The New York Giants carried the momentum from their joint practice with the Miami Dolphins into Saturday’s preseason game, dominating from start to finish in a convincing 26-3 victory.
The Giants appeared to be the better team during Thursday’s joint practice at the Dolphins’ training facility, and they validated that performance two days later. New York outgained Miami 390-102 while controlling the game on both sides of the ball.
Jameis Winston provided the highlight reel in the first half, throwing for 150 yards while also running for a touchdown. The 32-year-old veteran displayed his trademark mobility on New York’s opening possession, turning a broken play into an 11-yard touchdown run.
As his protection began to break down, Winston scrambled to his right and raced into the end zone to give the Giants a 7-0 lead. He also connected with Darius Slayton for a 29-yard completion, while Calvin Austin added a 21-yard run during the eight-play, 83-yard drive.
Winston’s performance offered another reminder that, even after 12 NFL seasons, he can still make plays with his legs when opportunities arise.
New York extended its advantage early in the second quarter when Dominic Zvada connected on a 43-yard field goal. Devin Singletary then made it 17-0 midway through the quarter, breaking loose for a 13-yard touchdown run.
Zvada added another field goal from 32 yards late in the first half after Winston directed a 54-yard scoring drive, giving the Giants a commanding 20-3 advantage at halftime.
Miami finally got on the scoreboard with 1:12 remaining in the first half when Riley Patterson drilled a 53-yard field goal.
Winston finished his night after playing the first half, with Brandon Allen taking over at quarterback in the second half. Allen completed 13 of 18 passes for 101 yards and guided two scoring drives that ended with field goals by Ben Sauls.
Singletary finished with 40 yards on eight carries as the Giants consistently moved the football against Miami’s defense.
The Dolphins struggled to generate much offense and were hurt by several mistakes. Miami lost two fumbles, while one of its seven punts traveled only 15 yards, giving New York a short field that led to its first field goal.
Miami’s quarterback situation was also affected by injuries and roster decisions. Cam Miller started after Quinn Ewers, who is second on the depth chart, sat out because of a groin injury suffered in the Dolphins’ preseason opener against Washington.
Miller played the first half and completed 6 of 11 passes for 60 yards. He was sacked twice as Miami struggled to keep drives alive against the Giants’ defense.
The Dolphins also went without starting quarterback Malik Willis, who was in street clothes after receiving extensive work during Thursday’s joint practice. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart participated in pregame drills but did not play.
One of the more notable storylines for New York was the return of Odell Beckham Jr., who is attempting to win a roster spot during his second stint with the Giants. The two-time All-Pro receiver caught two passes for 17 yards and was targeted four times.
Beckham nearly made a much bigger impact in the second quarter, but a pass from Winston went through his hands in the end zone.
Still, the Giants’ overall performance was far more important than any individual play. New York’s offense generated 390 yards, while its defense held Miami to just 102. The Giants improved to 1-1 in the preseason, while the Dolphins fell to 0-2.
With both teams primarily relying on backups after their starters received extensive work in Thursday’s joint practice, the preseason result won’t carry much weight once the regular season begins. But for the Giants, the 26-3 victory provided another strong indication that their roster is making progress.
For Miami, the game exposed many of the same issues that surfaced during the joint practice: offensive inconsistency, sloppy execution and difficulty sustaining drives.
New York’s combination of efficient offense, defensive pressure and opportunistic play proved too much for the Dolphins, as the Giants turned a strong week of practice into an emphatic preseason victory.
