What a preseason for the New York Giants, huh? Three teams up, three teams down. There might not have been a more impressive team than Big Blue.
It wasn’t just that the G-Men went 3-0 — it was how they did it. They seemingly dominated each game from start to finish, outscoring opponents 107-47, and ending the preseason on the highest of notes, with an absolute drubbing of the New England Patriots, 42-10. It’s always awesome to beat the Pats.
Don’t let the undefeated record fool you. The 2008 Detroit Lions went 4-0 in the preseason, then 0-16 in the regular season. So, the preseason might be meaningless in the win-loss column, but it’s not entirely pointless. After an exhilarating three weeks, here are New York’s biggest winners and losers from an unparalleled preseason.
5 winners (and 3 losers) from Giants' unprecedented preseason
Winner No. 1: Giants offense under Mike Kafka
Apparently, letting the offensive coordinator do his job and call plays works well for the offense. Who woulda thought? Kafka is back on the headset, and the Giants are back in the end zone. Coincidence? I think not.
Big Blue scored over 30 points on offense in every game this preseason. That’s no typo. This is the same team that averaged 16.1 points per game last year. While it was always going to be tough to do worse than that, it’s legitimately shocking just how much more effective and electric the offense looks already. Yes, it’s only the preseason, but Kafka might be onto something.
Winner No. 2: Jaxson Dart
Talk about a sigh of relief. That’s what the 22-year-old rookie brought Big Blue Nation throughout the three preseason games he dominated. He finished 32-of-47 for 372 yards and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing), with zero turnovers.
Related: 4 eye-opening conclusions from Jaxson Dart's final preseason game vs Patriots
Dart’s selection at No. 25 was met with a lot of hesitancy — a lot of skepticism. And for a developmental prospect, it sure seems like people have been focusing too much on the negative connotation of what developmental truly means. This team had a plan for the rookie signal caller, and whatever they did, it’s been working. This is just the beginning of something big. You can feel it.
Winner No. 3: Undrafted skill players
Dante “Turbo” Miller and Beaux Collins have taken this team by storm. Turbo is in Year 2 with the G-Men, and suffice it to say, he’s not looking to spend this year on the practice squad. It felt like he had a moment or two in every game that just took the fans’ breath away. He’s electric in space and surely feels like he did everything he could to secure a roster spot.
The same goes for undrafted rookie Beaux Collins. The 6-foot-3 wide receiver took advantage of his opportunity. Big Blue’s wide receiver room is more open than the coaching staff likely cares to admit, but there’s a spot waiting for him. His game against the Pats wasn’t great, but he’s shown all camp and preseason that he’s earned a slot.
Winner No. 4: Tommy DeVito
As impressive as Dart’s preseason debut was, there might not be a bigger winner at quarterback than Tommy DeVito. Tommy Cutlets was on fire throughout the preseason, but it was his 17-of-20, 198-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Pats that sealed the deal.
He finished the preseason 30-of-38, with 323 yards and four touchdowns. He’s made it painfully obvious he deserves a roster spot — whether that be in East Rutherford or elsewhere.
Winner No. 5: Giants fans
There’s no other way to slice it: Giants fans are clear winners. Not only does the team look vastly improved over last year, but they’re having fun while doing so. The wave even broke out at MetLife... it's only the preseason. This looks like a completely different team — and one that fans might actually want to watch on Sundays.
Loser No. 1: John Michael Schmitz
John Michael Schmitz had a rough preseason. There’s no beating around the bush. His development has seemingly hit a snag, and this just might be the version of JMS New York is going to get... and it’s just not good enough. He’s been struggling throughout his career, through training camp this year, and now all through the preseason. It’s time for a contingency plan.
For a team looking for improved offensive line play, Schmitz ain’t it.
Loser No. 2: Tommy DeVito's Giants future
I know what you’re thinking: “But Matt, wasn’t Tommy Tagliatelle, Bolognese, Ravioli a preseason winner… how is he also a loser?” My friends, he’s no loser — quite the contrary. But his future with Big Blue is.
It was fun while it lasted, we’ll give it that much. DeVito played this preseason like a man possessed, and since the G-Men will only carry three quarterbacks, it looks like everyone’s favorite Italian is the odd man out. Whether he gets traded or released from the 53-man roster, he’ll be on another team to start 2025. And that’s a massive bummer.
Loser No. 3: All three Giants opponents
Talk about a clean sweep. The Bills, Jets, and Patriots were literal losers. And aside from the first preseason game in Buffalo, no contest was even remotely close. This team has either turned a corner — or it’s just the preseason and the scores have been inflated. There’s no in-between.