Giants Snap Counts: What Happened to Daniel Bellinger?

The New York Giants fell flat in their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, losing 28-6 in a fashion that rivaled the embarrassment of last season.

It goes without saying that in such a rout, quarterback Daniel Jones did not play well and the ground game couldn’t get anything going. Clearly, the defense didn’t do much to stop Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold or running back Aaron Jones, either.

But what stood out far below expectations was the job of New York’s coaching staff who had months to prepare for a middling Minnesota team.

In diving into certain snap counts, certain questions should be raised about why head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen made the calls they did.

Tight End: Theo Johnson (61 snaps) vs. Daniel Bellinger (16 snaps)

This isn’t to say that Daboll is wrong in giving his rookie fourth-round pick playing time. But Bellinger was serviceable last year and remained the starter throughout much of camp.

Getting away from his versatility seemed questionable, and while it didn’t have an overt impact on Sunday’s loss, playing the third-most snaps among Giants tight ends could foreshadow trouble for the veteran. Tight end Chris Manhertz (20 snaps) would see more playing time, primarily as a blocker.

Johnson didn’t stand out in his debut, but he is clearly the starting tight end. Whether that’s an early pivot to a youth movement or a desperate attempt to replace Darren Waller is yet to be seen. Bellinger’s days as the primary tight end, though, seem to be over.

Receiver: Jalin Hyatt (15 snaps)

New York had 70 offensive plays. Malik Nabers played every one. Starting receiver Darius Slayton played 50. Slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson played 47.

Sunday was very much a reminder that Hyatt is boundary depth and a role player in this offense, rather than a significant contributor. Yes, his speed is tantalizing and can lead to big plays. But after an ineffective rookie campaign, he hasn’t made much progress toward cutting into Slayton’s snaps.

Given his one-dimensional skill set, expecting him to usurp Slayton was lofty, especially early on. He’ll get additional chances in Week 2 against a weak Washington Commanders secondary, but expectations must be tempered about his standing in the offense.

Related: Giants Not Quitting on Jones, Says Runyan

Cornerback: Dru Phillips (16 snaps)

Two of New York’s defensive players stood out on Sunday: star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and rookie slot corner Andru Phillips.

The problem? Phillips barely played.

He made his impact immediately, forcing a fumble on fullback C.J. Ham. In his handful of coverage reps, he looked the part, too.

And then Cor’Dale Flott played 37 snaps in his place, despite struggling inside last season at working on the boundary throughout camp. It is not overly apparent why Flott – who essentially lost the second cornerback job – had to see the field, unless New York was so committed to stopping the run that it left a promising playmaker on the bench for a little more muscle against 11 personnel.

Phillips looked ready for a full-time role and played well throughout the summer. For a team in desperate need of young talent proving themselves as contributors, his lack of playing time was confusing at best.