Good breakdown with videos in the link
| The New York Giants are 1-5 and as is typical for teams with poor records, many things have gone wrong on both sides of the ball. In the wake of last Thursday Night’s Massacre versus the rival Philadelphia Eagles, many fans are looking for answers to some of these problems. The Giants have not been in the red zone that often, only averaging 2.7 trips per game (ranks 26th). Overall in that area their DVOA over at Football Outsiders is -18.9 percent (ranks 23rd). This stands in stark contrast with the 2017 Minnesota Vikings, where now Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur was offensive coordinator, who ranked fourth overall in DVOA. So what is the deal? |
OBJ may not be as sharp as he was
| Beckham this year is simply not that precise a route runner and his raw talent is not freeing him from defenders. |
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He's still having a good season statistically (minus the TDs) but there's obviously something going on with him.
Teams with a 1-5 record in the NFL often have many mistakes to point fingers at. Sports media can take this blame game to a whole other level, or attempt to suggest quick fixes that are unrealistic. This investigation does not want to achieve either, but rather give workable context for fans. The red zone is just one aspect of the team’s play that is under a microscope, others such as the offensive line play and third down are very concerning. The play calling can always be better, and understanding opponent’s tendencies and the games within this great game will always be a battleground for coaches. The Giants need to improve their rush attack in their opponents territory but coaching can only take that so far. The passing game needs to find the small windows (or Saquon Barkley) more often in the red zone. However, we must not fall victim to simply judging a play call because of its result. See the below 2 plays: one from the 2018 Giants, and the other from the 2017 Vikings, both obviously Shurmur play calls:
JonC (I believe) mentioned the other day about the dancing at beginning of his routes/getting off the line, but I've also noticed him making avoidable contact with defenders at the top of his routes & stutter steps at the top of his routes. Why he's doing this, I don't want to guess(BBI probably could have a more civil political debate if I begin floating some theories), but he has done it a few times where it looks completely unnecessary.
Nick the author here. Which metrics were you looking at for dead last, because thats a great point? They are last in adjusted line yards (rushing statistic), which is a big big deal and a big reason why I was so critical of them in the run game.
In terms of protection though, statistics can hit a wall. Sack rate is not the way to look at this (where they rank 24th). The hurry rate is important but what I constitute a hurry for Eli Manning and what statisticians like PFF view are different, and thats where I think tape study has to bridge the gap. This is not to call out to Manning's manhood, but his pocket presence, lack of mobility, and inconsistent footwork are all at play here. It is more to say (as the example I pulled in the Cowboys game shows), he loses eye discipline to a somewhat minimal rush. In the NFL those pockets and QBs with proper play speed are able to either anticipate and find windows or extend plays with structure (get to other reads). The offensive line certainly has had its woes, but there is time there. Especially in the RZ, where everything is sped up.
Our plays are failing for various reasons, and a lot of them aren't Pat Shurmur's fault.
Some of it is the line never giving plays a chance - the run blocking has been very poor on many occasions.
Some of it is Eli just missing reads. The angle route Barkley ran in the RZ against Dallas was open, but Eli looked off him and then when pressure started to filter through, he lost Barkley's route which would have been a TD if he had re-set.
This is the type of play people talk about when they say that if Eli had the ability to buy slightly more time, it could turn some incompletions into scores or bigger plays. It's not that mobile = good - it's just that mild escapability and elusiveness in the pocket are often beneficial.
On top of that, yes - Beckham's routes haven't been as crisp or decisive as they were before. I think that's part of what's really frustrating him. He knows he's not quite there yet.
People need to understand that "call different plays" isn't always the answer. Three things are happening:
1. We are not blocking well up front - especially in the run game
2. We are losing 1 on 1 battles both in the trenches and outside
3. Eli is bailing on plays too soon - sometimes because he has no choice, sometimes because he's hearing footsteps that aren't necessarily there
You can change the play designs and the play calls, but until we solve the above issues, most plays will simply not succeed.
JonC (I believe) mentioned the other day about the dancing at beginning of his routes/getting off the line, but I've also noticed him making avoidable contact with defenders at the top of his routes & stutter steps at the top of his routes. Why he's doing this, I don't want to guess(BBI probably could have a more civil political debate if I begin floating some theories), but he has done it a few times where it looks completely unnecessary.
Your eyes are not deceiving you. OB looks good but not he's old self just yet, not sure if it's physical or mental.