The New York Giants once again lost in an underwhelming fashion. There is little use in finding the positive things about this game from New York considering their only touchdown came from left tackle, Andrew Thomas, who happened to be eligible after a blown block. There is so much that doesn’t click with these players that it makes me wonder if there is something bigger at play here. Let’s unpack it:
The Giants have not found the success their franchise demands since their Super Bowl title at the end of the 2011 season. That was also their last playoff win. New York reached the wild card round in 2016 but lost to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers after Odell invited the wide receivers to his yacht the day before that very same game. Ever since that season, the Giants have won just 28% of their games with a total record of 21-53. To say the least, it’s been a dismal experience.
There is one thing the Championship teams of 2007 and 2011 have in common - an identity. The 2007 team: a punishing defense that would strangle your quarterback until his last breath, topped with an offense that was explosive in just the right moments. The 2011 team: a feisty defense not afraid of ramming through your offensive line, and a bruising rushing attack led by a smart and experienced front five. Of course, both of the teams were led by one of the most clutch quarterbacks in league history, Eli Manning, but he alone couldn’t carry these teams to the promised land without their identities.
To make this more relevant to some, let’s use a more modern example of identity development. We’re going to use the 2021 Colts. Yes, I know this season is still in progress but the difference is startling.
With high expectations and hopes coming into the season, the Colts seemed to be forming into a complete bust after their 0-3 start. Quarterback, Carson Wentz, wasn’t showing up when his team needed him most. It wasn’t until their week four win against the Miami Dolphins that the Colts realized what their identity needed to be; they needed to rely on their young promising running back, Jonathan Taylor.
The second-year player showed sparks of promise at moments last season, but this year he is playing at an MVP pace. Every game Taylor has had more than 100 rushing yards, the Colts have won. If he ever has below 100 rushing yards in a game, they lose. Taylor averages 138 yards in a win, and 58.8 in a loss. They have found their identity: the rushing attack.
The other layer to the Colts’ rushing attack is they have the means to support it. The offensive line is a cohesive group of smart, experienced players. Quarterback, Carson Wentz, is a veteran who knows how to run an offense and manage a game efficiently. When healthy, the Colts also have weapons in T.Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman on the outside when they need a big gain. All of these factors are supporting roles in the show starring RB, Jonathan Taylor. The Colts now have won four of their last five games.
Let’s shift our focus to the Giants. They fired their offensive coordinator Jason Garret after, to say the least, an unproductive season and a half. Why did they fire him? He was unable to instill this offense’s identity. To be fair, his offense has not been healthy. All of these players have been injured at some point in the season:
WR, Kenny Golladay
WR, Darius Slayton
WR, John Ross
TE, Evan Engram
RT, Matt Peart
RB, Saquon Barkley
WR, Sterling Shepard
TE, Kyle Rudolph
QB, Daniel Jones
This doesn’t leave much room if any, for the offense to find their on-field chemistry. When all goes wrong and Jones has to throw to someone, he won’t have much to work with- not because he isn’t capable of the same playing ability as others in the league- but because he hasn’t had the chance to develop that chemistry with his receivers. If the Giants want their offense to be explosive like Kansas City, their receivers need to stay healthy. If New York wants to highlight Saquon in a flashy running attack like Cleveland or Tennessee, the offensive line needs to protect their running back and learn their assignments.
May I note one more thing: The Giants have never found their success in a flashy offense. The franchise’s identity is a bruising, tough, and feisty group. In ‘87 and ‘91, the Giants had very nice offense’s but they also had the best defensive and arguably the best player in NFL history hunting down the opposing quarterbacks. Lawrence Taylor and his teammates on defense represented a fighting spirit that carried those teams to championships. In ‘07, future H.O.F Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck tormented opposing quarterbacks. Just ask Tom Brady and the 5 sacks he received that fateful night in February of 2008. In 2011 Jason Pierre Paul took the place of Strahan and obliterated the offensive lines. The Giants were also always good with their offensive line. Eli Manning always had adequate, if not better protection. The elite offensive line play of these championship teams also allowed for the running attack to flourish.
Right now, the Giants don’t have a punishing defensive line. Leonard Williams, their best player, had only recorded 5.5 sacks through 10 games, a steep decline from last year’s numbers. New York’s offensive line is constantly injured and being shifted around. This constant change leaves no room for the players to bond and works better together as a cohesive group.
With the recent firing of Offensive Coordinator, Jason Garrett, the door is open for Joe Judge to hire the right person to utilize this offense in creative ways that went unexplored by the former. There is so much potential in this team, and it’s a shame to see it go down the drain along with the millions of dollars this front office has invested in building this roster on who may appear to be the wrong players.
I’m going to sound like a broken record with this statement but New York: It’s time to get back to your roots. It’s time to stop chasing the flashy offenses of Kansas City and build more like New England who uses their talented defense to strangle opponents, and their intricate rushing attack to wear down opposing defenses.
