The New York Giants’ 10-6 loss to the New York Jets in their final preseason game was one of the ugliest professional football games of all time.
The reason for this is that almost all of the players who took part in the game were from the lower end of the squad and the quality (or in this case, lack of it) was clear to see. However, there were a few player performances from this final pre-season test that we would like to highlight for one reason or another.
Whitley may have entered preseason as an outsider looking to make the roster, but he certainly put in a strong enough performance to give himself the best possible chance.
On Saturday night, Whitley was in the backfield nearly every time the Jets dropped back to pass. He finished with four tackles, 1.5 sacks (a team-high), one tackle for a loss and three quarterback hits in a very active game for him.
He continued to show his physical strength every time he stepped on the court, flying around the edges and running to the ball. His ball sense is impressive. He showed a nice combination of power at the point of attack and agility in space. He is a versatile edge player who can do a little bit of everything out there.
Whitley got a bad holding call on the edge while every one of his QB hits was tough. He plays on his feet and always seems to be near the ball. Another plus for Whitley is that he plays on every special teams and is a real contributor.
Throughout his career, Whitley was a strong player in the preseason with little to no production in the regular season, but given the injury situation at linebacker, could he have finally done enough to earn a spot on the 53?
Before Neal left the game, he had a tough time Saturday night as he only had a few pitches left to play.
Neal got the opportunity to play for the first time this preseason as a right tackle, but was unable to convince in his few appearances.
On a third attempt in the first half, Neal was overtaken by Takkarist McKinley on the sideline and was able to help Tommy DeVito to the sack.
Neal left the game with an injury that was initially believed to be a sprained ankle, but after the game he said it was just a fluke and he was caught when he should have left the game anyway.
“I didn’t get hurt tonight, I got run over. That’s a play in football.”
The problem with NEal’s pass blocking is that he continues to move as if he’s stuck in the mud, similar to his first two years in the league.
Neal’s footwork was all over the place on several snaps. He also took a few bad angles that opened up too much space around his edge. After his horrific misses, he rebounded with some better pass blocking attempts and seemed to settle down when he was bent over backwards in a scrum and had to leave the game with another ankle injury.
If you’re looking for the good in Neal’s game, his run blocking and combo blocking efforts, his decision making and the way he finishes off his opponent are outstanding.
KJ Cloyd had a poor performance against the Houston Texans last week, but rebounded with a brilliant performance against the Jets.
Cloyd was constantly near the ball and seemed much more fluid in coverage, as if he actually knew where he was supposed to be this time.
Cloyd showed a lot of potential as the type of run-and-hit ILB that any team could use. Not only did Cloyd happily fill gaps throughout the game — those were his flash plays — but he also played with a level of discipline and self-control that was surprising after last week’s wild, late-onset performance.
After a slow start tonight, Cloyd got into his stride midway through the first half and continued his dominant performance until the end. His 16 total tackles were legitimate in every way. He made tackles in open space, he stuck his nose in traffic without hesitation, he threw his body into form tackle after form tackle.
When he wasn’t throwing gaps, Cloyd played with discipline and stayed true to his demeanor. We might see a miss in middle coverage, but he made plays in coverage from sideline to sideline and ran to the rim to chase runs. He played with enthusiasm, he played the right angles, he played smart. He played like he knew where he belonged, like a light bulb had gone on over his head.
Cloyd may not be big and physical, but he’s very fast and he knows how to play the ILB position on this defense. We think the Giants have found another player at the ILB position. Will he make it past the cutdown date? We doubt it, but this was a dominating performance that may lure him to the practice squad.
We were impressed with Schlottmann’s reliable center play in the first two preseason games, but this week he really fell apart.
When he filled in for John Michael Schmitz, Schlottmann completely missed the ball on at least three separate snaps. This resulted in a sack, a pressure that led to another sack, and a big loss in the backfield on a running play that otherwise would have been well blocked.
It wasn’t like he was a fireball on all of his other snaps, either. Schlottmann consistently seemed outmatched by the Jets’ second and third team players, whose athleticism was too much for him.
Rookie and undrafted free agent Leonard Taylor III had a great day against Schlottman, making three straight plays where he recorded either a sack or a half-sack, with two of those three plays coming against Schlottman.
We expected him to make the final roster, and we still believe he will, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants look for another option for the backup center position.
Interestingly, Schlottmann stepped in at left guard late in the game due to injuries and did quite well, showing some versatility. He is certainly smart and reliable when it comes to his assignments, but execution is an issue.
Jakob Johnson hasn’t been with the Giants long, but he started early in his first game with the Giants against the Houston Texans and then played a lot of snaps against the Jets on Saturday night, most of them as a tight end.
Johnson showed the size and physicality to line up and thrive. He also showed enough mobility to play offset TE and operate in space. Finally, he was also a strong blocker at fullback, which is probably his best position.
But it’s Johnson’s size, experience and physicality that make him so valuable. This offense gets more physical every time he’s on the field. While there were no slobber-knockers, Johnson played a ton of snaps from start to finish and also shined on special teams, where he’s a reliable force. It’s hard to imagine Johnson not making the final 53 with all that he does.
It was a rough finish for Asante, who finished the preseason with a single catch and dropped his first pass on a screen pass on Saturday night. That pass came on a short crossing pattern, after which he was met by two Jets defenders who turned his only catch into no gain.
Asante started the game as a kick returner alongside Dante Miller. Asante dropped the return, so the Jets started both halves on offense.
For Asante, the training camp and preseason preparations were quiet. And the two mistakes on Saturday evening do not paint a good picture for someone who was already left out.
For Tommy DeVito, it is more of a case of “immeasurable stockpiling.”
DeVito was pummeled left, right and center by the Jets defensive linemen all game long, but never let it bother him. Several times throughout the game, DeVito ran to make chunk plays and converted first downs with his legs.
But honestly, it wasn’t a great performance. The passing game never really got going for many reasons, including poor pass defense and a few drops from receivers. DeVito completed 14 of 27 passes for 103 yards and was sacked eight times, maybe half of them for holding the ball too long, which was a problem last year.
There were no big plays from the quarterback position, a lot of missed free passes and missed opportunities on plays that just had to be made. DeVito had two huge passes intercepted at the line of scrimmage, one of which would have resulted in a walk-in touchdown.
DeVito’s small size and inability to get around defenders to complete easy throws make his small stature combined with his three-quarter shooting motion an unreliable combination. DeVito simply cannot be trusted to play the short game when all the defense has to do is keep their arms up.
Still, it would be surprising if the Giants released him. He knows the system and is a good backup when needed. But is he a long-term starter? Not at the moment.
