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Can the New York Giants upset the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday? This is a question that will not be answered until Sunday evening. We can, however, answer some questions related to the giants right now. so, let’s open up the Big Blue View Mailbag and do it.
David Bleecker asks: Suppose the Giants end the season with something close to a .500 record. And suppose the property decides to leave Gettleman.
I understand Mara / Tisch are hiring the coach, not the GM. Do you think they would make keeping the judge part of the package for the next GM? Or do you think it’s more likely that they’ll allow the next GM to make his own decision about the head coach?
Ed says: David, I’ve said this before – I don’t think Joe Judge is going anywhere. Whether Dave Gettleman is the GM next season or not is a legitimate question. I think there’s very little chance anyone other than Joe Judge will coach the Giants next season, no matter what happens with the GM.
Giants fans have to come to terms with the idea that today it’s Judge’s vision that runs this franchise. That doesn’t mean he has the final say on every decision. It just means that the judge’s vision is the driving force behind the decisions that are made.
Ben McAdoo lasted less than two full seasons as a head coach. Pat Shurmur lasted for two seasons. John Mara said when Judge was hired that the organization understood that they couldn’t continue to retrain head coaches every two years, and that Judge being a young head coach for the first time, they were going to have to be more patient. As difficult as it can be at times, this is exactly what I expect from them.
Robert Forgione asks: Ed, with the lack of a pass race this year, is it time to think that Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines are not the answers? I’ve always liked Carter, but he doesn’t seem to have that extra gear to make it to the QB on a regular basis. Time for Quincy Roche, maybe. Plus, it looks like Graham isn’t sending his securities as much as he did last year, does he?
Ed says: Robert, the Giants waited … and waited … and waited for Lorenzo Carter to turn his extraordinary physical gifts into production. It just didn’t happen. At this point, I think Carter has probably shown us what he is. He is a useful player, but not dynamic. Ximines showed some passing rush ability as a rookie in 2019, but we don’t see it now. If he can’t be a force as a passer, there is no room for him in my opinion.
When it comes to blitzing, you might be surprised to know that Pro Football-Reference has the Giants blitzing 29.7% of the time so far this season. Only eight teams blitzed more often.
Unfortunately, the Giants haven’t been productive. They are 20th in sacks with 6.29 in pressure percentage (19.4), 30th in quarterback knockdown percentage (5.6) and 14th in haste percentage (10.3).
ESPN places the Giants 31st in rush win rate.
The simple truth of these numbers is this: No matter how many players Patrick Graham sends, these rushers don’t win their clashes often enough. I don’t know if Quincy Roche can help, but if the Giants think he can, I have no problem with him playing more and Ximines playing less.
Don Bucc asks: We’ve debated GM’s decision to draft Saquon with the No.2 pick at length with those who oppose the decision, arguing that a running back should never be taken because high and positional value matters. While I was okay with that in the core concept and was hoping for a down trade that year, I quickly embraced the choice and was excited to experience Saquon’s rookie year. He looked like nothing less than a top 5 (arguably the top 1 or 2) offensive threats in the entire NFL. While he’s obviously suffered the injuries since (not necessarily because he’s an RB), my question really is, isn’t it worth choice # 2 if you think you’re getting an offensive threat among the 5 best in the whole NFL? The setback is of course 20/20 and Saquon’s injuries are cause for concern, but this Sunday was a reminder of how effectively a Saquon used can impact a game. Personally, I blame our coaches for using him mainly as an RB (which is not worth a top 2) against the offensive threat he is capable of being. Thoughts?
Ed says: Don, you’re right, this is not new territory. I love Barkley as a player and I think he’s a great representative of the Giants franchise. He is capable of things few players can do, and few may have ever done.
Over the years, I have hesitated whether Barkley’s choice, which goes against my general project philosophy of not taking on running backs so much, was the right one. The Giants had three picks in this draft:
- Take a quarterback. Probably Sam Darnold, maybe Josh Allen.
- Swap and grab Quenton Nelson or Bradley Chubb, and add a bunch of other choices.
- Take Barkley.
If they didn’t want the quarterback, I still think the downside trade would have been the better option. I think it would have sped up the rebuilding process and been the best game in the long run.
I think Barkley would have been a fantastic piece to add to a team ready to win. It’s really, really hard to start a rebuild with a running back – even one as good as Barkley.
Now the other part of your question. Is it really fair to criticize the way this coaching staff used Barkley? I do not think so. Joe Judge and Jason Garrett had it for less than two games last season. This season they’ve had a Barkley who found his way after last season’s major injury. To be fair, they’re also figuring out both what runs best and what they can block with their ever-changing line.
Pat Shurmur used Barkley to the tune of 91 receptions in 2018. Loved the way Garrett used Barkley against New Orleans – split him wide, take him down, throw him good-time screens, hand him the ball. on some RPO where he hit the line with a head full of steam. I can’t wait to see if this continues. As you said, Barkley – like Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey – isn’t just a running back.
Christopher White asks: When should Elerson Smith and Aaron Robinson be activated? Having shown the Senior Bowl, I remember the Giants thinking enough of them not to risk dismissing them or placing them on the injured reserve. If they are healthy enough, they could provide useful depth pieces. Are they progressing and do the Giants plan to take any meaningful shots this year, if only for the NFL experience?
Ed says: Christopher the answer is different for each player. Let’s move on.
Smith is on the injured list with what’s known as a hamstring injury he apparently suffered during rookie practices the week before training camp officially started. He’s currently eligible to be removed from IR, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen anytime soon.
From what I understand, Smith trained earlier this week in front of the Giants coaches and coaches. It looks like after this practice the Giants determined he wasn’t quite ready yet. Once he’s ready, the Giants will nominate him for his IR return. It might be next week. Once they nominate him to return, the Giants have 21 days to decide whether to activate him or leave him on IR for the entire season. So we’re probably looking into mid-season or later before we see Smith in action.
Robinson is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. He is not eligible to return to action until Week 6. After this sixth week, which would follow the Giants’ game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Giants have a five-week window to allow Robinson to resume the game. training, set it to IR or forgo it. Once Robinson returns to training, the Giants will have three weeks to decide whether to place him on the 53-man roster or the season-ending IR.
Bruce Frazer asks: How long do you think it will be before the Giants know if Isaiah Wilson is a worthy restoration project and has the skills to take a place on the O-line. If he is able to overcome his problems, the Giants would? maybe landed a 1st round talent in a much needed position.
Ed says: Bruce, this is gonna take a while. Offensive line coach Rob Sale said during the week that right now the job with Wilson is to get him back in shape. The guy really hasn’t played football for a long time now.
Here’s what Sale said:
“We’re trying to get him in shape and get him where he can do more on the pitch. This is where we are now. Get him in shape, catch him up so we can really get a good evaluation of him. “
I’m guessing you won’t see Wilson on the 53 player roster anytime soon. Maybe not at all this season.
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