Experts praise Giants coaching staff in win over Panthers
The Giants put together a well-balanced victory over Carolina on Friday night, which has led to the coaching staff garnering praise from members of the media.
With the exception of running back Saquon Barkley, the Giants played most of their starters, and they did not disappoint. The offense stormed down the field and got into the end zone in under five minutes, which was the first of three offensive touchdowns in the first half.
Quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito completed 26 of 33 pass attempts (78.8 percent) for 230 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions with an additional 29 yards on the ground. The three quarterbacks finished the night with a total passer rating of 118.1.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky took to Twitter to praise the offensive minds of head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, whom the analyst referred to as "a tremendous duo."
Daboll and Kafka helped transform the offense last season with many of the same players as the year before. Under Daboll and Kafka, the unit scored a touchdown on 63.3 percent of its trips inside the red zone, the seventh-best mark in the NFL.
Additionally, the Giants run game finished top five in yards, yards per attempt and touchdowns, while the offense's 16 total turnovers were the second-fewest in the league. Daniel Jones' 1.1 interception percentage not only led the NFL in 2022, but also set a new franchise record.
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger complimented the Giants coaches on Twitter as well.
"These Giants are going to be fun to watch, because they've got skills, they've got talent, and they have a creative mind," said Baldinger.
Not to be outdone, the defense was also strong in the first half. Aside from one drive that resulted in a field goal, the Giants held the Panthers to a total of 19 yards. While Carolina had a little more success in the second half, the Giants still held the Panthers to just 230 total yards on the night.
No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young was on the field for two offensive series. The rookie finished his night with 35 yards on 50 percent passing and a 68.1 passer rating. Young and the two other Panthers quarterbacks, Matt Corral and Jake Luton, threw for a total of 134 yards and one touchdown while completing 14 for 26 pass attempts (53.8 percent). Meanwhile, Carolina rushed the ball 28 times but for 101 yards, good for an average yards per carry of 3.6.
This led to Baldinger also adding some praise for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
"Martindale may have moved from Baltimore to New York for his defensive coordinator duties, but his aggressive nature and play calling remained intact — and successful," PFF's Trevor Sikkema wrote last month when he ranked Martindale among the top defensive coordinators in the league. "No team in the NFL last year played more Cover 0 or Cover 1 (man coverage) than the Giants. Their coverage and pass-rush units were in sync, yielding 136 pressures and 24 sacks while in man coverage. At 60 years old and with 18 years of NFL experience, Martindale is still dialing it up with the best of them."
The Giants defense found plenty of success in its first season under Martindale. The unit finished the year ranked fifth in both third down conversion percentage (35.1 percent) and red zone conversion percentage (49.2 percent).
The unit also allowed 39.8 percent of their opponents' drives to end in a score, which was the eighth-best mark in the league. The team's 106 quarterback hits were also tied for the eighth-most, while their 41 sacks ranked 13th.
View photos from the home preseason opener between the Giants and Panthers at MetLife Stadium.
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