The New York Giants have shocked the NFL world with yet another big win on the road in Week 7. Unbelievably, the Giants have jumped out to a 6-1 record and have now won their last four games. This team hasn’t had more than six wins in any of the last five seasons. And the expectations going into this year were about the same. But this Giants team looks completely different from years past, despite a similar roster. So why have the Giants been able to shatter expectations in 2022?
Why the New York Giants are Shattering Expectations in 2022
Brian Daboll Changed the Culture in New York
The biggest reason is obvious. First-year head coach Brian Daboll has taken the reigns for the Giants and has won the team and fans over immediately. Just like he did with the Bills and Josh Allen, he builds the offense around his players’ strengths. Daniel Jones is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at running with the football. So Daboll has built around that skill. Jones had over 100 rushing yards in Sunday’s win including a short touchdown run. The Jacksonville Jaguars seemingly had no answer for the option run where Jones could keep it, or hand it off to superstar running back, Saquon Barkley.
Another big difference between Daboll and recent coaches for the Giants is that Daboll is aggressive in his play calling. It was evident from Week 1 when the Giants scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game to bring them within one point of the Tennessee Titans. Rather than kick a game-tying extra point, Daboll elected to go for two. Which put the Giants ahead and ended up winning them the game. Aggressive play calling shows the offense that the coaches believe in the players. It instills confidence in the team, something that Giants players haven’t had in recent years.
Team’s ‘Next-Man-Up’ Mentality
The Giants have been ravaged by injuries in recent years. And in those years, it has effectively ended the season. This year, the team has done an amazing job stepping up when players have gone down. The wide receiver position is a great example. Daniel Jones has already lost his most reliable receiver in Sterling Shepard for the rest of the season. On top of that, his $72 million receiver Kenny Golladay has barely played at all, and first-round pick Kadarius Toney has played one game. But the next few on the depth chart have stepped in and stepped up. Richie James was the last player to make the roster out of training camp and was viewed mostly as a kick returner on special teams only. But he has gotten involved in the receiving game with big first-down catches and over 100 yards receiving in the first two games combined.
Due to all three receivers being out, Daniel Jones has had to look to his rookie pass catchers a lot more. And they have stepped up in a big way. Wan’Dale Robinson is a second-round rookie receiver out of Kentucky and has been a big help since he recovered from an injury. Week 6 against the Ravens was his first game back and Robinson was welcomed with his first career touchdown catch. And in Week 7, he hauled in six catches and was huge for the offense. Another rookie who has seen his role increase is the fourth-round rookie tight end, Daniel Bellinger. Bellinger has already racked up three touchdowns on the season but unfortunately for the Giants, he went down on Sunday as the injuries continue to pile up.
As Injuries Pile Up, Unsung Heroes Needed
Daniel Bellinger was poked in the eye on Sunday and fractured his eye socket. Surprisingly they expect him to return at some point this year but the starting TE will miss weeks. The Offensive Line has been solid for the Giants this year but is going to be without their right tackle and guard as both went down on Sunday as well. Luckily the team has a bye in two weeks and both injuries are not expected to be season-ending.
So for the Giants, the things that have got them here are going to be the things that continue to win them games. They must continue to play to their strengths and with confidence. They need to continue to be aggressive in their playcalling. And finally, they need some unsung heroes to continue to step up when their teammates go down.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
