The New York Giants defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 25-23, in Week 3 of the preseason and there were many ups and downs throughout the game.
For the second consecutive week, the Giants displayed some ball security issues, some communication issues and had all sorts of problems along the left side of their offensive line.
But what about some positives? Who stood out? And who earned the highest Pro Football Focus grades?
On the defensive side of the ball, PFF had linebacker B.J. Goodson leading the way with rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine checking in just behind him.
Here’s some additional commentary from PFF ReFocused:
Rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine had a strong performance on Thursday, staying on receivers’ hips and making it difficult to gain first down in key passing situations. Ballentine defended several different Bengals receivers to record multiple pass breakups, while also playing a big role in run-support.
Tae Davis had a tough night in the Giants’ third preseason game, struggling to provide support in the run game. Davis also allowed a few catches in the passing game as he battles for a starting job on this new-look Giants defense.
On the offensive side of the ball, guard Kevin Zeitler and wide receiver Brittan Golden, who had a huge night, led the way in grades.
And some additional ReFocused commentary on the offense:
Daniel Jones had another nice performance, making some nice throws and giving his receivers a chance to make a play on some deep balls. His best throw of the night came late in the first half, when he connected with Brittan Golden for a nice 24-yard completion.
Alex Tanney struggled the most out of all the Giants quarterbacks that played tonight, completing only two of his six passes for 26 yards. He was off-target on multiple throws, missing receivers for would-be easy completions and first downs. He never quite looked as comfortable as the other Giants signal-callers throughout the game.
PFF also added a little “rookie watch” commentary this week.
Rookie wide receivers Darius Slayton and Reggie White Jr. both turned in strong performances against Cincinnati, as the two combined for 63 yards on two receptions in the contest. Edge defender Oshane Ximines also had a great game, picking up positively graded plays in the run game and rushing the passer. After two strong outings to start the preseason, Wisconsin product Ryan Connelly was exposed a bit in coverage and earned a low grade as a result. Both Julian Love and Corey Ballentine performed well in coverage in the contest. The duo each made some great plays at the catch point.
