The NY Giants started their preseason on the right foot, defeating the Patriots 23-21 off of a Graham Gano game-winning field goal in the final seconds of the game.
While there were some negatives to takeaway from this game, there were far too many positives to not notice. Overall, it was a good win for the Giants. Was it the cleanest victory? Nope. However, the team played very well with each other and earned themselves a positive result.
It was a fun game to watch, with many underrated players on the NY Giants performing very well and even topping some of the expectations. With that, here’s four takeaways from the 23-21 win.
4. Giants finally have depth at RB and WR
After the NY Giants starting offense went out, the backups came in and they did not disappoint. As for the receivers, while Collin Johnson’s night will be remembered for his lost fumble in the second quarter, he had a tremendous night overall, catching seven passes for 83 yards. If he continues to play this well, not only will he make the roster, but he could also provide some value as a red-zone target in the regular season.
Richie James caught three passes for 44 yards alongside a nice TD from Tyrod Taylor in the second quarter. James is a gadget-type player who could be used a lot as a returner and/or deep threat due to his speed.
For the running backs, there was a lot to like out of Gary Brightwell, Antonio Williams and Jashaun Corbin. Brightwell performed quite well in the first half, rushing seven times for 40 yards, running the ball hard. In addition to this, Brightwell also caught two passes for 19 yards.
As for Corbin, he played excellent as a dual threat back, catching five passes for 28 yards, while also running the ball six times for 23 yards.
However, a player who really shined was Antonio Williams, who signed with the NY Giants this offseason after spending the last two years with the Bills. In his first game with the Giants, Williams rushed the ball nine times for 61 yards and one TD.