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Good morning, New York Giants fans! Here are the stories you need to know the day before the Giants play their last preseason game against the New York Jets.
> Jaxson’s Dart’s benefitting from an experienced, battle-hardened staff with Matt Nagy as coordinator, and Greg Roman, Brian Callahan, Willie Taggart and Tim Kelly as top lieutenants. One big difference for Dart: He’s going from one-word calls to longer, more-traditional West Coast verbiage, which has been both a challenge and, as he sees it, a benefit as he settles in for his second year. As Dart puts it, he needs to know the jobs of all 11 guys anyway, so having to run through everyone’s responsibility should give him more command of the offense. And yes, he’s aware that he needs to hit the deck quicker than he did a year ago, and he’s worked through tape with the coaches to better understand when he needs to prioritize living to see another down. As for Nagy, what’s really interesting to me is this is the first time he’ll get to focus on just being a play-caller—all of his previous experience calling an offense came as a head coach.
> **RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants.** Tracy has operated as New York’s backup running back over the past two seasons, posting at least 740 rushing yards in every campaign with a cumulative 74.0 PFF rushing grade. However, he’s endured a shaky preseason, producing a 40.0 overall PFF grade thanks to allowing a sack (and big hit) on Jaxson Dart as well as fumbling in Week 2.
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> Before the second preseason contest, the Giants signed Najee Harris as depth behind Cam Skattebo, complicating Tracy’s role in the team’s backfield. While Tracy could still make the roster if John Harbaugh elects to retain four running backs, his spot seems tenuous, especially with Devin Singletary (75.0 PFF receiving grade) also shining in August.
> Tyrone Tracy Jr. believes he can be a two-strike hitter.
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> Guilty of committing one high-profile mistake in each of the first two Giants preseason games — a missed pass block that left Jaxson Dart vulnerable to a big hit and concussion check against the Vikings, plus an untouched red zone fumble against the Dolphins — Tracy is itching for his next opportunity rather than sulking about how quickly his two-year NFL résumé has been tarnished.
> **WR Malachi Fields. Best-case scenario:** Fields earns a starting job over Darius Slayton. The Notre Dame product uses his size (6-foot-4, 222 pounds) and strength to become a solid possession target capable of winning one-on-one battles in the red zone.
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> **Worst-case scenario:** Despite a solid camp, Fields gets caught up in the glut of receivers behind Malik Nabers and fails to establish himself as a reliable, productive option during the season. Projected stats: 46 catches for 503 yards, 4 TDs.
> **23\. New York Giants. The bad: Defensive interior --** With Dexter Lawrence II gone, Shelby Harris, DJ Reader and Darius Alexander are set to start on the interior. Remember, this Giants team allowed a league-high 5.3 yards per carry last season. The massive Reader was the most double-teamed player in the NFL last year, according to Next Gen Stats. He’s 32-years-old now, and didn’t record a sack in 2025. The Giants have been managing his workload, as they are with the 35-year-old Harris. Alexander, on the other hand, is the young buck at 25 years old, but has been far from a standout in the two preseason games. So, will this run defense be improved in 2026?
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> **The question: Quarterback** -- Jaxson Dart is a fun quarterback, but can he be a good quarterback? He became just the third rookie to ever throw 10 touchdowns while rushing for eight more scores, but he is also about to start paying rent to the blue medical tent. Apart from needing to play smart, Dart’s completion percentage also ranked outside the top 20 at 63.7%, and J.J. McCarthy and Spencer Rattler threw for more yards per game than Dart did. He’ll need to be better as a passer, but he is certainly capable.
> Perhaps the biggest surprise came when Giants rookie cornerback Colton Hood went to pump gas. New Jersey is the only remaining state where it is illegal to pump your own gas. That’s generally an eye-opener for those who have never been to the Garden State.
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> “I was surprised. The dude came out and I don’t think he spoke English. He was just talking to me and I honestly couldn’t understand what he was saying. I’m just like, ‘Bro, I can pump my own gas. OK, bro!’ He was like, ‘No.’ I told him I can do it. I got it myself. And he kind of walked away.”
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