Three takeaways from the Giants’ 22-20 loss to the Patriots on Sunday in their preseason finale.
1. With Adoree’ Jackson held out with a sprained ankle, rookie CB Rodarius Williams started alongside James Bradberry. Williams was tested on the first defensive series and had WR Nelson Agholor so well-covered that Cam Newton was forced to throw the ball into the turf. In the third quarter, Williams blanketed Isaiah Zuber in the end zone to force an incompletion. It appears Williams, a sixth-round pick, has a spot locked up.
2. Blake Martinez struggled last week in the first joint practice with the Patriots, repeatedly beaten by RB James White in pass coverage — a difficult assignment for an inside linebacker, to be sure. The Giants put Martinez in coverage several times in this game and he delivered with a sensational play, running deep down the field with WR Jakobi Meyers, leaping with Myers and swiping the ball from Meyers for an interception on Cam Newton.
3. Saquon Barkley certainly broke a sweat about 90 minutes before the game, running routes and catching passes in an extensive warm-up. He ran fluidly — at times in an all-out sprint — and caught the ball effortlessly, while wearing a blue Giants cap sideways. Now that the joint practices are in the past, expect the Giants to be more aggressive with Barkley in this week’s practice sessions.