New York Giants Preseason Week 2 Matchup Preview

The New York Giants have officially broken training camp, but there is still a lot of preseason left to go and a lot more work to get done before their September 10 regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

"This week is going to be our most challenging week," head coach Ben McAdoo said after the team completed its final training camp practice. "We have three games in 11 days coming up. So we need to make sure we get the most out of this week right here, and that's by design.

"We're going to be a little heavy-legged, and we're going to be sore, but we're going to build calluses. When we get our legs back, it's going to lead to great things for us, but we're not going to get them back anytime soon."

New York will start that three-game, 11-day stretch Monday night at the Cleveland Browns. Here's a look at some of the pregame storylines that are sure to be among the many of interest to Giants Nation.

The Offensive Line

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As a unit, the Giants offensive line had some rough patches in the preseason opener, particularly along the interior of the first team.

The coaching staff will be looking for that group to settle down in pass protection while also looking for the second-string offensive line, which had itself an adventure between the struggles of the two rookie tackles (Chad Wheeler and Adam Bisnowaty), D.J. Fluker's flubs and center Brett Jones' poor snap. Altogether, the three Giants offensive-line units yielded seven sacks in the preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The offensive line should get a good test against Cleveland's defensive front, which is being led by rookie Myles Garrett.

Per Pro Football Focus, Garrett ranked second among edge-rushers during Week 1's preseason action with a 28.6 percent run-stop percentage.

Garrett also recorded one tackle for a loss and one quarterback hit in his NFL preseason debut, against the New Orleans Saints in a 20-14 Browns win.

Eli Manning's 2017 Preseason Debut

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Starting quarterback Eli Manning sat out the preseason opener against the Steelers as part of a plan to limit some of what the coaching staff likely views as some unnecessary wear and tear on the 36-year-old's arm.

Ironically, when the Giants returned to work after what ended up being a five-day layoff for Manning, McAdoo let it slip that he thought the two-time Super Bowl MVP was "rusty."

When McAdoo was asked a follow-up question about Manning by a reporter who failed to specify which Eli he was referencing, the 40-year-old head coach decided to have a little fun with the media.

"Eli Apple had a great day," McAdoo said, referring to his starting cornerback. "You saw him on the kickoff coverage drill; he was making a lot of plays. He had some good stair steps and good physical play. He had a nice day."

Hopefully after the game against Cleveland, McAdoo will be able to say most of the same things about the other Eli.

The Running Game

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

After naming Paul Perkins as the team's starting running back in early March, McAdoo has put the second-year player on notice.

Rightfully so. Not only did Perkins finish with three yards on five carries in the preseason opener—the worst production of any Giants runner—but he also displeased the head coach by not picking up additional yardage on a seven-yard gain up the middle.

Orleans Darkwa, meanwhile, finished with a team-best 18 yards on three carries, earning himself some first-team reps in practice. That sight immediate set reporters wondering whether there is a challenge for the starting job.

"I'm considering them all for the [starting running back] job," McAdoo said. "Whoever plays the best is going to get the ball."

So does that mean Perkins is out as the starter?

"He's out there first,” McAdoo said, avoiding giving a definite yes or no response. "By no means have I lost confidence in Paul Perkins. I have a lot of trust and confidence in him. He's a young player who is working hard to get better and has a lot of value for us."

The Linebackers

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The Giants have some injuries at linebacker that might force them to roll with some undrafted free agents Monday night.

Veteran Mark Herzlich has missed time with a stinger. Prior to that, he had been backing up starter B.J. Goodson in the middle, what with Keenan Robinson still trying to work his way back for a concussion.

Strong-side starter Devon Kennard also has an unspecified soreness, according to McAdoo. Kennard could be back at practice ahead of Monday's game if he has progressed in his rehab, but even if he is, that doesn’t make him a lock to play against Cleveland.

Goodson had to leave Tuesday's practice early with a back ailment, while J.T. Thomas, who was recently removed from the PUP list, probably won't be ready to play.

Given all those injuries, New York ran with rookies Curtis Grant and Calvin Munson at strong side and middle linebacker, respectively. That's a lot of inexperience, but if the Giants are to find out what they have at the position, the preseason is as good a time as any to see whether these rookies can get the job done if called upon.

The Kicking Game

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

After one preseason game and over a dozen practices in training camp, the kicking competition between Aldrick Rosas and veteran Mike Nugent appears to be leaning toward Rosas.

He, like Nugent, made two of two field-goal attempts in New York's preseason opener, but unlike Nugent, he was able to boot one of his kickoffs into the end zone for a touchback.

There's little question Nugent and Rosas can both kick field goals. However, scoring hasn't been the Giants' problem over the past year. Instead, pinning opponents deep in their own territory has been the issue, so it will be interesting to see how McAdoo distributes the kicking opportunities against Cleveland.

Defensive Tackle

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Giants drafted Dalvin Tomlinson in the second round with an eye toward making him a future starter at defensive tackle.

Not if fourth-year man Jay Bromley has anything to say about it.

Bromley, a third-round pick who has been largely invisible during his first three seasons in the NFL, has had his best summer to date. He's working with the first-team defense alongside Damon Harrison, and he's delivered the goods—particularly against the run.

"Jay has come a long way, man, but that's just a testament to him being in here in the offseason," Harrison said. "I come in here to run, and he's already running. He's lifting weights. He's focused. It's night and day from where he was a year ago.”

Harrison believes Bromley could develop into a pass-rushing threat.

"He's faster than me, he's quicker than me, he's a pass-rusher, he's strong, he's long," he stated. "Now he's just more comfortable in the defense, and he knows exactly what's asked of him and is doing a good job of putting forth the effort. Obviously, you saw it translate out there to on the field, so I'm just excited to watch him grow as the season progresses."

And for the record, Harrison also likes what he's seen from Tomlinson.

"Well, Dalvin is coming along," the 28-year-old said. "This past, I want to say, week and a half, two weeks, he's taking coaching very well. He's in the classroom all the time, watching the film, trying to improve, asking questions." 

With both Bromley and Tomlinson coming along, that should help ease the sting of Johnathan Hankins' departure.

Patricia Traina covers the New York Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.