WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE OFFENSE
Starting lineup (two tight ends deep in own territory):
- QB Russell Wilson
- LT James Hudson III
- LG Jon Runyan Jr.
- C John Michael Schmitz
- RG Greg Van Roten
- RT Jermaine Eluemunor
- TE Theo Johnson
- TE Greg Dulcich
- WR Darius Slayton
- WR Beaux Collins
- RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Following two Tyrone Tracy Jr. runs for a total of 12 yards, Russell Wilson launched his patented moon ball on the third play of the game. The ball traveled 54 yards in the air, dropping perfectly into the hands of undrafted rookie wide receiver Beaux Collins, who took it another 26 yards for an 80-yard gain before being tackled just short of the goal line. Two plays later, running back Devin Singletary punched it in for an early 7-0 lead.
Saturday was the 15-year anniversary to the day of an undrafted receiver named Victor Cruz, then wearing No. 8, catching six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns against the Jets in the first preseason game at MetLife Stadium.
On the fourth series, rookie Jaxson Dart entered with the first team for one play, a shovel pass that tight end Theo Johnson turned into a 30-yard gain. Wilson returned on the ensuing snap and handed the ball off to Tracy. On the play after that, Wilson was trying to find Collins again for a moon ball in the end zone, but cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers capitalized on an apparent miscommunication and got under it for an interception.
Wilson finished the night with four completions on seven attempts for 108 yards and the interception.
Dart took over on the Giants’ fifth possession with the starting offensive line (except Greg Van Roten, who had been substituted out and replaced by Evan Neal at right guard on the third drive).
Elijah Chatman, a 6-foot, 278-pound defensive lineman who made the roster a year ago as an undrafted rookie, saw snaps at fullback on Saturday night. The son of a lumberjack, Chatman is known as one of the strongest players on the entire roster.
The Giants generated three plays of 20+ yards in the first half (all passes). They picked up where they left off after the break as Dart led the backups on a nine-play, 71-yard drive, which ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Dulcich.
It was the first of back-to-back touchdown drives led by Dart, who punctuated the second with a quarterback sneak into the end zone. The play was set up by wide receiver Juice Wells Jr., his former Ole Miss teammate, eluding defenders for an 11-yard gain and a first down at the goal line.
Dart finished the night by completing 14 of 16 passes for 137 yards and two total touchdowns. He completed 13 consecutive passes.
Tracy racked up 39 yards on seven carries, good for an average of 5.6 yards per attempt.
Jameis Winston, who entered the game late in the third quarter, continued the offensive surge with a 34-yard completion to wide receiver Dalen Cambre down the right sideline. Winston completed six of his 11 attempts for 111 yards and ran in the third goal line touchdown of the game.
Then it was Tommy DeVito’s turn. The fourth quarterback to enter the game late in the fourth quarter, DeVito quickly found wide receiver Jordan Bly for a 41-yard completion. DeVito, however, was intercepted two plays later in the end zone.
Seven different Giants had receptions of 20 yards or longer as the team scored more than 30 points for the second consecutive game.
Running back Dante Miller, the Offensive Player of the Game from Buffalo, had a team-high four receptions for 43 yards in addition to five carries for 17 yards.
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