Tag: Theo Johnson

Giants injury report: Kayvon Thibodeaux designated to return from IR

The New York Giants have designated edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist) to return from injured reserve (IR).

The New York Giants returned to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon in preparation for a Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Before heading out into the unseasonably warm temperatures, head coach Brian Daboll took the podium to speak with reporters.

The good news is that linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux has been designated to return from injured reserve (IR) and had his 21-day practice window open. But Daboll expects him to return long before that, even indicating that he could play this Sunday.

“We’ll open up Kayvon’s window, so he’ll start, optimistic that he’ll be ready to go,” Daboll said.

All other players were expected to practice on at least a limited basis.

The Giants’ full Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: None

Limited participant: LB Matthew Adams (knee), WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), TE Theo Johnson (back), NT Dexter Lawrence (knee), LB Darius Muasau (hamstring), S Tyler Nubin (back), LB Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist), OL Greg Van Roten (abdomen)

Full participant: WR Darius Slayton (concussion)

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Giants impressed, pleased with 2024 NFL draft class

Despite their regular season struggles, the New York Giants have been both impressed and pleased with their 2024 NFL draft class.

The first 10 weeks of the New York Giants’ 2024 season are in the rearview mirror as they head into the bye. With a disappointing record of 2-8, there hasn’t been much that has gone right for Big Blue this year.

One of the few things that has been impressive is the team’s 2024 NFL draft class.

General manager Joe Schoen fielded questions from the media on Tuesday and talked about the early success of his most recent class.

“I like Tyler Nubin. He’s played well for us. He’s one of the only rookies playing 99 percent of the defensive playtime. He’s leading rookies in tackles. So, I’m excited about him,” Schoen said. “Tyrone Tracy, also leading rookies in terms of rushing. So, I’m excited about the young players that we have.

“The build’s tough. It hurts sometimes as you’re going through it. But, you got to go through it to get to the other side. I like the young foundation that we’ve put in place. Whether it’s (Brian) Burns, (Dexter Lawrence II) and Kayvon (Thibodeaux). There’s some pieces that are going to be in.”

Schoen then circled back around to his 2024 draft class.

“(Malik) Nabers, the rookies I talked about, Theo (Johnson). There’s some young pieces here in place in terms of the foundation that we’re going to continue to build on. Another year of free agency and another draft, we’re not far off. We’re not far off.”

At 2-8 in the third season of the Schoen-Brian Daboll regime, there are no guarantees that the general manager or head coach will be back.

However, Schoen’s 2024 draft class certainly has been impressive. He received criticism following the draft after being the only team not to draft an offensive or defensive lineman.

On offense, the Giants have the rookie rushing leader in Tracy and the rookie receiving yards leader in Nabers. Let’s not forget, Theo Johnson has seen an increased role in the offense as time has gone on. On the other side of the ball, Andru Phillips and Nubin have been noticeable in the secondary for the Giants.

With just three teams younger than the Giants at the start of the regular season, Schoen will continue to evaluate the roster in the final seven games. However, it does seem as though the 2024 draft class will go down as a win on his resume.

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Giants injury report: Darius Slayton out vs. Panthers

New York Giants wide receivers Darius Slayton and Bryce Ford-Wheaton are unlikely to play in Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers.

Editor’s note: Darius Slayton did not travel with the team to Germany and is officially out in Week 10.

The New York Giants took the field on Thursday for their second of three practices ahead of a Week 10 game against the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll delivered the unfortunate news that wide receivers Darius Slayton and Bryce Ford-Wheaton are unlikely to travel and will subsequently miss Sunday’s game against Carolina.

On the flip side of that coin, both kicker Graham Gano and punter Jamie Gillan continue to progress and are likely to suit up in Week 10. Gillan is all but guaranteed to play and Daboll says Gano has a strong chance.

The coach also revealed that offensive lineman Greg Van Roten should be “OK” to play on Sunday.

The Giants’ full Thursday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: WR Darius Slayton (concussion), WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), OL Chris Hubbard (illness)

Limited participant: K Graham Gano (hamstring), P Jamie Gillan (hamstring), TE Theo Johnson (knee/back), LB Ty Summers (ankle), NT Dexter Lawrence (NIR), OL Greg Van Roten (shoulder), LB Matthew Adams (calf), S Jason Pinnock (abdomen), LB Darius Muasau (hamstring)

Full participant: None

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Fantasy Football: Potential bargains, must-plays from Giants-Panthers game

Here’s a look at some potential bargains for daily fantasy from the New York Giants-Carolina Panthers Week 10 game on Sunday morning.

