Who to blame for NY Giants’ ugly Week 14 loss to Cardinals

#4. NY Giants sluggish offense may hold this team back from making the playoffs.

Legitimate concerns are surrounding the NY Giants offense as the team has failed to show any consistency for two weeks straight. Big Blue is in its first real playoff race since 2016 and this inexperienced offense isn’t living up to its potential.

There is a lot of reasons for the New York offense being unable to crack the league’s top 30 scoring teams; it must change rapidly or the Big Apple team will go with another season with no playoffs.

From playcalling to scheme and personnel decisions, to gameday roster selections, the offense has been somewhat failed by the coaching staff this year. However, that is absolutely zero excuse for the players to put on this performance week after week.

The running backs have more than lived up to their part, especially in Saquon Barkley’s absence. Gallman and Alfred Morris. They have both delivered with numerous big games and key performances in big-time spots for the Giants. They have revitalized what was a once-dying run game in New York and Wayne The Train has brought the ground game back to relevance.

Unfortunately, the two backs did not get the job done at home this week. Gallman actually had a decent game with 57 yards on 4.8 YPC. Alfred Morris didn’t fare as well, putting up a mere 7 yards and not replicating his success in the receiving game from the week before.

The NY offensive line finally seemed to find its rhythm over the last seven or so games but they’ve been especially impressive during the team’s 4-game win streak. The team had seven straight 100-yard games on the ground along with six straight games with a rushing touchdown with eight total during that span. The team hit their stride in their pass protection and they kept clean pockets and gave time for Jones for several weeks. It was a major improvement.

The hogmollies woefully let up a season-high eight sacks today.

That’s an inexcusable number for any NFL team. It was a major step back for an encouraging development for one of the most important position groups on the roster. The whole line struggled as a unit today and they also couldn’t make any impact, get any movement, or push up front in the run game. NY got outclassed, outcoached, and overpowered in the trenches.

The run game today had its fewest rushing yards (78 yards) since the Week 5 loss in Dallas. It was hard to establish the run as they played from behind most of the game. They missed a key opportunity to do a run play and come back late in the third quarter on a third & 1 from their own 16 where Jones went deep downfield to Sterling Shepard.

Daniel Jones did not play well today.

He clearly was not 100%, he had no intention of running with the ball or scrambling unless necessary, and he did a poor job holding onto the football. Starting the game off getting rocked by an ex-teammate is not an ideal way to start a football game but that’s the way of the NY Giants sometimes.

Jones lost two more fumbles amidst his six sacks for 52 yards. He got pulled from the game late in the 4th quarter.

This offense is plenty capable of good football and as always, they show bursts and teases of potential for competence and can put up some points. These glitters of hope happen few and far between.

If Daniel Jones is not healthy and functional enough to help this offense in front of a national, primetime audience this Sunday night, then he should sit and they should roll with Colt McCoy. Jones put up low numbers with 11/21 passes completed for 127 yards and again no touchdowns. These numbers need to be much better if not double, for this offense to have a legit shot of staying alive in the NFC East race.