N.Y. Giants: New Dark Blue Achievement Under Gettleman's Watch

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

HOT SEAT UPDATE

Make Or Break Season For Gettleman Beginning to Crumble

Congratulations, Dave Gettleman, you just lost your 37th game as general manager for the New York  Giants!

In a sense, the 2021 season ushers in his fifties.  Which is to say he now owns a 16-37 record in 53 games since taking over the helm from Jerry Reese.  If I were to be kind, I'd add to his diary the Giants victory over Washington on Dec. 31, 2017, or not.

This coming December will mark Dave Gettleman's fourth anniversary.

In so far as progression, the season-to-season results speak for themselves.  Upon taking over a 3-13 team in 2017, the Giants have continued posting double-digit losses. Typically, doubling the team's win total is considered a good thing.  In this case, not so much.  From three to six wins is not a Big Blue step forward.

• 2018)  5-11
• 2019)  4-12
• 2020)  6-10 

The NFL extending the regular season to 17 games essentially gives the Football Giants another opportunity to lose.  They are presently 30% of the way through their schedule with a 1-4 record and no reasonable expectations for improvement, that is, not with all these injuries.  However, player availability or lack thereof, of course, is another discussion.  It still doesn't detract from the fact that under Dave Gettleman, the Giants have won just 30% of their games.

Sunday at Dallas posed a new low in the Gettleman era.  

Defensively, the Giants have allowed the fourth-most total yardage in football and the sixth-most rushing yards.  But for the first time since Gettleman assumed office, the Giants yielded forty-plus points in a game, regulation time or otherwise.  The Cowboys defeated the Giants by a 44-20 final score, tidied up only by a late Giant touchdown in the fourth.  If nothing else, the team's overall resiliency was to be applauded.  However, the last time the Giants allowed over forty points came on Nov. 5, 2017, in a 51-17 defeat against the Rams.   

It's incredible to me the Giants are listed twelfth in total offensive yardage.  Much of that credit can be directed at Daniel Jones, who has the Giants total passing yardage ranked eighth in the NFL.  However, as you can guess, their running game is eighth from the bottom.  

With Andrew Thomas, Nick Gates, Shane Lemieux, Ben Bredeson, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Kenny Golladay, Saquon Barkley, and Daniel Jones all hurt, be it short or long term, or in some cases out for the season, what's a beleaguered offensive coordinator to do? 

The question then begs to be asked: are the Giants better today than they were back on that November day four years ago?

The Giants have twelve games left.  Even if they win half of those, they'll still finish with double-digit losses.  And if they do win half a dozen games, they'll only surpass last year's win total by one.  At this sloth-like pace, the Giants hypothetically are still two seasons away from achieving nine victories, and another five seasons away from twelve victories, and so on, if you get my drift. 

Such is life under Dave Gettleman.

Rough travels ahead ...

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.

PIGSKIN 2021: Week Five

PIGSKIN

FOOTBALL SUNDAY

Week Four

RESULTS

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Scoreboard

Week Four Record: 10-4

Overall record (ATS): 25-28-1

Schmear of the Week: 3-1

Bagels in the Basket: +2

1st and Ten

• London Calling! 9:30 am (EST)
• And then there was one - the Arizona Cardinals are the only undefeated team left.

2nd and Long

• Both the Jets and Giants win for the first time this season, in overtime!  We're so spoiled.
• Too bad: Russell Wilson out 4 to 8 weeks.

No Gain

• Urban Meyer at the bar ... C'mon, man!
• Speaking of which, the Jaguars and Lions are a combined 0-8.
• Someone is gonna break Big Ben.

PUNT!

• John Gruden apologizes for using racial language in a 2011 email.  That was no slip of the tongue either, you really have to want to say something like that.

WEEK FIVE

Friday Line ~ NYP/MGM

COWBOYS -7 Giants

The question is can Daniel Jones, Kenny Golladay, and Kadarius Toney win a shootout against the Cowboys.  If Jason Garrett lets Saquon Barkely run 20 to 25 times, maybe.  I'd love to see it.  The Dallas secondary is indeed terrible.  But the Giants defensive front isn't generating any pressure.  Even when they blitz, they're still not getting near the quarterback.  Even though Ezikiel Elliott and Amari Cooper are banged up, you just can't give Dak Prescott that kind of time.  Blake Martinez and now Jabrill Peppers are out.  The Giants still aren't rushing effectively either, and now (guard) Ben Bredeson is out.

