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New York Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The words that should fuel Giants coach Brian Daboll throughout training camp
The results on the field have told the obvious story the past two seasons: The New York Giants have not been ready for Week 1. The Giants were embarrassed 40-0 in a season-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which set the tone for a dismal 2023 season following their surprising success in 2022. The scoreboard wasn't as ugly, but the performance in a 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in last season's opener was equally demoralizing. Advertisement Adding insult to injury were the comments made by Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell after last season's victory. Addressing a jubilant locker room, O'Connell expressed pride that 'all day long, we looked more prepared. We looked better conditioned.' Again, the on-field results left no doubt that O'Connell was correct. But such words from an opposing coach should fuel Brian Daboll as he prepares for his fourth season. Daboll's return for a fourth year as Giants coach was in doubt as he oversaw the worst season in the franchise's 100-year history. But he's back under the shadow of co-owner John Mara making it clear that he's running out of patience with a regime that has seen its win total decrease by three in each of its first three seasons, bottoming out at 3-14 last year. Daboll can't hide from urgency required to turn things around. 'We have to hit the ground running,' Daboll said on the final day of minicamp in June. 'When training camp hits, I don't have much tolerance for mistakes during training camp. The season is getting close, so we have to be prepared mentally, and we have to be prepared physically.' It will be on Daboll to rediscover the formula that gets his players ready to go for Week 1. The Giants started fast in Daboll's first season, riding a 6-1 opening stretch to a surprising playoff run. The schedule will be a major obstacle. Six of the Giants' first eight opponents made the playoffs last year, including a pair of matchups with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. One of the opponents that missed the playoffs last season is the Cowboys, who have won eight straight over the Giants and 15 out of 16 in the rivalry. The positive vibes that exist entering camp will be extinguished quickly with another slow start. The Giants started 0-2 last season, just as they have nine times in the past 12 seasons. They finished with a losing record in all nine of those seasons. Advertisement With that in mind, it will be interesting to observe any changes Daboll makes to his approach during camp. Daboll has run a relatively light camp in past years, with the Giants placing an emphasis on health heading into the season. The benefit of that approach has been an avoidance of major injuries to significant players. The downside is the 68-6 result in the past two openers. The biggest change last offseason was Daboll taking over as the play caller after entrusting that role to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka in his first two seasons. That new role contributed to a calmer Daboll, who had frequent sideline eruptions during the 2023 season. The changes obviously didn't produce the desired results. All signs point to Daboll handing play-calling duties back over to Kafka this season. Daboll remained more even-keeled during practices this spring, but his comments indicate he may dial up the intensity this summer if he's unhappy with the team's performance. Whatever approach Daboll adopts, he needs to figure out how to get his players to the opener better prepared and conditioned. The Giants placed left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) and running back Eric Gray (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after players reported for training camp on Tuesday. Additionally, outside linebacker Victor Dimukeje (pec) was placed on the Non-Football Injury list and safety Anthony Johnson (shoulder) was waived injured. Thomas' inclusion on the PUP list isn't a surprise since the team is taking a cautious approach with the vital piece as he returns from the Lisfranc injury he suffered last October. Thomas, who has missed 18 games over the past seasons, is on pace to be ready for Week 1, but don't expect a quick activation from the PUP list. The goal is to avoid any setbacks, so expect a gradual build toward practice participation with the target of an appearance in a preseason game or a joint practice to gear up for the season. Gray remains sidelined after missing the final three open practices of the spring. Any missed time is crucial for Gray, who has been pushed to the roster bubble by the selection of running back Cam Skattebo in the fourth round of the draft. It's notable that Dimukeje was placed on NFI because he has $1.03 million of his $1.17 million salary fully guaranteed. Those guarantees don't apply to players on NFI, however, so the Giants could cut Dimukeje and be left with just $167,500 in dead money from his signing bonus. Dimukeje, who reportedly tore his pec while training in the spring, counts toward the 90-man roster limit while on NFI. Players on the PUP list also count on the 90-man roster. Advertisement Johnson missed the entire spring with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by sixth-year veteran K'Von Wallace, who started seven games for the Tennessee Titans in 2023 when Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen had the same role in Tennessee. Wallace was a tryout participant in the Giants' minicamp in June and was signed