THE STORYLINE:
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana
I’m going to warn you now. This isn’t going to be the kind of game preview you deserve, but it’s what you’re unfortunately going to get. The New York Giants are broken. They are a failed business model that is only kept alive by a monopolistic sports league that ironically shares its revenue due to John Mara’s father. It is beyond any shadow of doubt now that current team ownership has no idea how to run a successful program. They are unwilling and/or unable to hire the right people to run the football operation. Nepotism runs rampant. Over and over and over and over again they do the wrong thing, hire the wrong people, misjudge the situation. If it wasn’t so sad, it would be comical.
So until this paradigm changes, the only thing that can save the Giants from themselves is ownership accidentally hiring the right person, someone with a personality strong enough to overcome the incompetence. At this point, that feels like playing the lottery, but it is what it is.
For now, most Giants fans understand the current painful situation. The remainder of the season will be a weekly gut-punch with more and more fans tuning the team out. We’ve been here before far too often in recent years, but here we are again. As I said, the New York Giants are broken. And it starts at the top.
THE INJURY REPORT:
As has become commonplace during this run of horrific seasons, especially with a dying regime, the injury list is out of hand again. And this does not include key players on IR such as Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo, and Micah McFadden.
- WR Beaux Collins (Neck – out)
- TE Theo Johnson (Shoulder – probable)
- TE Daniel Bellinger (Neck – probable)
- TE Thomas Fidone (Foot – probable)
- RT Jermaine Eluemunor (Pec – questionable)
- OC John Michael Schmitz (Shin – out)
- DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (Elbow – probable)
- DL/OLB Chauncey Golston (Neck – out)
- OLB Victor Dimukeje (Shoulder – doubtful)
- ILB Darius Muasau (Ankle – out)
- ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (Pec – probable)
- ILB Neville Hewett (Foot – probable)
- CB Paulson Adebo (Knee – out)
- CB Cor’Dale Flott (Concussion – probable)
- CB Dru Phillips (Calf – probable)
- S Jevón Holland (Knee – questionable)
- S Dane Belton (Neck – probable)
- PK Graham Gano (Neck – out)
GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
The Giants have done the impossible. They have fans checking out despite having the league’s most exciting rookie quarterback. Do you realize the hoops you have to jump through just to accomplish that feat? While everyone’s main focus is the development of Dart, apprehension is understandably increasing that Dart is taking too much punishment.
The focus on Daniel Jones for so many years also clouded what is now becoming more apparent: Brian Daboll is not an offensive genius, and he is not particularly creative.
GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
The defensive players have given up on Shane Bowen. There may be some flashes here and there over the last eight games, but he is dead man walking and he will take others down with him, including the head coach. Bowen is over his head, and I suspect he knows it himself.
GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
I wrote this last week: “I still can’t get over how the kicking situation has bitten this regime. Graham Gano is back, but why do I have this gnawing feeling that this isn’t over yet.”
It’s not over. Here we go again. Clown show.
QUOTES:
For the time being, this section is going on hiatus. No one is listening.
THE FINAL WORD:
Eight more games.