"Giants football"?
In The Giants Insider's most recent podcast that is what Chris Bisignano insists is the single most repeated message from training camp to this point.
Reflecting on that, if it's even possible or desirable given the personnel makeup of this team, I had a look at Art Stapleton's recent ranked list of the 100 greatest Giants of all time. It's a great list as we all know, but what stood out to me above all else is that 7/10 of the top ranked Giants were defensive players...
Only Frank Gifford at 4 and Eli at 10 crack this group as
offensive skills players, with OT Rosey Brown (you reading this, Andrew Thomas?) making the third and highest ranked offensive player on the list.
Here it is:
1) LT, LB
2) Em Tunnel, S
3) Rosy Brown, OT
4) Frank Gifford, HB, WR, DB
5) Mel Hein, C, LB
6) Harry Carson, LB
7) Michael Strahan, DE
8) Sam Huff, LB
9) Andy Robustelli, DE
10) Eli Manning, QB
Those players, and the next 90 on Stapleton's list, represent the core ID of "Giants' Football".
The current squad has exactly ONE player who's already among the top 100 ALL Time, and he's got a realistic chance to crack the top 10: Saquon Barkley. But no defender currently on this team would even inspire, in a coach's wildest fantasy, inclusion on this list linked below.
How in heck is JJ gonna get this team to play "Giants' Football"?
I'm thinking, yeah we'll suck pretty much in 2020 - if there's a season - but give me Micah Parsons in 2021 and maybe we'll be on the way...
And yeah, I realize Mel Hein could be counted as an offensive player, too... He's still a grunt in the trenches...
Top 100 All Time Giants - (
New Window )
Judge looks the part, talks the part and acts the part. That's a start. Doesn't mean he is the goods, and in the past I couldn't give a shit how good the HC comes off in a PC, but Judge sure as hell looks like the right guy for this job. And the staff in general is pretty well rounded.
Even the naming combo of Judge n Jones has a nice ring to it. Like it was meant to be...
If you want to feel good about things, just allow yourself to imagine Daniel Jones developing into a full blown star this year. One can dream. Jones rarely fails to put the ball where he wants to and he can move. He's fearless and calm. A lot to like there.
We want the D to look like a pro unit, even if it isn't very good, and we want the OL and offense to establish itself as one to be feared.
Need to come out of this season knowing that Thomas is our stable LT. Jones is a legit playmaking QB and the O is virtually set across the board. Win a few tough games this year. Go into Dallas and beat them. Go at least 3-3 in the east with wins against Dallas and Philly.
Not counting QBs, or maybe even counting them, I don't see what you're saying.
The top 100 Giants of the SB era...
(QBs parsed)
1) Taylor LB
2) Carson LB
3) Strahan DE
QB) Eli
4) Tiki RB
QB) Phil
5) Martin DE
(???? Joe Morrison, sorry I can't include Joe mediocre on MY list)
6) Jesse Armstead LB
7) Amani Toomer WR
8) Chris Snee OG
9) Bavaro TE
QB) Tarkenton
10) Banks LB
And then the next 5, all trench players with one of them an offensive skills guy in Shockey:
11) Tuck DE
12) Van Pelt LB
13) Osi DE
14) Oates OC
15) Shockey TE
So I'm not sure what your point really was, unless you want to highlight one SB team alone, the 2011 team led by Eli and WRs and the Jacobs & Bradshaw tandem.
And even that team only got cooking when the DL all started playing healthy together and JPP beasted.
This team doesn't come close to having the defensive horsepower yet.
Quote:
Super Bowl players, the list looks a whole lot different.
Not counting QBs, or maybe even counting them, I don't see what you're saying.
The top 100 Giants of the SB era...
(QBs parsed)
1) Taylor LB
2) Carson LB
3) Strahan DE
QB) Eli
4) Tiki RB
QB) Phil
5) Martin DE
(???? Joe Morrison, sorry I can't include Joe mediocre on MY list)
6) Jesse Armstead LB
7) Amani Toomer WR
8) Chris Snee OG
9) Bavaro TE
QB) Tarkenton
10) Banks LB
And then the next 5, all trench players with one of them an offensive skills guy in Shockey:
11) Tuck DE
12) Van Pelt LB
13) Osi DE
14) Oates OC
15) Shockey TE
So I'm not sure what your point really was, unless you want to highlight one SB team alone, the 2011 team led by Eli and WRs and the Jacobs & Bradshaw tandem.
And even that team only got cooking when the DL all started playing healthy together and JPP beasted.
This team doesn't come close to having the defensive horsepower yet.
9 out of 15 are offensive players. I don't see what you are getting at
I am talking about offensive skills players, but leaving out QBs because there's a very heavy bias for the position.
Offensive skills players without QBs:
Tiki Barber
Amani Toomer
Joe Morrison (who's a joke on this list in the top 100 IMO.)
Mark Bavaro
Jeremy Shockey
Bavaro and Shockey were tight ends, who performed considerable trench blocking duties as well as "skills" play.
Oates and Snee were linemen, trench players. My point from the beginning was that the Giants have traditionally relied on strength at the LOS (in particular the D front 7).
Linebackers and DEs form a disproportionate number of the Giants top players, historically. OL are on the list more often than WRs...
That's unusual for all football, and it's been an historic pattern of the Giants.