2021 New York Giants Preview
The offense is under the microscope this season.
We finally made it to yet another season of Giants football. The second year under HC Joe Judge — and the fourth under GM Dave Gettleman — kicks off Sunday afternoon against Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium, with plenty of hype and expectations surrounding Big Blue.
This season is a pivotal one for the Giants, who find themselves inexplicably in year four of a prolonged, painful rebuild. I won’t bother rehashing all of Gettleman’s decisions over the past three-plus seasons — mainly because I don’t want to upset myself — but it’s obvious that this rebuild has been botched numerous times along the way.
If you disagree, that’s fine. But it’s 2021 and the team still has a bottom-tier offensive line and an offense that finished 31st (only ahead of the Adam Gase Jets) in scoring during a record-setting 2020 season. Don’t forget the 15–33 record over Gettleman’s three seasons as GM to boot. The improvement should be evident by now, and while we certainly saw promising activity — mainly on the defensive side of the ball — this team still leaves much to be desired.
This season is certainly shaping up to be make-or-break for a number of key contributors to the organization, namely Daniel Jones, Jason Garrett, and Dave Gettleman. It seems to be the case, more or less, that if things don’t drastically improve in 2021, all three of them will be on their way out with the team. Jones will still literally be on the roster, but it’d be tough to move forward with him as the franchise QB without marked improvement in year three.
Much of the focus, rightly so, will be on Jones and the offense. Yes, the offensive line is bad. Yes, Jason Garrett’s considered a bottom-tier play caller. But when you draft a QB sixth overall, you’re drafting a guy who you assume can elevate those around him even when the situation is less than satisfactory.
Have we seen that consistently from Jones over his first two seasons? I’d say no. If Jones can’t put it together, then the Giants will have the draft capital necessary to take a top QB in the 2022 draft (thank you, Chicago). Let’s cross that bridge later though, shall we?
The Offense
The offense, the offense, the offense. As I said above, the Giants incalculably finished 31st in scoring, averaging just 17.5 points per game in 2020. As a franchise, the team hasn’t had a truly great offense since they averaged over 26 points a game in 2015. That was six seasons ago. Six! As a fanbase, we’ve been starved of consistent offensive production. The closest we’ve come to it since is the occasional slant taken to the house by Odell Beckham or the long run from Saquon Barkley.
Speaking of Saquon, the Giants are going to need their stud RB to make a full recovery from his multiple injuries and get back to his 2018–19 levels. There’s no doubt he’s arguably the most talented running back in the league. But he’s going to have to show out behind what will be a mediocre-at-best offensive line. The Giants will need him to be a consistently great player if this offense has any chance of staying in games.
The additions of Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney should, in theory, alleviate some of the scoring woes the Giants have faced of late. But Golladay’s health — which still remains a bit of a mystery — and Toney’s usage will define both players’ seasons. Sterling Shepard’s move back into the slot thanks to the addition of Golladay should certainly open up more work for the Giants’ new number 3. If I were a betting man (and I am), I’d bet that Shep leads the team in receptions.
Much of what the Giants are able to do on offense will come down to Jason Garrett’s ability to scheme around a weak offensive line and scheme in favor of a solid set of skill players. Toney was taken in the first round to be the X-factor for this offense, much like an in-prime Percy Harvin was for both the Vikings and the Seahawks. Can Garrett successfully call plays for Toney that aren’t obvious to opposing defenses? I’ll remain dubious.
Arguably the biggest issues with Garrett’s offense in 2020 were the lack of pre-snap motion — something that allows QBs to better read defenses — and the lack of creativity and shot-taking. Garrett wanted to focus on eliminating Jones’ proclivity for turnovers. He succeeded, to an extent, but it came at the cost of points left off the board. Not throwing as many interceptions is cool. But know what’s cooler? Scoring points.
This approach is exemplified by Garrett calling six-yard curls on 3rd-and-6. Instead of taking shots and making the defense work, Garrett’s trying to play via death by 10-yard paper cuts. By limiting yourself on offense, you’re making it easier for opposing defenses to game plan, something that is downright baffling in an era of offensive ingenuity.
I think Garrett should be on an extremely short leash this season. The Giants need to know what they have in Daniel Jones over these 17 games, and if Garrett isn’t helping, he needs to go. I trust Joe Judge’s…judgement, and I believe that Garrett was more of a Mara/Gettleman hire than a Judge one. If we’re three games into the season (I know the first two are against tougher defenses) and the offense has shown nothing, it’s time to pack Jason’s bags and move on.
Am I optimistic about the Giants this season? To an extent. I love DC Patrick Graham and what he’s able to accomplish on the defensive side of the ball, generating pass rush through stronger secondary play. It’s the way the NFL’s going nowadays, so it’s great the Giants have someone in charge of the defense who understands the importance of this philosophy.
The concern with the defense will be whether or not the young pass rushers — Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, and Azeez Ojulari — can step up and give this defense some bite off the edge. That, and whether or not the attrition of playing opposite a poor offense affects the defense as the season goes on. The more time a defense has to spend on the field because of short drives (thanks, Jason), the higher likelihood players can potentially get injured or just flat-out exhausted over time.
Overall though, the LBs, led by tackling machine Blake Martinez, should be solid. Mix in a secondary led by top-tier CB James Bradberry and new addition Adoree’ Jackson, and you’ve got a stew going. Between those two, Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers, the Giants should have one of the strongest secondaries in the entire league.
Week one presents the Giants with an opportunity at home against a fellow team in flux. The Broncos boast one of the strongest defenses in the league, but an offense led by newly-acquired QB Teddy Bridgewater. I’m expecting this to be a low-scoring affair (I’ve already bet the under), and if Daniel Jones can hold onto the ball and play smart football, I think the Giants have a great opportunity to surprise everyone and start their season 1–0.
Buckle up, folks, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
