The New York Giants kicked off their 100th season in embarrassing fashion Sunday, losing to the Minnesota Vikings 28-6 to begin the regular season.
“I gotta do a better job,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said after the game (h/t ESPN’s Jordan Raanan).
The Giants failed to score a touchdown in the game despite being in the red zone multiple times, including their opening drive following a Vikings fumble on the fourth play of the game.
Daniel Jones was horrific in the Giants’ season opener
Quarterback Daniel Jones did not get off to the start he was hoping for in his first regular season game since his ACL tear, as he went 22-for-42 on his pass attempts with an average of 4.4 yards/completion, and threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a pick-six by Vikings’ linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.
Jones also was erratic with his passes, often missing open wide receivers with off-target throws. His decision-making was questionable as well, often looking indecisive with the ball and making ill-advised passes. Jones said after the game that his focus is on the next game and how he can improve after an abysmal performance in Week One.
“We’ll get in, watch the film, see what we can do better, see how I need to play better, and go from there. We’re focused on that,” said Jones (h/t SNY).
The rough performance will certainly spark questions as to whether or not Jones should be benched in favor of either Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito if the struggles continue into next week. The Giants are banking on Jones to have a strong campaign after opting to improve the team around him this offseason instead of drafting a quarterback. Jones said he is not thinking about the possibility of being replaced.
“I’m focused on doing my job and playing as well as I can. I’ve got to play better, and I’m focused on doing that,” Jones said (h/t SNY).
Kayvon Thibodeaux was quiet in the Giants’ week one game
Edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was particularly quiet in this one, as he didn’t record a single tackle or a sack and had a costly face mask penalty called against him after the Giants seemed to get a third-down stop early in the third quarter.
The Giants needed an impactful game from Thibodeaux to put pressure on Vikings’ quarterback Sam Darnold. The lack of pressure allowed for Darnold to dissect the Giants’ defense, as he went 19-for-24 on his passes, threw two touchdowns, and for 208 passing yards. Darnold also completed his first 12 pass attempts, which is the longest streak of his career.
In total, New York recorded just one sack and two quarterback hits in the entire game, a non-impressive showing from the imposing group of Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, and Brian Burns. They will need a stronger performance from Thibodeaux next week against the Washington Commanders if they want to slow down their offense.
Thibodeaux himself is not too concerned about the lackluster performance on defense. “Think we’ll be good,” Thibodeaux said (h/t ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “It’s early in the season.”
Malik Nabers made some good plays in his NFL debut
Giants’ rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers made his NFL debut in Sunday’s game, and his performance may be the only positive takeaway from this disastrous loss. He hauled in five receptions on seven targets for 66 yards, including one 25-yard catch-and-run late in the first quarter.
The expectations are high for Nabers, as he is clearly the team’s top receiving option and is likely to get a bunch of targets as the season progresses. While he wasn’t able to help the Giants reach the end zone Sunday, the hope is that as he continues to acclimate himself to the NFL the touchdowns will come.
Nabers spoke about the looks he got from Jones after the game Sunday, and he felt that he was doing his part to provide a clean pass for Jones to make.
“I’m getting out on my routes and just trying to make a play, trying to find a better throw for him to make. I was just doing my job, that’s all I can do,” Nabers said (h/t SNY).
The Giants will look to bounce back next Sunday when they take on rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders on the road for their Week Two matchup. How the team rebounds from such a horrific loss could define this team’s mindset the rest of the way.
