NY Giants: 6 possible replacements for offensive coordinator Jason Garrett in 2021
The NY Giants need to move on from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett this offseason, and there are some intriguing candidates to replace him across the NFL
The current state of the NY Giants’ offense, that is averaging just 17 points per game, is unacceptable, it has become obvious that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is incapable of fixing it, and should be fired after this season.
Through 15 weeks, the NY Giants’ offense is among the least productive in the NFL, and it is becoming obvious that a change at offensive coordinator is necessary to try to jumpstart what is a relatively talented collection of skill players around quarterback Daniel Jones.
Granted, Colt McCoy has started at quarterback for two of the past three games, and Jones was limited in a disastrous loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14, but the Giants have now scored fewer than 20 points in four consecutive games.
Following Sunday night’s 20-6 loss where the Giants were outclassed in all three phases by the Cleveland Browns, New York is now averaging just 17 points per game — the second fewest in the NFL and only the Jets have converted fewer trips into the red zone into touchdowns.
Even before the Giants’ recent slump, it seemed his job security might be tenuous at best entering next season after a heated confrontation between Joe Judge and former offensive line coach Marc Colombo led to Colombo’s firing last month. It was Garrett who brought Colombo along from Dallas to coach the Giants’ offensive line.
Something has to give, and in 2021, that something … err someone, is Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator.
Here’s a look at six possible candidates to replace Garrett as the GIants’ offensive coordinator next season:
Freddie Kitchens
Giants’ tight ends coach
With Freddie Kitchens calling plays Sunday night against the Cleveland Browns as Jason Garrett recovered from testing positive for COVID-19, the Giants’ offense was nearly unrecognizable from the scheme New York deployed the first 14 weeks.
Even with Colt McCoy at quarterback for the injured Daniel Jones, Kitchens was not afraid to air it out in the deep passing game. Likewise, unlike the predictable curl and slant routes that have become hallmarks of Garrett’s scheme with the Giants, there was some creativity in the route concepts Kitchens deployed.
Now, it is wholly obvious that Kitchens didn’t implement a new playbook in two full practices this week. But, if Kitchens is given the chance to put his aggressive fingertips on the offense with the talent the Giants have in place and will likely add to this offseason, bumping him up to full time offensive coordinator might yield big dividends.