Heading into the 2024 season, the New York Giants had several big questions: the health of quarterback Daniel Jones and his knee surgery, the performance of their newly rebuilt offensive line, and whether first-round draft pick Malik Nabers would prove himself as a top receiver.
In their second preseason game, the Giants faced the Texans and lost 28-10, but there were positive signs for coach Brian Daboll. The offensive line performed well, and Nabers made a memorable play with a 21-yard catch along the sideline late in the first half.
Jones played for the first time since his ACL injury last November. He struggled, throwing two interceptions, including a Pick-6, and ended the game with 138 yards on 11 of 18 passing attempts.
For the Giants to improve on their disappointing 6-11 season, Jones will need to perform better, especially with limited backup options like veteran Drew Lock and second-year player Tommy DeVito.
The new offensive line, which was revamped after allowing a record 85 sacks last year, was effective. The starting line of Andrew Thomas, Aaron Stinnie, John-Michael Schmitz, Greg Van Roten, and Jermaine Eluemunor did not give up a sack and mostly protected Jones.
However, they did allow some pressure on a key play. On a second-and-8 from their own 8-yard line, Jones threw a pass that was intercepted by Texans safety Jalen Pitre and returned for a touchdown. Jones acknowledged he should have thrown the ball differently.
Coach Daboll noted that such mistakes are part of the process and that the team will learn and improve. Jones also had a pass intercepted by Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. but later connected with Darius Slayton for a 44-yard gain, leading to a short touchdown run by Devin Singletary.
