Kadarius Toney, Giants Who Must Play More Snaps in Week 2 vs. Panthers

The New York Giants offense looked a bit different than we expected in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, with head coach Brian Daboll handing more snaps to Richie James and David Sills over Kadarius Toney.

Toney was on the field for seven of the Giants' 60 offensive snaps but failed to catch a pass in that time. He was used on two rushing attempts and nothing more.

The Giants won their opening game despite not having the 2021 first-round pick on the field for most of the contest. That could be a sign of things to come, or it may motivate him to outperform the other wideouts in the buildup to the Week 2 clash with the Carolina Panthers.

Toney apparently still needs to earn his playing time under Daboll, but a few defensive players may have done enough in Week 1 to earn more snaps than they had in Tennessee.

Kadarius Toney's lack of usage came across as stunning.

The 23-year-old had the lowest snap count of all the active wide receivers and made little impact in the passing game.

Toney's lack of production would have been a bit more jarring had the Giants failed to come away with an opening win over the Tennessee Titans.

Daboll can justify his lack of playing time and say it worked because other players, such as Richie James and David Sills, stepped up to help Daniel Jones in the passing game.

Toney can still offer plenty to the Giants offense, and his Week 1 performance may not doom his overall season numbers. He had minus-2 receiving yards in his NFL debut last season. He had 189 yards through the air four weeks later.

New York can use the Florida product's speed and big-play ability to take advantage of opponents in an early key stretch inside MetLife Stadium, with Carolina, Dallas and Chicago coming to town over the next three weeks.

Toney displayed flashes of his big-play potential by gaining 23 yards on two carries. He can be utilized in a variety of ways in Week 2 and beyond, and he is too talented to sit on the sidelines for most of the games while the Giants chase a fast start.

Jihad Ward earned himself more playing time moving forward with his solid showing in Week 1.

The defensive lineman tied for the team lead in solo tackles with five and was second on the team in overall tackles with six.

Ward helped fill the void left by Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux, neither of whom played in Week 1. They are both officially listed as questionable for the Week 2 clash with the Carolina Panthers.

Ward played 88 percent of the defensive snaps on Sunday. That number may not be as high once the team's top pass-rushers return to the field.

The 28-year-old proved he could handle the full game load presented to him by the Giants coaching staff, and he proved the team has some depth in the front seven.

Ward's snap count may be lower in the coming weeks, but in the context of his situation, he needs to play more than expected alongside Ojulari and Thibodeaux.

Oshane Ximines displayed what he can do when healthy in the win over the Titans.

The 25-year-old totaled a pair of quarterback hits, three solo tackles and a pass defended in his season debut.

The production from Ximines was a welcome sight to a Giants defense that played without Ojulari and Thibodeaux.

The Old Dominion product played 66 percent of the defensive snaps, and he may earn a higher percentage in the coming weeks if he gets after the quarterback.

His problem over the last few years has been staying on the field to receive the proper number of snaps to make an impact.

Ximines was only active for one game during the second half of the 2021 season, and he was on injured reserve from Week 5 onward in 2020.

If he remains healthy, he can be a huge asset for the Giants and their defensive depth once that unit returns to full strength.