The New York Giants finished the postseason 3-0, their first undefeated preseason since 2014. Several players impressed on the field, both low-round and undrafted free agents to first-round picks, who can contribute at any point in the season. It’s still a very long stretch to say they’re contenders for the NFC East crown, but they have a foundation now.

It was offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor who said it best, remarking that “you don’t win any Super Bowls in the preseason.” While it’s true that the preseason doesn’t count in the long run, it gives an insight and a gauge to measure the team’s depth, chemistry and future for the 2025 season. To get the best possible idea, we’ll have to break down every single Giants game separately to see who excelled and who fell apart.

Preseason Week 1: Buffalo Bills (W 34-25)

Again, before going any further, most defenses rest their starters completely or have limited playing time during the preseason. It doesn’t take away most of the work the backup or third-string players put in, if at all. The Bills defense still ranked around the average of all NFL teams, so this can act as a fair test against the league’s standard.

This was the first time we saw all four quarterbacks take some snaps on the football field. For starters, no quarterback finished with a completion percentage under 60%, with first-round pick Jaxson Dart holding a 62% completion rate. He, Tommy DeVito and Jameis Winston all threw for a touchdown, going 35 of 51 for 317 yards and three touchdowns.

The big reason? The Giants’ offensive line was great in pass protection. There were moments of frustration, including Marcus Mbow being batted around, blocked passes, and near interceptions. Still, not allowing a sack in an entire football game is no easy feat. Giving the quarterback time to throw and make decisions easily opens the door to 30+ point performances, something the team has struggled with in recent memory.

The downside is the lack of a running game. The absence of Saquon Barkley continues to loom large, with Dart being the leader in rushing yards with 24 in the game. When the quarterbacks make up nearly half of the rushing for your offense, there needs to be a serious look into the running back rotation. Tyrone Tracy Jr. offers the most promise, but that’s the equivalent of putting a rubber stamp on the next-best thing.

Preseason Week 2: New York Jets (W 32-13)

The defense hasn’t even been discussed yet. In week 1, the team surrendered 389 yards, but forced the Bills offense to 1/9 on third down conversions and 2/4 on red zone opportunities. In week 2, the team held the Jets to 333 yards, 8/17 on third down, and 1/2 on fourth downs. In both games, they registered a turnover. The defense performed fine, but there wasn’t a standout player that really shone on that side of the ball.

The rushing game performed better than last week, rushing 21 times for 80 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those rushing touchdowns were quarterback sneaks, but the offensive line being able to improve their run-blocking to allow for those plays to be successful is important. There still needs to be much work done on the run-game side to allow for a really effective offense.

Passing-wise, the team continued to throw well, going for nearly 400 yards and a completion rate just under 67%. They did throw two interceptions and was sacked twice, one of those sacks technically going for zero yards. The offense was highlighted by an 80-yard strike from Russell Wilson to undrafted free agent signing Beaux Collins. Against a team that had one of the better secondaries last year, it can be taken as an optimistic sign. There wasn’t anything special from this game outside of continued success at the quarterback and offensive-line positions.

Preseason Week 3: New England Patriots (W 42-10)

Their last game of the preseason was by far their most dominant and impressive showing throughout the entire month. The defense limited the Patriots’ offense to under 200 yards in 12 drives, including one that ended in a pick-six for 44 yards. They limited the offense to five third-down conversions out of 14 opportunities, while keeping yards per rush to around three and a quarterback completion rate at 50%.

There were also some issues on offense, including Dante Miller losing a fumble and Jameis Winston throwing a bit of a careless interception. Dart also got knocked out of the game with a concussion on the team’s lone surrendered sack. Regardless, the team threw for five touchdowns against another average defense. Cam Sakttebo also made his debut, rushing four times for 12 yards.

Again, the offensive line is showing some signs of improvement this year across the board. While the running game is going to need some work, their pass blocking seems to be extremely effective against backups and third-stringers. It remains to be seen how they perform against starters and elite pass rushers.