Five Takeaways from New York Giants 31-12 Preaseason Win vs. New York Jets

Much has been made about Wilson’s alleged fall off in recent years, but the film from 2024 said that he is still one of the better deep-ball passers in the NFL.

Where Wilson has taken a step back is in his mobility, meaning that he needs more support from his offensive line to keep him clean.

When he’s given that time, Wilson is still able to connect on the deep ball, and he showed that early in the second preseason game against the Jets.

On the first drive of the game, Wilson dropped back to pass one time, and it resulted in an 80-yard catch and run that traveled about 60 yards in the air to receiver Beaux Collins.

Wilson has said this preseason that he wants the identity of this offense to be explosive plays, and if the Giants' offensive line can protect him like they did on the first drive, he’s going to be able to make those explosive plays happen.

Run defense improvements

While the statistics show that the Jets' primary running backs averaged 4.3 yards per carry on Saturday night, the play on the field showed more consistency than in 2024.

On the edge, both Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux made stops to shut down Breece Hall and Braelon Allen.

Any success the Jets found on the ground came from the interior, which is why it's important to note that Dexter Lawrence II was absent from the game against the Jets.

With both Burns and Thibodeaux looking more active in the run game and the return of Lawrence incoming, the Giants' rush defense should be much improved.

The run game development

The Giants found success with rookie running back Tyrone Tracy in 2024, who totaled 1,123 yards from scrimmage.

Tracy was a wide receiver who moved to running back late in his college career and was still finding a feel for rushing lanes as a rookie.

On Saturday night against the Jets, Tracy looked more decisive as a runner than he did in 2024.

Tracy ended the night with 39 yards on seven carries for an average of 5.6 yards per carry.

The Giants had most of their starters available on the offensive line, but were without Andrew Thomas, who is still on the PUP list but is expected to be activated for the regular season.

With a fully healthy offensive line, a passing attack that can threaten the deep ball, and a developing Tracy, this Giants run game is in position to take strides.

Dru Phillips Has Arrived

Dru Phillips had an impressive rookie season in the slot for the Giants in 2024, especially considering he was primarily an outside cornerback in college.

On Saturday night against the Jets, Phillips had a quiet statistical night but was decisively attacking from the slot.

We also saw Phillips used as a blitzer, which is something we should see more of, given he’s in his second year under Shane Bowen.

Playing the nickel in Shane Bowen’s defense requires Phillips to be able to contribute in all phases of the game, and despite the box score, he played sound in coverage and held his contain in the run game.

Phillips is someone that I’m planting my flag for in 2025. His mentality, physicality, and versatility leave him poised to take the next step as the starting nickel.

12 Personnel Aplenty

From the first offensive snap of the game for the Giants, they had both Theo Johnson and Greg Dulcich on the field, and they would stay out there for the whole drive, no matter how brief it was.

The combination of athleticism and versatility helps the Giants effectively run and throw the ball.

As the NFL has put a focus on limiting deep passes, we’ve seen offenses start to lean more on the rushing attack to force teams to bring a safety down.

The Giants started the game with runs of two and ten yards out of 12 personnel (1 running back, 2 tight ends), followed by a play-action shot play with both Dulcich and Johnson in pass protection.

That shot play would be the aforementioned 80-yard deep pass from Wilson to Collins to set up a rushing touchdown.

Brian Daboll has had success utilizing two-tight-end sets throughout his career, and the Giants may have found their duo that can get the job done in 2025.

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