Giants’ Isaiah Hodgins has game to remember in playoff debut

new york giants, isaiah hodgins
Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins (18) runs with the ball against Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks (54) during the third quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins has developed into the team’s main target since coming over from the Buffalo Bulls’ practice squad, and he continued to shine in his first taste of playoff action.

Hodgins finished the game with 105 receiving yards on eight catches (nine targets) and scored one touchdown in the Giants’ first playoff victory since their last Super Bowl win over a decade ago.

Isaiah Hodgins was cooking right from the beginning

Hodgins got going in the first quarter when he burned past his defender to create enough separation to catch a 14-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones that resulted in a touchdown to put New York up 14-7 and caused the momentum to swing in their favor.

From there, he continued to make highly impactful plays for the offense throughout the rest of the game, making nice catches to extend drives and move the chains to put serious pressure on Minnesota’s secondary defense.

Hodgins also was impactful without the ball in his hands, as in one particular drive he made a key block to give Jones some running room to secure a first down in the red zone.

Jones and Hodgins were able to develop chemistry in a short amount of time

Hodgins spoke to SNY’s Connor Hughes after Sunday’s game and described how he and Jones were able to develop chemistry very quickly during the season.

“We didn’t have all that extra time before the season started, so it just takes that extra time between periods and after practices, just nonstop talking, communication, and meetings.”

Isaiah Hodgins on his chemistry with Daniel Jones via SNY

Hodgins has been one of the Giants’ most impactful players since coming over and has been nothing short of phenomenal for them. He initially came over to help provide wide receiver depth to a New York team that was completely decimated at the position, but now he has quickly become a core piece for this group, and he may be able to call New York his new home for more seasons ahead.

Hodgins will look to continue to provide a tremendous impact when the Giants take on the top-seeded NFC team, the Philadelphia Eagles, on the road in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @DylanBacker_

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