EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. \u2014 The John Harbaugh era has officially started.<\/p>\n
Well, sort of. It\u2019s only the preseason, but the New York Giants played their first game under their new coach, a 13-10 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. It\u2019s good to remember, of course, that being the preseason, many veteran starters on both sides rested, as the Giants only played their starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart, for two (eventful) series<\/a>.<\/p>\n But that doesn\u2019t mean there wasn\u2019t plenty to learn from Saturday\u2019s game. So, here\u2019s a look at some Giants players whose stock rose Saturday, and some whose fell.<\/p>\n Top Plays from Vikings @ Giants<\/p>\n Stock upRB Cam Skattebo<\/p>\n Skattebo played in his first game since suffering a gruesome ankle injury in Week 8 last season. That alone is a huge step for the second-year running back as he works his way back to health while trying to find his place in a new offense. Skattebo ran hard Saturday, contributing four rushes for 19 yards, as he tallied the first two carries of the new Giants season.<\/p>\n \u201cI was excited about it because I thought I saw the Cam Skattebo you guys all know and saw last year,\u201d Harbaugh said. \u201cI don\u2019t know that he\u2019s 100 percent twitchy and explosive yet, but he\u2019s getting there. He\u2019s come a long way in the last two, three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n WR Malachi Fields<\/p>\n Perhaps no one had a better day than the rookie third-round receiver who nabbed his first NFL touchdown reception and is making a strong push for the No. 2 receiver role behind injured star Malik Nabers. The score came in dramatic fashion, as Fields caught the pass from Dart after the QB had exited the game following a massive hit \u2014 more on that later \u2014 and was subsequently evaluated and cleared for a concussion. On the play Dart returned, the QB escaped the pocket before finding Fields in the end zone for a leaping touchdown grab. It was Dart at his best, and it showcased Fields\u2019 ability to use his big frame to rise above a defender and high-point the football.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons we drafted him,\u201d Harbaugh said. \u201cMost red zone touchdown passes are extended and\/or plus scrambles. You\u2019ve got a quarterback who can move around and find a guy, got a guy who can go make a play. That\u2019s how you score a lot of those touchdowns. That was good to see.\u201d<\/p>\n WR Braxton Berrios<\/p>\n Berrios worked as the Giants\u2019 top kick and punt returner, along with cornerback Deonte Banks. The 30-year-old wide receiver returned two punts for 30 total yards. Berrios was signed on the same day as Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster, late in the spring, as the Giants\u2019 receiver room was depleted by injuries. But there are only so many roster spots, and Berrios has emerged as a likely candidate to secure one given his versatility on special teams. A solid performance as a returner only helps his chances for a roster spot. He also added one reception for 9 yards on two targets, but he did record a false start penalty on the Giants\u2019 lone touchdown drive.<\/p>\n ILB Arvell Reese<\/p>\n Reese, the Giants\u2019 No. 5 pick in this year\u2019s draft, has delivered an impressive training camp<\/a>. He\u2019s not only looked the part of an NFL-ready linebacker, but he\u2019s looked like an immediate impact player, consistently slipping into the offensive backfield and disrupting plays. He delivered more of the same Saturday against Minnesota. On the Vikings\u2019 third offensive play, Reese easily stopped Minnesota running back Jordan Mason in the hole for no gain.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt good to finally get that out the way,\u201d Reese said of playing his first game. \u201cIt felt good.\u201d<\/p>\n TE Isaiah Likely<\/p>\n The Giants\u2019 top free-agent acquisition on offense, Likely is being counted on to play a big role in the new scheme. The tight end is off to a fast start in New York, as he\u2019s quickly emerged as a go-to target for Dart during camp, especially without Nabers on the field. Dart continued to dial Likely\u2019s number Saturday, particularly in key situations. Likely delivered with two third-down conversions, finishing the day with two receptions for 11 yards.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he does a great job of seeing it through that lens of a quarterback in a way,\u201d Dart said. \u201cAnd you saw that a ton in his tape in Baltimore of him and (Ravens quarterback) Lamar (Jackson), where maybe it wasn\u2019t even drawn out the exact way, but just being able to have conversions and him being able to find empty zones and to get open. That\u2019s (who he) is \u2026 he gets open; he finds a way to get open. So, when you have a guy like that you can trust to get open, definitely gives you a lot of confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n ILB Jack Kelly<\/p>\n Working alongside Micah McFadden, the sixth-round rookie has been all over the field to start camp, and the linebacker shined brightly a couple of times Saturday, as well. Kelly delivered a goal-line stuff on a Vikings second-down run in the third quarter. And on Darius Alexander\u2019s sack of J.J. McCarthy, it was Kelly who put the QB in no-man\u2019s land, as he bulldozed Minnesota\u2019s running back into McCarthy\u2019s face before Alexander brought him down.<\/p>\n Another good sign of his progress? Kelly wore the green dot at times, calling in the plays for New York\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n Stock downRB Tyrone Tracy Jr.<\/p>\n Skattebo and Tracy had been splitting first-team reps so far this camp, and perhaps that will continue, but Tracy committed a major error Saturday that could\u2019ve resulted in a team catastrophe. Late in the second quarter, as the Giants were driving, Dart was leveled by Vikings safety Jay Ward. Tracy should have picked up Ward, but he missed his assignment, and it got Dart walloped.<\/p>\n Tracy said he heard something \u201cthat had my eyes on the wrong side. \u2026 it was really just on me.\u201d It\u2019s a bad enough error to nearly get the starting quarterback seriously injured, but Tracy also didn\u2019t add much in the running game with just two carries for five yards.<\/p>\n Smoked ’em @JWARD_4<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: #NYGvsMIN<\/a> @FOX9<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/tMecUP4kUt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n CB Deonte Banks<\/p>\n The caveat here is that Banks has had a strong camp thanks to a fresh start under a new coaching staff and meaningful reps at starting corner due to injury. But in Saturday\u2019s game, the cornerback\u2019s tendency to commit errors popped up, as he was flagged for two penalties in coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first one, I had bad eyes. That was on me,\u201d Banks said. \u201cThe second one, I don\u2019t know what you want me to do there. But hey, I\u2019m not a ref so I wouldn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, Banks has gotten a fresh start with the new staff and has shown progress, but the cornerback depth chart remains a source of worry for the Giants right now.<\/p>\n WR Odell Beckham Jr.<\/p>\n Beckham made his first appearance in his second stint with the Giants with under five minutes to go in the second quarter. He was greeted by loud cheers from the home crowd, as they happily welcomed back one of their favorite stars of yesteryear. However, Beckham only finished with two receptions for six yards. For a player fighting for a roster spot, it just wasn\u2019t the production he needs to secure a place on the roster. Still, Beckham was getting open. On at least two occasions, Beckham looked to have worked his way free of coverage, but the ball didn\u2019t go his way.<\/p>\n There goes @obj<\/a> with the catch back at MetLife<\/p>\n Stream on @NFLPlus<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/sj1K4MdPbA<\/a><\/p>\n