New York Giants Week 5 Storylines: Saquon Barkley, The O-line, and More
The New York Giants need to get better and in a hurry. They know it, their opponents know it--heck, anyone who knows anything about the game knows it. But the question is how can a team with so much promise coming off its first winning season and its first playoff berth since 2016 cure what ails it when the rosters are mostly set?
"My thinking is, come back ready to work (Wednesday) and talk about the things we need to improve and go out there and improve and ultimately play better on Sunday," Dabll said during his video conference with reporters on Tuesday.
Sounds simple enough, but it doesn't address how or why a team with so much promise at the start of the season has fallen down the tubes so quickly.
As he's done before, Daboll has pointed to this being a new year and a new team.
"I've said that since the start of OTAs. There’s a lot of things that have to go right each game to be successful," he said. "We're certainly working to be there, but we're not there yet. And that's what we'll try to do this week."
The fact remains that the Giants are at a very delicate point so early in the season that if they don't get things straightened out, the once promising 2023 campaign will end up in smoke.
"Yeah, it could go sideways," said safety Xavier McKinney after the game. "I’ve been a part of a team where it has gone sideways. I do understand this league; it’s tough, and you’ve got to be able to respond quickly, or it could go south, but like I’ve said from the beginning, I believe in the guys that we’ve got in this locker room, I believe in the coaches that we have."
McKinney was asked why he believed the Giants would escape the mess they've created.
"I understand the work that we’ve put in. I understand how we prepare and, ultimately, I understand the talent that we have," he said. "We’ve just got to find a way to put it together, and right now, we are not doing that. So, we’ve just got to find a way."
Here are a few other storylines we'll be watching.
Saquon Barkley's Potential Return
Given how much of a difference he makes for the offense, Barkley deserves his own headline. Production aside, when Bakrley is on the field, he needs to be accounted for, which leaves someone else who might otherwise receive extra attention to roam free.
Barkley, of course, is recovering from a high ankle sprain. He had hoped to be able to go on Monday night after being limited all week in practice, but the Giants decided to hold him out as Barkley has a history of rushing back only to struggle upon his return. If this team hopes to salvage its season, they need Barkley as close to 100 percent as possible. Will this be the week he comes back? We'll have to see how he does in practice.
The Offensive Line
Another week, another potential starting combination on deck if center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) can't play. Ben Bredeson, if healthy, would be next in line behind Schmitz, but after that, their only other center on the roster is Shane Lemieux, who had to leave the game early due to an abductor injury.
And what about Andrew Thomas, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury? Will this be the week he returns, or is he potentially looking at missing another game?
Normally, when a hamstring is involved, the team likes to see a guy get through an entire week's worth of full reps before greenlighting him. Thomas tried to give it a go last week only to not feel right and shut things down for the week. Daboll didn't provide any updates on the injured players, but a very early gut feeling says Thomas isn't ready to go this week.
The Other Injured
One injury we're not talking enough about is that suffered by tight end Daniel Bellinger (knee), who was injured on the 4th-and-1 "tush push" play. Bellinger is the Giants' top blocking tight end, and as soon as he went out of the game, the blocking fell curiously enough on Darren Waller's plate instead of the Giants opting to use an extra offensive lineman.
Again, there was no word regarding the severity of Bellinger's knee, but if it was serious enough to knock him out of the game, it wouldn't be surprising if he was limited this week.
Any Changes?
Head coach Brian Daboll was asked after the game Monday night and said he wasn't entertaining any thoughts of changes. But then again, Daboll isn't one to make snap decisions, particularly after an emotionally draining and disappointing game.
How can Daboll keep things status quo after 14 subpar quarters of football out of 16? Again, there aren't major changes he can make, but simple tweaks like getting Jalin Hyatt and Darren Waller more involved or, putting Sterling Shepard back there to field punts instead of Adoree' Jackson, or sticking more with the running game early on are things you'd think would be under consideration, right?
And what about the coaching aspect? As much as fans would like to see offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey replaced, perhaps Daboll views their respective performances differently than the outside fan base. Plus, in the case of McGaughey, would they be comfortable with trusting the special teams to assistant Mike "Pop" Adams, who is fairly new to coaching?
If any coaching staff moves are to be made, chances are they'll happen after the season, or at the soonest, after the college season ends and college coaches looking to jump to the NFL become available.
Gut Check Time
If there is one thing that's been sorely missing from this Giants team this year, it's been a lack of bite. The Giants have now been punched in the mouth four times, only really responding once, that against the Cardinals. Last year, when the Giants got punched in the mouth, they showed more grit.
Will they start showing more bite this week after being embarrassed nationally three times? Playing a competitive game against the Dolphins would be a nice start to show that they haven't gone in the opposite direction of being a tough-mined team as they were last year.
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