What We've Learned About The Giants Through Four Games

Here are four observations that has become clear from the Giants' 0-4 start to the season about their identity as a team.

There is a lot of film out on the 0-4 Giants now, and it's revealed the earliest details about the type of identity of the team under head coach Joe Judge.

Many of the generous expectations Judge and his young roster were granted heading into the season have been nowhere to be seen so far, while some aspects of the team have been surprisingly improved.

Here's what we've learned so far about the Giants in Judge's first four games as head coach.

Andrew Thomas and The Offensive Line Are Still A Long Way Off

Fixing the offensive line has been the Giants' priority ever since general manager Dave Gettleman took over. If the unit's performance in 2020 is any indication, it's no closer to being fixed than when he first arrived, as it currently ranks last in the NFL to pass protection and run blocking.

The Giants' have given up a league-high 16 sacks while opening up just 76.5 yards per game worth of rushing lanes, which is second-to-last in the NFL, just ahead of the Houston Texans. However, most of those yards have come courtesy of quarterback Daniel Jones scrambling outside of the pocket.

According to Football Outsiders, the Giants rank last in adjust line yards by a wide margin at just 2.61, whereas the 31st ranked unit, the San Francisco 49ers, is ahead of the Giants by a full 0.69 yards. That is the largest discrepancy between any two teams separated by just one spot on the entire list.

Meanwhile, in pass protection, the Giants' adjust sack rate is 10.9%, the only rate on the entire list to go over double digits.

The offensive line's struggles fall on the shoulders of the entire unit and the coaching staff, but it can also be epitomized by the struggles of rookie offensive tackle Andrew Thomas.

Thomas was drafted with the Giants fourth-overall pick this year as the most pro-ready prospect at his position and was supposed to give the Giants their long-term answer at left tackle.

Thomas had to become the short-term answer as well after veteran offensive tackle Nate Solder opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, and the early returns have offered a minimal indication that is the case, and it can be seen as recently as the Giants' last game.

According to Pro Football Focus, Thomas allowed six pressures against the Rams last Sunday, the second-most among all NFL offensive linemen in Week 4, along with two sacks.

That brings Thomas' season total in sacks allowed to five, and to make things even less cosmetic for the Giants, he is currently graded the lowest of any of the top-four offensive tackles taken in this year's draft.

The progress just isn't showing up yet with Thomas, and poor left tackle play can go a long way in holding back an offense.

This offensive line was put behind the eight ball, considering it didn't have a traditional off-season or a preseason. It also has three new starters, including a new center who never played the position before and a rookie left tackle.

With that said, after four weeks of play, you'd have hoped that the mistakes and issues that were there in Week 1, such as struggles picking up stunts, would have started to fade away.

Dave Gettleman Hit Home Runs With Offseason Signings on Defense

The Giants' big free-agent signings this offseason of cornerback James Bradberry, linebacker Blake Martinez and edge rusher Kyler Fackrell have all paid dividends for the team's defense so far this year.

Bradberry has been the Giants' only viable boundary cornerback and has played a crucial role in locking up top wide receivers.

According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed 12 receptions on 23 targets for 145 yards so far this season while giving up an 82.7 passer rating. On top of that, he's added 15 tackles, one interception, nine passes defended, and one forced fumble.

Then there's Martinez, the defensive captain who's transformed the front seven's identity with his leadership and relentlessness and athleticism as a tackler.

Martinez has been one of the league's best inside linebackers in 2020, in a role that has given him more and control, freedom, and involvement in gap responsibilities.

Martinez even admitted signing with the Giants gave him a more desirable role as a defensive anchor than the one he had in Green Bay, and it's a partnership that has worked out perfectly for Gettleman so far.

Meanwhile, Fackrell, as a one-year rental on an affordable $4.6 million deal, has already surpassed his sack total from last year and has been a bargain playmaker for the Giants. His chemistry with Martinez has helped lift the defense to an impressive turnaround in 2020.

Patrick Graham Can Do a Lot With a Little

Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham likely knew he wasn't getting the most talented roster to work with when coming over from the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

Despite the signings of Bradberry, Martinez, and Fackrell, the Giants' defense went into the 2020 season with holes at several key positions, including a lack of an established primary pass rusher and second boundary corner.

Add unimpressive inside linebacker depth behind Martinez and crucial injuries to the safety corps, which was supposed to be a team strength going into this season. The idea of the Giants fielding a top-five defense would have been a pipe dream back in August.

But four games in, the Giants field a top-five defense from a statistical point of view.

The Giants have given up just 328.3 yards per game, the fifth-lowest in the NFL. That ranking drops when dissected into individual measures for passing defense, rushing defense, and points allowed. But the bottom line is, the Giants' defense has overachieved under Graham's leadership.

The Giants' decision to cross-train their defensive backs during training camp has paid off and helped offset the holes across their secondary, as the unit has fallen into a rhythm quicker than expected. Opposing offenses have only averaged 221.5 passing yards per game against the Giants this year, the sixth-lowest in the NFL.

Meanwhile, up front, a deep rotation of defensive linemen and edge rushers has produced a pass rush that few could have predicted from the Giants' blue-collar bunch.

The Giants have racked up ten sacks so far this year, which is tied for 10th in the NFL, a surge from the 22nd-place finish the Giants finished with last year.

Based on the criticisms of the Giants' defensive talent heading into this season, Graham deserves a lot of credit for putting together a scheme that has allowed the unit to achieve the metrics it has in 2020.

Daniel Jones Can't Carry An Offense (Yet)

As previously mentioned, the Giants offensive line is still a long ways off from becoming solidified.

Add that with the injuries to star running Saquon Barkley and veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard, and Jones is among the most short-changed quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of supporting cast.

Still, Jones has had opportunities to help the Giants overcome those deficiencies, but has instead compounded them with bad decisions.

Some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Russell Wilson, have proven capable of leading understaffed offenses to winning records through strong leadership, decision making, and improvisation.

There were flashes last year where Jones led the Giants spotty offense to high production, and even a couple wins. Some thought he could do that on a more consistent basis this year if he cut down on the mistakes.

But four games into Jones' sophomore season and the first under offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, and Jones doesn't look as though he's taken that next step, the turnovers continuing to be a problem.

An interception in Week 1 ended a promising 19-play drive against the Steelers, Weeks 2 and 3 also had untimely interceptions in the first half that put the Giants in early holes against the Bears and 49ers. And last week's gut-wrenching interception on the final drive against the Rams also cost the Giants a chance at a win.

Even without the situational mistakes, Jones' raw numbers are not pretty as he's completed just 61.1% of his passes for 889 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions along with three lost fumbles this year. Part of this is due to the offense's struggles to sustain drives, which further highlights the unit's and second-year quarterback's struggles.

It's not too late for Jones to turn that narrative around, but unless Shepard is coming back to the offense at some point, there doesn't appear to be any reinforcements coming to his offense any time soon, so it will fall on Jones and the coaching staff to get the mistakes cleaned up.

And while Jones might not be able to carry an offense as a whole right now, one other thing we've learned is that he might be able to carry a running game.

Jones has been the Giants' leading rusher this season with 117 yards on the ground. His ability to scramble could add another element to the Giants' offensive attack that defenses have to adapt to, which could open up other rushing opportunities for the Giants' running backs.

It's an element that the Giants didn't get over the last couple years out of Eli Manning, and it could be the one dynamic that helps the Giants overcome its porous offensive line if Garrett can put the right scheme together.