4 letdowns in NY Giants 25-22 win vs Bengals in preseason action

1. Injuries continue to pile up 

Injuries have plagued the New York Giants in recent memory. That continues to be the case for the 2022 season and Big Blue can’t catch a break. The fanbase’s collective hearts dropped last night when No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux went down, grabbing his knee. It was like watching the season slip away before it even began. MetLife Stadium’s playing surface has been nicknamed the “turf monster” as players seem to get injured at an alarming rate. An article from 2020 explained why grass is safer than turf.

"“Based on NFL injury data collected from 2012 to 2018, not only was the contact injury rate for lower extremities higher during practices and games held on artificial turf, NFL players consistently experienced a much higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries on turf compared to natural surfaces. Specifically, players have a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries when playing on artificial turf. Of those non-contact injuries, players have a 32% higher rate of non-contact knee injuries on turf and a staggering 69% higher rate of non-contact foot/ankle injuries on turf compared to grass. – JC Tretter, President of NFLPA"

Another rookie who went down in last night’s preseason game was Darrian Beavers, the LB from Cincinnati. Like Thibodeaux, he also suffered a knee injury. The Giants cannot seem to catch a break with injuries. Big Blue’s offensive line is extremely banged up as well. Starting at left guard and center were Devery Hamilton and Max Garcia, who held their own with the rest of the offensive line. New York’s backup offensive line was full of players with very little to no NFL experience, but they still managed to help the team win.

The Giants final preseason game is this Sunday vs. the New York Jets. One last test against another NFL team before the regular season begins in a few weeks. Can the Giants finish the preseason 3-0 and have some momentum on their side?