For years, the Giants have been trying to revitalize the offense. Since the 2015 season, the team hasn’t had a top 16 offense. They’ve gone through four head coaches, and eight starting quarterbacks and have gone to the playoffs twice during that stretch. The defense, for the most part, has had to carry the team’s weight. The team has tried to find different solutions, including signing big free agents. They also selected an offensive player in the first round of the NFL Draft for five straight seasons, from 2017-2021.
The team had high hopes after a playoff run a year ago. After last Sunday’s performance against the Jets, things look to have not changed. The Giants only passed the ball for a total of negative nine yards. After Tyrod Taylor got injured in the second quarter, they turned to rookie backup Tommy Devito. After he stepped in, Devito only passed the ball seven times. The team moved the offense through running back Saquon Barkley, who had a nice day. They however couldn’t sustain any offense when they needed to.
That has been a constant theme throughout the whole season, not just last week. They are far too inconsistent, and when they do muster up long drives, they typically stall resulting in field goal attempts. The defense, which has been amazing the past couple of games, is tasked with saving this team and it isn’t fair for them to have to carry that much of a load. Head Coach Brian Daboll has to change something on the offensive side or else this season will muster up to nothing. The season is already lost but there is plenty of time to build momentum and get on a run. Things, however, need updating.
New York Giants Offense Continues to Let the Defense Down
Giants’ Quarterback Injuries Are Not The Problem For The Offense
It might be the easy point to throw the blame on, but Sunday’s loss to the Jets wasn’t Tommy Devito’s fault. He’s a rookie quarterback who obviously wasn’t prepared for the situation. That part can be blamed on the coaching staff, but in no way should the rookie receive the brunt of the blame. The Giants have been dealing with quarterback injuries ever since Daniel Jones entered the league. Last season was Jones’ first time in his career where he played 16 games. Before, that wasn’t a concern as Eli Manning was the iron man. He played in 210 consecutive starts for the franchise. It’s the fourth-longest streak amongst quarterbacks, including the playoffs.
The reality is, that quarterback injuries are common in today’s NFL. That’s why the backup QB position is so valuable, and the Giants offense has a really good one. Tyrod Taylor is a traveled quarterback but one that has played well wherever he has landed. He went to the playoffs with the Bills back in 2017 and is a very reliable option to have as a backup. Since Jones got injured in Week 5 against the Dolphins, Taylor has played on par or some even say as well as Jones. Prior to last weeks game, Taylor completed 66% of his passes this season. Also, during the previous two games that he started, he had a quarterback rating of 98.85. He’s held the ship very steady and what that says is that as long as Jones or Taylor are the quarterbacks, the team shouldn’t be struggling on offense. The problems lie more deep within.
A Less Relied-Upon Saquon Barkley Could Provide Offense a Spark
Against the Jets, Saquon Barkley was utilized an abundance of times. He ran the ball 36 times during the game for 128 yards. He also led the team in receptions with three. Barkley was the Giants’ entire offense Sunday and that isn’t the type of pressure the team should be putting on him. While he is an amazing athlete at the height of his professional career, no person should be asked to run the ball the amount of times he has had to. In the three games that Barkely has appeared in since his ankle injury, he has rushed the ball at least 21 times in each of those games.
For the Giants to take the next step on offense, they should consider pulling back on Barkley’s usage. Look to San Fransisco, where running back Christian McCaffrey is considered one of the best running backs in the game. This season, McCaffrey has only run the ball over 21 times in one game. The 49ers are smart with the way they use McCaffrey. They take care of his body and late in games, he’s still fresh enough to close things out for the team. McCaffrey and Barkley also both have checkered injury histories. The 49ers know it isn’t smart to work him to the ground. The Giants have to adopt that philosophy when it comes to Barkley. It might be tough right now considering the injuries that are piling up around him. However, the Giants have to see what they have around them.
Main Photo: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com-USA TODAY NETWORK
