Headed into next season, it’s not clear which direction the New York Giants offense will take. The offense is no longer held back by Jason Garrett calling plays, and a new staff will mean a new direction. Of all the organizations worth imitating, the Kansas City Chiefs are one of the most notable because of their recent success over the last years. The Chiefs offense has practically been the opposite of the Giants’ one in recent seasons, finishing near the top of the league while the Giants have consistently been near the bottom.
But according to former Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, the team already has one receiver that fits the mold of a major Kansas City star.
Victor Cruz compares Kadarius Toney to Tyreek Hill
“I think if we can take some, some bits and pieces of that offense—and we have a guy like, you know like Tyreek Hill in Kadarius Toney that can work the middle of the field, that is quick and fast and can make some things happen–I would love to see a Kansas City Chiefs style offense come to the Giants,” Cruz told Sports Illustrated’s Patricia Traina on Thursday.
The Giants certainly do have a number of weapons to facilitate a Chiefs style offense after last offseason’s acquisition of both Toney and Kenny Golladay. But this season showed how those players can only do so much without an offensive line to protect the quarterback, and how relying on injury prone players can backfire.
It’s almost certain that the offensive playcalling will look very different after the season demonstrated almost exactly what not to do. But whether or not it moves to a more up-tempo and dynamic style depends not just on the new staff, but also whether the offensive line receives more talent.
What Toney needs to improve to live up to the comparison
Based on his play style and highlights, it’s not hard to see why Kadarius Toney has been compared to Tyreek Hill since entering the league. Both players are agile and don’t fit into the mold of one position easily, but obviously, Hill has had far more success in the league. It’s not an easy comparison to live up to, but Toney showed flashes of potential in his rookie year. Most notably, against the Cowboys when he put up year-high numbers and bailed out the offense more than once.
With that being said, one of the biggest differences between Hill and Toney doesn’t have to do with on the field play. Toney’s largest problem during his rookie season was injuries, as he only played in 10 games and was playing at less than 100% in some of them. Hill, on the other hand, appeared in every game for the Chiefs during the regular season.
It’s unclear whether this season was just filled with bad luck for Toney or whether these injuries are part of a larger trend, but it’s clear that staying on the field and getting more time in actual games is necessary for Toney to reach the high expectations that were placed on him when Dave Gettleman made the decision to draft a receiver in the first round.