Tag: Niko Lalos

Giants’ 2020 draft class earns one of NFC East’s lowest grades

The New York Giants’ 2020 draft class received one of the lowest NFC East grades courtesy of NFL.com’s Nick Shook.

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The 2021 NFL draft is nearing and teams are beginning to maneuver to make room for the incoming class. The New York Giants have six selections in this year’s draft, one in each of the first four rounds (11th, 42nd, 76th and 107th overall) and two sixth rounders (Nos. 172 and 177). They do not have their fifth-round and seventh-round selections having surrendered them in trades for defensive lineman Leonard Williams and defensive back Isaac Yiadom.

But before we jump into speculating on this year’s group, let’s review how well did the Giants did at the draft table last year.

Nick Shook of NFL.com gave the Giants’ 2020 draft class a C+ grade in a recent article.

The lukewarm grade is largely based on the poor start to first round pick Andrew Thomas’ NFL career. Thomas played all 16 games, starting 15 and led the NFL in sacks and pressures allowed. The Giants’ second rounder, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, broke his foot in training camp and missed the first 10 games of the regular season.

Thomas got off to a slow start in his rookie season, which carried extra pressure seeing as he was selected (a bit surprisingly) at No. 4 overall. But the first-year tackle started to put things together down the stretch (save for New York’s nightmare against Arizona in Week 14), finishing with a grade near that of PFWA All-Rookie Team member Jedrick Wills. Thomas would have started all 16 games had he not been benched for the first quarter in Week 6 for what coach Joe Judge called disciplinary reasons. McKinney’s evaluation is largely incomplete due to a foot injury that prevented him from playing until Week 12, but he also finished strong, recording his first career interception in Week 17.

The rest of the 10-player draft class all contributed on different levels. Third-round pick Matt Peart served as a swing tackle most of the year. Fourth rounder Darnay Holmes excelled as a slot corner and Tae Crowder, Mr. Irrelvant as the final pick in the draft, ended up starting six games at linebacker due to injuries. Fifth rounder Shane Lemieux started nine games at guard.

Peart didn’t see a ton of time as a rookie, but he showed flashes of promise as a possible developmental tackle for an offensive line that has question marks at one, if not both, of the tackle positions. Holmes saw considerable defensive snaps and recorded an interception, but struggled in pass coverage not unlike other rookies selected in the same range. His athleticism and instincts make him a potential candidate for Year 2 improvement. Lemieux replaced Will Hernandez at the end of October after the Giants placed the veteran on the COVID-19 list. The rookie played so well, he held onto the job for the remainder of the season, giving New York a potential steal in the fifth round.

Seventh-round selection, DB Chris Williamson, was waived during the season and the other picks — linebackers Cam Brown, Carter Coughlin and T.J. Brunson — all saw their snaps increase as the season drew to a close.

Brown primarily played special teams, with just 87 of his 397 snaps coming on defense. Coughlin played special teams for most of the first half of the season before seeing his reps increase in the final five weeks, recording 15 tackles between Weeks 12 and 15. Brunson played almost entirely on special teams in a reserve role. Williamson was waived in early September and spent most of the season on the practice squad before the Giants released him in early December. He landed with the Falcons and signed a futures deal with Atlanta in January. Crowder was one of the NFL’s more productive Mr. Irrelevants, finishing with 57 tackles (three for loss), one sack, one pass defensed and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Shook also included two UDFAs in his grading — defensive end Niko Lalos and wide receiver Austin Mack.

Lalos was elevated from the practice squad late in the season and made a key play in his first NFL game, recording an interception in a narrow win over Cincinnati. Mack caught seven of his 11 targets for 91 yards and played more than 200 special-teams snaps.

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Giants upset Seahawks: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. 

Upset alert! The New York Giants pulled off an incomparable upset on the road over the Seattle Seahawks to improve to 5-7 and squeeze a tighter hold on their division.

What’s even more impressive? They were without quarterback Daniel Jones (hamstring), which meant veteran Colt McCoy got the start and won his first game since October 27th, 2014.

After being shutout in the first half, the running game came alive and Patrick Graham’s defense pitched a near perfect performance yet again as the Giants became the first team in the NFC East to beat an opponent with a winning record this year.

