THE STORYLINE:
Other than not being slammed by injuries, this season could not have started worse for the New York Giants. When the schedule originally came out, it seemed that the games against the Vikings and Commanders were going to be “must-wins” before the schedule got tough. Although it is still too early, it now appears that pundits and fans may have underestimated the Vikings and overrated the Browns. And the Cowboys and Eagles have certainly left the door ajar in the NFC East in the early going. But none of that really matters right now as the Giants let a game get away from them against the lowly Commanders. If the Giants don’t beat the Browns this weekend, they may not win another game until November with the Cowboys, Seahawks (in Seattle), Bengals, Eagles, and Steelers (in Pittsburgh) on tap.
The storyline? The season is on the verge of a death spiral. The buzzards are already beginning to circle for Brian Daboll. If this gets real ugly, Joe Schoen may not be safe either. John Mara is already 0-for-2 on general manager hires and 0-for-3 on head coach hires, and may soon be 0-for-3 and 0-for-4, respectively. It’s not difficult to see that Mara may feel desperate enough to turn to Bill Belichick, whose shadow is now hanging over Daboll like the grim reaper.
THE INJURY REPORT:
- RT Jermaine Eluemunor (neck – probable)
- DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches (abdomen – probable)
- OLB Brian Burns (groin – questionable)
- OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder – probable)
- ILB Darius Muasau (knee – questionable)
- CB Nick McCloud (knee – out)
STATUS REPORT:
Quarterback: Daniel Jones was awful in Week 1 and, as usual, played much better against the Commanders in Week 2. This is a very big game for him against a tough Browns defense. If he regresses to his opening-day play, an awful season will simply get worse. And if the Giants find themselves at 0-4 after the looming Thursday night disaster at home against the Cowboys, there could be internal fighting over benching him. Daboll’s interests are to save his own skin while the front office has to be worried about Jones’ injury clause (potential $23 million 2025 cap hit).
Running Backs: Lost in the 0-2 suckfest was the strong performance of the ground game against the Washington Commanders. Devin Singletary averaged almost 6 yards per carry. Better, the production was consistent and the Giants were physical up front. It was one of their better ground attack performances in recent memory. Tyrone Tracy has not received a lot of touches, but he appears to have the trust and faith of this coaching staff. Don’t be surprised to see him start making big plays as a runner or receiver. That said, the Giants face a far sterner test this weekend against the Browns.
Wide Receivers: Daniel Jones attempted 28 passes last week. 18 of those attempts (64 percent) went to Malik Nabers. Only three other players (two receivers, one back) were targeted. For whatever reason, Brian Daboll has decided to employ a bunch of 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends, two receivers). This is cutting down on opportunities for others. No one has been harder hit than Jalin Hyatt. It will be interesting to see how Nabers responds this week after his costly 4th-down drop last Sunday. CB Denzel Ward of the Browns is one of the best in the business.
Tight Ends: The good news is that Theo Johnson is playing a ton as a rookie. That’s a good sign and great for his development. However, he has yet to make an impact in the passing game. With the coaches trusting Chris Manhertz more as a blocker in 12 personnel packages, Daniel Bellinger is seeing his playing time decrease.
Offensive Line: Oh the irony! Through the early going, the strongest unit on this team may be the offensive line. While the improved pass pro is probably registering more with fans, the run blocking last Sunday was very good and bodes well moving forward. Most teams in the NFL have offensive line issues, and right now, the Giants are not one of those teams. That all said, this is going to be a very tough test facing All-World Myles Garrett and crew, who play at a different level in Cleveland.
Offensive Summary: On the surface, the Giants offensive line, wide receivers, and running backs appear good enough to compete. It’s the quarterback and coaching that are opening themselves up to criticism.
Defensive Line: Dexter Lawrence can’t do it all by himself. He needs help. The decision to not re-sign A’Shawn Robinson (3-years, $22.5 million from Panthers) looks like a mistake. The Giants are getting very little from the other four defensive linemen on this team.
Edge: Shane Bowen praised Kayvon Thibodeaux’s play in Week 2. “I think Thibs had a great game. I do. I think he made major strides from Week 1 to Week 2.” He needs to keep building on his positive play. One gets the sense that one of the reasons opponents are throwing so many short passes is to prevent Brian Burns and Thibodeaux from wrecking games. The problem for these two this week, like against the Vikings, is that they face a good offensive line. Jack Conklin at right tackle, in particular, is an outstanding player. In addition, Burns was a late addition to the injury report and is now “questionable” for the game.
Inside Backers: Bobby Okereke can play better than this. The Giants need him to up his game. Micah McFadden has a nose for the football, but still isn’t finishing like the team needs him to. Dyontae Johnson did appear to be pressing him in camp. It’s too bad he was set back due to injury.
Cornerbacks: Deonte Banks has held up pretty darn well against two quality opponents. Dru Phillips looks like a potential stud. The other outside corner spot is still a cause for concern. Nick McCloud is out with a knee issue and Cor’Dale Flott’s lack of bulk and physicality is showing up, especially against the run. The wild card – at least for this season – is Adoree’ Jackson, who is still rounding into game shape.
Safeties: Tyler Nubin looks like he will be the real deal. Jason Pinnock is coming off a frustratingly inconsistent performance, but this spot does not seem like a weakness. Dane Belton provides good depth.
Defensive Summary: We knew there would be growing pains as the Giants shifted from one defensive style to a completely different one. Hopefully, that’s all this is. But the early returns on Shane Bowen have not been good. The Giants have been soft against the run and opponents are finding it far too easy to complete short passes against this defense. The “bend-but-don’t-break” style has been far too bendy. The lack of another defensive tackle is really hurting this defense up front. That said, this unit is not playing up to its talent level.
Head Coach: Brian Daboll admitted the Vikings crossed him up by dropping into coverage in the opener. The choice to not elevate PK Jude McAtamney last Saturday was mind-numbingly bad decision. Daboll, for better or worse, seems reluctant to open up the passing game.
General Manager: While you can’t fill every hole with quality players, it’s clear the Giants rolled the dice and came up short at both defensive tackle and outside corner. The late decision to re-sign Adoree’ Jackson reeks of desperation. That’s on Schoen. So too was the kicking fiasco last Sunday. On the positive side, the decision to part ways with Saquon Barkley in favor of upgrading the offensive line with veterans looks like a home run.
Opponent: In a nutshell, Cleveland has a very good defense that can make Daniel Jones look awful again. The interesting battles will be their front seven against the Giants’ offensive line and Malik Nabers versus that secondary. On the other side of the ball, the Browns are much better up front than the Commanders, which does not bode well for a defense that allowed over 200 yards rushing last week. Until the Giants can prove they can stop it, opponents will run and throw short on New York all day long. QB Deshaun Watson has been a big disappointment, but opposing quarterbacks are completing 80 percent of their passes against the Giants.
QUOTES:
Shane Bowen on his defense: “I think the first thing that comes to mind is we got to force them to punt.”
THE FINAL WORD:
Barring some unforeseen run, the Giants most likely (blanked) themselves with the inexcusable loss to the Commanders. At this point, team officials are fighting for their very jobs. Lose this game and… oh boy.
(Side note: I am hearing the tension is beginning to mount between the press corps and the Giants, so expect more hit pieces, some of them clearly click bait. This type of noise usually begins when reporters work up enough “courage” to sense a coaching staff is in trouble).