Although no one has asked me how my dog’s doing or what I’ve been up to (fall wedding SZN), I have seen an uptick in emails, which feels like the perfect time to get the GMENHQ Mailbag going again. Apologies for the lack of activity there. I realize it’s been a while, and I’ve also realized that checking the spam folder will be necessary moving forward. But let’s not dwell on the past. We are so back.
Much like real life, I recently checked my physical mailbox for the first time in a while, and needless to say, it was overflowing with mail (mostly stuff I don’t need or want, but you get the gist).
What a time to be alive, my fellow New York Giants fans. Who would’ve thought the G-Men would be leading the division without their starting quarterback and best defender six games into the season? Not I. This year’s been nuts, and I feel confident saying we’re probably only getting started with the chaos.
After falling to the New Orleans Saints 34-27 in Week 6, it looks like we have a QB controversy on our hands. Anyone who watched that game would probably agree that head coach John Harbaugh needs to start J.J. McCarthy over Jameis Winston in Week 7 against the Houston Texans, but you know what happens when you assume...
It’s been back-to-back weeks where I can’t make any sense of this team. Yes, they’re resilient. I’ll give them that. But why are we down double digits in the fourth quarter against bad teams in the first place? The overtime tie against the Washington Commanders in Week 5 was one of the most ridiculous games I’ve seen in recent memory, and they nearly topped it with a 24-point comeback in the final 11 minutes against New Orleans with a backup QB under center.
For crying out loud, make it make sense!
I’m not sure I can. But I’ll do my best, starting with some show-and-tell from our awesome readers here in the GMENHQ community. Without further ado, let’s see what questions, comments, and concerns have recently hit the mailbox.
GMEN HQ Mailbag: Giants fans have questions, and I’ve got some thoughts
Peter L: Why aren't the Giants giving Jake Haener a chance to play? I thought he looked pretty decent during the preseason. He deserves a shot at being the true number two.
In fairness to Peter, he sent this question in before Sunday’s game against the Saints, so he hadn’t yet watched J.J. McCarthy throw for 243 yards in the fourth quarter alone on Sunday. Talk about unfortunate timing on my part.
Before McCarthy saw the field, I actually didn’t hate the Haener idea. He played well in the preseason, and it’s fair to wonder why he didn't get more of a look.
But after the G-Men sent a fifth-rounder to Minnesota for McCarthy, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Haener to crack the QB2 conversation. It's honestly surprising to me that he's still on the 53-man roster.
After what McCarthy showed against the Saints, I’m a lot more interested in whether the 23-year-old should be QB1 than in anything having to do with Haener -- no offense. If Harby pulls Winston, that could open the door to a world of opportunities, depending on what happens with Famous Jameis.
Lloyd G: Maybe it is a combination of Skattebo and the play calling. If I know the Giants are running the ball on 2nd and long, so does everyone else. Everyone knew Skatt was getting the ball and running up the middle against Washington when he fumbled. A Game we should have won got away; then we got lucky with the tie.
Lloyd, you’re speaking my language. I’ve been pretty vocal about OC Matt Nagy’s play-calling, especially his obsession with running up the middle when everyone and their nephew's best friend's cousin's parakeet knows what's coming. It’s hard to watch the same thing fail over and over without wondering what we’re doing here... and without screaming at the TV, but we're all human.
But Skatt can't be completely let off the hook. Four fumbles in five games is unacceptable, regardless of how predictable the play calling might have been. New York was already in field-goal range in overtime against Washington, and all he had to do was his job: hold onto the football.
That said, completely removing him from the offense against New Orleans was the wrong move. Harbaugh lying about his non-benching after the game was also the wrong move. The rest of the running backs combined for 34 yards on 14 carries. That's just not good enough.
I personally would like to see a bit more Tyrone Tracy Jr. involved in the game plan. He's suffered from feet-for-hands-itis at times, too, but he's arguably the only explosive back on the team, so leaning into that could yield some different, less predictable outcomes. A guy can dream.
Bob M: Giants need a better O-line through free agency and the draft next year.
Bob M. (again lol): Like I said... NEW O-LINE AND DEFENSIVE LINEMAN...NUFF SAID!
It’s almost impossible to ignore the “NUFF SAID,” Bob, and I'm with you on both fronts (pun intended).
The offensive line has been a problem, and while the Giants have made some changes, they clearly haven’t done enough. John Michael Schmitz has already lost his starting job to Bryan Hudson, Jon Runyan hasn’t been good enough at left guard, and rookie Francis Mauigoa is still figuring out his position switch.
The defensive line isn’t necessarily doing much better. D.J. Reader has been elite, but the drop-off behind him is noticeable. Darius Alexander and C.J. Okoye have struggled mightily against the run, and with Brian Burns out for the year and Chauncey Golston on IR, it's really on 35-year-old Shelby Harris' shoulders to help Reader out.
Big Blue is 3-2-1 and somehow, someway, still perched atop the NFC (L)East. If they’re serious about taking advantage of a wide-open division, upgrading both lines needs to be near the top of the to-do list. Whether that’s before the Nov. 10 trade deadline or in the offseason, something has to give.
A big thanks to Peter, Lloyd, and Bob (twice!) for sending in their thoughts. Keep the questions coming, and I’ll do my best to make sure the next mailbag doesn’t spend quite so much time collecting dust in my inbox.
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