The New York Giants improved to 3-0 on the preseason with a 25-23 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night in the Queen City.
What did we learn from this week’s game? Quite a few things.
Daniel Jones is too good to be true
Jones went 9-of-11 for 141 yards, his third consecutive strong performance in as many weeks. Not only was Jones accurate, he showed poise even after nearly getting beheaded by Bengals linebacker Carl Lawson. Jones coughed up the ball but then recomposed himself to hit rookie Darius Slayton for a 27-yard gain down the middle. And…here come the controversy enthusiasts….
New safeties, same old issues
The Giants have had problems covering safeties in the past and by the looks of things Cincinnati, that shortcoming may still exist. On the very first play from scrimmage, Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah rambled 28 yards on a screen play until Giants safety Jabrill Peppers and linebacker Lorenzo Carter were able to corral him. Then, later in the quarter, Uzomah beat Peppers for a 26-yard touchdown on a wheel route in which Peppers took a bad first step. In a division where tight ends such as Zack Ertz, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis and Jason Witten reside, the Giants better tighten this up pronto.
Oshane Ximines. Remember that name
Why? Because Dave Gettleman knew a few things the general public didn’t and that’s just the way he likes it. First, he knew he got a steal in linebacker Oshane Ximines late in the third round of the draft. As crazy as it sounds, many team probably passed on Ximines because they couldn’t pronounce or spell his name correctly. That sounds crazy, but think about it. I know it happens. Ximines made four tackles against Cincinnati, two were sacks. The kid can rush the passer. Learn his name.
Call him Ball-entine
The Giants invested a lot in their secondary this past offseason, but the one player that’s turning heads is the fifth round pick out of Washburn, Corey Ballentine (7 tackles, 2 passes defensed and a tackle for a loss). He’s had a lot to overcome after the shooting incident this spring and he’s done more than rebound, he’s thriving. When we were doing our draft research, we thought Ballentine had a chance to be a starter someday in the NFL. If Sam Beal and/or Deandre Baker don’t get back on the field soon, that day could be September 8, when the Giants open the regular season in Dallas.
Dexter is manly
We’ve been told that first round pick Dexter Lawrence will be a force in the NFL with his rare speed and agility for his size. We’re seeing that more and more with each passing week. Against the Bengals, Lawrence pushed a gaggle of offensive lineman backwards into the pocket and then batted down an Andy Dalton pass. It was quick and violent and sent a clear message of just what a disruptor Lawrence can be.
