The New York Giants rallied late to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 25-22, in Week 2 of the preseason on Sunday night. It improved their exhibition record to 2-0.
Here are six notable takeaways from Big Blue’s latest victory.
Injury issues persist
The Giants had seen as many as 26 players miss practice due to injury or illness last week. They went into Sunday’s game against the Bengals 18 short and weren’t able to make it more than a quarter without adding to that tally.
Rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee), rookie linebacker Darrian Beavers (knee), kicker Graham Gano (concussion) and wide receiver C.J. Board (ribs) all left the game hurt.
Thibodeaux insists he’s fine and received “good news” based on initial testing but will undergo more on Monday.
Does anyone out there have answers to this persistent injury problem? The Giants led the NFL in man games missed a season ago and lead the league in injuries since 2009. Some blame it on the MetLife Stadium turf, but the Jets don’t seem to have these same problems — at least not to this degree.
Offensive functionality
The Giants have a long way to go on offense. The coaches will tell you that, the players will tell you that and your eyes will say the same.
However… In comparison to the previous two seasons, the current unit (and their depth) are leaps and bounds better than what we’ve seen. Gone are the vanilla JV days where back-to-back quarterback sneaks are run to create room for the punter.
An additional reason for optimism? The Giants have yet to gameplan and aren’t using nearly as much motion as we expect to see come the regular season.
All quarterbacks are functional
Calling a quarterback “functional” is a low bar to set but for the Giants, it’s a drastic improvement over the previous two seasons.
As we noted earlier, the offense looks light years ahead of where it was. That has manifested itself in the form of quality play from Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Davis Webb.
Taylor had a more forgettable game than the other two on Sunday night, but over two preseason games, the Giants have to be confident and comfortable with what they’ve seen.
Jones is clearly the starter and Taylor clearly the backup, but Webb looks like he made a smart decision by returning to the field this season.
Julian Love really can do it all
For years, we’ve been calling safety Julian Love a Swiss Army Knife. He can play both safety positions, multiple cornerback positions, linebacker, gunner, punt protector… You name it.
Love added to his resume on Sunday night when he stepped in for an injured Graham Gano and handled the holder duties as Jamie Gillan shifted to kicker. And with just a few tips on the sideline, he did it flawlessly.
What can’t he do?
Wan'Dale concerns?
Through two preseason games, rookie wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson has three receptions for -3 yards and a near fumble. The team has been unable to work him into things offensively and his solid training camp has not translated to the field.
There were concerns about Robinson’s size prior to the 2022 NFL draft and then many felt the Giants over-drafted him. Should alarm bells be sounding?
It’s still too early to paint Robinson with any sort of broad brush, but uneasy feelings are a-brewing.
Don't sleep on Jashaun Corbin
Running back Jashaun Corbin had 13 touches for 42 yards and a touchdown, plus one kick return for 20 yards against the Bengals. A week earlier, he had 11 touches for 51 yards to go along with three kickoff returns for an additional 74 yards.
He’s proving to be a well-rounded, reliable player on the ground, through the air and on special teams. In other words, “smart, tough and dependable.”
There are only so many roster spots available, but don’t be surprised if he beats out Gary Brightwell and Antonio Williams, who also played well, for a spot on the 53-man roster.
