Giants Country

New York Giants Mailbag: The "Where Do We Go from Here?" Edition

Let's check in with the readers this week to see what's on everyone's minds.
Patricia Traina|
NYG-ONSI Mailbag
NYG-ONSI Mailbag | Patricia Traina, New York Giants On SI

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New York Giants

If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, please use the link below or post your questions on X (formerly known as Twitter) to @Patricia_Traina, hashtag #askPTrain. Please note that letters may be edited for clarity/length.

What's your feeling on the job Carmen Bricillo did with the o-line this season?  It seems they weren't as dreadful as they were in the past few years. -- Gary L.

Thanks for the question, Gary. We wrote an article on the offensive line's improvement this week, and we'll be doing more in-depth unit breakdowns in the coming days. But to answer your question, I think the initial starting five they had for the first six weeks or so before injuries started popping up showed a much improved offensive line.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll
Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll walks to the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

(This letter has been edited for brevity.) Can anyone come up with good, actual football reasons to keep this losing coach? Is there anything to show that he can be a winner with this team, this system, and his in-game decisions? Think the reason they brought him back was because they owed him two years' pay. -- Joe G.

Indianapolis. Get competent quarterback play and you see what the offense is capable of doing? Second, this locker room didn't quit on Daboll, That goes a long way. And third, John Mara said the money had nothing to do with the decision to keep Daboll.  

Look, I’m willing to admit that there are things I’d like to see Daboll do differently, such as being a little more forthcoming about holding players accountable in public. I don’t see the harm in admitting if a player’s performance is unacceptable–Bill Parcells used to do that all the time, and his players still appreciated him for that. 

I’ve also spoken about other things Daboll needs to change, such as how he handles preseason snaps and making his media sessions less “Belichickian” in nature. The bottom line is they’re running it back with him, whether you, I, or anyone else agree with the decision.

Golf Dad, I have been writing about this topic and talking about getting a bridge quarterback on my podcast for several weeks. I know others in the media have been talking about it as well.

As for getting Arch Manning, what makes you so sure he's going to be the second coming of Eli? Seriously, we need to pump the brakes on that for now.

New York Giants Senior VP of Medical Services Ronnie Barnes with offensive tackle Evan Neal
New York Giants Senior VP of Medical Services Ronnie Barnes with offensive tackle Evan Neal | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Giants have notoriously led the league in injuries which has significantly contributed to their woes.  Why has Ronnie Barnes escaped accountability on this?  He is the Senior Vice President, Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer. 

I know he's been with the organization forever, and I know "injuries are part of the game," but at some point, something has to change.  Why not start from the top like you would in other parts of the organization?

Happy New Year, Pete. I think the question we need to ask is if the “number” of injuries the Giants have every year is so far out of whack or is it the man games lost that’s out of whack? 

Sharp Football Analysis has a running list of all the players placed on IR, which you can see right here. My question–and I wish the old ManGamesLost.com site still offered this information as part of its subscription service–is how many man games lost the Giants have had compared to other teams. 

I’d also want to know if the number was higher than the rest of the league because the Giants medical staff was being ultra-conservative with guys or if there was legitimately a problem. I’d then want to know if these injury-prone guys are doing right by themselves regarding rest and recovery–some guys don’t do that.  

Look, Eli Manning never missed a game due to injury. Last year, Bobby Okereke and Xavier McKinney didn’t miss games due to injury. Greg Van Roten and Brian Burns didn’t miss any snaps this year due to injury. 

Do you think that’s luck? Nope. It’s all in how you take care of yourself. Some guys do a better job of it than others. Some guys don’t listen to the doctors and trainers, and they pay the price. Do we know for sure who’s doing what? No, we don’t. So, how can we lay the blame on one person?

So what I’m getting at here, Pete, is it’s too easy to point to Ronnie Barnes as the reason for the injuries. And for what it’s worth, Ronnie and his staff's job is to TREAT injuries, not CAUSE them.

Eric, Joe and Brian have two more years left on their respetive contracts. So no, they don't need to be extended before the draft.

Jonny, that's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. I'm not sure how an affirmative answer would bring any consolation to the fan base, but to each his/her own. The bottom line is that this is John's team (well, half of it is, at any rate), and he can do what he wants. Some people will agree with what he does, and others won't. To each their own.

It's probably a combination of the injuries mucking up the offensive line, which fielded 10 different starting combinations this season (same as last year), and the fact they lost Theo Johnson, who was starting to come into his own.

I haven't done the breakdown yet--I will when I do my position unit reviews--but I'm pretty sure they averaged more throws to the tight end when Johnson was healthy than they did after he went on IR.

I doubt the Giants will trade Okereke, who must first get healthy. Herniated discs can take a while to heal, so let's hope for Bobby's sake that he doesn't need surgery and he makes a complete recovery. 

Also, McFadden is entering a contract year next season, so I don’t think I would create holes on the roster if I didn’t have to. That said, I don’t think their defensive scheme this year favored Okereke’s skills. 

As for Hyatt, I'm really not sure what they would be able to get for him at this point. Maybe a Day 3 pick? But look,  I like the kid, but watch his tape closely.

There are stil issues with some of his route running that shouldn't be happening--that INT Drew Lock threw against the Eagles? That was on Hyatt, not Lock. 

And if the coaches can't trust Hyatt to be reliable out there, he won't get snaps; it's really that simple.

I don't know, Ben. I cover one team: the Giants. I don't have time to tune into what the other teams are doing every week unless it is an upcoming opponent. Sorry I can’t be of assistance on this one.

Ryan, it's better to direct that question to the Giants. I don't work for the team, so I won't speak on their behalf.

