EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Extensive receiver Jalin Hyatt was out of the locker room rapidly, in avenue garments however with eye black nonetheless painted on his expressionless face.
That is uncommon, even when it is solely Week 1.
“It is the primary recreation of the yr,” coach Brian Daboll mentioned, the day after a 28-6 drubbing by the Minnesota Vikings. “It is a lengthy NFL season.”
Would possibly as nicely add the teaching cliché: It is by no means as unhealthy because it appears, it is by no means pretty much as good because it appears and the most important bounce comes from Week 1 to Week 2 to the post-blowout rhetoric. All of them may apply.
Now comes the fallout from the demolition Daboll witnessed Sunday at MetLife Stadium. He’s going to want to drag every little thing out of his bag of methods as a result of though it was just one loss, it was that unhealthy. It’ll be a problem retaining this locker room collectively if issues proceed to go south.
The frustration on Sunday was palpable. This wasn’t only a crew that had misplaced one recreation early in a promising season. It was a bunch teetering on the sting of falling into much more losses.
“Simply down as a result of you realize laborious you’re employed all offseason. All offseason, all OTAs, all coaching camp,” security Jason Pinnock mentioned.
HYATT, THE SECOND-year receiver who was a third-round choose final yr, had performed 4 snaps via the primary three quarters after spending many of the summer season because the crew’s No. 2 receiver reverse rookie Malik Nabers. Veteran Darius Slayton took a majority of the sport reps reverse Nabers.
However Slayton is now within the concussion protocol, which may create alternatives for Hyatt, whom Daboll known as the crew’s “third/fourth” receiver.
“That would change week to week,” Daboll mentioned of the vast receivers however appears to use to a number of different positions. “This week that’s what it was.”
Then there was third-year cornerback Cor’Dale Flott beginning within the slot after spending the whole summer season engaged on the skin. Daboll mentioned Monday he most likely can be again on the skin extra this week. Flott performed within the slot most of final season after beginning his Giants profession on the skin.
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In the meantime, Adoree’ Jackson, re-signed simply over every week earlier than the opener, performed an excellent chunk of the snaps on the skin. He dedicated a expensive however controversial 35-yard move interference penalty within the first half.
As for kick returner Gunner Olszewski, he did not even make it to kickoff. Olszewski aggravated his groin in pregame warmups after spending the previous few weeks noticeably struggling to maneuver with out restriction. He is now out for “weeks,” in keeping with Daboll. Time for the crew to discover a new returner.
And the way about veteran defensive again/linebacker Isaiah Simmons? He did not play a single defensive snap, as an alternative watching Flott begin on the place the place he spent a majority of the summer season and, at instances, labored with the primary crew.
Security Dane Belton, in the meantime, performed the “moneybacker” place forward of Simmons. It could not have been what Simmons envisioned when he re-signed with the Giants this offseason.
Defensive captain Dexter Lawrence and third-year edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux additionally had been sad with reporters’ questions within the postgame locker room. They every went with the “subsequent query” method at one level throughout their interview classes.
“It is on the leaders, the captains of the crew, to get everybody’s minds proper and get everybody prepared for the brand new week,” Lawrence mentioned after Sunday’s loss. “Flush this. Personal it initially. Personal your unhealthy performs, personal your good performs. It is on us to show the web page and get the blokes prepared for a brand new week, new problem.”
That is so much for Daboll to therapeutic massage this early within the marketing campaign. These are the forms of issues that often boil over in Week 18. Not Week 1.
That is the form of stuff Daboll has to handle, on prime of maybe his greatest downside of all: quarterback Daniel Jones. He struggled badly once more Sunday, an extension of what unfolded throughout a disastrous 2023 season. His QBR of 17.4 was the third lowest in Week 1.
Jones will stay the Giants’ starter. Hardly a shock contemplating he took each first-team rep forward of backup Drew Lock and third-stringer Tommy DeVito at coaching camp. Actually, Daboll is not going to alter the quarterback reps in any respect all through the week. It is seemingly not going to sluggish the outpouring of calls from the skin for Jones to lose his beginning job.
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Jones is doing his finest to disregard all of it.
“I am centered on doing my job and enjoying in addition to I can,” Jones mentioned. “So I’ve bought to play higher. I do know that, and I am centered on doing that.”
It is solely Week 1, and that is the place Daboll and the Giants stand. Nabers is being compelled to reply questions on whether or not his quarterback is nice sufficient. He was even requested in his postgame interview whether or not Jones regarded for him as a lot as he anticipated in his first profession recreation.
Daboll goes to have his arms full retaining it collectively, particularly if they cannot win on the highway Sunday in opposition to the Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox). If the Giants lose to Minnesota and Washington, the place are there going to be wins? What does this imply for Daboll and most of the guys within the locker room? The Giants have the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys on deck in Weeks 3 and 4.
The shedding additionally appears to be sporting on Lawrence. He informed ESPN a number of weeks again “there may be solely a lot B.S. that an individual can deal with.”
The gamers are a part of that equation. However so is the coach, who bears the last word duty of retaining everybody collectively.
It is on Daboll to ensure he does not lose this already fragile locker room. It is not going to be simple if this season goes the place Week 1 suggests it is headed.
