New York Giants Mailbag: "The Winning Hand" Edition

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(From Ed H.) To your best recollection, when was the last fan frenzy over a Giants player like Tommy Cutlets? Was it OBJ? Or maybe Victor Cruz?

Since "Tommy Cutlets" is an undrafted rookie free agent, I'll go with Victor Cruz, who was also an undrafted free agent. It took Victor a year to hit the mainstream, but once he did, you know the rest of the story. But yeah, theoretically, OBJ was the last player to cause such a stir. The trick for DeVito moving forward is going to be to sustain it. But it sure has been a wild ride for him so far.

(From David S.) Now that we are several games beyond the 640-yard torching from the Cowboys, the defense has looked more like defense. I am wondering who you like for next year on the DL. Were A'Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nuñez Roches good pickups worth keeping? What is DJ Davidson? Jordon Riley? Does either have potential?

Dave, if you're the Giants, you try to start getting younger there to compliment Dexter Lawrence. I think Jordon Riley and D.J. Davidson have some promise, and I could see them getting more snaps next year if they are healthy. I also believe veterans Nacho and Robinson are under contract for next year.

Hi, Patti! I am curious, why do you think Hyatt isn’t getting more focus on offense. Considering how badly this team has been lacking real offensive weapons for years now, and the flashes we’ve seen of Hyatt already, it’s frustrating to see him still be a non-factor. Thank you!
— MFerrari8123 (@ferrari8123) December 15, 2023

I don't have any proof of this, so it's just my theory, but I wonder if the coaches felt that Hyatt's preparation at Tennessee lacked. I asked him about that in a recent episode of Locked On Giants, and he told me he was working to get better at everything asked of him--routes, blocking, etc.

(From Pat L.) Okay, I need to know, what is different about the offense now that Tommy DeVito is the QB instead of Daniel Jones? Is it the caliber of the opponents? Is the offensive line jelling with more playing time together? Is the offensive play-calling simpler? Or is it just Tommy is better than Daniel? The offense has been better the last few weeks, and there hasn't been much change in personnel.

Pat, we covered this topic in the latest Locked On Giants podcast with Mark Schofield, who is well-known for his analyses of quarterbacks. I also pulled a segment from that podcast specifically answering that question, which you can read here.

(From Ed C.) Has Martindale's blitz package decreased since the Cowboys game? Do you think his "issues" with Daboll were due to his heavy-blitz philosophy?

Ed, according to SIS, the blitz package hasn't necessarily decreased. What has changed, though, is the blitzes have been getting home more often.

In Week 10 versus Dallas, the Giants blitzed 37 percent with a 53 percent success rate. The following week against Washington, the Giants blitzed 25 percent with a 46 percent success rate. Against the Patriots, they blitzed 59 percent with a 41 percent success rate. And last week against the Packers, they blitzed 41 percent with a 59 percent success rate.

I think whatever "issues" Martindale has with Daboll could be rooted in frustration. Daboll has admitted to being a hothead when things don't go right, whereas Martindale is very even-keeled. You have to have thick skin in this business; otherwise, you won't last very long.

How have things changed since the pandemic when a player gets COVID? We don’t see reports of that like they used to do and it seems like they may just report it as an illness, but that would usually be more than a few days if they quarantine. #askPTrain
— Jeff Cope (@JeffCope_) December 15, 2023

Jeff, much like everyday life, where we no longer have to wear masks to doctor's offices or even fill out questionnaires or have our temperature taken, the same holds true for the players. If someone is sick, he gets sent home to stop the spread of germs and then has to wear a mask when he's well enough to return while he's showing symptoms. But the days of the regular COVID tests, isolating, etc., are gone.

Will John Mara allow there to be a QB controversy next year if Jones is healthy?
— Ctazzo384 (@ctazzo384) December 15, 2023

I know this sounds hard to believe, but John Mara has vowed to let Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll run the show. Mara will only intervene if there is a character issue with a prospect.

Way back in the day (before your time) Tom Landry used to occasionally draft defensive linemen and turn them into offensive linemen, believing that many colleges put their best linemen on defense. Might the Giants try this? (Since nothing else works.)
— Nick Harlow (@AuthorHarlow) December 16, 2023

I doubt it. Way back in the day before my time, the draft was, what, 17 rounds and without free agency? While you occasionally have guys who make position switches, it seems like a waste of resources to draft a guy who played one position with the intent of converting him to another.

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