May 312023
 
Parris Campbell, New York Giants (May 31, 2023)

Parris Campbell – © USA TODAY Sports

MAY 31, 2023 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICE REPORT…
The Giants held their fifth voluntary organized team activity (OTA) practice on Wednesday. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

Head Coach Brian Daboll was asked before practice specifically about 11-on-11 drills. “We do walkthroughs with it,” replied Daboll. “So, different things, tempo it down, kind of teach it and review some of the stuff we studied in the offseason. We’ll stay with that today… there’s rules for contact and stuff. So, we just take that out of it and again, teach our concepts, blocking schemes, how to take on blocks, run fits, protection things. Tempo it down a little bit and make sure we get it right so when we get into training camp, when we’re going full speed with pads on, we’ve got something to draw from.”

The five remaining OTA practices will be held on June 2, June 5-6, and June 8-9. A mandatory mini-camp will also be held June 13-15.

INJURIES AND ABSENTEES…
Not spotted at were RB Saquon Barkley (unsigned Franchise player) and DL Vernon Butler (rehabbing undisclosed injury inside the building).

WR Sterling Shepard (recovering from knee surgery), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (recovering from knee surgery), TE Andre Miller, OG Marcus McKethan (recovering from knee surgery), ILB Darrian Beavers (recovering from knee surgery), DL A’Shawn Robinson (recovering from knee surgery), DL D.J. Davidson (recovering from knee surgery), OLB Elerson Smith (recovering from foot surgery), CB Aaron Robinson (recovering from knee surgery), S Dane Belton (recovering from unspecified offseason surgery), and S Jason Pinnock worked on the side.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • Fielding punts were RB Eric Gray, WR Darius Slayton, WR Jaydon Mickens, WR Kalil Pimpleton, WR Jeff Smith, and CB Darnay Holmes.
  • First-team offensive line was RT Evan Neal, RG Mark Glowinski, OC John Michael Schmitz, LG Ben Bredeson, and LT Andrew Thomas.
  • Joshua Ezeudu did rotate in at left guard with the first-team.
  • Starting at cornerback were Adoree’ Jackson and Deonte Banks.
  • CB Deontae Banks saw most of his snaps at left cornerback and broke up a pass from QB Daniel Jones intended for WR Isaiah Hodgins.
  • CB Adoree’ Jackson broke up two passes, including one intended for WR Isaiah Hodgins.
  • Cor’Dale Flott was the first-team slot corner.
  • Nick McCloud received first-team reps at safety although Xavier McKinney and Bobby McClain remained the first-team safety duo.
  • WR David Sills, who was injured at the end of the third OTA practice, was back on the field and beat CB Deontae Banks on a play.
  • QB Daniel Jones connected on another long pass to TE Darren Waller.
  • WR Jalin Hyatt saw some reps with the first-team offense.
  • At one point in practice, during red-zone drills, QB Daniel Jones threw three straight touchdowns, including to wide receivers Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, and Darius Slayton. Slayton beat CB Deontae Banks on his touchdown.
  • Eight of QB Tyrod Taylor’s completions went to WR Collin Johnson.
  • WR Kalil Pimpleton flashed at practice, including catching a touchdown pass from QB Tyrod Taylor, beating CB Darnay Holmes. Pimpleton also made a deep catch against CB Cor’Dale Flott.
  • WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton caught a couple of passes, but also dropped one.
  • CB Zyon Gilbert picked off an overthrown pass from QB Tommy DeVito.
  • WR Jalin Hyatt worked with QB Daniel Jones after practice, as did a number of other players. “If you look out there, it looks like practice is still going on because there are a lot of guys still training with each other, helping each other out,” said OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux after practice. “That’s the culture we’re building.”

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The  transcript and video of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

GIANTS.COM OTA#4 PRACTICE REPORT…
The team’s fourth OTA practice was not open to the public. However, the Giants did publish the following practice report on their website:

Mar 202023
 
Jon Feliciano, New York Giants (January 21, 2023)

Jon Feliciano – © USA TODAY Sports

JON FELICIANO SIGNS WITH 49ers…
New York Giants unrestricted free agent center Jon Feliciano has signed a 1-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Feliciano is the third unrestricted free agent to depart from the team this offseason, joining center/guard Nick Gates and safety Julian Love.

The Giants signed Feliciano in March 2022 after he was cut by the Buffalo Bills. The Giants converted him from guard to center, where he started 15 regular- and two post-season games, missing one game due to a neck injury and the other a healthy scratch in the regular-season finale. Feliciano had an up-and-down year. His veteran presence and knowledge of Brian Daboll’s offense helped the offensive team. While he brought a toughness, feistiness, and grittiness to the line, his athletic limitations proved to be an issue against better opponents. Feliciano was also flagged six times (four holding, one ineligible downfield, and one taunting penalty).

The 6’4”, 325-pound Feliciano was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He signed as a free agent with the Bills in March 2019. Feliciano has now played in 97 regular-season games with 54 starts. He is a versatile player who can play both guard positions and center.

For a listing of the team’s free agents, see the New York Giants 2023 Free Agency Scorecard.

GIANTS ADD CORNERBACK…
The Giants have signed cornerback Leonard Johnson, a cornerback from Duke University who tore the ACL in one of his knees while training before the 2022 NFL Draft. Because of the injury, Johnson went undrafted and did not sign with any NFL team last year.

DARIUS SLAYTON PRESS CONFERENCE…
Wide receiver Darius Slayton, who the Giants re-signed as an unrestricted free agent, addressed the media on Monday. The transcript of this press conference is available in The Corner Forum, while the video is available on YouTube.

