It was a game the New York Giants and their fans would rather forget. The Giants played an uninspired game against the Los Angeles Rams and fell 28-6. While the final score alone is bad, it felt like the Giants were cursed with injuries throughout the contest. It started on the opening drive when Jaxson Dart took a major hit that knocked him out for the rest of the game. After that, Malik Nabers, Arvell Reese, Andrew Thomas, and Brian Burns all missed snaps with some sort of injury. These are all key members of the Giants roster; if any of them were to miss an extended period of time, it would be a major blow to the season.
Although it appears the Giants got lucky with most of the injury news, that was not the case for Dart. At first things seemed fine. Initial testing showed he had an MCL sprain and would only miss a couple of weeks. But further evaluation showed the injury was worse than expected. Instead of it being a couple of weeks, it is now looking like an extended period of time, and it could cost him the season. The worst news that could have come out. Without Dart, you can pretty much throw away this whole season. Here are the other major takeaways.
Jevon Holland Was a Turnover Machine
There were not many positives from this game, but Jevon Holland was one of them. The 26-year-old safety put on a show and made plays that should have swung momentum in the Giants’ favor. He recorded eight tackles, five solo, forced two fumbles, recovered one, and made an interception and a pass deflection. It was one of the best performances Holland has had in a Giants uniform. With the Giants’ secondary so banged up, they needed someone to step up and deliver that kind of performance.
A key feature of John Harbaugh-led teams is strong play from their safety. Whether it was Ed Reid or Kyle Hamilton, the Ravens always seemed to have an elite safety in their secondary. While the sample size is small, it appears Holland will take that role for the Giants. Sure, he will never be as good as Reid or Hamilton, but he can serve the role in this defense; those two served the Ravens. He can be that ball-hawk safety who plays hard and makes big plays that give the Giants the ball.
The Defense Has No Answer for DeVante Adams
While Holland gave the Giants a desperately needed strong performance, the same can not be said for the rest of the secondary. Despite the Rams being without Puka Nacua, the Rams’ passing game had a field day, going for 327 yards. Most of this came from DeVante Adams, who caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. His performance reminded everyone why he was a top-five wide receiver just a few seasons ago. Now, not having two of your top three corners didn’t help, but even if Deonte Banks and Paulson Adebo were out there, Adams still would’ve put up over 100 yards.
Going into the season, the secondary had a lot of question marks around it. Sure, there was some upside like Colton Hood and the potential breakout of Tyler Nubin. But it was definitely the weak link in the Giants’ defense. It was the one area of the team that needed clear upgrades, and the Giants opted for band-aids. They didn’t bring in anyone who could hold the position long-term. Denard Wilson and his staff need to make a change. Otherwise, teams will keep putting up high passing totals. This will lead to many more losses for the Giants.
Jameis Winston Looked Lost
When your starting quarterback is knocked out on the first drive of the game, it is a major blow to team morale. That’s why the Giants have an experienced backup like Jameis Winston. With Dart’s aggressive playing style, injury was always a possibility, and the Giants hoped Winston could step in and keep them competitive. But that was not the case on Monday night. Winston struggled and did not look comfortable in the offense. He was 11 for 27 for 111 yards and an interception. The offense just seemed to stall as soon as he took over.
Now, sure, Winston did not get first-team reps in practice, and he took over midgame. Things could be much different next week with proper preparation and knowing he’ll be the starting quarterback. But this performance was very concerning. Winston is supposed to be the Giants’ safety blanket. The guy you brought in for situations just like this. When Dart is out for an extended period, you need Winston to keep the team afloat. But if he plays as he did on Monday, the offense won’t be able to move the football.
