There were several positive takeaways for the New York Giants in their 31-22 preseason debut, including Daniel Jones perfection.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ—Head coach Pat Shurmur had to be pleased with his team’s performance on Thursday night in the New York Giants 31-22 victory over the Jets.
After a shaky start by the defense on the opening possession of the game, when they allowed the Jets to march 75 yards on only seven plays, culminating in a three-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Jamison Crowder, they settled down and the Giants showcased that they were the better team on Thursday night.
Pat Shurmur’s opening postgame comments. @EliteSportsNY #NYG #GiantsPride #NYJvsNYG pic.twitter.com/obHKPN3RFO
— Jason Leach (@JasonKLeach) August 9, 2019
Daniel Jones' NFL career got off to a perfect start
In his one and only drive of the game, Jones was flawless throwing the ball, completing all five of his passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Albeit, Jones did this against some Jets defenders that won’t make the final roster, Jones showcased poise and accuracy, which is not always seen from rookies in a preseason debut.
https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1159609019079647232?s=20
If not for an hour severe-weather delay, we may have seen more from Jones on Thursday; but so far, so good, and that’s all anybody can ask for at this point.
Corey Ballentine is a baller
It seems that the Giants may have gotten one of the biggest steals in the draft when they selected Corey Ballentine in the sixth round (180th overall). After the tragic shooting death of his best friend, in which Ballentine was also shot, he has somehow regrouped mentally and physically to the point he’s noticeably standing out in camp on a regular basis.
https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1159649360679858176?s=20
He intercepted Jones twice in training camp, and on Thursday night, he intercepted Davis Webb in the third quarter. Ballentine has shown he is a ball hawk and a playmaker the Giants need in their secondary. It’s hard to fathom Ballentine not making the final 53-man squad.
Run defense looks solid
The Giants defense was solid all night at stopping the run as they held the Jets to 69 yards on 24 carries. One of the reasons the Giants were efficient at stopping the run was due to rookie linebacker Ryan Connelly, who tied for a team-high in tackles with five.
Yes, it’s true, the Jets didn’t play Le’Veon Bell, but anytime you can hold an opponent to 2.9 yards per carry, it’s a good sign.
Julian Love might be the team’s most versatile defender
Another talented player in the Giants secondary is fourth-round pick Julian Love (108th overall). Love started the game at slot corner (nickel) and played into the third quarter. At times, he was also lined up at safety. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher loves versatile defenders and the talk coming in was that he may have Love play a role similar to what Tyrann Mathieu did when Bettcher was the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals.
Based on what we saw on Thursday, this will be a sign for things to come in the regular season.
So when it was all said and done, everybody has to be feeling good based on what the Giants put forth on Thursday night. They won, their young players played well, and they avoided any major injuries.
