N.Y. Giants: Jason Garrett and Devontae Booker Getting In Step With Running Game

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

SUNDAY

Raiders    16

GIANTS    23

FINAL

Is Jason Garrett Shedding the Sunglasses?

Better late than never, but Jason Garrett seems to finally have figured out that running to daylight is still a worthwhile endeavor.  

Against Kansas City, Devontae Booker rushed 16 times and averaged 4.0 yards per attempt for 60 yards.  But the rushing game versus the Chiefs started and ended there.  Daniel Jones accounted for the only other five scrambles, and not so much as a single touch for Elijhaa Penny. Instead, the plan was for Jones to attempt 32 passes.

Let's be clear: the Raiders suck against the run.  Las Vegas allowed the eighth-most ground yardage to date.  But let us not forget the compromised state of the Giant offensive line.  That being said, in the absence of Saquon Barkley, Devontae Booker set season-highs with 21 rushes for 99 yards and 4.7 yards per average.  Elijhaa Penny rushed another five times for 35 yards and an average of 7.0 per attempt.  Together, Booker and Penny rushed 26 times for 134 yards.  It marks the most times this season Jason Garrett has called upon the backfield on non-receiving plays.  Even if you subtract Booker's and Penny's respective long gains, they still joined in mustering 102 yards on 24 attempts for an average of 4.25 yards per attempt.  

As such, the Giants were able to possess the ball for 30:11, which matters extraordinarily when you consider the Raiders mounted over 400 yards of offense.  Las Vegas had 13 more plays from scrimmage than the Giants but could not survive three turnovers.  Thus, the Raiders' opportunities were likewise limited by a lack of time.  In the meantime, Daniel Jones managed a somewhat more conservative yet effective performance, connecting on 15 of just 20 attempts and one for a touchdown to Evan Engram.

Did the defense save the Giants' Big Blue posterior?  You bet they did.

But if Jason Garrett tosses away the sunglasses and continues this new pursuit rushing the ball, the Giants will no doubt benefit.  

One has to stick with it from the first through fourth quarter; rushing is a cumulative effect.  

With discipline come results.

N.Y. Giants: Daniel Jones Gets in Some Early Trick or Treating

From the desk:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK SEVEN

Panthers     3

GIANTS     25

FINAL

Sometimes You Just Have To Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

Was Week Five's bell-ringer at Dallas not an indication that this type of football is unsustainable?

Daniel Jones attempted 33 passes, ran the ball eight times, and caught one pass for 16 yards.  That's a full day's work.  But it's utter folly on behalf of the coaching staff who continue putting Jones in harm's way.

Of course, desperation sets in when you start the season with a 1-5 record.  A large part of the problem is the ten other offensive inefficiencies playing alongside Jones.  Injuries have indeed taken their toll.  I understand there needs to be a certain level of improvisation that must take place and that Daniel's activity just may have limited him to being sacked only twice and with five other QB hits.  

The problem is, Jason Garrett called a season-high 23 (non-QB) rushes, which is still not nearly enough.  What's the sense if Daniel Jones accounted for 25% of all run plays on Sunday, and on a trick play, they put him into position to absorb yet another open field tackle?

Seven of the Giants' 21 first downs against Carolina came via the run.  Devontae Booker is averaging 3.2 yards per rush this season behind an inferior offensive line.  He ran 14 times for 51 yards (3.6 AVG) against Carolina.

Why not run more?

Non-quarterback runs only account for 32.1% of all rushing plays from scrimmage.  Based on 127 non-quarterback rushes for 422 total yards (3.2 AVG), the Giants this season have averaged just 18 rushes for 60.2 yards per game.  Meanwhile, Daniel Jones is averaging 38 pass attempts (Dallas game not included) and six scrambles per game, accounting for 67.9% of all plays from scrimmage.

Receptions out of the backfield are equally impotent.  They account for only 15% of pass catches for 204 total yards or just 29.1 yards per game.  It's embarrassing when the backfield cannot average 100 yards per game via receptions and passing combined.  But truth be told, they can do more if Jason Garrett wills it.

