Five Musings Ahead of New York Giants' Week 3 Game vs. Cowboys

Here are a few leftover thoughts from the week that was.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Sep 25, 2022 12:46 PM EDT

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The New York Giants have a big opportunity to snap a few negative trends that have developed through the years if they're able to defeat the Dallas Cowboys Monday night.

First, the Giants can start 3-0 for the first time since 2009, when they won their first five games. That was also the last season they started 2-0 at home, that season being the last one they spent in the old Giants Stadium.

Head coach Brian Daboll can join Dan Reeves (1993) as the only Giants head coaches to win their first three games with the team. Steve Owen was 3-0 in 1930-31, but the first two victories were with co-coach Benny Friedman.

And from a series perspective, the Cowboys have won nine of the last ten meetings against the Giants. With a win Monday night, the Giants can position themselves to sweep the season series against the Cowboys for the first time since 2016 if they can then repeat the victory on Thanksgiving.

Lastly, the Giants have lost ten consecutive prime-time games, including four at home. Their last nighttime victory was on Monday, November 12, 2018, when they beat the 49ers in San Francisco, 27-23. And speaking on Monday night games, the Giants (25-45-1 all-time on Monday night and 9-13 at home) have since lost six straight and eight of their last nine Monday night games, their last victory being a 21-20 triumph over the Bengals on November 14, 2016.

Here are a few more thoughts.

1. Remember how many of us were worrying at the start of the year about the Giants' defensive secondary?

Yeah, me too, and I should have known better after watching defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson work his magic last year with a banged-up Giants defensive secondary, which this year is loaded with young players.

Henderson, a former NFL defensive back, is one of the coaches Brian Daboll retained from Joe Judge's staff. The more one looks at the Giants' defensive backs and how prepared and efficient they are every week, the easier it is to see why Henderson is held in such high regard.

"He's a player's coach," said safety Xavier McKinney, who has blossomed under Henderson's tutelage. "We're comfortable around him. You know, we can have real conversations outside of football with him. He invites us over to his house--we've done that a couple of times. So he's just a really good guy, a fun guy to be around. We love him as a coach."

Personality aside, McKinney praised Henderson for his football knowledge and knowing how much to push each guy toward his limits.

"Yeah, he helps us improve and get better. And that's what you ultimately want, for the coach to push you, make you a better player, and make you a better person. And I think he does all of that very well."

I asked McKinney for an example of how Henderson has made him an even better talent.

"I think as far as pushing me in the realm of studying film, I think he's always been great on just helping me see different things in the film room, and just kind of giving me different things that I could look at that might help me," he said.

"There have been things that have been very helpful for me since I came in. So I think that's the biggest thing where I feel he's pushed me and helped me in my career."

2. The Kenny Golladay situation is certainly a headscratcher, and not just to the receiver himself. Both Golladay and the coaching staff have repeatedly said that the receiver has done everything asked of him.

So why aren't things adding up? Well, the question that hasn't been asked--and even if it were asked, it's doubtful head coach Brian Daboll would answer it since it would require disclosing private conversations he's had with the receiver--is how well has Golladay been doing what's been asked of him.

Think of it this way. When I was a child, I often kept a messy room. My late father always used to get on my case about it. So to appease him, I'd maybe straighten a few things, put a few things away and call it a day.

To my thinking, I did what was asked of me. But from my father's perspective, I didn't do a thorough enough job. Now that I'm an adult, I see the difference between doing the minimum and being thorough.

Back to Golladay, neither he nor Daboll would disclose what they discussed during the week. But I wouldn't be surprised if perhaps the Giants are expecting a little more elbow grease from the receiver.

Daboll on Thursday insisted things with Golladay "were in a good place." With Wan'Dale Robinson (knee/declared out) and Kadarius Toney (hamstring/doubtful) unlikely to play Monday night, Golladay will have a golden opportunity to put things to rest about his effort.

3. So far, I think it's safe to say that Wink Martindale's defense has been a royal pain for opposing offenses to deal with.

Not only has Martindale brought the heat as was advertised, but his defenses have a knack for confusing quarterbacks in their post-snap reads--confusion that leads to bad decisions.

The key, according to Martindale, is versatility among the defense.

"You’ve heard me say this many times before: It’s a position-less defense. So, just because a guy--let’s use (safety) Julian (Love)--has safety next to his name in the program, he can play anywhere on the field," Martindale said.

"Why can he do that? Because (of) the way we teach the system. He’s a smart player. And wherever we need him and wherever I think his skillset would fit us best is where we play him that week."

Martindale revealed he's run two "different" defenses in the first two weeks of the season. And because of that, opponents who have studied the Giants' first two games might expect one thing and end up being hit with something unexpected.

And that right there--that element of surprise--is a big reason why this Giants defense has gotten off to the start it has.

4. One of the biggest flaws the New York Giants continue to have is the inability to get off to a fast start in games.

The Giants have been outscored 19-6 in the first half of games. If it's not evident, those six points scored by the Giants in two games are both field goals, not a touchdown sans the extra point.

If the Giants are looking to do big things, they will have to figure out how to start faster and get into the end zone.

One way to speed things up would be a no-huddle, up-tempo offense to help get the offense in a rhythm. The Giants haven't yet deployed that up-tempo offense thus far, perhaps saving it for a specific scenario.

Daboll, as expected, wouldn't say specifically what the team was considering, only to say that it was about communication and execution.

That sentiment was echoed by offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

"I think what we’re emphasizing is the communication part of it at the line of scrimmage, player to player, coach to player, coach to coach," said Kafka.

The communication is one part of things, but so too has been the play calling. Last week, for example, Kafka might have gotten a little too cute with the play calling in the red zone. But to his credit, he buckled up and called a more efficient game the rest of the way, getting just enough out of the offense while the defense did its thing.

"We’ve taken a step back and said, ‘Alright, how can we be cleaner on this scheme? How can we be cleaner detailed on these types of situations?’ That’s been our focus, I think. If we can build on that, I think that’s when we’ll start seeing a faster start for us."

Let's hope he's right because it sure would be nice to see the Giants build up a comfortable lead and to see the offense generate more than its 159.0 average passing yards per game.

5. So far, the Giants are 2-0, thanks mainly to their defense. While no one is panicking about the offense, much of what's been happening so far this year has happened before.

The Giants haven't had all their playmakers on the field every week. Whether it's Kadarius Toney, Wan'Dale Robinson, or Kenny Golladay, imagine what this offense might look like if all those guys were on the field together to give quarterback Daniel Jones options.

The tight ends have logged three catches for 38 yards and two touchdowns. Not world-beater stats by any stretch of the imagination, but efficient.

And put it all together, and the Giants' offense has yet to exceed 200 passing yards. That stat just won't cut it in today's NFL.

And regardless of how you feel about Daniel Jones, former NFL quarterback turned analyst Dan Orlovsky of ESPN does not yet appear to be sold on Jones.

Orlovsky pointed out how Jones is missing wide-open receivers because he tends to escape the pocket when it collapses around him rather than try to slide out of harm's way to buy himself time to make the throws that are there to be made.

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