Tag: tyler nubin

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)

[lawrence-related id=736174,736162,736155]

Giants defense defined by one major strength, one major weakness

The New York Giants defense is sacking quarterbacks at a league-leading rate but are also poised to set an ugly NFL record.

One could argue the 2024 New York Giants defense has been a contraction of itself. They lead the NFL in sacks per game (3.6), which is one of the few pleasantries of this rocky season, and are sixth in red zone defense.

But they are deficient in other areas. Interceptions are one, for instance. They have just one pick over their first 10 games, tied for last in the league with Cleveland.

The Giants’ only pick has been by rookie linebacker Darius Muasau, not by any of the team’s talented young defensive backs. And that happened in garbage time of their Week 1 loss to Minnesota.

They have not picked off a pass since. That’s a total of nine games and they are now closing in on the longest interception drought in NFL history, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy.

The 2017 Raiders defense set the modern NFL record (since 1933) by going 10 straight games — a span of 357 passes — without an interception, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

One year later, the 49ers and Cardinals each endured an eight-game drought that has been eclipsed by the Giants, who will return from this week’s bye trying to avoid tying dubious history on November 24 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

No one can pinpoint exactly why the Giants have not been picking off passes this season. Safety Tyler Nubin, who leads all NFL rookies in tackles, was touted as a ball hawk coming out of college. He has no interceptions. Another high draft pick, cornerback Andru Phillips, has been highly-rated this season but has also come up dry.

“It’s something we have to continue to work at. We have to find ways,” Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said.

“They’re just throwing good balls. We’re not getting to them. That’s the best way I can answer that,” nose tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “I think we need to create more (takeaways) to have the offense have a short field and not worry about driving a long field. It’s our responsibility to go get the ball, so that’s what we have to do.”

The Giants are 28th in the league in passes defensed (29) but have only allowed the 10th most passing yards. They have allowed 12 passing touchdowns, which has been the league average.

In a season of mysteries and inexplicable events that have gone against the grain, this one continues to perplex.

[lawrence-related id=736033,736017,736019]

Giants’ Joe Schoen believes successful foundation is already in place

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen believes he has built a successful foundation in East Rutherford even though the results say otherwise.

The New York Giants are 2-8 to begin the 2024 NFL season and are essentially out of the postseason picture two weeks before Thanksgiving — again.

It’s co-owner John Mara’s recurring nightmare. Potentially having his multi-billion dollar stadium half-empty down the stretch while the rest of the league is chasing their dreams has become an all too familiar reality for the Giants.

Since handing over the reins to general manager Joe Schoen in January of 2022, the Giants are 17-26-1 and 1-1 in the postseason.

But there is hope, Schoen said in his annual bye-week press conference this week. He is confident the team is “not far off” and is not wavering in his plan, which is deep into its third season.

“I believe in the process. I believe where we’re going,” he said. “Again, building it, sometimes it hurts and it’s painful and it’s hard to go through it. But, we’re going in the right direction.”

Schoen feels that way because of the young nucleus that he has under his roof and hopes to continue building on. He spoke about his latest draft class, which has been performing very well.

“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,” he said.

The previous two drafts have also yielded some talent and depth the roster so sorely needed as well.

“I like the guys in our first two drafts. Where we were then and what we were trying to do by moving back,” he said. “We needed players. There were five healthy offensive linemen on the roster at the time. So, there were players or situations you were in, trying to fill out the roster, whether it was depth players with some of those guys or certain roles that they’ve developed.

“(Cor’Dale) Flott is a third-round pick that’s played solid this year for us. He plays nickel. Wan’Dale (Robinson) has turned into a good slot receiver. I think he’s in the top 10 in receptions in the league. Some guys are role players. You need those guys as well. So, I wish I could bat a thousand, you always want to do that.

“But, I believe in the people in the building. I believe in our process. I believe in the research that we do, the work we’re doing. I think you saw the results this last offseason with the draft that we had. I look forward to continuing to, hopefully, have some drafts that compare to this one.”

