4 Things I Know About the 2-6 Giants
At the NFL’s midway point, the Giants sit with a measly 2-6 record. What lies ahead for Big Blue?
I KNOW that it’s time we reconsider Joe Judge’s job status.
As last night’s loss against the Chiefs indicated, you cannot play scared on the offensive side of the ball. After a surprisingly solid defensive performance, the offense remained stagnant. The Chiefs came into last night with the second worst defense in the NFL, and the Giants only came away with 17 points. The Giants offensive woes have still been left unaddressed, with the team ranking 31st in points and yards gained. Judge’s conservative approach essentially doomed the Giants and led to another heartbreaking defeat. Lack of discipline was also a huge factor last night, like the miserable offsides call against Oshane Ximenes. Linebacker Tae Crowder also had two costly personal fouls, and running back Eli Penny also picked up a taunting penalty at a pivotal point in the game. Judge’s “no nonsense” coaching approach was not very evident last night, and if these issues continue, he could be on his way by the season’s end.
2. I KNOW Kadarius Toney is being underutilized
I mean come on. Giants wideout Kadarius Toney made headlines in what feels like years ago, when he torched the Cowboys secondary for 10 catches and 189 yards, putting the league on notice. In just a few games, Toney has established himself as one of the hardest offensive players to bring down. In his return to the lineup last night, fans were expecting a repeat performance against a horrible Chiefs defense. Instead, Toney walked away with 4 catches for 26 yards. There was speculation that Toney was nursing a hand injury, which normally would make sense. Yet, Toney was out returning punts the entire night. If Toney can return punts, why does he not have a larger role in the offensive gameplan? With the season over already, Toney should be treated like a lab-rat. He should be experimented with, allowed to take hold of the offense with other starters out. Yet again, Jason Garrett needs to get the offense going, and that starts with making Kadarius Toney the center of the offense.
3. I KNOW the Giants are monitoring this year’s running back class.
The Giants season is yet again over with half the season complete, meaning they have to be looking ahead for how they can avoid a repeat performance of this year. That starts with the draft. If the season ended today, the Giants would have two picks in the top 10. In what is a stacked running back class, the Giants have to be considering a potential Saquon Barkley replacement. Barkley, 24, has battled countless injuries in what has been a “what could have been” career thus far. As a contract year looms for Barkley next year, it would not be a bad play to give him some potential competition in the backfield. We have seen a scenario like this before (i.e. Jaguars RB Travis Etienne getting drafted after James Robinson’s fantastic rookie season). This year’s class has plenty of potential at the running back spot, with Michigan State running back potential Heisman candidate Kenneth Walker III being the most obvious choice. Other names like Breece Hall (Iowa State), Mataeo Durant (Duke) and Tyler Badie (Missouri), who are all top 5 rushers in college football, could also be potential candidates. Although it may not be worthy of a first round pick, there is plenty of talent that could add pressure to Barkley’s job status, especially with his future with the team in question.
4. I KNOW that Evan Engram should have been traded.
Giants TE Evan Engram was reportedly drawing “multiple interest” from team’s ahead of the trade deadline, but was ultimately not dealt. Engram, the 23rd pick from the 2017 NFL Draft, is on pace for less than 400 receiving yards this season (he’s at 187 right now). His lowest receiving yard mark in a season is 467 back in 2019. Engram has been a non-factor in this offense for most of the season, and with the last year of his contract halfway complete, will most likely not be in a Giants uniform next season. If the Giants drew interest from multiple teams, trading Engram should have been a no-brainer. With Kyle Rudolph and former starter Kaden Smith behind him, they would honestly have an upgrade at the tight end position. Engram remaining on the roster implies that the Giants have something in store for him coming up, which would be interesting to see play out. However, it may be too late for Engram to establish himself as the tight end of the future for Big Blue.