Takeaways from New York Giants' 24-6 Loss to New Orleans Saints
"Offensive."
That's the only word that comes to mind in describing the New York Giants' 24-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints, which sent the once-flying hgh Giants crashing back to Earth. The loss, which saw the Saints score 17 unanswered points in the second half while shutting out the Giants in the game's final 30 minutes, dropped New York to 5-9 and, as if this writing, put them in the running for the seventh overall, pick in next year's draft.
There were enough things to go wrong for the Giants, but the focus needs to be on the offensive offense, from the execution to the coaching to the play calling. Early on, there were a pair of dropped deep passes by Giants receivers, which, had they been made, might have set a different tone for the game.
Meanwhile, the Giants' offensive line continues at an out-of-control pace in terms of sacks allowed, having surrendered another seven in this game. For those keeping score at home, the unit has now allowed 76 sacks in 14 games, putting it on pace to finish the season with 93 sacks, which would be second most in league history.
We'll dive into the coaching in more detail in a bit, but can we talk a bit about the game plan? This was a game in which the Giants were about to face a run defense that had allowed 130 yards per game on the ground.
So after getting off to a slow start in the first quarter with just three yards on five rushes (the rushing play selection being mostly up-the-gut runs instead of the stretch runs that had worked so well previously), the Giants seemed to find something of a groove on the ground in the second quarter when they picked up 43 yards on six rushes.
Then, down 7-6 in the half, they all but abandoned the running game, only rushing five more times for 14 yards, this again against a run defense that came in struggling, an approach that left young quarterback Tommy DeVito to fend for himself behind a leaky offensive line that allowed seven sacks, eight hits and a ton of pressures.
Add to that a lack of defensive pressures--only one sack and two quarterback hits-- a leaky secondary that gave up some deep plays, and zero turnovers forced, and you have the 24-6 dud.
Some additional thoughts...
The "Offensive" Line
I realize that not all of the sacks allowed by this unit are on the offensive line, but I think it's fair to say that a significant percentage is on the five guys up front. While I feel it fair to give the coaches the benefit of the doubt, what I continue to find to be alarming about the job done with this unit is that the young guys have struggled.
Center John Michael Schmitz has been up and down this season, and there is some question as to whether Sean Harlow and Marcus McKethan haven't made enough progress or aren't good enough to get on the field despite some glaring struggles by Justin Pugh. And is Mark Glowinski that much worse than what we saw today that he can't get on the field?
That has to fall on the coaching, just like the unit's struggles to pick up stunts (I counted two sacks resulting from a stunt). Yes, injuries have been a problem, but the lack of depth that hasn't been deemed ready to step up? It's not a stretch to question how they're being prepared.
An Unsustainable Formula
You knew at some point the red-hot Giants defense, which had forced 12 turnovers over the last three weeks and had been playing some of its best ball, would eventually cool off. That came this week--again no turnovers and only one sack.
Without the defense, who had a day to forget, especially in the defensive secondary, setting up a shorter field for its young quarterback, the Giants ended up behind the eight ball.
The Saints completed passes to ten different receivers en route to 218 passing yards and three touchdowns. 11 of their first downs came through the air, and they converted 50 percent (six of 12) of their third down attempts against the Giants as well as both of their red zone visits.
The result? Although the Giants haven't mathematically been eliminated from the postseason, their playoff hopes, however slim they were coming into this game, are dead.
The House of Horrors
If you've read me all week long, you no doubt saw me refer to the Caesars Superdome as a "house of horrors" for the Giants, who are now 5-9 in that building. Besides losing today's game, New York saw injuries strike both kickers. Randy Bullock pulled a hamstring in the first quarter and could not kick the rest of the game, his status moving forward a question ark.
Jamie Gillan, the punter, also needed to get checked out at one point, emerging from the medical tent with a wrap on his left (plant) leg. And DeVito looked like his foot was stepped on by one of his offensive linemen late in the game, leaving him limping.
Ugly Numbers
The Giants have gone 22 games without scoring a touchdown on their opening drive, the longest streak in the NFL. They have also now failed to score a touchdown in a game in four games this season.
Want more? The Giants were two of (12.5 percent) on third down (oh, how I long for the day when receivers run to the sticks on third down like they used to back in the good ol' days).
Zero trips to the red zone? Check! And only 3.2 yards per play? Goodness, is it any wonder why the Giant's offense was so offensive-looking despite running three more plays than the Saints?
Moving Forward
Giants head coach Brian Daboll said he was sticking with DeVito as the starting quarterback. Some might argue that the decision doesn't make sense, but in case you haven't noticed, Taylor just doesn't seem to be in the team's future moving forward, whereas DeVito has been working his way into the conversation for the No. 2 quarterback role.
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