I’m pretty sure that watching preseason football is the penance we have to pay for enjoying the ensuing five months of meaningful football. And trying to ascribe meaning to what we witness in these preseason games is a Rorschach test.
Fans given to pessimism might look at the putrid display by the Giants’ starting offense – not once advancing into Jets territory – and predict regular-season doom (and start beating the bushes for new offensive linemen). And fans given to optimism might have noted that the Giants survived this game (which, by the way, they won 21-20) without the type of season-turning injuries that befell Tony Romo and the Cowboys on Thursday night.
Me? I’m a pessoptimist, disturbed by the Giants’ laughably bad offensive effort, but encouraged by the team’s aggressive playmaking defense; in particular, the early work of new acquisitions Snacks Harrison and Olivier Vernon.
The Giants’ offense will be fine. Why wouldn’t it be? They have the same system as last year, the same key players, plus the addition of Victor Cruz. So what if Eli Manning is tripping over the center’s feet, or underthrowing Cruz on a deep route? Who cares if guard Bobby Hart is committing penalties on third and one? This is the correctable stuff. What can't be corrected is a defense that gets no pass rush and folds in the fourth quarter week after week. Ya know, like last year’s defense. The one that didn’t feature Vernon, Harrison and new cornerbacks Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins.
This might have been a preseason game, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work out our own kinks with a favorite staple, Hero, Nero, Zero – in which we recognize the best, craziest and worst elements from the game.
Hero: Um, Odell Beckham Jr.?
Not gonna lie, there weren’t a lot of candidates for the Hero handle in this contest. Harrison had a nifty forced fumble when the Jets were deep in Giants territory (following a blocked punt). But the fumble, which Johnathan Hankins recovered, wasn’t exactly the game-decider -- not when there were so many subsequent exhibitions of incompetence on both sides.
No, to hear some people tell it, the savviest play in this game was made by Beckham Jr. and his alligator arms. Beckham was running a deep slant and Manning led him a little too much toward the province of Jets safety Calvin Pryor. Instead of challenging for the ball, Beckham pulled up and the pass sailed into the arms of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis for an interception.
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The decision prompted such headlines as this one in the Daily News: “Odell Beckham Jr. makes right call to bail on pass,” with Manning in the accompanying story saying, “It’s preseason, there’s no point in going in there and taking hits and throwing guys into big hits.”
So Beckham is just out there to practice making plays in space? We’re supposed to conclude that as the play unfolded, he saw that he was being led into a big bit and he quickly processed, “Whoa, this is the preseason, I’m not sticking my nose in there”? We’re supposed to think he would react differently in the regular season? OK, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Nero: General manager Jerry Reese.
Reese deserves props for how well he upgraded the team’s defense via free agency and the draft, but subjecting us to another season of running back Rashad Jennings is going to drive me to drink (more). Jennings has a limited burst, rarely reaches the third level of the defense and is never a threat to hit a home run.
The Giants’ solution? Spending a fifth-round draft pick on Paul Perkins, who has barely seen the field. Versus the Jets, Jennings ran six times for -1 yard. Granted, the Jets have a stout run defense, but the Giants are also going to be in obvious running situations during the season – or obvious to any team that has a decent running back. The Giants don’t, and that’s on Jerry Reese.
Zero: Plays in Jets territory by the Giants’ starting offense.
It’s great that new head coach Ben McAdoo wants to see what the offensive line can do, and thus the steady stream of running plays – including on third and long. But man, the offense was just pathetic. Everyone seemed out of rhythm and that’s a bit alarming since the starters almost certainly won’t be playing on Thursday in the final preseason game against the Patriots. I’m confident the offense will be fine – eventually. But a little success – any success! – from Manning, Beckham and Co. would have engendered a lot more confidence before the season opener against Dallas. Luckily for the Giants, their newly revamped defense will be facing a rookie quarterback (Dak Prescott) and rookie running back (Ezekiel Elliott).
The Giants’ offense probably won’t need to be perfect for the team to beat the Cowboys. Still, it’d be nice if Beckham leaves his alligator arms at home for that game.