Before going down that rabbit hole, I first demand that rookie offensive line coach Rob Sale do a better job.  Lest we forget, the Giants started last season with Marc Colombo, who was fired midseason by Joe Judge when the two experienced a significant disagreement in which it's been said they nearly came to blows.  Colombo was replaced with widely traveled former Giant assistant line coach (2004-2008) Dave DeGuglielmo.  In February, the Giants signed University of Louisiana-Lafayette offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Rob Sale.

To Sale's credit, Andrew Thomas is greatly improved, but injuries are proving ruinous.  Even then, the present times necessitate more be done to improve their collective performance.  This is about teaching and adapting and being creative on the fly.

And unless they want Mike Glennon taking snaps the rest of the season, I advise Giant coaches at the very least to teach Daniel Jones how to properly slide.

N.Y. Giants: Judge Renders A Bad Decision

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

DARK BLUE DAYS AHEAD

WEEK SIX

Rams        38

GIANTS     11

FINAL

Coaches Continue Putting Daniel Jones In Harm's Way  

Last week Jason Garrett put Daniel Jones in harm's way by calling a goal-line naked bootleg without left tackle Andrew Thomas on the field.  The result was Daniel Jones winding up in concussion protocol.  On Sunday, Coach Judge leaves Daniel Jones in a game trailing the Rams by 28-points after three quarters.  Both were bad decisions, only this time, the head coach escapes without incident.  

Joe Judge said he left Jones in the game for the sake of competing.  What he really did was make Daniel Jones attempt 51 inconsequential passes, all for no good reason.  It was a nice gesture, but with this offensive line, still somewhat foolish.  

Nate Solder was moved over to the left side in place of Andrew Thomas.  That's a threefold problem.  He already needs help from the tight end and backfield just to secure the right side.  It's problematic for Jason Garrett, who must cheat on formations and play call around Solder's inefficiencies.  In turn, it makes the Giants' offense very predictable.  If Nate Solder is switching over to the quarterback's blind side, you do not play Daniel Jones in a meaningless fourth quarter - not after Solder allowed a sack on the Giants' very first play from scrimmage.

Look, the Giants do not have an NFL grade tight end, period.  Argue with me if you will.  Saquon Barkley is out, and they played without Darius Slayton and Kenny Golladay as well.  Kadarius Toney injured his ankle during the Giants' first offensive series, and Andrew Thomas was likewise injured. 

If Joe Judge wanted to do something constructive, he should have turned to his offensive coordinator and told him to rush the freaking ball no matter the outcome.  Devontae Booker rushed twelve times for 41 yards, and Elijhaa Penny three times for 15 yards.  Together they averaged 2.7 yards per attempt.  All told, the Giants rushed 15 times for 55 yards.  However, Booker averaged 3.4 yards per rush - that's worth a potential first down.  How is that any worse than three INTs, a fumble, and 22 incomplete passes?  Not to mention, Daniel Jones was coming off concussion protocol and, in the game, absorbed unnecessary hits.  

Wrong decision by the head coach.

N.Y. Giants: Week Five Angry Take

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK FIVE

Giants        20

COWBOYS  44

FINAL

Dazed and Confused

Let's see ...

I'm the offensive coordinator and already down three wide receivers (Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard).  In the first quarter, I lose my starting running back (Saquon Barkley), and I'm missing Andrew Thomas, my starting left tackle.  

I know; let me put my quarterback in jeopardy!

The play in which Daniel Jones was hurt was mindless, senseless, ponderous on Jason Garrett's part.  

Third and goal, two tight ends, a fullback, hand it off to Devontae Booker, and the Giants likely score.

But, no ...

Jason Garrett calls for a naked bootleg.  Jones sustains a helmet-to-helmet hit and is driven headfirst into the turf.  When Jones picks himself up off the ground, he's clearly disoriented, foaming at the mouth and wobbly on his legs.  Afterwhich he needed to be carted off the field and did not return.  

I've been saying for five weeks now: Daniel Jones cannot be the team's primary run threat!

I put this all on Jason Garrett.

N.Y. Giants: Onus is on Jason Garret to Elevate Saquon Barkley's Game

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

HOG MOLLIES STILL RUNNING IN MUD

Saquon Barkley: Playing Truth or Dare

Daniel Jones needs help, and truth be told, it's incumbent upon Saquon Barkley to supply much of it.  After all, that was Dave Gettleman's original vision, was it not?  Upon drafting Barkley, he said teams will stack the box and thus open up downfield opportunities.

