Jordan Raanan
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants offense flopped within the season-opening loss to the Washington Commanders. There was no hiding the frustration.
Vast receiver Malik Nabers stated the tape made him “sick to my abdomen.” He needed to flip it off. The coaches appeared equally perplexed with what they noticed on the sector.
“Offensively the place we're at is not the place we need to be,” coach Brian Daboll stated afterward.
The Giants did not produce a single landing and managed solely 231 whole yards of offense within the 21-6 loss. They had been additionally stuffed twice from reaching the top zone regardless of driving contained in the 10-yard line.
Now they transfer ahead with a Week 2 matchup towards the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox) and lots to repair. The clock is ticking after Sport 1 seemed like an extension of final yr's offensive struggles.
“We have now to deal with the little issues,” stated Nabers, whose frustration boiled to the floor one quarter into the season. “I really feel like penalties additionally induced loads of our performs to get [called] again. We had loads of explosive performs that simply acquired flags, false begins, stuff like that. So, we now have to be on the identical web page extra. We had been late getting out of the huddle a pair occasions, so we now have to be on tempo to get on the ball, put some stress on the protection, so we are able to get what we would like.
“And I would most likely say simply unfold the ball round to each man. All of us acquired expertise on the soccer area. On this offense, we acquired loads of expertise. We have now to unfold the ball, give a pair guys the targets, the ball, and see what they do with the ball of their fingers.”
That may be a lengthy listing of corrections wanted from the offense within the span of every week. Some, like getting out of the huddle faster, may be cured just by time on process. The extra they play collectively, the extra seamless the operation will develop into.
However maybe probably the most fascinating admission Nabers made is that for the Giants offense to develop into extra environment friendly the workforce must unfold the ball, get everybody concerned. Darius Slayton signed a $12 million-per-year deal this offseason and was focused as soon as within the loss to the Commanders.
Nabers' sentiments date to final season. A number of gamers, together with one on the defensive aspect of the ball, advised ESPN unprompted final yr that an offense the place the ball was force-fed to Nabers was unsustainable. It wanted to be addressed and be extra of a workforce method.
However even with a brand new beginning quarterback in Russell Wilson the offense seemed fairly related Sunday within the 2025 season opener. It was Nabers' eighth sport with at the very least 12 targets for the reason that begin of final season, probably the most within the NFL. The Giants are 1-7 in these contests.
Spreading the ball round extra is hardly the one factor that wants fixing. The Giants, once more, want higher quarterback play to succeed offensively. If not, the requires rookie Jaxson Dart will solely get stronger.
Wilson admittedly didn't play as much as his requirements within the opener. He was simply 2-of-12 for 26 yards below stress and completed with an unpleasant 25.5 QBR, the fifth-worst whole of the opening weekend.
“I did not play adequate,” Wilson stated. “I believe you at all times need to play higher. Clearly, each time you do not win, you at all times really feel like there's extra to do. I believe that is the largest factor. And simply deal with enjoying nice this week.”
Wilson wasn't alone in his subpar efficiency. That listing is lengthy. The Giants did not run the ball effectively and the offensive line struggled badly. They averaged 2.5 yards on six first-down rushes and Wilson was pressured on 36% of his dropbacks.
The road must play higher — a sentence that appears method too widespread over the previous 13 years. But it nonetheless appears to be an issue.
The Giants are hoping to get left deal with Andrew Thomas again from a foot damage, however that alone cannot be checked out as the final word resolution. The inside of their offensive line (heart John Michael Schmitz Jr., guards Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten) had run block win charges within the 50% vary for Week 1. That positioned them within the 20th percentile or decrease amongst linemen. Fill-in left deal with James Hudson III additionally allowed 9 pressures, in response to NFL Subsequent Gen stats.
That is not going to get it completed, even towards a Dallas defensive entrance with out Micah Parsons. The Cowboys nonetheless pressured Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on 42% of his dropbacks of their opener.
As if that laundry listing of issues wasn't sufficient, there's one other concern that carried over from final yr that bothered the Giants probably the most from Sunday. They failed to attain on their two crimson zone journeys, regardless of 12 performs contained in the Commanders' 20-yard line.
“I would say early down manufacturing, and that is everyone, after which crimson zone,” Daboll stated about what they need to repair with the offense this week.
What Daboll and lots of the offensive gamers pinpointed was the eye to element. It wasn't adequate.
It is the little issues that they consider they need to repair to lastly produce factors. The Giants scored six factors within the opener after ending 31st final yr averaging 16.1 factors per sport.
“Particulars in these moments,” Slayton stated. “Whether or not it is a man cut up too broad right here, a route that was possibly not exact sufficient there, a ball which may've been a bit of too excessive or sizzling, no matter. It isn't like the large image. It is the little issues.
“And so these varieties of issues are within the particulars and that is positively what I believe has been a spotlight of ours at observe.”
Loads is at stake — for the coach, for the quarterback, for the workforce — to get it proper rapidly. The Giants face the opportunity of beginning 0-2 for the seventh time in 9 years and missed the playoffs every time they misplaced their first two video games.
