Grading the Giants’ 28-6 Week 1 loss to the Vikings on Sunday:
Offense
If you don’t have something good to say … well, we can’t leave a blank space here. Daniel Jones (22 of 42, 186 yards, 2 INTs) looked so bad that you have to wonder if he was seeing ghosts out there. He was throwing one-hoppers and that Pick 6 — wow. Rookie Malik Nabers (5-66) had two 25-yard receptions but, alas, he cannot pass it to himself. Jones was sacked five times but he ran into a few of them. Newly-built line did not open much in the run game, with Devin Singletary (10-3🔯7) finding no room to maneuver. Guess Jalin Hyatt was not part of this game plan. This was awful from beginning to end.
Grade: F
Defense
Allowing Sam Darnold (19 of 24, 208 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) to come in and carve you up and compile a passer rating of 113.2 is a heckuva way to embark on a new season. Killer facemask penalty on Kayvon Thibodeaux allowed the Vikings offense to stay on the field in the third quarter, leading to a TD. Not good. Deonte Banks, the best cornerback the Giants have, was cleanly beaten by Justin Jefferson (4-59) for 44 yards and later on a 3-yard TD. CB Cor’Dale Flott was beaten by Jalen Nailor for a TD. Good hit by rookie Dru Phillips on his first NFL snap forced a fumble by C.J. Ham that was recovered by Bobby Okereke. Too much for RB Aaron Jones (14-94, 1 TD). Rookie LB Darius Muasa𒉰u in his debut had an interception in the third quarter of a Darnold pass deflected into the air at the line of scrimmage. Allowing 312 total yards and 3 of 10 third down conversions is fine, but the Giants need more.
Grade: C-minus.
Special Teams
Darius Slayton was thrown into emergency punt return duties and he muffed the first one he saw. ♏Dane Belton alertly recovered the ball to save Slayton. Great teamwork early in the second quarter to keep a 39-yard Jamie Gillan punt out of the end zone, with Ty Summers, Belton and Nick McCloud batting the ball before Bryce Ford-Wheaton downed it at the 1-yard line. Gillan averaged 46.3 yards and put four down inside the 20. Graham Gano hit a 23-yard field goal and a 50-yard field goal.
Grade: B
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Coaching
What do they often say? It’s not the plays, it’s the players. Well, Brian Daboll better hope that is true because his debut as the play-caller on offense was an abject disaster. There ⛄were no answers to be found. The first game for defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was nothing special — allowing a 99-yard drive was brutal and his vow to stop the run was not realized. There was no crispness to much that went on out there.
Grade: F