With today’s win, the Giants have now won four games in a row for the first time since 2016.

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the Giants Week 13 upset over the Seahawks.

Giants defeat Seahawks, 17-12: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the New York Giants’ 17-12 Week 13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

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The New York Giants headed into their Week 13 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks 10.5-point underdogs and given very little chance after it was announced that Daniel Jones (hamstring) would be inactive.

That put veteran backup Colt McCoy under center as a starter for just the eighth time since 2012, and the Giants’ defense on the spot. McCoy did what he could and the defense absolutely balled out. The special teams, unfortunately, let the Giants down again in what suddenly became a very winnable game, as most Giants games have been this season.

This one was more than winnable. The Giants looked like a first-place team as they stepped up and bit the NFC West leaders on the road with a 17-12 victory, their fourth in a row. The win ensures they will remain in first place in the NFC East for at least one more week as Philadelphia lost to Green Bay and Washington, who plays Pittsburgh on Monday, cannot pass them with a win.

One thing was never in jeopardy and that was the point spread. The Seahawks never had more than a five-point lead in the game. That is when they did have the lead.

The Seahawks opened the game with a nine-play drive that stalled inside the 20 after back-to-back defended passes by cornerback Isaac Yiadom and safety Jabrill Peppers. Seattle took an early 3-0 lead on a 31-yard field goal by Jason Myers.  The Giants responded with an unimpressive three-and-out then rookie linebacker Tae Crowder sacked Russell Wilson on third down to force a punt.

The Giants’ offense picked up the pace on their second possession driving down to the Seattle 16 on 11 plays but ended abruptly when McCoy’s pass to tight end Evan Engram slipped through Engram’s fingers as he was hit and into the hands of Seahawks cornerback Quandre Diggs, who returned it 32 yards to the Seattle 36.

After two teams traded punts, Giants rookie defensive end Niko Lalos recovered a Wilson fumble on third down on the Giants’ 48 with a little over six minutes remaining in the first half. The Giants could do nothing, went three and out and punted again.

Seattle scored before the half when Riley Dixon had a punt blocked in the end zone for a safety to give the Seahawks a 5-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Giants finally found their legs on offense so to speak. On their second possession in the third quarter, they drove 80 yards on four plays, buoyed by Wayne Gallman’s 60-yard scamper down the right sideline. to the Seahawks’ 17. Two plays later Alfred Morris scored his first NFL touchdown since 2018 to give the Giants a 6-5 lead. McCoy then lobbed a pass to Sterling Shepard for the two-point conversion and an 8-5 lead for Big Blue.

After the Giants stopped Wilson and the Seahawks on fourth down near midfield, the running game got rolling again. This time Gallman and Morris led the Giants on another scoring drive ending with McCoy hitting Morris for a six-yard touchdown to give the Giants a 14-5 lead. Graham Gano missed the PAT, his first miss of the season.

With 11:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, Wilson threw the football into traffic and the ricochet landed in the arms of Giants rookie cornerback Darnay Holmes at the Seahawks’ 39. Four plays later, Gano’s 48-yard field goal extended the Giants’ lead to 17-5 with just under ten minutes to play.

Seattle bounced back with 6:09 remaining when Wilson hit running back Chris Carson for a 28-yard scoring strike to narrow the score to 17-12. The Seahawks would get one last shot to win the game when the Giants punted with 1:48 remaining. The defense once again made stand to preserve the lead and the win. From front to back they played lights out in this game.

Notes

  • Seattle was 5-0 this season at home and had been averaging 31.0 points per game through the first 12 weeks, which was third in the NFL. They were fifth in yards per game (391). Seattle fell short all of those averages, scoring only 12 points and gaining just 327 total yards in this game
  • The Giants entered the game averaging 142 yards per game on the ground over their last eight games. They racked up a season-high 190 yards against the Seahawks’ third-ranked rush defense.
  • Wilson started the day as the second-most sacked quarterback in the league  (35) and the Giants added to that total to 40 with five sacks, 2.5 by Leonard Williams.

Wayne Gallman, defense carry Giants to enormous upset of Seahawks

The New York Giants, led by a bruising defense and RB Wayne Gallman, upset the Seattle Seahawks, 17-12, in Week 13.

