The Giants are now 1-4 after high hopes entering the season following last year’s playoff berth and victory. It’s been horrid, with blowout losses to the Cowboys, 49ers, Seahawks, and Dolphins, various injuries, struggles on the offensive line, and an offense that’s now last in the league in yardage.
It’s quite the difference from last year, but WFAN’s Boomer Esiason believes the frightening start links back to 2022.
“That playoff run last year, while it was great and it was fun, it basically hid whatever kind of problems the Giants were having, and then forced them to spend money on players that they probably wouldn’t have done had they not made the playoffs,” Esiason said Monday on WFAN’s “Boomer and Gio” morning program. “I don’t know where they go from here.”
This is 100% correct. It’s been clear since the opening 40-0 loss to Dallas.
The worst thing the Giants could’ve done to themselves is win that playoff game in Minnesota back in January. That one victory essentially got quarterback Daniel Jones his $160 million contract and distorted the true result of last season: an okay nine-win ballclub that was on the right side of numerous one-possession games and whose quarterback got hot at the right moment.
The Giants winning that game provided the Joe Schoen-led front office a false perception of the team and led to sheer offseason mismanagement. Schoen did not need to retain wide receivers Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and Isaiah Hodgins as well as outside linebacker Jihad Ward. He didn’t need to guarantee $82 million to an average quarterback or another $10 million to a running back entering year six. And he did not need to trade draft capital for an injury-prone tight end who’s gotten off to a slower start than many anticipated.
The front office wasn’t realistic about the actual state of the roster, which is still a far cry away from those of other NFC ballclubs like the Eagles, Cowboys, and 49ers. And these moves prevented the Giants from addressing true problems that have now reared their ugly heads, such as the depth on the offensive line.
Only 12 games to go!
