Editor’s note: Upon reviewing the game, we changed the entry for Deonte Banks, adding detail on what was a bang-bang play and difficult to read in real-time. Giants Wire writers disagreed (and still disagree) on what transpired.
The New York Giants opened the 2023 preseason on Friday night against the Detroit Lions and neither team played their key starters. There were a few spot starters on both sides but predominantly, the game featured depth players.
Accordingly, it was a rather ugly performance for each team. There was more bad than good, and neither coach is going to be particularly happy on Saturday morning.
Here are some winners, losers, and in-betweens from Fright night’s Giants’ victory/defeat.
Winners
Jason Pinnock: Tasked with replacing Julian Love, Pinnock has stepped up this offseason. After a viral interception earlier in camp, the safety showed out in the first quarter on Friday night with an interception, tackle for a loss and two passes defensed, including one on fourth down.
Cole Beasley: The veteran showed he still has something left in the tank against the Lions, hauling in four receptions on four targets for 33 yards. Two went for first downs.
Tommy DeVito: In his first NFL action, DeVito appeared calm and collected despite almost no pass protection whatsoever. He was under pressure all night but still managed to make some things happen with both his arm and legs. He finished the night completing 15 of his 24 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and one interception (on a hail mary to essentially end the game).
John Michael Schmitz: JMS wasn’t flawless in his NFL debut but he played quality football and was active through the whistle. At first glance, his performance may not have looked good but that’s misleading given the play around him. He was the star along the O-Line on Friday night.
Graham Gano: Mr. Automatic. His short kickoffs were by design and were testing the NFL’s new fair catch rules.
Others: Tomon Fox, Jordon Riley, Dane Belton, Jamie Gillan, Jashaun Corbin
Losers
Korey Cunningham: It was a rough night for Cunningham, who seemed to struggle from the jump. He was beaten several times on inside moves, failed to pick up a linebacker blitz in the second quarter and just seemed generally out of sorts. His performance, which included multiple QB pressures, hits and at least one sack, is not going to look good on film.
James Robinson: Although he’s a veteran, Robinson seemed uncertain of himself against the Lions. He routinely chose the wrong lane, didn’t display NFL-level vision and lacked any production. Part of that was due to poor offensive line play and poor tight end blocking, but he left yards on the field.
Rodarius Williams: Williams is a bubble player who couldn’t afford to produce bad film but that’s exactly what he did against the Lions. Among his biggest issues was poor tackling.
Offensive line: You’ll see their names above and you’ll see their names below. It wasn’t just Cunningham, Wyatt Davis and Ben Bredeson who struggled — the entire offensive line did with the exception of JMS and, at times, Jack Anderson.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton: As talented and athletic as Ford-Wheaton is, there’s a reason he wasn’t drafted in April. He’s inconsistent and that was on display against the Lions. He had the opportunity to make several plays and just couldn’t, including one late in the fourth quarter.
Others: Tyrod Taylor, Ben Bredeson, Wyatt Davis, Matt Peart
Mixed reviews
Tre Hawkins: The rookie continued his solid play this summer with tight coverage that helped lead to Pinnock’s early interception. He was snug on several other routes as well, but his tackling was a bit inconsistent. Hawkins missed one that led to a first down but rebounded with a nice open-field tackle later. Confusion with the safety also led to a big Lions gain in the second quarter.
Deonte Banks: Like Hawkins, Banks had a solid but inconsistent night. He seemingly got beat deep on a pass dropped by a Lions wide receiver but it was a bang-bang play upon review. Those of us at Giants Wire debated whether Banks caused the incompletion or if it was a drop. Either way, he had a solid night with some rookie pains but some impressive moments as well.
Carter Coughlin: Battling for a roster spot, Coughlin had an up-and-down night. He missed a tackle in the backfield leading to a Lions first down but did record five tackles.
Others: Micah McFadden, Isaiah Hodgins, Tashawn Bower, Eric Gray
