The New York Giants lost to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Saturday by a score of 28-10 in a game that had a little bit of everything. Some players established themselves while others saw their stock slip.
Injuries also played a major role before, during, and after the game. The Giants are beaten up and that will greatly impact some players, both positively and negatively.
Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s stock report.
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The free agent out of SMU is living in the opposing team’s backfield. It is a wonder how Elijah Chatman went undrafted (we know, he is undersized). He weighed 278 pounds out of college but is now up to 285. In Saturday’s game, Chatman was all over the field and even chased — and caught — Houston running back J.J. Taylor some 40-plus yards down the sidelines.
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Isaiah Simmons really can’t be blamed for being a man without a natural position. The Giants started him at slot corner in this game and he struggled to keep up with the speedy Texans receivers in space. He won’t be used there once rookie Dru Phillips is healthy, so there’s no worry. But the experiment to make him a defensive back appears to be failing.
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Isaiah McKenzie was signed for his versatility as a returner and a wideout. With the news that Gunner Olszewski will be out for a while, he becomes the Giants’ most experienced returner. Against Houston, McKenzie averaged 27.7 yards on three kickoff returns and had a 12-yard punt return with three fair catches.
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The Giants have a glut of very similarly talented players behind Dexter Lawrence and Rakeem Nunez-Roches along the defensive line. D.J. Davidson, in his third season, is up against rookie Elijah Chatman, veteran Timmy Horne, Ryder Anderson, and two other Oregon alums in Jordon Riley and Casey Rogers. He can’t afford to have a mistake-laden game with two penalties like he had against Houston.
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With Tyrone Tracy, Jr. and Dante Miller both out, Eric Gray got another extended look on Saturday and averaged 6.0 yards per carry on three attempts and caught five passes for 22 yards. He is showing that he can be productive as well as reliable. Devin Singletary is the No. 1 right now, but the Giants can’t ignore Gray’s emergence here in his second season.
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Darrian Beavers has had a rough start to his NFL career, missing his rookie season of 2022 with a torn ACL. Then, last summer, he was cut and added back to the practice squad. He played in the Giants’ final two games last year and is back to give it another shot. He won’t get far playing like he did in Houston, missing tackles and not looking good doing it.
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The Giants selected Tyler Nubin in the second round of this year’s draft for his aggressiveness, football acumen, and ability to locate the football and take it away. After some leg ailments, he’s looking like that player, not to mention his ability to blitz the passer. He could likely get his starting gig back soon.
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When the Giants drafted Dane Belton a few years back, he was described as a “tweener,” meaning he could play either safety or linebacker. In Shane Bowen’s defense, he’s a safety. That means he’ll have to man up in coverage at times and he’s just not as good at that as Nubin, among other things. Belton is the starter for now but that could change here very soon.
