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The New York Giants capped off a week of intense joint practices with a preseason-opening 14-3 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.
It was a well-rounded performance by the Giants with a few exceptions. Special teams struggled to adjust to the new kickoff rule, while overall team discipline was lacking.
The few issues aside, it was an encouraging first step for head coach Brian Daboll and his Giants. Perhaps most notably, the team appears to have much more solid depth than they did just a year ago.
Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 1 preseason victory.
Offensive snaps: 58
Defensive snaps: 70
Special teams snaps: 22
Although pregame reports were suggesting wide receivers Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt would be inactive, each player talked their way onto the field. They took a combined 23 snaps but saw just one total target (Hyatt).
What running back Eric Gray was able to accomplish on just 15 snaps is extremely impressive.
Defensively, safety Alex Johnson, who has impressed at times in training camp, received the bulk of the load and got the longest look with 52 snaps. Linebacker Azeez Ojulari also saw extended field time, taking 50 percent of the defensive snaps.