Tag: Jalin Hyatt

Giants’ Jalin Hyatt ready to step up if Malik Nabers sits out

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt is ready and anxious to step up if rookie Malik Nabers misses a Week 5 game in Seattle.

With star rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (concussion) unlikely to play against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, the New York Giants will be turning to their other wideouts to pick up the slack in the passing game.

Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton are expected to see a huge uptick in targets with Nabers sidelined, but there is a third player — a forgotten one — that may also play an integral part in this week’s game plan.

Second-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who electrified onlookers at training camp with his improved play, should finally factor into the offense.

Hyatt has been targeted just three times in the Giants’ first four games this season and has yet to record a reception. This, after Hyatt showed so much promise this summer at camp. He has been biding his time, waiting for his chance.

“I’m a competitor, I want to be out there and be able to play and obviously, I didn’t have a lot of chances this season,” Hyatt told reporters on Thursday. “But like I said, it’s a long season, things happen, injuries happen, and I got to be ready, I got to be ready whenever my number’s called. And if it is called this week, I’ll be ready.”

Quarterback Daniel Jones and Hyatt seemed to click in training camp and during the preseason and it appeared as if he would be the Giants’ deep threat.

Once the regular season started, the Giants began to feed Nabers and he responded in historic fashion. Robinson became money in the short passing game and they are paying Slayton too much to ignore. There was no place for Hyatt.

Jones has been criticized for his poor performance on deep throws. That could very well be a direct result of not having the speedy Hyatt running the routes. That could change this Sunday.

“I think Jalin has handled it well. He’s a pro, he’s a mature guy,” Jones said this week. “You’ve seen it out at practice. He’s continued to show up and make a lot of plays. I know it’s frustrating for a guy not to get those opportunities on Sunday, but I thought he’s handled it well. I have a ton of confidence in him out there making plays, changing the game with his speed and ability to get behind the defense. So, I know he’ll be ready to go.”

Hyatt and Jones have a close relationship. Even though it hasn’t spilled over on game days, they both feel that something special is brewing.

“I’m right here by him, right beside him,” Hyatt said of Jones. “I’ve been in his ear. I know he’s right here, he’s my locker mate. So, every time I see him, I’ll say something to him. But like I said, we’re going to be prepared, we got to be ready, we have a good game plan that I like. And I just can’t wait to go out there with DJ and the offensive line and obviously our receivers, and make plays, and we can do that at Seattle.”

Is Sunday the game Hyatt finally breaks out?

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Giants’ Daniel Jones offers a self-evaluation on deep ball struggles

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones offers insight into why he was overthrowing earlier in the season and has begun underthrowing recently.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is 1-3 as a starter this season, which is in line with much of his six-year career.

What is not in line is the fact that he’s not as explosive a runner (averaging just 3.0 yards per attempt) and his touch on deep passes, which was once among the best in the NFL, seems to have declined.

Jones’ longest completion this season is for just 39 yards. It is the only completion of over 30 yards he’s had this year.

In fairness, Jones is tied for the lead league with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson for completions over 10 yards (36) and is tied for second with four others in completions over 20 yards with 10.

So, why all the short passes? Weren’t we promised an offense that would take more deep shots down the field? Is it something physical, such as his surgically repaired knee, that is holding Jones back?

“No, nothing physically,” Jones assured reporters on Wednesday.

Jones has clearly misfired on most of his deep shots, overthrowing on some but mostly falling too short of the mark. The answer is something a bit more complex as Jones went on to explain.

“I think each one’s different. I think through the first few weeks, I’d overthrown a few in situations. It felt like giving a guy the chance was the way to go and then I left some short,” Jones said. “So, I feel like I’m in a good spot now. I think it’s about just trusting it and throwing it. I feel like I’ve thrown the deep ball well through my career. I’ve always felt good about that part of my game. So, I’m confident I’ll be able to do that well.”

One of the primary reasons for the lack of deep success could be that Jones’ top deep threat from training camp, second-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, has been an invisible man thus far this season. Hyatt has been targeted just three times with no receptions thus far.

Jones commented on Hyatt’s mysterious exile of sorts by hinting that getting Hyatt more involved could be a solution to the deep passing game going forward.

“Jalin has handled it well. He’s a pro, he’s a mature guy,” Jones said. “You’ve seen it out at practice. He’s continued to show up and make a lot of plays. I know it’s frustrating for a guy not to get those opportunities on Sunday, but I thought he’s handled it well.

“I have a ton of confidence in him out there making plays, changing the game with his speed and ability to get behind the defense. So, I know he’ll be ready to go.”

