Good morning, New York Giants fans!
From Big Blue View
- Giants-Chiefs storylines: Giants have a lot of things to figure out
- Could Andrew Thomas make debut for Giants vs. Chiefs?
- Malik Nabers – Interception ‘was 100 percent my fault’
- Giants-Chiefs 2025, Week 3: Everything you need to know as Giants try to avoid 0-3 start
Other Giant observations
Giants QB2 Jaxson Dart following in Mahomes’ rookie footsteps | ESPN.com
“When we did get Jaxson, the first meetings were a blend of those two things that [Kafka] did with Pat, what [Daboll] did with Josh,” Tierney said. “And what are the best ways to implement it now.”
Kafka told ESPN that Mahomes benefited greatly from observing Smith and that it was way more than just watching him on the field. Mahomes had the benefit of watching Smith’s routine, from how he digested the game plan to adjustments he made during the week to how he watched
film to how he took care of his body, then modified that to his liking. Dart has Wilson and Winston with a combined 288 starts under their belt to consult.
“He doesn’t know how lucky he is,” Kafka said of having both veterans as mentors.
Russell Wilson has been an above average scrambler this year; No. 1 is coming to town this week
Giants Must Find A Place For Marcus Mbow | TheDraftNetwork.com
The most realistic scenario is Mbow replacing Eluemunor at right tackle. Eluemunor is a veteran blocker with versatility and is capable of replacing the struggling Greg Van Roten at right guard. If the Giants want to take it a step further, Van Roten can play center, where starter John Michael Schmitz Jr. has been the biggest weakness up front, but that might be too much shuffling.
Mbow is also versatile enough to play right guard, but that would sell his potential short given his debut performance at tackle. The Giants are searching for a long-term solution at right tackle as Evan Neal has been a massive bust, and the 30-year-old Eluemunor is on an expiring contract. Mbow and Eluemunor would make a good right-sided pairing.
How this NY Giants rookie proved he’s ready to take the next step – and what that is | The Record
Marcus Mbow had plenty of doubt about the direction he was headed when he walked inside MetLife Stadium for the first time last month.
Not on the field, mind you – just the literal directions to get the rookie offensive lineman for the New York Giants from the parking lot and down the correct hallway to the locker room.
Giants’ James Hudson Says He Didn’t Smack Cowboys’ James Houston Intentionally | Bleacher Report
Hudson, said that he didn’t do it on purpose, but he acknowledged that he went overboard.
“It won’t happen again. It can’t happen again,” Hudson said, adding that being limited to four games in 2024 due to injury “lit a fire” under him and caused him to bring “a different intensity” this season, but it hasn’t worked out.
Andrew Thomas in action at practice Thursday
New York Giants’ defense was supposed to carry them, but so far, it’s holding them back | The Athletic
The chief concern is that the leaky run defense still appears to be unresolved. Coming off a season in which they were one of the league’s worst run-stuffing units — they ranked 27th in rushing yards allowed per game (136.2) — they are off to an even worse start in 2025. No team has yielded more rushing yards (355) so far, and they are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys for the most rushing touchdowns allowed (four).
Advanced metrics paint a similarly bleary picture. The Giants’ defensive success rate versus the run ranks 31st in the league and is 10 percent below league average, according to TruMedia. An astounding 31.7 percent of opponent rushes have resulted in first downs this season. That number will (probably) come down over time, but it’s still ghastly to look at.
Presser Points: Takeaways from Coach Brian Daboll | Giants.com
Daboll said he looks at football in four phases, not the typical three of offense, defense and special teams. The fourth is coaching.
“Everybody’s involved in this. We watch a number of plays, we discuss a number of things, whether it’s strategy, whether it’s technique, whether it’s mistakes, whatever it may be, and try to build on the things that were good and improve on the things that weren’t where we need them to be. And then you move on. Once Wednesday hits, it’s full steam ahead against the team you’re playing. You put everything to bed Monday night, if you will, Monday afternoon, and spend all your time focusing on the team you’re playing this week.”
Abdul Carter says Giants defense ‘not good enough’ vs. Cowboys | New York Daily News
Carter said the Giants’ defense mainly didn’t “finish” well enough in their second straight NFC East loss.
“Finish drives, end of quarters not allowing them to drive downfield, there’s a lot of things we can get better at,” Carter said. “We gotta watch the tape and see all the…It’s still all about winning, and sometimes you’re not gonna win. But you gotta learn from the losses so the next time you can turn that into a win.”
NFL pass-rusher rankings ahead of Week 3 | PFF
Best Rookie Pass Rusher: Abdul Carter, New York Giants. The third overall pick in this year’s draft is already a difference-maker at the NFL level. Carter leads all rookies in PFF pass-rush grade (73.6) and is tied with James Pearce Jr. of the Atlanta Falcons with eight pressures.
