Category: Giants Wire Features

Gimme Him: One player Giants would steal from Commanders

The New York Giants need a building block at quarterback, so stealing this player from the Washington Commanders would be an easy choice.

The New York Giants (0-1) will visit the Washington Commanders (0-1) at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland this Sunday.

That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Commanders’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue.

In the past, it has been common to steal Terry McLaurin, who is arguably the most underrated wide receiver in football. However, the Giants are finally stacked at that position and if Week 1 was any indication, would McLaurin really help Big Blue anyway?

Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is also a tempting theft. Pairing him with Bobby Okereke behind Dexter Lawrence seems like a dream. But the Giants have larger issues to address — needs, not wants.

In a first for Giants Wire, we’re going to steal a rookie quarterback with just a single NFL start under his belt. In this case, Jayden Daniels, who appeared to impress head coach Brian Daboll based on what “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” depicted.

During one episode of the award-winning docuseries, Daboll even signed off on trading up for Daniels, which never ended up materializing.

In this fantasy scenario, the Giants would be able to reunite Daniels with his friend and former LSU teammate, wide receiver Malik Nabers, whom the team selected sixth overall back in April.

Daniels had some rookie hiccups in a Week 1 loss but also flashed at times, showing off a strong arm and his ability to change the game with his legs (88 rush yards and two touchdowns). He would replace Daniel Jones and not only be an immediate upgrade at the position but also provide a building block for the future.

What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Jayden Daniels or would you steal an entirely different player from the Washington Commanders?

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Giants vs. Vikings Player of the Game: Malik Nabers

The New York Giants were defeated, 28-6, by the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and WR Malik Nabers is our Player of the Game.

The New York Giants were defeated, 28-6, by the Minnesota Vikings in East Rutherford on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants fall to 0-1 on the season in this emphatic loss. After the first couple of drives, it appeared as if New York did not deserve to be on the same field as the Vikings. Every aspect of the team looked subpar at best on Sunday — one of the few positives was the player of the game Malik Nabers.

The sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft showed why he was such a highly touted prospect. He gave a glimmer of hope to a team that looked extremely bleak otherwise. Nabers finished with five receptions for 66 yards on the day.

Nabers was able to be successful at all three levels of the route tree as he showcased his elite ball skills and unique ability to create separation. Unfortunately for Nabers, the rest of the team — and specifically the play-calling and quarterback play — were not good enough to give the LSU product more opportunities to showcase his talent.

If Week 1 is any indication of the rest of the season for Big Blue, it looks to be a long season but Nabers could possibly be the lone bright spot keeping hope alive for Giants fans.

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Giants vs. Vikings: Best photos from Week 1

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from a Week 1 game between the New York Giants and Vikings — a game that Big Blue lost, 28-6.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from a Week 1 game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings — a game that Big Blue lost, 28-6.

Giants vs. Vikings: 3 best player prop bets for Week 1

The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings square off on Sunday afternoon in Week 1 and here are the 3 best prop bets to consider.

The New York Giants host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season this Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

The Vikings are 1.5-point favorites with an over/under of just 41 points, per BetMGM.

There are a few prop bets on the radar for enthusiasts out there with some expendable cash. Here are our top three.

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Daniel Jones OVER 216.5 passing yards

No one wants to pluck a penny down on anything Daniel Jones does except if involves turnovers getting sacked. That’s going to change this year. Jones has a better offensive line and a group of young. dynamic receivers both at wide receiver and in the backfield. The Giants want to throw more this year and the Vikings aren’t likely to prevent that from happening as they allowed over 283 yards through the air over their last three games of 2023.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Darnold OVER 229.5 yards passing

I know, Jones and now Sam Darnold? Yep. Darnold has learned all of the lessons needed to finally play in this league. He spent last season under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and now under Kevin O’Connell he’ll get even better.

According to Sharp Football, 73.7% of the Minnesota offensive yardage last season was gained via passing, the highest rate in the league.

Darnold has a nice set of weapons (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler) to work with and the Giants will likely be starting two rookies and several other unproven players in their secondary.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Wan’Dale Robinson OVER 28.5 receiving yards

Wan’Dale Robinson averaged 35.0 receiving yards last season on four receptions per game. With the focus now on rookie Malik Nabers, less attention will be paid to Robinson now and he will take full advantage by perhaps even doubling those numbers in this game.

