New York Giants

As if Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams didn’t present a significant hurdle for the New York Giants, Week 7 will be even more tumultuous with the majority of the starting receiver core injured.

The Giants will once again be without the majority of Daniel Jones’s weapons, ranging from Saquon Barkley to Kadarius Toney, who aggravated an ankle injury he’s been dealing with since the beginning of the regular season. Toney was on pace for another stellar outing against the Rams, tallying three receptions on the first six snaps of the game for the Giants’ offense.

Nonetheless, Toney is expected to miss Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers due to the ankle, which takes yet another premium play-maker out of the equation.

Players not spotted at today’s practice: RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (ankle), TE Kaden Smith (?) and OLB Azeez Ojulari (?). WR John Ross (?) on the side with a trainer.

— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) October 20, 2021

In addition, to Toney, Golladay is still working his way back from a hyperextended knee, which he suffered against Dallas. I wouldn’t expect him to make an appearance in Week 7 either, aiming to return in Week 8 alongside Toney and potentially Barkley.

Barkley is still ailing from a low ankle sprain, which swelled to the size of an apple after he stepped on Dallas CB Jourdan Lewis’s foot. The star running back has now missed 18 games in his career, further questioning his long-term future with the team.

Otherwise, receiver John Ross picked up a hamstring injury, and Kaden Smith has been dealing with a knee injury the past few weeks. Azeez Ojulari, starting outside linebacker, missed practice due to a personal reason.

The Giants are in big trouble offensively as they prepare to take on the Panthers, who have a solid group of pass rushers, including Haason Reddick and Brian Burns. Do the Giants stand a chance? If their defense plays up to their potential, they can do enough to slow down Sam Darnold, who has struggled the past few weeks. However, the offense hasn’t proved capable of succeeding, let alone without Andrew Thomas and all of their primary weapons.

The New York Giants are once again near the bottom of the NFL. At 1-5, things look dire for the Big Apple’s blue team. Not only are Giants fans feeling defeated, but seemingly the players are, too. Safety Jabrill Peppers seemed visibly and vocally defeated after practice today.

Jabrill Peppers: “I just want to win”

In 2019, the New York Giants traded away Odell Beckham Jr to the Cleveland Browns. One of the big pieces they got in return was safety Jabrill Peppers. Since then, Peppers has established himself as one of the team’s leaders, earning a captain’s patch two years in a row.

In 2020, Jabrill Peppers put together a career year for the Giants. He totaled 91 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and 1 interception. Jabrill was the focal point of New York’s defense. He played 88% of the team’s defensive snaps last season. So far this year, Jabrill Peppers’s playing time has been reduced significantly. Peppers has only been on the field for 61% of the Giants’ snaps in 2021.

Seeing his role reduced to that of a fringe starter/backup is puzzling for Jabrill Peppers, and also defeating. The New York Giants look like they cannot even buy a win some weeks, getting blown out each of their last two games. Peppers is a player that has been brought up in trade rumors in the past, and after his comments today, it seems like a strong possibility that the Giants ship Jabrill off to a new team.

When asked if he still wants to be on the Giants, Jabrill Peppers responded with: “I just want to win, baby.” Not exactly a confident answer from Jabrill. It seems like the safety’s future with the Giants is in question.

Jabrill Peppers’s answers in today’s media session were short. He seemed visibly and vocally upset. The New York Giants will need to turn things around and start winning some games if they want to keep their safety around for the long run. If not, then Jabrill Peppers could be making his way to a new team.

The New York Giants are staring another top-five draft pick in the face after a 1–5 start to the 2021 season. Aside from a surprising victory over the New Orleans Saints, the Giants have been relatively inefficient against teams that most would consider beatable. Ranging from the Atlanta Falcons to the Washington Football Team, Big Blue had their fair share of opportunities to start the season strong but instead imploded under head coach Joe Judge.

The loss of starting left tackle Andrew Thomas to injury will only dampen their probability of winning games. Thomas will sit on injured reserve with an ankle issue for the next three weeks, with the earliest return being week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At that point in the season, the Giants will be well on their way to another missed postseason opportunity and a premium draft pick.

However, the Giants must consider alternatives at general manager, especially with Dave Gettleman further driving the franchise into the ground. Let’s take a look at a few numbers that tell a better story.

Keep this quote in mind as you scroll through these statistics.

“You got to run the ball. You got to stop the run. You got to pressure the passer.”

Three stats that tell a story for New York Giants’ GM Dave Gettleman:

1.) Running the football

Gettleman stated that running the football is one of the most critical factors in winning football games, but his team currently ranks 25th in rushing yards per game. After spending the second overall pick on Saquon Barkley, his inability to stay on the field and remain healthy has taken a toll on his production.

