New York Giants news for Wednesday
Good morning, New York Giants fans!
From Big Blue View
- Darius Slayton: There’s a lot more football to play
- Is the Giants offensive line really better than last season?
- Roster move: Giants reportedly add WR/KR Kearis Jackson to practice squad
- Giants at Seattle Seahawks 2024, Week 5: Everything you need to know
Other Giant observations
Red-zone struggles are holding back the New York Giants’ improved offense | PFF
The Giants now sit 24th in offensive EPA per play after finishing 29th last year, but there have been major improvements in departments like pass-blocking and receiver separation thanks to both marquee additions and better health.
More specifically, the Giants’ offensive currently ranks 19th in pass-blocking grade — up from 32nd last year — and wideouts Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson have served as viable targets, with each posting a receiving grade of at least 69.0.
Giants see reasons to believe offense is ready to break through | New York Post
The Giants are staying on the field on offense. Their time of possession of 31:07 per game is 10th best in the league. There have been 10 three-and-outs (out of 41 possessions) in the first four games, which is not great but also not as bad as it has been around these parts.
The Giants are also moving the ball. They have 12 trips in the red zone, tied for 15th in the league. They are certainly not great, but also not terrible when they get down there, with six touchdowns. That 50 percent success rate in the red zone is tied for 17th in the league.
How the Giants are employing Nabers pre-snap
From NFL Next Gen Stats:#Giants WR Malik Nabers finished TNF with 12 receptions for 115 yards on 15 targets, including 9 receptions on 10 targets after going in motion pre-snap. Nabers’ 9 receptions in motion are the most by a player in a game in the NGS era (since 2018).
— Fennelly on Football (@John_Fennelly) October 1, 2024
Inside the Numbers: Malik Nabers off to historic start | Giants.com
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Nabers’ 35 receptions is the second-highest four-game total to start a career in league history. Puka Nacua of the Rams had 39 catches in his first four games in 2023. Nabers’ 386 yards is the eighth-highest four-game total.
In Giants’ history, Nabers’ 35 catches rank first among all Giants players in the first four games of a season, surpassing Steve Smith’s 34 receptions in 2009. His 386 yards are first among rookies and second to Plaxico Burress’ 396 yards in 2005 and his three touchdowns are tied for seventh.
NFL Rookie Rankings: Best and Worst 1st-Year Player Performers at Quarter Mark | Bleacher Report
2. Best: WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants. After four weeks of play, Nabers ranks first in receptions (35), targets (52) and explosive plays (seven), second in yards (386) and touchdowns (four) and third in first-down catches (19).
What I’m seeing from New York Giants: Daniel Jones succeeding by limiting negative plays | The Athletic
Perhaps what Jones is doing best right now is protecting the football and limiting negative plays, which hasn’t always been the case throughout his career. Over the three-game stretch, Jones has just one interception and no lost fumbles while he’s avoided taking sacks (four). Even with Week 1 factored in, Jones’ SPLINT percentage (sacks + INTs per dropback) ranks 13th among qualified quarterbacks at 7.6 percent. If you take out Week 1, Jones ranks fourth at 4.6 percent.
Dexter Lawrence, national TV star
Dexter Lawrence got a National TV Commercial pic.twitter.com/h5uf03y4VN
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) October 1, 2024
Giants must solve offensive woes — potentially without Malik Nabers — before it’s too late | SNY.tv
The Giants offense runs through Nabers. They have other players, like tailback Devin Singletary and Robinson, but this offense thrives when Nabers is going. Even with him, though, they’re averaging just 15 points per game – down from 15.6 a year ago. The thought of them finding their way to the end zone in his absence featuring alternatives like Hyatt, a third-round pick from a year ago who hasn’t logged a reception this year, and veteran Darius Slayton, who had three catches for 56 yards, is unnerving.
They liked their chances to right things with Nabers. Now they might need to figure out how to accomplish the same without their most, and maybe only, dynamic weapon.
Ranking the best NFL rookies after Week 4 | PFF
2. WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants PFF Grade: 80.4. Nabers has hit the ground running in the NFL, averaging 2.54 yards per route run through the first four weeks of the season. He has at least one catch of 25-plus yards in every game and earned an 82.0 PFF receiving grade.
3. CB Andru Phillips, New York Giants PFF Grade: 80.2. Phillips missed the Giants’ Week 4 clash with the Dallas Cowboys but has been the second-highest-graded rookie on the defensive side of the ball so far this season. From 49 coverage snaps so far, he has allowed just 28 yards.
