Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!
The New York Giants falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in week 17 only capped what was already a disappointing 2019 season. Finishing 4-12 on the year, head coach Pat Shurmur was unable to curate a disciplined team and manage games with efficiency. His lack of time management skills and personnel decisions hurt the Giants weekly and might have cost them several wins in the process. Nonetheless, there were several silver linings to enjoy among the negatives.
Here are three silver linings the New York Giants experience in 2019:
1.) Saquon Barkley’s late surge
Saquon Barkley started the 2019 season with two consecutive 100-yard performances. After suffering a high ankle sprain against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter of week three, he was unable to return to his peak form. He subsequently went eight games without recording over 100 rushing yards, finally breaking the mark in week 15 against the Miami Dolphins.
While he just barely missed the 100-yard mark in week 17 against the Eagles, which would have marked his third consecutive game, he did manage to break the 1000 yard rushing mark on the season. That is one primary silver lining that should give the Giants hope moving forward. Barkley is an essential part of the Giants’ offense and will hopefully have a more productive 2020 campaign. Getting him more involved in all facets should be a priority moving forward, especially after head coach Pat Shurmur was relieved of his duties on Monday.
2.) Daniel Jones is the future
If there’s one thing general manager Dave Gettleman has done right in his two years with the Giants, it is draft quarterback Daniel Jones.
The rookie passer amassed 3027 yards on the season through the air, 24 touchdown passes, and 12 interceptions. He also fumbled 18 times, making his final turnover mark 30 on the year. While the turnovers are concerning, he showed plenty of promise in the passing game with his accuracy and ability to decipher coverages.
After missing the first two games with Eli Manning remaining under center, Jones started his career against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which he recorded his first win.
Finding a franchise quarterback is the most challenging thing for an NFL team, and the fact that Gettleman seems to have chosen correctly on his first attempt is a huge positive when considering his retention.
3.) Young pieces showing promise
When Gettleman initially began the rebuild process, he insisted that they would also win games at the same time. That reality has quickly shown it’s true colors, as the Giants have logged just nine wins over two seasons. However, they do have several young pieces they have shown promise so far in their young careers.
Linebacker Ryan Connelly has looked good in a small sample size, but he will undoubtedly be a starting linebacker for the Giants in 2020. Wide receiver Darius Slayton has also looked like a reliable pass catcher, connecting with Daniel Jones frequently this season. Slayton finished the season with 740 total yards and eight touchdowns. There’s plenty of reason to be hopeful for the future, but this off-season will be essential in the team’s success. The Giants will have approximately $80 million in open cap-space and plenty of draft capital to address positions of weakness.
Nonetheless–
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