It’s only been four games. The Giants see that their current plan is not working as they are averaging a half-point less per game than they did last season.

People can blame Jones but keep in mind, he is coming off major knee surgery and it’s only been for games. But if his problem with deep throws continues much longer, the Giants may have a decision to make here.

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Giants-Cowboys Week 4: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants lost their Week 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants came close but in the end, couldn’t snap their streak of futility in primetime or stop the reign of dominance the Dallas Cowboys currently have over them on Thursday night.

In a game that came down to a few close plays and some horrendous officiating, Bug Blue lost, 20-15, dropping their record to 1-3 and effectively ending their season before the calendar flips to October. Again.

Although losing has become the norm in East Rutherford, losing winnable games is something that still elicits emotion in the locker room.

“No. I’m not getting no petty wins. Whoever won on the scoreboard and that’s the game. I don’t give a damn about a petty win,” nose tackle Dexter Lawrence said after the game, via SNY.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 4 defeat.

Offensive snaps: 69
Defensive snaps: 56
Special teams snaps: 25

There is little to note about the Giants’ offensive snap counts. They have been keeping the same rotation and consistently giving the same percentage of snaps. That includes wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who continues to see limited time on the field.

Defensively, cornerback Duke Shelley saw a 25 percent snap share after being elevated from the practice squad. His impact was minimal but the Giants needed the added body with Dru Phillips and Adoree’ Jackson inactive.

Linebacker Ty Summers, who was signed from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, remains a special teams fixture.

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Giants-Browns Week 3: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants won their Week 3 game against the Cleveland Browns. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants overcame an ugly start to pick up their first win of the season on Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field.

The game itself was the tale of two halves. The Giants dominated offensively over the first two quarters, seemingly moving the ball at will. However, they became overly conservative in the second half and it nearly cost them the game.

The defense ultimately held things down and the offense could have put more points on the board, but running back Devin Singletary selflessly stopped short of the goal line with roughly 2:00 remaining in the game to secure the win.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 3 win.

Offensive snaps: 72
Defensive snaps: 67
Special teams snaps: 26

Despite wide receiver Darius Slayton coming out of the game due to a thumb injury, Jalin Hyatt saw little increase in his usage. He was targeted on one deep pass, but it was slightly overthrown and out of his reach.

Fullback Jakob Johnson saw just two offensive snaps but was among those blocking on Singletary’s early touchdown run.

The underrated star of Sunday’s win has to be linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who rotated in for both Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns (groin). He was all over the field, making plays against the run and the pass. He finished the game with two tackles, one sack, and two QB hits but it felt like a lot more.

And how about rookie safety Tyler Nubin taking 100 percent of the defensive snaps?

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Giants’ Jalin Hyatt calls reported trade request a hit job and ‘false’

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt denies he requested a trade this summer, calling the report a “false” hit job.

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt incidentally sparked controversy this week when it was reported that he requested a trade over the summer.

Head coach Brian Daboll said that wasn’t true and after Friday’s practice, Hyatt shared his surprise at the allegations.

“I didn’t say that. I don’t know where that came from, but that’s false. I love being here,” Hyatt told reporters. “Joe (Schoen), Dabes, I got so much respect for trading up for me and getting me. So, whatever that rumor was, it’s not true at all.

“I mean it does (make me angry). It’s false reports. I never said anything about being traded or going somewhere else, especially not in the summer. So, my focus now is just getting better for this team, being ready for my opportunity. But as far as trades and rumors of that, it was not true.”

Hyatt is in just his second NFL season. Last year he pulled in 23 receptions for 323 yards. This year he has only been targeted once in two games. He admits that he wants the ball but understands that the team has to go with what works.

“I feel like it’s a fake story. I feel like it’s somebody’s out to get me or something. I didn’t say anything about not wanting to be here,” Hyatt added. “Like I said, I love it here. And we’re doing the right things, right steps to get to where we want to get to as a team. And that’s my focus.

“I’m a competitor. I want to be out there. I want to play. And the coaching staff knows that too. But it’s the NFL and whenever my chance is or whenever my opportunities are, that’s when I’m going to take advantage. So that’s my focus.”

It would benefit the Giants to use Hyatt not just because of what they invested to draft him, but because he’s their top field-stretching speedster. We’ll see if they do on Sunday.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll denies Jalin Hyatt requested a trade

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll says reports about Jalin Hyatt requesting a trade are false, but the WR admits he’s upset with his role.

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt is disappointed in his early-season role. He’s taken just 28 offensive snaps, been targeted only a single time, and does not have a reception.

