New York Giants

Giants’ Kenny Golladay makes bold claim about offense

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new york giants, kenny golladay

Ever since the New York Giants hired Jason Garrett to be their offensive coordinator, the unit has averaged a measly 17.3 points per game. Despite the additions of Kenny Golladay, Kyle Rudolph, Kadarius Toney, and the return of Saquon Barkley, the Giants managed just seven points during meaningful football on Sunday in Week 1. While the final score might say 13, garbage time provided the offense an opportunity to put more points on the scoreboard.

Given the embarrassing amount of riches the Giants have at their disposal, scoring seven points is malpractice. Garrett, who is an experienced coach from his time with the Dallas Cowboys, has hit a roadblock devising a unique scheme the focuses on vertical concepts and expanding upon his player’s strengths.

Despite seeing more of the same in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, receiver Kenny Golladay is optimistic that the offense will turn a corner and provide more explosiveness moving forward.

“I’m sure I speak for everyone, we try to go into every game trying to be explosive, we want to make those explosive plays,” he said. “Of course I’m going to say I want myself and the rest of the guys on offense to come in with that mindset and dominate.”

Golladay stated before the game that the offense would be a little rusty, given the star receiver has been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of the preseason and joint practices against both the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. Last season, Kenny played in just five games, dealing with a bevy of issues. Suffering an injury so early in the season certainly didn’t brew optimism within the fan-base, but he is working his way back efficiently.

In the loss to Denver, Golladay hauled in four receptions for 64 yards on six targets. Interestingly, the majority of his targets came in garbage time in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.

“We have to build from here and I feel like we’ll do that,” Golladay said. “Just being able to get those balls from him in the game, that was good because then he could see a little bit of what I can do to help him and to help the team.”

Unless the offense can begin taking shots downfield and putting together more productive games, coordinator Jason Garrett will be on the hot seat sooner rather than later. In fact, after displaying one of the blandest and vanilla offensive schemes in the league last season, Garrett should already be feeling the pressure.

As ownership waits patiently for quarterback Daniel Jones to become a franchise signal collar, the fans are quickly entering panic mode. Joe Judge must get his ducks in a row and rebound against Washington, otherwise the ship will run aground rather quickly.

New York Giants: Saquon Barkley says what needs to change for Giants

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

After another season opener, many New York Giants fans have feelings of deja vu. It’s another year, but the outcome was the same as usual and the presence of new weapons hardly helped the offense in putting up more than 13 points against the Broncos.

While the game had the return of Saquon Barkley from an ACL tear, you could be forgiven for not noticing him on the field. Barkley was only able to pick up 26 yards on 10 carries, and backup running back Devontae Booker didn’t do much better with 7 yards from 4 carries. In other words, getting Barkley back wasn’t enough to cover over the other problems with the Giants offense.

But what does the running back himself have to say about the performance? Barkley’s confidence in the offense hasn’t changed – but after the game, he stressed the need to capitalize. That’s something the Giants have rarely done on a consistent basis over recent years.

Barkley speaks following season opening loss

“We just got to go out there and capitalize that’s been the thing for the last, what I guess it’s, wow, my fourth year? That’s just what it’s been,” Barkley told reporters. “We have the talent. We have the players. Logan (Ryan) kind of said it after the game, it was a lot of situations that the players, we didn’t capitalize on it. Whatever the call is or whatever, we didn’t capitalize.”

He spoke about the team’s belief in each other, and in their coaches. Barkley blames the offense’s struggles on not putting it all together and coming away with points when there’s a chance to score.

“That’s what we gotta do a better job (of). So when we get down in the red zone then we got down in the lower red zone and the red zone like three times or four times and came away with no points. So, we’ve got to change that.”

Belief is important, but it doesn’t win games on its own. The Giants have come into the last few seasons optimistic, only to end up with the expectations being quickly lowered after poor starts eliminate the team’s chances of winning the division.

While nothing Barkley said is technically wrong, it’s clear that patience is running thin for the same outcomes happening every year. Something will have to change soon. Either the Giants show a large improvement in their early season games, or changes are made at the organizational level.

New York Giants: 3 positive takeaways from loss to Denver in Week 1

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new york giants, sterling shepard

Finding any positive takeaways in the New York Giants’ opening game loss to the Denver Broncos is difficult, but there were a few individual performances that did stand out. Despite the defense failing to get the job done in coverage and the offense looking as anemic as ever, harping on the negatives is the easy way out.

Three positive takeaways for the New York Giants:

1.) Pass protection was overall solid

Going into Week 1 against Denver, the biggest concern for the Giants was is the offensive line, which held up relatively well in pass protection. Aside from the Giants only recording 60 rushing yards, including 27 from Daniel Jones, the third-year quarterback did toss 267 yards worth of passing production. The OL gave him adequate time in the pocket to make his reads and connect with his receivers, but it simply wasn’t enough to extract victory as Denver won time of possession by a significant margin. The Giants only had 25 minutes of possession while Denver landed 35 minutes.

