The John Harbaugh era began with a loss as the New York Giants were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings 13-10 on Saturday at MetLife Stadium.
Of course, the preseason is not about wins and losses. It’s about improving your craft, technique, and getting everyone prepared for the upcoming season. There were some positives and negatives from the Giants preseason opener.
Here are the four biggest takeaways from the Giants’ preseason opener.
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Giants’ Run Defense Still a Major Concern
The number one priority for the defense this season is to stop the run. On the opening drive of the game, they failed miserably.
They surrendered an 18-yard run to Aaron Jones Sr on the first play of the game, and then a few plays later gave up a 15-yard run to Jordan Mason. On the drive, New York gave up 44 yards on the ground on six carries, and the drive culminated on a Will Reichard 35-yard field goal.
Although starting defensive linemen DJ Reader and Shelby Harris did not play, that’s no excuse for how the defense performed on the first drive. The players that were out will be part of the defensive rotation and can’t be bullied at the line of scrimmage.
For the game, the defense gave up 111 yards on the ground on 27 carries. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will be hard on his defense this week in practice.
Malachi Fields Could Be a Week 1 Starter
One player who has shined during training is Malachi Fields, and he didn’t disappoint in his NFL debut. The rookie wideout caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown.
On his 15-yard touchdown reception from Jaxson Dart, he outleaped linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. to come down with the reception. Later on in the game, he caught a low eight-yard slant from Jameis Winston for a first down.
At 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, Fields is the tall presence that has been sorely missing from New York’s passing game for many years. The way he has performed in practices and now in the preseason, he’s challenging to be a starter for Week 1.
Odell Beckham Jr. Showed He Can Still Get Open
There’s a saying that numbers don’t tell the whole story. This is the case with Odell Beckham Jr. on Saturday as he only had two receptions for six yards.
If you didn’t watch the game and just looked at the box score, you would think the 33-year-old was unable to shake off corners and get open. But that wasn’t the case as OBJ showed he still has quickness and was open on several occasions.
On one play, he was wide open in the middle of the field for a potential touchdown, but Winston didn’t see him. Despite the lackluster numbers, what he showed against the Vikings should be viewed as a positive and not a negative, in terms of his chances of making the team.
Giants Should Add Another QB after Brandon Allen’s Performance
While Big Blue is happy with the top two quarterbacks in Dart and Winston, the same cannot be said about third-string Brandon Allen. Allen completed 5 out of 8 passes for 45 yards with two interceptions against Minnesota.
In addition, he missed open receivers and didn’t seem poised in the pocket. Even though the Giants will only keep two active quarterbacks on the roster, they should be shopping to add another arm to their roster. If an injury were to happen to Dart or Winston, the team cannot feel confident with Allen as their backup.
Related: New York Giants OC Admits Jaxson Dart Experiencing ‘Struggles’ At Training Camp