Giants Need to Avoid These Causes for Pause in 2023
The New York Giants enter the 2023 season filled with high hopes and expectations following their impressive 9-7-1 campaign last year, resulting in their first postseason berth since 2016.
With hopes sky-high among external sources, outwardly, at least, the team's management, coaches, and players are trying to play it cool by not committing to any expectations or milestones outside of improving a little every day. That, in particular, was the message general manager Joe Schoen reiterated during his press briefing last week, and it's also been the message head coach Brian Daboll has consistently reiterated.
Perhaps they are on to something, as something can go astray just when one least expects it, resulting in a season going off the rails. And while such occurrences are tests of a team's mettle, there are still a few things that the Giants are no doubt hoping don't occur to ruin what otherwise looks like a promising 2023 campaign.
Sep 26, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) leaves on a cart after injuring himself during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Injuries
The injury bug can apply to any team, but the topic needs to be brought up when we're talking about the league's most injured team since 2009. Last year, that pattern continued into the 2022 season when outside Linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari, defensive lineman Leonard Williams, right tackle Evan Neal, receivers Wan'Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard, and cornerback Adoree' Jackson were among those who missed time.
The Giants replaced the turf at MetLife Stadium and have been leaning more heavily on sports science personnel regarding practice schedules, recovery times, and other precautions. They came through training camp relatively unscathed and have been able to practice this week with all hands on deck, albeit with some guys more limited than others.
Football is a very physical game, and injuries will occur. The Giants made a strong attempt to shore up their depth at numerous positions, so there is no significant drop-off if backups have to play more snaps than usual. But all it takes is for a string of injuries at a specific position to quickly wipe out depth, and the team could be left scrambling, something the Giants are hoping won't occur.
Aug 18, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal (73) and New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (78) exit the field after defeating the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium.
John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
The Offensive Line
The offensive line is the one unit that still seems unsettled in more ways than one. Outside of All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas, there are still too many question marks for most people's tastes.
From the plan at left guard to the question of whether right tackle Evan Neal is truly better than he was a year ago to how rookie center John Micael Schmitz will handle complex stunts and instances with guys lined up over his nose, there are still a lot of questions to which fans would no doubt like answers to calm their fears.
Last year, quarterback Daniel Jones was one of the most pressured quarterbacks in football. If this offensive line can't win in the trenches, it won't matter who the skill position players are if the quarterback constantly has to run for his life or is knocked on his back.
New York Giants rookie wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (6) makes a catch over rookie cornerback Tre Hawkins III on the first day of training camp in East Rutherford on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY NETWORK
Letdowns from the Rookie Corners
The Giants have been gradually planning the future at cornerback by adding Deonte Banks in the first round and Tre Hawkins III in the sixth round of this year's draft. But while they likely expected Banks to step in and be a Day 1 starter opposite of Adoree' Jackson, the emergence of Hawkins this summer has led to the former Old Dominion product earning first-team snaps and a potential starting role that, in some instances, has pushed Jackson into the slot.
Such could be the case against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. Dallas is just one of several opponents the Giants will face this year who has a stellar receiving corps, including the Cowboys (CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Cooks), Eagles (A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith), Commanders (Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson), Dolphins (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle), Seahawks (DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett) and 49ers (Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk).
These receivers and other opponents are going to put the Giants' rookie cornerbacks to the test to where they'll have their share of misses but also hopefully more than enough share of successes. But if the rookies struggle consistently, that could make for some long afternoons for the Giants' pass defense.
Nov 20, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks up during the first half against the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium.
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Jones Regression
The Giants clarified their stance on Jones by signing him to a four-year, $160 million contract. Thus far, Jones has rewarded them by having his best off-season and preseason, looking more comfortable in the offense and in throwing to some of his new receiving targets like tight end Darren Waller and receivers Jalin Hyatt and Parris Campbell.
Last year, Daniel Jones was a mid-tier quarterback, finishing 15th in passing yards (3,205) and 21st in passing touchdowns (15). The offense didn't ask much of Jones as a passer, probably due partly to it being the first year in the season and the quality of talent he had to work with.
Jones ended the 2022 season with just 5.7 air yards per completion, which was good for 27th in the NFL but also good enough for the team to want to continue with him, and now that they've upgraded the talent around him, New York needs for Jones to work his way into top-10 quarterback territory.
Nov 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll walks the sideline during the second half of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Giants at AT&T Stadium.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Sophomore Slump
The Giants have been here before. A new head coach is brought in to give life to a team that hasn't been to the playoffs in years, and in his first season, the team overachieves, only to suffer a sophomore slump the next season. The Giants went through that with Ben McAdoo and Joe Judge, who never saw a third season as the team's head coach.
The hope is that Brian Daboll will snap this streak and be around for years to come. Thus far, there's been no indication that the Giants are heading for a sophomore sump under Daboll's leadership, as the head coach has kept things pretty much the same as he did last year.
That said, teams around the league now have enough film on the Giants to potentially figure out ways to thwart some of what they like to do. Fortunately for the Giants, Daboll has an innovative, creative staff that has shown itself to remain ahead of the curve.
And more importantly, Daboll hasn't let last year's success go to his head. He's consistently told reporters that things don't carry over from one year to the next since it's a different team. He's also insisted that we won't know what this Giants team is about until a few games in. And he's noted that all he and the coaching staff can do is prepare the players to be the best versions of themselves in the year ahead.
So again, there is no reason to think that Daboll will hit a sophomore slump as some of his Giants head coaching predecessors did. But it's still something that bears watching as the stakes are now much higher than they were this time last year.
- Get the latest breaking news and analysis on the New York Giants
- Follow and like us on Facebook
- Submit your questions for our mailbag
- Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.
- Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
- Connect with us via text alerts! Free 14 Day Trial!