Nabers is the definition of an outlier
Rookie WRs since 2010. Malik Nabers pic.twitter.com/xG4XKXCEaF
— Football Insights (@fball_insights) September 30, 2024
NFL Week 4: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game | ESPN
The Giants averaged 1.1 yards per carry against a Cowboys team that came into the contest with the worst run defense in the NFL. Running back Devin Singletary had 14 carries for 27 yards. Quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing on the ground. This wasn’t the blueprint for success against the Cowboys. Not even close. That will need to improve if the Giants are to get a win against the Cowboys or Eagles this season
NFL coach hot seat rankings entering Week 5: Doug Pederson tops list; all eyes on Nick Sirianni | CBSSports.com
2. Brian Daboll, New York Giants. Overall, the Giants have gone four straight home games started by Jones without scoring a touchdown, which is the longest streak by any quarterback since at least 1950. Without Saquon Barkley the Giants have the third-worst rushing offense in the NFL. What’s incredible is that they averaged their fewest yards per rush in a game (1.08) with at least 20 carries since 1960 last week against the Cowboys, who statistically had the worst run defense in the league!
The race for Bill Belichick? Five best fits for teams with coaches on hot seat | FOX Sports
But there are some significant caveats here. For one, Mara is pretty embarrassed that he’s cycled through five head coaches in the nine years since he nudged Tom Coughlin out the door, so there’s no guarantee he’ll fire Brian Daboll. For another, general manager Joe Schoen seems relatively safe and Mara likes his organizational structure. Belichick, of course, likely wants some measure of control and has never been one for working with a structure.
And there’s one more issue. As much as Belichick would surely love to ride to the rescue for his old team, if this season becomes a trainwreck for the Giants they’re likely looking at a reset behind a rookie quarterback in 2025. That might not be something Belichick will want to do.
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Latest First-Round Predictions Entering Week 5 | The 33rd Team
2. New York Giants Cam Ward, QB, Miami Hurricanes. Ward has ice in his veins, and he showed it on Friday night with a game-winning drive against Virginia Tech. Ward’s ability to generate explosive plays and navigate pressure is the polar opposite of what New York Giants fans have endured in recent years with Daniel Jones. It would be a significant change of pace amid their hopes of igniting their offense in the suddenly loaded NFC East.
This week’s opponent
Mike Macdonald: Monday night shows we aren’t team we need to be | Pro Football Talk
“I wouldn’t say it’s a litmus test, it just shows us we’re not the team that we need to be at this point,” Macdonald said. “I So, it’s, how do we move forward right now as a football team and take the next step because we’ve got a short week coming up and there’s urgency — I mean, there’s always an urgency, but we’ve got to go to work here over the next few days and make this right.”
Jason Peters to sign with Seattle’s practice squad | Pro Football Talk
Peters is signing with the Seahawks practice squad. The 42-year-old offensive lineman appeared in eight games with two starts for the Seahawks last season. He was on the field for 217 offensive snaps.
Most improved NFL players in 2024 ahead of Week 5 | PFF
T Charles Cross, Seattle Seahawks. The 2024 season felt like a make-or-break one for Cross, and it’s been almost entirely positive news so far. The former ninth-overall pick has made tremendous strides in his third professional campaign, where his 84.3 PFF overall grade ranks eighth among all offensive tackles. Cross has specifically refined his run blocking, improving it by more than 30 points to reach a league-leading 90.1 mark.
NFL Week 4: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game | ESPN
The Seahawks had little chance to stop Detroit with Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II and Jerome Baker all sidelined. That challenging injury situation became even worse when Julian Love went down in the first half. Coach Mike Macdonald didn’t sound concerned that Mafe, Nwosu, Williams or Murphy would be out long, though Murphy might need at least another week.
Around the league
What I’m seeing from the Eagles: Troubling flaws with discipline, detail, development | The Athletic
Dallas Cowboys: 3 reasons to be concerned about the team after a month | Blogging The Boys
Davante Adams informs Raiders he would prefer to be traded | NFL.com
Odell Beckham is ready to return to practice | Pro Football Talk
Browns waive RB Gary Brightwell | Pro Football Talk
Browns injuries: Nick Chubb returning, 9 others could soon as well | Dawgs By Nature
Buccaneers to sign Sterling Shepard to their 53-man roster | Pro Football Talk
Bills OLB Von Miller suspended four games for violating league’s personal conduct policy | NFL.com
Steelers preparing for Justin Fields to start as Russell Wilson ups activity | ESPN.com
Will Levis is still Titans starting quarterback | Music City Miracles
The NFL’s biggest disappointments through the first quarter of the season | PFF
Why passing yards are declining in the NFL | ESPN
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