'Memba?  I 'memba ...

Saquon Barkley has rushed 52 times for 186 yards through four games, averaging 13 carries for 46.5 yards per game.  Meanwhile, Daniel Jones is averaging 36 attempts per game.

His sixteen attempts against Atlanta are to date a season-high.  However, his two best efforts arguably came against Washington and New Orleans, in which he averaged over four yards per rush.

Barkley has caught 14 of 19 targets out of the backfield for 130 yards, giving him 66 total touches for 316 yards or 16.5 touches for 79 yards per game.

That's simply not enough.

First, we are forced to ask, is Saquon still playing through the lingering effects of last year's injury and recovery efforts?  We also have to decipher whether we're witnessing a lack of confidence and hesitancy on Saquon's part versus an ability to instinctually pound the ball between the tackles?  We just don't know.

If Saquon is indeed feeling 100%, then it's the offensive line that is still nowhere near creating enough daylight.  While Andrew Thomas is developing into an outstanding tackle, Nate Solder remains a liability at the other end, Will Hernandez is still not back up to snuff.  Ben Bredeson and Billy Price continue covering for the injured Nick Gates.

However, the biggest reason for the Giants inconsequential running game remains Jason Garrett's continued unbalanced attack, much less his play selection itself. 

If they're building up Saquon Barkley's workload on an incremental basis, we should soon be seeing Saquon rush twenty and 25 times per game.

This doesn't even bring into question why Devontae Booker only has seven rushing attempts for 22 yards.

N.Y. Giants: Offense Rises to the Occasion

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK FOUR

Giants  27

SAINTS  21

OVERTIME

Daniel Jones and the Offensive Side of the Ball Finally Carry the Defense to Victory

• ICYMI: Joe Judge Plants His Flag

An overtime win makes it even more meaningful.

The Giant third-year quarterback has actually done a lot of things right this season.  But an 0-3 start didn't bear that out.  

After four weeks, it can now be said Daniel Jones and Kenny Golladay pose a legitimate threat.  Golladay caught six passes for 116 yards, and Jones was 28/40 for a career-high 402 yards.  It marks only the sixth time he's eclipsed 300-yards passing and the first since his rookie season, which also means the first time under Jason Garrett.

In the absence of Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, rookie Kadarius Toney made his first start, catching six passes on nine targets for 78 yards.

Saquon Barkley accounted for 18 touches for 126 total yards and the game-winning touchdown.  His actual effectiveness lay in six catches for 74 yards, including a 54-yard reception for a score.  Five other catches for 20 yards is still worth its while.  He rushed 13 times for 52 yards with a long of 17 yards.  Minus the long, he rushed 12 times for 25 yards, an average of 2.9 yards per run.  More importantly, he capped off a nine-play 75-yard drive with a six-yard romp into the endzone for the winning score.  

All told, Barkley and Devontae Booker rushed 14 times for 58 yards, and I have a big problem with that. Four scrambles by Daniel Jones gave the Giants an even twenty running attempts for the game.  That's nowhere near enough.

Why on earth did Devontae Booker only rush one time, and why the hell is Evan Engram and Kadarius Toney rushing at all?  The answer is clearly Jason Garrett, who continues to hinder this offense.

The Hog Mollies yielded no sacks and just six quarterback touches.  But the Giants only achieved four first downs via the run, whereas the Saints gained nine first downs on the ground.  In fact, the Saints rushed 33 times for 142 yards (minus QB) and possessed the ball for 37:31 minutes.

That's what I want ...

Playing without Blake Martinez, linebacker Tae Crowder tied Logan Ryan with a team-high nine tackles.  Leonard Williams assisted on five tackles with only one solo stop.  Said another way, the Giants generated no sacks and no pressure - not one quarterback hit.  Meanwhile, Alvin Kamara outran the entire Giants' team.  He pounded the ball 26 times, mainly up the middle for 120 yards, and only had a long of ten yards.

But a win is a win, is a win.

N.Y. Giants: What's The Play!?