The Giants underwhelmed in most categories, but the OL was far from the biggest issue. Left tackle Andrew Thomas looked solid in pass pro, as well as new left guard Ben Bredeson. The only lineman actually stood out in a negative fashion was Nate Solder, who had a tough time locking down Von Miller.

2.) Kenny Golladay is the real deal

Daniel Jones has never had a WR1 in his career, but Kenny Golladay showcased his abilities in his first game after signing a massive four-year, $74 million contract. Golladay hauled in four receptions on six targets, earning 64 total yards. Working his way back from a hamstring injury, the Giants tried not to overwhelm Golladay, interestingly utilizing him more in garbage time than during meaningful minutes early on in the contest. Hopefully, the Giants find ways to get Kenny more involved moving forward, as his impact was too little, too late against the Broncos.

3.) Sterling Shepard could have his best season yet

One of the shining lights on offense was veteran receiver Sterling Shepard. Shepard hauled in seven receptions on nine targets for 113 yards and a touchdown. One of his catches resulted in a 37-yard score as he weaved his way through defenders to get to the end zone. The primary slot receiver proved he’s in for a big year after the acquisition of Golladay and the return of Saquon Barkley. With attention being allocated toward other playmakers, Shepard will have weaker defenders to take on, allowing him to pad his stats and showcase his elite route running and dependable hands.

New York Giants disappoint in 27-13 loss to start the season

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants kicked off their season on Sunday with a disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos beat the Giants with a final score of 27-13.

It was an embarrassing defeat for the Giants, a team that looked outcoached from the get-go. The Broncos dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for 35:08 while the Giants possessed the ball for only 24:52.

Key stats and takeaways

Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looked like a stud today, completing 28 of his 36 attempts for 264 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The Broncos’ offense was a well-oiled machine that totaled 420 total yards, 24 first downs, and only 1 turnover (fumble).

The Giants’ offense, on the other hand, looked stale and sluggish all game long. The unit averaged 17.5 points per game in 2020 and promised big improvements in 2021. Unfortunately, it looked like more of the same. New York totaled only 314 total yards and 19 first downs with 6 of their 13 points coming in garbage time.

Daniel Jones, entering his crucial third season, left fans unimpressed. He put together 267 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble, and one garbage-time rushing touchdown.

Saquon Barkley made his return to the field today and played more than most expected him to. Barkley took 10 handoffs for 26 yards.

The Giants enjoyed a couple of solid performances from their receivers. Sterling Shepard managed 113 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 receptions. Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton both totaled over 60 yards.

The New York Giants start the season off with an 0-1 record after having an exciting offseason that had fans looking forward to an improved 2021 season. The Giants now have a short week as they travel to Washington to play their first divisional opponent of the season on Thursday Night Football.

Giants’ QB Daniel Jones details how he’s improved and plans to take the big Year 3 leap

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

When it comes to New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, a lot is riding on his third season in the NFL. Preparing to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 1 on Sunday afternoon, Jones has a tall task ahead of him with a strong secondary and pass rush on the other side of the football.

However, coming off a season where he threw just 11 touchdowns, Jones is looking to take a big step forward and is confident the offense will enable him this upcoming season.

Steve Serby of the New York Post spoke with QB Daniel Jones, who displayed confidence regarding a potential big Year 3 jump:

A leap or however you define it, my focus is more on playing well and helping this team win games, so I feel like I’m prepared, and I feel like the experience last year and the year before, there’s been a number of things I’ve been able to learn and feel like I’ve improved on through last year and this offseason, this training camp and going into this year. I’m excited, I think as a team, as an offense, we’ve had a good camp and we’re looking forward to getting out there.

Jones needs a few positive influences for him to reach his potential, and the first obviously starts with the OL. With question marks at nearly every spot, Jones is relying on solid protection to open up the vertical passing game and reduce his fumble numbers.

The development of the offensive scheme should also pay dividends if Jason Garrett can include more pre-snap motion and downfield targets. The additions of Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, and the return of Saquon Barkley should infuse multiple new elements into a unit that had an undrafted free agent rookie starting by the midway point in the season (Austin Mack).

Jones has never had a WR1 at his disposal, let alone Barkley healthy for the majority of a regular season. The addition of Toney will bring a lot of motion before the snap and quick-twitch abilities in the open field, giving the offense more firepower.

Overall, management has given Jones all the weapons he needs on offense to be successful, but if he doesn’t have time in the pocket, it will all be for naught. Despite that major problem, Jones stated the team is “extremely hungry and ready to get this season going.”

