The New York Giants learned that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett tested positive for Covid on Thursday, which will force him out for the game against Cleveland on Sunday evening. In his absence, the Giants have tapped tight end coach Freddie Kitchens to call plays, and this could either be a revelation or a stagnation.
New York Giants official statement:
Giants Statement: Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett has tested positive for COVID-19. He will continue to work remotely. Tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens will serve as the team’s offensive play caller on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
We are currently working with the league’s chief medical officer regarding close contacts. Because of the league’s most updated protocols, Giants coaches and players did not meet on either Monday or Tuesday, and the majority of the coaching staff worked remotely.
At this point, there appear to be no high risk close contacts. We are awaiting confirmation from the league. Out of an abundance of caution, the Giants will meet remotely and will not practice today.
In 2018 when Kitchens took over as the OC in week 8, Baker Mayfield saw his numbers skyrocket for the rest of the year: 70.7 completion % (fifth), 13 touchdowns (seventh), 5 INTs Averaged 8.66 yards per attempt (second only to Patrick Mahomes II), and a 109.3 passer rating (fifth).
The offense Kitchens will deploy will be similar to Garrett’s in terms of route combinations and run blocking, but the way he calls them will be different. Considering the offensive line just allowed eight sacks to the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, kitchens will look to get the ball out of Colt McCoy or Daniel Jones’ hands quickly, avoiding instantaneous pressure and making easy first reads available.
Kitchens knows what the Cleveland Browns have on defense, especially in their pass rush. The threat they possess will force the Giants to get rid of the ball quickly and opt for running the ball more frequently.
One thing Kitchens did when he took over for the Browns in 2018 was ask his players what plays they liked the most. This allowed him to tailor specific plays to his player’s strengths, which theoretically is an obvious yet genius idea. What we’ve seen from Giants quarterbacks the first 14 weeks of the season is hesitancy in the pocket, not moving on from progressions, and failing to make decisive reads. Kitchens managed to decrease the hits Baker Mayfield took and sacks allowed significantly once he took over two years ago.
However, in 2019, Mayfield did not perform as well as most hoped under Kitchens. His offensive scheme fell apart when Odell Beckham Jr. joined the ranks. It seems as if the Browns experienced a similar reality to the Giants with Pat Shurmur.
Shurmur was a fantastic offensive coordinator but simply couldn’t handle the duties of being a head coach and calling offensive plays. Since Freddie will only be calling the plays on Sunday for the Giants, maybe we will see what he’s really capable of with less pressure on his back.
