The New York Giants started the preseason on the right note with a 14-3 win over the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night.
Despite most of the starters getting a rest day following two intense joint practices with the Lions, the Giants put together a hard-fought victory — even if the game is meaningless in terms of their record.
It was a game that had to be played through the elements and unlike the Hall of Fame game last week, the league didn't intervene to cut this one short.
Here's a look at the studs and duds from the Giants' preseason win:
Studs, Duds from Giants' preseason win over Lions
Stud: RB Eric Gray
Starting running back Devin Singletary got the night off, which means the Giants got a strong look at the competition in the backfield. It was the Eric Gray show Thursday night. The second-year back only got two snaps with the starting unit, but he was the star of the night.
Gray took four carries for 52 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He got the Giants on the board with an explosive 48-yard touchdown run after a beautiful cut at the second level. Then, he punched in a goal-line touchdown —both scores came in the second quarter. He also added four receptions for 46 yards.
Dud: QB Drew Lock
It was a rough showing for Lock. The backup quarterback got the start as Daniel jones got the night off. He wound up leaving due to a hip injury, but general manager Joe Schoen gave an update that Lock is okay and could have returned if needed. But before that, Lock completed 4-of-10 passes for 17 yards, one interception and an 8.3 passer rating.
Stud: LB Dyontae Johnson
The second-year undrafted free agent seems to be leading the battle for the No. 3 linebacker role. Johnson recorded four tackles (two solo), 1.0 sack and two tackles for loss. He's been one of the stars at training camp thus far, getting some first-team work with Micah McFadden working his way back from a hamstring injury. He put on a solid show Thursday night.
Dud: LT Josh Ezeudu
The Giants want Ezeudu to be a tackle as badly as Gretchen Wieners wants "fetch" to happen. It's simply not working. Ezeudu might have some potential as a depth piece on the interior, but the Giants will never know because he only works as an offensive tackle. He put on another rough outing Thursday night, and things seem to be trending in the wrong direction for the former third-round pick.
Stud: RB Dante Miller
Really the entire backfield had a strong day, but the undrafted free agent rookie showed off some of that explosiveness that has been popping up at camp. In his first live action in an actual game setting since 2022, Miller led the offense with 12 carries for 63 rushing yards while adding two receptions for seven yards. He's certainly making a case for the backfield competition to come down to the wire.
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