Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Identifying the Most Glaring Statistics Behind the Giants’ Struggles this Season and How to Fix Them
The 2019 season has been defined by struggles for the New York Giants, which is why they currently sit at 2-8 heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears.
With this year already looking like a lost campaign, it’s worth analyzing what has gone wrong over the Giants’ first ten games.
One of the most glaring issues with the Giants this season has been their defense. James Bettcher’s unit has allowed an average of 381.7 total yards per game, which is sixth-worst in the NFL.
Even quarterbacks who have struggled this season have had no issues moving the ball against the Giants. Sam Darnold of the Jets recently threw for 230 yards and a touchdown against this defense, and that was with a vulnerable offensive line.
Part of the problem is that the Giants’ front seven has not been able to put pressure on the quarterback consistently. Guys like Dalvin Tomlinson and Markus Golden have stepped up this season, but the Giants’ pass rush has been mostly ineffective.
This lack of a pass rush has factored into the ineffectiveness of the defense when it comes to stopping offenses on third down. Teams are 51 for 125 on third-downs against the Giants’ defense this season, which is a conversion rate of 40.8 percent.
To fix this, Bettcher needs to call more blitzes and force opposing quarterbacks to get rid of the ball quicker.
Defensive lineman Leonard Williams can have a significant impact on this unit if he can be the pass rusher that he was at USC. Bettcher should bring more pressure from the outside with Williams on third downs.
On the offensive side of the ball, it’s evident that the Giants have had a significant issue with turnovers, having turned the ball over 24 times this season.
Quarterback Daniel Jones has been scrutinized for his problem when it comes to holding onto the ball, as he’s already fumbled 13 times and lost nine of them. This is an issue that he’s going to need to fix to be a successful NFL quarterback.
He has also thrown eight interceptions over his first eight starts. Jones needs to improve his decision-making and learn when to take a sack instead of trying to make a play. If he can do this over the last six games of the year, the Giants’ offense has a chance to turn things around in the future.
Despite having one of the best running backs in the league in Saquon Barkley, the Giants are averaging just 94.2 rushing yards per game this year.
Barkley’s ankle injury earlier in the season hurt the Giants’ running game, but even with Barkley now back, however, things have not improved.
He’s coming off one of his worst performances as a pro, a game in which he rushed for just one yard on 13 attempts against the Jets.
With a rookie quarterback and a mostly younger group of receivers, the Giants’ offense needs Barkley to be the impact player he was last year. Fortunately, he still has six games to salvage what has been a mostly disappointing season.
Although the Giants’ offense is close to 40 percent on third-down conversions this season, they have only picked up a total of 195 first downs. Head coach Pat Shurmur needs to get more creative with his play-calling, especially in short-yardage situations.
He should use Barkley even more in the passing game to pick up first downs. The Giants’ offensive line must do a better job of protecting Jones, as he’s already been sacked 32 times over his first eight starts.
The Giants’ offense has struggled to get first downs because they are constantly being pushed back.
This will only continue if Jones is not protected adequately.
If the Giants can clean up at least some of these issues, they should be able to get a few wins over these next six games. This season might already be a lost cause, but they can still finish strong and have something to build on for next year.
