Cover 3: Takeaways from first preseason game

Dan Salomone: In his postgame press conference, coach Brian Daboll used variations of the words “tough” or “physical” a total of 14 times. What do you think has been on his mind this offseason? Back at the draft, he let everyone in on a little secret that toughness is “probably near the top” on his list of coveted traits, which we all know are “smart, tough, dependable.”

He said that after the Day 2 selections of safety Tyler Nubin and nickel cornerback Dru Phillips, who complemented the ultra-competitive Malik Nabers from the night before. The Giants rounded out the class with running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. and linebacker Darius Muasau, putting a stamp on the third cycle of roster-building under the current management.

Of course, the draft hasn’t been the only avenue. Big and small, the Giants have stacked transactions that they hope will ultimately lead to a mentally and physically tough team. [Insert boilerplate disclaimer that the game was largely played by backups] and Thursday night was a step in the right direction, particularly for the defense. The Giants recorded four sacks and eight tackles for loss while holding the Lions to 5-for-17 on third down, 0-for-4 on fourth down, and 0-for-3 in the red zone.

“I thought we brought guys in that have some toughness, young players, some veteran players, and again, this is a physical sport – mental and physical,” Daboll said. “So being mentally tough, being physically tough, I think you’ve got to train that. You do that in training camp. It’s also the type of individuals you bring in. I think Ghoby [special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial] does a great job with that. I think [defensive coordinator] Shane [Bowen] does a great job with that, the new coaches we brought in. We’re a work in progress, but we’re going to try to be physical.”

Daboll added, “I thought Shane was really good. Just being the first time with him, very composed, got the play in quickly, good communicator with the signal callers. And I’d say same thing with Ghoby, very organized. They did a nice job creating field position for the first time out there. But the procedure, I was pleased with the procedure of the coaching staff and of the players.”