after another workout on Tuesday. On the positive front, Skattebo, wide receiver Malik Nabers, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, defensive lineman Darius Alexander and linebacker Bobby Okereke aren't on the PUP list after missing time during the spring. The quiet time before training camp is typically only interrupted by the news of contract extensions. The most surprising extension of the summer came from a front office, with the Chicago Bears giving general manager Ryan Poles a three-year extension that runs through 2029. The Bears have a 15-36 record in three seasons under Poles, who was a finalist for the Giants' GM job in 2022. The Bears fired coach Matt Eberflus, who was hired in the same offseason as Poles, during last season. Poles' contract length is aligned with new coach Ben Johnson. Seeing Poles get an extension leads to obvious questions about the future of Giants GM Joe Schoen, who has an 18-32-1 record in three seasons. It would be unconscionable for the Giants to extend Schoen off a 3-14 season, but Poles' extension could foreshadow a similar commitment to Schoen after the season even if the results on the field aren't dramatically improved. More typical extensions were handed out to New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Kansas Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis in the final days before the start of camp. That trio joined 2022 draft classmate Derek Stingley, who signed a three-year, $90 million extension with the Houston Texans in March. This offseason was the first time 2022 draft picks were eligible for extensions. The Giants haven't extended any of their 11 picks from the 2022 draft, and it would be a surprise if any extensions are imminent. Advertisement There's no shortage of lists during the dead time of the NFL calendar between minicamps and the start of training camp. Most are good for a quick scroll while sitting by a pool, but the position-by-position top-10 list compiled every July by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is a notable exception. Fowler's rankings of the best players at every position are based on a survey of more than 70 league executives, coaches and scouts. That provides the best snapshot of top talent across the league because the lists are comprised by those who evaluate players for a living. The Giants had three players crack the top 10 at their position: Dexter Lawrence was voted the No. 1 defensive tackle; Malik Nabers was voted the No. 7 wide receiver; and Andrew Thomas was voted the No. 10 offensive tackle. Fowler includes an honorable mention section for every player who receives a vote at each position. The only other Giants to receive votes were Brian Burns, who finished 11th at edge rusher, and Jevon Holland, who finished 11th at safety. Lawrence jumped to No. 1 from No. 3 last year, unseating Kansas City's Chris Jones from the top spot. Thomas, who missed 10 games last season, clung to a spot in the top 10 after ranking eighth last season. Thomas' highest ranking was No. 1, so he clearly still has at least one true believer in the league after two injury-plagued seasons. Nabers cracked the top 10 on his first try, receiving at least one vote as high as No. 4. It wouldn't be a surprise if Nabers climbs into the top-three discussion with fellow LSU products Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson after his second season. When comparing the Giants to their NFC East competition, it's easy to see why they're lagging. Not surprisingly, the Super Bowl champion Eagles had a league-high 10 players ranked in the top 10. Philadelphia's talent is evenly distributed throughout the roster, but it's impossible to ignore its loaded offensive line. Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata ranked third and fifth, respectively, among tackles. Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens ranked fifth and 14th, respectively, among interior offensive linemen. The Commanders, fresh off a surprise run to the NFC Championship Game, matched the Giants with three top-10 finishers: No. 5 quarterback Jayden Daniels, No. 5 off-ball linebacker Frankie Luvu and No. 7 offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. Washington has a deeper talent pool than the Giants, however, with seven players receiving votes outside of the top 10 at their positions. The Cowboys had four top-10 finishers: No. 2 interior offensive lineman Tyler Smith, No. 3 edge rusher Micah Parsons, No. 4 wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and No. 8 off-ball linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. Dallas added six more players receiving votes outside of the top 10 at their positions. Advertisement Most impressive about the Eagles' wealth of top talent is that they've been adding to their base while contending for Super Bowls. Since Schoen was hired during the 2022 offseason, the Eagles have added five of their top-10 players and three more players who received votes at their positions. That list of recent acquisitions obviously is headlined by No. 1 running back Saquon Barkley, but there are also five players included that have been drafted by the Eagles since 2022. In addition to Barkley, three players who have left the Giants since Schoen took over made the top 10: No. 3 safety Xavier McKinney, No. 6 defensive tackle Leonard Williams and No. 10 safety Julian Love. Meanwhile, Nabers is the only top-10 player added by Schoen (with Burns and Holland on the doorstep). It will be imperative for Schoen's most recent draft picks to grow into the type of players that garner inclusion on these lists in the future.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Insider Says Giants' Daboll Should Be 'Furious At Being Set Up To Fail'
