Dante Pettis was a practice squad receiver for the Giants when October began, but numerous injuries within that group, and the offense as a whole, got him elevated to the active roster for the first time last week against the Rams.
He was on the field for 46 of 75 offensive snaps in that game, second-most behind Sterling Shepard among wide receivers, and he got 35 of 72 snaps against Carolina on Sunday, the drop more of a function of the score than any performance.
Definitely not performance, as Pettis caught all five of his targets for 39 yards and a touchdown, and also was the one who threw the 16-yard trick pass to Daniel Jones.
That play, however, was only the second most stressful of the day – behind his touchdown catch, which had to be upheld via review.
“That was a little stressful because I had already celebrated and everything, and that's always a little embarrassing when you celebrate and then they call it back,” Pettis smiled. “You always think that you're in unless it's obvious. So the whole time I was just like, 'oh, I'm in, I'm in.' But if feels like every time I do something, it's like, 'oh, let's review it.' I've got to make these a little more clear I guess.”
Listen to New York sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Giants team gear
That touchdown catch, which came on the same drive as the Pettis to Jones pass, came on a rub route, the same route the Rams torched the Giants with a week earlier. So, it was satisfying to Jones
“That was big finishing with a touchdown there. Dante did a great job executing that play. It’s something we've worked on a lot and we've put an emphasis on finishing those drives down there,” Jones said. “That play was a big-time play by him and well executed.”
Kenny Golladay has been inactive two straight weeks, and against the Rams, Pettis got his chances because Darius Slayton was out and Kadarius Toney left early. Slayton returned this week, but Toney was out and Sterling Shepard was a late scratch, so it was basically John Ross and Pettis next up.
None of that changed Pettis’ or Jones’ mindsets, though.
Related
“I feel like I have the same mindset going into every game: you never know what can happen in football,” Pettis said. “Even when I was on practice squad, you still go into the week thinking, 'this is the week that I'm going to play, and I’m going to show up.' That's pretty much it.”
“Sterling’s a good player I have a lot of chemistry with, but we've got guys who can step up and it's a deep group of receivers,” Jones added. “Dante came in, played big time for us. We trust in the preparation with those guys and those guys being ready, and they were.”
Pettis’ 71 total snaps are the most among wideouts the last two weeks, and with the way he’s played in those games, he’s earned a role going forward. Now, he knows, it’s up to him to make the most of it.
“We prepare everybody and have faith in everybody, and Dante catches passes every day in practice from Daniel, whether they’re running our offense or working on scout team stuff,” head coach Joe Judge said. “Their job as players is to execute and be productive, and I thought Dante really stepped up today and made some big plays for us.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch