Toney could be X-factor against Chiefs defense
The Giants may get their gamebreaker back for Monday night’s clash with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Rookie first-round pick Kadarius Toney returned to practice on Friday and has a chance to suit up against one of the NFL’s worst defenses in primetime.
“I was able to do enough. Progress,” Toney, 22, said of his limited work on an injured right ankle.
Jason Garrett and Daniel Jones found a way to beat the Carolina Panthers last Sunday without Toney, Kenny Golladay, Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard.
But Monday’s opponent is a different beast, even with the Chiefs (3-4) struggling.
Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce will test the limits of Patrick Graham’s Giants defense with extended plays, explosive downfield shots and uncommon speed.
The Giants (2-5) don’t have many answers to keep up with that kind of offense. Toney, however, could be their ace in the hole.
He leads the Giants with 317 receiving yards despite having played only 34% of the offensive snaps through seven games. His speed, playmaking and versatility add another dimension to the attack.
“You watch him catch the ball (or) catch a slant, he’s hard to bring down,” said Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who may give Toney his first punt return Monday, too. “Guys like that are a threat. The Tyreek Hills of the world are threats. They have coaches up at night thinking about how they’re going to stop the threat.”
The Chiefs defense is vulnerable, too: fourth-worst in yards allowed per game (404.6), fifth-worst in points (29), sixthworst in rush yards (128.9) and seventhworst in pass yards (275.7).
“They’re a pretty scary offense,” said Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2007. “We talked about the quarterback [Jones]. They have all kinds of speed on the outside ... We’ll see where they are health-wise.”
Spagnuolo, the Giants’ interim head coach at the end of the 2017 season, raved about Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley, too. He called Jones a “fearless runner.” But Toney is the newest and most unique weapon at Garrett’s disposal.
Toney flashed with six catches for 78 yards in the Giants’ first win in Week 4 at New Orleans. He set a Giants rookie record with 189 receiving yards in Week 5 at Dallas. And he made three catches for 36 yards on six plays before reinjuring his ankle in Week 6 against the Rams.
It wasn’t just the stats, though. It’s how
Toney did it.
He darted and slipped upfield to convert a third and 18 at New Orleans, with 17 of those yards coming after the catch. Garrett called a pass play for him that Toney pulled down with no one open — the Giants showed trust in him to handle it.
Then he made contested catches at Dallas and embarrassed some Cowboys defenders in the open field. He even put the Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs on skates with a devastating route.
Garrett also rushed Toney out of the Wildcat for seven yards, and the Giants had built their Rams game plan around Toney’s exciting skill set prior to his injury on the opening series.
The Giants didn’t use Toney as a punt returner early in the season because, frankly, it appeared he still had to earn their trust. He’d missed a ton of offseason time due to his contract, COVID-19 and injuries.
But now it appears they recognize that any time is a good time to give him the ball in space.
“We see how dynamic (No.) 89 is when he gets the ball in his hand,” McGaughey said.
Wideout Kenny Golladay (hyperextended right knee) and running back Saquon Barkley (left ankle sprain) don’t seem as close for Monday. Neither has practiced yet this week and both are listed as out on the latest injury report.
But Sterling Shepard (hamstring) said he’s “super confident” he will be back, and if Toney re-enters the mix, the Chiefs could be in for some fireworks.
“We’ll see when it’s game time,” Toney said.