The New York Giants fell to a dismal overall record of 2-7 following an embarrassing 30-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. With their season coming to an unfortunate end, the team, who had high hopes entering the season, is left pondering one question: What went wrong?
What went wrong for the Giants this season?
The 2022 Giants displayed tremendous passion and intensity on the field. With the new additions of GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll, new life was injected into the Big Apple. Against all expectations, Big Blue overcame every obstacle thrown at them and made an unexpected playoff run.
No one predicted that the G-Men would make it to the playoffs – let alone win a postseason game. It appeared that their long-standing frustrations were finally coming to an end, but unfortunately, this turned out to be far from the truth.
Once considered playoff contenders, the Giants now appear to be unmotivated and are lacking the spark that led them to success just the year prior. The dissatisfaction within the Giants’ locker room is palpable. After the ugly Week 9 loss, safety Xavier McKinney spoke out about the leaders’ voices not being heard.
Xavier McKinney expresses his frustration with the team
“Honestly, it sucks. But, I don’t know, man. I don’t really have many words. I think that from a leadership standpoint, I don’t think they’ve done a great job of letting the leaders lead, and listening to the leaders and the captains. But obviously it sucks losing.”
Xavier McKinney via Jordan Ranaan of ESPN
This isn’t the first time McKinney has vocalized his frustration with the team. Following the Leonard Williams trade to the Seattle Seahawks, McKinney essentially accused the organization of giving up on the season.
“I thought that our mindset was to win right now, not future stuff, but I guess that’s not what they saw.”
It appears as if McKinney perceived this decision as a reflection of the management’s doubt in the team’s abilities. This can only lead to an overall sense of hopelessness that hinders the team’s motivation to want to succeed.
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Dissatisfaction is building in the locker room
McKinney hasn’t been the only Giants player voicing his frustrations this season either.
Losing can undeniably bring down team morale, but the Giants’ losses have been particularly disheartening due to poor execution, coaching decisions, and frankly, just a lack of good play. Week after week, they have looked sloppy, unprepared, and poorly coached.
Star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence’s comments following their melt-down Week 8 loss to the New York Jets exemplify the level of disappointment within the team.
“I hate losing. I don’t know how many times I’ll have to tell you all that. It doesn’t feel good to lose. It doesn’t build a lot of morale when you lose. And it’s harder for a leader to get the team going after a loss. But as leaders, that’s what we have to do.”
Dexter Lawrence according to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, known for his positive influence in the locker room, has expressed frustration with his limited role on the team so far as well. This dissatisfaction is concerning, as Shepard’s influence on the team’s spirit cannot be undermined.
When a team faces excessive blowout losses, accountability must be examined. In this case, the spotlight turns towards the coaching staff. With high expectations coming into the season, Daboll and his coaching staff have been unable to rally their players and battle through adversity effectively. Instead, they succumbed to the challenges, thus losing the fire that initially fueled them.
The locker room is disconnected
Though the Giants have faced their fair share of injuries, other teams have managed to maintain competitive spirits under similar circumstances. The difference? Big Blue seems to lack resilience. A shift in mindset is crucial for the team to regain their fighting spirit and overcome the obstacles they face.
However, with multiple key players voicing their unhappiness and a coaching staff that seems to be blatantly ignoring the voices of these leaders, the locker room seems far too broken to repair.
The exact cause of the broken locker room is unclear, but the disconnect is evident in every game played. The players have given up, and with an upcoming division matchup against the Dallas Cowboys around the corner, Daboll must find a way to reignite life within this team again.