Mar 162023
 
Jihad Ward, New York Giants (December 4, 2022)

Jihad Ward – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS RE-SIGN JIHAD WARD AND DARIUS SLAYTON …
The New York Giants have re-signed unrestricted free agents defensive lineman/linebacker Jihad Ward and wide receiver Darius Slayton. Media sources say Ward’s contract is a 1-year deal. Slayton’s contract reportedly is a 2-year, $12 million deal with incentives that could reach another $4.5 million.

The Giants signed Ward as an unrestricted free agent from the Jacksonville Jaguars in March 2022. Ward surprisingly became an important on-field and locker-room veteran presence for the rebuilding ball club. He played in all 17 regular-season games with 11 starts (58 percent of defensive snaps), finishing the year with 43 tackles, seven tackles for losses, three sacks, 13 quarterback hits, four pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. It was the most-productive season in Ward’s seven-year NFL career. The 6’5”, 287-pound Ward was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He has spent time with the Raiders (2016-2017), Dallas Cowboys (2018), Indianapolis Colts (2018-2019), Baltimore Ravens (2019-2020), and Jaguars (2021). Ward has played in 85 regular-season games with 26 starts. While not flashy pass-rush presence, Ward is a tough, gritty edge-setter against the run. He also also shift inside when called upon.

Slayton began the 2022 season as the team’s 7th wideout, barely making the 53-man roster. Due to the revolving door at the position, by the end of the season, he was entrenched as a starter. Slayton played in 16 regular-season games with 11 starts, catching 46 passes for a team-leading 724 yards (15.7 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. However, he also dropped seven passes, or nearly 10 percent of his opportunities. The Giants drafted Slayton in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he played in 14 games with nine starts, catching 48 passes for 740 yards and eight touchdowns. But Slayton has not really progressed since that impressive debut season, only catching seven total touchdown passes from 2020-2022, while also dropping 19 passes during that same timespan. Slayton combines decent size (6’1”, 194lbs) with very good overall athleticism and speed. Slayton can stretch the field and get deep. He can adjust well to the football, but his hands are very suspect, even being prone to double-clutching passes he does catch. Slayton is also not a very physical receiver and can have issues beating press coverage.

For a listing of the team’s free agents, see the New York Giants 2023 Free Agency Scorecard.

BOBBY OKEREKE PRESS CONFERENCE…
Linebacker Bobby Okereke, who the Giants acquired as an unrestricted free agent from the Indianapolis Colts, addressed the media on Thursday. The transcript of this press conference is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

Jan 152023
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (January 15, 2023)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 31 – MINNESOTA VIKINGS 24…
The New York Giants upset the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 in a Wild Card playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday. The playoff win was the team’s first since the 2011 season. The Giants will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia next Saturday in the divisional round.

In terms of overall team stats, the Giants out-gained the Vikings in first downs (28 to 21), total net yards (431 to 332), net yards rushing (142 to 61), net yards passing (289 to 271), and time of possession (33:36 to 26:24). The Giants were 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) on 3rd-down conversion attempts and 2-of-2 on 4th-down conversion attempts. Neither team turned the ball over.

The Vikings received the football to start the game and easily drove 70 yards in 12 plays, gaining seven first downs, to take an early 7-0 lead. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was 7-of-7 on the drive and finished up the possession with a 1-yard quarterback sneak for the score. Minnesota’s next two possessions resulted in only one first down and two punts.

Not counting their last possession where they started at their own 10-yard line with 45 seconds left, the Giants only had three offensive drives in the first half. Those three possessions resulted in 17 points:

  1. Five plays, 75 yards, touchdown. After a holding penalty pushed put the Giants in a 1st-and-20 situation to start the drive, quarterback Daniel Jones completed two passes and ran the ball twice for a total of 57 yards. Then running back Saquon Barkley broke off a 28-yard touchdown run around left end.
  2. Four plays, 81 yards, touchdown. Jones completed a 47-yard pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton. After a 4-yard pass to tight end Lawrence Cager and a 16-yard run by Barkley, Jones threw a 14-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins.
  3. Twenty plays, 85 yards, field goal. Starting at their own 9-yard line, this marathon drive took almost 11 minutes off of the clock. However, a 4-yard touchdown run by Jones was erased due to an illegal shift penalty. New York settled for a 25-yard field goal by kicker Graham Gano.

Despite this offensive success, the Vikings managed to keep the game close with their last possession of the first half by easily driving 75 yards in eight plays to cut the score to 17-14 on Cousin’ 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver K.J. Osborn with 45 seconds left on the clock.

At the break, the Giants led 17-14.

New York’s offensive momentum continued at the start of the 3rd quarter. It took the Giants just six plays to travel 75 yards. Jones completed two passes to Hodgins for 42 yards, Barkley ran for 24 yards, Slayton picked up three yards on an end around, and then Jones threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Bellinger. The Giants were now up 24-14.

Back came Minnesota, however, as on their first possession of the second half they ran eight plays for 75 yards. Cousins threw a 3-yard touchdown to tight end Irv Smith to cut the score to 24-17.

The Giants were finally forced to punt for the first time on their second possession of the half. Cornerback Nick McCloud did create a fumble on the ensuing punt return, but it was recovered by the Vikings. Minnesota then tied the score with a 12-play, 56-yard drive that included an 18-yard completion on 4th-and-2 from the New York 43-yard line. It appeared that the Vikings converted on 4th-and-1 at the 16-yard line, but a false start wiped out the play and Minnesota settled for a 38-yard field goal with 12:34 left in the game.

With the score tied up at 24-24, the Giants began their game-winning, 12-play, 75-yard drive. Jones only completed half of his passes on this possession, but five of his attempts went for 58 yards. He also picked up a critical two yards on a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1 from the Minnesota 7-yard line. Barkley finished this possession off with a tough, 2-yard touchdown run to give New York a 31-24 lead with 7:47 to play.