NFL Insider Says Giants' Daboll Should Be 'Furious At Being Set Up To Fail' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Brian Daboll proved he could turn a bad team into a winner in his first season as head coach of the New York Giants. Advertisement After taking over for a Giants team that won just four games in 2021, Daboll orchestrated a five-win turnaround that resulted in the organization winning its first playoff game in over a decade. Since then, though, the Giants front office has hoped Daboll would repeatedly be able to produce miracles like the 2022 season ... but without much assistance. Fairly naturally, the head coach has been unable to do so. Daboll has seen his total wins decrease each year he's been head coach in New York. Last season was the pits as the team won three games behind a revolving door at quarterback and struggles along the offensive line. Advertisement It's easy for Giant fans to blame Daboll for the team's struggles. After all, he's the face of the organization as head coach. But our NFL insider Mike Fisher argues, "New York's biggest problem has never been its coach. Its biggest issues stem from an overreaching ownership group and a general manager who has had significantly more misses than hits over his short tenure. John Mara has owned the Giants since 2005. Early in his career, he stayed out of football affairs while Tom Coughlin coached the team to two Super Bowl titles. Since those championship victories, though, New York has been one of the worst teams in football. "A big reason for that is Mara's insistence on making his opinions felt regarding football decisions.'' Advertisement What is Fish's evidence of this? Mara reportedly did what he could to get the Giants front office to giving former sixth-overall pick Daniel Jones a long-term contract. That was a key turning point for Daboll's team as Jones' struggles sunk the team over the last two years. Daboll, we will argue, was able to win with Jones at quarterback during that first season, but he was not his signal-caller of choice. He was forced to make it work with a deficient player that set the team back. Then there is general manager Joe Schoen. From Fish: "Since arriving with the head coach in 2022, Schoen has made 31 draft picks, multiple trades, and free-agent signings to keep the Giants in hoped-for title contention. To say those decisions have failed the team would be an understatement.'' Advertisement Indeed, from the struggles in the first round with Evan Neal and Deonte Banks or the failed trades of players like Darren Waller, the Giants' front office has given Daboll's coaching staff far too little in new tools to work with. Cap it all off with the decision to let Saquon Barkley walk down the highway to the Philadelphia Eagles as a Super Bowl ... and the people above Daboll have, Fish says "let down the coach to the extent that if he gets fired, he has the right to be privately furious about it because unintentionally, of course, he's been set up by his bosses' inadequacies to fail.'' Daboll has undoubtedly made mistakes along the way - maybe he should've been the offensive guru to fix Daniel Jones, and had he done so, New York wouldn't be in this mess - but he has shown he can coach a mediocre team to play at a high level. But taking "mediocre'' to the playoffs doesn't happen perennially. Advertisement And being mediocre perennially is the fault of the people upstairs. Related: Giants' Superstar Defender is in 'His Own World' Related: ESPN's Schefter Compares Chance of Giants Starting Jaxson Dart to Josh Allen Backstory This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Three ways new Giants defense may look different: More takeaways, better tackling
After hearing what New York Giants co-owner John Mara had to say about the team's defense at the end of last season — 'I'm tired of watching teams go up and down the field on us' — it wasn't a big surprise that a major offseason focus for the front office was overhauling the unit. The Giants invested heavily in upgrades in both free agency and the NFL Draft in the hopes that improved personnel would help defensive coordinator Shane Bowen in his second year on the job. Bowen, who also let go of two secondary coaches at the beginning of the offseason to kick-start the defensive makeover, knows he's under pressure to deliver drastic improvement after his unit finished 21st in points allowed last season. Advertisement While it won't be easy, there are a few reasons to be optimistic about a resurgence from the Giants' defense. Let's examine a few of the ways this unit should look different in 2025: The Giants haven't just overhauled their defense; they're fostering a youth movement. A vast majority of players in key roles for the defense this year will be 27 years old or younger when the season starts. Only inside linebacker Bobby Okereke (28), defensive linemen Roy Robertson-Harris (32) and Rakeem Nunez-Roches (32) are older. The young players will need to deliver on their promise, but they should be exciting for Giants fans, who can watch this side of the ball grow together. Let's put a quick spotlight on the secondary, which underwent the most dramatic overhaul these past two seasons. Four of the Giants' five presumed starters (cornerback Paulson Adebo, nickel Dru Phillips and safeties Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin) were either draft picks in 2024 or joined in free agency this offseason. Deonte Banks, who the Giants drafted in 2023, will likely serve as the other starting outside cornerback next to Adebo, though he'll need to beat out Cor'Dale Flott (a 2022 draft pick) for the job. Regardless of who wins, Adebo will easily be the oldest member of the starting secondary, and he's just 26. However, Adebo does have five years of NFL experience under his belt, and he'll need to take on a leadership role within the young unit. 