Tag: Dante Miller

Giants snap counts from Week 6: Rookies dominate field time

The New York Giants lost their Week 6 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants failed to end their primetime slump on Sunday night, falling to the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-7, in another game they should have won.

The loss drops the Giants to 2-4 on the season and keeps them in last place among NFC East teams — a division that would be wide open if they could get themselves together.

“Tough loss. I thought our defense played very good football,” head coach Brian Daboll said after the game. “Missed two opportunities in the kicking game. And then didn’t score enough points offensively. That starts with me. It’s hard to win games when you score seven points. That’s the reality of it.”

Things get no easier for the Giants in Week 7 when they host Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 6 loss.

Offensive snaps: 79
Defensive snaps: 53
Special teams snaps: 22

The Giants’ rookie class is putting in work this season. Tight end Theo Johnson led the way with 70 snaps — an 89 percent share. Fellow rookies, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, were just behind him with 66 snaps and 64 snaps, respectively.

On defense, safety Tyler Nubin took all 53 snaps. Defensive lineman Elijah Chatman had a 24 percent snap share while linebacker Darius Muasau took just two defensive snaps but led the team with 19 special teams snaps.

Running back Dante Miller, who was elevated from the practice squad, took seven defensive snaps.

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Giants place Kayvon Thibodeaux on IR, elevate two from practice squad

The New York Giants have placed LB Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist) on injured reserve and elevated two players from their practice squad.

On Saturday, the New York Giants placed linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux on injured reserve (IR) to make room for punter Matt Haack on the 53-man roster.

Haack was signed to punt against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football with Jamie Gillan out due to a hamstring injury.

Thibodeaux suffered a wrist injury during a Week 5 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. While he returned to the contest, post-game tests revealed he had suffered a broken scaphoid bone. He underwent surgery on Wednesday morning.

Although head coach Brian Daboll expressed optimism regarding Thibodeaux’s injury, he will now miss a minimum of four weeks.

“I’m taking it day by day here or week to week, like I said. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Daboll said of Thibodeaux playing with a cast.

In addition to placing Thibodeaux on IR, the Giants also elevated running back Dante Miller and wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins from their practice squad.

Both Miller and Hodgins were elevated in Week 5, leaving each with a single standard elevation remaining.

Against the Seahawks, Miller saw just a single offensive snap while Hodgins was on the field for 35 percent of the offensive plays. Neither found their way into the box score.

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Giants activate Matthew Adams from IR, elevate two from practice squad

The New York Giants have activated LB Matthew Adams from IR, elevated WR Isaiah Hodgins and RB Dante Miller, and made other roster moves.

The New York Giants made a series of roster moves on Saturday ahead of their Week 5 game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

Just days after opening his practice window, the Giants activated linebacker Matthew Adams from injured reserve (IR). He will see action on Sunday, largely as part of the special teams unit.

In order to clear space for Adams on the 53-man roster, the Giants waived linebacker Benton Whitley.

Whitley is likely to return to the practice squad.

Additionally, with rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (concussion) and running back Devin Singletary (groin) ailing, the Giants elevated wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and rookie running back Dante Miller from their reserve unit.

For both Hodgins and Miller, this is their first standard elevation this season. They have two remaining.

Given Miller’s activation, it strongly indicates that Singletary will be inactive against the Seahawks on Sunday. He is currently listed as doubtful.

Nabers had previously been ruled out.

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Giants’ Tyrone Tracy back on the field after severe injury scare

Two days after it was thought he would be out with a serious ankle injury, New York Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. was back at practice.

Just two days after being carted off the practice field in an air cast with an ankle injury, New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. was back working at practice.

Although limited to individual drills, it was a remarkable turnaround for the rookie.

The optics of Tuesday’s events looked ominous since an air cast is usually used in the most serious of joint injuries. Either Tracy is a miraculously quick healer or the Giants were simply being overly cautious when he went down.

Tracy is unlikely to play this Saturday in Houston as is Dante Miller (hamstring), so the Giants signed former Los Angeles Chargers veteran Joshua Kelley.

It looks like Eric Gray will get another extended opportunity unless the Giants stretch out starter Devin Singletary.

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Tyrone Tracy injury update: Giants get good news

New York Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s ankle injury is not as serious as the team first thought.

The New York Giants got good news on rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who was carted off the practice field on Tuesday morning with an ankle injury that was believed to be of serious nature and was placed in an air cast.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapport reports that Tracy’s sprained right ankle turns out to be not of the high-ankle variety, which would have likely landed him on IR.

Instead, Tracy suffered a low-ankle sprain that has him “week-to-week,” and he could very well be ready for the Giants’ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 8.

Tracy was said to be in attendance at team meetings on Tuesday afternoon, wearing a walking boot. He is currently embroiled in a competition for snaps behind starter Devin Singletary with two other young running backs — Eric Gray and Dante Miller.

