Giants Week 10 Opponent Loses Best Player

SEPT 13 – BROWN OUT – The New York Giants had a tough week, there’s no denying that.

But the Carolina Panthers might have had it worse.

After losing 47-10, the Panthers might feel worse about their quarterback and No. 1 pick Bryce Young than the Giants do about theirs.

Then on Monday, they got even worse news – defensive tackle Derrick Brown, the team’s best player, will miss the rest of the season with a meniscus.

New York will play Carolina in Germany for Week 10’s festivities. Without the two-way starpower Brown provides, the offense’s job will be made significantly easier, although the road to the top pick in the draft may have hit a bump in the road.

SEPT 12 – FORBES (INJURY) LIST – The New York Giants are licking their wounds, hoping to get their season back on track against the Washington Commanders.

But one look at the Washington secondary might have them licking their chops instead.

The Commanders allowed 289 yards and four touchdowns through the air in Week 1 – a 37-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, their defensive backfield is even weaker.

Cornerback and former first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr. will undergo surgery to repair a torn UCL in his thumb, per Ian Rapoport .

This presumably takes him off the field for Sunday’s Week 2 affair in Landover, although it isn’t yet clear if he’ll be ready to visit New York in Week 9.

SEPT 12 – ROOKIE SENSATION – New York Giants fans are still waiting for rookie receiver Malik Nabers to really make his mark – finding the end zone, a signature play, leaving a rival in the dust.

He’ll get that opportunity on Sunday when the Giants visit the Washington Commanders.

The Commanders, of course, are led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. After an intriguing NFL debut, Daniels’ found himself on an esteemed list: Peter Schrager’s top five rookies of the week .

Daniels landed fourth on his list, behind only Kansas City Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, and Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt.

After completing 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards (and scrambling another 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns), Daniels has established himself as one of the most dynamic young talents in the sport and a problem for New York on Sunday.

SEPT 11 – NFC EAST IN-FIGHTING – Fair or not, the New York Giants have been heavily criticized for letting running back Saquon Barkley walk in free agency.

The Giants lost a star running back, the Philadelphia Eagles gained a rejuvenated weapon, and the road to the Dallas Cowboys repeating as NFC East champions that much tougher.

Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons recently sounded off on the move.

“I think Saquon has a chance to be Offensive Player of the Year in this offense,” he said on his podcast . “... I tweeted that the Giants should be under investigation. You know why? Because how do you let this explosive weapon go to an NFC rival? Now, I get it, you paid Daniel Jones, but this is a brand new Saquon.”

Barkley rushed 24 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, adding two catches for 23 yards and a score through the air.

SEPT 9 – TONEY SIGNS – Just a day after enduring an embarrassing offensive performance, the Cleveland Browns are looking at reinforcements.

No change is imminent under center. They’ve locked themselves into the Deshaun Watson experience and will pay the price. Thus, addressing the receiver spot was their first priority.

According to Ian Rapoport , the Browns signed former New York Giants receiver Kadarius Toney to their practice squad.

While he isn’t locked into a role on Sundays, Watson’s struggles likely played a role in this decision. Toney offers big-play upside as a gadget threat, which Cleveland may be more reliant on if Watson cannot drive the ball while retaining any semblance of accuracy. He may also take on a role at special teams, finding chunk gains in the form of kick returns.

New York will visit Cleveland on Sept. 22.

SEPT 9 – LAMAR AT LIX – On the first Sunday of the NFL season, the league made a special announcement to capitalize on the hype.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar will perform at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans to end the 2024 season.

The news comes as several teams saw their Super Bowl dreams dampened by pitiful Week 1 performances. The usual suspects struggled mightily as the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders all looked bad in their season openers.

With the New York Giants’ 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, they too look like they’ll need a ticket to see Lamar live in February.

SEPT 8 – DREAM’S DEAD – The season opener is a day for optimism, excitement, and the limitless possibilities of the next few months.

For the New York Giants, though, one of their dreams has officially died.

On Sunday, just hours before the new season, the Dallas Cowboys extended Dak Prescott, per Ian Rapoport.

The deal is a massive four-year, $240 million contract, with $231 million guaranteed. His $60 million average annual value is record-setting and emblematic of the leverage he had over America’s Team.

Thus, he remains a problem for New York, who faces him twice every year, and he’s no longer the free agent target of their wildest dreams.

SEPT 7 – TONEY TRIES AGAIN – It has been a busy week for former New York Giants receiver Kadarius Toney.

After being cut by the Kansas City Chiefs, Toney visited the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. He would leave without a deal.

His journey on the open market continued when he tried out for the Cleveland Browns on Friday, per Field Yates .

Cleveland just cut receiver David Bell, so it’s possible he is the beneficiary of some last-minute roster churning.

Still, he’s simply a gadget player at this point, and his easiest path to playing time is probably as a returner given the new rules that incentivize athletic ball carriers to return kicks.

SEPT 5 – COMMANDERS SIGN COSMI – The path to the New York Giants stealing games in 2024 is paved by one of the league’s most imposing defensive lines – Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Brian Burns combining to overwhelm offenses.

Their rival Washington Commanders, though, need quarterback Jayden Daniels to exceed expectations if their season will prove fruitful. And that means protecting him long enough for him to create chaos.

On Wednesday, Washington took a step towards making that protection stick.

According to Adam Schefter , the Commanders signed guard Sam Cosmi to a four-year, $74 million – $46 million of which is guaranteed.

Cosmi allowed just a single sack last season, his first year moving inside from right tackle. His extension is a bet that his transition-induced prowess can stick in an era where quality offensive line play is increasingly rare.

SEPT 4 – TRACKING TONEY – The New York Giants and their fans don’t look back fondly on the Kadarius Toney era in the Big Apple.

It was short, unproductive, and seemingly a waste of everyone’s time – even New York’s trade return would be inconsequential. The third-round pick was used on Darren Waller, who has since retired, and the sixth-round pick, used on corner Tre Hawkins, is the last corner on the depth chart.

Related: Way-Too-Early Mock Draft: Is Sanders to Giants Inevitable?

The receiver’s tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs would prove to have a similar ending, despite him now owning two Super Bowl rings.

After being cut by the Chiefs in August, Toney visited the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday, per Field Yates .

At this point, Toney is a roster long shot due to his lack of production, positionless profile (Kansas City was rumored to try him at running back this summer), and character concerns. Perhaps he’ll be a special teamer or gadget player for Seattle, but nothing seems imminent.

SEPT 3 – ADDISON RETURNS – After an injury scare in the middle of August, Minnesota Vikings receiver Jordan Addison’s season opener was in doubt.

However, Addison and his recovered ankle made it back to practice on Monday, according to ProFootballTalk .

Thus, it seems likely Addison is available for the Vikings’ Week 1 opener against the New York Giants.

The Giants secondary is rather thin, and set to have its hands full with Justin Jefferson looming on the boundary. Addison, a first-round receiver in his own right, will have the opportunity to do damage, even with backup quarterback Sam Darnold under center.

The New York faithful will learn more about their opponent when the injury report drops on Wednesday.