Kayvon Thibodeaux has been a defensive bright spot to start the season for the Giants
Evaluating surprise trends for 32 NFL teams: Real or not? | ESPN.com
The early surprise: Bottom-five rushing attack. The verdict: Real. The offensive line isn’t great at pass blocking. There was a belief based on the second half of last season that it would at least be a better run-blocking unit. But the Giants have problems on the interior of their offensive line, a main reason they are averaging a paltry 79.0 yards on the ground. They get minimal push. That seems unlikely to magically change, and the running game is already searching for answers. Tyrone Tracy Jr. was replaced by Cam Skattebo as the primary ball carrier after one week.
NFL Week 2: Rookie Team of the Week | PFF
Running Back: Cam Skattebo, New York Giants – 73.6 After a limited role in his debut where he only saw just eight offensive snaps, Skattebo’s contributions expanded significantly in the Giants’ overtime loss to the Cowboys, playing 35 snaps. The fourth-rounder out of Arizona State carried the ball 12 times for 55 yards and a rushing touchdown while forcing three missed tackles and recording three first downs, good for an 82.8 PFF rushing grade.
NFL’s 0-2 teams ranked by likelihood of making playoffs | SB Nation
4. New York Giants The Giants are such a weird team. They’re playing incredibly competitive football with Russell Wilson under center, which might be the shocker of the season so far. Malik Nabers is a big factor in this as he continues his ascent into becoming one of the best receivers in the NFL. Competitiveness is a good trait to have when it comes to finding a way into the postseason. It’s still not likely, but there’s a chance we could see this team pull off a few close surprises and make a run down the stretch.
How NY Giants super fan Joe Ruback became famously known as ‘License Plate Guy’ | The Record
These days, Joe Ruback is known more as his “Super fan alter ego” – License Plate Guy – than he is Mr. Ruback, the head of physical education at a school in Yonkers, N.Y.
“Wearing a license plate started out as a bet between me and my dad, and my section in the old Giants Stadium loved it,” he added. “I’m just fortunate to be embraced as an advocate for the Giants. Whether I’m in the front row behind the bench or the last row of MetLife, this is my team and I’m a fan for life.”
This week’s opponent
Xavier Worthy limited, Patrick Mahomes listed as full participant | Pro Football Talk
Xavier Worthy, recovering from a dislocated right shoulder, took another positive step Wednesday toward returning for Sunday night’s game against the New York Giants.
Worthy, who suffered the injury in the season opener, participated in Wednesday’s practice without any restrictions, coach Andy Reid said. Unlike last week, Worthy was seen running routes during the open portion of practice without extra padding on his right arm. The Chiefs are optimistic that Worthy will return for Sunday’s game and is expected to wear a harness.
In Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, the Chiefs’ defense offered reasons for optimism | Arrowhead Pride
The defensive performance against the Eagles really stood out. Steve Spagnuolo’s unit looked quite different than it did in Week 1. Wide receiver A.J. Brown gained only 27 yards on eight targets. His teammate DeVonta Smith collected 28 yards on a prayer — and otherwise produced just 25 on five targets. Running back Saquon Barkley’s longest touch of the day went for 13 yards. Jalen Hurts gained just 15 on the ground. The Eagles’ 220 total yards were their fewest in a game since 2021.
Dating back to 2010, Kansas City is 13-1 when allowing 220 or fewer total yards. The last time the Chiefs allowed 3.8 or fewer yards per play was the 2023 New Year’s Eve matchup against Jake Browning and the Bengals.
NFL Week 3 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tip | ESPN.com
What is one thing you have changed your mind about since the start of the season? Jeremy Fowler I thought the Chiefs’ offense would be just fine, and part of me still believes that. But the concerns are only growing. The Chiefs believe the passing game will be markedly better when Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown are running their three-receiver sets. Still, we’re going on multiple years of just OK offensive output — Kansas City hasn’t been truly elite on that side of the ball since 2022. The run game is not efficient. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have yet to find the chemistry that has carried them for most of the past decade. Mahomes clearly needs more help. He’s trying to make it happen, running more than he should this early in the season.
Around the league
Dan Quinn: Jayden Daniels won’t practice until Friday at the earliest | Hogs Haven
Justin Fields ruled out vs. Bucs as Jets turn to Tyrod Taylor | ESPN.com
Brock Purdy returning to practice, has ‘a chance’ to play in Week 3 | The Athletic
Chargers LB Khalil Mack avoids season-ending elbow injury, expected back in a few weeks | NFL.com
Raheem Morris calls Bijan Robinson the NFL’s “best player . . . without a doubt” | Pro Football Talk
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