A quality running back isn’t the main factor in a successful running game, but rather the offensive line’s ability to open up gaps to run through. Many teams with lesser talent have succeeded simply by plugging in runners who fit their scheme and strategy. Just take a look at the Buffalo Bills, for example, who currently ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing yards per game at 130.7. They utilize a blend of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Both Moss and Singletary were drafted in the third round, which details Gettleman’s lack of understanding of draft value.

The Giants currently have the 26th ranked OL in pass-blocking, per PFF. Losing Thomas will only hurt that ranking even more.

2.) Stopping the run

Gettleman spent a pretty penny retaining interior defender Leonard Williams this off-season, presenting a three-year, $63 million deal. He also invested a first-round pick on Dexter Lawrence, but his outside linebackers have failed to seal the edge in the run game and rush the passer effectively. The Giants currently ranked 29th in rush yards allowed per game, and that is all while being dominated through the air as well, indicating a weak defense on multiple fronts.

Gettleman once again struck out on a main factor he presented as a necessity for being successful in the NFL.

3.) Getting to the quarterback

The cherry on top is the Giants’ inability to rush the passer in the first place, as they currently rank 30th in pass rush win right. Last week against the Los Angeles Rams, all three of their primary OLB‘s, Azeez Ojulari, Oshane Ximines, and Lorenzo Carter, failed to contribute a single pressure or quarterback hurry.

Spending third-round picks on outside linebackers is not a recipe for success, as the Giants should be investing far more on edge defenders if they want to be successful. Most agree that a great defense starts in the trenches, and the Giants have seemingly over-invested in the interior of the defensive line, which has proved to be a poor strategy.

The New York Giants are in a state of peril after being embarrassed by the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6. Most would agree the team has hit rock bottom as they sit at 1–5 on the season and have a scary schedule ahead consisting of the Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That is not even to mention the Eagles, Chargers, and Cowboys later on in the season.

At this point, management might want to consider being sellers at the trade deadline this year, so let’s take a look at a few players who could be on their way out.

Three players the New York Giants should consider trading at the deadline:

1.) Evan Engram

Tight end Evan Engram has enjoyed just one game this year with over 30 receiving yards, posting just three receptions for 24 yards in the team’s most recent loss to the Rams. He has been a non-factor for the most part, so the former first-round pick could represent a trade opportunity for the Giants. Unfortunately, they missed out on a chance to sell him to the Arizona Cardinals, who traded for Zach Ertz from Philadelphia instead.

Some may point to Engram providing the team with a compensatory pick next year, but if the Giants are keen on bringing in a new general manager, they will want as much draft capital as possible for 2022. Engram might land them a fifth-round pick, given he’s in the final year of his rookie deal and has already played nearly half the season.

2.) Jabrill Peppers

The Giants have barely used safety Jabrill Peppers this year, playing in a career-low 49% of defensive snaps. Peppers has been unable to cover tight ends and has had trouble in the slot — they could utilize him as a trade piece as well. Losing Peppers might also land them a compensatory pick in 2023, but a team in need of a versatile safety might value his services.

At most, the Giants could land a 5th rounder for Peppers, who will likely be replaced by Aaron Robinson coming off IR.

3.) Sterling Shepard

The Giants have a ton of quality receivers. The problem is the majority of them are injured. Sterling Shepard was Daniel Jones’s best option against the Rams, tallying 10 receptions for 76 yards.

Shepard is a quality player with two years remaining on his contract. The Giants could take the out in his deal after this season concludes, which would count $7.99 million in dead salary space. If they choose to retain him, he will count $12.5 million in 2020 to add $13.5 million in 2023.

The Giants have once again pigeonholed themselves into a bad spot financially, overspending on injury-prone talent this off-season in hopes of turning the franchise around. Trading away Shepard would get some money off the books and return draft capital in the process. With the emergence of Kadarius Toney, Shepard’s targets will likely decrease.

The New York Giants got embarrassed at home on Sunday afternoon. The Giants got blown out by the Los Angeles Rams 38-11. New York’s defense struggled tremendously, especially in the pass-rushing department. The New York Giants’ nonexistent pass-rush is killing their defense.

While the Giants came away from the game with 2 total sacks, Rams quarterback Matt Stafford stood in the pocket generally untouched. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams recorded both of the Giants’ sacks, but the team’s edge rushers failed to make an impact on Sunday.

New York Giants lack of edge pass-rush

The New York Giants’ edge rushers are failing on every level. Azeez Ojulari, Lorenzo Carter, and Oshane Ximines are not showing up on Sundays. Not a single one of them recorded a pressure versus the Rams. All three of the Giants’ top edge rushers recorded ZERO pressures on Sunday.

