The New York Giants came into 2024 knowing they were going to start two rookies, a second-year player, and another changing position in their young secondary.
The only constant is safety Jason Pinnock, 25, a player the Giants plucked off waivers from the Jets two summers ago.
Pinnock, a 2021 fifth-round pick out of Pitt by the Jets, has steadily become the Giants’ rock in the secondary. So much so that they are relying on him to take a leadership role. Thus far this season, he has lived up to his responsibilities.
This Thursday, the Giants will face the Dallas Cowboys, a team they have lost six straight games to, and they could be without Andru Phillips and two other corners — Adoree’ Jackson and Nick McCloud, who were all on Monday’s injury report.
Asked if he was concerned about the number of key injuries heading into Thursday night’s game, Pinnock said that he wasn’t.
“No,” he told reporters on Monday. “Honestly, we stressed that, being young, in the offseason understanding, going into the year, that we would be young and that everybody has to be ready. That’s just what it is. It’s a violent, fast, physical game. We’re always ready. Next man up mentality. Not too worried.”
We’ll see. The Giants’ secondary will be charged with trying to shut down Dallas wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Cooks.
“It’d be a challenge, regardless,” Pinnock said of trying to take on that dynamic duo while being shorthanded. “But our personnel, we believe in all of our depth, really. I don’t have too much on that.”
One thing we could see from Pinnock is his ability to get to the passer. He has three sacks in the first three games, tied for the team lead with Dexter Lawrence.
Pinnock said that while his teammates might be a little shocked at his sack total, he’s not surprised at all.
The Cowboys have the Giants’ number and they know it. But Pinnock cautions that a day of reckoning could be on the way.
“It’s a new day,” he said. “That’s the only thing I can really say. With that, my analogy goes towards my big brother. We joke about this all the time. It’s sort of like, he probably beat on me for 12 years, but that 13th, I’m going to bust your (expletive). It is what it is.”
The Giants are underdogs again this week, by 5.5 points. It is the 19th consecutive game in which the Giants are not favored, a franchise record.
The tide has to turn at some point. Dallas has not looked like themselves this season and could be ripe for an upset.
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