Daniel Jones is a ‘fade’ if he has to go up against a league power such as Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco et al.
But is Seattle a league power? No. They are ‘playoff-caliber’ at best if everything breaks right for them. That means Jones should be considered here.
The Seahawks are ranked 27th out of 32 teams against quarterbacks over the first three games. Jones, when given time and allowed to throw deep, has shown some prowess. If the Giants go for broke in this game, he could pop.
The New York Giants surprised their fans this offseason when they brought back one of their favorite players — veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
The 30-year-old former second-round pick out of Oklahoma has been one of the Giants’ best offensive weapons the past decade, serving as a solid No. 2 and No. 3 wideout.
But in recent years, Shepard has been plagued by a spate of serious injuries such as concussions, a torn Achilles, and a torn ACL that have limited him to just 10 games since 2020. He hasn’t played a full season since 2018.
That aside, general manager Joe Schoen — who admitted that Shepard was one of his favorite players earlier this year — decided to bring Shepard back and did it with a one-year, bargain-basement deal worth $1.317 million.
Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll love Shepard’s dedication, work ethic and attitude. With a young receiving corps in-house, he’s the perfect elder statesman to lead the group.
“Shep is an emotional guy,” Daboll said on Friday. “I think a lot of people feed off of him. He brings positive energy. He’s been here a long time. Glad he’s on our team.”
An example of what Shepard brings is illustrated by him lockering next to rookie sensation Jalin Hyatt to help him acclimate to NFL life. On the other side of Hyatt is quarterback Daniel Jones.
Shepard has also looked a whole lot like his old self, moving well in his routes and still has the ability to separate and has always been one of the top wideouts when it comes to reeling in passes within his catch radius.
Shepard is a living embodiment of the term “Once a Giant. Always a Giant.”
The Giants saw eight players go down to injury during the game with seven of those failing to return. It’s a situation that will have an impact on the team’s cuts next week.
There’s a lot to break down and a lot to go over but before we look ahead, let’s look back. Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ loss.
Offensive snaps: 74 Defensive snaps: 59 Special teams snaps: 30
Offensive lineman Korey Cunningham and cornerback Amani Oruwariye took the full load of snaps, which tells you the Giants wanted to get one last long look. Ditto offensive tackle Matt Peart.
Linebacker Oshane Ximines also saw a significant amount of playing time and that may call into question his future with the team. Of course, the Giants were also running low on numbers due to injury and that obviously factored in.
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard seeing time on special teams is also curious.
When New York Giants wide recover Sterling Shepard tore his ACL last year in the Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, many thought they had seen the last of him in a Giants uniform.
Even though Shepard has played in only 10 games since the end of the 2020 season due to various injuries, he’s back with the Giants this season and looks like he hasn’t missed a beat.
Both Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll wanted Shepard back this offseason and re-signed him to a one-year deal.
Schoen even admitted that Shepard was one of his favorite players of all time, citing Shepard’s upbeat attitude and ability to raise morale among his teammates, even on crutches.
At camp this year, Shepard — now fully healed — has been impressive in the drills he has been allowed to participate in. With a glut of talent at receiver, especially in the slot, he has done nothing to cede his place on the depth chart.
Daboll said on Wednesday that it’s time for the training wheels to come for Shepard in his comeback bid.
“It’ll be good to get him out there, get some live action. It’s always different when you can get hit so again, he’s another guy that we’ll talk about here after practice. He’s actually going to get a down day (Wednesday). Just kind of see how he’s feeling, where he’s at relative to his rehab plan and make a decision,” he said.
The truncated workout regimen designed for Shepard hasn’t quelled his enthusiasm and eagerness to get back out on the field with no restrictions.
“He always lobbies,” Daboll said. “He lobbies every practice, but we’ve got to do a good job of taking care of him and he’s come back from a couple of injuries, he’s got a great mindset, he’s a competitor so the training staff has done a good job with his rehab deal.”
The Giants also don’t have to worry about Shepard playing elsewhere. He is the embodiment of the ‘Once a Giant, always a Giant’ credo.
“I don’t want to play anywhere else,” Shepard told the New York Post. “I want to retire a Giant. So yeah, I don’t think I would go play anywhere else. I do burn to play, and that’s a tough question, because I feel like I still have something in the tank and this is what I love to do.
