How Close are New York Giants to Turning Things Around?

With the right head coach and a few moves, the Giants might be closer than people think.

New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen speaks at a press conference during day one of the New York Giants training camp at Quest Diagnostics Giants Training Center in East Rutherford on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Giants have won only 12 games over the past three seasons, after making the playoffs in 2022 with a 9-7-1 record. 

The failure to ascend since that season has led the team to decide to move on from 2022 NFL Coach of the Year Brian Daboll after a Week 10 loss to Chicago. 

It may seem as if a playoff berth could not be further from reality for Big Blue, but that may not necessarily be the case. 

Now that we have confirmation from ownership that general manager Joe Schoen will return for his fifth season, the attention can turn to how he and his brain trust will get to work adding what is necessary to compete for a playoff spot. 

The great thing about the NFL and, more specifically, the NFC East is that the league is built on parity. 

You can go worst to first in a season, and all it takes is a good offseason mixed with a little in-game luck to get you there. 

The Offseason Blueprint is Available

When you compare the Giants to other franchises, you can see why they are not far away. 

In 2024, we all watched the Washington Commanders go from four wins in 2023 to a magical 12-win 2024 as they marched all the way to the NFC Championship game, where they fell to Philadelphia. What changed the coaching staff and their quarterback? 

Well, the quarterback is already in place; now the new coaching staff can come in and improve offensive success while strengthening defensive leadership. 

Over the past 10 years, 11 four- or five-win teams made the playoffs the next season; seven did so with new head coaches in place. 

The Chicago Bears are the latest example. They won five games in 2024 under Matt Eberflus, but had their quarterback in place. 

Ben Johnson came in and won 11 games and is now headed to the postseason. DeMeco Ryans did it with Houston, Doug Pederson did it with Jacksonville, and never forget, Brian Daboll did it right here in New York. 

50/50 Games Flip

The Giants have lost 20 games by one score over the past three seasons. 

In 2023, when they won six games, they lost three games by one score. 

The next season, they lost nine games. This season, there was continued frustration with the team's inability to win one-score games, as they lost eight. That is not the mark of a team that is far away. 

For the Giants, this season's winning and losing games came down to fourth-quarter consistency, especially on defense. 

In Week 2 against the Cowboys, the defense did not get one stop the entire fourth quarter. The Cowboys had four possessions and scored two field goals and two touchdowns. 

The Week 7 fourth-quarter defensive meltdown against the Broncos saw them score on all five fourth-quarter possessions: four touchdowns and a field goal to win it. 

The Bears scored touchdowns on two of their three fourth-quarter possessions.

Against the Packers, the Giants took the lead 20-19 on a 15-play drive only to watch their well-rested defense go out there and give up a seven-play touchdown drive to Green Bay and a two-point conversion. 

In overtime against the Lions, the Giants gave up a 69-yard touchdown run to Jamyr Gibbs on the first play. 

Against Minnesota, the defense allowed Max Brosmer to go 14 plays and 57 yards in the fourth quarter to set up what would eventually become the game-winning field goal. 

Add those six wins to the record, and the Giants are a double-digit win team. 

A Few Pieces Away

Despite what people will try to tell you, the Giants have a lot of talent on this team. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball, but just like every other team, they have holes.

They could use upgrades on the offensive line, in the receiving corps, at linebacker, and in the secondary. With just a few pieces via free agency and the draft, they can fill the holes necessary to compete. 

The addition of versatile offensive lineman Marcus Mbow makes it easier to say goodbye to right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor if he can command a salary too high to match in free agency. 

They may cut left guard Jon Runyan because they would save over $9 million in cap space. If so, they could find a player to perform as well, if not better, for cheaper in the open market. 

Greg Van Roten was a bargain when they signed him and would still be one, but the play could be to bring him back in his original capacity as an interior backup for the guards and center. 

They could tackle a guard replacement in the draft or do the unthinkable and extend a team-friendly offer to Evan Neal to be the starter at guard. That would indeed shock Big Blue Nation.

They desperately need a legit linebacker to put next to Bobby Okereke, or if they do decide to move on from Okereke, they desperately need two. 

One can likely be found in free agency, a guy who has familiarity with whomever the new defensive coordinator is, and the other should come from the draft, where the top pick might go to an elite linebacker. 

There will be a lot of really good receivers in free agency that they can pair with Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Darius Slayton. 

You could see them go after Alec Pierce or Romeo Doubs in free agency or address the receiver needs in the draft. At safety, it will be tough not to want to get a more sure tackler and dynamic playmaker in the secondary. 

They have invested a lot in Paulson Adebo, and Cor’Dale Flott has proven that he needs to be a part of the plans, but if Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs is there at five, can the Giants really pass him up?

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