The New York Giants took a three-game winning streak into Seattle on Sunday and despite being 10.5-point underdogs, played the NFC West-leading Seahawks tougher than any opponent they’ve faced this season.

New York trailed by just five at halftime and then took an nine-point lead into the fourth quarter. But the Seahawks and Russell Wilson would not go away, trimming the Giants’ lead to five with 6:00 remaining in the game.

The Giants were able to grind the clock down to 1:48 before Seattle got the ball back and it felt like momentum was shifting, but as they have done all year, the Big Blue defense stepped up and shut things down for the biggest upset of the year.

How an Ivy League connection helped simplify things for Giants’ Niko Lalos

Undrafted rookie Niko Lalos has formed an Icy League bond with DC Patrick Graham and the New York Giants are benefitting from it.

One hero from the New York Giants’ Week 12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals was undrafted rookie out of Dartmouth College, Niko Lalos.

Making his NFL debut in his home state on Sunday, the Ohio native made one of the biggest plays of the afternoon with a miraculous diving interception.

“We were just running a basic pass rush twist and coach [Patrick] Graham always talks about running out of the stack,” Lalos told Giants Wire in an exclusive phone interview.

“That means the defensive linemen are following the ball once it’s thrown. It’s a good habit of hustle and it worked out in my favor. I saw the quarterback released the ball and I wasn’t able to get there on the rush, so I turned around and saw Darnay (Holmes) make a good pass deflection and saw the ball was in reach, so I dove out for it,” said Lalos.

One of the main reasons Lalos has reached this point is due to the special bond he has formed with defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham. It all started with a common connection as Lalos’ defensive line coach at Dartmouth, Duane Brooks, also coached Graham at Yale.

A simple ice breaker that evolved into Lalos asking Graham to watch film together, which they now do on a weekly basis.

“He was able to put things in layman’s terms for me. The game was moving at warped speed compared to college and he was able to slow it down and simplify things for me,” said Lalos.

One went to Dartmouth, the other went to Yale. It’s almost as if the two Ivy Leaguers speak their own secret language, which Lalos says Graham loves to joke about.

Graham gave Lalos eight snaps on defense in his first game and he certainly made the most of them. Following the interception, the rookie found himself at the forefront of another key turnover not long after.

Lalos, who played defensive end in college, was asked to drop into coverage on the play. After allowing a short reception to Cincinnati Bengals’ tight end Drew Sample, Lalos nearly deflected the pass but was able to hold him up long enough for veteran safety Logan Ryan to swoop in and force a fumble to which the Giants recovered.

Believe it or not, Lalos pegged this as his favorite moment of the day over his interception due to the player, or in this case mentor he assisted.

“I look up to Logan. He has taught me so much mentally including how important it is to be the first one in and the last one out (of the facility),” Lalos said.

“I dropped into coverage and saw the quarterback make a tight throw and I just tried to break on the ball the best I could. That was the first time I’ve dropped into coverage since high school and I’m hoping to be able to do it again.”

But asking Lalos to drop into coverage was no coincidence. The coaching staff approached the rookie during training camp and told him the best way to stick around was by learning how to play multiple positions thus “exemplifying his value.”

This meant rotating between outside linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle during practice. His coaches would also give him weekly assessments to make sure he was up to speed.

With edge rusher, Trent Harris, landing on the inactive list Sunday, Lalos was called up to the 53-man roster. After earning a spot on the Giants’ practice squad prior to the start of the regular season, the undrafted rookie paid his dues, which led to the coaching staff’s decision to activate him in Week 12.

And what an unforgettable day it was both on and off the field as Lalos even received a shoutout on Twitter from his fellow St. Vincent-St. Mary high school alumni, and the King himself, LeBron James.

While a public shoutout from the NBA superstar would send chills down any young athlete’s spine, Lalos told Giants Wire that he did not find out about it until after the game when he was notified in the locker room by a PR staff member.

So how did Lalos go from undrafted kid from the Ivy League to getting acknowledged by LeBron James and making diving interceptions in the NFL?

Look no further than his mother, Leslie Lalos, a teacher of 33 years, who raised him as a single parent. She never played organized sports, but she was a bodybuilder prior to having her son.

