What NY Giants can learn from the Conference Championship Teams
The NY Giants offense will continue to sputter without speed and more talented playmakers.
The NY Giants desperately need playmakers.
If you watched the two Conference Championship games, did you notice how easily the four teams moved the ball up and down the field at times?
It seemed like these teams gained extensive yardage seemingly by accident at times. This is largely in part to four of the NFL’s best offenses having immense speed, depth, and talent at receive, running back, and tight end.
Whether it was Tyreek Hill torching the Bills up and down the field and Travis Kelce precisely finding creases and getting wide open every drive, or the Packers’ Davante Adams and his incredible footwork and release off the line with Aaron Jones grinding runs left and right, or Mike Evans and Chris Godwin physically imposing their will on opposing secondaries, there was an abundance of evidence of the importance of playmaking correlating to success and wins.
These offenses are fun, creative, and unique. It’s a special thing to watch.
Combine these offense’s top-caliber weapons with some brilliantly-minded play-callers, and it leads to some crazy recipes to see things few NFL teams can achieve offensively.
With that being said, the Giants need a massive overhaul to improve their playmaking options.
First off, NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley needs to come back, remain healthy, and perform at an elite level like he has proven before. Secondly, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard need to also stay healthy and have bounce-back seasons in 2021.
Simply put,tight end Evan Engram can’t be relied upon even remotely as a trustworthy or consistent option downfield. Shepard is a good receiver but he’s a classic possession receiver who runs too many short routes and doesn’t gain enough yards after the catch. Slayton is a fine and intriguing receiver but he needs to improve his hands and overall route running.
Historically, the Giants’ offense has always had a strong nucleus of players capable of changing games in an instant on offense.
That is not the case anymore.
Add in Jason Garrett’s very bland offense and lack of creativity in play design, it’s a troubling combination for an offense looking for a spark.
The Giants need to add much more speed and taller targets at both receiver and tight end. Daniel Jones needs help with throwing passes to open guys downfield and the Giants had far too little separation or contested catches this season.
Explosive plays were a common theme all weekend. Whether it was numerous pass-catchers making tough catches in tight situations, Scotty Miller stepping up before the half with an impressive hail mary, and converting numerous huge third down conversions. Just sit back and watch Eric Bieneimy and Brian Daboll pull some rabbits out of a hat with some impressive and extraordinary playcalling, this NY Giants team needs to find an identity offensively.