Will the New York Giants Make the Playoffs?
The Giants are 4-1 and it’s their best start since 2009 when they started off 5-0. After their big win over Green Bay last week in London, this team is turning people into believers. What was once looked at as a throwaway season, could become a sign of things to come in the future.
Coming into the season the Giants were not on anyone’s radar to make any noise. A new coach and new general manager coming in usually mean there is a fresh start coming. The Giants declined to pick up Daniel Jones’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract. When the news about this came out it was and still is under the assumption that they will move on from Jones once the year is up. Jones is not going down without a fight.
So far this season he has looked better than the first four seasons combined. He has thrown for 848 yards and three touchdowns this season and completed 66.7% of his passes. He is doing all of this without his top receivers as well. Another thing that has stood out is his running. In the past, he has had some good runs but this year things are different. He has 41 rushing attempts, 230 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and no fumbles. Over his first few seasons, he has had 11 fumbles so no fumbles through five games is really good.
Saquon Barkley has been phenomenal since the start of the season. He has 533 rushing yards on 97 attempts and averages 5.5 rushing yards per carrying. He is second in rushing yards, tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns with three, and 10th in average yards per carrying. When healthy Barkley is the running back the Giants hoped to get when they drafted him from Penn State. When the Giants’ run game is working it leaves more options for Jones in the passing game as well. A healthy Barkley could lead this team to the playoffs.
The Giants’ defense should get a lot more praise than they do. Everyone talks about Barkley and Jones on offense but their defense has been great this year. Coach Daboll hiring Wink Martindale was great for this team. He was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens for four seasons and had some success with them and now has brought that to the Giants. The defense this year ranks ninth in the NFL in points allowed (18.6), 12th in yardage (326), and eighth against the pass (194.4). Through the first five games of the season, Martindale has the Giants’ defense buying into his scheme. This defense is tough and never quits, the Green Bay game is a testament to that.
In the end, this all falls on coaching, what Daboll has done to put new life and energy in the Giants’ locker room and organization is amazing. I like others thought this was a throwaway season and as long as there was growth the Giants would be fine. They are more than fine and in good hands in the future. If the Giants can keep winning and keep a good momentum going into late November when they will have to start facing more division rivals they can make the playoffs. It is an exciting time to be a Giants fan.
GALLERY: New York Giants Fan Fest 2022