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

GETTING DARK EARLY AT EAST RUTHERFORD

WEEK THREE

Falcons    17

GIANTS  14

FINAL

More Mistakes, More Flags, More Mismanagement, More Losing

Once is an event, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.  With Sunday's loss against the worst team on their schedule, the Giants now own an 0-3 record after three weeks.  It speaks for itself.

Week three featured yet more second-half folly.  Moreover, the offensive line penalties are becoming maddening; otherwise, eight-team penalties for 53 yards.  

At about the 9:00 mark of the third, Will Hernandez, who should absolutely know better, was flagged for an ineligible man downfield.  It cost Saquon Barkley a 23-yard gain.

If you were watching on TV, at 6:29 of the third quarter Daniel Jones was changing the play at the line of scrimmage.  Or was he?  Because not just once, but at least twice, we heard very clearly someone yelling out, "What is the play?"  When they finally do snap the ball, Brad Bredeson is flagged for holding.  

Nate Solder was called for another costly fourth-quarter penalty, and Billy Price another.  It's downright exasperating, and it costs the Giants games.

The Hog Mollies yielded two sacks and five other hits, which is manageable.  But they're still not creating requisite daylight.  They rushed 19 times for just 61 yards.  Saquon Barkley rushed 16 times for 51 yards.  Daniel Jones ran for 39 yards giving the Giants 100 yards for the game, but as I've been saying, this is far from optimal, nor is it tenable.

Where in the world was Deventae Booker?  Why isn't he increasing Giants' rushes to upwards of 22 to 25 per game?  Why the hell did they shovel money at him if they're not going to play him?  Elijhaa Penny and Gary Brightwell rush three times for ten yards.  

Really?

Cycling back to Jason Garrett, despite a season-high 19 rushing attempts, his play calling is still far from balanced and sometimes even nonsensical.  Why would you devise a running play for the fullback to rush around the edge?

I'll wait ...

It doesn't end there.  In the first half, Daniel Jones and the Giants' offense did many things right.  But the Giants entered the red zone three times and stalled, including a dropped pass in the end zone, thus coming away with only six points, only to lose by a field goal.

The Giants trailed 7-6 at the half, ordinarily nothing to fret over.  That is until a mistake-riddled third quarter.  

Some of that is on Joe Judge.  He needs to clean up this pandemic of penalties and better manage his timeouts!

But unlike Jason Garrett, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham called a decent game.  The Giants posted an improved three sacks and six other hits.  They held the Falcons to 17 points and under 300 total yards.  Atlanta rushed for just 69 yards, and Matt Ryan was held to 243 yards passing.  However, another costly penalty near the goal line afforded the Falcons a second chance resulting in an easy touchdown connection with the tight end.

Yes, in consecutive fourth-quarter drives, they yielded the tying score and winning score.  They even dropped a potential interception in the end zone.  But I can't put this loss on the defense, fourth-quarter letdown, and all.  Lest we forget, they lost Blake Martinez in the first half and for the season.

Despite mixing and matching Hog Mollies, investing foolishly big bucks on receiver Kenny Golladay, picking up a tight end, and selecting Kadarius Toney in the draft, the Giants' biggest problems remain on the offensive side of the ball, and not necessarily Daniel Jones.  Nor can penalties and rushing inefficiency be blamed on injuries to Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard.

With the game tied at fourteen, the Giants were given the ball with 4:13 left and mustered nothing except for Solder's holding penalty.

Sunday's loss makes two games they've been held under fifteen points.

The numbers tell no lies.

N.Y. Giants: Line of Scrimmage Still in the Dark

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK THREE

Falcons

vs.

GIANTS

If The Hog Mollies Can't Push Around The Atlanta Falcons, Then Who Can They Push?

Some intelligent guy from Greece once said: man is the measure of all things.  If we apply this to football, the Atlanta Falcons will measure the Giants' offensive line.  Because, as I say: once is an event, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.  

Thus, into Game Three, we go.

Another intelligent person on Twitter said that if the Giants get more first downs, the defense spends less time on the field.

Indeed!

1. Week One, the Broncos achieved 24 first downs, 17 passing, four running, and three on penalties. 
2. Week Two, Washington completed 25 first downs, 13 passing, eight running, and four on penalties.

