2 Giant Goofballs: A NY Giants Podcast

The Giants finally gave fans something to believe in with a 28-20 win over Dallas, but one good night does not prove the turnaround is real. Now New York has an open roster spot, roughly $12.7 million in cap room and a Week 2 Rams test waiting.
Follow on Spotify and leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy no-BS Giants debate.
Are the Giants actually different at 1-0, or are fans getting ahead of themselves? 
The early signs are encouraging, but John Harbaugh's own message was clear: what beat Dallas will not be enough to beat the Rams.
Drew and Rob start with the Giants' Monday roster activity. New York worked out 10 players, signed former Cowboys running back Phil Mafah to the practice squad and waived Dalen Cambre, leaving an open spot on the active roster. That became more interesting when the Giants restructured Jevon Holland's contract and created roughly $5.8 million in additional 2026 cap space.
Does the combination of an open roster spot and added cap flexibility mean Joe Schoen has another move in mind? There is no guarantee, but the Giants now have the ability to act if the right player becomes available.
Attention then turns toward Los Angeles. Myles Garrett will miss the Giants game after knee surgery and a trip to injured reserve, while Aaron Donald's Week 2 status remained undecided. Harbaugh also pushed back against any temptation to celebrate Dallas for too long, telling his team that Sunday's performance will not be enough next Monday night.
Drew and Rob also revisit several details from Week 1 that stood out after another look. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Chauncey Golston moved inside in passing situations, creating packages that allowed the Giants to put Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and their other top rushers on the field together. Carter earned a 90.3 PFF grade, Dez Bryant praised Malachi Fields, and the conversation eventually turned into something Giants fans have not been able to say comfortably in a while: maybe this team really is different.
Then the show goes league-wide for NFL Week 1. Chicago scored 59 but still exposed defensive concerns. Baltimore looked dangerous immediately. Buffalo shredded Houston's highly regarded defense. Arizona surprised the Chargers, Minnesota stormed back against Green Bay, Philadelphia survived Washington and Drew and Rob graded every straight-up pick, spread and total using the exact lines they originally picked.
Through Sunday, Drew sat at 26-19 overall and Rob at 27-18, with Broncos-Chiefs still pending during the episode.
Which part of Week 1 are you buying most: the Giants' new energy, Chicago's offense, Baltimore's dominance, Buffalo's statement in Houston, Minnesota's comeback — or something else entirely?
Merch: https://2giantgoofballs-shop.fourthwall.com/
Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/2giantgoofballs
All episodes: https://2giantgoofballs.buzzsprout.com/
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show

The Giants gained more than a 28-20 win over Dallas — Jaxson Dart gave them a glimpse of what this offense could become. The sacrifice is perspective: one great Week 1 performance does not mean every old Giants problem is suddenly fixed.
Follow on Spotify and leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy no-BS Giants debate.
Is Jaxson Dart already changing the Giants' ceiling? His 23-of-29, 230-yard, three-touchdown performance gave New York efficient quarterback play, mobility and answers every time Dallas tried to climb back into the game.
Dart is the center of the discussion after adding 58 rushing yards and avoiding an interception. Drew and Rob break down why the performance felt different from just a good box score: the Giants stayed aggressive, responded when Dallas scored and trusted the quarterback instead of retreating into conservative football.
Was this just one good game against a vulnerable Dallas defense, or did Matt Nagy show us what this offense is actually supposed to be?
Isaiah Likely was one of the biggest beneficiaries, finishing with eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Malik Nabers returned with six catches for 69 yards without the offense having to force-feed him. The Giants used Nabers' gravity, Dart's mobility, multiple personnel groups and the running backs to create answers all over the field.
Cam Skattebo also made his case with Najee Harris inactive. He handled tough carries, scored a touchdown and became part of the Giants' clock-killing offense late. Devin Singletary contributed as a receiver, while Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s fumble raised another question about how much the coaching staff can trust him right now.
And did Dennard Wilson's defense just give Giants fans a reason to believe?
Dak Prescott finished with 175 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception as Dallas managed 244 total yards. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens never became the explosive nightmare many expected, and the Giants' pressure consistently forced Prescott to speed up his process.
The episode also gets into the controversial officiating, New York's 10 penalties for 114 yards, the secondary's performance, Greg Newsome II's injury scare, the Deonte Banks debate, OBJ finishing without a target and why John Harbaugh's first regular-season game felt so different from what Giants fans have watched in recent years.
Verified Timestamps
00:00 Go G-Men!
 01:05 Show Begins!
 02:44 Jaxson Dart Answers Dallas
 11:58 Matt Nagy's Offense & Isaiah Likely
 21:38 Giants Defense Makes Dak Uncomfortable
 30:43 Malik Nabers Is Back
 35:43 Cam Skattebo Takes Over the Backfield
 44:00 Giants-Cowboys Officiating Debate
 53:16 Giants Secondary Answers the Challenge
 61:07 Did Harbaugh Really Change This Team?
 65:32 OBJ's Quiet Giants Return
Merch: https://2giantgoofballs-shop.fourthwall.com/
Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/2giantgoofballs
All episodes: https://2giantgoofballs.buzzsprout.com/
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show