She even taught the now 6-foot-5, 270-pound NFL defensive end how to lift weights when he was growing up.

Leslie sacrificed everything for her son and made sure he was involved in as many sports as possible growing up as a “highly energetic” only child. She even forced him into Taekwondo, where he received a black belt at the age of 10.

Although Leslie was unable to make it to Cincinnati for Niko’s debut as she is taking care of his grandmother in Florida, make no mistake she is the main catalyst behind her son’s success.

“She’s my everything. She raised me by myself, taught me how to sacrifice and taught me the true meaning of giving my all. She also taught me toughness and made me into who I am today. I’m very thankful for her and without her I am nothing,” said Lalos.

Mama Lalos also had her son on a very strict schedule growing up, which head coach Joe Judge surely would approve of.

“I had to be in bed by 9 o’clock every night during the week all the way up until my senior year of high school. I think my mom and coach Judge would get along because both are hard-working people, who don’t mess around and run a very tight shift,” said Lalos.

Looking ahead to this week’s matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, Lalos was sent back down to the practice squad per league rules. However, the Giants have protected his rights meaning no other team can claim him off waivers.

Outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday with a calf injury, which means Lalos should be back up with the 53-man roster and he expects to find out from his coaches as the week progresses.

If he is indeed activated again, Lalos could see a healthy amount of snaps versus the Seahawks as the Giants are now razor-thin at edge rusher.

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Giants practice squad protections: Niko Lalos, two others

The New York Giants have protected three practice squad players including new fan favorite, DE Niko Lalos.

The New York Giants have announced the protections of three practice squad players ahead of their Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks, including new fan favorite, defensive lineman Niko Lalos.

Lalos originally signed with the Giants back in April as an undrafted rookie out of Dartmouth. He was released as a part of final cuts in September and signed to the team’s practice squad a day later.

Through 11 weeks of the season, Lalos quietly remained on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster last week. He took his first eight NFL snaps against the Cincinnati Bengals and hauled in an incredibly impressive and game-changing interception.

Prior to the game, Lalos received a shout-out from LeBron James and later drew wide praise from his coaches and teammates.

In addition to Lalos, the Giants also protected quarterback Clayton Thorson and long snapper Carson Tinker.

The Giants signed Thorson on September 29 and have protected him three other times this season so far. And with Daniel Jones hampered by a hamstring injury and only one other quarterback on the roster to date, his protection makes sense.

Tinker was also signed in early September and waived as a part of final cuts before being added to the practice squad.

Update: After re-signing to the practice squad, the Giants also protected kicker/punter Ryan Santoso.

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Logan Ryan, Daniel Jones were highest-graded Giants in Week 12

Safety Logan Ryan and quarterback Daniel Jones were the highest-graded New York Giants in a Week 12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

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The New York Giants defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 19-17, in Week 12 to claim first place in the NFC East. And while the game didn’t come easy for a variety of reasons, the vast majority of players did well and checked out with some impressive grades.

On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Daniel Jones earned the unit’s highest overall grade courtesy of Pro Football Focus, finishing his injury-plagued day with a 78.6.

Part of the reason Jones performed so well was the quality play of the team’s offensive line. Guard Will Hernandez led that group with 72.7 grade, while four of the other five O-linmen who logged snaps finished with a grade of 63.7 or higher.

Rookie guard Shane Lemieux earned the unit’s lowest grade and one of the lowest overall grades on the team with a 42.9.

Other noteworthy offensive grades include tight end Evan Engram (69.1) and running back Wayne Gallman (58.1), who continues to produce at a higher clip than his weekly grades would indicate.

On the defensive side of the ball, safety Logan Ryan led the way with a team-high grade of 91.6. Behind him were defensive end Jabaal Sheard (90.7), safety Jabrill Peppers (89.6) and defensive lineman Niko Lalos (88.1).

In his NFL debut, rookie safety Xavier McKinney registered a 61.9 on five snaps.

The lowest-graded defender was linebacker Devante Downs, who checked in with 44.8. He just edged out rookie linebacker Cam Brown (47.6) for the unit’s worst grade.

