The Giants were excited to get Kenny Golladay back after their bye week, hoping that he could be even a fraction of the player they thought they signed to a four-year, $72 million deal two off-seasons ago.
Golladay led a putrid 2021 Giants offense with 521 receiving yards, but this year, he had been oft-injured and quite minimized in the offense, playing in just four games and catching two of six targets for 22 yards – but with the Giants’ receiving corps down Sterling Shepard (out for the season) and Kadarius Toney (traded to Kansas City), Golladay could have stepped right in Sunday and become WR1 in a hurry.
What the Giants got, though, was quite the opposite: Golladay was targeted twice in the first half and dropped both balls, one of which could have been a huge gain on a third down deep inside Giants territory late in the half:
Golladay had played more snaps than any wide receiver to that point…and then ended up not seeing the field in the second half, finishing with just those two targets and seeing Isaiah Hodgins, claimed off waivers from Buffalo during the bye week, take his spot and make two catches for 41 yards to out-perform Golladay’s entire season in one half.
“I think (wide receivers coach) Mike (Groh) addressed it with (Golladay), and we went with Isaiah in the second half,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “We just made the decision to play Isaiah, simple as that.”
A downtrodden Golladay said after the game he doesn’t know why 2022 has been so tough for him, and wouldn’t comment on whether or not he agreed with the benching.
“It really don’t matter. I’m going to keep that comment to myself,” Golladay said bluntly.
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Golladay also said he’ll continue to work hard, and while every week that goes by makes it look more and more that Golladay will be elsewhere by next Opening Day, Daboll isn’t giving up on him (at least outwardly) either.
“I mean it’s after one game you never know what can happen week-to-week,” Daboll said. “Go out there, try to have a good week of practice, and take it day-by-day.”
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