Schoen apparently will get the chance to continue building. He was asked if he felt he’d be back next year and did not hesitate to confirm that he would be.

This comes after Mara said he did not see the team making any changes at the top either during or after the season.

[lawrence-related id=735991,735989,735983]

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.

[lawrence-related id=735941,735927,735911]

Giants-Panthers Week 10: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants lost their Week 10 game against the Carolina Panthers. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants somehow managed to reach a new low on Sunday in Germany, falling to the Carolina Panthers, 20-17, in humiliating overtime fashion.

Whenever we think the Giants have hit rock bottom, they find new and inventive ways to prove there could also be worse.

Truth be told, we’re out of words at this point. We’ve recycled the same post-loss talking points for years and through multiple regimes, and it all just sounds like a broken record. Poor personnel handling, bad play-calling, bad coaching, poor execution, blah, blah, blah…

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 10 loss.

Offensive snaps: 75
Defensive snaps: 60
Special teams snaps: 30

Quarterback Daniel Jones took 100 percent of the offensive snaps and that’s only noteworthy because under no circumstances should that have been the case. Head coach Brian Daboll should have benched him in the second quarter but admitted after the game he didn’t give it any consideration. Astonishing.

In his return to the starting role, right tackle Evan Neal also took 100 percent of the offensive snaps and unlike Jones, played exceptionally well. Who’d ever expect to read those words?

With Jason Pinnock out, safety Dane Belton took 100 percent of the defensive snaps alongside Tyler Nubin but only one of them played up to snuff. We’ll let you guess which one (hint: it wasn’t Belton).

[lawrence-related id=735795,735769,735775]

Giants’ young secondary developing into top-tier unit

Despite some effort issues (cough, Deonte Banks, cough), the New York Giants’ young secondary is developing into a top-tier unit.

Entering the 2024 season, one of the biggest concerns was whether or not the New York Giants’ young secondary would hold up.

They were relying on 25-year-old safety Jason Pinnock, who was claimed on waivers two summers ago from the Jets, to anchor a group of rookies and second-year players.

Pinnock was to be paired with second-round pick Tyler Nubin at safety while the three cornerback spots would be manned by rookie Dru Phillips, last year’s top pick, Deonte Banks, and Cor’Dale Flott, a 2022 third-round selection.

So far, the results appear mixed but the statistics tell us otherwise. The group has become one of the top secondaries in the NFL this year.

The Giants have only allowed 10 touchdowns through the air over the first seven weeks which is mid for the third-lowest in the NFL. They are also allowing just 179.4 passing yards per game, which is good enough for sixth-best in the league.

Banks has taken on some heat with his lackluster effort at times but has generally been solid. He has taken on a mountain of responsibility this season and has gone up against some of the game’s best wideouts: Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Ja’Marr Chase, Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, D.K. Metcalf, and A.J. Brown.

Only McLaurin had 100-plus yards receiving against the Giants this year, and he had 100 on the dot.

Nubin leads the team in tackles with 48 (31 solo) and Phillips has been outstanding when it comes to sticking close to opposing pass catchers.

The Giants may be 2-5 but the secondary has held up its end thus far. They will get better with time and experience. With all of the things that have been going wrong for Big Blue this year, this is the one unit that is working well.

[lawrence-related id=734969,734964,734940]

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.

[lawrence-related id=734292,734306,734295]

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?

[lawrence-related id=733291,733276,733274]

Giants’ Shane Bowen focused on cleaning up poor tackling

The New York Giants are plagued by poor tackling and it’s an issue defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is focused on cleaning up.

Through two games, the New York Giants are 0-2, scoring just an average of 12 points per game. Their offense is surely an issue but their defense is concerning as well.

The Giants are getting chewed up by the run, allowing 163 yards per game to opponents over the first two weeks. They have been lax on third downs, permitting opponents to convert on 41.7 percent of attempts, and have failed to stop either of their two fourth-down chances.

As a result, opponents have been able to sustain drives and hang onto the football. Last week in Washington, the Giants lost the time of possession 37:32 to 22:28.

