Offensive Adjustments We'd Like to See in the Second Half of the Giants' Season
The Giants coaches supposedly did a little self-scouting over the long weekend. While time will tell as to what--if anything--they determined, here are a few things we'd like to see more of the rest of the season.
Give Andrew Thomas Help on the Edge
Yes, Andrew Thomas is a first-round draft pick--the No. 4 overall pick, to be precise. But he's still a rookie and one who has struggled with finding consistency.
So as Thomas continues to figure things out on the edge, it just might behoove the Giants to give him some help out there, especially against the premier pass rushers he usually sees, until the training wheels come off.
Because let's face it. Like everyone else in the league, Thomas didn't have the benefit of preseason games, where he likely would have seen a gazillion snaps (okay, gazillion isn't a number, but you get the point).
And those snaps might very well have been valuable in building confidence as well as providing true game speed (as opposed to trying to simulate it in practice) for Thomas to cut his teeth against.
But right now, this kid is struggling to keep his head above water, which could be why his technique isn't consistent. Benching him isn't the answer as that will only prolong the inevitable.
So put the training wheels on him by giving him some help in the form of chip blocking until he can settle down and take that step forward that continues to elude him.
Give Daniel Jones More More Deep Ball Opportunities
Good things tend to happen when Daniel Jones has a chance to chuck the deep ball.
Yes, very good things. This season Jones is 7 of 13 for 218 yards and three touchdowns on pass attempts of 20 or more yards, an impressive 138.6 rating.
Career-wise, Jones is 23 of 67 for 716 yards, and 12 touchdowns on the deep ball with four interceptions and four dropped passes. That's an 89.93 passer rating.
Granted, the deep ball requires protection, which Jones doesn't always get from his offensive line, and it also requires receivers getting open, which hasn't been a constant in the two years he's been a starter.
But he does have Darius Slayton as a potential deep threat and Sterling Shepard as a zone buster master.
Heck, there's even a rumor floating around that tight end Evan Engram has some untapped speed. So why not add in a few more deep throws per game and see what comes of it?
Get Kaden Smith More Involved
Kaden Smith isn't Evan Engram. And that is both a good and bad thing.
It's a good thing because Smith is more of a complete tight end, a guy who can block the bigger defensive ends (he has about ten pounds on Engram that gives him an advantage), and he also has shown better hands over his short NFL career, catching 75% of his pass targets versus Engram's 61.5% catch rate.
What Smith doesn't have is Engram's athleticism. He's not the graceful gazelle that Engram is when he runs, and Smith probably won't rack up gobs of yards after the catch.
But that's okay because something you just have to roll with what you have, warts and all. And while the Giants have been doing that with Engram for the last four seasons, they haven't had much to show for it.
That's why it might be time to introduce a new ingredient into the pot and see what effect that has on the offense?
Get Rid of the Weekly Wide Plays by the Goal Line
There's nothing wrong with running the occasional jet sweep or an end-around down by the goal line. However, these plays' drawback is that they take longer to develop and thus are easier for the defense to defend.
Ever since the Giants had success with a three-yard touchdown run by Engram against Dallas, they have run at least one wide play inside the red zone in each of the last two games. Both plays have resulted in minus-7 yards.
Again, there's nothing wrong with doing it on occasion, but the Giants have tried it now three games in a row and have not had success the last two times after initially hitting paydirt the first time they tried it.
More Matt Peart, Please
Young Matt Peart will eventually be the starting right tackle on this team, so why delay the inevitable? The only reason I can think of si that perhaps Peart will have a new guard next to him next year, but even if that's the case, it's not reason enough to keep this kind on the bench.
Like Thomas, Peart had no preseason. While the coaches have given him snaps here and there, those have come more so because of circumstances affecting the incumbents, e.g., an injury a few weeks ago to Cam Fleming and then more recently the disciplinary action taken against Andrew Thomas.
Peart has handled his opportunities well, allowing just two pressures in 49 snaps between right and left tackle.
While Fleming's play has been more than acceptable, if he's not in the long-term plans--remember, he's signed to a one-year deal--why not turn the reins over to the rookie and let him get his feet wet some more?
