The Giants’ season takes a turn for the worst as they are defeated by the Seahawks, who are having a strong season themselves.
The Giants hit the jackpot when they hired Brian Daboll, the NFL’s Coach of the Year in 2022. After a successful season, the Giants decided to offer Daniel Jones a massive contract extension. Saquon Barkley’s predicament was also resolved in New York; he received a little pay increase from the franchise tag that had previously angered him. The anticipation for this season was well-founded.
Last year, the New York Giants advanced to the postseason. Even better, they won in the playoffs for the first time since Eli Manning’s second Super Bowl victory. The crowd during the game was full of ecstatic Giants supporters.
The Giants’ dramatic second-half rally against the Arizona Cardinals was all that stood between them and a 0-4 start. The rest of the season’s 14 quarters have been abysmal for the Giants.
When it was over, the fun began. After an embarrassing 24-3 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, the New York Giants seem like one of the worst teams in sports. Even though they didn’t play very well and lost their starting quarterback, Geno Smith, to a knee injury early in the second quarter, the Seahawks still managed to beat the Giants by a wide margin.
The Giants, who trailed 14-3 late in the third quarter, had a chance to make a comeback. Much of the way into Seahawks territory, they drove. However, rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon of the Seahawks had a phenomenal game and returned an interception 97 yards for a score after Jones threw one. The Giants’ whole season may be summed up in one single play.
The Giants’ offensive collapses
The Giants have been outscored 77-9 in the first half of this season, which seems ridiculous. They were the only NFL club to enter halftime scoreless. Coaches, particularly offensive-minded ones like Daboll, often do well in the first half of games because they have time to prepare their plays. Daboll’s scripting, if there is one, is failing.
The Giants failed to score any touchdowns and made no attempts to do so. Jones never made a deep pass. The offensive line hasn’t been performing well, which has been a contributing factor. After recording only 5 sacks in their first 3 games, the Seahawks matched their franchise record with 11 on Monday night. The Giants just do not have a receiver on their roster that poses any kind of danger to opposing defenses. Offensive responsibility also falls on the shoulders of the coaching staff.
Barkley, who was out with an ankle injury, was a major loss. Having star left tackle Andrew Thomas out due to injury is a major setback. However, other teams have also had to contend with injuries and have scored a touchdown before halftime this season.
Daboll’s second season has gotten off to a terrible start, and it may be too soon to question whether he will follow in the footsteps of first-year coaches like Matt Nagy and Kevin Stefanski, who won the NFL Coach of the Year award but then swiftly fell from grace.
A terrible evening for the Giants
The Seahawks shouldn’t be too proud of themselves. Everything worked out great. The Giants’ ineptitude overshadowed the Seahawks’ superior skills.
The first half was a complete mess. Smith threw a touchdown throw to DK Metcalf, putting the Seahawks on the board first. While Smith was gone, Drew Lock completed a pass to Noah Fant, who ran for 51 yards and a touchdown. Kenneth Walker III was able to score after that. At halftime, the Seahawks led 14-3, and it seemed the game was already gone due to the poor performance of the Giants.
After a positive play, the Giants would promptly fall flat on their faces. They were able to prevent a touchdown on fourth down in the third quarter with a throw of 3 yards, 2 sacks, and a punt. The 2023 Giants’ offensive has been as bad as it sounds. Their complete lack of playmakers has been highlighted without Barkley.
Jones threw the game-ending pick-6 to Witherspoon on New York’s lone promising drive deep into Seahawks territory.
Don’t you just long for the anticipation of last season? Concerns for Giants fans now include: Jones having one of the worst contracts in the NFL; Daboll possibly not being as good as they thought after last season; Barkley’s contract expiring in 13 games; a lack of promising young talent on offense; and little hope for a turnaround for the rest of this season.
Giants fans, you have returned to the lowest reaches of the NFL.