The Giants’ defense forced a quick three-and-out on the ensuing drive. Up by a touchdown with 6:12 left in the game, the Giants were able to picked up two first downs, including a very risky 4th-and-1 conversion attempt at their own 45-yard line. Jones gained the needed yard on another tough quarterback sneak and Minnesota was forced to use all three of their time outs to stop the clock. The Giants could have ended it early, but on 3rd-and-15, Slayton dropped a pass from Jones that may have picked up the first down. The Giants punted the ball away with just over three minutes to play.

With 2:56 on the clock, Minnesota got the ball back at their own 12-yard line. On 2nd-and-4, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was flagged with a highly questionable roughing-the-passer penalty. A 13-yard completion then moved the ball to the Minnesota 46-yard line. On 3rd-and-8, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott broke up pass. On 4th-and-8, Cousins’ final pass was completed, but tight end T.J. Hockenson, who killed the Giants for much of the game, was tackled five yards short of the 1st-down marker by safety Xavier McKinney. The Giants then knelt on the ball to seal the win.

Jones finished the game 24-of-35 for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions (114.1 quarterback rating). He also ran  the ball 17 times for 78 yards, including two 4th-and-1 conversions. His leading target was Hodgins, who caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Barkley carried the ball nine times for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Giants did not sack Cousins, but they officially hit him 11 times. Four of those were by Dexter Lawrence. The Giants were also credited with five tackles for losses, including two by cornerback Darnay Holmes. Vikings’ All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson was held to seven catches for 47 yards.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated (standard elevation) RB Jashaun Corbin and WR Kalil Pimpleton from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

Inactive for the game were RB Jashaun Corbin, WR Kalil Pimpleton, OG Jack Anderson, OG Wyatt Davis, DL Henry Mondeaux, ILB Micah McFadden, and CB Rodarius Williams.

LB Azeez Ojulari (quad contusion) and S Jason Pinnock (abdomen) left the game and did not return. Pinnock was taken to the hospital, but later returned to the locker room and said he was “good.”

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1614805912803328008

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media on Monday. The players are off on Monday.

Jan 122023
 
Jason Pinnock, New York Giants (December 24, 2022)

Jason Pinnock – © USA TODAY Sports

JANUARY 12, 2023 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
WR Marcus Johnson (knee), RT Evan Neal (ankle), DL Leonard Williams (neck), OLB Azeez Ojulari (ankle), CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), and S Jason Pinnock (shoulder) were limited in practice on Thursday.

OC Jon Feliciano (back) and S Xavier McKinney (fingers) fully practiced.

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players practice again on Friday (11:45AM-1:15PM). Head Coach Brian Daboll, the position coaches, and select players will also address the media.

Dec 282022
 
Jarrad Davis, New York Jets (December 19, 2021)

Jarrad Davis – © USA TODAY Sports

DECEMBER 28, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
DL Dexter Lawrence (rest day) did not practice on Wednesday.

DL Leonard Williams (neck), OLB Azeez Ojulari (ankle), and CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee)  were limited in practice.

GIANTS SIGN JARRAD DAVIS, PLACE SHANE LEMIEUX ON INJURED RESERVE…
The Giants have signed inside linebacker Jarrad Davis to the 53-man roster. Davis was on the Practice Squad of the Detroit Lions. The 28-year old, 6’1”, 242-pound Davis was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Lions. He has spent time with the Lions (2017-2020, 2022) and New York Jets (2021). Davis has played in 67 regular-season games with 50 starts, accumulating 333 tackles, 19 tackles for losses, 10.5 sacks, 10 pass defenses, one interception, seven forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

To make room for Davis, the Giants placed offensive guard Shane Lemieux (toe) on Injured Reserve. Lemieux originally suffered the injury in training camp and was placed on Injured Reserve in late August. The Giants activated him off of Injured Reserve in mid-November. He started in Week 11 against the Lions but could not finish the game and has not practiced or played since.

The Giants drafted Lemieux in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He surprisingly ended up playing in 12 games with nine starts starts at left guard, stealing Will Hernandez’s position. In 2021, Lemieux injured his knee in training camp. He tried to play with the injury in the opener, but could not finish the game and spent the rest of the year on Injured Reserve. In all, Lemieux has only played in two games the past two years, not being able to finish either contest.

Pittsburgh Steelers signed inside linebacker Tae Crowder off of the Giants’ Practice Squad on Tuesday. The Giants had cut Crowder from their 53-man roster and re-signed him to the Practice Squad last week. The Giants selected Crowder in the 7th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In his three seasons with the Giants, Crowder played in 40 regular-season games with 31 starts, being credited with 232 tackles, two sacks, eight pass defenses, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice on Thursday afternoon (12:45-2:45PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Dec 042022
 
Graham Gano, New York Giants (December 4, 2022)

Graham Gano – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 20 – WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 20…
The big game against the New York Giants and Washington Commanders ended in an unsatisfying 20-20 tie on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants are now 7-4-1 on the season and 0-2-1 in the division.

In terms of overall team statistics, Washington held clear advantages in first downs (25 to 20), total net yards (411 to 316), net yards rushing (165 to 134), net yards passing (246 to 182), and time of possession (41:11 to 28:49). Both teams turned the ball over once with fumbles.

The Giants received the football first to start the game, picked up one first down, and then turned the ball over when quarterback Daniel Jones fumbled at the end of a 5-yard run on 2nd-and-5. Washington recovered at the New York 48-yard line. The Commanders reached the Giants’ 3-yard line but were forced to settle for a 21-yard field goal.