Against the Detroit Lions, the Giants’ backfield averaged 6.1 yards per carry. There is excitement in the building after many thought they would be lost without Saquon Barkley, who departed for the Philadelphia Eagles via free agency.

Tracy was selected with a fifth-round pick (166th overall) in the 2024 NFL draft, and New York has big plans for him in both the running game and as a returner.

“A lot of potential. It’s been great,” Singletary said of Tracy on Tuesday. “Coming in as a rookie, playing the way he’s been playing. I would say he hasn’t really been playing like a rookie. He’s been like a second or third year player, the way he’s been performing. Of course, he still has room to grow, but he’s off to a good start.”

And the Giants hope to have Tracy back soon to fulfill that potential.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll: Malik Nabers is fine, not out long term

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said rookie WR Malik Nabers (ankle) is “fine” and won’t be out long term, plus other injury updates.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll updated the media on the health of first-round pick Malik Nabers on Tuesday morning, saying that the emerging star wide receiver was “good” and that his ankle injury was not a “long term” issue and “not serious.”

Nabers will not practice on Tuesday and the Giants will have an off day Wednesday. They will hit the practice field on Thursday before heading down to Houston on Friday for Saturday’s preseason game against the Texans.

In other injury news, Daboll said that tight end Lawrence Cager has a groin injury and is going to miss some time. Center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) and right tackle Evan Neal (foot) will be practicing in team periods on Tuesday.

Daboll also gave updates on other injuries such as guards Jon Runyan Jr. (shoulder) and Jake Kubas (shoulder), tight end Tyree Jackson (back), cornerback Dru Phillips (ankle), and running back Dante Miller (hamstring).

Runyan will see scaled-back reps, while Miller may sit out of practice entirely. Phillips may also be held out of practice but Jackson will “give it a go.”

Finally, quarterback Drew Lock (hip) continues to improve and Daboll would not rule out the veteran playing on Saturday.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll impressed with decisiveness of team’s running backs

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll had positive things to say about his young RB group after they rushed for 155 yards on Thursday night.

There was a lot of concern among the New York Giants brass this offseason when star running back Saquon Barkley defected to the Philadelphia Eagles via free agency.

Team co-owner John Mara even told general manager Joe Schoen that he would have “a tough time sleeping” if Saquon left the Giants for the Eagles.

Schoen did his best to retain Barkley but, in the end, had to let him go. He had his Plan B in place. He would go with a running back by committee approach and began that by signing former Buffalo Bill and Houston Texan Devin “Motor” Singletary to head that committee.

The rest of the backfield would be filled by second-year player Eric Gray and rookies Tyron Tracy Jr. and Dante “Turbo” Miller.

One game into the preseason, we are seeing the fog lift on Schoen’s vision. The Giants rushed for 155 yards and an average of 5.7 yards per attempt against Detroit on Thursday — and Singletary did not play.

Gray excelled as did the rookies. Suddenly, no one was talking about Barkley any longer. That was fast.

Head coach Brian Daboll appeared unfazed on Friday. He knows what he has on his roster and liked what he saw from his young backs.

“I thought they were decisive,” Daboll told reporters. “I thought there wasn’t a lot of stutter stepping. I thought they were hitting the hole with good vision. They ran in space. Gray had a nice catch there from Tommy (DeVito). It wasn’t perfect, but most of the time they were going forward. They ran hard. They got their pads down. They did a nice job for the first game.”

Of course, there will be a pecking order come the regular season with Singletary at the top. After all, there are more aspects to the running back job than making positive yards. You have to be able to block and pass protect as well to get — and stay — on the field.

“I think I’ve had a lot of questions on that early on about the youth of that room,” Daboll said. “You let them play.” “I thought they did a good job in protections, knowing who to block. It wasn’t overly complicated, but they did stick their face in there and fit the window and block some blitzers.

“They ran hard. They knew what to do. Again, it’ll be good competition for all those young players, but I think (running backs coach) Joel Thomas has done a fantastic job with the development of that youth room.”

Either way. the fans are now more at ease with the decision to let Barkley walk. Mara should be as well.

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Giants rookie RB Dante Miller making his case for a roster spot

Former Columbia star running back Dante Miller, aka “Turbo,” is opening some eyes at New York Giants training camp.

It happens every summer. An undrafted rookie surprises coaches at training camp and stakes a claim to a roster spot.

That player for the New York Giants this training camp just might be former Columbia running back Dante Miller.

The Giants signed Miller this spring when it was discovered that his college football eligibility hit a snafu at South Carolina. He was one of the several hopefuls the Giants added to the roster to help fill the void left by the departure of Salon Barkley.

While Miller is far from Barkley at this time, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports that Miller is opening some eyes so far at camp with his 4.27 speed, elusiveness, and versatility.

