New York Giants Notebook | Select Thoughts from the Assistant Coaches
The improvement is becoming more visible by the week.
But the question is: When will it finally start showing up consistently in the box score?
Hopefully, soon as the Giants coaching staff has seemingly pushed all the right buttons in keeping its players motivated and focused despite a hail storm of adversity this season.
Through it all, the players are refining their play with tangible results that were very visible in the Giants's 23-20 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday.
But the Giants, who believe it or not, are still in the hunt for the NFC East title, still have a way to go in terms of improvement if they will be competitive the rest of the season.
There's much work to be done and much to like. Let's check in with some of the Giants assistant coaches for updates on their respective units.
Inside Linebackers Coach Kevin Sherrer
Linebacker and defensive captain Blake Martinez has been the spine, mind, and heart of the Giants' defensive efforts so far this season.
As the league's leading tackler and the Giants' veteran captain, Martinez is more than just a player for what the coaching staff is trying to do this season. He is setting the tone for the long-term foundation of the defense and the mentality and discipline they bring to every game.
For inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer, Martinez has lived up to the expectations bestowed on him when the two were paired this offseason.
Even with those expectations, Martinez was still open to the coaching that Sherrer and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham have given this year, and it's gone a long way in getting Martinez to his current Pro-Bowl level of play.
"I felt like as a coach there were some things that myself and [Graham] could bring to his game, and that's what we brought him here to do," Sherrer said.
"If he does his job and the front does their job and allows him to kind of run and do the things he does then he's going to make a lot of tackles."
Martinez's talent and the coaches' experience are one thing, but what's led to Martinez thriving this year is the overall chemistry that he, Sherrer, and Graham share.
Graham and Martinez worked together in 2018 with the Green Bay Packers when Graham was the linebackers coach, and Martinez was in his second season as a full-time starter.
That relationship is so strong that Sherrer even goes so far as to believe that Martinez is like a coach on the field for the Giants' defense.
"It's like having a coach on the field really, you can say hey this and it's an open line of discussion too and he has a lot of input of what we do," Sherrer said.
"There are parts of the defense that allows him to function and move and do things we've coached him to do and the things he sees."
Offensive Line Coach Marc Colombo
The Giants' offensive line has been arguably the Giants' second-most talked about position this season, and for a good reason.
After several years of underperforming and investing three draft picks into the unit, including the team's first-rounder, this year, it was inevitable that the group would be under a microscope all season.
That attention turned to heavy doses of scrutiny after a disastrous start for the group, in which it was the worst in the league in terms of run blocking and pass protection.
Offensive line coach Marc Colombo has the group playing much better football as of late, particularly in run blocking, as the team has averaged 139 rushing yards per game over the last four weeks.
But it's how the offensive line has gotten there that is so surprisingly impressive.
Rather than build continuity with the same five starters, the team has opted to go with an offensive line rotation.
Rookie offensive tackle Matt Peart has been rotated in and out of both the right and left tackle spots and has thrived in his limited action at both.
According to Colombo, Peart's ability to seamlessly flip sides has been a big key behind the offensive line rotation that allows the coaches to keep the unit fresh.
"It all comes down to Matt Peart," Colombo said. "He's rotating during practice at right and left, and he takes almost half the plays at tackle.
"We do quite a bit of individual; we do quite a bit of team periods where they get in there and create continuity ... so this rotation has been going on since we started here, so it's not foreign to them.
Additionally, rookie guard Shane Lemieux has also made his way into the mix at left guard while Will Hernandez was on the COVID-19 list.
The Giants activated Hernandez Tuesday and plan to ease him back into the lineup; as such, he'll likely rotate snaps with Lemieux.
"Shane brings an energy juice to the offensive line," Colombo said. "He gets after guys. He's one of those nasty players that you love on the line.
"He came in and I'll tell you what, he not only held his own, but he's blocking pretty well. He's doing really well with this technique. In pass pro things we've got to work on, but other than that, we're really impressed with what he's done so far."
Running Backs Coach Burton Burns
Running back Wayne Gallman has made the most of his opportunity in his rookie contract's final year.
After injuries to Saquon Barkley and Devonta Freeman gutted the Giants' backfield and elevated Gallman to the top back, the fourth-year pro has been the bell cow for the offense, racking up 146 yards on 36 carries over the last three games.
Gallman is coming off his best game in three years with a 68-yard rushing performance against Washington. And running backs coach Burton Burns said Gallman is getting more comfortable in the offense with every carry.
"He's getting a better feel for the plays that we're running so the more reps that a guy gets on certain plays he feels more comfortable in executing those things so he's done a really good job now," Burns said.
With Barkley and veteran Dion Lewis leading the running back corps heading into the season, Gallman ended dup buried on the depth chart.
But Gallman remained committed to preparing as if he was the starter and has been granted an opportunity that could ultimately change the trajectory of his career.
"Coming into the year, I think Wayne knew basically what his role was," Burns said. "But as a competitor, you always prepare yourself. When Saquon's injury happened, it was something different for him, and the situation motivated him.
The Giants running game has topped the century mark in each of the last four games, matching the four-game stretch of November 18-December 9, 2018, Barkley's rookie season. If they can add another 100-yard showing Sunday against the Eagles, it will be the longest stretch of consecutive 100-yard rushing yards since 2018.
Defensive Backs Coach Jerome Henderson
Outside of veteran James Bradberry, the Giants' cornerbacks haven't found much consistency this year.
The Giants have started three different players at the starting boundary cornerback spot opposite Bradberry this season.
Corey Ballentine, waived on Tuesday, started at the spot in Week 1 before getting benched for former Denver Bronco Isaac Yiadom, just two games in.
Then by Week 4, Ryan Lewis replaced Yiadom in the starting lineup before suffering an injury in Week 7, which thrust Yiadom back in as the starter.
Despite struggles, defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said Yiadom would be the Giants' starting cornerback until Lewis returns. But what Henderson didn't say is that the Giants don't have many options.
"You'd like to have a guy in there who stays in there that you know that we're moving forward with. That isn't how it's worked out for us," Henderson said.
"Right now [Yiadom] is still the guy who's up, and we'll continue to get him ready and get him playing at a better level.
"What James has done opposite him has been consistent so I guess the path of least resistance has been on that other side."
Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
What kind of quarterback is Daniel Jones?
Some might call him a game manager. Some might call him a scrambler. Some might even call him a gunslinger.
But quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, who has worked with several quarterbacks with various skillsets, believes that a quarterback is always more than just a singular playing style. Those labels don't tell the full story of what they do for an offense.
"There are some different labels and stereotypes that get thrown on guys for different reasons and I feel like I've had the chance to coach those guys with different labels on them," Schuplinski said. "I don't think that you can put a label on any one guy."
For Schuplinski and the Giants' offense, the offense's objective is to be aggressive and fundamentally sound without compromising either aspect for each other, and that takes more than just one skill set that comes with quarterback labels.
"We're going to try to call the game aggressively and we're going to try to take those opportunities and shots when they're there," Schuplinski said.
"And when they're not [Jones'] job is to sort of bail us out in a way and get the ball out of his hands and throw it underneath and let the guys catch and run and do what they have to do.
"I don't know if I would label that a 'game manager' in any way I think that's just being smart with the ball and then when those opportunities are there you have to shoot them and take them."
"[Jones] has the ability to make some really good plays with his feet and throwing it on the run and getting away from pressure so there's a fine line with where you limit that and scale it back a little bit for him."