“Fortunately, I never had to sit down and make that decision. I hope I’m never forced to make that decision. I’ve given this place everything I have every time I step on that field.”
The injuries have piled up over the years but Shepard still has some gas left in the tank. The Giants know that, and if they manage him right, he can help this team win both on and off the field. It has been his dream since he was selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Shepard had been a steady contributor over the first five seasons of his career. Now he’s getting one more shot at his dream at the age of 30. It’s looking like he just might succeed.
When wide receiver Sterling Shepard went down with a torn ACL in Week 3 last season, many assumed his New York Giants career was over.
Shepard had already battled his way back from a torn Achilles and hadn’t played a full season since 2018. Still, the Giants recognized his leadership and value in the locker room so they not only kept him around the team last year but re-signed him to a one-year deal this past offseason.
“It means a lot (to be back),” Shepard said in June. “This organization has been really good to me throughout my playing career, and some of the stuff that’s happened over the years. I’m grateful and thankful and I try to give this organization everything I’ve got just for those reasons.”
The Giants are not shy about their admiration of Shepard, both the player and the person. That was evident last season when head coach Brian Daboll insisted on having Shepard around and co-owner John Mara already plotting a post-playing career job for the 30-year-old.
Still, because of his injury issues, many have been skeptical of Shepard’s role on the Giants. Some even view him as a bubble player who is at risk of being cut.
Those of us at Giants Wire don’t subscribe to that theory and anyone who’s watched Shepard at training camp won’t, either.
On Monday, as the Giants returned to practice, Shepard once again proved why he’s considered the best route-runner on the team. He pulled a little shake-and-bake on rookie Tre Hawkins, who got stonewalled, before hauling in the touchdown.
Tre Hawkins has been surprisingly dominant in camp thus far but there was just no defense for Shepard’s moves. That was enough to shake a savvy veteran out of his shoes.
And, of course, tight end Darren Waller was there to meet Shepard with the griddy.
The New York Giants have a number of options at slot receiver this season, a situation made even more competitive after two veterans logged in solid showings Friday night in Detroit.
Cole Beasley caught all four of his targets for a total of 33 yards and Jamison Crowder reeled in both of his for 32 yards.
The Giants signed each veteran this offseason as insurance after the receiver cupboard ran bare last season due to injuries, forcing the team to sign players off the street.
One of the players they brought in last fall was Isaiah Hodgins, who provided the Giants with a huge boost down the stretch as they drove toward the playoffs.
On Friday night, Hodgins — a prospective starter on the outside — caught one pass for 13 yards to remind everyone that he’s still very much in the plans.
Head coach Brian Daboll put Hodgins in for 18 snaps in the game, some early on and then again later in the game.
“I thought it was good for him,” Daboll said. “He was a practice squad player for a while there and came on with us late, so I thought it was good to get him some reps early on with Tyrod (Taylor).”
The Giants’ wide receiver room is a very crowded one this summer and when the music stops on August 29 for final cuts there won’t be enough chairs. Several will be going home, or at the least, to the practice squad.
Sterling Shepard is back, along with Darius Slayton and Hodgins. They, along with third-rounder Jalin Hyatt and free agent Parris Campbell, are all shoe-ins to make the roster.
That leaves perhaps three open spots on the 53-man roster. With Beasley and Crowder stepping up, that number could be reduced to just one. Several players will have two games to make their cases.
Heralded rookie Bryce Ford-Wheaton did not have an impressive debut, failing to reel in any of his three targets and dropping a sure reception that hit him squarely in the chest.
The ever-reliable David Sills V made the most of his time, catching two passes for 36 yards, including one for a 22-yard gain. Sills is a long shot to make the team. The 27-year-old has been with the Giants since 2019, either on the active roster or the practice squad.
Kalil Pimpleton continues to play well, catching both of his chances for a total of 15 yards. He can also contribute on special teams as a returner.
Jaydon Mickens had a six-yard reception in the game, but he appears to be headed to the practice squad (at best).
Collin Johnson, who missed all of 2022 with an Achilles injury, left the game with a knee issue. The 6-foot-6 former Texas standout had been having a solid camp.