The Giants quickly went three-and-out on their second possession. Washington responded with an 8-play, 62-yard drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Heinicke to wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who broke a tackle on the play to score. The Commanders were now up 10-0 with just under two and a half minutes to play in the 1st quarter.

New York finally got on the scoreboard on their third possession. The Giants gained 45 yards in eight plays to set up a 48-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. After a quick three-and-out by the Commanders, which was aided by an 8-yard sack by defensive lineman Justin Ellis, the Giants tied the game. Jones connected with wide receiver Darius Slayton on a 55-yard deep throw. On 3rd-and-7, Jones then ran for 10 yards down to the Washington 13-yard line. On the next snap, running back Saquon Barkley scored from 13 yards out.

The Commanders regained the lead on their next possession with a 12-play, 51-yard drive. The key play was a defensive holding penalty called on cornerback Fabian Moreau on 3rd-and-7 which gave Washington a first down. The Commanders kicked a 42-yard field goal to take a 13-10 advantage.

The Giants’ final possession of the first half began with 2:23 on the clock. After a first down and a 21-yard run by Barkley, the Giants were at the Washington 30-yard line with 1:07 left with all three timeouts. But the Giants did not handle the clock well in the last minute, despite converting on 3rd-and-10 and 3rd-and-1, and settled for a 27-yard field goal on 2nd-goal from the 9-yard line with five seconds left.

At the half, the game was tied 13-13.

The second half started well for New York. On 3rd-and-8, Heinicke was sacked by linebacker Azeez Ojulari. The ball came loose and Ojulari recovered the fumble at the Washington 20-yard line. Jones ran for seven yards on 3rd-and-4. Two plays later, he threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins as the Giants were now up 20-13. Unfortunately for New York, these would be the last points they would score on the day.

The Giants pinned Washington at their own 5-yard line on the ensuing kickoff, but the Commanders neared midfield before punting. The Giants went three and out near the end of the 3rd quarter. The Commanders then drove 40 yards but missed a 52-yard field goal with just over 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

After two more punts by the Giants and one by the Commanders, Washington began their game-tying drive with 3:43 left in the game. Starting from their own 10-yard line, the Commanders drove 90 yards. The key play was a 20-yard completion on 4th-and-4 from Washington’s own 27-yard line. Heinicke then completed a pass of 25 yards down to the New York 28-yard line. He then threw to wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who avoided a couple of tackles en route to the score with 1:45 left on the clock. The game was tied at 20-20.

The Giants went three-and-out again. Washington picked up two first downs but were stopped at their own 38-yard line. The Commanders punted and Jones knelt on the ball once from the New York 16-yard line with 13 seconds left. After scoring a touchdown early in the 3rd quarter on a short field, the Giants’ offense only had one first down for the remainder of the 3rd and all of the 4th quarters, netting just one yard.

The Giants won the toss, picked up one first down and then punted. The Commanders picked up one first down and then also punted. The Giants reached the Washington 45-yard line but could get no closer. Head Coach Brian Daboll decided not to go for it on 4th-and-3. The Commanders got the ball back with 1:36 but could not move the ball. Washington was very fortunate that Heinicke did not fumble the ball when he was blindsided for a sack by linebacker Kayvon Thibodeux near the end zone. The Giants got the ball back with 28 seconds left at their own 43-yard line. New York gained 17 yards. With five seconds left, Gano’s 58-yard field goal attempt came up short and the game ended.

Jones finished the game 25-of-31 for 200 yards and one touchdown. He was also the leading ground gainer for New York with 12 carries for 71 yards. Barkley ran the ball 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. The leading receiver was Slayton, who caught six passes for 90 yards.

Defensively, the Giants were credited with five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles. The sacks were by Ellis, Ojlari, Thibodeaux, defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence, and linebacker Jihad Ward.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated OLB Azeez Ojulari and S Tony Jefferson from Injured Reserve. The team also waived TE Tanner Hudson and signed TE Nick Vannett to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

The Giants activated (standard elevation) DL Vernon Butler and CB Zyon Gilbert from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

Inactive for the game were WR Kenny Golladay (illness), OG Josh Ezeudu (neck), OG Shane Lemieux (toe), CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), TE Lawrence Cager, OLB Elerson Smith, and CB Darnay Holmes.

DL Leonard Williams (neck) left the game and did not return.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Nov 142022
 
Wink Martindale and Brian Daboll, New York Giants (November 13, 2022)

Wink Martindale and Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants made the following roster moves on Monday:

  • Signed defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux off of the team’s Practice Squad.
  • Activated cornerback Rodarius Williams from Injured Reserve.
  • Waived offensive tackle Devery Hamilton and cornerback Justin Layne.
  • Terminated the Practice Squad contract of offensive tackle Will Holden.

The Giants signed Mondeaux to the Practice Squad in September 2022. He has been elevated to the roster for three games, the maximum allowed in a single season. The 6’5”, 280-pound Mondeaux was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New Orleans Saints after the 2018 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Saints (2018), Kansas City Chiefs (2019), and Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-2022). The Steelers waived him in late August 2022.

The Giants placed Williams on Injured Reserve in mid-October 2021 with a torn ACL. Before suffering the season-ending injury, Williams played in five games, including 15 percent of all defensive snaps. Still not fully recovered from the injury, Williams was placed on Injured Reserve in late August this year. The Giants drafted Williams in the 6th round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 6’6”, 311-pound Hamilton was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Las Vegas Raiders after the 2021 NFL Draft. The Raiders released him from their Practice Squad in September 2021 and he was then signed by the Giants to their Practice Squad in October 2021.

The Giants claimed Justin Layne off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers in late August 2022. The 6’2”, 192-pound Layne was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Steelers.