Picking NFL Week 1 favorites is easy; trusting them before we know what the 2026 versions of these teams really are is the risk. Drew and Rob put the full Week 1 slate on the record, looking for where the favorite deserves the confidence and where the underdog has a real path to wreck the obvious pick.
Follow on Spotify and leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy no-BS Giants debate.
Which NFL Week 1 favorites are most vulnerable to an upset? Buffalo, Kansas City, Minnesota and Chicago all gave Drew and Rob reasons to question the favorite, while both hosts backed the Giants to beat Dallas outright at MetLife.
The episode starts with Cowboys-Giants, where the latest injury news is encouraging, Matt Nagy is heading to the booth to call plays and Drew and Rob both believe the John Harbaugh era can begin with a win over Dallas. They also hit Harbaugh's game-by-game captain approach, C.J. Okoye, Dominic Zvada and the latest Giants news before moving across the league.
Houston's defense creates one of the strongest upset cases of Week 1 against Josh Allen and Buffalo. Denver-Kansas City splits the hosts as Patrick Mahomes returns against a dangerous Broncos pass rush. Packers-Vikings brings another disagreement with Kyler Murray making his Minnesota debut, while Bears-Panthers becomes one of the games Drew and Rob think could decide their Week 1 picks battle.
They also work through Buccaneers-Bengals, Falcons-Steelers, Jets-Titans, Saints-Lions, Commanders-Eagles, Ravens-Colts, Browns-Jaguars, Dolphins-Raiders and Cardinals-Chargers. Straight-up winners, spreads, totals, injuries and matchup advantages all go on the record before kickoff.
Which favorite survives the hype, and which one walks directly into the first major upset of the 2026 NFL season?
Merch: https://2giantgoofballs-shop.fourthwall.com/
Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/2giantgoofballs
All episodes: https://2giantgoofballs.buzzsprout.com/
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show

