary?
In their one day of joint practice with the Jets on Wednesday, the weakness in the Giants’ secondary showed.
In his second season, Deonte Banks remains the team’s top cornerback. Opposite Banks, the depth chart remains murky.
Jason Pinnock will start at safety, but there is competition for the other spot. Can Tyler Nubin, the Giants’ second-round pick in April, make an immediate impact?
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen seems to have his work cut out for him. In Pro Football Focus’ rankings, the Giants’ secondary is ranked 31st. Only the Cardinals are worse.
Asked earlier this month about the “uncertainty” in the defensive backfield, Pinnock said, “There’s no room for growth in comfortability.”
That may be true. But some uncertainty seems to remain.
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.