The Giants signed Will Holden as a street free agent in early August 2022. The 6’7”, 312-pound Holden was originally drafted in the 5th-round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He has spent time with the Cardinals (2017-2018, 2018-2019), Indianapolis Colts (2018, 2020), New Orleans Saints (2018), Miami Dolphins (2019), Seattle Seahawks (2019), San Francisco 49ers (2019), Baltimore Ravens (2019-2020), and Detroit Lions (2021).

NOVEMBER 14, 2022 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 24-16 win over the Houston Texans (the VIDEO of the press conference is also available on YouTube):

Q: I wanted to ask you specifically (about quarterback) Daniel (Jones) and (wide receiver) Darius Slayton, who came into the league together, built up some chemistry. When you look at systems, offensive systems change throughout the years, different concepts and what not. What elements of chemistry can carry over from year to year to year regardless of the system?

A: I think a lot. Those guys work a lot together during the week and then in the offseason. They throw a lot after practice. Again, reading a receiver’s body language and having trust in them that they’re going to be where they’re supposed to be and make a play on the ball when you throw it to them, I think, is really important in quarterback play and receiver – call it skill play. That’s really the passing game. You can get some zone coverages, which we got yesterday. And we got some man coverages like you do every week. So, one is having the confidence that your player, as a quarterback, is going to beat the player that he’s going against, or in zone that they’re going to be reading it the right way, getting the head turn the right way, knowing when to let it go. So, the more you can do that with the skill players as a quarterback, I think the more trust develops. And that’s really what the passing game is. That’s where it all starts.

Q: Can that chemistry kind of elevate a receiver’s game, do you think, more so than maybe skill to a degree?

A: It’s probably a combination of both. Again, there’s a lot of things that need to go right in terms of the passing game. But certainly, the person throwing it, the person catching it – it starts there. So, you’d like to have as many talented players as you can (that) make good chemistry with one another. The only way you get that is by practicing, being out there and doing as much as you can do to improve that area.

Q: You said after the game that if you have to throw it 60 times, you’ll throw it 60 times, that it’s week to week. But you guys have kind of settled into a pretty steady run-heavy game plan week to week. Just curious the process of coming to that point. What goes into (it)? How did you figure out that that was the best path for this team to win games?

A: I think it starts after you go through – the coaches and the players right now are meeting, going through our game. You make the corrections that you need to make on our game, and then you sit down with the advance scout. You go through the scouting report of the team you’re about to play. Again, you want to try to use your players’ strengths the best you can. Again, it’s Week 11; I think we have a fair idea of what some of those are. But then the coaches sit down. They watch the opponent. They go through. They have a lot of discussions. When I’m looking at it, I’m looking at it holistically in terms of the kicking game, defense and offense and just how I think we need to play the game to win. As a coordinator, it’s a little bit different. When I was a (offensive) coordinator, you want to obviously score as many points as you can, you’re not really focused on the other areas of the team. So, I’ll give them my thoughts on what I think we need to do collectively to win. And then they do a good job of communicating with each other and coming up with whatever that might be. It could be a certain type of run or a certain type of pass we want to use. And then everything is talked about (and) put in. And we go through situations of what we like. And then I think ultimately at the end of the day, when you’re calling a game, you get a feel for how the game’s going – let’s just call it – after the first quarter. There’s a lot of things that happen in the first quarter where they’re kind of schemed up; maybe they are game plan things. And usually the game settles in, and you’ve got to do a good job of kind of figuring that out of how you want to play and the things you want to use.

Q: If I could ask one more on (running back) Saquon (Barkley) – I think pass protection was viewed as a weakness, really, early in his career. What have you seen from him this year? What has he gotten better from (when you watch him)? Maybe it’s on film.

A: He’s sound in his assignment. He knows who to block, and he’s getting there. Certainly, we can still improve in that area. I’m sure there’s a few plays he’d like to have back. He got in the way. The biggest thing in pass protection is not letting the person you’re responsible for make the play on the quarterback, and he’s done that. But there’s certain things that we can correct – not just Saquon, but all the (running) backs on how we’d like to get it done.

Q: I’m wondering how you feel your offensive line is playing. And if you could possibly allow yourself to look ahead for a moment to an area when you have eight guys that you trusted yesterday, and you could get (guard Ben) Bredeson, (guard Shane) Lemieux and (tackle) Evan Neal back, and all of a sudden, you have experienced starters on the bench – what kind of luxury that is.

A: Depth at that position – I think we talked about this last week – depth at that position is always critical. And I would say it’s critical in November and December, and I think some of our guys are getting healthy. We’ll see where Shane is this week. I think Ben is getting a little bit better. Evan’s getting better. So, it’s good to be as healthy as we can be. (We’re) certainly not there yet, but (we’re) moving in that direction. And that’s the foundation of an offense is the offensive line play. Five guys or sometimes six, sometimes seven, sometimes eight working together as one. I think our guys up front have improved from a week-to-week basis. I think they understand what we’re trying to get done. It’s never going to be perfect. You’re playing against some really good defensive linemen, and things happen. But I think we’re making progress, and it’s good to have as many of them out there as we can.

Q: Now I’m going to ask you about the run game. We give Saquon his due credit all the time. How good an offensive line (do you have)? Like did you guys build an offensive line thinking ‘We’re going to run the ball. We want really good run blockers.’ Does it happen to be that most of these guys’ strengths, not to knock their pass blocking, but did most of these guys seem to be better run blockers? Was that the idea, or is that a fortunate coincidence?

