5 biggest problems haunting the NY Giants with their 1-3 start

With the NY Giants off to yet another disastrous start to the season, there are a couple of problem areas that have already been identified. These issues have not only caused the Giants' to win just one of their first four games, but moving into the rest of the season, they are likely to just get worse.

The worst part about this is the fact that just about all of these problems could have, and should have been avoided had Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll game planned for this season a little differently. Luckily for them, there's still time to right the ship and make some serious changes before the Giants get too far deep into the year.

Here are the 5 biggest problems haunting the NY Giants with their 1-3 start

5. Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney dominating their positions

We won't give Schoen and the Giants too much flack for letting Saquon Barkley walk, as this move was best for both sides and New York found what they thought was a solid replacement in Devin Singletary. However, knowing John Mara, it's not a good look that Barkley is currently third in rushing yards and averaging 6.0 yards per carry.

However, where we can give Schoen some flack is for not re-signing Xavier McKinney, who currently leads the NFL in interceptions and remains one of, if not the best coverage safeties in the NFL. The Giants knew how talented McKinney was despite being just 25 years old, yet let him walk to the Packers without even offering him a contract.

Instead, they opted to draft Tyler Nubin in the second round, who has been solid, but nowhere near as good as McKinney. Could Nubin become as good as McKinney? Maybe. But it's not worth the risk that comes with drafting a safety in the second round, especially when, if Nubin becomes that good, they will have to pay him around as much as McKinney, if not more anyways.

4. The lack of real talent in the secondary

One of the biggest areas of concern entering the season, especially with McKinney leaving, was the secondary. Sure, there were some players with potential like Deonte Banks, Cor'Dale Flott, and Tyler Nubin. However, we're now four weeks into the season and the secondary is an absolute disaster, something that could have been easily avoided.

Forget the McKinney situation, but there were numerous free-agent corners this offseason that, at the very least, could have been signed to provide a solid presence. Instead, Schoen sat around, only bringing in Tre Herndon, who was released before the start of the season. I understand relying on Banks and Flott to develop, but a veteran presence other than Adoree' Jackson would have been preferred.

3. The complete lack of tight end utilization

Something fans have begun to notice throughout the first four weeks has been the lack of any real targets for any of the Giants tight ends. Daniel Bellinger has proven to be a good dual-threat option at the position, and Theo Johnson is a high-upside rookie with elite athletic traits. Despite this, the two have seen just nine combined targets, catching just five passes for 57 yards.

The tight end is a safety net for a quarterback to use, yet the Giants haven't been taking advantage of this. Instead, Chris Manhertz, a great blocker but useless receiver, has been out-snapping Bellinger, and Johnson isn't being used enough. Given the struggles this offense has had, these two must be utilized better if the Giants want to see more success on that side of the ball.

2. Poor pass-rush results

Despite investing so much into this unit between Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Brian Burns, the Giants pass-rush has been far from ideal through the first four weeks. While they were absolutely dominant against the Browns in Week 3, racking up eight sacks, they have just seven through the other three matchups.

Lawrence has been nothing but dominant, earning three sacks and 18 pressures despite being double-teamed more than just about anyone in the league. Thibodeaux and Burns, though, have been more quiet, totaling two sacks and 22 pressures between both of them. You could justify a lesser-talented secondary with an elite pass-rush, but as of now, both of these areas on defense have been disastrous.

1. Daniel Jones' inability to hit a deep pass

Arguably the biggest problem plaguing the Giants offense to start the season has been Daniel Jones and his insanely poor deep passes. This not only cost them a potential win against the Cowboys, but it has been pestering this team all season long.

According to The 33rd Team, Jones is 2-of-13 on his passes of 20+ air yards this season. Considering the talent he has, especially in terms of getting open down the field, this is unacceptable. Players like Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, and even Malik Nabers at times are being underutilized thanks to this problem.

Jones has to get it together, and soon, if the Giants want any hope of salvaging this season. If not, fans can pretty much wrap things up on what will likely be another 4-5 win campaign with the hopes of maybe drafting a replacement for Jones.