Preseason games are about more than just the final score. For most fans and members of the media, the preseason is a way to get information on teams and players before the start of the regular season. Giants and Patriots fans learned things about their teams Thursday night, in addition to the Giants’ 23-21 win.
The Giants dominated the first half statistically. New York gained more than three times as many yards while taking a 10-7 lead at halftime. The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter before New York stretched its lead to 20-14 less than five minutes into the fourth quarter. New England rallied to take the lead on rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey with 4:51 remaining. However, the Giants mounted a late-game offense and won the game on Graham Gano’s 24-yard field goal as time expired.
These are the main takeaways from Thursday night’s game.
Solid Zappe in his NFL debut
With Mac Jones sidelined, the Patriots’ fourth-round pick was given a heavy workload Thursday night. The former Western Kentucky quarterback completed 19 of 32 passes for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The highlight was his touchdown pass to Humphrey, who led New England with 62 yards on six receptions.
Giants O-line shines
While they did allow some shots to Daniel Jones (more on that later), the Giants’ offensive line was exceptional at blocking runs. The Giants rushed for 177 yards on 33 carries, compared to the Patriots’ 52 yards on 18 carries. New York was led in the rush by Antonio Williams, who rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Thornton scores the first NFL TD
Tyquan Thornton’s first NFL reception resulted in a touchdown, as New England’s second-round pick was able to break free in the back of the end zone before knocking down Brian Hoyer’s pass. Expected to bring an element of speed to the Patriots’ receiving corps, Thornton caught 10 touchdown passes during his final season at Baylor. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch throughout his time with the Bears.
the butler’s return
Malcolm Butler became a household name following his winning selection in Super Bowl XLIX. Butler’s penchant for making big plans came true again Thursday night. The Patriots’ new No. 4 (Butler traded in his old No. 21) picked up Terrance Mitchell’s forced fumble to Giants wide receiver Collin Johnson on New York’s third possession. Butler played his first game in nearly two years after retiring before the start of the 2021 season.
Barkley’s strong pre-season debut
Giants running back Saquon Barkley looked good on his only possession. He had four carries for 13 yards and also caught an 8-yard pass on third down to help the Giants move the chains. Barkley hopes to return to form this season after injuries plagued him the previous two seasons.
Jones feels the heat
Jones was solid on both of his drives under center. The Giants quarterback was 6 of 10 for 69 yards while leading New York to a field goal on the game’s first drive. His favorite target was Johnson, who caught both of his targets from Jones for 30 yards. Johnson finished the game with seven catches for 82 yards.
However, Jones did not come out of the game unscathed. On his last drive, he got a sack from Josh Uche before getting hit on his last pass attempt. The former first-round pick was sacked 105 times during his first three seasons but just 22 times in 11 games in 2021.
Patriots game calls
One looming question has been who will call plays in New England now that Josh McDaniels is in Las Vegas. It seems the Patriots don’t know that answer either, as Matt Patricia and Joe Judge took turns calling plays Thursday night. Patricia appeared to be calling plays during Hoyer’s first-half possessions, while Judge was calling plays for Zappe.
Tre Nixon makes his presence felt
The young New England receiver caught passes of 36 and 32 yards on the Patriots’ offense to start the second half. A seventh-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Nixon caught 11 touchdowns and averaged 15.6 receiving yards during his two active seasons at UCF.
New England suffers several injuries on the offensive line
The injury bug hit the Patriots’ offensive line Thursday night. Justin Herron, Yodny Cdonde and Bill Murray all left the match with injuries. Despite those injuries, the Patriots’ patchwork offensive line did well enough to help New England take a 21-20 lead late in the game.
taylor still got it
Tyrod Taylor looked good in his first preseason game with the Giants. The 12-year veteran and former Pro Bowler started the game 12-for-14 for 118 yards and a touchdown to Richie James that gave the Giants a 10-7 lead late in the first half. The 33-year-old appears to be more than capable of leading the Giants’ offense if asked to do so.
mocking?
Taunting (also known as unsportsmanlike) penalties have been a hot topic in recent weeks, as the NFL has been cracking down on taunting. A penalty for mocking scratching his head was assessed to Giants cornerback Aaron Robinson late in the first quarter. The penalty helped set up the Patriots’ first touchdown.
Until next time
The Giants host the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals on August 20, while the Patriots take on Baker Mayfield and the Panthers on August 19.
Source: www.cbssports.com