The New York Giants already had low expectations coming into the 2024 season, but their start to the season has been brutal in nearly every facet as they once again find themselves down big early on, as they are 0-2 on the season with a grueling schedule ahead of them.
The Giants have gotten off to a rough start to the season
Pro Football Focus assessed a panic meter for each 0-2 team after the first two weeks of the season, and their raking for the Giants was “extremely high” on the panic meter, indicating that their season has already gone off the rails with no clear end in sight:
“Despite playing better in Week 2, [Daniel] Jones has still been a below-average quarterback, ranking 20th in PFF passing grade (minimum of 20 dropbacks) with only one big-time throw across 70 attempts. The most damning part is that the Giants’ offensive line is actually protecting him much better — ranking sixth in pass-blocking grade — not to mention that both Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson have flashed,” PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote.
The Giants haven’t been able to get both sides of the ball to click at once
The Giants had a strong chance to win their Week 2 matchup against the Washington Commanders, but the lack of run defense and Graham Gano’s first-quarter injury were the deciding factors in their 21–18 defeat. Quarterback Daniel Jones looked a lot better than he did in Week 1, and so did the team’s offense as a whole, but in order to win football games, both sides of the ball have to click at once.
New York ranks 26th in yards per play at 4.6 and they have the seventh-worst run defense grade by PFF at 52.1. Despite Week 2 being a stronger offensive performance with three touchdowns scored, their overall season on both sides of the ball has been abysmal.
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There are things to be encouraged about, such as Malik Nabers’ quick growth and the improved play of the offensive line. Those two things could be huge as the Giants continue rebuilding a contending franchise, and it is good to see those areas already show signs of improvement.
However, one thing to be concerned about is Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns’ relatively quiet start to the season. While they can get back on track as the season progresses, the hope was that the trio would lead to better defensive results, which hasn’t happened thus far.
The Giants have a tough road ahead of them
Looking ahead to their schedule, it may be a while before the Giants get their first win of the season, as they have the Browns and Cowboys to close out September and then the Seahawks, Bengals, and Eagles immediately following. They weren’t expected to win many games this season as it was, especially after two key roster departures in Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney and a revamped coaching staff.
Despite that, it is still a make-or-break for both Jones and head coach Brian Daboll. Daboll led the Giants to the postseason in 2022 but is 6-13 in his last 19 regular season games, and another disappointing season could put his job security in jeopardy. With the Giants already having to play catch-up the rest of the way, it will be a steep hill for them to climb if they want to exceed their low expectations.