In the last two weeks, Ojulari, Carter, and Ximines have one pressure in 100 combined pass-rushing snaps. The New York Giants will not win games until they get a boost in the pass-rush department from their edge rushers.

Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines have both failed to record a single sack so far this season. Azeez Ojulari has three sacks on the year, but he has not recorded one in the past three weeks.

The New York Giants defense is struggling in 2021. The pass-coverage and run-defense both look far worse than they did last season, and it is likely related to the team’s lack of a pass-rush. The Giants’ failure to get after the quarterback is ruining their chance of winning games.

The New York Giants for embarrassed by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon in a Week 6 matchup that heavily favored the opposition. Losing by a score of 38–11, the Giants experienced more injuries on the offensive side of the ball, with starting left tackle Andrew Thomas leaving with an ankle injury and Kadarius Toney experiencing the same.

With the majority of the Giants’ offensive weapons out, quarterback Daniel Jones was left to fend for himself, thrown three interceptions and fumbling twice. He threw for just 242 yards and was unable to find the end zone, multiplying his turnovers this season by a factor of three.

At this point in the season, the Giants are all but a lost cause, especially if their primary playmakers are unable to return from injury soon. An inability to score and spotty defense has significantly limited their potential, which raises the question, should the Giants be looking to fire someone at this point in time?

Considering the offensive ranks in the bottom half of the league in points scored per game and the defense has allowed 82 points over the last two contests, someone needs to take the blame. Ultimately, general manager Dave Gettleman might be at the top of the list after he survived the firing of head coach Pat Shurmer and has now watched his team start 1–5 for two consecutive seasons.

John Mara has a big deicsion to make with the New York Giants’ future:

Mara can’t make the same mistake twice after waiting too long to hire a general manager the last time around and settling on Gettleman, who has further driven this team into the dirt. Despite drafting Thomas, Toney, and Daniel Jones, the team’s foundation is flawed, and the lack of discipline is appalling.

After promising to fix the offensive line year-in and year-out, Gettleman has failed to do so. Some may point to the retiring‘s of Zach Fulton and Joe Looney and the injury to guard Shane Lemieux, but there’s no guarantee they would’ve held together the line either. The Giants had an opportunity to add more young talent this past draft class but instead focused on position players, drafting multiple defensive backs and even a running back in the 6th round.

The writing is on the wall for Gettleman, and Mara must begin to consider what the future transition will look like and begin targeting replacements, so he doesn’t end up scraping barnacles off the bottom of the barrel once again. However, Mara would prefer not to fire Gettleman mid-season, rather letting him retire peacefully at the end of the year. That shouldn’t stop him from beginning to search for his replacement and begin curating a potential relationship.

The Giants need a new voice in the front office with a modern approach to the game, as Gettleman has been living in the past for far too long.

The New York Giants don’t look like a good football team this season. The team has a 1-5 record following their most recent loss on Sunday, and looked uncompetitive by halftime against the Los Angeles Rams.

The team is trending in a bad direction in general, but it’s worth noting that some of the worst performances this season have come at home in front of a crowd that is growing increasingly tired of seeing the Giants lose like this.

The Giants are 0-3 at MetLife Stadium this year and have been outscored 82-38. Hence the boos.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) October 17, 2021

With this result, the Giants fall to an 0-3 record in home games this season and have been outscored 82-38 by their opponents.

The previous highlights of their home games this year include the 17-14 loss to an Atlanta team that had allowed 80 points through their first two games, and the season opening loss to a Denver team that is now 3-3.

By contrast, the Giants have been a more competitive team on the road. They lost to Washington at the end of the game by only one point, and their sole win of the season came as underdogs at the New Orleans Superdome.

Even in the loss to the Cowboys in Dallas, there was more to cheer for as the game featured a breakout performance from wide receiver Kadarius Toney despite the score getting away from the Giants.

The repeated poor showings at home have seemingly been a factor in fans choosing to boo, and the question remains of how long home crowds will continue to put up with performances like Sunday’s before deciding to not attend.

The Giants ownership has been criticized this season for not committing to fully tearing down the organization and rebuilding it along more modern lines. Historically, the Giants are one of the more patient teams in the league and tend to shy away from moves like that.

But going forward, after another uncompetitive home loss, the ownership could be faced with a new prospect: make big changes, or watch the stands become emptier over the course of the season as many fans decide to stop rewarding a bad organization with money and attendance.

It’s unclear if a declining attendance would push John Mara to make changes. It is clear, however, that even the team’s core fans have serious problems with the way recent seasons have gone.

That agitation has manifested itself in the form of boos at home, and it doesn’t look like that atmosphere is going to improve unless the team itself makes a miraculous turnaround from this point on.