The New York Giants are headed into a tough matchup in week one against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lead by Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are an example of consistency throughout history in the NFL, producing tough and gritty teams on a yearly basis.
In 2019, they were without Ben Roethlisberger, one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game, as Joe Judge stated during a Wednesday press conference.
Judge was sure to complement the Steelers on their success and toughness. Tomlin has similar expectations for his team, stating that he wants to be tough to beat early on and refrain from hurting themselves with penalties and other gaffes. The Giants have been the epitome of self-harm in recent years, with poor o’clock management from the coaching staff and a lack of effort from the players at any given moment. No more alligator-arm tackles from Janoris Jenkins and giving up in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line.
The Giants are hoping to be a new team with new leadership in place. Bringing on several former head coaches should help Judge adapt to the role in the NFL. However, he is bringing one change the team that Pat Shurmur failed to do, and that is to let the “coaches coach and the players play.”
Judge stated that he wants his coaching staff to do their job and the coordinators to call plays. Shurmur tried to be a micromanaging HC and took over playcalling on offense while trying to hold the players accountable. Ultimately, it did not work, and he lost his job because of it.
The New York Giants are taking the right steps:
Letting the coordinators call the plays allows Judge to focus more on clock management and in-game decisions. What is the point of having coordinators if you’re not going to use them? Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is more than capable of calling plays, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is a former Ivy League student. He is extremely intelligent and has been calling plays for a few seasons now.
I would say the Giants are in good hands when it comes to their coordinators, and Judge will ease his way into the head coaching position in a live-format. I expect there to be struggles at the beginning of the season, but things will only get better with experience.