I wish we had better news from the final preseason game vs the Jets. JMS went out with an ankle (he should be starting Week 1). Neal gave up a turnstile sack. Not good. Somehow, the margin for error is once again tight for the Offensive Line. We are hopeful that the depth displayed by Carmen Bricillo’s second unit vs the Lions and Texans will project to the regular season. Yet it is scary that Jordan Raanan notes that the first team OL has not played a single snap together in preseason, be that during a preseason game or even in practice. If you are asking for communication skills between the players, there is only so much coaching that Carm can do without experience. The rest simply takes time playing together. And the Giants are out of time for the start of the 2024 regular season.
We have to believe that the Offensive Line will play a lot better, yet there will be gaps and lapses. Eluemunor and Thomas need to stay healthy. There is no depth. They are the Tackles and Jones needs to know the Edge is secure in order to go downfield.
On the defensive side of the ball, the main issue is the Secondary. Big Blue Banter summarize the issues there by noting that new DC Shane Bowen’s system requires mastery of the handoffs in coverage, and thus far the green Secondary is having a lot of busted assignments. We will not be surprised when an opponent’s receiver is let loose, wide open, for an easy gashing. Yes, we expect the pass rush to be formidable. Yet we have to be realistic about the collective experience of this unit. Consider (Position, Name, Year, Games Starting experience):
Penciled Starters
CB Cor’Dale Flott, 3, 13
SS Dane Belton, 3, 7
FS Jason Pinnock 4, 23
CB Deonte Banks, 2, 15
Nickel CB Dru Phillips R, 0
Penciled Backups
Darnay Holmes 5, 11
Tyler Nubin R, 0
Tre Hawkins 2, 3
Isaiah Simmons 5, 41
Nick McCloud 4, 11
Gervarrius Owens 2, 0
So let’s be frank. There is almost zero starting experience here. There is not a single player who has two years of full time back to back work, except maybe Simmons with an asterisk given how often he has been moved around positionally wherever he has played. Expect Schoen to try to bring in a CB through waivers.
The optimism is that a year from now, the Offensive Line and the Secondary can both become strengths for the Giants. There is tremendous confidence and belief here that Carm Bricillo will shore up this unit into a respectable foundry for the Offense. To me, he is the second most important coach on the team next to Daboll. We must keep him at all costs. I recognize that the OL has not played a single regular season snap, yet that is how much confidence I have in Bricillo. He is the real deal, and I am actually worrying less about the OL now than at any time since 2010.
The experience and youth of the Secondary should deliver some good players, even by the end of this season. Schoen has drafted a lot here and they are going to get thrown into the deep end of the pool, ready or not. I have seen this before. While the playing time will make 2024 look ugly for multi-game stretches, the rewards should be reaped for 2025+.
SUMMARY: There is no substitute for experience. Like it or not, 2024 is going to be messy more often than anyone wants. I believe Schoen has them on a good path.