The team known as ‘Big Blue’ have started their season with four losses and only one win, despite pre-season hopes of being a surprise package for a positive record. Star names such as Saquon Barkley and James Bradberry have been left scratching their heads as game-after-game went gone by without a win until the overtime victory against the New Orleans Saints a week ago.
This hoped to be a turning point for head coach Joe Judge but a comprehensive thrashing by the Dallas Cowboys brought Giants’ fans crashing back down to earth in some style. Some may have been forgiven for being optimistic despite such a bad record, with losses against Washington and Atlanta coming with one and three-point differences.
These games showed how hard Big Blue were willing to push for that win but, when optimism slowly creeped in, they would get beaten badly as consistency evaded those at the MetLife stadium.
Young and promising is a common phrase heard when pundits were asked about the Giants this season but promise can only get you so far. With injury ruling out fan-favourite linebacker Blake Martinez and rookie Kadarius Toney yet to find his feet in the NFL, Judge is running out of faces to turn to in order to turn this season around. Barkley is slowly coming out of his shell after a lengthy time out due to a leg injury and Daniel Jones is gradually building a connection with his receivers.
With the season only having 11 games left, time is running out for a successful one to make its way to the Big Apple.
Past glories
A decade ago Osi Umenyiora, Eli Manning and Victor Cruz were just three of a famed roster as the Giants began a season which would see the Lombardi Trophy end up being lifted by a hand in a Giants jersey for the fourth time in the franchise’s history.
Manning and Jones are very alike in playing style, with the latter slightly more mobile. Cruz has yet to be replaced since leaving and time must be afforded to rookie Toney to adjust to the new level of play before passing a final judgement. Umenyiora has proven to be a unique puzzle piece that cannot be found again, causing the management at the Giants to focus on other areas and adapt to a new style of defence.
However, as the old era transitioned into the new – the old style wasn’t replaced. It is hard to describe both the offence and defence of the Giants as it seems to be so inconsistent and shows a complete lack of identity.
Time to plan for next season?
With the Cowboys on track to win the NFC East, preparations for next season may already be in place as Judge and his coaches look at how they can transform a scrappy, underperforming team into one that can dominate their city, let alone their division or conference.
The silver lining to these troubles is that if they continue, then the Giants can benefit from a very favourable draft pick next spring. While that means seeing another play-off series come and go with little joy for those in New York, it does mean that next season may have a completely different outlook and be anticipated with a lot more expectation and success.
Of course, all of this can change. Despite being very unlikely, the Giants could completely turn their season around and produce a comeback story of epic proportions. Jones, Barkley and Bradberry, along with veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams, have the talent to perform well.
The challenge is to do it consistently and while the cards are stacked against them. Only time can tell what will happen, but either way, the New York Giants of future have to be better than the Giants of now.
By Joshua Stewart
