The New York Giants traveled down to South Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins in Preseason game No. 2 in the sweltering heat on Saturday afternoon.
Like most teams, the Giants are trying to accomplish two things in this game. First, to round out the back end of the roster and, second, to knock some rust off the players coming back from injuries.
The Giants played the game without many of their top players for one reason or another.
Here's a look at some studs and duds from Saturday's 26-3 over the rebuilding Dolphins.
Stud: QB Jameis Winston
It's almost unfair to opposing teams that the Giants' backup quarterback is Winston. If you're not going to play your top defense, he will beat you. That's exactly what happened on Saturday. Winston went 15 of 21 passing for 150
yards and ran 11 yards for a touchdown, leading the Giants to a 20-3 halftime lead.
Dud: RB Tyrone Tracy, Jr.
For the second straight week, Tracy made a killer mistake. Last week, he missed a block that nearly got Jaxson Dart beheaded. This week, Tracy fumbled on the Miami 11 in the first half, killing a Giants' scoring drive. Tracy rushed for 26 yards on six carries and added 22 more on three receptions, but none of that detracts from the mistake. He's in no danger of being cut, but he has to shape up if he is going to be a key contributor this season.
Stud: CB Deonte Banks
Banks looked sharp again in coverage and appears to be an entirely different player than the one we've seen the past three years. Banks had two total tackles and two passes defensed. He is pushing hard to regain his starter status. Whether he gets back to that remains to be seen, but Banks has been crushing it this summer.
Stud: RB Devin Singletary
Like Tracy, Motor knows the stakes are higher now that Najee Harris is in the building. He had another strong outing in Miami with 40 yards on eight carries, highlighted by a 13-yard touchdown run. He will be in the mix this season as he looks as good as ever.
Stud: WR Calvin Austin III
The Giants signed Austin to do a myriad of things for them, all of which were on display in this game. He caught two passes for 24 yards, had a 21-yard rush, and averaged 14.5 yards on two punt returns. His roster spot is safe, and fans have to be looking forward to what Austin brings to the table.
Studly/Dud: DB Dru Phillips
A pass interference call that ended up being nothing was his only blemish on the day. Phillips was all over the place besides that. He had three total tackles and forced two fumbles. The pressure is on for Phillips, whom many had penciled in as the slot corner, but in DC Dennaed Wilson's defense, Phillips may play several roles.
Studly/Dud: Odell Beckham, Jr.
OBJ looks great, and all we see is him getting open and getting ignored. He caught two passes for a total of 17 yards, but dropped a sure touchdown pass in the end zone. Granted, he had to leap for the throw, but hey, he's OBJ.
Other Studs
- K Dominic Zvada
- K Ben Sauls.
- DE Chauncey Golston
- WR Darius Slayton
- S Tyler Nubin
- LB Caleb Murphy
- CB Greg Newsome
- P Jordan Stout
- LB Zaire Barnes
Other Duds:
- QB Brandon Allen
- DL Darius Alexander
- TE Tanner Conner
- DT Marlon Davidson
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Studs and duds from New York Giants' preseason Week 2 win over Miami
