Deep, talented receiver corps a Giant luxury item
Giants wide receiver John Ross celebrates his touchdown reception with wide receiver Kenny Golladay in the first half of an NFL game against the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday. Credit: AP/Derick Hingle
The Giants had one of their most prolific passing games in years on Sunday.
After just 20 pass plays of 15 or more yards in the first three games, they had 12 of them against the Saints, the most in the NFL in Week 4. In fact, no one else in the league had more than nine. Seven of those long Giants connections went for 20 or more yards and two went for key 50-plus yard touchdowns.
After three games only 33% of Daniel Jones’ passing yards had come after catches, which was the second-lowest percentage in the NFL. Almost half of his 402 passing yards on Sunday came after catches, including the 54-yard touchdown reception and run by Saquon Barkley and the critical 28-yard reception by Kenny Golladay that set up the tying field goal late in the fourth quarter.
That they put up such numbers is impressive. That they did so without two of their key receiving weapons is amazing.
Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, who until Sunday were the only players on the roster with touchdown receptions, were sidelined with hamstring injuries. That meant more opportunities for Golladay, John Ross and Kadarius Toney.
But what happens when Shepard and Slayton return?
It’s unclear if the Giants will need to address that matter this week. The two injured players will be assessed in the upcoming practices to gauge their readiness for the game against the Cowboys. If last Sunday showed anything, it’s that they need not rush back and the Giants are in fine hands with the crew they put on the field in New Orleans.
Eventually, though, they will be ready to play. Certainly they can’t all be on the field at the same time. Will they reduce Toney’s snaps, even though he is the most electric of their receivers? Will they play Ross more sparingly, even though he brings a deep-threat element that no one else can provide? Will Slayton become the odd man out?
It’s not a terrible problem to have, but it may be something the Giants will have to answer.
"I don’t know if I have the case of having ‘too many guys’ to throw the ball to," Joe Judge said. "In terms of having all those guys available when they’re all up and healthy, to me you want to have as many good players at the game as possible. I think all those guys are very capable of making plays. Whoever the open player is, we want to get the ball to and have them make a play."
That’s not even considering the player on the team with the third-most receptions is the running back (Barkley with 14) and the tight ends, Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph, are only starting to be incorporated into the passing game (a combined 13 receptions for 105 yards between them).
For now, the Giants will just enjoy that the position on the field where they need the most players to step up — wide receiver — also happens to be the deepest on the roster.
"I’m very pleased with the way those guys are coming along as a unit and the improvements they’re making and the production they’re having," Judge said of the receivers.
As they get healthier, it should only get better.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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