Gregory Kolton asks: I was at the game on Sunday and my son and I were so happy to finally see a Giants win, but I thought the vast majority of the play calling was very uncreative (even for a rookie QB’s first game). Now that Nabers is out for the season (so bummed), I think Daboll and Kafka need to think differently. For instance, if Hyatt is not being used in the passing game, maybe the Giants could use him in a Cordarrelle Patterson-like role in the running game. He’s fast, he bulked up over the summer, and no one is throwing the ball to him, so he’s not cutting it as pure wide receiver, anyway. The Giants need to start thinking outside of the box and not run up the middle three plays in a row. What do you think?
Ed says: Gregory, that is an outside-the-box idea, for sure. I don’t think there is any chance, though, that we see Jalin Hyatt as a running back.
There are a lot of differences between Patterson and Hyatt. Patterson is 6-foot-2 and a solid 220 pounds. I’ve been around Hyatt recently and even “bulked up” he is 6-foot and I would need to see the numbers on the scale to believe he is 185 pounds. Tyrone Tracy made the switch to running back from receiver during his final year in college. Again, though, he is 5-11 and a solid 210 pounds.
Patterson had collegiate experience as a receiver, running back and kick returner. Hyatt has never been a running back.
I do think I would like to see the Giants add some variety to their run game. The QB run with Jaxson Dart helps, but you can’t overdo it with that. Well, you can and the Giants might, but you shouldn’t. Using Hyatt as a back, though, isn’t the answer.
The red zone section:
Bob Donnelly asks: We all enjoyed Jaxson Dart’s QB debut. There was certainly an energy in MetLife that’s been missing for quite some time.
One aspect of the Giants’ performance that continues to be a concern is their red zone performance. While they did have two successful trips with the Dart 15-yard pass and the shovel pass to Johnson, there were other squandered opportunities.
A prime example was failing to convert Dexter Lawrence’s interception and return to the 3-yard line and settling for three points.
In your view why do the Giants have such difficulty when they get closer to the goal line?
Vincent Moody asks: Hi, in my opinion, our run game has been severely held back by our poor run blocking, particularly from our guards and center. A major problem, particularly when we need to punch it in at the goal line. My question is what can they do about it in regards to scheme, and also personnel. Are there plays we can run that would put our line at a better advantage? And if our current starters aren’t getting it done is there anything to do besides hope it gets better. And going forward, is there a future with our current iOL? Maybe we draft only offensive linemen next year?
Ed says: Bob, first it’s “Jaxson,” not “Jackson.” Not picking on you, but I suspect it would help all Giants fans to ingrain the spelling of the young man’s name into their brains.
Yes, guys, the red zone is an issue. The Giants are last in the league in red zone touchdown percentage. The have just four touchdowns in 15 red zone triple (26.67%). The good news is they are tied for seventh in the league at 3.8 red zone opportunities per game, so they are getting chances.
Brian Daboll was asked about the red zone after the game on Sunday. He said they believed that the run game was their best opportunity vs. a good Chargers defense.
On the possession after the Lawrence interception a Greg Van Roten false start pushed them back to the 8-yard line. Obviously, penalties make scoring more difficult. On that particular series, remember than on second down it looked like Cam Skattebo would score, but Chargers’ defensive back Cam Hart made an excellent 1-on-1 tackle. Sometimes, you have to give credit to the other team. Now, if you want to kick about running from the 3-yard line on third down I can’t argue. I do wonder if part of the reason for that was protecting a rookie quarterback in his first start from making a mistake.
Later in the game, recall that Wan’Dale Robinson dropped a pass in the end zone on fourth-and-3. That’s a broken play with Dart scrambling around. Robinson said after the game that he knew he should have caught the ball, but he had lost track of the defensive back and didn’t know he was about to get hit while he was in the air. Still, he has to catch that.
The Giants are well aware of their need to score more touchdowns in the red zone. Penalties hurt. The fact that they don’t have road graders at guard and center might be part of the problem. They are “working our tails off on it,” in Daboll’s words. I think you will see the playbook expand as Dart gains more and more comfort. I thought the Theo Johnson shovel pass touchdown was an example of that expansion.
The run blocking overall isn’t great. Not that it is the be-all and end-all, but Pro Football Focus ranks the team’s run blocking 23rd through four games. Every starting Giants lineman is currently below his career mark as a run blocker. If you believe in the theory that players will generally play to their career norms, it should improve somewhat as the season goes along.
Long-term, the Giants just need to keep pouring resources into the interior line and try to make it better. If they thought they had better players than John Michael Schmitz, Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten, they would be playing.
Video mailbag
Doug Leihbacher asks: Do you have any statistics on Brian Daboll’s success rate when going for it on 4th down? I think he often fails to gauge the situation. For example, midway through the 4th quarter on Sunday against the Chargers he decided to go for it on 4th down from the 4 yard line, I believe. By going for it against the No. 1 red zone defense in the league with the 30th rated offensive line and missing, he put an awful lot of pressure on the Giants defense. Had it not been for the Burns sack, the Chargers could have easily tied the game with a field goal.
