Since sometimes things get lost in translation, I’m just going to reiterate that this is all about overreactions to the New York Giants’ 26-3 preseason win over the Miami Dolphins. Spare me your “it’s only a preseason game” pep talk. Thanks, I got it.
I'm overreacting anyway because life's too short not to have fun.
After floundering laughably in their preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Big Blue bounced back in a big way against the Dolphins. It was an all-around team effort, and you can’t help but get excited for this new iteration of Giants football. I know I am.
So in the spirit of reading too much into a preseason game, let's blow things out of proportion.
3 overreactions from Giants' 26-3 win over the Dolphins
3. Tyrone Tracy is as good as gone
Oi, where to even begin with you?
The quickest way to get into head coach John Harbaugh’s doghouse is to commit unforced errors. Unfortunately for TTJ, he’s now committed the cardinal sin in back-to-back games. Fortunately, this week’s mental lapse didn’t result in a Jaxson Dart blue medical tent visit, but it did result in a turnover.
After a pair of nice runs at the end of the first quarter, he muffed a handoff, resulting in a fumble that the Dolphins snagged immediately.
He’s now had the biggest lowlight play in both preseason games. Harbaugh won’t stand for it.
Last week, it was the missed block that got his franchise quarterback absolutely lit up. This week, it was putting the ball on the ground in the red zone. Throw in the arrival of Najee Harris, and Tracy picked a terrible time to start making avoidable mistakes.
The G-Men have spent years teasing a defensive breakout that never fully arrived. After Saturday, I’m ready to get hurt again.
2. Giants' defense is as good as advertised
It’s about damn time, am I right? For all the hype and praise New York’s defense has received over the past several years, it’s finally here. How else do you explain this:
- Three total points allowed
- 102 total yards allowed
- Forced two turnovers
- Allowed three first downs the entire game
- Held them to 2.8 yards per play
It has to be more than the preseason. It has to.
Cornerback Deonte Banks had a great game. Safety Tyler Nubin played well. Rookie defensive lineman Bobby Jamison-Travis even recorded a sack. It was a total defensive effort that proved they’re going to be a Godzilla-sized nightmare come the regular season.
1B. Throw away the pencil and Sharpie in Dominic Zvada as the kicker
The Dominic Zvada vs. Ben Sauls kicking battle has been one of the most interesting storylines of the offseason, but if Saturday’s W showed fans anything, it’s that Zvada is him.
Is making a 43- and 32-yard field goal otherworldly? Not exactly. But when a team cycles through kickers like Dominic Toretto cycles through Dodge Chargers, watching one calmly make every kick sent his way feels like finding the next Brandon Aubrey.
The 22-year-old undrafted rookie has been in a battle with Sauls all offseason, and while Better Call Sauls made both of his attempts, too (from 27 and 37), it’s clear he just doesn’t have the leg to keep up with Zvada-matic.
Zvada has been drilling kicks from 50-plus all summer and even knocked through a simulated 62-yard game-winner at practice. Harbaugh robbed us of seeing whether he could do it for real against Minnesota, but Saturday finally gave him his first live opportunities, and he went four-for-four between field goals and extra points.
Enough with the pencil. Grab the Sharpie. Zvada-matic is the kicker.
1A. John Harbaugh has already proved he was the right hire
It took one week for Big Blue’s new head coach to turn things around following a disheartening effort against the Vikings. It was the kind of turnaround Giants fans aren’t used to seeing, but this is why general manager Joe Schoen and Co. were gung-ho about bringing in a no-nonsense coach like Harbaugh.
The Giants looked sharper, more physical, and significantly more prepared than they did one week ago. Again, preseason. I know.
But after years of watching the same mistakes snowball week after week, seeing Harbaugh’s team respond to an ugly performance by immediately coming out and beating the brakes off its next opponent felt refreshingly different.
Does a 26-3 preseason win prove Harbaugh is going to turn the Giants into a contender? Of course not. Does that mean I’m going to stop myself from declaring the coaching search an overwhelming success after two meaningless games? Absolutely not.
We established the rules at the beginning.
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