Can the Giants Evoke Spirit of Old?
Are the New York Giants back in playoff contention in the 2022 season? After two years of struggle under Joe Judge, few would have believed it at the start of the campaign.
Pundits and fans alike were lockstep in their minds that it would take at least a year under new head coach Brian Daboll to turn the franchise around.
However, New York have been one of the surprise packages of 2022. The Giants have performed incredibly well under Daboll, who has brought out the best in quarterback Daniel Jones. At the start of the season thoughts of a Super Bowl would have been ridiculed, but New York have blown the majority of their opponents away heading to the halfway stage of the campaign.
The Giants are certainly worth a look in the Super Bowl odds to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy. They have few superstars in the ranks outside of Saquon Barkley, but there is a toughness and resilience about them that is akin to their runs to glory in 2007 and 2011, back when they beat the New England Patriots twice in the title game. Those teams were built through the dominance of the defensive front four and a quarterback in Eli Manning, who was able to deliver in the clutch – perhaps more so through fortune in 2007 – but he still got the job done.
Could that spirit bring the team back to relevance?
Jones Improvement
New York have punched above their weight and Jones has played well without dazzling with his arm. Daboll’s experience has come to the fore in bringing out the best in the quarterback. Daboll previously served on the staff of the England Patriots during the peak of their success with Tom Brady, but more prominently was the offensive coordinator in the formative years of Josh Allen’s NFL career. Daboll was key in developing Allen from a raw prospect into one of the best quarterbacks in the league, if not the best.
Jones still has a long way to go throwing the ball downfield, but his decision-making has taken significant leaps forward and he is carving out a reputation as one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL. Between him and the excellence of Barkley out of the backfield, there is a formula for success to put points on the board. It is far removed from the days of Judge, where the Giants were dull and lackluster.
There is probably a lack of receiving talent to push all the way towards the Super Bowl, but New York have defied expectations before.
Defense On The Rise
The quality of the NFC East has not been an issue in recent seasons. But, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have found their form enough to make it the division with the most wins in the NFL at the halfway stage.
The expanded playoffs will help the Giants in their bid to end their five season long post-season drought. To highlight their absence, New York have not won a playoff game since beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Removing that cloud from over the head of the franchise would represent a significant step forward for Daboll in his first run out as manager.
Even if the Giants are successful in reaching the post-season, they will likely be on the road due to the Eagles’ dominance. They made their name in 2007 with their unabashed style of tormenting opposing quarterbacks.
The Giants have no Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck or Osi Umenyiora in the ranks this season. Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence are good players on the defensive line, and while Kayvon Thibodeaux is a talented rookie, he has a long way to go in his development before he is dominating to the degree of his illustrious predecessors.
The building blocks are in place for a bright future and a decent performance in the playoffs would signal that the Giants are ready for a return to relevance. A Super Bowl run might be out of the question this term but, for once, New York can look into the near future with optimism rather than with dread.