After a irritating 6-11 season, Giants followers have loads of causes to be pessimistic about their soccer crew.
Right here’s why New York might battle in 2024.
Daniel Jones hasn’t improved
The Giants received two of Jones’ six begins earlier than an ACL tear ended his 2023 season in Week 9. Jones averaged a career-low 5.7 yards per try final yr, throwing simply two touchdowns in opposition to six interceptions and ending with a QBR rating of 36.3, the worst of his profession.
Remember, quarterbacks like Kenny Pickett (38.1) and Sam Howell (42.4) posted higher QBR numbers final season, and each had been traded within the offseason. Jones signed a four-year, $160M contract final offseason, however the Giants would really save $30M in opposition to the cap together with his 2025 launch.
Jones hasn’t handed for greater than 15 touchdowns in a season since 2019, and with a 22-36-1 file as a starter, time could also be working out for the injury-prone 27-year-old quarterback.
The offensive line has been a large number
To be honest, the Giants did their quarterbacks no favors by permitting a league-worst 85 sacks for 465 yards final yr.
Solely the 1986 Philadelphia Eagles gave up extra sacks (104) in a single season, which explains why New York added gamers like Jermaine Eluemunor and Jon Runyan Jr. and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo within the offseason.
Eluemunor spent the final two seasons at proper sort out for the Raiders, however the Giants hope to make use of him at guard. Sadly, Evan Neal, the crew’s present proper sort out, allowed seven sacks and dedicated seven penalties in seven video games performed final yr. He’s additionally recovering from offseason ankle surgical procedure, which might complicate the crew’s plans for Eluemunor.
Runyan is predicted to take over for proper guard Mark Glowinski, whom the crew launched within the offseason. Whereas the previous Packer hasn’t missed a sport in his four-year NFL profession, he did lose snaps to Sean Rhyan in the direction of the top of the 2023 season.
After all, Bricillo shall be New York’s eighth offensive line coach within the final 10 years, which speaks to the crew’s inconsistency. With so many transferring elements, it’s no marvel Professional Soccer Focus named New York’s offensive line because the “weakest” within the NFL.
The tight finish choices aren’t encouraging
The Giants traded a third-round decide for Darren Waller final yr. In return, he gave them one landing and 552 yards in 12 video games.
These numbers aren’t nice, however now that he’s retired, the crew’s choices to switch him are even much less encouraging.
Daniel Bellinger, a fourth-round decide in 2022, has two years in head coach Brian Daboll’s system however simply 523 yards and two scores over that span. He was additionally restricted throughout spring practices as a consequence of an undisclosed harm, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Theo Johnson, this yr’s fourth-round decide, is large (6-foot-6, 264 kilos), however his numbers as a Nittany Lion had been something however. Johnson had 938 yards and 12 scores in 4 years with Penn State. He’ll want greater than that to crack the beginning lineup in 2024.
The New York Giants open their 2024 common season in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Discipline on September 8.