'I think he's been an asset in (that room), just the experience, the knowledge,' Bowen said of Adebo. 'Coming in, we have high expectations for him, and part of that was the leadership role. We're expecting him to come in here and take on that role and thrive in that role and hopefully continue to help us to develop some of these younger guys.' If Adebo can indeed help coax the best out of players like Banks, Flott and Phillips, he'll be worth every cent of the $54 million New York gave him this offseason. Something similar could be true for Burns and Thibodeaux as they help Abdul Carter, this year's No. 3 overall pick, acclimate to the NFL. 'When you look at our youth, that is our nucleus,' assistant general manager Brandon Brown said. '(But finding) guys who can help supplement, not just from an age and leadership standpoint but a versatility and skill set standpoint, was really important for us.' Despite the Giants having one of the worst overall run defenses in the league (27th in rushing yards allowed and 24th in yards per carry allowed), it was the secondary that saw major upgrades this offseason. If that seems somewhat backwards to you, that's understandable. But make no mistake, the Giants know they have a lot of room to improve in terms of stopping the run, particularly when it comes to limiting big plays. While the Giants finished fourth in the NFL in the percentage of opponents' runs that went for zero or negative yards (22.5 percent), according to TruMedia, they also allowed the second-most runs (19) that went for 20-plus yards. Advertisement A major reason for that is missed tackles. According to Next Gen Stats, the Giants were one of six teams to surrender more than 1,000 yards after missed tackles last season. 'There were a lot of good snaps in there in the run game, and then we had way too many explosives,' said Bowen. 'It's finding a way, and it goes back to tackling — it takes all 11 every snap. But making sure some of those runs that they might crease us and get through the line of scrimmage, let's see if we can limit those to 10 to 12 yards instead of the 40-yarders that showed up last year, right?' The upgrades in the secondary should theoretically help, as Holland (six missed tackles in 2024, according to Pro Football Reference) replaces former starter Jason Pinnock (nine), but the Giants also simply need better play from their linebackers. McFadden led the team with 15 missed tackles, while Okereke was third with eight. Those two upping their games as the rest of the young defense grows around them should help the Giants take a step forward when it comes to stopping the run. After a season in which the Giants finished 28th in takeaways with just 15, turnovers were unsurprisingly a huge focal point this spring. Bowen, inspired by his son's T-ball team name, the Pirates, implemented a 'turnover chest' to celebrate takeaways throughout OTAs. 'We've got to get better at takeaways,' Bowen said. 'Somehow got the idea of piracy, violent, attacking to steal possessions or goods, right? You'll hear our guys say it. I say it ad nauseam: 'Be a damn pirate.' We've got to find ways to get the ball. And, again, you get what you emphasize. We're making it a priority this year to make sure we find ways to get the ball.' Adebo is a fan: 'I'm happy and excited to try to get a lot of turnovers, and hopefully I can put a lot of balls in (the chest).' Advertisement And the new addition to the cornerback room, along with the new safety, should help in that regard. Adebo has 10 interceptions in his career, including three in just seven games last year. Holland has tallied five interceptions, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in his four NFL seasons. If Carter's addition boosts the pass rush the way the Giants think it might, that could go a long way in helping create more opportunities for turnovers. Not only will Carter and company look to rack up strip-sacks, but the pass rush should force plenty of errant throws for the secondary to capitalize on. (Photo of Brian Daboll and Abdul Carter: Dan Mullan / Getty Images)
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 27 New York Giants have a coach and GM on the hottest seat
Other NFL team previews: 32. Titans | 31. Saints | 30. Browns | 29. Panthers | 28. Jets Nobody had to put New York Giants coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen on the hot seat. Their boss did. Advertisement The Giants went 3-14 last season. Giants co-owner John Mara decided Daboll and Schoen deserved another season, but he didn't seem too excited about it. 