Our 2022 NFL Preview heads to the Big Apple, where the Giants once again find themselves starting over with new leadership in an attempt to return to playoff contention. After suffering a second straight losing campaign under Joe Judge, the Mara Family cleaned house, and eventually settled upon (Head Coach) Brian Daboll and (General Manager) Joe Schoen to rebuild one of the NFL’s oldest franchises. Given their success in Buffalo, will this new brain trust FINALLY maximize the potential of (Quarterback) Daniel Jones and (Tailback) Saquon Barkley? Will this miserable decade of football for Big Blue come to a merciful end? Read on, ladies and gentlemen…
Changing the Culture
Since winning Super Bowl LVI, the Giants have been one of the most difunctionally miserable teams in the NFL, enjoying just TWO winning seasons since 2012, and only ONE in the last nine years. Hell, over the last five years they’ve amassed a dreadful 22-59 record (.271), which if not for their neighbors at MetLife Stadium would earn them the distinction of being the worst club in the Empire State. After last year’s 4-13 finish, both (General Manager) Dave Gettleman and the aforementioned Judge were relieved of their duties, with a lengthy search to find their replacements ensuing in January. Though they entertained many candidates, the Mara Family didn’t have to look very far, eventually hiring the Buffalo tandem of Brian Daboll (pictured) and Joe Schoen, which appears to be the first intelligent hire that ownership has made in quite a while. It wasn’t long ago that the Bills were mired within the same malaise as Big Blue is currently in, and these two gentlemen played significant roles in turning their instate neighbors into one of the best teams in the league. Indeed, operating as Assistant General Manager from 2017 to 2021, Schoen uncovered a wealth of talents in the Draft (I.E. Josh Allen) and helped engineer a seismic trade to unlock the potential of the passing game (I.E. Stefon Diggs). Of course, as Offensive Coordinator during that period of time, Daboll put in the hard work of developing and utilizing those players, overseeing an attack that went from the doldrums of the NFL to one of the most prolific. Furthermore, the 47-year-old’s work in turning Allen into a perennial MVP candidate from what many considered a small-school reach has earned him many admirers across the league. And thus, this dynamic duo is charged with turning around the Giants, and you can already see the groundwork being laid; New York maneuvered their way into eleven picks in last spring’s NFL Draft, including five in the first three rounds alone, with an emphasis on improving their long-suffering Offensive Line. These two have shown what they can do with a wealth of draft picks, though it will be their work with two incumbent talents that will decide how quickly this rebuild gets off the ground…
Last Chance U
Though it seems like a lifetime ago, there was quite a bit of hype in regard to the Giants’ offense after taking (Tailback) Saquon Barkley and (Quarterback) Daniel Jones (both pictured) early in the first round of back-to-back Drafts. However, neither has come remotely close to making the impact that the faithful in Gotham envisioned, with persistent injuries slowing down the former, and erratic play and penchant for crushing turnovers plaguing the latter. Barkley, selected second overall in 2018, served as the fulcrum of the attack during his first two seasons, amassing an NFL-best 2,028 yards from scrimmage en route to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but has since missed twenty-one games over the last three seasons due to a variety of injuries, including a torn ACL that laid waste to nearly all of his 2020. As for Jones, it’s been a more harrowing tale; a surprise pick at sixth overall in 2019, the young signal-caller has started thirty-seven games only to amass a record of 12-25 (.324) along the way, while totaling nearly as many turnovers (49) as touchdowns (50), including a league-worst TWENTY lost fumbles during that span. Granted, his supporting cast has been ravaged by injuries over the past two seasons, while his protection (105 sacks since 2019) has regularly ranked among the worst in the NFL. So, with all that in mind, is it any wonder that both players have found themselves the subject of trade rumors out of the Big Apple? Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Barkley must prove that he can in fact stay healthy enough to earn the investment of being a workhorse in the Backfield, while Jones (eligible for extension) is facing his last chance to prove himself now for the third different coaching staff of his young career. Daboll has worked wonders with Quarterbacks in the past, while Schoen bolstered the Offensive Line in the Draft with (seventh overall pick) Evan Neal and (sixty-seventh overall pick) Joshua Ezeudu out of Alabama and North Carolina respectively, so there is still a chance that this ongoing horror story could enjoy a happy ending. Either way, the time is NOW for this duo, and there play this Fall will ultimately decide whether or not they’ll continue to sport those blue jerseys and helmets come 2023.
Playmakers?
As Barkley and Jones enter make-or-break campaigns, the supporting cast around them could ultimately decide their fates if they could simply get their own house in order. Of course, we’re referring to the Receiving Corps, which disappointed mightily despite entering last season with a good deal of optimism. Say what you will about the aforementioned Gettleman, but he made a sizeable effort to surround his Quarterback with weapons in the passing game, signing Kenny Golladay in free agency to a lucrative four-year, $72 million contract with $40 million in total guarantees, while also drafting Kadarius Toney (pictured) out of Florida with the twentieth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Needless to say, both underwhelmed in their first season together in the Big Apple. After back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in Detroit and leading the NFL in touchdown receptions in 2019 (11), Golladay failed to catch on in New York with just thirty-seven catches for 521 yards and ZERO scores. As for Toney, the rookie hauled in thirty-nine catches for 420 yards in what was certainly a chaotic introduction to the league; he missed a wealth of time during both the offseason and regular season due knee and foot maladies and multiple spells on the COVID/Reserve List, starting just four games and participating in another six. Apart from that, (fellow Wideout) Sterling Shepard missed all but seven games with a torn Achilles, while (Tight End) Evan Engram and his team-best three touchdown receptions, bolted in free agency for Jacksonville. Simply put, Daboll and must figure out what to do with this group, for in his time with the Bills, he passed the football A TON; over the last two seasons, Buffalo ranked third and ninth in passing yards, along with third and seventh in passing touchdowns, while New York on the other hand finished no better than twenty-ninth in either category during that period of time. This group isn’t without talent, but they need to be able to stay on the field together, and the feeling is that if they can make it through training camp and the preseason without any setbacks then the new regime should be able to begin unlocking their potential, which as we stated earlier would go a long way towards deciding the fate of their Quarterback.
Projected Finish: 6-11
After years of questionable hires, there is a feeling of optimism that the Giants may have finally gotten it right with Daboll and Schoen, who worked wonders in the respective roles with the Bills. Granted, that’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of work ahead for them in the Big Apple, where resolutions must come with both Barkley and Jones, who enter crucial seasons in regard to their futures with the franchise. If the offense can remain healthy and Daboll can get his Quarterback straightened out, then this is a team that could very well contend for a Wild Card within a softer NFC, but we think that there won’t be enough to progress to end their playoff drought just yet.
