Darren Waller Proving to Be Everything Giants Thought He Was
On Friday, tight end Darren Waller took to MetLife Stadium for the first time in a New York Giants uniform.
New York’s starting offense would play for one drive against the Carolina Panthers, so Waller was on the field for just one possession. However, he made the most of it and left a great first impression.
Waller was targeted four times by quarterback Daniel Jones on a 10-play opening drive and hauled in three catches for 30 yards. He dropped the other ball thrown to him, which was Jones's only incompletion on the night, but Waller’s catches were instrumental in a 75-yard march to the endzone.
“I thought it was a productive drive,” Waller said after the game. “I feel like a lot of people touched the rock. The offense moved efficiently and scored a touchdown. I don’t think you can ask for anything better than that.”
Waller had two 12-yard receptions, the second of which came on 3rd-and-7 at the Carolina 41, and picked up a key first down. New York scored just three plays later when Jones found fellow tight end Daniel Bellinger for a 4-yard touchdown.
The Giants eventually won the game, 21-19, yet fans were still buzzing about how good the starting offense looked on the first drive.
In particular, the passing game looked extremely dynamic, and Waller’s presence had a major part in that. This was the first time he was in a full Giants uniform, yet he immediately developed chemistry with Jones.
“We took a lot of reps,” Waller said. “We continue to get reps in, know where we are – find the timing we want. We want to find where we expect each other to be, where I expect the ball to be, where he expects me to be when he releases something, so just a lot of time on task.”
“He's a big target. He runs good routes, creates separation--he's an easy guy to find,” Jones said about his connection with his new teammate. “He's a talented, smart player, understands defense and where we're trying to use him and how to get open.”
But while Waller was a big contributor on the drive, he wasn’t the only one.
In addition to the 4-yard touchdown pass to Bellinger, Jones completed two passes to Parris Campbell for 18 yards and connected with Isaiah Hodgins for a 20-yard reception that moved the ball inside Carolina’s 10-yard line.
With Jones spreading the ball around, the Giants offense was firing on all cylinders – and running back Saquon Barkley, a key cog in the offensive engine, sat back and excitedly watched the show on the bench.
The impressive showing of the offense during the drive led Waller to note how balanced the unit has become.
“You see Isaiah (Hodgins), Parris (Campbell), Belli (Bellinger), those are guys that can touch the football and make things happen,” Waller said. “And then you add Saquon (Barkley), Shep (wide receiver Sterling Shepard), and Slay (wide receiver Darius Slayton) to the mix.
“I’m just excited about the balance that we have as an offense. I feel like we have the balance and the playmakers that can do a diverse amount of things that whatever flow, whichever way the game is trending into and a way that we have to find a way to win is something that we can get done.”
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