The New York Giants head to Munich, Germany this Sunday to face the Carolina Panthers in a matchup between two 2-7 teams.

The ramifications of this game are basically for draft position as both teams’ postseason hopes are all but dead.

The game is not included in the main slate for DFS but will rather be a standalone “showdown” game, but will be included in the season-long leagues just as a Thursday or Monday night game would be.

Here is a quick rundown of our three top fantasy options in the game.

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

The Panthers have been the worst team this season when it comes to defending against running backs. They have allowed 32.4 FPS on DraftKings and 29.3 FPS on FanDuel to running backs this season. That’s by far the most on both platforms.

Tracy, since getting his break in Week 5, has had three standout games but don’t forget he suffered a concussion two weeks ago which slowed him down. He should have no problem in this game as the Giants are preparing him for a full load.

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Giants TE Theo Johnson

The Panthers have also been the most generous team when it comes to yielding points to tight ends. They are allowing 12.4 FPS in standard leagues and are first and second on DK and FD.

Johnson is becoming more trusted in the offense and has seen his target share rise in the past two weeks. He’s worth adding in showdown and a punt option in season-long.

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard

The Giants have been in the middle of the pack when it comes to allowing points to running backs but Hubbard has been a steady performer all season. The Panthers might not want to expose QB Bryce Young to the Giants’ pass rush and will likely try to establish the running game.

That has been where Hubbard has been of help. He is ninth among NFL RBs this season in FPS and has been ramping up the past few weeks.

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Giants injury report: Graham Gano designated to return from IR

The New York Giants have designated kicker Graham Gano to return from IR, while WR Darius Slayton’s Week 10 availability looks grim.

The New York Giants returned to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon in preparation for a Week 10 game against the Carolina Panthers at Allianz
Arena in Munich, Germany.

Before heading out into the Spring-like weather, head coach Brian Daboll informed reporters that kicker Graham Gano had his practice window opened and suggested there’s a chance he would play on Sunday.

The news wasn’t nearly as positive for wide receiver Darius Slayton, who remains in concussion protocol and is behind where running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. was a week ago. Daboll said Slayton may not travel to Germany with the team.

“Not there yet. He could possibly not travel. We’ll see where he’s at,” Daboll told reporters. “That hasn’t been decided yet, but if he’s not progressing where he needs to progress, there’s a chance we could not travel him.”

Daboll also revealed that wide receiver and special teams ace, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, remains out with an Achilles injury.

Finally, punter Matt Haack, who had his contract terminated on Tuesday, has been signed to the practice squad. Cornerback Art Green has been signed from the reserve unit to the 53-man roster.

The Giants’ full Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: WR Darius Slayton (concussion), WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), OL Greg Van Roten (shoulder), NT Dexter Lawrence (NIR)

Limited participant: K Graham Gano (hamstring), P Jamie Gillan (hamstring), TE Theo Johnson (knee/back), LB Ty Summers (ankle)

Full participant: None

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Giants’ Daniel Jones failed to adjust protection on T.J. Watt strip-sack

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones failed to adjust protection before a game-changing strip-sack by T.J. Watt on Monday Night Football.

With just under 3:00 remaining in the fourth quarter on Monday night and facing a third-and-7 from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 19-yard line, T.J. Watt blew past New York Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor for a strip-sack on quarterback Daniel Jones.

Although the Giants would have one final opportunity to score, Watt’s sack effectively ended the game.

Watt is a dominant player but even to the untrained eye, there appeared to be something off about the play. And as it turns out, there was.

“(Watt) was supposed to be chipped,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters. “Jermaine was anticipating a chip.”

Jones was supposed to shift rookie tight end Theo Johnson from the left side to the right side in order to chip Watt but that never happened. DJ got lost in the moment and never even saw Watt coming clean.

“We had a shift with the tight end to get back over to Watt and we didn’t get the shift,” Daboll said. “We talked about it in the locker room. DJ feels terrible to be honest with you. I know he’s going to own it. He came up here to say he owned it.”