A: I think we just try to find the best guys that we thought at that particular time fit our system and that we thought were good football players. It’s a tough job. It’s a lot easier, as an offensive lineman would say, going forward than it is backwards when you have those guys rushing at you. So again, our guys they got to do everything just like every offensive lineman in the league has to. They’ve got to pass protect. They’ve got to run block. They’ve got to be good on screen game, perimeter game. They’ve got to communicate well. So, it wasn’t just set, ‘Let’s get a bunch of run blockers,’ because I don’t think you can do it that way. You have to find guys that can do both. And I think our guys have steadily improved, and we’re still working at it. And we’ll continue to do that.

Q: You mentioned before that as a coordinator, your main concentration is you want to score points. Is the way this team is playing on offense this year more conducive to you as a head coach than it is a coordinator? You were a coordinator more than you were a head coach, and the way this team is winning – not scoring a lot of points – is it great for the head coach, but you might have dealt with it differently as a coordinator?

A: No. I just like to win. That’s the name of the game. It’s hard to do that in this league, and whatever we need to do for that week, you always put the team first. Whether you’re a play caller – obviously I’m the head coach now – but our whole objective is to do what we need to do that week to give ourselves a chance, coach and play well. That’s really all my focus is on.

Q: You think there will be a time this year when you will need to throw it to win – 35, 40 times? You really haven’t had to this year. Do you think you will, and is this offense built to do that if need be?

A: I don’t know. You practice that each week. You’re ready, and you try to be as ready as you can in every situation. I think you just take each game as they come, and coach and play the way you need to play for that week.

Q: Did you guys come out of that game healthy, or is there anything major that came out of that?

A: I think we’re in pretty good shape after that game. We’ll see on Wednesday, but I think it (the injury report) will be probably a little bit similar to what it was last week. (Tight end Daniel) Bellinger’s making progress. Evan’s (Neal) making progress. (We have) some bumps and bruises here and there, but (we’re) really fairly healthy.

Q: With (defensive lineman) Dexter Lawrence every stat, every metric you can find shows that his pass rush has been significantly more successful this season. I’m wondering what you attribute to that. Is there anything significantly different that he’s doing, or you guys are doing with him?

A: Well, he’s a good football player. Give credit to the player first and foremost. I think he’s worked hard at his craft since I’ve been here. He’s a great teammate, great leader, and he’s done a good job of getting better and improving his craft. So, he gets most of the credit, but I think that (defensive line coach Andre) Patterson and (assistant defensive line coach Bryan) Cox have done a great job with really all our defensive lineman, with every single one of them. They’re fantastic coaches, very good technique coaches. Have a lot of experience. I think they’ve helped the players improve. I think the players are very thankful that they have those two guys as their coaches. So, it’s been a good match.

Q: How much does him being lined up over the center as sort of a straight nose tackle you think benefit him in that regard?

A: Yeah, he’s a load and the centers whether they have their head down or they have them up they’ve still got to execute the snap. We’ve been playing him there; we haven’t moved him around maybe as much as he’s been moved around in the past, but I think he’s been very effective with what we’ve asked him to do. Obviously, we have a certain package where you see him in different spots and things like that, but he’s done a good job really wherever he’s lined up this year for us. He’s a very good teammate for us and he’s doing a good job.

Q: I don’t know how much you guys pay attention to what guys say in the locker room to the media, to us after the game’s during the week. We had a conversation with (wide receiver) Kenny (Golladay) yesterday, what you thought about his answers and if you have had a conversation with him about what his role is going to be moving forward.

A: I have conversations with our guys all the time, I’ll keep those private. Again, all I expect these guys to do is come in on Wednesday, learn from the tape, go out to practice, have a good week at practice and then by the end of the week we’ll decide where everybody fits and that’s how we approach it. Really not much more than that.

Q: On the defensive side of the ball, obviously going into last week’s game with (safety) Xavier (McKinney) out, there was so much talk about communication, relaying the signals whether it be (safety) Julian (Love) or somebody else. Now that you’re out of the game, how would you assess how that entire process went? Do you anticipate sticking the same way moving forward to the next game based on what you observed yesterday?

A: You’re talking about with Julian as the green dot wearer?

Q: Yeah, and just in terms of the communication.

A: Yeah, it was good, Julian did a great job like he did all week leading up to it. Now he understands our system and I think he’s a good communicator, he’s intelligent. I think it was smooth. Really from his point to the second level of the defense to the defensive line. I think those guys did a good job of communicating throughout the game and obviously he’s the one that’s wearing the green dot and it starts with him.

Q: Is there any more of your children who have a birthday coming up and have they asked you to make the playoffs?

A: No, the next birthday in our house is January 27th. That’s our oldest daughter.

Q: Has she asked you to go to the Super Bowl?

A: No, she’s going to be 18 she knows how the routine works. The little one was happy yesterday and so was I, because she was.

Q: I guess I’m kind of beating around the question, but have you let the playoffs get into your thought pattern yet?

A: No. Again, it’s fairly easy not to let that happen. Maybe when I was younger starting out in this league, in 2000, 2001. I remember 2000 we were 5-11 I think and then we started out 1-3 and each game we built a little bit of momentum, and I’m a young coach. Then the next year we don’t make the playoffs and then the two years after that we win two more Super Bowls, and when you’re younger a little bit and just starting out I think maybe you think about things like that. Now it’s the God’s honest truth you just worry about the next day, the meeting we were just having, practice. I know it’s boring but that’s the truth. We have to focus and stay in the moment because it really doesn’t matter. There’re so many games to be played and it’s good to be 7-2 but again it will humble you really quick when you start worrying about the wrong things or thinking about the wrong things to me in this business.

Q: Obviously Detroit is your focus Sunday, but you do have a game four days later on Thanksgiving. So as a first-year head coach can you start peeking into Dallas a little bit before Sunday or do you wait until Sunday night? How are you going to approach it?