New York Giants offensive line faces strong challenge to start the season

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants kick off their season tomorrow afternoon against the Denver Broncos. There is plenty of excitement surrounding the Giants this year as they spent a lot of money to improve the weakpoints of their roster this offseason. However, one weak area of the team went largely untouched. The Giants did not do much to improve their offensive line.

The New York Giants had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL in 2020. In 2020, according to ESPN, the Giants’ pass-block win rate ranked dead-last in the NFL at 46%. Their run-block win rate ranked 18th at 70%, which is about average or slightly below. Despite this, the team made no major moves to upgrade their offensive line in the 2021 offseason, other than acquiring some quality depth pieces.

As the Giants face off against the Denver Broncos tomorrow, the game will serve as a strong challenge for New York’s offensive line – the unit that might make or break the team’s season.

The Denver Broncos defensive front

Von Miller is back for the Denver Broncos this year after missing the entirety of the 2020 season with an injury. Von Miller is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Miller is a 3x All-Pro edge rusher that will line up over the Giants’ right tackle and wreak havoc this Sunday.

Opposite of Miller is another quality pass-rusher: Bradley Chubb. The fourth-year player out of NC State has racked up 20.5 career sacks in 34 games, establishing himself as one of the best youn pass-rushers in the league. Chubb will line up over left tackle Andrew Thomas, the Giants’ fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The team has set big expectations for Thomas after he had a rookie season filled with peaks and valleys. Chubb will serve as a formidable opponent for Andrew Thomas to kick off his second season against.

Despite being banged up throughout the year, the Denver Broncos defense still managed to total 42 sacks in 2020. Keeping Daniel Jones upright and out of harm’s way is of the utmost importance this season. Jones is looking to establish himself as a franchise quarterback in 2021, but he will only go as far as his offensive line will take him. The New York Giants offensive line needs to set the tone in Week One with a strong performance against a formidable defense.

New York Giants: Leonard Williams on Azeez Ojulari’s development

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The New York Giants have another impact player on defense going into this season, and we’ll soon witness his regular season debut. That player is Azeez Ojulari, who the Giants took in the second round this year – but it appears that Ojulari was severely underdrafted. The Giants were able to get the player at such a low spot because of draft week injury rumors, but after training camp and the preseason, Ojulari looks healthy and ready to play.

And he already has teammates singing his praises, including the Giants’ leading pass rusher Leonard Williams. As the player who led the Giants in sacks during the past season, Williams is someone who will likely share playing time with Ojulari in the pass rush and who will already have experience working hands on with him throughout training camp.

Williams was asked on Friday what he’d seen from Ojulari that showed the rookie can make an instant impact. His answer had to do with confidence.

“Honestly, just his confidence. When he first came in, I could tell he was young, he was still trying to find himself in the defense and on the team and rightfully so. As a young guy, you can’t come in and be above everybody. He knew the position that he had to take, but now he’s really stepped into himself,” Williams told reporters.

Furthermore, he claims that Ojulari is in a position to start making plays rather than just picking up the ropes of the system.

“I think he just got more comfortable with himself – not saying that he wasn’t comfortable before he got here, but just seeing his comfortability level between him and other players, and his ability to just be himself out there on the field and not be like a robot just trying to play a system.”

With first round pick Kadarius Toney having a slow start to his career, most publications have named Ojulari the most impactful rookie for the Giants this season. And his presence in a much needed position, pass rusher, could easily make him a fan favorite if his rookie performances are strong.

We’ll get our first look at Ojulari against the Broncos in week 1, and depending on how the game goes, it may not take long for him to receive recognition for his skillset as the defense faces off against new Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Report: Why Giants’ Andrew Thomas struggled considerably in final pre-season game

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants’ final preseason game of the off-season against the New England Patriots didn’t go as planned. Second-year left tackle Andrew Thomas had a problematic outing, allowing one sack, one hit, one hurry, and three pressures over 39 snaps. His unfortunate performance drew plenty of negative responses from the fan base and media, justifiably so.

However, Thomas was dealing with something that clearly hampered him against the Patriots, as he eyes a healthier Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com spoke with Andrew Thomas’s personal mentor, who revealed an interesting piece of information:

“You really have to know the reason why he came out looking sluggish,” said Kevin Johnson, Thomas’ mentor. “He could hardly breathe. One thing I told him was: ‘You’ve got guts, and you’ve got cajones, because most guys would fold.’ Most guys would say: ‘All right, I’m not playing.’”

