After a tumultuous six years, the Giants are finally back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and fans couldn’t be happier. It’s been a long and at times frustrating journey, but to see a team that should be in the midst of a rebuild push their way into the playoffs is truly spectacular.
However, this ride would not be possible without the help from some of the current members of the organization. Whether it be the players, coaches or front office figures, everyone meshed perfectly this season to make this unlikely playoff push.
These five members of the team are who fans can thank the most for this run, as without them, we more than likely would be in the midst of yet another losing season, so hats off to these guys for all they have done for the NY Giants and their fans.
5. DT Dexter Lawrence
After three seasons in which he was one of the more solid defensive tackles in the league, Dexter Lawrence finally broke out of his shell and evolved into arguably the best player at the position. Without him, the Giants defense would look entirely different than it currently does. Not only is Lawrence the best player on that side of the ball, but he is also the most consistent, and a great leader.
Through 16 games, Lawrence has racked up 61 combined tackles, nine sacks, 63 combined pressures, and two forced fumbles. Lawrence has been an absolute monster as both a run-stopper and pass-rusher and fans could not be more grateful.
The Giants defense has been without a consistent pass-rusher for years now, and for them to finally find one to go alongside budding stars like Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari is huge for the future of this team.
With Joe Schoen accepting Lawrence’s fifth year option in the offseason, Big Blue will have the 25 year old back for the 2023 season where he will likely receive a massive extension to stay with the team for the foreseeable future.
The impact Lawrence has had on and off the field cannot be underestimated. The first time Pro-Bowler and likely soon to be All-Pro team member has been arguably the best player on the Giants this season. Hopefully Schoen can give him the money he deserves to keep him around for a while.
4. QB Daniel Jones
What else is there to say at this point? After all the hate, all the doubts, Daniel Jones has stepped into the spotlight this season and proven everyone who questioned his abilities wrong. While he hasn’t been a superstar, he has done just about everything right this season in order to get the Giants back into the playoffs.
In 16 games, Jones has completed 67.2% of his passes for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Outside of touchdowns, Jones has put up career bests in nearly every statistical category. In addition to this, Jones has the lowest interception rate in the entire NFL and has also lost just two fumbles.
We all know that the biggest problem with Jones was his turnovers, but in just one offseason, this problem has nearly been wiped away. It really seems like there are no excuses to not bring Jones back for at least the 2023 season.
In addition to all of his improvements throwing the ball, Jones has been one of the best QBs on the ground this season, running the ball 120 times for 708 yards and seven TDs. While it was clear that Jones had the ability to run, the scheme Mike Kafka put him in, plus the lack of turnovers, made it much easier for Jones to get out of the pocket.
Through all of the mayhem, Jones stuck through it all and has become a leader and has learned from all of his mistakes. Who knows how much it will cost to bring Jones back in 2023, however, unless his price is too heinous, it seems like a no brainer to extend him.
3. RB Saquon Barkley
In similar fashion to Jones, Saquon Barkley was coming off a season in which many fans began to doubt his abilities. However, after this season, it seems as if Barkley is here to stay whether you like it or not.
Considering how horrid the offensive line looked at times throughout the campaign, combined with some clear in-season injuries he was dealing with, it’s pretty impressive just how good of a season Barkley had.
Through 16 games, Barkley has run the ball 295 times for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns, in addition to catching the ball 57 times for 338 yards. Barkley was the catalyst of this Giants offense for the majority of the season.
It is rare to see a running back look close to as good as they used to be after suffering an ACL tear, however, after going through that, and more injuries last season, Barkley had his best campaign in 2022 since his rookie year.
Barkley made his first Pro Bowl since 2018 and has a very good chance of making his first All-Pro team. While Kafka has begun to lean more on Jones as the season has progressed, this does not make Barkley any less important, and it is very likely that we see some big-time runs from the 25 year old come playoff time.
2. Head coach Brian Daboll
After a nasty streak of head coaching hires made by previous regimes, it seems like the new front office finally got it right on their first try, as in just his first season with the NY Giants, Brian Daboll already put NY in the playoffs.
It seemed like a perfect match from the start: the offensive coordinator that set up an extremely successful Buffalo Bills offense that also helped coach up Josh Allen, coming to a team with a struggling offense and questionable QB.
The things Daboll has done to coach up Jones cannot be overstated. While obviously Kafka also had a role in this, it was clear from the start that Daboll trusted Jones and wanted to see him succeed, something you don’t always see with new head coaches.
Whether it be his energy, culture, or attitude, there’s so much to love about what Daboll has brough to this NY Giants team. Compared to what we have seen out of coaches in previous seasons, Daboll blows the competition out of the water.
There were few doubts surrounding the success Daboll would have with this team, however, in just one season it is pretty obvious that Daboll is the guy for the foreseeable future. It’s so nice to finally have some clarity at the head coaching position.
1. NY Giants GM Joe Schoen
With little-to-no cap space and a whole lot of draft capital, general manager Joe Schoen put on a masterclass of draft selections and free-agent signings that really helped this Giants team get to the level they’re at today.
For starters, while they’ve disappointed, the immediate signings of Jon Feliciano and Mark Glowinski has genuinely improved this Giants offensive line from what it was last year. They may not be stars, but they have gotten the job done outside of some mistakes.
In addition to this, the drafting of Evan Neal and Thibodeaux in the first round seem like perfect selections at this time. Obviously Neal has struggled a good bit, but he has had so many moments of excellence that it is hard not to be excited about his future.
Even outside of the offseason, making moves like bringing in Landon Collins and Isaiah Hodgins have paid off handsomely. Hodgins looks like a borderline star, and Collins has made some big plays in the few games he has played with the team.
Schoen has done everything he could have done to improve this roster, creating a perfect balance of rebuilding and contending. We can only imagine what Schoen will do this upcoming offseason with $55 million in cap space to spend and a good amount of draft capital to use in order to improve this team even more.
Instant takeaways from the NY Giants thrashing the Colts to clinch a postseason berth
The NY Giants dominated the Colts 38-10 on Sunday and they have officially punched their ticket to the postseason this winter.