• Through two weeks, opponents have achieved 49 first downs, 30 passing, twelve running, and seven on penalties.

1. Against the Broncos, the Giants earned 19 first downs, 13 passing, three running, and three on penalties.
2. Against Washington, they completed 21 first downs, ten passing, seven running, and four on penalties.

• All told, the Giants have achieved 40 first downs, 23 passing, ten running, and seven on penalties.

Said another way, the Giants are getting outplayed.  But do with these numbers as you will.  Just know they're being polluted by Daniel Jones.  The Giant quarterback leads the team through two games with 122 yards running on 15 romps, with two touchdowns, one fumble, and no trip-ups ... yet.

The backfield of Saquon Barkley and Devontae Booker together has rushed 29 times for 99 yards.  If you take away Barkley's 41-yard run against Washington, Saquon finishes that game with twelve rushes for 16 yards.  With his 41-yard romp, Barkley has now rushed 23 times for 83 total yards, averaging 3.6 yards per run.  He carried ten times against the Broncos and 13 times against Washington.  Is he being eased back into action coming off last year's injury?  Indeed he is.

However, the numbers still speak for themselves.  In light of Saquon's soft return, there are two, actually three, big reasons why Devontae Booker is not helping bring the rushes per game up from 14 and 15 to upwards of twenty-plus per game.  

Sometimes stuff like this needs to be revisited ...

ONE  -  The days of the highly skilled blocking fullback (Maurice Carthon) have gone the way of the Dodo Bird - flightless, grounded, extinct.  Phil Simms and the Giants do not win Super Bowl XXI without Joe Morris; Jeff Hostetler and company do not win XXV without Otis Anderson.  Heck, Kerry Collins, and Jim Fassel do not get to XXXV without Tiki Barber.  What these three teams had in common was a formidable offensive line.  After the 2000 season, Ernie Accorsi further supplemented it, and that offensive line set a record for consecutive games played together.  They all waited for Eli Manning to grow up, and when he did, the Giants won two more Super Bowls.  But, of course, that doesn't happen without Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.  What did the 1986/1990 Giants have in common with 2007/2011 Giants, you ask?  Both teams featured Pro Bowl-caliber centers in Bart Oates and Shaun O'Hara.

TWO. -  Bill Parcell's Giants were straight out smash mouth.  Simms was tasked with being a field manager.  That's why he glistened in Super Bowl XXI because entering that game, the Giants had already stamped the NFL with their running game.  Nor did 2007 and 2011 happen without offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who, despite pass-happy Tom Coughlin, called a balanced game; after all, the Giants featured a formidable running game.  The point being, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is the one calling plays.  His style often works contrary to the available talent pool; his sense of pass/run balance is nonexistent.  Everything in between is rightly within questioning.

THREE  -  Forget the history lesson; the Hog Mollies are simply not performing at a contending level, never have.  After 2011, Jerry Reese then Dave Gettleman have never satisfactorily rebuilt the offensive line.  Instead, they effectively ruined the latter part of Eli Manning's career.  But I digress.  The offensive line is not creating enough daylight.  Open a lane, and I can push a mailbox through for positive yardage.  Otherwise, the line of scrimmage remains dark.  Whether by design or taking what is given, yardage gained by Daniel Jones is strictly opportunistic football.  It's the complete antithesis of what we Giant fans know works because it's been proven: clock-control smash-mouth football.

The season-ending injury to Shane Lemieux, and presently to Nick Gates (IR) further compound matters.  The Giants will be moving forward with Andrew Thomas, Ben Bredeson, Billy Price at the center, Will Hernandez, and Nate Solder, with Matt Peart and recently signed (C) Jonothan Harrison on call.  

Newly inserted center Billy Price did not at all have a good game against Washington.  Andrew Thomas was better from week one to the next.  Nate Solder and Will Hernandez remain pedestrian, and Ben Bredeson performed under par. 

What more can I say, other than there's a reason teams like the Steelers and others make such huge investments into their (center) offensive lines.  

First downs or bust ...

I will go to my grave believing Atlanta lost the Super Bowl to New England because (their then) All-Pro quality center Alex Mack broke his leg just before halftime.  Afterwhich, the Falcons running game completely collapsed like a cheap poker table.  Atlanta's inability to achieve first downs compromised their entire second half.  They instantly became one-dimensional; Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and took care of the rest.

