EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Notes and statistics from the Giants' 28-6 season opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings in MetLife Stadium.
*Five rookies started the game for the Giants: wide receiver Malik Nabers, the team's first-round draft choice and tight end Theo Johnson (fourth round) on offense; safety Tyler Nubin (second round), linebacker Darius Muasau (sixth round) and defensive tackle Elijah Chatman (undrafted) on defense.
This is the 55th season since the 1970 merger, and it's the first time the Giants a) started five rookies in a season opener, and b) started two rookies on both offense and defense in an opener.
Muasau's inclusion in the lineup marked the second straight year the Giants' sixth-round draft choice started the first game. Last year, it was cornerback Tre Hawkins.
Chatman was the first undrafted rookie defensive player to start for the Giants in a season opener since the merger. He was the first undrafted free agent to start since fullback Shane Smith in 2017.
*All six of the Giants' 2024 draft choices played. Nabers caught five passes for a team-high 66 yards, including a team-long 25-yarder. Nubin led the Giants with seven tackles (five solo). Cornerback Dru Phillips had four tackles (three solo), one of them for lost yardage, and forced one fumble. Johnson picked up 18 yards on his only catch. Running back Tyrone Tracy gained two yards on two carries and caught one pass for five yards. Muasau intercepted a pass and was right behind Nubin with six tackles (four solo). He was the first Giants defender to intercept a pass in his NFL debut since Niko Lalos at Cincinnati on Nov. 29, 2020.
Chatman was credited with one solo tackle.
*Wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who missed the 2023 season with a torn ACL, also made his NFL debut, on special teams.
*The Giants' defense forced a turnover on Minnesota's third play of the game when Vikings fullback C.J. Ham caught a Sam Darnold pass and ran for eight yards before he lost the ball on a hit by Phillips – who was credited with a forced fumble on his first career snap. The ball was recovered by linebacker Bobby Okereke. It was his first fumble recovery with the Giants and first since Nov. 6, 2022, when he played for Indianapolis at New England.
This was the Giants' third takeaway on an opponent's first position since the middle of the 2023 season. On Oct. 29 vs. the Jets, Kayvon Thibodeaux sacked Zach Wilson for a 10-yard loss and forced a fumble that was recovered by Jihad Ward. Three weeks later in Washington, Nick McCloud intercepted a Sam Howell pass intended for Dyani Brown.
The defense had a takeaway on an opponent's initial offensive series of the season for the first time since Sept. 12, 1999, when Jessie Armstead sacked Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer at Tampa Bay and forced a fumble that Christian Peter returned 38 yards for a touchdown.
Giants open their 100th season with a Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium.
*Graham Gano scored the Giants' only points on field goals of 23 and 50 yards. The latter was his 24th three-pointer of 50 or more yards in five seasons with the Giants, extending his franchise record. Joe Danelo is second with nine.
*Dexter Lawrence had the Giants' only sack, a seven-yarder of Sam Darnold on the Vikings' second play.
*Cornerback Adoree' Jackson, signed last Monday, had two solo tackles and was flagged for a questionable pass interference penalty.
*In his Giants debut, Devin Singletary led the Giants with 37 rushing yards on 10 carries. Daniel Jones was second with 15 yards on six attempts.
*Jones completed 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked five times and hit 12 times.
*Wan'Dale Robinson had a team-high six receptions, for 44 yards, and his 14-yard run on his only rushing attempt was the Giants' longest of the game.
*The Vikings capped a 99-yard drive in the second quarter with a three-yard Darnold pass to Justin Jefferson. (Including a false start penalty, Minnesota gained 104 yards in the series.) The Vikings needed 11 plays to travel the length of the field, the longest a 44-yard Jefferson reception. It was the first 99-yard possession by a Giants opponent since Oct. 28, 2002, when the Eagles had one in Philadelphia. That series ended with a 40-yard touchdown run by quarterback Donovan McNabb.
*Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel scored the game's final points when he intercepted a Jones pass and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter. Two Giants opponents scored on interception returns in 2023, both in MetLife Stadium: Dallas' DaRon Bland on a 22-yard runback in the season opener, and Seattle's Devon Witherspoon with a 97-yard return on Oct. 2.
*The Giants fell to 51-44-5 on opening day, 51-46-3 in home openers, and 17-17 in season-opening home games, including 4-11 in MetLife Stadium. They have lost six consecutive season-opening home games, last winning on Sept. 12, 2010, vs. Carolina in the first regular-season game played in MetLife Stadium.
*Veterans who made their Giants debut: Singletary, guards Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten, tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, reserve lineman Aaron Stinnie, tight end Chris Manhertz, and linebackers Brian Burns and Ty Summers.
*Wide receiver/return specialist Gunner Olszewski aggravated his groin injury during warmups and was unable to play. Eric Gray, who was lined up deep with Tracy, returned one kickoff for 22 yards. Darius Slayton had one punt return for zero yards.
*Linebacker/special teamer Carter Coughlin left the game with a pectoral injury.
Cornerback Nick McCloud was removed with a knee injury.
*This was the kickoff to the 100th season of Giants football. Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, voted the greatest player in Giants history, accompanied the Giants' five captains to midfield for the coin toss. The team captains were Jones, Andrew Thomas, Okereke, Lawrence and Casey Kreiter.
*The Giants' inactive players were quarterback Tommy DeVito (third quarterback), cornerback Tre Hawkins, safety Anthony Johnson, linebacker Boogie Basham and offensive lineman Jake Kubas.