The Giants have a real chance to attack Dallas’ weaknesses, but that only matters if John Harbaugh has actually fixed the problems that buried New York last season: run defense, red-zone failures, late-game execution and discipline. Week 1 gives the Giants a favorable offensive matchup and a brutal defensive test at the same time.
Follow on Spotify and leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy no-BS Giants debate.
Has John Harbaugh actually changed the Giants enough to beat Dallas? 
The first answer should come from whether New York can stop the run, stay clean situationally and turn offensive opportunities into touchdowns.
Drew and Rob start by separating fact from fiction in last season’s 34-17 win over Dallas. The Giants were already leading 16-10 at halftime before the Cowboys pulled key starters, and there are pieces worth carrying forward: Jaxson Dart’s mobility, a committed running game, ball security and sustained drives that keep Dak Prescott on the sideline.
The first Giants injury report is unusually clean, with Malik Nabers, Andrew Thomas, Shelby Harris, Theo Johnson and Bryan Hudson all practicing fully. The first depth chart creates its own questions, including Deonte Banks ahead of Paulson Adebo and how Harbaugh plans to use the Giants’ defensive and offensive rotations.
Can Matt Nagy take advantage of Dallas immediately?
The Cowboys struggled defensively last season, particularly against the run, and their secondary gives the Giants opportunities. Nabers has already produced huge numbers against Dallas, and New York may finally have enough complementary weapons to punish a defense that focuses too heavily on him. Drew expects the Giants offense to have a good matchup — but the unanswered question is what Nagy’s real offense actually looks like after keeping so much hidden during the preseason.
Then the concern flips to the Giants defense.
New York allowed 145.3 rushing yards per game and an NFL-worst 5.3 yards per carry last season. Dallas averaged 125.6 rushing yards per game, while Javonte Williams ran for more than 1,200 yards. Before Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux can attack Dak Prescott, the Giants have to earn those pass-rush opportunities by winning first and second down.
And when Dallas does throw, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens create a major problem for a Giants cornerback room Drew still does not trust. Greg Newsome and Deonte Banks should benefit from more aggressive press coverage, but this is an immediate stress test for the entire secondary.
Finally, the conversation comes back to Harbaugh. Physicality, conditioning, accountability and discipline have been the message all offseason. Now the Giants have to show it in an actual game.
The episode also covers Dean Lowry, Jihad Ward, new reporting on Darius Slayton, the Giants’ $7.88 million in available cap space, Week 1 NFL picks and a Cam Skattebo quick hit.
Merch: https://2giantgoofballs-shop.fourthwall.com/
Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/2giantgoofballs
All episodes: https://2giantgoofballs.buzzsprout.com/
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show

The Giants moved on from Darius Slayton and gained relatively little immediate cap relief while accepting nearly $13 million in 2026 dead money. The tradeoff is obvious: New York decided the roster spot and Slayton’s reduced role mattered more than keeping its longest-tenured player.
Follow on Spotify and leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy no-BS Giants debate.
Why did the Giants release Darius Slayton despite nearly $13 million in dead money? 
This looks much more like a football-role decision than a cap-saving move, with Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields and Odell Beckham Jr. reshaping the receiver hierarchy.
Drew spends the largest part of the episode on Slayton’s exit and what his seven seasons in New York should actually mean. Slayton finishes his Giants career with 296 receptions, 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns after arriving as a fifth-round pick. His drops frustrated fans, but his production relative to his draft position and the way he carried himself through years of Giants dysfunction deserve to be part of the conversation too.
Was Slayton really no longer worth the roster spot, or did the Giants become too aggressive six days before Week 1?
The Giants also made two very different long-term commitments around Jaxson Dart. Jameis Winston and Jon Runyan Jr. are now under contract through 2028. Winston gives Dart a veteran backup and mentor the organization clearly values, while Runyan remains part of the offensive line protecting the Giants’ young quarterback.
Joe Schoen also appears to have found the additional veteran defensive lineman he hinted was coming. Jeremy Fowler reported Dean Lowry was expected to join the practice squad, although the Giants had not officially announced the move during the episode. Drew remains far more concerned about the larger issue: whether New York has actually done enough to fix its run defense.
Can this defensive front become the identity of the team if the interior still feels like the biggest weakness?
Dallas will also enter Week 1 without Tyler Smith after the Pro Bowl guard underwent thumb surgery. T.J. Bass is an experienced replacement, but it is still a downgrade the Giants’ defensive front should be looking to exploit.
The Giants continue searching for help at cornerback after working out Jaden Robinson, while Arvell Reese is already being mentioned near the top of the Defensive Rookie of the Year race before playing a regular-season snap. D.J. Reader also brings a simple message into Week 1: “Exit 98’s always closed.”
The episode closes with something completely different: the strange Braxton Berrios, Alix Earle and Margarida Corceiro relationship story making the rounds. There is no confirmation Berrios and Corceiro are dating, but the social-media reaction was bizarre enough to earn a few minutes before the show wrapped.
Merch: https://2giantgoofballs-shop.fourthwall.com/
Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/2giantgoofballs
All episodes: https://2giantgoofballs.buzzsprout.com/
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show