Quick Hits and Tidbits: New York Giants 16 – New England Patriots 13

Peyton Hillis – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS 16 – NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 13

The New York Giants passing attack is bad.

Or, instead of bad, you can go with pathetic, or anemic, or treacherous, or just about any other word you can find in a thesaurus that holds the same definition as “not good.”

If Friday night’s 16-13 victory over the New England Patriots was meant to be a confidence builder as the team prepares for the season opener in Detroit…uh oh. Versus the second team Patriots defense, Giants quarterback Eli Manning completed 1-of-4 passes for zero yards.

Yes, zero yards.

Jacquian Williams and Larry Donnell – © USA TODAY Sports Images

STUDS:

Larry Donnell
It’s been an up-and-down training camp and preseason for Larry Donnell this year. At time, he’s looked like the every-down tight end the Giants wished he would be. Then, he’d look like a player that shouldn’t sniff an NFL roster on any NFL team. Friday night versus New England, it was the good Donnell on display again.

While receiving has never been really been the issue with Donnell, he again displayed what he has the potential to do. He caught four passes for 60 yards, but he also displayed his pure athleticism on a pair of incompletions from Ryan Nassib. Down at the goal line, Nassib went to Donnell on back-to-back plays. The way the tight end jumped in the air in an attempt to catch the ball showed what has caused coaches to fall in love with.

John Jerry

There’s a good chance John Jerry is the Giants starting right guard Monday night versus the Detroit Lions. So, before marching the former Miami Dolphin out against the likes of Ndamukong Suh, the Giants wanted to see how his surgically-repaired knee would hold up.

The answer? Through nearly an entire game, pretty well. Jerry lowered the boom on key blocks which resulted in big runs for several Giants running backs. He was the lead blocker on Andre Williams 38-yard run, Kendall Gaskin’s 19-yard run and Michael Cox’s 14-yard run. He may have won himself the starting guard position…including when Brandon Mosley returns from injury.

Zack Bowman

Look, we all know, the holding call on Bowman’s first interception was tough to watch, but it doesn’t take away from the beautiful interception Bowman hauled in after the fact. The veteran located the ball in the air, then hauled it in while falling backwards. It truly was a thing of beauty, even if it was called back.

Bowman said after the game that interceptions sometimes “come in bunches,” which was the case when he intercepted another one a couple of passes later. The Giants knew what they were getting in Bowman was a special teams player, but he’s been a pleasant surprise on the defensive side of the ball, too.

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports Images

DUDS:

Eli Manning

There is no other way around it, Eli Manning has looked unbelievably pathetic this preseason, and that’s being kind. In two possessions against the Patriots’ backups – seriously, all backups – Manning ONE first down, ONE completion and ZERO yards. Unacceptable. Add in another “miscommunication” with Rueben Randle and fans have every reason to sound the alarm. It hasn’t been pretty this preseason. In fact, it’s been disgustingly ugly.

Rueben Randle

I’m not sure how many times Manning and Randle haven’t been on the same page throughout the receivers three-year career, but I’d venture it’s more than many other quarterbacks and their wide receivers. It happened again on a curl. Tom Coughlin’s quote after the game says it all: “I thought, he thought – one of those kinds of things. We’re all – everyone in the room – is tired of hearing that stuff. There’s no place for that.”

Adrien Robinson

The positive: Adrien Robinson caught a pass. The negative: He fumbled the only pass he caught. I’ve said it from the very beginning, Robinson is not a lock to make this team. Not at all. In fact, he’s playing himself directly off of it. A golden opportunity was placed in front of the ‘JPP of tight ends’ and he’s dropped it. When Kellen Davis and Daniel Fells are ahead of you on a “wide open” positional battle, there’s an issue, and Robinson has no one to blame but himself.

Preston Parker

With injuries to Mario Manningham, Trindon Holliday and Marcus Harris, Preston Parker had to simply not mess up and he’d probably make the Giants final 53-man roster. Then he messed up. Parker muffed a punt, putting a blemish on his one key way to make the team. I’ve always been a little curious on why the Giants didn’t cut Trindon Holliday during the 75-man trim if they didn’t still want him on the team. With Parker’s fumble I truly believe Holliday still has a shot. If the doctors feel Holliday is ready to play, I could see the team waiving Parker.

Parker has little value as a receiver, similar to Holliday, but Parker is nothing like the returner Holliday is. The Giants made a big effort to improve their return game this year.  I don’t really imagine they envisioned Preston Parker as their punt returner in game one. Parker had a shot; his muff may have blown it.

THE GOOD:

• I like what the Giants are doing with Damontre Moore. When he stepped foot on the field, he never lined up at one spot. He saw reps at left defensive end, right defensive end and defensive tackle. Taking a player like him and moving him all around will beneficial for the team. Moore’s a special talent, I just wish he got more reps with the starters.

• Ryan Nassib wasn’t as perfect as he had been the last two weeks, but he was still impressive. He puts unreal zip on the ball, is getting more and more comfortable within the offense and marched the Giants down the field on two scoring drives including a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. The Giants so desperately wanted Nassib to take hold of the backup QB job, and he did that.

• The expectation is that when the Giants make their cuts to get down to the 53-man limit, Jon Beason will be activated from the PUP list. When this happens, he will presumably slide in as the team’s starting middle linebacker and Jameel McClain will move out to SAM.  Personally, I don’t see how you take Devon Kennard off of the field, not with how he plays. Another five tackles for the rookie including an impressive one for a loss. He has speed, he’s physical and is showing all the tools to be something special.

• When the Giants signed veteran Israel Idonije, it raised a few eye brows. Why bring the veteran into a group of primarily young players? Friday night he showed why. Two sacks and superb play on special teams. I’d be shocked if Idonije isn’t on the Giants’ 53-man roster.

• Since being signed, Chandler Fenner has done nothing but flash time and time again in practice and on the game day field. He did that again Friday night with a pair of pass breakups. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Holy Cross alum land on the practice squad.

• One quick note on something I did like a lot, but this puts him into just the “good” category and not “stud” because it’s an observation that’s already been made. Andre Williams can run with the ball. Like run really, really well. The issue he’s had throughout the preseason is (1) he can’t catch, and (2) he can’t block. If he could work and develop the ability to do both of those things, he’s an every-down back in the NFL because with the ball in his hands…it’s something special.

Andre Williams – © USA TODAY Sports Images

THE UGLY:

• There are two things I just can’t get my mind around: (1) Why Corey Washington hasn’t seen reps with the second team? (2) Why Damontre Moore hasn’t seen reps with the starters. Moore is a guy you want to contribute on Sunday’s…it won’t be Marcus Cannon he’s facing then, so get him reps with the starters. With Washington, he’s a guy you want to see if he can beat someone other than a fourth stringer, why not give him a chance? The Giants have stated over-and-over they plan to, but never do on game day. Oh well.

• This is just something that has gained steam over the preseason: Steve Weatherford has punted the ball 32 times for 1,506 yards. Just let that sink in. Is it his fault? No. This more falls on the offense.

• Mario Manningham needed a miracle to make the Giants roster. He didn’t get one. Entering the game in the second quarter with the second team, Manningham lasted just one series before being forced out with a calf injury and didn’t return. Not only did the injury signal an end of the night for Manningham, but most likely his Giants career as well. It’s a sad end to a career that once seemed destined for stardom. Manningham just doesn’t have the burst anymore, or the separation. To be honest, I don’t see him landing on any NFL roster this year.