“Bad tackling and penalties,” defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said this week when asked what he felt the issue was. “We were on the field a long time. We didn’t do well tackling. We didn’t stop the run well. And the penalties on third down. We won a lot of first and second downs, but those third downs really got us.”

On Thursday, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen agreed when quizzed by reporters about the run defense.

“I think tackling. Tackling showed up. Missed some tackles, even on the scramble plays,” he said. “We had guys in opportunities to make plays on those to get off the field on third down. And tackling showed up.  I think a couple were fit issues. One, we just get too nosy. We got him bottled up, we get nosy and he leaks out on us. The post safety gets a little nosy, as well, and it goes for 40 (yards). It’s a potential third and one stop that turns into 40 yards.

“Just continuing our fits. Making sure we’re flying around, running to the football. Making sure the missed tackles don’t turn into… because they’re going happen. We got to reduce them. They’re going to happen from time to time. But making sure those missed tackles end up being two to five additional yards instead of 10-plus. Just continue to work. There’s good in there. They ran the ball 35 times. So, there’s some good snaps in there. We got to eliminate the explosive runs.”

The Giants have been dealing with injuries at inside linebacker. Micah McFadden missed the opener with a groin injury and was thrust into action last week when his understudy, rookie Darius Muasau, was forced out with a knee issue.

The Giants also are in flux in the secondary. They have a rookie, Tyler Nubin, starting at support safety and the box is dealing with a lot of movable parts. When that settles down, and the inside backers get their footing, the run support should improve.

[lawrence-related id=733129,733107,733095]

Giants teammates ‘excited as hell’ about rookie Tyler Nubin

New York Giants players think rookie safety Tyler Nubin will be their breakout star in 2024 and that has some “excited as hell.”

The New York Giants will field a fresh crop of rookie talent in 2024 and several are expected to have expansive roles.

Wide receiver Malik Nabers, selected with the sixth overall pick in April’s NFL draft, has understandably commanded the most attention and generated the most hype, but another emerging talent has flown under the radar.

Outside of the building in East Rutherford, second-round safety Tyler Nubin is somewhat of an afterthought. He was a quality player at Minnesota but lacks the star power that Nabers has embraced.

However, inside the building, excitement over Nubin may actually exceed that of Nabers, as Giants players recently revealed to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

“Rookies come in, and especially the big city, big market, they’re kind of wide-eyed, and it’s a lot. You can kind of feel their anxiety, where it’s like a lot of people are pulling them, a lot of people saying do this or do that. He’s really headstrong,” safety Jason Pinnock said. “That goes a long way because it takes certain wrinkles out that rookies have to go through. I’m excited as hell.”

Veteran running back Devin Singletary has seen a lot of talent come and go throughout his six-year career but Nubin just seems to have it.

“He’s flashed a lot,” Singletary said. “His physicality and for the most part it seems like he’s in the right position when he’s out there. That’s always a good sign. I don’t know what everyone’s expectation is of him, but that will be a guy to keep your eye on.”

Although Nubin sits behind Dane Belton on the team’s most recent unofficial depth chart, precious few expect it to remain that way. Linebacker Carter Coughlin believes the 23-year-old safety will make an immediate impact.

“If you watch his college tape, you’ll know why. And Game 1, you’ll see why. Whatever opportunities he gets, he’ll make the most of it,” he said.

Giants players named Nubin their top breakout candidates with others — Jason Pinnock, Deonte Banks, Theo Johnson, Eric Gray, Jalin Hyatt, Wan’Dale Robinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Elijah Chatman, Dyontae Johnson, Cor’Dale Flott, and Nick McCloud — also receiving votes.

“Just his confidence. The way he plays and the way he brings it every day at practice. You see in his game he’s confident. He wants that No. 1 guy. He wants that matchup, and he’s a dawg, linebacker Azeez Ojulari said of Banks.

The Giants are one of the youngest teams in the NFL but that youth is breeding excitement and optimism, perhaps none more than Nubin.

[lawrence-related id=732153,732147,732120]