Giants vs. Jaguars: Snaps and stats from the new-look Giants

The first game of the New York Giants 2018 season is in the books. It wasn’t a pretty game Authentic Rhett Ellison Jersey , and considering it was a loss, it didn’t leave a particularly pleasant taste in the mouth. There were many things the GIants need to work on in this week of practice, but the team showed some positive signs as well. This was also our first chance to get a look at Pat Shurmur’s and James Bettcher’s schemes for the offense and defense. Let’s dive in to the snap counts and some of the statistics to see what we can learn about the Giants as they head into Week 2.OffenseThe Giants played a total of 71 plays on offense, and managed to hold a slight advantage in time of possession — 30:29 to 29:31 for Jacksonville. In our first look at the Giants’ offense with both Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley, we got a good idea of the personnel grouping which Pat Shurmur wants to make the core of his offense. Odell Beckham played 68 of the 71 possible offensive snaps in his first game since breaking his ankle in week five of the 2017 season. Beckham was obviously the focus of the Giants’ passing attack, being targeted 15 times, catching 11 for 111 yards. Beckham was used all across the offensive formation, to threaten every level of the Jaguars’ defense, from the backfield to the third level.Meanwhile, TE Evan Engram played 64 snaps (5 targets, 2 catches, 18 yards), WR Sterling Shepard played 61 snaps (7 targets, 5 catches, 48 yards).Saquon Barkley was clearly the team’s workhorse running back, playing 55 of 71 snaps (77 percent), running for 106 yards (and a touchdown) on 18 carries, adding 2 receptions for 22 yards on 6 targets. Barkley finished Sunday as one of the league’s most efficient runners. He averaged just 3.47 yards behind the line of scrimmage (sixth-fewest so far in Week 1). Thanks to his 68 yard run, Barkley finished with the league’s second most yards and the highest yards per carry total so far. Embarrassingly for the offensive line, Barkley only faced 8 or more defenders in the box on 27.78 percent of runs, and he only averaged 2 yards per carry outside of his big run.Beyond those four players Youth Kerry Wynn Jersey , the Giants rotated the final spot as they moved between 11, 12, and 21 personnel groupings. The Giants used third receiver Cody Latimer on 47 snaps (66 percent), TE Rhett Ellison on 29 snaps (41 percent), FB Shane Smith on 5 snaps, and TE Scott Simonson on 4 snaps. Interestingly, Ellison proved to be the Giants’ most effective option for exploiting the Jaguars’ coverages, averaging a full six yards of separation. Beckham was second, averaging 4.71 yards of separation — league average was 2.75 yards of separation.DefenseOn defense, defensive backs Landon Collins and Eli Apple, as well as linebacker Alec Ogletree, led the way by playing all of the defense’s 63 snaps. Both DBs had strong games, with Collins notching 5 total tackles and a pass defensed, while Apple had 3 tackles and 2 passes defensed.Janoris Jenkins was close behind with 62 snaps, as were FS Curtis Riley and EDGE Kareem Martin, each with 61 snaps. Jenkins might have had the best day of the Giants’ defenders, with 7 total tackles, 2 passes defensed, and his spectacular tip-toe interception (nearly two interceptions). On the defensive line, Dalvin Tomlinson and Damon Harrison did the bulk of the work, with 46 and 45 snaps Curtis Riley Jersey , respectively. And despite being credited with the start, rookie linebacker Lorenzo Carter played just 24 snaps, while veteran Connor Barwin played 41 snaps (65 percent). The Giants’ most effective pass rusher, Kerry Wynn, only played 20 snaps. But in those 20 snaps, he got 3 total tackles and half a sack. Per Next Gen Stats, Wynn was also the Giants pass rusher to finish his rushes closer than league-average, coming to within an average of 4.41 yards (4.49 is league average). B.W. Webb was the only cornerback to play besides Apple and Jenkins, totaling 34 snaps (54 percent). Likewise, linebackers B.J. Goodson and Ray-Ray Armstrong played 33 and 30 snaps, respectively. Odell Beckham Jr. is sick of losing and frustrated with seemingly being asked to take tests every other week by the NFL for performance-enhancers.Beckham tweeted about the tests Thursday before the Giants (0-2) practiced for Sunday's game in Houston against the Texans (0-2)."It's actually funny how I 'randomly' get tested every other week," Beckham wrote. "Dear @NFL please stop sending these people, ur takin away from meeting times and film... thanks."Beckham has never been suspended by the league for using a banned substance.As far as losing, Beckham hasn't been on the field for a win since the end of the 2016 season. He was hurt in Game 5 last year, breaking his ankle against the Chargers.There are limits to the amount of times a player can be tested.Under the 2018 NFL Policy on Performance Enhancing Substances, the program is run by an independent administrator. A computer randomly picks up to 10 players a week to be tested.Players may have their urine and or blood tested a maximum of 24 times annually for reasonable cause. Offseason tests are limited to a maximum of six urine and/or blood tests per player.Once informed they have been chosen for testing, players have three hours to submit a sample.The program was set up in collective bargaining between the league and the NFL Players Association.Hours after his tweet, Beckham seemed more tolerant about the tests, which he said were for performance-enhancers."Yeah, that's like steroids. I'm looking big!" said the 25-year-old who recently became the NFL's highest-paid receiver. "This is like performance-enhancing stuff. I pretty much get tested every week. I'll just take it as a compliment."Beckham had had an up-and-down season in returning from his injury. He had 11 catches in the opener against Jacksonville and was limited to four against Dallas this past weekend. There were long stretches against the Cowboys where he was not involved in the offense."It's tough, but I think that's the part where I've grown up the most Nate Solder Jersey , is just being able to stay in it and know that it's always one play that's right there," said Beckham, who is averaging almost 11 yards a catch. "It's always one play away."While the Giants have scored 28 points in two games, Beckham thinks the offense can be potent."I feel personally, I could score two touchdowns every game," said Beckham, who has not scored this season. "I feel like Saquon (Barkley) could score two every game. There are other people on this team who could score every single game."That's over 35 points. It's just a matter of executing it and making it happen, really. But it doesn't seem out of reach for me in my mind, I don't want to win 24-21. I'm trying to win 52-18, whatever they score."The most recent time Beckham won a game was the regular-season finale against Washington in 2016. New York lost the playoff game to Green Bay and started last season with five straight losses. Beckham only played in four of those games, missing the season opener with an ankle injury. So he is on a personal six-game losing streak."I don't remember the last time I won a game was," he said. "Maybe some cards or something, but not an NFL football game. I haven't won one in a long time. It's definitely not a good feeling, not something you come here to do. You don't come here to lose, you just don't."NOTES: CB Eli Apple (hamstring) and LB Olivier Vernon (high ankle sprain) did not practice. It seems unlikely they will play this weekend. ... LB Connor Barwin (knee) and TE Evan Engram (ankle) were both back on a limited basis and are expected to play Sunday. ... Giants special teams coach Thomas McGaughey has been taking a trip to Houston for months to get cancer treatment. He plans to see his wife and children again but he won't have much time. "Game day is game day. It's a business trip. I just went home on Monday. It's one of those deals, you go ahead and go play, get on the plane and go back home."