It’s Week 2 and teams are just getting their feet wet. They’re finding their identities are we as fans figure out which teams will contend or pretend, those that are our biggest surprises, and others that are surprisingly disappointing.
So, it’s definitely too early to pick make or break picks this early in the season, right? Of course not! There are a few Giants that I think need at the very least a productive game in Week 2 or we may see some changes. And I list them here.
Rueben Randle
I feel like every week I’m critical of Randle. But I just know he can give this team so much and week in and week out I just see inconsistent play.
Randle is underrated-ly a very good talent who could well exceed 1000 yards in a season should he rack up enough targets. But he doesn’t get open on a consistent basis and I usually feel disappointed every time I check the post game box score because I know he should be posting 6 rec 80 yd lines more often than he does.
I want to see him establish himself as a deep threat and an option over the middle Eli can rely on. The Giants need to see that from him today. If not, they’ll have to look for their number two passing option elsewhere.
Larry Donnell
If Randle can’t be the reliable number 2 option in this offense, could it be Donnell? Possibly, but he has to prove it.
Since his Monday night breakout last year, he’s lost playing time and seems to be playing at a slower pace than I first remember him playing at. He is a plodder, but someone who could get open and needs to be targeted on a more consistent basis. That, of course, depends on if he can get open more.
No Daniel Fells Sunday and the Giants are looking to find someone over the middle they can target. Donnell can show that today. If not, it might be time to take a closer look at Fells.
Shane Vereen
Already? Yes, already. Vereen needs to find a role in this offense for the first few weeks of the season because the Giants need to get a spark out of the backfield to add another dimension to their offense.
Vereen definitely has more of a leash with his contract, but the Giants don’t want to fall into an 0-2 hole here and they need a little more of an offensive spark. If it’s not Vereen today, the Giants may take a look at their other backs for that a little extra punch their offense is looking for.
Damontre Moore
This one, like Vereen, has a lot more leash to it, but with their pass rush non-existent against Dallas, the Giants need someone to step up across the line. The player with the highest motor and maybe the most raw talent on this line is Moore. The Giants will have a tough time beating Atlanta, or at least slowing them down, without some form of a consistent pass rush.
Going forward, if the Giants are going to compete with at least some of the league’s upper tier teams, they’ll have to get Moore going. If not, their other d-ends will start to steal snaps from him. This could be a big spot for Moore.
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