Sportsnaut
The wait is over as the New York Giants will play their first preseason game this Saturday against the Buffalo Bills.
There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding Big Blue coming into this season as they made significant upgrades throughout the roster. But time will tell if the fourth season of the Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll regime will be a successful one.
It’s unclear how many starters will play or for how long, but you can rest assured that the new acquisitions from this offseason will see significant playing time on Saturday.
Here are the top players to keep an eye on.
Daboll announced Thursday that Jaxson Dart will play against the Bills, and the rookie quarterback is excited to see his first NFL action.
“I’m excited. This is just the start of a dream of mine, so I’m excited to take that next step, be out there, compete at the highest level,” said Dart. “My family’s going to be there, so I’m super excited to have them a part of this journey with me, and yeah, I think that’s really it. I’m just stoked for the opportunity.”
Dart should see a decent amount of action where he attempts double-digit passes to get him acclimated to game action. Dart represents the franchise’s future, and fans will get their first glimpse at the quarterback who will lead the team.
Abdul Carter will also get his first NFL action on Saturday as he will look to wreak havoc against the Bills just as he’s done in training camp. He expressed his excitement for playing his first game in a long time.
“Yeah, I’m excited for sure. Definitely a good opportunity for me to get my routine down, like coming into a football game,” said Carter. “My last game was, shoot, six months ago, something like that. So, it’s cool to come out here, get a routine down, play football again. I’m excited.”
Carter should play a few series to work on his technique and get accustomed to game action. Carter has an explosive first step and might register a sack or two on Saturday.
When the Giants offense takes the field for the first time on Saturday, there’s a good chance that James Hudson will start at left tackle, and fifth-round pick Marcus Mbow at right tackle. Hudson and Mbow have been solid in training camp, but now they’ll have to protect a quarterback that’s not wearing a red practice jersey against defenders trying to get a sack.
With Andrew Thomas still not practicing, the team might need to rely on Hudson or Mbow to start Week 1 if he isn’t ready. Keep an eye on both tackles on Saturday as they could play pivotal roles early in the season.
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