As of Saturday, Daboll did not have an updated status on Johnson’s injury.
The Giants’ offense and quarterback Daniel Jones dominated 7-on-7 drills to start Tuesday’s practice with DJ completing six of his eight pass attempts.
The bad news is that during the next series of drills (11-on-11), the Giants offense was shut down with Jones only going 1-of-4 with a would-be sack (Aiden Hutchinson) and a near-interception.
Things got no better for DJ from there.
Good new for the Giants. Daniel Jones went 6/8 in 7 on 7’s and WR’s getting good separation.
Bad news is Giants 1st team defense gave up 8/8 passes in 7’s.
Through five 11-on-11 drills I have Daniel Jones 5 of 12. Gardner-Johnson dropped an INT on a very bad pass. There was also a sack of Hutchinson. If you don’t count that sack he’s 6 of 13.
It’s been a rough one for the QB. Guys are open. He’s just not hitting them. #Giants…
There were a few drops (Saquon Barkley, Darius Slayton) sprinkled in.
As Bobby Skinner noted, there were also some ugly moments for the defense. They played solid during the first team period but then fell apart in 7-on-7’s.
Justin Penik with the breakdown:
First team Giants defense vs Lions offense. Defense had a good showing. Didn’t allow a first down in 4 plays. Two runs. Two passes. One checkdown, one incomplete. Wink showed a fun blitz look on the final play.
After a solid first series against the Lions O, first team defense hasn’t been as successful. Lions able to complete a good amount of crossers plus find some TE’s. When the Lions run outside the tackles, they find success. Running up the gut hasn’t worked. Wink showing wild 3rd…
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll was back in front of the media on Sunday morning after a day off on Saturday and revealed the team would be activating both Sterling Shepard and Jamison Crowder.
Daboll opened the presser by announcing that Shepard (knee) will be coming off the PUP list on Sunday and will be participating in drills. It will be his first time back on the filed since tearing his ACL last September.
Daboll also said they are activating 2023 free-agent signing, Crowder (calf), off the non-football injury list. He will also take part in practice.
Among other injury updates, defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who was involved in a car accident last week that landed him in the concussion protocol, will also be back to practice on Sunday.
Giants are activating wide receivers Sterling Shepard & Jamison Crowder off the PUP list today, Brian Daboll says
Cole Beasley (quad), Rakeem Nunez-Roches (concussion) & Gervarrius Owens are all practicing, too
The same will be the case for veteran wide receiver Cole Beasley (quad) and rookie defensive back Gervarrius Owens.
Linebacker Jihad Ward (undisclosed ailment) and backup tight end Ryan Jones (undisclosed) will sit out Sunday’s drills.
The first week of practice has many wondering if the team’s first-round pick, cornerback Deonte Banks out of Maryland, is ready to step right in and start this season. Daboll didn’t say either way but had some positive feed back on Banks.
#NYGiants Daboll – banks done a good job….competing hard and showing shadow skills in coverage
The Giants traded up one spot in the first round in this year’s draft to select Banks, who they see as a physical player who can man-up with the bigger outside receivers in the league.
The New York Giants will be taking 15 wide receivers to training camp this week, leading to the question — what is the plan?
Are they just throwing options against the wall to see what sticks? Or are they simply creating competition to see who will rise, or are they safeguarding themselves in case of a repeat of last year when they suffered an unusually high number of injuries?
It could be a little of both. The team found themselves shorthanded last season and they don’t want to get caught short again.
The unit will be run again by assistant coach Mike Groh and he will have a diverse group of players of all shapes, sizes and skill sets who possess a varied level of NFL experience.
Of the 15 players, perhaps eight of them will make the team’s final 53-man roster, and — if things go right — one or two of them could end up leading the team in targets and/or catches.
But that will be difficult. The Giants’ big move this offseason on offense was the trade for former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. He is expected to be heavily involved in the passing game.
So is running back Saquon Barkley, when he returns from his ‘holdout.’ Barkley has been the Giants’ best receiver when healthy the past few years and there’s no reason to stop throwing him the football. Between he and Waller, there will be fewer opportunities for the wideouts, unless something changes.
So, what should fans expect this summer at wide receiver?
