Some NFL coaches, scouts, and General Managers gave some insight on the NY Giants’ surprising success in recent weeks. Let’s review some of the things said by some league executives.
The NY Giants are getting better and improving week by week.
Several NFL executives agree that the NY Giants are headed in the right direction.
Matt Lombardo, Site Expert of GMEN HQ and NFL columnist for FanSided, dropped some very interesting nuggets in his weekly national column.
Talking to coaches that faced the NY Giants this year, scouts, General Managers, and league executives, the overarching takeaway is how impressive the job Joe Judge has done inside the Giants’ facility and how he’s brought a new sense of identity and promise to the Giants.
Judge should make the people of New York and New Jersey feel good about the team that is out there and the performances they have put on this year.
The NY Giants started the year 1-7, despite playing in six one-score games and letting one game get away from them vs the Pittsburgh Steelers back in Week 1. The NFL took notice that they fought very hard and competed very well the first half of the season.
An NFL head coach whose team played the Giants earlier this season told Lombardo:
"“Back when we played them they just couldn’t finish. Now, it seems like they’ve figured out a formula.”"
Well, the formula for the NY Giants lately has been a ground and pound offense that controls the tempo, eats up time of possession, and physically imposes their will on the opposing defense. From there, the defense has held tough in the last four games and has been most responsible for the 4-game winning streak.
“They are competitive and running the ball as well as anyone in the league right now,” an AFC Scout tells Lombardo. “Until last week, they played three average teams, and that always helps. We’ll learn a lot about them over the next three weeks … ”
Wayne Gallman has led the way on offense, powering his way to six touchdowns and a 100+ yard performance in his last six games. Big Blue is getting meaningful contributions all over from the offense and defense in unexpected situations and are seeing pleasant surprises at key spots on the roster.
“We’ll learn a lot about them over the next three weeks …”
A former NFL General Manager gave his input on how the Giants have found success in recent weeks. “There is a calmness that runs through that organization that is a direct reflection of their quarterback,” the former NFL GM tells Lombardo, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely.
“The head coach is a bit of a wild card, Joe Judge is like most disciplinarian head coaches in you can’t always predict how he’ll respond to things. But Daniel Jones has the chance to be really, really good. Think Matt Hasselbeck, or better. There’s just no panic in this kid. The Giants seem to have found consistency throughout their entire organization.”
This General Manager hit it on the head in regards to the Giants’ success and improvement in 2020. It all starts at the top with Joe Judge and what he has brought to this organization and given it some much-needed new blood and fresh energy that is infectious and clearly authentic. Coach Judge just wants to win and he is doing a thorough job of understanding that and finding ways to get results lately.
Maybe even more importantly, the calmness exuberated from the top from Judge and his assistants has radiated onto Daniel Jones. Jones isn’t the most physically gifted passer, but he has great intangibles, a skill set, and a mental buildup that you can’t teach.
One thing Jones has excelled at is staying levelheaded, calm under pressure, and consistent with his approach.
Jones is a quiet, but fiery leader who leads by example and does the small things that are important for an NFL quarterback and a team captain who is monitored closely every time he is at 1925 Giants Drive. His personality and mentality have taken a life of its own into the Giants’ offense and they never seem flustered or rattled despite the situation or uphill battle they are facing. The whole teams come in every week, competes to the maximum of their abilities, and they work hard at it every game and given teams great battles all season long.
Despite all the glam and glitter, not everyone is convinced with this 2020 NY Giants team. One scout believes the team is over-performing and won’t sustain their success at a playoff-caliber level.
"“This is nice, but I don’t see them winning a playoff game,” the scout said. “They might play Seattle, but if they wind up playing someone like Green Bay, they just can’t score enough.”"
While this may be true, the NY Giants have faced several high-octane offenses in 2020. They haven’t blinked once and they have four more contests against some good offenses and three of those teams are fully in the playoff picture. As written earlier, we will learn a lot about this Giants team over the next four weeks.
If they can survive the four-game gauntlet and outlast the Washington Football Team and make the playoffs, the Giants will be a team that playoff teams won’t want to see in January. They will rely on their run game, the leadership and calm and coolness of Daniel Jones, and will ride-and-die with their defense that can hang with the best of NFL teams. This is a winnable formula in the playoffs and it’s something other teams won’t want to deal with, especially with the swirling winds and howling cold weather in the Meadowlands and Metlife Stadium.