The Giants.com crew discusses biggest takeaways from the Giants' preseason game in Houston:

John Schmeelk: Teams aren't going to win many games when they turn the ball over five times, or frankly, stay close in many games. With that said, the whole point of preseason is to see if there's anything a team is doing that might carry over to the regular season.

Despite the early turnovers, the Giants continued to attack aggressively down the field because they protected long enough to do so, which Citak will cover in his section. But even with good protection, the frequency the Giants attacked down field was astounding.

According to PFF, Daniel Jones threw four passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air, completing two of them. It was the same number of completions of 20+ yards he had all of last year. He only had four such attempts in a single game last season, with 12 total attempts.

The Giants are going to feature a down-field passing game this season, and they have the weapons to do it. I can't wait to see it.

Dan Salomone: Let's revisit a quote from general manager Joe Schoen on draft night. He was just asked about Malik Nabers' toughness, evidenced by the star wide receiver never missing a game despite suffering a shoulder injury in his final season at LSU.

"That's legit," Schoen said at the time. "Talking to the trainers and the medical staff, this guy didn't miss – whatever it is, he's going to fight through it. He's tough, doesn't miss games, doesn't miss practice. If he can play, he's going to play. That's the way this kid is wired."

Fast-forwarding to last Sunday, the sixth overall pick turned his ankle in the dog days of training camp and Giants fans collectively held their breath. True to form, Nabers was a full participant in practice by Thursday, on the team plane to Houston (for the team's longest preseason trip since playing in Germany in 1994) by Friday, and making "wow" catches by Saturday.

"You'll see it," Schoen prognosticated on the night of April 25. "When you guys get around and see the way he practices and the way he plays on game day and see his highlights and you see some of the stuff he can do, whether it's with the ball in his hand, without the ball in his hand. When guys are wired like that, at his age, that's ingrained in him by then. That's who he is. Looking forward to bringing some of that toughness and explosiveness to the roster."

Matt Citak: Several things stood out to me during Saturday's game in Houston, but perhaps the most significant was the team's pass protection. We know how much the offensive line struggled last year, but general manager Joe Schoen prioritized the trenches this offseason, starting with the addition of position coach Carmen Bricillo. While we are only two preseason games in, the early results show that the investment is paying off.

The Giants were credited with just six total pressures allowed all night, according to Pro Football Focus, only one of which resulted in a sack. This performance came despite the fact that guard Jon Runyan Jr. did not suit up and center John Michael Schmitz played limited snaps. Left tackle Andrew Thomas, right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, right guard Greg Van Roten and left guard Aaron Stinnie were all on the field for 21 pass blocking snaps and did not surrender a single pressure. The same goes for Schmitz and Austin Schlottmann, who combined for 37 pass blocking snaps. More important than the raw stats, it was clear to see how in sync the line was with their communication, picking up stunts from the Texans' pass rush. Throughout the first half, quarterback Daniel Jones had plenty of time to operate and move around the pocket, something he did not have during his six games last year. This gave Jones time to wait for plays to unfold before pushing the ball downfield, as John discussed.

"They continue to improve," coach Brian Daboll told the media Sunday. "I'd say we've added good pieces in terms of the veterans that we've added. Communication, it was good to get John Michael back out there so he could work with some of the guys. Veterans that care, that are smart, that are tough, that have played the game, that are all on the same page. That's what it requires to be an improved, good offensive line is making sure five guys are playing as one, seeing it through the same set of eyes."

A healthy Thomas at left tackle is easily the most significant change from last year's line. But the additions of Eluemunor, Van Roten, Stinnie, Schlottmann, and Runyan when he gets back on the field, should go a long way in helping this unit improve greatly from 2023. And let's not forget Bricillo, whose fingerprints are all over the early success of this revamped line.