Expect the veterans to get the benefit of the doubt, at least in the beginning. That means initial work for Sterling Shepard, who is returning from another lost season due to injury, and Darius Slayton. Toss in Isaiah Hodgins and Wan’Dale Robinson (when he’s ready), along with free agents Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, Jeff Smith, Cole Beasley, and rookie Jalin Hyatt.
The Giants will try to forge a serviceable unit out of those names. They are top-heavy on slot receivers it seems so they might thin the herd there in favor of some outside options.
The others will all have to have monster camps to even be considered. Collin Johnson, David Sills and rookie Bryce Ford-Wheaton are interesting names to watch but where do they fit? Jaydon Mickens, Makai Polk and Kalil Pimpleton are long shots and will have to show special teams prowess to stick.
Wide receiver will be a heavily contested unit this summer and will be a fun one to follow.
Sterling Shepard, on Wednesday speaking publicly for the first time since he tore the ACL in his left knee with 1:11 remaining in the Giants’ Monday night loss to the Cowboys on Sept. 26, vowed to return to the field.
“Dang right,’’ the 29-year-old receiver said. “I’m a fighter. I want to go out on my own terms. I don’t want something like this to make me go out. So, I’m going to fight to get my body back to where I can perform and get this thing good.
“There is a grieving period and you have a lot of stuff flying through your head, but when you get time to settle down and what you really want, the next day it hit me. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m not going to let this get me down. I’m going to fight through it. I’ve done it once; I can do it again.’ ’’
Shepard, the longest-tenured player on the Giants, missed last year with a ruptured Achilles and made it all the way back to play only to lose yet another season.
“Obviously, just coming off my Achilles and having to deal with the ACL is no fun,’’ Shepard said. “But I just try to come in with a positive attitude. I feel like that helps the recovery process. You take a day of grieving, and it’s time to move forward.’’
Sterling Shepard, who suffered a season-ending left knee injury in Week 3, watches the action during the Giants’ Wee 4 win over the Bears.Corey Sipkin
Shepard revealed that he believes he tore the ACL a couple plays before he fell to the turf simply jogging away from the play.
“It was really weird,’’ he said. “I think I actually partially tore it probably like two plays before that. I think I partially tore it. I kind of got up, and my knee did something funny. I was just like, ‘Forget about it,’ and keep on pushing.
“The next play actually got blown dead, which in hindsight I’m kind of happy about because I was about to have to stick off my left and hard cut. And the next play I was literally just jogging. It just slid on me and popped.’’
When Shepard, whose contract is up at the end of this season after seven seasons with the Giants, was asked if he wonders whether he’ll be playing somewhere else in 2023, he said: “I’ll let that take care of itself. All I can do is focus on every day that I have and each day coming up. So, that’s what I’m going to focus on — just putting one foot in front of the other and focusing on the small wins right now. So, I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.’’
He said, though, that he obviously feels an allegiance to the Giants.
“They didn’t have to give me another shot to come back off that Achilles, and they did,’’ he said. “And I can’t thank this staff and ownership enough for the opportunities that they’ve given me. I feel like I owe so much to them. I want to give them my all. I don’t want to go out like this. I’m going to fight. I’m a fighter. So, that’s what I’m going to do.’’
The following Giants players didn’t practice Wednesday: QB Tyrod Taylor (concussion), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), LB Azeez Ojulari (calf), DB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), WR Richie James (ankle), DB Julian Love (concussion) and DL Henry Mondeaux (ankle).
The following players practiced on a limited basis: QB Daniel Jones (ankle), DL Leonard Williams (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), G Evan Neal (neck), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), DB Fabian Moreau (foot) and DB Nick McCloud (hamstring).
Coach Brian Daboll said Toney, who the Giants need on the field for his big-play ability, “is making progress.’’
Daboll called having to face Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers “challenging.’’
“He’s one of the best to ever do it,’’ Daboll said. “He’s fun to watch when you’re not getting ready to play him. I’ll be watching their offense and naturally you’re just watching [number] 12 and the things he does, how he moves people, the accuracy, off-schedule plays, and checks and things he does.
“He’s as good as it gets and he’s a hard quarterback to defend. He’s impressive.’’
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