Is it pointless to obsess about the starting Giants’ offense going pointless with Eli Manning at the controls this preseason?
Manning has been on the field for 12 possessions this summer — he did not play at all in the opener — and the net result is, well, nothing. No points. Perhaps the fact Manning this time of year does not do much to change plays at the line of scrimmage, or Ben McAdoo as a first-time head coach keeping things as secretive as possible has something to do with the lack of results. Still, nothing is not anything and it can become something to worry about with the real games arriving soon.
“Relax,’’ cautioned Shane Vereen, the veteran running back. “It is preseason for a reason. It is camp for a reason. There are a lot of times where the coaches have something else in mind. Something that we need to work on, something that we don’t need to work on, something that they need to see. It is what it is. It counts on Sept. 11th.”
Of that we can all be sure. All ills can be cured if the Giants put up plenty of points on the Cowboys in the opener, all of the preseason angst and three-and-out series and rushing attempts for no gain will quickly be forgotten. Not much will be gained Thursday night as far as confidence-building for the offense, as the starters are not expected to play much — and some not at all — in the preseason finale against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium.
“It is preseason, so you don’t want to show everything that you have,’’ said rookie receiver Sterling Shepard, who has only one catch in his first NFL preseason. “It is kind of hard to get frustrated about not getting any balls this early, so I don’t think anyone was really frustrated about it.
“We have the personnel to do it. We have guys that are ready and hungry to play. I don’t feel like what has happened in the preseason is going to affect us in the regular season at all.’’
Of course, Shepard never actually has played in an NFL regular-season game. His spot is secure, but for so many youngsters filling the 75-man roster, this last preseason game will be their final showcase, as backups and reserves will dominate the bulk of the playing time. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by Saturday.
“We’re obviously going to take a nice long look at some guys at the bottom part of the roster and give them an opportunity,’’ McAdoo said. “So, it counts.’’
Jobs are open almost across the board. At receiver, Tavarres King hopes to build off the momentum he sparked last weekend, when he caught two touchdown passes from Ryan Nassib in a comeback victory over the Jets. King, a member of the practice squad in 2015, appears to have positioned himself ahead of Roger Lewis, Darius Powe and Anthony Dablé for one of the final receiver slots.
“I know what is there, I know that I am a good player,’’ said King, who caught two passes for the Buccaneers in 2014. “I know that I can play this game.’’
Jobs at linebacker and in the defensive backfield are up for grabs. Rookie Ishaq Williams from Brooklyn and Notre Dame is making a push since he moved to linebacker from defensive end, the same transition Brad Bars is attempting. Does one of them have enough to nudge Mark Herzlich off the team? At cornerback, diminutive Donte Deayon, undrafted out of Boise State, has spunk and is something of a favorite of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. At safety, rookie Andrew Adams from UConn has made enough plays for the coaching staff to take notice. Can he beat out Mykkele Thompson or Justin Currie?
There are six running backs on the roster, and at least one will undoubtedly have to go. Only Rashad Jennings and Vereen are lockdown safe. Rookie Paul Perkins, a fifth-round pick, got a late start, as he had to wait for classes to end at UCLA and has struggled to catch up, but the Giants are not jettisoning a promising draft pick. That leaves Andre Williams, Orleans Darkwa and Bobby Rainey for two and possibly one spot. Rainey adds a pass-catching and speed/special teams dimension but is shaky with ball security. Williams was a 2014 fourth-round pick and that works in his favor.
3 to watch
Jerell Adams, tight end
The rookie seventh-round pick from South Carolina might already be the best blocking tight end on the team and that should secure him a spot.
Leon Hall, cornerback
The veteran has not exactly lit up anything since signing. He might be biding his time and rounding into form for the season. Some good work in this game wouldn’t hurt, though.
Louis Nix III, defensive tackle
The battle for the last-remaining spot as a wide-body, run-stopping reserve figures to be Nix (331 pounds) vs. Montori Hughes (350). Hughes has more experience (16 games with the Colts), but Nix probably has more potential.