Biggest takeaways from Giants' preseason loss to Texans

The New York Giants fell 28-10 against the Houston Texans in their second preseason game on Saturday at NRG Stadium.

For the first time this preseason, the Giants starters were on the field together. Both the offense and the defense played the entire first half with the exception of a few defenders who were pulled earlier in the second quarter.

The Giants got to see the debut of quarterback Daniel Jones, but they may wish they didn't have the ability to watch it. The sixth-year quarterback struggled mightily throughout the entire first quarter before settling down against the Texans' backups.

It was a pretty discouraging game from the majority of the roster, but we're here to highlight the biggest takeaways from Saturday's loss.

What we learned from Giants' preseason loss to Texans

Daniel Jones struggles

Some of Jones' struggles can be attributed to the fact that he's coming off a torn ACL and this was his first start in a game setting since the injury. Other parts of his debut simply came from poor decisions that Jones has been making throughout his career.

After resting during the preseason opener following joint practices with the Detroit Lions, Jones and the Giants starting offense were on the field for the entire first half as planned. In total, Jones played five drives. He completed 11-of-18 passes for 138 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and a 45.4 passer rating.

He should have an extra interception, which came on his first throw of the day, but Derek Stingley dropped it. The worst interception was the pick-six Jones threw under pressure from his own end zone. A sixth-year quarterback should know to throw that ball away regardless of the fact he's coming off an injury.

Jones looked much more comfortable in the second quarter, but that also was when the Texans pulled their starters. He had a nice ball to Darius Slayton for a 44-yard gain that set up a touchdown, and he showed off a pretty strong connection with rookie Malik Nabers.

All in all, it was a pretty brutal debut for Jones, and it's clear he's going to need more time to knock off the rust.

Malik Nabers is special

Jones targeted Nabers on the very first play from scrimmage. Stingley jumped the route easily as if the Giants told him what was coming. He dropped the interception. After that, Nabers showed just how special he is.

The rookie hauled in four receptions on six targets for 54 yards, including a miraculous 21-yard catch down the sideline from Jones. It's clear the two need to continue working on their connection. A few of Jones' throws to Nabers were high or behind the rookie.

But Nabers simply moves in a different way than the other receivers on the field. He's going to be heavily targeted and extremely important for the Giants offense.

Offensive line looked solid

Dare we say it? The offensive line actually looked pretty decent. The starting unit was on the field for the entire first half of the game with the exception of center John Michael Schmitz, who was on a planned snap count as he works his way back from a shoulder injury.

While the run game struggled massively to find a rhythm, the pass protection was markedly improved. Granted, the Texans held out some of their top pass rushers, but the Giants don't get to choose who they face off against.

Getting Schmitz fully healthy is a big key for the offensive line and while Jones needs to continue knocking off the rust, some of that can be alleviated if the front five proves to be a stronger unit.

Defense lacked impact plays

There were some impressive plays from the big trio of Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. However, the unit as a whole didn't impact the quarterback much. The Giants defense recorded no sacks, four quarterback hits and just one tackle for loss throughout the entire game.

Shane Bowen's defense didn't record a takeaway and rarely generated any pressure on 38 pass attempts between C.J. Stroud, Case Keenum and Tim Boyle. Only three defensive backs recorded a pass breakup while Lawrence ended the Texans' first drive with a batted pass at the line of scrimmage on fourth down.

If the pass rush can't consistently get home, it's going to be a long season for the Giants defense.

Injuries piling up

A few players didn't play due to injuries such as running back Tyrone Tracy (ankle), tight end Lawrence Cager (groin), guard Jon Runyan (shoulder), linebacker Dyontae Johnson (ankle), cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (quad), cornerback Dru Phillips (ankle) and safety Gervarrius Owens (knee), OL Evan Neal (ankle) and wide receiver Gunner Olszewski (undisclosed).

Meanwhile, linebacker Micah McFadden (hip) was carted off in the first quarter. Defensive linemen Ryder Anderson (hamstring), D.J. Davidson (undisclosed) and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste (lower body) all left the game due to injuries.

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