New York Giants’ head coach Ben McAdoo had better figure it out quickly. Through four games, the Giants offense has stumbled, averaging only 18.3 points per game, good for 27th in the league. Their opponents have not exactly been the 1985 Bears, heightening concern. Below I discuss three areas the Giants have struggled with so far.
Penalties on the Offense
Penalties have plagued the Giants early and often thus far. A penalty on Ereck Flowers and the offense killed a drive in the first quarter against the Vikings. According to USA Today on Sep. 25, 2016, Weston Richburg was the first player to be ejected due to multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Do I even have to mention Odell Beckham’s discipline issues? You would think these types of mental mistakes would be made in practice and not continually spill over into games.
Odell Beckham Jr.
The spotlight has been burning bright on Beckham, and it seems clear this unwanted attention is affecting his play. One stat that indicates Beckham is under-performing: Zero touchdowns in four games. Perhaps this is due Eli Manning struggling to find Beckham early in games. After being targeted only eight times in the first quarter all season, Beckham told ESPN this week, “I’m not getting the opportunities to contribute, and that’s frustrating to me.” One can easily draw a connection between Beckham’s frustrations and his personal foul penalties.
Short-Yardage Running Game
On a key third and one last week, the Giants ran Bobby Rainey on a draw that ended with in a loss of four yards. Everything about the play was emblematic of McAdoo’s play-calling style, as well the personnel he employs. The Giants run a ton of their plays out of a 3×1 set, which refers to three wide receivers and one running back. This league-wide shift away from the I-formation has nearly led to a fullback extinction in an NFL offense.
The team had two fullbacks in camp, Will Johnson and Nikita Whitlock, before being placed on IR and the suspended list, respectively. Their lack of a fullback has become extremely noticeable, because as Jon Gruden pointed out on Monday night, the Giants also do not have a blocking tight end. Larry Donnell and Will Tye are utilized as receiving options. This is a big shift from the Giants old style of ground and pound when they could grind out yards. There is not a massive running back either, a la Brandon Jacobs, who could run over linebackers. McAdoo might need to start bringing in a sixth offensive lineman in these types of situations.
On the positive side, the offensive line has held up despite concerns on the right side, as Manning has only been sacked six times. The NFC East is currently shaping up to be better than expected, as all four teams sit above .500. McAdoo has a huge chance to right the ship this week against an average Packers defense, before five consecutive home games.