It’s still a challenge to evaluate running backs even when the pads come on because there’s no tackling to the ground. But rookie running back Dante Miller continues to impress with his quickness. The “Turbo” nickname clearly fits, as he showed on a run that he bounced outside at the second level for a big gain.

It’s too early to get overly excited about a 5-foot-9, 200-pound back who only had six carries in his final two college seasons. But there’s a path to a roster spot — and a role — in this Giants’ backfield if Miller continues to impress.

Talkin’ Giants host Bobby Skinner adds that “if Eric Gray can’t block in preseason, I think Miller is making a case for a spot.”

Miller has a wide skill set. He can also be a threat out of the backfield as seen below on the other end of a Drew Lock touchdown strike.

The Giants’ depth chart at running back is currently as follows: Devin Singletary, Eric Gray, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jashaun Corbin, Miller, and Jacob Saylors.

They will likely keep four backs on the 53-man roster. Miller and Tracy can both return kicks and are established pass catchers, which enhances their chances.

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Giants’ Dante Miler has ‘no doubt’ he can succeed at NFL level

New York Giants running back Dante Miller, nicknamed “Turbo,” has no doubt he can succeed at the NFL level.

This fall, the New York Giants will be entering a season for the first time since 2017 without star running back Saquon Barkley.

The team’s approach to running back has gravitated to the ‘committee’ method where there is no top back and the hot hand usually gets fed.

The depth chart at running back heading into the summer reads as follows: Devin Singletary, Eric Gray, Gary Brightwell, rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jashaun Corbin, and one other name — former Columbia star Dante Miler.

Of this group, the Giants are anxious to see what the rookies, Tracy and Miller, can bring to the offense.

Tracy is a former wide receiver who switched to running back while Miller played out his college eligibility at South Carolina after excelling in the Ivy League.

“You tell them about Columbia, and they automatically assume you’re super-smart and these different type of things,’’ Miller told the New York Post recently, “and then you say ‘South Carolina’ and they go, ‘Oh.’ So you get the best of both worlds when it comes to that.’”

What the Giants are most interested in is Miller’s burst, which earned him the nickname “Turbo.” They would love to have another back who could take it to the house.

At 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, Miller is a compact runner with powerful legs who believes he can play at the NFL level.

“No doubt in my mind I can play at this level,” he said. “Not even a doubt.”

Miller, who missed the draft due to an eligibility snafu with the NCAA, has attracted the Giants’ eye but is still in the process of selling himself as a player.

“You look at the film and you see an explosive person,” Miller said. “Wherever I go, that’s what I bring to the table, I bring explosive plays, because that’s the name of my game.”

There are some who don’t quite see it, but Miller will remind them that he can squat over 700 pounds and there’s more to his game than meets the eye.

“You can say the size thing, but you won’t find a back that’s bigger than me that’s stronger than me, because I’m strong. I’m very strong,” he said. “I’m not one of those guys — I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, or do any of those types of things. I feel like if you do what you need to do you reap the benefits of that.”

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Dante Miller recalls his unlikely path to the Giants

Dante Miller reflects on his unlikely and strange path to the New York Giants, which he credits to one of the team’s national scouts.

Not every player who makes it to the NFL takes the traditional path as a draft pick or a high-priced free agent.

Throughout the league’s history, many players have emerged from basic obscurity to NFL stardom. The New York Giants are hoping that running back Dante Miller is one of those players.

Miller began his college career at Columbia and then transferred to South Carolina as a graduate walk-on. He played six games in 2022 but was declared ineligible and was forced to the sidelines. Miller returned to South Carolina in 2023 only to be denied again.

He should have been part of the 2023 NFL draft class but due to a mix-up with his eligibility status combined with the slow-moving NCAA, he was declared ineligible again.

That has all led here to 2024. Miller has technically been a free agent for a year and only recently became a hot name among the NFL scouting community. He not only drew interest from the Giants but several other NFL teams as well.

“It was a bit tricky,” Miller recently told the Richmond Observer. “My agent reached out to the League office to determine if I was draft eligible. We were told I lost my eligibility last May after the last Draft, but was told that I could sign before this Draft.”

And he did. Last week, Miller became a New York Giant after they held a private workout for him They are getting a bit of a steal, a player who has fallen through the cracks. He recently ran a 4.27 40 at South Carolina’s pro day.

“There was a national scout for the Giants named Mike Derice who knew about me from my time at Columbia,” Miller explained. “The Giants were interested in me and he asked about my eligibility situation at South Carolina.

“After I put up my numbers at my pro day, I was invited to a private workout. I worked out in front of the coaching staff and the front office staff. It took me about a day to realize New York is a great place to be. It’s a great organization to play for and I hope I bring a lot to the team.”

His college coach at Columbia, Al Bagnoli, also believes the Giants may have gotten a break with Miller.

“It’s low-risk [investment] when you sign him as a free agent,” Bagnoli told the New York Post. “But he’s zero risk. He’ll represent the place unbelievably, and I don’t say that lightly.”

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