WIN; 44-20 Cowboys

Jets +3 Falcons *LONDON

Why do we constantly export terrible games across the pond?  Atlanta is just aweful.  They had no business defeating the Giants.  Three of four opponents have scored 30 points or more against the Falcons.  You know which team didn't top 30 points against Atlanta?  The Giants.  Stick with the Jets coming off last week's defensive marvel against the Titans.

Loss; 27-20 Falcons

BENGALS +3 Packers

Trap game!  The Packers should win, but will they?  Joe Burrow is hotter than the sun ... something to be said for the up and comers of the league.  Gotta take underdogs if you wanna win (ATS).

Push; 25-22 Packers

Lions +9 VIKINGS

Week Five Toilet Bowl: Just looking for the Lions to cover.  Like last week, Dalvin Cook is playing on an injured ankle, and you saw what happened against the Browns.  Minnesota's win over Seattle was unimpressive.  The Lions are 2-2 against the spread and so are the Vikes.  Heads I win, tails you lose.

WIN; 19-17 Vikings

STEELERS +1 Broncos

The Steelers have one more win in them.  They'll do it for their coach.  Big Ben has a bum hip, but he should be able to bust the Broncos.

WIN; 27-19 Steelers

BUCCANEERS -10 Dolphins

It turns out Miami's week one win against the Patriots was a fluke.  Meanwhile, the world awaits Tom Brady versus Jacoby Brissett.

WIN; 45-17 Bucs

WASHINGTON +2 Saints

Washington has no business winning this game, not with their lack of discipline.  I'm giving Coach Rivera one last vote of confidence to garner some competency from his talent.  They should be able to create all kinds of chaos around Jameis Winston, but will they ...

Loss; 33-22 Saints

PANTHERS -3 Eagles

Panthers are banged up.  But the Eagles are the most undependable team in football.  They're harder to solve than a sudoku puzzle.  Sam, I Can ...

Loss; 21-18 Eagles

Titans -4 1/2 JAGUARS

Urban Meyer missed the team flight back to Florida so he could chill in Ohio and party.  You can take the man out of college but you can't take college out of the man.  I wanna see Jacksonville lose their 20th in a row.  When it rains it pours.

WIN; 37-19 Titans

Patriots -9 TEXANS

This is a lot of points.  Houston's defense can make this game closer than Bill Belichick would like.  A touchdown and a field goal, I'll take my chances.

Loss; 25-22 Patriots

RAIDERS -5 1/2 Bears

Back to the desert, they go ... not a good place for bears.  Chicago's problem is points - they simply do not score.  They average 16-points per game.

Loss; 20-9 Bears

Browns +2 1/2 CHARGERS

It's time the Bolts experience a short circuit.  Chargers are a legit 3-1 team.  But ya can't hold the Browns' competition against them.  Their defense is good, really good.  If Baker Mayfield plays under control, they're in.

Loss; 47-42 Chargers

CARDINALS -5 49ers

No Jimmy G ... I picked the Cardinals last week against the Rams.  The Cardinals can seize the NFC West by the neck, and they know it.

WIN; 17-10 Cardinals

Bills +3 CHIEFS

If there was ever a game the Chiefs should plow forward behind the run, this is it.  Run, run, run, chew up yardage behind that big offensive line, and keep Josh Allen and the Bills off the field.  Problem is, Buffalo's defense is among the NFL's best.

WIN; 38-20 Bills

Schmear of the Week (3-1)

Bucs -10

WIN

Good luck, and have a great Football Sunday!

POST-GAME

Week Five Record: 7-6-1

Overall Record (ATS): 32-34-2

Schmear of the Week: 4-1

Bagels in the Basket: +5

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: Week Two Marred by More Mistakes and Another Fourth Quarter Meltdown

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK TWO

Giants   29

D.C.       30

FINAL

Week Two Presents Joe Judge With More Problems Than a Math Book

This was supposed to be the game in which the offense carried the defense.

The Giants held the ball for 31:44 minutes, scored 29 points, and should have finished with considerably more if not for a cacophony of penalties that ultimately lost them the game.  