Hyatt’s lack of use is by design, head coach Brian Daboll said earlier this week. He’s got a certain number of plays in the playbook but things just haven’t aligned so that he could execute them.

Late in the summer, it became evident that Hyatt’s role would be somewhat diminished. He was beaten out by Darius Slayton for the second outside spot which allegedly led to some serious frustration.

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that Hyatt told the Giants if they didn’t plan to use him in 2024, they should trade him.

There was a moment late in the summer when it appeared this might go sideways. Unhappy with the situation, Hyatt said during practice that if the Giants weren’t going to use him, they should trade him, multiple team sources told ESPN.

That does not appear it will happen. Hyatt is still in their plans.

Perhaps Hyatt said something out of emotion but Daboll on Friday denied that it ever happened.

“Never told me that,” Daboll told reporters. “Jalin is probably one of the closer guys I am with on this team. You should ask Jalin.”

Whether or not Hyatt requested a trade, was just venting frustration or it never happened, the reality is that the second-year wideout wants to see the field.

“It is definitely disappointing. I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m perfectly fine with it. I’m not. But it’s like, ‘What can I do now?’ It’s either I can sit here and pout and be mad at the world and not get better, or I can keep attacking the days and keep getting better at practice.” Hyatt told ESPN.

A Sunday game against the Cleveland Browns may be Hyatt’s opportunity. Denzel Ward is likely to shadow rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, presenting an opportunity for the Giants to stretch the field. If Hyatt’s name is called, he’ll be ready.

“My time will come. Trust me, it will,” Hyatt said. “And if it’s not now, it will be soon. So I’m not really worried about it right now because I know I’m going to take over sooner or later.”

After practice on Friday, Hyatt also denied the report.

https://twitter.com/SNYGiants/status/1837185646261326030

Hyatt is a dynamic talent and it will only benefit the Giants to get him involved. And with tempers beginning to boil, perhaps now is that time.

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Inexplicably poor personnel management dooms Giants again

For the second consecutive week, poor personnel management cost the New York Giants big, this time in a loss to the Washington Commanders.

The New York Giants fell to the Washington Commanders, 21-18, on Sunday afternoon at Northwest Stadium but the game had been lost 24 hours earlier.

On Saturday, as the team readied themselves for a trip to the Nation’s capital, kicker Graham Gano was added to the injury report with a groin issue. Practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney was not among those elevated.

Instead, the Giants entered a Week 2 game with just 52 players on their active roster after return man Gunner Olszewski was placed on injured reserve (IR) one week after it was revealed he would miss several weeks (possibly months). The two practice squad elevations were linebackers Ty Summers and Tomon Fox.

One would think the Giants learned their lesson in 2023 when they trotted out an injured Gano only to see him struggle in an overtime loss to the Jets. A day later, he was shut down for the season with a knee injury.

But these Giants — and specifically head coach Brian Daboll — don’t learn. And on Sunday, history repeated itself as Gano was lost on the opening kickoff after sustaining a hamstring injury, which may have occurred due to overcompensating for the groin injury.

Even if that wasn’t the case, the Giants had no business using Gano on the opening kickoff. They had an open roster spot and they decided to play a man short. They also could have used punter Jamie Gillan on kickoffs, as they did after Gano left the game.

Here’s a look at how those decisions impacted the team’s snap counts.

Offensive snaps: 56
Defensive snaps: 72
Special teams snaps: 21

The decision to play a man short and carry an injured kick had a dramatic ripple effect on the Giants. Not only was Gillan forced into the kicking role, missing his sole extra point attempt and forcing the team to play four-down ball with only two-point attempts after scores, but it altered other positions.

Backup quarterback Drew Lock saw his first action of the season, serving as the holder on that point-after attempt. It messed with the entire exchange and cost the Giants one point.

The two other failed two-point attempts cost them four points, which would have been an easy two points had McAtamney been available. And in a game lost by three, those 3-5 points were the difference.

Even more ironic, Summers and Fox were elevated because rookie linebacker Darius Muasau was inactive and fellow linebacker Micah McFadden was returning from injury. Neither saw a single defense snap, instead appearing only on special teams — the very unit that cost New York the game due to poor personnel management.

Remarkable ineptitude.

Should we even bother to discuss the nearly non-existent role of wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who somehow took just 12 snaps while Darius Slayton’s penalties and dropped two-point attempt helped doom the team?

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Giants’ Brian Daboll explains Jalin Hyatt’s frustrating lack of use

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll had an interesting label for Jalin Hyatt, who apparently has only a few plays in the playbook.

