By: Jake Weiner
The Swish
So far this season, the New York Giants have had a very underwhelming season with many ups and downs. As a die-hard Giants fan, I expected a playoff-caliber team with at least eight or nine wins, even with the strength of schedule and the teams the Giants would have to face off against. But that was as far from the truth as anything could be. To start, Daniel Jones has not played the same way he did last year, but to be fair, it is not all his fault. Star running back Saquon Barkley has been hurt with an ankle sprain, which takes away a considerable part of the offense and is one of Jones's main options. But Saquon being out does not automatically mean that the offense is a zero, and Daniel Jones cannot play as well as he can. No, no, no. He mainly plays badly due to the atrocity called the Giants' offensive line.
Star left tackle Andrew Thomas has been injured since his injury in week one and is again expected to miss this week's game versus the explosive Miami Dolphins. Bench linemen like Joshua Ezeudu and Shane Lemieux have played poorly so far, and young high draft pick right tackle Evan Neal has been anything but a star. He plays without drive and has yet to act like he wants to be the next Andrew Thomas. Thomas also had a bad rookie year but a phenomenal sophomore campaign the following year. But instead of having that determination, Neal feuds with fans online and has yet to show much improvement. Most analysts before the season projected the Giants as a playoff contention team or at least a seven-win team, but that will not likely happen this season. General Manager Joe Schoen improved the team in every aspect of talent by drafting three quality day-one starters in first-round draft pick cornerback Deonte Banks, center John Michael-Schmitz, and wideout Jalin Hyatt. Schoen even traded for former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and signed tackle machine Bobby Okereke to add to the Giants' much-needed improved inside linebacker unit. But that has yet to matter since the team has regressed instead of improving. It all does not make sense. Players like Waller, who are supposed to be phenomenal and have battled with injuries, have managed to stay healthy but have yet to seem to get involved that much or show the explosive talent Schoen signed them to show.
The play calling by offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is another thing we should discuss. All Giants fans love head coach Brian Daboll, and honestly, we cannot blame him for how the team is playing. But offensive coordinator Mike Kafka does have to take some responsibility. I know he coached Patrick Mahomes when he was the quarterback coach in Kansas City, but his playcalling can be better. For starters, when playing the Seahawks in the previous week four matchup, Kafka drew up a tight end out route and receiver screen on second and fourth for an incompletion and decided to re-run the play again on 3rd and fourth. It just did not make sense. On a critical third and nine on a promising drive, Kafka drew up a three-yard route for backup tight end Tanner Hudson. I do not understand what Kafka thinks will happen because he did not go for it on fourth down, so did he expect a third-string tight end in Hudson to get nine yards?
The critical penalties against the Giants and bad plays are the last two aspects to discuss before pivoting to the Giants’ next matchup versus the Miami Dolphins. Offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Joshua Ezeudu have committed two and three penalties on the line, and rookie cornerback Tre Hawkins has committed two holdings and one pass interference to start the season. The Giants had high hopes for Hawkins this off-season, but he has yet to live up to the expectations. No one expected backups like Ezeudu or low-end starters like Bredeson to be good, but they cannot let up so many pressures and commit so many penalties. If you are in the NFL, that cannot happen. They need to be able to hold their ground so Jones can have time to make a play. Neal has given up an absurd amount of pressures, and once Schmitz got hurt at center, Bredeson could not hold his ground at center. The cornerbacks, including Banks, need to be better on the defensive side of the ball. Leonard Williams needs to be more consistent at pressuring the quarterback on the defensive line, and Kayvon Thibodeaux cannot either look like a pro bowler or like he is not even on the field. The Giants need to clean up their act if they want to have a chance at winning tomorrow versus the Seahawks.
This will be one of the most critical matches of the year for Daboll and the Giants: on the road versus one of the best offenses in football, the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have scored the most points in football this season, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has looked like an MVP-caliber QB. Head Coach Mike McDaniel has done everything right, and their offensive line from last year has improved drastically. Their top two receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, must be contained if the Giants want a chance at winning. The pass rush has to step up their game, and Daniel Jones has to be as commanding and assertive as ever. Jones cannot take so long to get rid of the ball and to make a decision because the Dolphins’ pass rush will be in his face all game. This means that the struggling offensive line and Evan Neal must play the games of their lives to give Jones a chance at winning the game for the G-Men. Mike Kafka has to coach more confidently, take some risks, and call up explosive plays so the Giants do not get embarrassed again. Although the odds are not in their favor, do the Giants have a chance at redemption? I guess we will have to wait and see.