The Denver Broncos have a good defense, and Washington features better security.  But the same cannot be said of the Atlanta Falcons.  We shall see if these Hog Mollies are trending or not.

ICYMI

• All Eyes On Daniel Jones, and the Man Who Drafted Him
• Stumblin' and Fumblin' in Week One Loss to Broncos
• Still In Search of the Elusive Hog Mollies
• Week Two Marred By More Mistakes and Another Fourth Quarter Meltdown
• The Pressure is On For Some, Off For Others

N.Y. Giants: Still In Search of the Elusive Hog Mollies

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK TWO

Giants

vs.

WASHINGTON

Unless Offensive Line Elevates Their Game, Expect More of the Same 

Here's the thing about Washington, if Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn't get hurt after just six passing attempts, perhaps the Chargers do not possess the ball for upwards of thirty-six minutes.  That being said, Washington's defensive front yielded 90 yards on 25 backfield rushes from scrimmage (QBs not included).  You can translate this two ways: Washington limited the Chargers to less than 100-yards rushing, or it took the Chargers over thirty-six minutes to accumulate 90 yards.  What would LAC's total have been had Ryan Fitzpatrick not gotten hurt?

Saquon Barkley got his test run last Sunday against the Broncos and looked, physically speaking, good to go.  He was handed the Giants' very first play from scrimmage for a five-yard gain.  Afterwhich, he rushed nine more times for 21 yards giving him 26 total yards on ten rushes.  Devontae Booker rushed four times for seven yards.  Do the math, and the backfield accounted for 33 yards on 14 rushes.  This simply will not do.

Daniel Jones scampered off six times for 27 yards, coming seven yards short of outrushing his backfield.  Far too often, this has been the case.  Sunday's opening game merely reinforces much of what went on last season in the absence of Saquon Barkley.  That's why in Thursday night's game against Washington, a division game, the Giant running game absolutely needs to do more, far more, if they aspire to be competitive.

The faux Hog Mollies face a big test this coming Thursday.  The question remains when will they, if ever, create requisite running lanes to minimize Daniel Jones' time playing in dire straits.  The Giants possessed the ball for just under 25:00 minutes against Denver, which proved woefully inadequate. 

What good is having all these ball handlers if the offensive line cannot influence the game?

The long underachieving Hog Mollies' next performance against Washington will speak volumes.

N.Y. Giants: Stumblin' and Fumblin' in Week One Loss to Broncos

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK ONE

Broncos   27

Giants      13

FINAL

Offense Leaves Defense Stranded On The Field For Thirty-Five Minutes

There's a lot of fourth-quarter fluff in those end-of-game numbers.  Otherwise, we're talking about an offensive performance mired in futility.  

The Giants possessed the ball for just 24:52, in which they gained only 60 yards on the ground, 33 yards by Saquon Barkley and Devontae Booker, and 27 yards by Daniel Jones, most of which, to reiterate, came in the fourth quarter, and of course, there was his third-quarter fumble.  Meanwhile, the Giants only rushed for three first downs.

Daniel Jones played increasingly better as the situation became direr.  But even then, the Giants had multiple scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter, which stalled miserably.

Sunday's boxscore says Daniel Jones was 22/37 for 267 yards with a touchdown connection to Sterling Shepard.  But, again, much of that was accumulated in the last few possession of the fourth quarter.  He threw incomplete to Kenny Golladay on a fourth and goal, and the Giants later turned the ball over on downs from the Broncos' twenty.  So, essentially what we have is the fumble and several late-game failures.  Making his 27th NFL start, Daniel Jones turned the ball over for the fortieth time in his career.

The defense was forced to stay on the field for over a half-hour.

That simply will not do.

I'll give Saquon Barkley a pass in his first game back from injury.  Ordinarily, I'd be griping that 14 rushing attempts by the backfield versus 37 pass attempts are not complementary football.  But despite minimal attempts, the offensive line did not create much daylight for Barkley or Devontae Booker to run through.  They did not provide an effective option for Coach Garrett and Daniel Jones to operate with.

The offensive line also had no answer for Denver's Von Miller who's performance negatively altered New York's plans.