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Giants vs. Vikings: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 1

The New York Giants host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon in Week 1, and here are three reasons for optimism.

The New York Giants will open up the 2024 regular season at MetLife Stadium on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

The two teams will meet for the first time since the Giants upset the Vikings in the playoffs two years ago. However, both sides have experienced significant change since then.

Both the Giants and Vikings enter Week 1 with low expectations and each will be going up against a competitive race in their respective divisions.

With the Giants trying to start the season off with a win, here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday’s game.

Credit: New York Giants

A special year honoring the franchise’s 100th season

The Giants are celebrating their 100th season in the National Football League. There will be a little bit of extra buzz in Week 1 as the Giants will be sporting their “Century Red” uniforms to honor the franchise. This will be the lone game they will wear these uniforms this season.

The Giants also revealed their 100th-season stadium design earlier this week which will create a little extra juice around this game.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Players and play-callers making their Giants debut

Sunday will mark the Giants’ debut for big-time acquisition Brian Burns, running back Devin Singletary, and rookies Malik Nabers and Tyler Nubin.

Burns got a lucrative contract from the Giants after they traded for him and will look to take the Giants’ pass rush to the next level. Meanwhile, Singletary is out to help Giants fans forget about Saquon Barkley and there is a lot of hype around the rookies Malik Nabers and Tyler Nubin.

Look for all these players to get their Giants tenures off to hot starts.

The Giants will also have new playcallers on both sides of the ball. While defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will look for his defense to attack and be aggressive, head coach Brian Daboll will take over the offensive play-calling. Look for both of the play-callers to want to prove they were the right man for the job in their respective debuts.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Forcing Turnovers

Believe it or not, the Giants’ defense caused the most turnovers in the league last season. With the addition of pass rusher Brian Burns, the front seven should improve dramatically.

The front seven should be able to get some pressure on Sam Darnold and force a few turnovers on Sunday.

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Giants vs. Vikings: NFL experts make Week 1 picks

See who experts around the league are taking in a Week 1 matchup between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings.

The New York Giants (0-0) will host the Minnesota Vikings (0-0) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday afternoon.

Opening the week, the Giants were listed as 1-point home underdogs and things have only gotten worse since then. As of this writing, Minnesota is -1.5.

Let’s take a look at who some of the experts and insiders around the league are taking in the Week 1 matchup:

Expert Pick Score (if applicable)
Dan Graziano (ESPN) Vikings N/A
Matt Bowen (ESPN) Vikings N/A
Seth Wickersham (ESPN) Giants N/A
Pete Prisco (CBS) Giants 23-21
John Breech (CBS) Giants 17-13
Jordan Dajani (CBS) Vikings 13-10
Nate Davis (USA TODAY) Vikings 26-16
Lorenzo Reyes (USA TODAY) Vikings 18-10
Bill Bender (Sporting News) Giants  21-18
Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) Giants  17-14

There’s an even split to open the season with most expecting a low-scoring game. Only Nate Davis of USA TODAY, a New York Jets fan who believes the Giants are the worst team in football, sees them losing by double-digits.

Other experts from around the league are similarly split with 57 percent predicting a Vikings victory and 43 percent predicting a Giants victory, per NFL Pickwatch.

Fans are ever-so-slight more confident in the Giants with 44 percent predicting a Big Blue win and 56 percent predicting a Vikings dub in Week 1.

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Giants vs. Vikings: 3 causes for concern in Week 1

The New York Giants square off in a Sunday afternoon battle against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. Here are three reasons for concern.

The New York Giants will host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday to kick off the 2024 regular season. The Giants will hope to get off to a good start against a Vikings team that, like the Giants, have low expectations this season.

The last time these two teams met was in the Wild Card round in the playoffs two years ago where quarterback Daniel Jones had arguably the best game of his career.

The Giants will be kicking off the celebration of their 100th season and sporting their “Century Red” uniforms on Sunday — the only time they will be wearing these uniforms this season.

With both teams hoping to start off the season with a win, here are three causes for concern for the Giants.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Overlooking their Opponent

The Giants have a history, especially in recent memory, of playing up or down to their competition. Even though the Vikings are coming in short-handed due to injury, the Giants are still currently home underdogs in this game.

