10 Things to Watch in Giants vs. Lions

The relationship between Brian Daboll and Dan Campbell has been well-documented. The two overlapped for one season with the Miami Dolphins back in 2011, when Daboll served as the offensive coordinator and Campbell as the tight ends coach. While they only shared the sideline for one season, it was more than enough time for Campbell to see just how high Daboll’s football IQ is.

“I appreciate our time together,” Campbell told the media earlier this week. “He is one of the smartest football minds I’ve been around. Talk about thinking fast. He tested us as a staff. I learned a ton of football around him. Here’s what I would say, is he’s continued to grow like any great coach has. He evolved. What he was doing in Buffalo was not what we were doing. There were similar concepts, but he evolved with what the roster and that quarterback said he was going to evolve to, what was going to make them best. That’s what he’s done here, and what he will do here. He’s a hell of a coach. He is. You don’t do what you did a year ago without being able to coach. So, I’ve got a lot of respect for Dabs.”

Upon hearing Daboll talk about Campbell, it is very obvious just how mutual the respect is between the two head coaches.

“I got a lot of respect for Dan,” said Daboll. “Dan was the tight end coach for me when I was a coordinator. He’s got great energy. He is who he is. He’s smart. He does a good job of motivating the guys. I’m speaking back when I was a coordinator with him, not knowing him in his role. But he’s got a lot of great intangibles. I got a lot of respect for him.”

The New York Giants released their first unofficial depth chart ahead of the preseason opener against the Lions. As always, it is subject to change. It simply serves as a guide, more so for the media than the coaches.

From left to right, the starting offensive line on the first depth chart is the following – Andrew Thomas at left tackle, Jon Runyan Jr. at left guard, John Michael Schmitz at center, Aaron Stinnie at right guard and Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle.

Two rookies currently man the top spot on their depth chart at their respective positions – first-round wide receiver Malik Nabers and third-round nickel cornerback Dru Phillips.

Dane Belton and Jason Pinnock are currently slotted in as the two starting safeties, while Cor’Dale Flott is listed as the starting outside cornerback opposite Deonte Banks. Elsewhere on the defense, veteran Rakeem Nunez-Roches holds the starting defensive tackle spot next to Dexter Lawrence.

The connection between quarterback Daniel Jones and rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers has been on full display over the first two weeks of training camp. The No. 6 overall pick has been one of Jones’ most targeted receivers, as the 21-year-old has continued to make big play after big play on a near daily basis. The two will continue to work on improving their chemistry as we get closer to the start of the regular season.

“I think it’s growing every day,” Daboll said on the connection between the two players. “Again, Malik’s a rookie. Daniel’s coming back from his surgery. Those guys work hard in individual routes. Obviously, in team periods, I think each day it’s gotten better and better. There’s a lot of nuances to the passing game. We ask him to do a lot. Maybe it’s a couple of different routes each day to make sure that we’re getting the timing and the rhythm down, and if we need to get it again, we go back to another practice or the practice after that to make sure we’re continuing to build that chemistry.”

Nabers caught every pass thrown in his direction during team drills on Monday, including an impressive reception deep down the field. Jones has been targeting the rookie all over the field during camp, from short slant routes to downfield shots. While we have yet to hit the two-week mark of training camp, it’s clear that Nabers has already made a very strong impression on his quarterback.

“I think he can do everything,” the quarterback said about Nabers. “His competitive spirit, his drive. I think when the ball’s up in the air, he expects it to be his, and he’s going to go get it. He’s got all the physical ability in the world, and size, strength, speed, quickness, great hands, and he’s got the attitude that he’s going to go get the ball, and it’s going to be his. We’ve got to keep working and keep building our chemistry, but I thought he’s had a good camp.”

The Giants took a big swing this offseason when they traded for outside linebacker Brian Burns and subsequently signed him to a long-term contract extension. The front office had a vision of pairing Burns with third-year outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux to create a formidable combination on the edge, something we witnessed over the last two days of joint practices.

Burns and Thibodeaux both found themselves in the backfield for sacks over the last two days, an impressive feat against Detroit’s talented offensive line.

“It’s the cohesiveness,” Thibodeaux said. “When you have two rushers that can at the base, just hold down their sides and create a pocket that’s hard for the quarterback to throw out of. It helps the back end; the back end helps the front end. One of the coaches, he likes to say ‘symbiosis’, there’s multiple parts working together for the greater good, but just helping each other. And I said whether it’s communication, whether it’s moves, since we’ve been playing together, I’ve added something to his game. He’s added something to my game. It’s been a real, kind of growth mentality.”

The Lions had one of the best offenses in the NFL last season, finishing fifth in points and third in yards. It was a balanced unit as both their passing and rushing attacks ranked inside the top 5 in yards gained. Going up against a tough first opponent, the Giants defense performed well during the joint practices. Perhaps more importantly, the players clearly showed that they have each other’s backs, something Thibodeaux believes will benefit the unit in the long-term.

“We’re going to stick together,” the third-year OLB said. “I think when I was a rookie, that’s something that helped us and in the front end and the back end of the season, we won four, I don’t know how many games straight, but it’s about sticking together because I think the season is a roller coaster and as consistent as you can stay and as together as you can stay, it’s going to help you in the long run. So, being in different situations with different people, it’s always good to see how a team gels together.”