EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Vast receiver Jalin Hyatt was out of the locker room rapidly, in road 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 sport of the yr,” coach Brian Daboll stated, 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 soar 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 the whole lot out of his bag of tips as a result of regardless that it was just one loss, it was that unhealthy. It’ll be a problem maintaining this locker room collectively if issues proceed to go south.
The frustration on Sunday was palpable. This wasn’t only a group that had misplaced one sport early in a promising season. It was a gaggle teetering on the sting of falling into much more losses.
“Simply down as a result of laborious you’re employed all offseason. All offseason, all OTAs, all coaching camp,” security Jason Pinnock stated.
HYATT, THE SECOND-year receiver who was a third-round decide final yr, had performed 4 snaps by the primary three quarters after spending a lot of the summer time because the group’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 group’s “third/fourth” receiver.
“That would change week to week,” Daboll stated of the huge 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 complete summer time engaged on the skin. Daboll stated Monday he in all probability 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.
In the meantime, Adoree’ Jackson, re-signed simply over per week earlier than the opener, performed a very good chunk of the snaps on the skin. He dedicated a pricey however controversial 35-yard go 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 line with Daboll. Time for the group 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 time and, at occasions, labored with the primary group.
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 have 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 group, to get everybody’s minds proper and get everybody prepared for the brand new week,” Lawrence stated after Sunday’s loss. “Flush this. Personal it to begin with. Personal your unhealthy performs, personal your good performs. It is on us to show the web page and get the fellows 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 sorts of issues that normally boil over in Week 18. Not Week 1.
That is the form of stuff Daboll has to handle, on prime of maybe his largest 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. In truth, Daboll is not going to alter the quarterback reps in any respect all through the week. It is probably not going to gradual the outpouring of calls from the skin for Jones to lose his beginning job.
Jones is doing his greatest to disregard all of it.
“I am centered on doing my job and enjoying in addition to I can,” Jones stated. “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 pressured to reply questions on whether or not his quarterback is sweet sufficient. He was even requested in his postgame interview whether or not Jones seemed for him as a lot as he anticipated in his first profession sport.
Daboll goes to have his palms full maintaining it collectively, particularly if they can not win on the highway Sunday towards 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 dropping additionally appears to be carrying on Lawrence. He instructed 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 accountability of maintaining everybody collectively.
It is on Daboll to verify he does not lose this already fragile locker room. It isn’t going to be straightforward if this season goes the place Week 1 suggests it is headed.