'It better not take too long because I've just about run out of patience,' Mara said. "That'll be a good sound bite for you tonight, huh?" Mara's meeting with the media after the announcement that Daboll and Schoen would return was weird. It seemed apologetic. He said he knew it was "not the most popular decision" among Giants fans. His meeting with the media was to "face the music." His assessment of the 2024 Giants was that "we stunk this year." The tone was so funereal you'd have guessed Mara was forced into the decision, instead of being the one who made it. "I'm going to have to be in a better mood this time next year than I am right now," Mara said. Advertisement That set the tone for the Giants season. It's all about whether Daboll and Schoen can survive again. It won't be easy. The owner is on edge. The fan base was already there. The Giants' solution at quarterback was signing two veterans who weren't wanted back by their previous teams and drafting a quarterback who will need some work. On top of it all, the Giants have the toughest schedule in the NFL, and by a pretty wide margin based on the projected betting win totals of their opponents, via Sharp Football Analysis. It seems like Daboll and Schoen are dead men walking into a season with a roster that would need some help to get out of last place in the NFC East. So why bother bringing them back at all? Can New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll (left) and general manager Joe Schoen (right) show enough improvement this season to keep their jobs? (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Mara acknowledged the results weren't good enough, but gave Schoen credit for a good 2024 draft class and solid additions in free agency. Mara liked the way players still respond to Daboll, and he was the NFL's Coach of the Year just three seasons ago. It seemed in a way like Mara felt forced into being patient after the team went through four coaches, counting an interim, in six years after Tom Coughlin stepped down under pressure. The duo will need to show some progress this season, even if the record isn't that much better. Advertisement Jaxson Dart is the best path to showing that progress. Dart is an interesting first-round pick out of Ole Miss. He will take some time to learn an NFL offense, but he has enticing skills. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed before Dart was picked, and presumably Wilson will begin the season as the starter. If the Giants aren't much better than last season, the biggest question will be when to give Dart a shot. The reality is that decision will be made by a coach and general manager who are in self-preservation mode. Whatever is best for their survival will play a role in that decision. The Giants have a really good defensive line, a secondary that has gotten an influx of talent, a future star in receiver Malik Nabers and not much else. There's still a long way to go before the Giants are contenders again. Daboll and Schoen need some results this season to stick around for those better days. Offseason grade The Giants had a good draft last year and got top grades for their draft class this year. The Giants got the second-best consensus grade among draft analysts. Defensive end Abdul Carter didn't fill a need, because the Giants already had a strong defensive line, but he was an easy pick at No. 3 overall. The Giants traded up for quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round, and he provides some hope for fixing a broken quarterback situation. The big free agent additions were cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland, who should make the secondary better. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed to be stopgap solutions at quarterback, and neither is too exciting. Overall, it's clear to see the Giants' roster improving, and that will accelerate if Dart is a hit. Advertisement Grade: B+ Quarterback report The Steelers showed zero desire to bring Russell Wilson back. The Browns chose to sign 40-year-old Joe Flacco over matching the two-year, $8 million deal Jameis Winston got from the Giants. The Giants didn't have many great options at quarterback in free agency, and those two veterans will probably deliver predictable results. Wilson played pretty well for a few weeks for the Steelers last season but faded by the end, a reminder that his game isn't aging well as he approaches 37 years old. Winston is what he is, a sometimes exciting player who can't avoid turnovers. The odds of either starting through the season are long. Jaxson Dart should start at some point this season. He is a good athlete with a strong arm. Consistency can be an issue, but in college he was good at pushing the ball downfield and creating explosive plays. If the Giants get off to a slow start, it will be tough to resist the urge to speed up Dart's timetable and put him into the lineup. BetMGM odds breakdown From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: 'The New York Giants signed QBs Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason, before drafting Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart in the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft. They're hoping to have the short- and long-term solutions at QB, but there's also a chance they have neither. With a win total of just 5.5 at BetMGM, the Giants' schedule is brutal – New York is favored in just one game and has the toughest schedule according to opponent win totals in the NFL. Will the defense be good enough to overcome the team's likely offensive shortcomings?" Yahoo's fantasy take From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Malik Nabers is currently the WR7 off the board in Yahoo drafts. The market might be missing an opportunity here. New York's quarterback room is complicated, but at least things are upgraded from last year's medley of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. And the Brian Daboll scheme will force the ball to its best players — Nabers was second in the NFL in targets last year despite missing two games. Normally the goal with your early picks is to target the best players on the best teams, but Nabers is likely too big to fail. If you sneak him in the second half of your first round, you've done well." Stat to remember Malik Nabers, the sixth pick of last year's NFL Draft, was second in the NFL with 170 targets last season. Only Ja'Marr Chase, who won the receiving triple crown, had more with 175. Chase played two more games than Nabers, who played 