Former two-time Super Bowl winning Head Coach Bill Parcels once had a saying: “You’re only as good as your record says you are.” And right now – the New York Giants are every bit a 2-5 football team.
During the first two weeks of the Daniel Jones era, it seemed as if the Giants stagnant offensive output was a thing of the past. Now, following a three-game losing skid, the Giants problems of the past seem to be exacerbated by an inexperienced rookie quarterback going through his growing pains, and a head coach who can’t seem to steady the ship after reaching a .500 record for the first time since 2016.
Management thought that by switching QBs earlier they would have forfeited the season, as the Giants planned to stick with Eli Manning until the team was either eliminated from playoff contention or things got really bad. However, they decided to act and make the switch sooner after a lackluster week two loss to the Buffalo Bills at home, signaling that they were focusing on the future and not this season.
The underlying issues with the ineffective offensive line and lack of depth on defense were not solved by promoting Daniel Jones to starter, and it doesn’t appear that they will magically right themselves by switching back to Eli Manning, either.The QB position was never the main problem; a weak left side on the O-line, depleted linebacker unit, weak receiving corps, and the offensive play calling were all to blame.
The only positive in the Giants decision to put Jones in and calm the tsunami of fan criticism over the team’s 0-2 start with Manning under center (which had very little to do with Manning’s play), will be that Jones starts going through his growing pains earlier.
Gaining in-game experience this season should, in theory, help him play better when (and if) the team improves by next season.
Injuries to the offense and defense also bear part of the blame for the Giants losing skid against talented NFC squads. However, I would challenge this point with, “If the Giants were completely healthy, would Shurmur’s offensive play-calling and coaching abilities have changed those outcomes?”
The answer: probably not. I do not believe he has been able to get his players prepared for each game or has demonstrated the aptitude to utilize their strengths in order to play four full quarters against quality teams like the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots.
There was certainly no excuse for this team’s weak offensive effort against the Arizona Cardinals at home; especially against a defense ranked 30th in the league against the run prior to Sunday’s game. And due to the way the defense played after the first three Cardinals series, there is no reason the Giants should have lost, other than Pat Shurmur’s head-scratching offensive play-calling late in the fourth quarter on 3rd and 18 and, in-explicitly 4th and 15, deep in their own zone, and trailing by only 6 points.
However, it’s important to remember that the Giants are a rebuilding team. Expecting a playoff berth out of this group in 2019 was never a fair expectation, even before Daniel Jones’ impressive first two starts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.
I admit, I got wrapped up in the Daniel Jones buzz after his first two starts, but I am also reminded that he is a rookie quarterback and will do rookie quarterback things like throwing into double-converges, hanging on to the ball too long, and throwing interceptions for starters.
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Fans and management alike need to refocus their attention on shaping this team into one that can win in the future. They won’t win now, so let’s all stop acting like they’re supposed to. They’re rebuilding. It’s not about a “rush to Daniel Jones” or about “Pat Shurmur keeping his job,” but rather a misappropriation of management’s attention. Focus on the game – not on everything else.
We have a young QB, a stud RB in Saquon Barkley, young defensive players, numerous injuries to the starting roster, and a head coach who brings no energy to the field except when the team is winning – and he, of course, makes himself out to be the mastermind of it all; which would be fine, of course, if he owned the losses as much as he owns the few wins under his leadership.
The Giants need to tune out the noise and work on their teamwork. 2019 is not yet a lost one. Of course, there will not be a postseason for Giants fans this year. But hindsight is 2020, and if they can right the ship before then and improve this season with resilience and dignity, they will get better for the long term.
It won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen with a good trade deadline acquisition, but it does start with both. If, however, the Giants keep going at this rate, another top-five draft pick seems a likely position for this organization to be in come next April in Paradise, Nevada.
Sadly, for die-hard Giants fans, that outcome seems the only thing to look forward to and be optimistic about in a season that has become anything but paradise.