Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: New York Giants Pre-Season Game 1 Review
Week 1 of the preseason the New York Giants took on the Buffalo Bills for a glorified exhibition. Expectations are low, and the crowd is generally pretty stoic for these types of games. For Giants fans in particular, there were plenty of reasons to tune in. Brian Daboll, the Giant’s Head Coach, had stated slightly earlier that anyone that was healthy was going to play. This was true and this was exciting. The main points of interest were as follows:
-Laying eyes on Russell for the first time as QB1
-Abdul Carter lacing them up and seeing game action
-Jaxson Dart making his pro debut
Now how did these points of emphasis play out?
Emphasis 1: Russell looked smooth with the ball in his hands. Never getting happy feet and for the most part making all the available decisions to him. The play that stood out to me that is most representative of the regime change between Daniel Jones and Russell Wilson is a play during the first drive of the game. The pocket callapsed…it seemed almost certain that Russell was going to just lay down for a smart sack and instead he utilized his knowledge of where everyone was on the field and his ability to think under pressure. A quick shuffle pass to the rb between two defenders for a quick five yard gain. A net 10 yard difference in plays, and instead of it being 3rd and 15 it was now 3rd and 4 which we converted for an eventual field goal. Nabers, Slayton, and Hyatt all sitting out so we did not view the offense with all of its explosiveness..but I was satisfied with what I saw from Wilson.
Emphasis 2: Our future Gold Jacket man….Abdul Carter. For a reason unknown to us fans…he was only on the field for 6 total snaps. 3 of those snaps were push rush attempts. All 3 of those pass rush attempts resulted in a QB pressure. In that maybe 2 minutes of total play time…we got a quick glimpse of his potential greatness. I am 100% convinced he will be a sure thing.
Emphasis 3: The future of the franchise….Jaxson Dart. Slightly relieved was my initial reaction shifting into very excited. His confidence off the field (Halo Effect) is identical to his confidence on the field. He’s calm for a rookie qb…he went through his progressions (the experts say) and he was making the best decision on his throws each play. A few tosses were off target and we had a few drops, but that touchdown pass to Lil’ Jordan (chuckles) really does a great job of encompassing him as a football player. He’s tough. He’s ballsy. He’s got a pro arm…and he’s willing to stand in the pocket and take his first NFL blow to throw an absolute Dart for a touchdown. No tuck and run on that play, just pure grit. I love him and I know I am setting myself up for heartbreak…but he is slowly approaching my list of “Sure Things”. His personality alone will be the leading factor.
Unexpected Emphasis: The offensive line….zero sacks….all quarterbacks had clean pockets. Most of the game was filled with backups…but those first two drives we were facing the Bills top tier defensive line and without our franchise rock Andrew Thomas at LT. Absolute killer job by them as a unit. Others had good/bad days, but as a unit we were solid. Love to see it.
Building a new winning culture means we have to see W’s whether its the preseason or not. Great team victory and I can’t wait to see next week with some added weapons on offense and Mr. Carter playing more than 6 snaps.
Go Big Blue!!