15 games and had 10 or more targets in 10 of them. He had seven in his first game and never fewer than eight the rest of his rookie season. In other words, Nabers was the epicenter of the Giants' offense from his first day on the job. He was productive too, with 109 catches for 1,204 yards. The Giants did nothing to upgrade the receiving room in the offseason, meaning that there is little to keep a healthy Nabers from the rare level of 200 targets this season. As long as the Giants' quarterback play is reasonable, Nabers could lead the NFL in receptions and yards. Advertisement Burning question How will the Giants use all their pass rushers? Once Travis Hunter went with the second pick of the NFL Draft, the Giants didn't have much choice but to take Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3. He was clearly the best player available, and would have been a reasonable first overall pick. But it did create some questions. The Giants already had two top edge rushers in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants could use all three at once, pushing one of them inside. But the Giants don't want to limit any of those three talented players to less than 70% of the team's defensive snaps. Something has to give, though it is a good problem to have. Those three rushers along with elite defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II make up one of the best defensive lines in football, regardless of how the playing time is divvied up. Best-case scenario When the Giants made the playoffs in Brian Daboll's first season as coach, they caught a lot of breaks. The Giants won plenty of close games and then beat a similarly lucky Vikings team in the playoffs. Theoretically that could happen again, but it's unlikely. It's a roster that still has questions at secondary, offensive line, running back, receiver outside of Malik Nabers and linebacker outside of Bobby Okereke. And, of course, that lingering question at quarterback. Jaxson Dart could prove himself to be the answer at QB and if that's the only positive thing to happen for the Giants this season it would be a reason to celebrate. It's hard to envision the Giants being a playoff team. Maybe that will cost Daboll and Joe Schoen their jobs. But if Dart shows some promise, that might be enough for New York to feel good about its direction going forward and stick with the plan. To many Giants fans, that's not the best-case scenario. Advertisement Nightmare scenario The Giants' schedule is brutal. NFL analyst Warren Sharp had it as the toughest in the league based on sportsbooks' win totals, and the eye test confirms it. The Giants are favored in only one game all season (Week 5 at New Orleans). It's possible the Giants are buried by November, and there would be a lot of pressure on ownership to make a midseason change at coach and GM. It's possible Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen never get to experience Jaxson Dart starting a regular season game, if everything goes wrong. And it could. Outside of the obvious quarterback issues, the offensive line could be a problem again, the lack of playmakers other than Malik Nabers is glaring and a defense that was 28th in DVOA last season might not be much better. Trying to figure all of that out against the toughest schedule in the NFL will be a chore. The Giants went 3-14 last season, and they could easily be that bad again. Though if that happens, at least Giants fans would get their wish and see the team reset at coach and GM. The crystal ball says On one hand the Giants are getting better. They had a good offseason last year and this year's draft and free agency seemed to be strong as well. But there are still many holes, which speaks to how much work the roster needed even as the Giants made the playoffs in 2022. The Giants should want Jaxson Dart to sit as long as possible, though it will be tough to resist putting him in as the losses pile up. The team has a Week 14 bye, and giving Dart the final four games to show what he can do seems right. What happens in those final four games will be crucial in determining the future of the franchise, including the job status of the coach and general manager. The Giants are in for another losing season, and that seems more likely than not to be bad news for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen. Dart might be able to save them, and reinvigorate the fan base, by showing some promise late in the season.
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
New York Giants the top 'wallet-friendly experience' in NFL, poll shows
Based on a recent poll, the New York Giants offer the most "wallet-friendly experience" for fans among the 32 franchises in the NFL. The folks at Hard Rock Bet analyzed the "Fan Cost Index" from 1991 to 2024 to identify the most generous owners and franchises across all four major North American sports leagues. The Giants topped the list as the most wallet-friendly NFL franchise. The NFL's New York Giants are owned by John Mara and Steve Tisch. These two owners have kept prices low, too, as the Fan Cost Index was $151.80 in 1991, $629.62 in 2015, and only $655.06 in 2024, which is only a 4% increase over nine years. The data found that the New York Giants are: These are surprisingly reasonable numbers for a franchise located in a big market. The late Wellington Mara considered fans as "customers" and was always conscious of providing them with the best possible bargain he could. His heirs have kept that tradition in place. For the record, the top-5 most wallet-friendly teams were the Miami Marlins (MLB), Vancouver Canucks (NHL), Washington Wizards (NBA), Miami Heat (NBA), and Minnesota Twins (MLB).