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Giants vs. Bengals: Statistics, numbers and broken records

The New York Giants defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12 and here’s a look at some of the statistics, numbers and broken records.

The New York Giants defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 19-17, on Sunday but unfortunately, that came at a cost. Quarterback Daniel Jones suffered what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury that could cause him to miss several games.

On the bright side, at least for now, the victory moved the Giants into first place in the NFC East and improved their record to 4-7 after starting the season 0-5.

Here’s a look at all the noteworthy stats and records to come from the Week 12 win:

  • With Sunday’s win, the Giants have now won 700 games as a franchise. They are just the third NFL team to reach or eclipse 700 victories.
  • The Giants have now won three consecutive games, their longest such streak since 2016.
  • Sunday’s victory over the Bengals was New York’s first non-divisional win this season.
  • The Giants’ win over the Bengals was their first ever in Cincinnati. It’s also the first time the road team has ever won a game between these two teams.
  • Six of the Giants’ last seven games have been decided by three points or fewer.
  • The Giants gained a season-high 386 yards of offense on Sunday.
  • With their 142 yards rushing, the Giants have now gone over 100 rushing yards in six consecutive games.
  • The Giants held the Bengals to just 155 total yards of offense, the lowest output by an opponent since the Chicago Bears in 2010 (110 yards).
  • Cincinnati’s 11 first down were the lowest by a Giants opponent since 2017 (Washington, 10).
  • Brandon Wilson’s 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Giants was the longest play in Bengals history.
  • Wilson’s kickoff return for a touchdown was the first the Giants have allowed on the road in 30 years (Dallas Cowboys, 1990).
  • Daniel Jones, Colt McCoy and Golden Tate all attempted a pass on Sunday, which is the first time three or more players have done that for the Giants since 2007.
  • Wayne Gallman scored a touchdown for the fifth consecutive game, the longest such streak since Saquon Barkley did it in 2018. It’s also the longest streak for rushing touchdowns since Andre Brown in 2012-2013.
  • Evan Engram’s 53-yard reception was the Giants’ longest pass play of the season.
  • With his four field goals, Graham Gano has now connected on 24 consecutive attempts. That is the second-longest such streak in Giants history (Josh Brown, 29).
  • Defensive end Niko Lalos made his NFL debut and recorded his first career interception.
  • Rookie safety Xavier McKinney made his NFL debut.

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Giants-Bengals Week 12: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants won their Week 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants took over first place in the NFC East on Sunday with a 19-17 defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Unfortunately, they lost quarterback Daniel Jones (hamstring) in the process.

The game itself wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty, but it’s better to win ugly than it is to lose pretty. And after starting the season 0-5, the Giants have now gone 4-2 over their past six games.

Here’s a look at the snap counts that attributed to the Giants’ latest W

Offensive snaps: 81
Defensive snaps: 49
Special teams snaps: 29

With Matt Peart out due to COVID-19, the Giants ceased their tackle rotation, resulting in Andrew Thomas and Cam Fleming seeing 100% of all offensive snaps. At guard, former starter Will Hernandez saw just 23 snaps to Shane Lemieux’s 57.

We also love seeing fullback Eli Penny get more field time.

Defensively, Niko Lalos took just eight snaps in his NFL debut but somehow came up with an interception. What a story. We’ll have more on that later.

And Nate Ebner, of course, suffered an injury on Cincinnati’s opening kick return and was unable to make it back to the field. He finished the game with a season-low one snap.

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Giants defeat Bengals: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the Giants Week 12 victory over the Bengals. 

Sunday’s game between the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals turned into a battle of the backups after Daniel Jones exited with a hamstring injury late in the third quarter.

That thrust backup Colt McCoy into the game and the Giants’ offense did not do much scoring for the rest of the afternoon.

A brutal holding penalty by Cam Fleming negated what would’ve been the game-ending first down for Wayne Gallman and a 29-yard punt return put the Bengals at mid-field down two points.

Luckily, Jabaal Sheard produced a strip sack to end it as Leonard Williams recovered the ball for the Giants slamming the door shut.

Despite a stagnant offense following the departure of Jones, the defense made the difference forcing three turnovers to seal the deal.

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the Giants Week 12 victory over the Bengals.