After two weeks of the NFL regular season, fans of the New York Giants were understandably frustrated with the team’s performance, having lost to the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Commanders in disappointing ways. In Week 3, the Giants faced a crucial game against the Cleveland Browns to avoid starting the season 0-3. In a positive turn, the Giants delivered their strongest half of the season, securing a 21-15 victory against the Browns. However, one win won’t resolve the team’s significant issues. With their next six games against playoff contenders, the Giants need to address three major problems to avoid another disappointing season.
Giants Need Complementary Defense for Success
Starting with the defense, it’s clear that the Giants are currently out of sync. The secondary isn’t functioning cohesively with the defensive line. New defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is known for designing defenses that stop the run and prevent red zone touchdowns; however, the Giants’ defense remains a work in progress. For instance, while the Commanders didn’t score a touchdown, Washington’s rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels faced little pressure. In fact, the Commanders’ running backs rushed for over 200 yards on 35 carries.
In the game against the Browns, Bowen adjusted the strategy, leading to eight sacks, but the cornerbacks didn’t provide the necessary support with press coverage. An example of this was the fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Daniels to Amari Cooper, where Deonte Banks allowed Cooper to get an easy reception. Banks should have challenged Cooper at the line to make the route more difficult.
While some defensive errors can be corrected, others will be harder to address.
Daniel Jones Needs to Step Up
As the Giants prepare to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, it’s evident that the offense lacks a reliable second wide receiver, and the tight ends aren’t contributing significantly. For the offense to improve, Daniel Jones needs a second option, especially as Malik Nabers faces tougher coverage. Jones must take responsibility for the slow offensive start—his accuracy has been poor, he’s thrown costly interceptions against the Vikings, and he hasn’t developed good chemistry with his receivers, including second-year wideout Jalin Hyatt. In the game against the Browns, he overthrew a likely touchdown to rookie tight end Theo Johnson in the end zone and lacked precision on crucial throws to Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton.
In the coming month, with tougher defenses like the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers on the schedule, Jones will need to effectively make tight throws against two-high safety looks. He must be on time and accurate to succeed against these elite defenses, something he has yet to demonstrate. This raises doubts among Giants fans about his potential to be a top-tier passer and winning quarterback.
Giants’ Special Teams Are Struggling
Currently, the Giants can’t rely solely on their talent to win games; they need to excel in all facets, especially special teams. Unfortunately, the special teams have been a disaster in the first three games.
With reliable kicker Graham Gano injured, the team’s lack of a solid replacement cost them a win in Week 2. Even in their victory against the Browns, they fumbled the opening kickoff and replacement kicker Greg Joseph missed a 48-yard field goal.
The punt and kick return efforts have been ineffective, with the overall unit hurting the team instead of helping. If the Giants hope to win future games, they must rectify their special teams issues.
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