A: We’ve had a routine here the last few years of playing on Thursday night games and you get your work done for the opponent you’re playing this particular week and then when things settle down towards the end of the week, there’s no other way to do it then to start getting ahead on the next team. That’s not big elaborate meetings, that’s just position coaches having to stay a little extra and put some work in because there’s only so much time in a day that you’ve got to be ready to go once that other game is (done), they’ll be working in here Sunday after we play. I think right now the focus for today all the way through Friday evening is really where we’ve got to stay at. There is definitely scheduling processes and conversations that need to be had to make sure you’re prepared the way you think your team needs to be prepared. That’s physically and mentally.

Q: You had an animated conversation with (guard) Jack Anderson after the false start. What makes you feel like you have to communicate in that way in that moment? What’s the purpose behind it?

A: I don’t know, I don’t think about it. You see it after and you’re like, ‘I wish I didn’t do that’, sometimes. I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and I’ve told Jack that. I talk to my players all the time or my coaches. There’re some things that I like to help but I can’t help sometimes, probably how I was raised. I’ll even get that way with myself. I talk to myself when I think I’ve made a dumb decision or do something that I shouldn’t have done. Again, I don’t think about it. It just happens naturally and we’re in a critical situation of the game. Fourth and one that we were going to go for it, again I understand mistakes happen and I’ve got a lot of confidence in Jack just like I do all the other players. At that particular time, I (was) just, not happy and whatever I say I say. I think I apologized later.

Q: Do you think it’s good sometimes to try and get your message across that way?

A: I don’t know. At that particular time probably, yeah. Whatever I’m feeling I do.

Q: I think you’ve kind of alluded to this. Do you always feel the need to circle back (with the person)?

A: Yeah, no doubt about that because it’s a relationship driven business too. Look, I’ve made plenty of mistakes and I’m hard on myself. I understand that got caught on camera. Do I like it? No. There’re times where I say, ‘Man I wish I was a little more laid back?’ Probably. But that’s me.

Q: You’ve never yelled back at yourself, have you?

A: Yeah. Probably, yeah. I don’t mind it when other guys yell back either.

Q: Just wondering if (center) Jon Feliciano is going to be able to practice this week or he’ll be limited only because he seemed like he was laboring late in the game.

A: Yup. I think he’ll be good.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media availability to the team on that day. The Giants return to practice on Wednesday.

Nov 132022
 
Jaylon Smith and Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants (November 13, 2022)

Jaylon Smith and Dexter Lawrence – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 24 – HOUSTON TEXANS 16…
The New York Giants defeated the Houston Texans 24-16 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the win, the surprising Giants are now 7-2 on the season.

In terms of overall team statistics, the Texans actually held advantages in first downs (22 to 19), total net yards (387 to 367), and net yards passing (286 to 176). But the Giants were better on 3rd down (50% to 30%), rushing the ball (191 to 101), and time of possession (33:20 to 26:40). The Giants also won the turnover battle 2 to 0.

The New York defense completely shut down the Texans in the 1st quarter, forcing three separate 3-and-outs as Houston was held to -3 yards. Meanwhile, the Giants took an early 7-0 lead that they never relinquished by driving 68 yards in 10 plays on their first drive. Aside from two short third-down conversions, the big play on this drive was a 36-yard completion from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Darius Slayton. Two plays later, Jones connected with tight end Lawrence Cager for the 9-yard touchdown pass.

After that impressive opening drive, the New York offense slept walk for the remainder of the first half. The Giants punted four straight times before having their final possession of the half end with a sack. Houston wasn’t much better, punting two more times for a total of five times in six drives. However, early in the 2nd quarter running back Dameon Pierce broke off a 44-yard run. This set up a 38-yard field goal.

At the half, the Giants led 7-3.

After combining for just 10 points in the first half, both teams exploded for three straight touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. The Giants received the football after halftime and they needed just five plays to travel 75 yards for the score. On 3rd-and-9 from the New York 46-yard line, Jones threw a short pass to Slayton, who made man miss e route to a 54-yard catch-and-run score. Giants 14 – Texans 3.

But just as it seemed like the Giants had finally taken control of the game, Houston responded with a 7-play, 75-yard effort. The drive ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Davis Mills to wide receiver Nico Collins. Giants 14 – Texans 10.

Back came the Giants, this time driving 74 yards in 12 plays. New York converted on two 3rd-and-7 yard situations, the first being an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and the second a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins. Running back Saquon Barkley finished the possession with a 2-yard touchdown run. Giants 21 – Texans 10.

The Giants’ defense began to bend again on the ensuing possession with tight end Jordan Akins breaking off a 46-yard catch-and-run as the 3rd quarter ended. But two plays later, on 2nd-and-goal from the 10-yard line, defensive lineman Leonard Williams forced Pierce to fumble. The loose ball was recovered by inside linebacker Jaylon Smith. The Giants went three-and-out with a 13-yard punt by Jamie Gillan. A 19-yard Houston touchdown pass was wiped out by a holding penalty against defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence. On the very next snap, Lawrence pressured the quarterback and his pass was intercepted in the end zone by safety Dane Belton.

The Giants picked up a couple of first downs and then punted. Starting from their own 8-yard line, Houston drove 76 yards in 12 plays, but could get no closer than the 16-yard line. The Texans settled for a 34-yard field goal with 2:22 left in the game. Giants 21 – Texans 13.

The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Giants. The Giants did not pick up a first down, but they forced the Texans to use their remaining time outs and place kicker Graham Gano nailed the 49-yard field goal to extend the lead to 24-13 with less than two minutes to play.

