New York Giants

Five things we learned about the Giants this preseason

Published Sep. 8, 2015 8:00 a.m. ET

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The New York Giants entered training camp and preseason action with high hopes on both sides of the ball. On offense, heading into year two of Ben McAdoo's offense, the Giants were equipped with arguably Eli Manning's best weapons at the skill positions since he joined the team. Victor Cruz was surprisingly ready to go on day one of training camp and Rueben Randle drew praise from Manning and the coaches for a strong offseason. Since then, both Cruz and Randle have dealt with injuries, and the Giants' first team offense has stalled in all but one preseason drive.

On the defensive end, with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo back on board, everyone is expecting a more aggresive and attacking style. Early injuries have made Spagnuolo's job more difficult. The Giants haven't found a consistent pass rush in the preseason and in Jason Pierre-Paul's absence. More importantly, the defense is dealing with a host of injuries in the secondary that has forced them to scramble at the safety position.

With the regular season set to kick off on Thursday, here are the five most important things we learned from the Giants' preseason.

1. Victor Cruz is not quite there

It was a pleasant surprise to see Victor Cruz available for the first day of training camp. After participating in one joint practice with the Bengals, Cruz hasn't been able to practice in nearly two weeks with a calf injury. Cruz is still confident he can suit up for Week 1, but beat reporters around the team seem a lot less confident. Already ruled out for the preseason finale, the Giants and Cruz will never get the opportunity to shake off the rust before the real games start.

2. The safety position is still unsettled

There are several recent studies out there that provide a detailed outline of the Giants' dire situation with injuries over the last two seasons. The Giants have lost safeties Mykkele Thompson, Justin Currie, Bennett Jackson and Josh Gordy to season-ending injuries. Nat Berhe is dealing with an injury that could force him to also miss the entire 2015 season.

The Giants have been forced to look to the free agent scrap heap and add both Brandon Meriweather and Stevie Brown to the mix. While we know Collins will be starting come Week 1, the other starter might just come down to whoever is healthiest.

3. The Giants will change their approach at running back

When the Giants signed Rashad Jennings last offseason, they envisioned him as a three-down workhorse. During a Week 3 victory over the Texans, Jennings ran the ball 34 times. Jennings' workload eventually caught up to him and he ended up missing several games due to injury. Jennings has missed 28-of-64 regular season games over his last four seasons and the Giants do not envision him as their workhorse in 2015. Throughout the preseason, Jennings and Andre Williams have split early down work. Shane Vereen has taken every third down snap and he has worked in on early downs when the Giants use no huddle. A running back by committee seems like the most likely scenario in 2015.

4. The left side of the offensive line can pave the way in the running game

Although rookie left tackle Ereck Flowers has struggled in pass protection this preseason, he has shown well as a run blocker throughout all four preseason games. Per Pro Football Focus, the Giants ran 11 times for 64 yards -- their highest yards per carry -- when running off the left end where Flowers resides.

5. Uani' Unga deserves to make the roster and earn snaps on passing downs

Uani' Unga has moved up the depth chart this offseason thanks to his relentless play at the inside linebacker position. Incumbent starter Jon Beason is injured now and has a checkered injury history. Backup inside linebacker Jameel McClain struggled when pressed into action in 2014. Unga has made his case to be utilized on passing downs, and the only way to find out if his success can carry over to the regular season is to give him a chance.

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