Ed says: Doug, Daboll and the Giants were well aware of how good the Chargers had been in the red zone over the first three weeks of the season. Daboll discussed that in the postgame on Sunday.
I have to say that I 100% agreed with his decision to go for it in the situation you referenced. It was fourth-and-3 with 5:41 to play and the Giants leading by 3 points. A field goal and the Giants are only up by 6 points. That was Justin Herbert and an unbeaten Los Angeles team on the other side. I would love to know how many Giants fans were confident the defense would keep the Chargers out of the end zone trying to protect a six-point lead. I was not. A touchdown makes it a two-score game and makes a comeback by the Chargers unlikely. I think trying to make it a two-score game rather than leaving yourself in a position where you can lose with one score is the best play.
By the way, here are the fourth-down conversion rates for the Giants during Daboll’s tenure:
- 2025 — 3 of 9 (33.3%) | 28th in the NFL
- 2024 — 20 of 27 (54.1%) | 19th
- 2023 — 18 of 37 (48.6%) | 20th
- 2022 — 10 of 21 (47.6%) | 16th
The Evan Neal section:
Mike Winterode asks: The Giants have done fairly well running the ball, except for when they need it most – by the goal line. With Nabers out and a rookie QB, leaning on the running game will be even more important for the Giants. I’m sure you’ve gotten this question 1000 different ways, including from me, but what is the harm of putting Neal in at right guard now? What this line is missing is an inside road grader and that is what he can be. Would his deficiencies in pass blocking offset this?
Doug Mollin asks: What do you think of making Neal active next week and subbing him in for the red zone offense?
Provide the OL with a big, strong body to run behind.
Depending on how Neal performs, maybe he earns more snaps.
I get there’s a reason Neal is behind Stinnie on the depth chart (Neal is the backup to the backup at this point, which is why he’s been inactive). But is it worth a shot for a couple of plays?
Ed Feinberg asks: With Skattebo as the new (power) running back while Evan seems to not be able to play guard despite his run blocking pff numbers, I wonder if he could be effective as the fullback blocking for Skattebo in a power running attack, especially in the red zone! Sure could give a defense fits while opening up passing opportunities for Dart. Could the Giants be imaginative enough to try something like this?
Ed says: Evan Neal, Evan Neal, Evan Neal, and more Evan Neal. It’s pretty apparent the questions about the failed right tackle turned buried on the bench guard are going to continue.
Mike and Doug, can you point me to an example at any point in NFL history of a team subbing out a starting guard for a theoretically better run blocker in goal line situations? Maybe it’s been done, but I’ve never heard of it and couldn’t give you an example.
If the Giants thought Neal was an upgrade over Greg Van Roten or Jon Runyan Jr. he would be playing. If they trusted him more than journeyman backup guard Aaron Stinnie then Neal would be getting a jersey on game days and Stinnie would be inactive.
I know he is a big, strong man but the Giants are telling you week after week they don’t trust him. They have worked with him for four years now, and I think they know what they have.
As for the idea of Neal playing fullback, I would question whether that is something Neal can do. Does he move well enough to fire out of his stance and lead a running back into the line of scrimmage? Maybe he can. I don’t know. I don’t think you will ever see it. There’s part of me that thinks Neal may never take another snap for the Giants, unless injuries to the players ahead of him force the team to play him.
Jim Kadamus asks: It’s clear no single player is available to replace Nabers. It’s going to have to be WR by committee.
What about using Gunner Olszewski more as a WR? He had chemistry with Dart in preseason. Given the current passing game to relies on short completions and run after catch. Olszewski seems like an obvious fit. He has got good hands and is elusive after the catch.
Ed says: Jim, I’m sure the Giants will give opportunities to everybody they have. That means Olszewski, Beaux Collins, Jalin Hyatt, and whoever they bring off the practice squad or sign to take Nabers’ roster spot.
I wouldn’t expect a ton from Olszewski as a receiver. Yes, he made some plays for Dart in the preseason. Let’s be real, though. Olszewski was a Division II defensive back and has 15 career receptions in 69 games. He has never had more than five catches in a season. He’s an emergency receiver, not a guy you want to rely on.
Casey Hamlin asks: Hi Ed; with some of these teams needing a QB what are the chances the Giants trade Winston or Russell? Seems like we could use the draft capital or roster depth.
Ed says: Casey, who are the “some teams” you are referring to? I can think of ONE team that might be in the market for a veteran quarterback — the Cincinnati Bengals. We wrote about that on Wednesday.
It would be nice to trade Russell Wilson and get something. After the Seahawks moved on from him, Denver couldn’t wait to be rid of him, the Steelers made no real effort to keep him after just one year, and the Giants benched him after three games do you really think the Bengals or anyone else is thinking “that’s the guy we need”?
As for Jameis Winston, the Giants signed him for two years. If they trade him they are right back in the market for a backup quarterback next offseason.