Michelle, it’s going to be BPA. And as I wrote in my three-round mock draft, there is ZERO reason to get cute here. If the two quarterbacks are gone and Travis Hunter is there, you take him—end of story.

Speaking only for myself, I have long believed that Shane Bowen's system does not fit the Giants' personnel.

That doesn't mean he's a bad defensive coordinator, but this idea about players being interchangeable regardless of the system is hooey, in my opinion. If that were the case, then why go to the coaches to ask them what they need to run their systems? 

That said, with John Mara having mentioned his unhappiness with how the defense went up and down the field at will at times against the Giants, I would be shocked if Bowen is back for a second season.  

What’s up, David? There is nothing to report just yet, but I wouldn’t be shocked if a surprise move were made, as a curveball is usually thrown into the mix.

Pascale, I think they’re always going to be evaluated separately, to be honest. I also think if they get out to a bad start next year–and let’s hope that doesn’t happen because I’m sure we’re all fed up with the losing in not-so-spectacular fashion–that one or both don’t survive the entire season.

David, as someone who has had issues with her shoulder, I know that it can be hard to attack weight training if you can’t fully lift or extend your arm (not to mention dangerous if you start compensating by putting your back into it). I’d be more concerned to know if Schmitz has an ongoing problem with that one shoulder that he’s now hurt two years in a row and if surgery was necessary to correct it.

Getting off blocks faster and filling gaps would probably be a good place to start. Also, better learning to play off one another.

I had Jonathan Casillas on my podcast a couple of weeks ago, and we discussed the run defense. He said that you have to learn how to play off one another because you might think that you need to be in a certain spot, but then you have Dexter Lawrence, who covers that spot, and suddenly you’re left trying to figure out what to do., 

Chris, I think on the whole, no one on the staff deserves a good grade given the record. But if you want to break things down, I think you can say Joel Thomas (running backs), Carmen Bricillo and James Ferentz (o-line), Andre Patterson and Bryan Cox (d-line), John Egorugwu (inside linebackers) all got their respective units to perform reasonably well, don’t you agree? 

Where did it all go wrong for ex-New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones?
Where did it all go wrong for ex-New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones? | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In 2022, Daniel Jones was under a lot pressure.  There was a new coach and GM and the Giants did not give him a 5th year.  He went out and performed quite well.  He protected the ball, played efficiently and effectively, won a playoff game, and earned a big contract.  What happened in '23 and 2'4?  He seemed much less confident even after leading the team to a comeback win in Arizona in 23. -- Howard D.

Howard, contract years have a way of driving players to up their ante. I also think the fact that the Giants stayed healthy in 2022 was a big factor–Jones has never been a quarterback who has elevated the play of those around him and who actually needs as much around him to be perfect to succeed. 

The tide shifted slightly when the injuries hit in 2023 (Andrew Thomas and Saquon Barkley). Then, in 2024, I think losing Saquon plus the fact that the team let it be known they were looking to move up to draft a quarterback–and I’m sorry, but I refuse to believe the narrative that it was to protect themselves in case Jones didn't recover from his ACL injury as you don’t give up valuable assets when you have a ton of needs just to “protect” yourself–was the final straw.

I compared the situation to someone who finds out their spouse is looking to replace them with a better option. When that happens, I think something dies inside of you, and the relationship dynamic changes. Jones did all he could and gave all he had, but sometimes, you can try too hard and make things worse. 

Some will say Jones simply wasn’t a good quarterback, and they wouldn’t be wrong either. But I think plenty of other factors worked against him throughout his time here.

I think the first thing to do is determine the root of the problem–there is no one-size-fits-all when you’re talking about human beings. 

Are players mailing it in? Are they not paying attention? Are they not grasping what they’re supposed to do? Are they frustrated because they’re being asked to do something that’s not the best fit for their skill set? What is the root cause for the lack of execution? I don’t know if there is one answer to that.

I think the loss of key players happens to the best of us. We develop strong working relationships with people, and then someone leaves, and a new person comes in with whom we may not have the same type of relationship. 

This affects what we do. You either adapt or, if the situation becomes unbearable, go through the motions until something gives. 

There are two ways to look at this. You can either say that the “next man up” isn’t as good as what you lost or you can say that the coaches need to do a better job to adapt to what they lose. I’m not sure what the answer is as it applies to the Giants–maybe somewhere in the middle? 

Nick, the best example I can give you of a coach who has lost the locker room was in the second year of Ben McAdoo’s tenure. Signs of a lost locker room include players snipping publicly at each other or the coaches and tuning the coaches out. It also includes not playing competitively and the players being treated differently rather than equally.   

I don’t think Daboll has lost the locker room. Yes, some guys weren't happy with how they were deployed this year, and I also think the losing didn't help matters. 

You can’t be the players’ buddy, in my opinion. If you start doing that, you put yourself in a position where holding them accountable is not as easy as you think. I understand why Daboll doesn’t want to call anyone out in public, but I don’t see anything wrong with saying an effort wasn’t good enough.

You don’t have to rip the player in question by saying he’s worthless or taking personal shots at him, and you don’t have to nitpick every little thing he does wrong. But there is a way to get your point across while showing the paying customers that you’re holding guys accountable. 

Tom Coughlin did it. Dan Reeves did it. Bill Parcells did it. Daboll, in my opinion, needs to do a better job of doing it because while he might call out guys behind closed doors, it’s the old “if a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound if no one is around to hear it?” question.

As a coach, you need to be like a parent. If you become their buddy, they view you as their equal, and they’re less likely to listen to you if you try to lower the boom on them.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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