The New York Giants are currently in a weird place as they come out of their bye week. The Giants didn’t start the season very well at all, going 2-8 after their first ten games. However, they’ve won two in a row since then and believe it or not, put themselves in the hunt for a wild card playoff berth. The Giants’ offense has taken a bit slower to gain steam, but the defense has risen to challenge recently. They currently sit two games behind several teams at 6-6. With a couple more wins down the stretch, they can become threats to make the playoffs.
For the past couple of games, some key parts of the team have stepped up and raised their game. Linebackers Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden have proven to be a dynamic duo in the middle of the defense. Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has burst onto the scene by racking up 11 sacks on the season, the 8th most in the league. Even the offense has seen some growth, as quarterback Tommy DeVito has captured the hearts of the Tri-State. To make the playoffs though, this team does need to see some major improvement on offense.
Two Changes the New York Giants Need to Make
Right Tackle Is Still a Giant Problem for the Rest of the Offense
Before the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants were severely lacking at right tackle on offense. They tried to put Band-Aids on the issue, but they never stuck. To fix the problem, the Giants drafted Evan Neal with the 7th overall pick in the draft. So far in his career with the Giants, he hasn’t shown the upside he displayed in college. He gets beat way too easily by speed rushers and by double moves. He’s been way too inconsistent with his play. To make matters worse, he’s gotten hurt at various times which has stunted his growth. It’s gotten so bad that general manager Joe Schoen said in a press conference last week about Evan Neal, “He needs to play better, and he knows that.”
Neal has been out injured with an ankle injury lately and in his place, offensive tackle Tyree Phillips has been okay filling in the position. Stellar play though hasn’t been seen at right tackle in years, and it’s noticeable when you have a left tackle the likes of Andrew Thomas. Injured himself earlier in the season, and Thomas came back a few weeks ago. He has returned to be one of the best tackles in the league. Once Neal comes back from his injury, he needs to prove that he belongs or we could be seeing a new right tackle for the Giants offense in 2024.
Production Out of the Giants Tight End Position
During the 2023 offseason, Joe Schoen made a big move trading a 3rd round pick to the Raiders for tight end Darren Waller. A big playmaker, Waller has thrived since he joined the Raiders, topping 1,000 yards in two different seasons. He joined a Giants offense that was in desperate need of a threat and Waller could provide that. Early on in the season, Waller struggled to make an immediate impact. That changed in October as he started to see more balls come his way. Then he suffered an injury against the Jets that landed him on IR.
The Giants have since had to rely on tight end Daniel Bellinger. While he has been a nice piece to the offense since he was drafted a year ago, he doesn’t provide the game-changing ability that Waller does. Since Waller’s injury, Bellinger has racked up 30 yards receiving per game over 4 games. Last week against the Patriots, Bellinger only recorded one catch for eight yards. The team needs to lean more into utilizing the tight end position in the passing game. Especially if a rookie quarterback like Tommy DeVito is in the game, the tight end should be used as his best friend and a security blanket. It could extend drives and allow the Giants offense to put up some more points in Waller’s absence.
Main Photo Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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