Brian Misdom asks: We saw the potential of the edge group against the chargers. Burns, Thibodeaux and Carter all provided the pass rushing juice that we hoped for.
Looking a bit further ahead, if this is a sign of things to come, how do you see the situation unfolding with Thibodeaux? While we have him under contract through 2026 on the fifth-year option, if he continues to play like this he will likely want an extension and undoubtedly be discussed in any trade speculation.
Do you see an extension happening with Burns and Carter already being invested in long-term?
Feels like we finally have a strength & identity on defense and while this is a good problem to have, I’d hate to see another homegrown talent leave.
Ed says: Brian, of course Kayvon Thibodeaux is going to be looking for a big pay day. Yes, it’s tricky.
Brian Burns’ cap hits are $34.75 million (2026), $36.5 million (2027), and $36.5 million (2028). Abdul Carter’s are $10.2 million (2026), $12.3 million (2027), and $14.3 million (2028).
Let me ask this, though. Are you tired of watching really good players walk out the Giants’ door? Saquon Barkley. Xavier McKinney. Julian Love. Leonard Williams. Yes, even Daniel Jones. There were valid reasons for each, but still. At some point, you have to begin keeping your own good players if you are ever going to do more than tread water.
Another question. Is that edge trio of Thibodeaux, Burns and Carter not the strength of the football team? It absolutely is, even if it takes some imagination from the coaching staff and some buy-in from the players to make it work. If you’re GM Joe Schoen don’t you want to try to find a way to keep that group together rather than weaken your team?
I get the reality that pouring so much money into one position means you will have to compromise somewhere else. Normally, I would say that wouldn’t be a great use of resources. Thibodeaux, though, is a 24-year-old difference-maker who is playing the best football of his career so far this season. He is also the first player Schoen drafted when he became Giants’ GM. Do you really think Schoen has the stomach to watch him go and turn into an All-Pro somewhere else?
I don’t have any inside information on this, but right now I don’t think Thibodeaux is going anywhere.
Edward Mcgowan asks: When analysts talk about the play of John Michael Schmitz and now Marcus Mbow, they talk about how they are just not strong enough to stand up to some of the bigger NFL players. This year, I read that Jalin Hyatt added 25 pounds of muscle during the offseason. My question is can the team require players to bulk up during the off-season, setting weight and strength requirements? One would hope a player would be doing this on his own, but is there any evidence that JMS has gotten bigger or stronger since he was drafted?
If Hyatt can add 25 pounds of muscle during the off-season, why can’t JMS and hopefully Mbow do the same, perhaps under the mandate of the team.
Ed says: Edward, teams usually have exit interviews with players at the end of each season. They set goals, talk about what the player needs to work on, take input from the player on their ideas, etc. Part of those meetings can be weight goals — we’d like you to gain or lose this number of pounds before coming back in the spring. “Require” is probably too strong a word, but if the player doesn’t put forth a good-faith effort to meet the objective a team is asking of him, that probably doesn’t bode well for the player’s chances.
Also, keep in mind that players lift weight all season long. They just don’t do so in the heavy, focused manner they might in the offseason. They do it more in a maintenance, effort to stay healthy mode.
In terms of players, every person’s body is different. Cor’Dale Flott, for example, was a 175-pound beanpole coming into the league. He’s in his fourth year and has tried to get stronger. I asked him about it late last season, and he said he had managed to add a whole 3 pounds in three years. Some guys just are what they are in terms of their frame.
Schmitz, specifically, was listed at 301 pounds when the Giants drafted him in 2023. He is now listed at 320 pounds. So, it would appear he has put in the work to try to get bigger and stronger. Mbow is listed at 300 pounds. How much weight and strength can he gain? I don’t know.
By the way, the selection of Schmitz was LOVED by the draft community when the Giants made it. In going back and looking for his pre-draft weight, I also found a number of analysts praising the selection.
Ron Corcillo asks: Fans complain a lot about the lack of creativity in the Giants’ offense, but I often wonder what that means. Personally, I feel like the Giants seem to employ pre-snap motion a lot less than other teams do. I looked into it and found one source that said that the Giants used pre-snap motion 50% of the time in 2024 vs. an average of 65% for the league as a whole, but I’m not sure if that source was reliable. Do you think the Giants use motion less than other teams do? Considering all the advantages that pre-snap motion confers, especially in terms of diagnosing the coverage scheme, do you think the lack of motion puts Giants QBs at a disadvantage?
Ed says: Ron, I do not think lack of motion is an issue. Here are the numbers on how often the Giants have used motion thus far:
They are right at league average in pre-snap motion and a little bit below in motion at the snap. I think that you can only run what you think you can block, and what you believe your quarterback can do.
I think we have to wait and see how this all develops with Jaxson Dart at quarterback, and without Malik Nabers. Will the Giants be super-conservative, or will they be imaginative to try and create easy opportunities for Dart and the receivers, and some schematic advantages in the run game?
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