After the Giants learned they would be going up against Sam Darnold in Week 1, their chances of winning the opener certainly went up in the eyes of Giants fans. However, with the Vikings having one of the league’s best receivers who can change a game by himself, the Giants cannot overlook their opponent on Sunday.

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings air attack

The Minnesota Vikings come into Week 1 looking much different than they had hoped. With rookie J.J. McCarthy out for the season, veteran Sam Darnold will be under center throwing to the best receiver he has ever played with.

Justin Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the entire NFL. He is a problem no matter what cornerback he is going up against and Deonte Banks will certainly have his hands full in the first game of his sophomore season.

The Vikings also have Jordan Addison, who had a great rookie season eclipsing 900 yards and reeling in 10 touchdowns. With the Giants already thin at the cornerback position, even after signing Adoree’ Jackson, the Vikings receivers present a big test in Week 1.

Tim Warner/Getty Images

The Vikings run stoppers

The Vikings played against the run very well in 2023, ranking sixth in opponent yards per game and third in opponent yards per rush. The Giants are sporting a brand new offense this year and although they will likely run their offense through rookie Malik Nabers And if they cannot get the run game going, it is going to make Big Blue look very predictable.

With Devin Singletary making his Giants debut behind a heavily reworked offensive line, the tough run-stopping opponent certainly causes a concern for the Giants.

Head coach Brian Daboll will be calling plays this season on offense and better have a plan for how he plans to attack the strong Vikings’ run stoppers.

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Gimme Him: One player Giants would steal from Vikings

The New York Giants don’t have a need at wide receiver but how could you pass on stealing this Minnesota Vikings superstar?

The New York Giants (0-0) will host the Minnesota Vikings (0-0) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday afternoon.

That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Vikings’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue for the second time this year.

For the first time in many years, we’re not off to the races to grab an offensive lineman. It’s an unusual feeling and a testament to the work done by general manager Joe Schoen.

With the O-line off the table, the initial instinct was to steal a cornerback but Minnesota’s top cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, was already there to be had and the Giants passed. Meanwhile, Shaquill Griffin doesn’t really move the needle.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson is worthy of consideration but is currently recovering from a torn ACL suffered in December and may not be available until mid-year.

That leaves precious few options and the obvious choice is to go with an embarrassment of riches. Accordingly, the theft of superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson is on.

With no disrespect intended to the always-consistent Darius Slayton, the addition of Jefferson would arguably create the league’s best WR1-WR2 duo with rookie Malik Nabers. Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson would only add to the impressively dynamic unit, leaving quarterback Daniel Jones in a can’t-lose situation, especially when either Jefferson or Nabers would be left one-on-one.

“You better know where he’s lined up. He can hurt you in all three areas of the field. Catch and run, intermediate, vertical, double moves,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said of Jefferson on Tuesday.

What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Justin Jefferson or would you steal an entirely different player from the Minnesota Vikings?

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Giants vs. Jets Player of the Game: K.J. Cloyd

The New York Giants fell to the New York Jets, 10-6, on Saturday night and rookie linebacker K.J. Cloyd is our Player of the Game.

It was a night to forget for the New York Giants as they wrapped up the 2024 preseason with a 10-6 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday at MetLife Stadium.

With most starters sitting this one out, the Giants struggled in all three phases of the game, displaying a lack of depth that should concern general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

However, one diamond in the rough did emerge via rookie linebacker K.J. Cloyd.

The 23-year-old Cloyd recorded a game-high 16 tackles (eight solo, two for a loss) and displayed impressive leadership properties in the second half. He helped fellow defenders get lined up properly, making them aware of their assignment, while also serving as a motivator.

While his spark didn’t infect the team in the way he had hoped, Cloyd served himself well and really gave the Giants something to think about when it comes to final cuts on Tuesday.

“He was active,” Daboll said of Cloyd after the game. “Again, there’s a lot of discussions we need to have tonight and over the next couple of days, we’ve had a bunch of them. But certainly when guys play well, you go ahead and re-evaluate and make sure you’re doing the right thing. Whether that’s the active roster or practice squad, all those decisions will be made.”

If Cloyd didn’t secure a spot on the 53-man roster, he deserves strong consideration for the practice squad… if the Giants can hide him there.

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