It was a rookie mistake from Jones and it’s hard to fathom how it even happened. It’s not like Jones enjoys taking such a beating, so how he simply forgot to chip one of the best pass rushers in the league when that’s what the play was designed to do is baffling.

Still, Daboll credited Jones for being a competitor even after the veteran quarterback screamed at him following a botched two-point conversion attempt earlier in the game.

“Loved it. I loved seeing his competitiveness,” Daboll said. “He played hard. I thought he did a lot of good things and unfortunately at the end of the game there we had a couple turnovers. But I thought he played extremely hard, competitive, fiery and that’s what you want from a quarterback.”

Lip service. Everyone, Daboll included, knows Jones is in his final days with the Giants and he can’t be thrilled with either of those instances.

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Giants-Steelers Week 8: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants lost their Week 8 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants extended their streak of futility in primetime on Monday night, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-18, in what was another winnable game.

After the game, head coach Brian Daboll said his team has to “grow up” and stop shooting themselves in the foot, which is reflective of poor leadership and undisciplined play.

And while no excuses should be made at this point, New York is undoubtedly a little displeased with the league offices and their part-time officials. There were a number of bad calls and missed calls that helped doom Big Blue in Week 8 — and they really don’t need any help losing.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 8 loss.

Offensive snaps: 72
Defensive snaps: 66
Special teams snaps: 30

Would you look at that — offensive tackle Evan Neal took his first snap of the season.

Cornerback Deonte Banks took just 41 percent of the defensive snaps after being benched on Monday night. His downward spiral continues but Daboll insists he’ll return to the starting role against Washington.

Tight end Daniel Bellinger was not a part of Monday’s gameplan, taking just a single snap while rookie tight end Theo Johnson received 70.

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Eagles vs. Giants: Best photos from Philadelphia’s 28-3 win over NY in Week 7

We’re looking at the top photos from the Philadelphia Eagles 28-3 win over the New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in Week 7

The Eagles are 4-2 and back atop the NFC East after an emphatic 28-3 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

In Saquon Barkley’s first game against his former team, the running back logged 17 carries for 176 yards (10.4 avg) and one touchdown on the afternoon.  Barkley finished 14 yards shy of his career-high yards in a game and placed himself firmly back into the race for the NFL rushing title and the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

With preparation for the Week 8 matchup against the Bengals set to begin, we’re looking at the top photos in Sunday’s win.

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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 tight ends have yet to make their mark in the passing game

New York Giants tight ends have not factored into the passing game through two weeks, which is by design Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka say.

Over the past decade, the NFL has seen the role of receiving tight ends expand into something special. The successful teams usually have a go-to tight end that they can call on to both bail them out in the short passing game or even lead the charge in the passing game.

The New York Giants lost Darren Waller to retirement this past offseason but believe they had a productive tandem in Daniel Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson.

Through two games, however, neither has distinguished themself and it may not be their fault. The offensive game plan is simply bypassing them in favor of the wide receivers and running backs.

Johnson, who many have earmarked for stardom, has been targeted just four times, catching one pass for 18 yards. Bellinger caught his only target for a three-yard gain.

“The tight ends are doing a great job,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said on Thursday. “Coach (Tim) Kelly, (Angela Baker), they do an awesome job getting those guys prepared. And of course, we have them involved in the run game. We have them involved in the pass game. Just as the game, the flow of the game goes, it goes in a direction or not. And if we have to transition that, then we will.”

Head coach Brian Daboll is the one actually calling the plays, though. Earlier this week he was asked about the tight end usage in Sunday’s loss in Washington.

“I think the tight ends were involved,” he said. “They were involved in protection and allowing us to throw the ball 20, 25 yards down the field or deep comebacks or go’s or posts. So, everybody has a role to do. That depends on the game and the team we’re playing. And when their number is called, I expect them to go out there and make it. Whatever that may be, whether it’s blocking, pass blocking, run blocking. It takes all 11.”

The addition of rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers has put a dent in everyone’s targets. Of the Giants’ 65 passing targets so far, 25 of them have gone Nabers’ way.

Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson is next with 16 and no other player has more than eight targets this season. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who many experts predicted a huge breakout season from, has had just one pass thrown his way, which fell incomplete.

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