The New York Giants promised to push the ball downfield more in 2024 now that they have a cadre of young, fleet wide receivers.

That didn’t happen in the season opener on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones took little to no deep shots down the field. The longest completions on the day were a pair of 25-yarders to rookie Malik Nabers.

One player we thought we might see more of is second-year wideout Jalin Hyatt, but he was only on the field for 19 snaps and was targeted only once.

On Monday, head coach Brian Daboll was questioned why Hyatt wasn’t used more often in the 28-6 loss to Minnesota.

“Yeah, he’s our third/fourth receiver,” Daboll told reporters. “So, you play with Nabers and Wan’Dale (Robinson) is in the slot. And (Darius) Slayton played the majority of the snaps ahead of Hyatt. We have certain plays and roles for Jalin. And that could change week to week, but this week that’s what it was.”

Hyatt is the fastest of all the Giants’ wideouts. Last year in training camp he was clocked at an incredible 24 MPH, a speed matched only by Miami Dolphins superstar Tyreek Hill.

It’s clear that Daboll does not totally trust Hyatt and will only use him in certain matchups.

Hyatt was a starter for most of training camp and he and Nabers were on the other end of many a long pass from Jones this summer.

It’s a very curious decision by Daboll to shelve his fastest receiver in a game where they are down by three scores.

Perhaps that will change as Slayton was put into concussion protocol on Monday. That could force Daboll to move Hyatt up the depth chart.

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Giants made several concerning personnel decisions in Week 1

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll made several baffling personnel decisions in Week 1 that deserve scrutiny.

In front of legends celebrating the team’s 100th season, the New York Giants were utterly embarrassed on Sunday afternoon in East Rutherford, falling to Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings, 28-6.

The loss came after Vikings defenders literally laughed at any notion the Giants would challenge them offensively.

Things got so bad that fans waited an hour after the game — having left the stadium in the third quarter — just to heckle quarterback Daniel Jones on the way to his car.

It was a rock-bottom moment for a franchise that has had entirely too many rock-bottom moments over the past decade-plus. But Sunday’s failure began long before anyone took the field.

Entering the game, the Giants had just 51 players on their 53-man roster, leaving them shorthanded out of the gate.

“It was roster management relative to some of the guys that we released or put on the practice squad. We’ll revisit that (on Monday),” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters after the game.

Things got even worse for the Giants during pre-game warmups when wide receiver Gunner Olszewski, who was already nursing a groin injury, suffered a setback and was unable to play. That left the team with just 50 players plus their two practice squad elevations.

Knowing that Olszewski had been limited all week and was hurt, one would think Daboll had a backup plan. He didn’t.

With Olszewski out, the Giants thrust wide receiver Darius Slayton into the role of punt returner. He responded with a fumble.

Then came something even more bizarre — the snap counts.

Offensive snaps: 71
Defensive snaps: 55
Special teams snaps: 24

Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt took just four snaps through the first three quarters and finished with 16. He was targeted just once, leaving his field-stretching ability on the cutting room floor.

And how about “money backer” Isaiah Simmons? After serving as a defensive focal point and impact player all summer, he took a grand total of zero defensive snaps in the game.

Rookie linebacker Darius Muasau drew the start over Micah McFadden, who had a breakout campaign in 2023, while Cor’Dale Flott was shifted into the slot where he saw no action throughout training camp and the preseason.

Then there was Dexter Lawrence. After weeks of speculation that he would play close to 100 percent of the snaps, he took just 37 on Sunday — three more than Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Each time he left the game, the Giants were dashed.

Maybe the Giants are trying to tank. What other explanation could there be?

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Malik Nabers receives his official, newly unretired jersey number with New York Giants

The Giants are unretiring the No. 1 jersey for rookie wideout Malik Nabers.

The New York Giants have finally answered the question that everyone in the NFL and the media have been asking. What number is [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] going to wear?

The two numbers Nabers has worn before are 13 and 8. Neither of those numbers is available. Daniel Jones, the Giants quarterback wears No. 8, and former Tennessee wide receiver [autotag]Jalin Hyatt[/autotag] wears No. 13. With that said, the Giants decided to do something that no NFL team has ever done before. They have decided to un-retire a number.

The Giants have chosen to unretire the No. 1 for Nabers to wear in New York. The number was last worn by Giants legend Ray Flaherty. Flaherty played as an End for the Giants. His career started in 1929 playing for the New York Yankees football team. Yes, back then the Yankees were the name of the football team in the 20s.

In 1935, his number was retired and it became the first number to be retired in the history of pro football. Now, his number is the first to be un-retired.

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