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Players to watch in preseason finale vs. Patriots

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The Giants have a quick turnaround this week as they gear up for the preseason finale.

Five days after defeating the Jets at MetLife Stadium, the Giants will welcome the New England Patriots to East Rutherford for a Thursday night matchup.

The Patriots are coming off a 20-12 road victory over the Minnesota Vikings, which brought their preseason record to 2-0, the same as the Giants.

The two teams will also meet in the regular season when the Giants travel to Foxborough for Monday Night Football in Week 13.

Here are players to watch in Thursday's preseason finale.

QB Jaxson Dart

While it's been only two preseason games, the rookie quarterback has completed 26 of 35 passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers while adding 29 yards and an additional touchdown on the ground. More importantly, he's looked in command of the offense.

"I think Jaxson's been really good with the opportunities he's had in terms of the run game, the pass game, obviously having some production down field," assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said on Monday. "I think he's just really starting to put together some of the stuff on the offense in terms of just the plays, understanding what we're trying to do on offense and just really – he's done a great job with the leadership part of that and making sure that guys are in the right spot.

"He's working with guys in that second, that third group that may be young players, other rookies along side of him, other veterans that have played a lot of football as well, so he's doing a great job of kind of leading the group. Again, we talk about an 11-man operation, he's leaning on those veterans, he's leaning on some of the older guys in the room and on that offensive line that have done it and played well and then he's taking it to the next level."

Coach Brian Daboll has yet to reveal the team's plan for who will play in the preseason finale. However, it's safe to assume Dart will see some action against the Patriots, as it might be the last time he sees the field for some time. Let's see if the rookie can continue his strong play and finish the preseason on a high note.

See the best photos from Tuesday's practice as the Giants prepare for their preseason finale against the Patriots.

RB Dante Miller

Not many people would have predicted that through the first two preseason games, Dante Miller would be the Giants' leading receiver in both yards and receptions. The speedy running back brought in seven receptions for 80 yards against the Bills and followed that up with four receptions for 43 yards against the Jets. His 11 receptions have come on 11 targets, as he has caught everything thrown in his direction.

As Daboll mentioned last week, Miller's main competition to make the 53-man roster is not with the rest of the running backs on the roster. Instead, it's with players at other positions who are also fighting for the special teams spots. Well, Miller has also made an impact there, both as a returner and in coverage. In both games, the 26-year-old has returned a kickoff and also recorded a special teams tackle. The running back has made a strong impression on the coaching staff this summer, including his special teams coordinator.

"Turbo lives up to his nickname, real speed (laughs)," Michael Ghobrial said. "The one thing that you see in practice as well is he has really good practice demeanor so you see the very intentional and deliberate practice habits show up in the game. You see his ability to run by a vice and he's a very willing and physical tackler when those opportunities present itself so excited to see Turbo whenever he gets those opportunities."

"He's getting plenty of opportunity on offense, plenty of opportunity in the kick game," Daboll said on Sunday. "Probably a lot like all the other guys – some good plays and then some things we can get better at. I like Dante's mindset and he's a competitor and we'll just keep working with him."

OL Evan Neal

Evan Neal made his 2025 debut against the Jets this past weekend, an important first step for the former seventh overall pick. Neal played 32 offensive snaps at right guard, which signified the first time he's lined up there since he was a freshman at Alabama back in 2019. The 24-year-old was on the field for 22 pass-blocking snaps and allowed just one total pressure.

"I think you can see his confidence growing," offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor told the media Monday. "From practice to the game, in my opinion, there's a difference because there's a different intensity out there. In practice you can mess up and you can mess up because it's practice, but when the balls are flying and everything's on the line, you have to go out there and be perfect because if you're not then comes down to a strip sack or the quarterback getting hit and God forbid getting hurt or a run stuff in the backfield. Those plays are crucial, especially as an offensive lineman so his confidence is growing for sure in that position and just his demeaner.

"He came in and I didn't sense any drop off from when Greg (Van Roten) was in there. He really wants to be successful, and I can see him putting in the work and really putting in the study time to so it's really cool to see that start pay up for him. I think for him, I'd just say keep going and keep growing that confidence because once we get to the regular season, I know we're going to need him and we play some good d-lines this year so that strength and size and ability is going to pay dividends for us."

Thursday's game against the Patriots will be the next test for Neal, who should get an extended look in the preseason finale.

ILB Darius Muasau

Darius Muasau had a solid rookie campaign. The sixth-round pick played 15 games with seven starts last season and finished with 55 tackles (26 solo), three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and an interception. Now heading into Year 2, Muasau looks primed to make a jump.

The 24-year-old has picked up three tackles (one solo) across the first two preseason games. However, the young linebacker has really made an impact at practice, where he has left a strong impression on his defensive coordinator.

"He's another guy that has had a really good camp," Shane Bowen said about the second-year linebacker. "He's got a knack for finding the football. So again, got a lot of confidence in him just like I do Bobby (Okereke) and Micah (McFadden). So, I'm not opposed at all to him getting in there and playing some snaps for us defensively. Trust him. I think he's productive when he's in there. So really encouraged with that group and where they're at and the training camp they've had."

S Dane Belton

The Giants have made a lot of additions to the secondary over the last two offseasons. All of these moves have left Dane Belton as the longest-tenured defensive back on the team (along with Cor'Dale Flott). Despite starting only 13 of 49 games over his first three seasons, Belton has had a knack for finding the football. The young safety has five interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 11 passes defensed in his NFL career, despite playing no more than 42 percent of the team's defensive snaps in any of those seasons.

Belton's strong play has carried over to this season. After a strong performance during the spring, Belton has stepped up in a big way since the start of training camp. He has been responsible for numerous takeaways at practice while also performing well in the preseason. The 24-year-old had three tackles (two solo) against the Bills before leading the defense with seven tackles (three solo) against the Jets. Belton was on the field for 24 coverage snaps this past weekend and surrendered just one reception for four yards, earning a passer rating against of 56.3.

Due to the presence of Jevón Holland and Tyler Nubin, Belton is looking at another season as the team's third safety. Considering the success he's had in that role over his first three seasons, the fourth-year player could be in for yet another solid campaign. With the starters likely only playing a limited number of snaps on Thursday, if any, Belton could be in for a larger role in the preseason finale.

Rare photos from the storied history between the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

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