Then again, the bye week could be a farewell for the Giants.
Farewells like “Adios” and “See You Later” are farewells to seasons that went nowhere, accomplishing little and setting the franchise back instead of moving it forward to bigger and better things.
The 2024 Giants couldn't get any better. They're 2-8 and on a five-game losing streak heading into their final seven games, none of which have any playoff implications.
There weren't high expectations for this team heading into the season, but with the return to health of Daniel Jones, the arrival of rookie wide receiver Malik Nabors, a revamped offensive line (again), and the addition of two new players. There was at least some hope. If the coordinator and some guys add some firepower to the defense, the Giants could stay on the fringes of contention.
That's not happening. They're 0-4 in the NFC East, 0-5 at MetLife Stadium, and you can hear the jeers and hate when they play at home. What will happen next in the Meadowlands will be even more tragic. It was an eerie silence that could be heard from the empty seats.
This was a setback for general manager Joe Schon and head coach Brian Daboll's regime. Co-owner John Mara said when the Giants went 2-5 that he had no intention of cutting the power duo this season and “doesn't anticipate making any changes during the offseason.” he said.
Since making this declaration, the Giants have lost to the Steelers (by 8 points), the Commanders (by 5 points), and the Panthers (by 3 points in overtime), losses that will test anyone's patience. Entering Week 11, the Giants held the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft. No one in the audience expected that they would maintain this position for three years after the organization was reorganized.
Can the Giants salvage the next few games to at least make their final record look better than the unsightly 2-15, 3-14, or even 4-13 record? How important is it anyway? The problems that await this series are all quite depressing in nature.
best player
There are so many players, but so few legitimate candidates. The MVP of this disappointing team is by far Dexter Lawrence. In his sixth season, Big Dex emerged as one of the best nose tackles in the league. He ranks second in the NFL with nine sacks (edge rusher Trey Hendrickson leads with 11), and there's no way an inside big man will push the pocket and come home that often.
According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence has the second-highest grade among interior defenders behind the Steelers' Cameron Heyward. All this happened even though double and sometimes triple teams were always planned to prevent his rampage. Lawrence, 26, has embraced his role as a leader by being more vocal and active with his teammates. He's been dominant in the past, but despite his excellence, he's been baffled by a run defense that ranks 29th in the league, allowing 147.1 yards per game.
least valuable player
Daniel Jones is 3-13 in 16 starts since signing a four-year, $160 million contract that will definitely end after two years. It's not all his fault, but his lack of growth and improvement will likely end his six-year stay as the starting QB. There's a stiffness and hesitation to his play that remains concerning even after all this time.
The freedom and abandon he displayed early in his career is no longer part of his performance. His passer rating is 79.4, with eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions representing blandness that overwhelms the entire offense. The explosive speed he once displayed is no longer there after ACL surgery. Jones is still a tough, solid guy, and not all of this year's performance is his fault. But it's the QB1's job to find ways to win games, and Jones doesn't do that often enough.
the biggest surprise
The 2024 draft rookie class is bigger than Malik Nabors. Nabors is certainly the mastermind, but despite his personal statistics, he has not been able to increase his attacking power. Nabors ranks third in the NFL in receptions with 61, but has only played in eight games compared to 10 for the two players above him, Ja'Marr Chase (66 receptions) and Garrett Wilson (65 receptions). . Nabers' average of 10 yards per catch is disappointing.
His classmates were equally influential. Tyrone Tracy Jr. led all rookie running backs with 545 yards, passing veteran Devin Singletary to become the starter. Safety Tyler Nubin has been on the field for 100% of the defensive snaps (all 613) and is second among NFL rookies with 43 tackles. Slot cornerback Jrue Phillips looks like a keeper with his coverage and tackling ability. Invasion. For some reason, he's the second-highest rated cornerback in the league by Pro Football Focus behind Jalen Ramsey. After a slow start, tight end Theo Johnson showed promise as a pass catcher with 21 receptions, 238 yards and one touchdown.
biggest disappointment
This wasn't expected to be a high-flying, high-scoring, high-octane offense. But this? This is a disaster. In 2023, the Giants averaged 15.6 points per game, ranking 30th in the league. After 10 games this season, they are once again struggling with just 15.6 points per game, which ranks last in the NFL. This was due to Daboll dictating the play – wasn't that supposed to be a big deal? — The addition of super rookie Nabors, a much-improved offensive line, and the return to health of Jones. The offense even received a nice boost from Tracy in his first season.
However, when trying to get into the end zone, a barrier stands in the way. The Giants scored 15 touchdowns on offense. The only team with fewer is the Browns, with 14 teams. The Ravens lead the league with 38 teams. The Lions are 37 teams, while the Buccaneers and Bills are 32 teams. These teams play a different sport than the one the Giants struggle with every week. weak foundation.
best moment
There really aren't that many options, right? This is easy. In Week 5, the Seahawks were trailing 23-20 when the Giants made a nice exotic play on special teams, going for a 47-yard field goal that likely sent the game into overtime. We lined up as much as possible. Isaiah Simmons leapt over the line of scrimmage, rose into the air like a pogo stick, and blocked Jason Myers' kick. The ball was scooped up off the ground by Bryce Ford-Wheaton and returned 60 yards with 55 seconds left for the game-clinching touchdown. The Giants returned home from the Pacific Northwest with a frenetic 29-20 victory to improve to 2-3 and their season appeared to be in full swing. That was October 6th, and they haven't won a game since. What happened in Seattle stayed in Seattle.
worst moment
How long does it take? There's a long list to go through here. The century red uniforms for the opening game were harsh on the eyes. It was a different way of losing without Washington having a kicker. I felt a bit of sad nostalgia watching my old friend Saquon Barkley run through his former team over and over again. Watching that poor two-point conversion attempt fail miserably in a rematch with the Commander was not appealing.
But, to my utter embarrassment, the worst had to be what happened in Munich, Germany. In fact, the Giants made the aging Panthers defense look reliable in a 20-17 overtime loss to Carolina, with Jones hitting two red shots. A zone interception and Tracy fumbling the ball on the first play of overtime tied the game. This was not a Bavarian treat.
biggest head scratcher
You need to have a plan in place in case a key player goes down. That's what happened when left tackle Andrew Thomas was lost to a season-ending foot injury in Week 6. The move was to take Josh Ezeudu off the bench, and that was a bad plan. Ezeudu was drafted as a guard in 2022, but for some reason this coaching staff continues to believe Ezeudu can tackle. Evidence suggests otherwise. He was unimpressive in his five starts in 2023, and had a poor start this season in his cameo role in place of Thomas — allowing two sacks in the first quarter and three total pressures in a crushing loss to the Eagles. did. That was it for Ezeudu. Newly signed Chris Hubbard took over for two games and that plan was wiped clean, with Jermaine Elemunor moved from right tackle to the left side and Evan Neal dusted himself off and took the field at right tackle. .
Future decisions
Is this also a big decision? It doesn't seem likely that the Giants will start Jones in their next home game against the Buccaneers. The crowd at MetLife Stadium won't welcome or be happy about Jones stepping into the first-team offense.
It's understandable that calls will be made for supporter Drew Lock, but there's not a lot of optimism or strong feeling within the company that he's going to brighten things up when he gets on the field. With seven games left, there's still time to see what fan favorite Tommy DeVito does next. If this move goes through, Figure Jones will become the third quarterback and will not be active on game day.