Considering the fact that Thomas played sick in the game, one might come to the conclusion that he is stronger than previously advertised after the difficult performance. Last season, Thomas struggled due to an ankle injury and a rotation of offensive line coaches — queue the Marc Colombo V Joe Judge Rocky music. He allowed 10 sacks, 39 hurries, and 57 pressures over the course of the season. However, he had a few stellar outings, notably against the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks, where he didn’t allow any sacks or pressures on Daniel Jones.

It is clear that Thomas is capable of being a quality player but simply needs more continuity and to work on his base fundamentals, like staying square and landing jabs on opposing pass rushers. He will have a tough test in Week 1 against Von Miller and the Broncos, who have one of the more experienced and dangerous pass rushers in the game.

The Giants’ offense relies entirely on the success of the line, so Thomas taking a step forward is essential if Daniel Jones wants to develop his game and coin himself the franchise quarterback of the team moving forward.

However, it should provide some sense of optimism, knowing that Thomas played through an illness that hurt his ability to breathe and play at full speed. Of course, we would like to alleviate the excuses and have him at 100%.

Judge did indicate this week that the outside assessment on players can often be wrong, which was the case for the Georgia product:

“It’s funny, sometimes the assessments on the outside don’t really have the entire picture at hand and understanding all the other 10 pieces that go together,” Judge said. “So, you’ve got to take that with a grain of salt sometimes when you read certain things. Now look, everyone can play better. I can coach better, a player can play better. That’s why we’re here today practicing. If it was a finished product, we’d just sit on the side and just relax. We’re all here to get better today.”

New York Giants: Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney to play on Sunday

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new york giants, kenny golladay

Despite earlier injury scares, the New York Giants won’t have to go into their season opener without their new additions at wide receiver. Both Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney have been on the injury report during the past week leading up to the game, and missed the preseason finale, but have finally been removed from that list with days left before the opener.

The Giants have a number of injury situations that will come down to late decisions from the coaching staff. While Golladay and Toney are confirmed as ready to play, the same isn’t true for Saquon Barkley and Adoree’ Jackson. Both players are listed as questionable, but it looks like Barkley has the better odds of playing as Joe Judge has already confirmed that it would take a setback for Barkley to not play on Sunday.

Evan Engram, on the other hand, is ruled out entirely with a calf injury. We’ll likely see more of Kyle Rudolph because of that, as the new veteran addition is returning to health just in time for week 1.

It remains to be seen how some players will perform coming back from injury, or what the exact role will be for the newcomers to the offense, but the the current outcome is far from the worst one possible for the Giants.

Even if both Engram and Jackson miss the season opener, having the new weapons such as Toney, Golliday, and Rudolph on the field consistently is a big step in justifying the high price the Giants spent this offseason to acquire them.

Why the Giants might be better off without Evan Engram against Denver

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New York Giants, Evan Engram, Kaden Smith

For the second consecutive practice, the New York Giants tight end Evan Engram working on the side with trainers. After suffering a calf injury against the New England Patriots in the final preseason game of the season, Engram has been working his way back slowly, rehabilitating and hoping for a potential Week 1 appearance. However, the likelihood that Engram plays against Denver is quickly becoming improbable.

In his absence, TE’s Kaden Smith and Kyle Rudolph are expected to take a much bigger role, and this might be the perfect opportunity for them to utilize their qualities against a strong Denver defense. One could make the argument that Engram missing this contest is a positive, as the Giants will likely be forced to operate within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, given an incredibly strong Broncos secondary and solid pass rush.

Last season, quarterback Daniel Jones had little time to allow his receivers to develop their routes, especially when looking vertical. It forced him to check the ball down and coordinator Jason Garrett to call far too many curl/hook routes. Unfortunately, the Giants didn’t do much to improve their offensive line, so Jones is expected to be under duress for the majority of Week 1’s contest.

With that being the case, Smith and Rudolph may present far better options compared to Engram. Last season, Engram dropped eight passes, with six of them coming in the middle of the field within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. In fact, he was connected to six interceptions thrown by Jones in that area, and with his inability to catch fastballs, this might be the perfect opportunity for Jones to locate Smith and Rudolph, who have far better hands in that portion of the field.

Smith, who has two years of NFL experience to his name, only caught 18 passes for 112 yards last season. Back in 2019, he hauled in 31 passes for 268 yards and three scores when Pat Shurmur was calling plays. Smith has three drops in his career, far less than Engram’s mind-blowing 10.4% drop rate.

Rudolph, on the other hand, has only dropped one pass in the last three years. Rudolph’s most lethal zone is from 0 to 10 yards, where he had over 200 yards last season over 12 games. In addition to Smith and Rudolph’s receiving abilities, they are both better blockers than Engram, which should aid in 12 personnel packages for the Giants. If there was any game for Engram to miss, it’s this one, as he is eyeing a Week 2 return against Washington next Thursday.