The Giants and their fans may want to send the Buffalo Bills a gift basket of mini muffins as a thank-you for what has turned into one of the waiver steals of the year.
Isaiah Hodgins has made the most of his opportunities with the Giants since they claimed him in early November. The wideout has repaid them week in and week out, culminating in Saturday’s breakout performance when Hodgins made 8 catches for 89 yards against the Vikings and set a new career high in reviving yards in the process.
He was tied for the team lead in receptions and finished second in reviving yards, and in the bigger picture, has developed into one of Daniel Jones’ top targets over the previous four weeks.
But how did a player that struggled to get reps in with the Bills turn into a key piece in the Giants’ offensive arsenal?
Part of the answer is pretty simple.
The Giants’ wide receiver corp was decimated by injuries, and with the front office dealing with a precarious cap situation and not wanting to disrupt their larger plans, looked for help along the waiver wire. This Hodgins opportunity came about, but it was then on the player to take advantage of it, which he has.
Even before Saturday, he was clearly making an impact. Hodgins had his first touchdown in a Giants uniform in the Week 13 tie against Washington and had five catches for 44 yards.
The following week he was hit for his second touchdown pass of the season. After making four catches on all four of his targets in Week 15, he dominated in a crucial game for the Giants in Minnesota.
“Right now, I’m just trying to finish the season strong, help my team win games and get into these playoffs and do what I can do as a receiver,” Hodgins told NFL journalist Tyler Dunne in a wide-ranging interview. “But I really feel like the sky’s the limit for me. I feel like there’s been so much instilled in me from Buffalo and from all those coaches and players that I have the potential to be a good receiver in this league. I wrote down earlier in my notes thinking I was going to be the fifth or sixth man in Buffalo for the whole year.
“I wrote down goals for the year: “Get 200 yards and two touchdowns.” I wrote down those goals. I was like, “That would be a good little start.” This year, in just a couple games with the Giants, I’ve already met that stuff.”
Chemistry with Daniel Jones
Part of the success Hodgins has had so quickly has come from the seemingly quick chemistry he’s developed with the Giants starting QB. The wideout pointed to his work ethic and constant desire to improve as the reason that Hodgins and Jones have connected so well.
Hodgins told Dunne that Jones constantly asks him if he wants to go over extra film.
“He’s a very hard-working, dedicated quarterback, Hodgins said. “He’s always staying after to throw routes with people and doing extra meeting time with the receivers to watch film and get on the same page. That (builds) a bond between a wide receiver and a quarterback. I know where he’s expecting me to be. He knows where I’m going to be.”
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Head coach Brian Daboll looked at the success the QB-receiver duo have as a credit to the player that Hodgins is.
“I think he’s smart, tough, dependable,” Daboll said on Monday. “He works extremely hard. In between periods, he’s usually throwing there with Daniel on a variety of routes, or they’re talking about things that we’ve installed and make sure that he sees it through the eyes of a quarterback. So, he’s done a good job for us since he’s been here.”
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