The bar was on the ground for the Giants’ offense for myriad reasons. And they did manage to hop over it.
Quarterback Daniel Jones and the starters worked two drives in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Patriots in Foxborough. And lo and behold, it wasn’t a complete disaster*. Which is an accomplishment given how poorly the unit has performed during training camp.
* — New England did play its backup. So don’t plan the parade yet.
Jones finished the night 6-of-10 for 61 yards. He led a 13-play, 68-yard drive to start the game. It ended with a 25-yard field goal from Graham Gano after wideout Kenny Golladay dropped what may have been a first-down reception. Golladay also quit on a route down the field earlier in the drive, as if he wanted to remind the world just how bad a signing he was.
The Giants punted on their second drive. But they did pick up a first down before kicking. They had five in total with the starters on the field. Saquon Barkley looked good, but he also finished with 13 yards on four carries, or 3.3 yards per. He was also targeted out of the backfield, which will crank up his fantasy football hype for those who care about those things.
Jones was sacked once. But that was the only one of the 19 snaps by the starters that went for a loss. The line looked serviceable. But again, the Patriots had no starters on the field. And it’s also August 11.
There is not much we can take away from this outing. But at the very least the Giants did not embarrass themselves. That is nothing that deserves to be celebrated, of course. But it has to be acknowledged given how bad this team has been this summer and in seasons prior.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