They defeated themselves due to numerous off-sides penalties on offense and another very costly defensive offsides penalty on what should have been a missed field goal to preserve the victory.  One of the cardinal sins in football is giving a kicker a second chance.

Lest we forget, Daniel Jones' touchdown run in the second quarter also got called back because of a holding call against C.J. Board, and of course, there was that big dropped pass by Darius Slayton.

But, as in Week One, the fourth quarter presented the Giants with numerous scoring opportunities but too many mistakes down the stretch trump the narrative.

An already beleaguered offensive line sustained a big blow in the first quarter when Nick Gates was carted off the field with a broken leg.  Gates was moved over to guard after Shane LeMieux earlier in the week was placed on injured reserve.  Ben Bredeson relieved Gates, and preseason acquisition Billy Price started at center.  Hence, the variables leading to so many pressure-laden late-game penalties are in place.

Daniel Jones threw well, going 22/32 for 249 yards and a touchdown.  If Darius Slayton catches the fourth-quarter pass, Daniel's numbers look far more impressive.  Insofar as protection, Jones was sacked four times (seven QB hits), costing 21 yards.  

But Daniel Jones stood firm, just not in the opinion of Kenny Golladay and rookie Kadarius Toney.  But, whereas the veteran Kenny Golladay took his beef straight to Jones and Jason Garrett, the latter took his issues to social media.  Is this a harbinger of things to come?

Meanwhile, in the eternal search for daylight, the backfield (not including Daniel Jones, CJ. Board, and Sterling Shepard) rushed 16 times for 72 yards.  Saquon Barkley was limited to 13 rushes for 57 yards.  But if you subtract his first quarter romp of 41 yards, then Barkley gained only 16 yards on twelve other carries.

Daniel Jones galloped downfield nine times for 95 yards.  If the yardage presents itself, you take it; no qualms there.  My issue is with Jones continually leading the Giants in rushing, which cycles back to Saquon Barkley and an increasingly problematic offensive line.

The defense does not escape me.  That's coming up next ...

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.

N.Y. Giants: All Eyes on Daniel Jones and the Man Who Drafted Him

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK ONE

Broncos

vs.

GIANTS

Dave Gettleman Takes His Rightful Place In The Hot Seat

All eyes are on Daniel Jones.  By most accounts, last season was a step backward.  If you care to place some of the blame on losing Saquon Barkley in Week Two, I won't stop you.  In any event, entering his third NFL season, the Giants now need Jones to take a major leap forward.  

Dave Gettleman's job depends on it.  

The Giants last season rated second to last in offensive productivity.

Therefore, the general manager signed Kenny Golladay, picked up Kyle Rudolph and drafted wide receiver, Kadarius Toney.  They'll join regulars Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, and Darius Slayton, with Jason Garrett calling plays.

Is this collection of ball handlers playoff-caliber?

Insofar as the NFC East, maybe.  Conference and Super Bowl quality?  Hardly ...

But once again, the offensive line will be a decisive factor.  The best thing I can come up with is continuity.  I believe that's an important element in building offensive lines.  There's a level of choreography they must establish together as a unit.  Andrew Thomas, Will Hernandez, Nick Gates, Matt Peart, and perhaps the return of Nate Solder at right tackle have time together.  As such, I expect them to collectively function more effectively.  

But can they protect Daniel Jones and create daylight for Saquon Barkley?  Can this offense consistently make first downs, sustain possession, and limit the defense's time on the field?

Is this offense up for the challenge?

All this remains to be seen.

My true opinion: mediocrity rules the day.

Denver has a good defense.  I think the Giants get blown out Sunday.  There, I said it, and it's up to the Giants to change my mind.  

This will be Dave Gettleman's fourth season.  Forget being an NFC contender.  The Giants aren't even the best of the rest, not with a 15-33 record over the last three seasons.

Patrick Graham is doing a good job on the other side of the ball.  Last season the defense was forced into playing too many minutes.  This season, it's up to the offense to pull their fair share of the load.  That being said, this general manager must go if his collective draft choices do not help elevate the Giants this season.  

Hopefully, head coach Joe Judge, who has my full support, can show them the way.

Lest we forget, Wellington Mara's five-year rebuilding plan took two decades.  His son is entering year ten.