In three years with Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka running the offense, the New York Giants have finished 30th, 29th, and 18th in total offense. For the tandem that was expected to revolutionize Big Blue’s offense, this has been a severe letdown. And that held true in Week 1, as the Giants barely surpassed 200 rushing yards in a 21-6 defeat against the Commanders.
The offensive line led to the offense imploding. Russell Wilson looked abysmal, Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo got nothing going, and no receivers stepped up besides Malik Nabers. That’s why Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski saw the Giants’ offense as one of the biggest losers of the opening weekend, and he blamed the unit up front.
“The offensive front was a major area of concern for the Giants entering the season, and those worries appear to have been well-founded,” Sobleski wrote. “Whether it was run blocking or pass protection, Big Blue were pushed around throughout the game by a Commanders team that wasn’t known for having a fearsome front in 2024.”
The Giants’ offense has too many red flags to keep track of
In Week 1, those red flags were put on display, front and center. Andrew Thomas didn’t suit up for New York’s offensive line, and it made the unit look disjointed, which is why the Commanders recorded two sacks and seven tackles for loss. Meanwhile, Evan Neal was a healthy scratch, which has put a clock on his time in East Rutherford.
Nabers will always be a threat, and his and Wilson’s connection impressed, but that was the sole positive that derived from the Giants’ offense on Sunday afternoon.
The 36-year-old amassed just a 25.5 QBR and a passer rating below 60 after completing just 46% of his passes. The offense looked rudderless, and Big Blue’s promising group of weapons provided more questions than answers to kick off 2025.
Sobleski also said he feels like Jaxson Dart will be discussed “a lot” in the aftermath of Week 1. After a dazzling summer, fans are clamoring to see the first-round rookie get his shot, and it seems as though his moment is on the horizon.
However, Daboll has made it clear that Wilson will remain the starter, at least for now. The team signed both the 10-time Pro Bowler and former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston as to not rush Dart into action before Daboll and Kafka deem him ready.
Fans have seen this song and dance before when Daniel Jones took over for Eli Manning back in Week 4 of 2019, and we all know that ended. Off of one postseason appearance, Jones received a lucrative deal which will likely go down as the worst contract in franchise history.
Wilson and the offense sputtered, but the next test will come in Week 2 against Dallas. And if things don’t turn around it’ll only be a matter of time before Dart steps in and Daboll’s hot seat gets even warmer.