Winners and Losers from NY Giants' 34-25 Win vs. Bills

The New York Giants opened the 2025 preseason with a 34-35 victory over Buffalo on Saturday afternoon. 

It is always great to get a win, regardless of whether it is the regular season or the preseason. The joy that comes with a win is palpable and can sustain an organization and its fanbase throughout the week, even if things were not perfect. 

There were some standout performances in this win over the Bills, alongside some less-than-stellar ones that will be reviewed in film sessions and debated throughout the week until the team's next game. 

Let’s look at a few winners and some other guys who will need to look for better performances in the next preseason game. 

Jaxson Dart, QB

 

 

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

 

Dart had a great first showing for the team. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. He also had a nice 19-yard first-down scramble, and they even called a designed quarterback power, which picked up a few yards. 

He navigated the pocket well and was mostly decisive with the football. It was the type of debut that makes people believe he could be ready for service sooner rather than later. 

Dante Miller, RB

The man nicknamed “Turbo” was just that: Every time he touched the football, he looked like he was shot out of a cannon. 

Miller finished with 10 carries for 22 yards, which were highlighted by a couple of carries he bounced outside to pick up quality yards. 

His real impact was all over the passing game. He had seven receptions for 80 yards. He was getting screen passes and dumbing down passes, then taking off with them. 

He picked up a few first downs, including a couple of firsts on third downs that were over 10 yards. He made people pay attention, and that is all you can ask. He also had a 20-yard kickoff return. 

Lil'Jordan Humphrey, WR

Humphrey looked smooth and fluid out there, trying to do his best Malik Nabers impression. He only had two receptions for 36 yards, but one was a touchdown grab on a fade ball thrown beautifully by Dart. 

Humphrey was able to create a little separation, reach out, and haul in the pass, diving into the endzone. It was a pretty pass but a beautiful catch as well. He used his physical frame to ward off defenders.

Deonte Banks, CB

Banks showed two things that many Giants fans should be happy to see during the game. 

He showed a willingness to tackle after last season, looking disinterested in bringing ball carriers down, finishing with three solo tackles. That is important because assisted tackles can sometimes be misleading. 

He also stayed in phase on deep passes down the sideline. The Bills tried to go up top on him twice, and both times he was in lock step with the receiver, and the passes were incomplete. 

Some will still argue that he didn't quite get his head around looking for the ball. I will counter with “incomplete pass.”

Marcus Mbow, RT

The first or second units on the offensive line did not give up a sack. That is already worth a star, but Mbow handled himself well playing right tackle. 

He looked light on his feet while also showing the power to anchor down on rushers. He also showed a little of the nasty streak you would want to see from an elite prospect on the line. 

Shane Bowen, Defensive Coordinator

The first unit played solid defense, but the rest of the game, the defense looked like an absolute mess with inconsistencies everywhere. The defense appeared unprepared. 

The mark of any good defense is not how the starters play, but the level of fall-off from the starters to the backups. This did not simply look like guys who were not good enough. It looked like guys who did not know what they were doing, and that partly falls on coaching. 

Russell Wilson, QB

Some may say this is unfair because he did complete six of his seven passes and led his sole drive down for a field goal. 

The problem is that his six passes amassed 28 yards, and he led the team down for a field goal instead of a touchdown, when we all know that settling for field goals has been the Achilles heel of his team for almost a decade. 

What Wilson also did was open up discussions on whether or not those behind him could produce more if given the chance, since they all produced more with less in this game. 

James Hudson, LT, and Jake Kubas, RG

This one is a little lighter because Hudson and Kubas did not play poorly. Still, they both had a couple of critical mistakes that could have cost the team points. 

Both the starting left tackle and right guard had false starts and holding penalties that put blemishes on an otherwise great offensive line performance. 

In real games, these are the types of penalties that derail an offensive flow. They need to lock on the snap count, improve their hand placement, and be quicker with their feet to avoid holding penalties. 

Darius Alexander, DT

On a day when D.J. Davidson recorded a sack, Jordan Riley recorded a sack, Roy Robertson-Harris recorded two tackles and a quarterback hit, and Corey Durden and Jeremiah Ledbetter each recorded a tackle, it was a little disappointing that Alexander did not flash during the game or show up in the stat book. 

He was out on the field but did not seem to make an impact. The rookie will need to go back to the drawing board for the next game.