5 major takeaways from the Giants preseason win over the Panthers
• The Big Blue defense needs to clean up the penalities
4. Evan Neal continues to give us hope for a bounce-back campaign
Things weren't perfect for second-year right tackle Evan Neal, but he looked strong in pass protection against the Panthers. A lot of people are going to be talking about the sack he gave up late in the first half, as he was seen chasing a pass-rusher and it was way too late to prevent Tyrod Taylor from hitting the turf.
Last season, Neal recorded so many bone-headed mistakes that people grew quite furious with him. However, in his preseason debut, Neal looked much stronger in the extensive action that he received. Moving forward, we still need to see the former Alabama standout take more steps forward, but this felt like a solid performance overall for him.
The offensive line as a whole was awful against the Lions last week, but we saw some improvements vs. the Panthers. This is all a process, as Bobby Johnson wants his offensive line group to gel more and more as the season progresses. It goes without saying, but Neal will be one of the most important NY players this fall and winter. If he can keep improving, it'll be huge for Jones.