The Giants close out their preseason on a strong note, beating the Jets 23-6. For the second straight season, the Snoopy Bowl belongs to the Giants. Now this is a game that featured mostly backups, as most of the starters sat out. The only players who played were young players and guys expected to be depth pieces, getting some extra reps. But with how they performed, fans have to be excited about the depth on the roster. They should be able to perform decently if injuries occur. Here are the three takeaways from the game.
Giants’ Running Attack Was Dominant
Coming into this matchup, all eyes were on the Giants’ backfield. It appears that Tyrone Tracy and Najee Harris were battling to be the third-string running back. Both these backs put on a show. In his Giants debut, Harris rushed for 39 yards on 11 carries and also had a 20-yard reception. Harris is a low-risk, high-reward candidate. Sure, he was banged up last season, but he did have four straight seasons of 1,000 rushing yards. And how he played against the Jets shows that the ability to do it is still there.
But what was more impressive was Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s performance. He has had a terrible training camp and a horrific preseason. He went from being the second-string running back to a potential surprise cut candidate. He needed to show this coaching staff something against the Jets to get back in their good graces. But Tracy finally had a good game, rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown on four attempts. He could have done more had he not left the game with a neck injury. If healthy, Tracy should be able to have some role in this offense.
Odell Beckham Jr Did Enough To Make the Roster
When the Giants signed Odell Beckham Jr, there was an understanding that he was not a lock to make the roster. He was going to have to prove it to John Harbaugh and the rest of the coaching staff that he can still be a productive player. While his path to a roster spot got easier with the injury to Calvin Austin, his performance against the Jets cemented it. He had six targets, the most of any Giants receiver, catching three of them for 53 yards. The only negative is the dropped pass that led to an interception. More on that in a minute.
Throughout this preseason, Beckham has put up decent numbers. He has been targeted 10 times, catching five passes for 70 yards. He was averaging 14 yards per reception. Sure, he’s had some drops and some misses, but as a depth receiver, this is exactly what you want. In limited use, Beckham should be a big positive for this offense. He is someone who can come in on certain packages and try to be the go-to if the other players are locked up. He can also be a serious threat who can get chunk plays. Something they need after the Austin injury.
Turnovers Cannot Happen Like That
While the Giants ran away from this game, that did not appear to be the case during the first quarter. On the first two drives of the game, they coughed the ball up twice. The first was an interception that happened because the ball deflected off Beckham’s hands and fell into Marcelino McCrary-Ball’s arms. Then, on the next drive, when they were in the red zone, Jameis Winston hit Braxton Berrios over the middle. But McCrary-Ball came in and knocked the ball out of Berrios’s arm for a fumble.
Sure, the interception was not Winston’s fault, and Berrios will not have a big role, if any, in this passing game. But the Giants can not have a drive end like this. These are mistakes that will cost you. Maybe things will be different when the starters are playing, but if this issue creeps into the regular season, the Giants will underperform. If they throw away drives and scoring opportunities like this, the other team will capitalize. They will use it to their advantage and build a lead that they will not be able to come back from.
