The New York Giants opened the 2019 regular season in ugly fashion, getting blown out in Arlington, 35-17, at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
The game wasn’t even as close as the score might indicate as the Giants stood no chance at victory after just a half a quarter. Defensively, they couldn’t stop a turtle in a sandbox, while their offensive play-calling and execution was highly suspect.
Here’s a quick look at the snap counts that contributed to the team’s 0-1 start.
Offensive snaps: 69
Defensive snaps: 68
Special teams snaps: 28
Right out of the gate you have to look at Barkley’s 55 snaps. Despite being on the field 80% of the time, he registered just 15 touches, while Wayne Gallman and Eli Penny, who combined for 20 snaps, saw some of the most crucial offensive touches. It’s just a strange approach when you have a superstar on your team.
Defensively, Antonio Hamilton’s 36 snaps to Corey Ballentine’s nine snaps stands out. Ballentine was arguably the Giants’ best rookie defensive back all summer and it took entirely too long for him to be inserted into the game.
Finally, it’s noteworthy that Michael Thomas gave up a touchdown despite playing just 12 defensive snaps, while Julian Love’s NFL debut was limited to two special teams snaps.