The Texans gained 58 yards on three straight passes, but then Mills was sacked by safety Jason Pinnock on 1st-and-10 from the New York 17-yard line.With just 11 seconds on the clock, the Texans kicked the 46-yard field goal. They attempted another onside kick, but the Giants recovered that as well and the game ended on a kneel down by Jones.

Jones finished the game 13-of-17 for 197 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 153.3. Slayton had three catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. Barkley rushed 35 times for 152 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Giants accrued four sacks: 1.5 by Pinnock, one each by Lawrence and outside linebacker Jihad Ward, and 0.5 sacks by Williams. Lawrence had a monster game, being credited with 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss, 5 quarterback hits, and 1 pass defense. Williams had 9 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson had 6 tackles and 2 pass defenses.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated OT Matt Peart from the Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform List. Peart tore his left ACL in December 2021 and only returned to practice on October 25.

The Giants activated (standard elevation) TE Lawrence Cager and DL Henry Mondeaux from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster on the same day.

Inactive for the game were TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), RT Evan Neal (knee), WR David Sills, OT Devery Hamilton, ILB Austin Calitro, and OLB Quincy Roche.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Oct 302022
 
Leonard Williams, New York Giants (October 30, 2022)

Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 13…
The New York Giants fell 27-13 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The Giants are now 6-2 on the season heading into their bye week.

There was no great disparity in overall team statistics. Seattle held advantages in first downs (19 to 14), total net yards (277 to 225), net yards rushing (87 to 78), and net yards passing (190 to 147). The Giants won the time of possession battle (33:34 to 26:26) and were better on 3rd down, but Seattle converted twice on 4th down. Seattle recovered two fumbles that led to 10 points while the Giants recovered one that led to a touchdown.

Both teams struggled offensively early. Seattle only gained three first downs in their first three possessions, gaining a total of 45 yards. New York’s offense struggled even more, going three-and-out on their first three possessions and only accruing 10 yards.

The Seahawks broke the scoreless tie early in the second quarter after a 15-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Geno Smith to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. It was on this possession that Seattle converted on both of their 4th-down attempts, including 4-and-1 and 4th-and-2.

The Giants finally picked up their first two first downs of the game on their fourth possession, but the drive stalled near midfield and the Giants punted. Jamie Gillan’s punt was downed by cornerback Justin Layne at the 2-yard line. On the very next snap, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson forced a fumble after a short completion. He recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, running back Saquon Barkley scored from one yard out. The game was tied at 7-7.

The first indication that this might not be the Giants’ day came on the subsequent series. The defense held Seattle to one first down and forced a punt. Wide receiver Richie James fumbled the punt and the Seahawks recovered at the New York 19-yard line. Fortunately the defense held and limited the damage to a 35-yard field goal. The Giants could not move the ball in the final 1:31 of the half.

At the break, the Seahawks only led 10-7 despite the fact that New York’s offense had been held to three first downs and 46 yards in the first half.

The Giants received the football to start the third quarter and put together their best drive of the game, moving 79 yards in 14 plays, and taking almost nine minutes off of the clock. A 3rd-down sack was wiped out by a Seattle penalty. And the Giants converted on 3rd-and-12 with an 18-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Darius Slayton. However, the drive stalled at the 13-yard line and the Giants settled for a 31-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. The game was tied at 10-10.

Seattle responded with a 7-play, 42-yard drive that ended with a 51-yard field goal. The Seahawks regained the lead 13-10. Back came the Giants with a 12-play, 45-yard effort. Gano kicked a 45-yarder to tie the game once again, 13-13, early in the 4th quarter.

The Giants, who had been beating teams in the 4th quarter, began to fade at this point of the contest. Smith completed five straight passes for 75 yards, including the 33-yarder that to wide receiver Tyler Lockett that put Seattle up 20-13.

The Giants went three-and-out, but so did the Seahawks. However, disaster struck again as James fumbled his second punt of the game (James was concussed on this play). Seattle recovered at the New York 32-yard line. After a 16-yard pass by Smith, running back Kenneth Walker broke tackles en route to a 16-yard touchdown run that gave the Seahawks a two-touchdown lead, 27-13, with just 5:22 left in the game.

The Giants gained 46 yards on the ensuing drive but turned the football over on downs at the Seattle 29-yard line with 2:32 left in the game. New York got the ball back with 1:07 left but the game ended on a 3rd-and-17 sack.

Jones finished the game 17-of-31 with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed six times for 20 yards and was sacked five times. The leading receiver was Slayton, who caught five passes for 66 yards. Barkley was held to just 53 yards on 20 carries. He did have the team’s only touchdown.

Defensively, the Giants did hold Seattle to 277 yards of offense. But the two 4th-down conversions on the first touchdown drive hurt, as did allowing Smith to complete five straight passes on Seattle’s second touchdown. The Giants were credited with 10 quarterback hits and three sacks, one sack each by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, linebacker Micah McFadden, and safety Xavier McKinney. Williams also had five quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss. Linebacker Tomon Fox was credited with eight tackles and two tackles for a loss. Jackson force a fumble that he also recovered.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants placed OL Ben Bredeson (knee) on Injured Reserve. He will have to miss at least four games. The team also activated OLB Elerson Smith from Injured Reserve to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. Elerson had been sidelined since mid-August with a foot injury.

The Giants activated (standard elevation) LB/S Landon Collins and TE Lawrence Cager from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster on the same day.

Inactive for the game were WR Kenny Golladay (knee), TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), RT Evan Neal (knee), OLB Oshane Ximines (quad), CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), and ILB Austin Calitro.

DL Nick Williams (bicep) left the game in the first half and did not return. WR Richie James (concussion) left the game in the 4th quarter and did not return.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.