The New York Giants opened up their 2024 preseason hosting the Detroit Lions on a rainy summer night.
Whether it was the lack of starters not on the field or the wet conditions, this exhibition had some sloppy play on the field by both teams.
Players couldn’t hold onto the ball, there was erratic quarterback play and backup offensive lineman that struggled in pass protection.
The Giants ended up winning 14-3 after what were two extremely intense joint practices earlier in the week.
Here are five takeaways from New York’s first preseason contest:
Takeaways from Giants’ preseason win over Lions
1. Rough night for Drew Lock
With Daniel Jones being among the starters who didn’t play in this contest, Drew Lock got the start for New York. Lock’s appearance was less than aspiring for those who had any hope he could potentially push to take over Jones’ spot for the QB1 at some point this season.
It was far from a pretty debut for Lock in his first appearance as a Giant. He was under constant duress from the Detroit defensive front and when he had the opportunity to make throws, he didn’t hit the mark.
His worst pass of the night came when he tried to force a throw into double coverage which resulted in an easy interception for the Lions.
Drew Lock INT pic.twitter.com/ZPiOhpeGjx
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) August 8, 2024
The snowball didn’t stop there for Lock. He ended up having to leave the game due to a hip injury from one of the shots he took. Joe Schoen did tell the Giants broadcast in the second half that Lock could have returned if needed.
He ended his night going 4-of-10 for 17 yards and an interception. He also had two rushes for 12 yards.
2. Good night for the running backs
The life of New York’s offense in the first half came from a trio of backup running backs. The rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. got the start and showed some positive runs in his five carries. He flashed good vision to find holes when he didn’t have much room to work with.
Tyrone Tracy with a great run to pick up the 1st down! pic.twitter.com/GF5Tm6n60M
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) August 8, 2024
Tracy Jr. finished with 26 rushing yards, averaging 5.2 YPC. After his night ended, Eric Gray took over for the remainder of the first half and took advantage of his time on the field. His biggest play of the night came when he shook a Lions defender out of his cleats for a 48-yard touchdown.
Eric Gray to the HOUSE! 🏠
📺: FOX5 pic.twitter.com/WiJDanLkqt
— New York Giants (@Giants) August 9, 2024
Gray ended his night with four carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns. He also flashed his ability as a receiver with four receptions for 46 yards on four targets.
Meanwhile, undrafted free agent rookie Dante “Turbo” Miller led the offense with 12 carries for 63 rushing yards (5.3 YPC) while adding two receptions for seven yards.
It’s just a preseason game so take it with a grain of salt, but it was a nice showing in the first look at the backfield in the post-Saquon Barkley era.
3. Dyontae Johnson was all over the field
One player that stuck out for the New York defense was Dyontae Johnson. His first big play of the night came when he exploded up the field to close space on Nate Sudfeld for a sack.
Dyontae Johnson sack! pic.twitter.com/7BwZadw37R
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 8, 2024
His big first half also included a pair of TFLs to showcase his ability to defend the run.
Dyontae Johnson 2nd TFL of the game! pic.twitter.com/LFjsfCCkvO
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 9, 2024
Unfortunately for Johnson, he got banged up on a tackle attempt which led to him limping off the field and leaving to the locker room. The good news is that he came back out with his helmet on.
He finished with four tackles (two solo), two TFLs, a QB hit, and a sack.
4. Tyler Nubin and Dru Phillips flash
A pair of Day 2 rookie defensive backs had their moments in their Giants debut. Second-round pick Tyler Nubin showed his strength when he blew an offensive lineman back to help the defense force stop on third-and-two.
Great job by Tyler Nubin & Dyontae Johnson on this 3rd down run stop pic.twitter.com/LEeOkjp5gG
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 8, 2024
Third-round pick Dru Phillips had his moment when he came in on a nickel blitz to wrap up the running back for a TFL.
Andru Phillips TFL! pic.twitter.com/jHJnyKEgU5
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 8, 2024
It was a brief night for the rookie defensive backs but each had their flashes which is a positive thing for players that are expected to be contributors for the Giants this season.
5. Boogie Basham starts to build his case
A player that is looking to earn his spot on the 53-man roster and a role in the defensive front rotation who had a good start to his preseason was Boogie Basham. His moment tonight came at the end of the first half when he got a sack with a quick swim move.
Boogie Basham sack!! pic.twitter.com/RPuUuN3Gyv
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 9, 2024
Playing throughout the entire game, Basham ended his first preseason action with four tackles (two solo), a TFL, a sack, and two passes defended. He will need to continue to stack performances like this over the next two weeks to secure his spot on this team.
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