The Giants’ disastrous journey to Germany on Sunday proved that they just might be the “wurst” team in the NFL this year.
An embarrassing 20-17 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers dropped Big Blue’s record to 2-8 and put them squarely in contention for the top overall pick in next spring’s NFL Draft. Of course, that distinction also comes to the team with the worst overall record in the NFL at the end of the regular season.
With a quarterback who has completely regressed, the lack of a solid backup play-caller, and a coaching staff that can’t seem to find any answers, the Giants stand an excellent chance at locking down the worst overall record by the end of the season.
Let’s go over the 3 main takeaways from Sunday’s loss.
1: Daniel Jones should not start another game.
The Giants need to bench quarterback Daniel Jones before it’s too late — if, for nothing else, due to contractual obligations.
Should Jones get hurt over the next seven games of this season, the Giants will lose the ability to cut him without the final two years of his $40 million per year contract being guaranteed.
In his six years as the Giants starting quarterback, Jones failed to develop into the player the team hoped he would become, and Sunday’s defeat in Germany could very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Against one of the league’s worst defenses in the Carolina Panthers, Jones struggled mightily, completing only 22 of his 37 pass attempts for 190 yards and throwing two interceptions. When a quarterback isn’t getting it done against the league’s very worst, it’s a sign that change is needed.
“I mean, not good enough.” Jones said regarding his performance following the game. “Anytime you turn the ball over twice in the red zone, yeah, not good enough.”
Also upon his return to America, Daboll was uncommitted to continuing to start Jones moving forward, and intends to evaluate both Jones and Lock in his decision to decide who to start moving forward.
“We’re going to go back and look at everything you normally look at.” Daboll said. “Schemes, situational stuff, technique, all the things you do in a normal bye week. We’ll do that and we will try to improve in the areas we need to improve on.”
2: The Giants should give Daboll, Schoen a shot with drafted QB
Earlier this season, Giants owner John Mara committed to bringing back Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen regardless of the team’s performance in 2024. And while many believe that Mara may have jumped the gun on that decision.
It might not be the worst idea for the Giants.
In 2022, Daboll and Schoen’s first year with New York, they led the Giants to a shocking 9-7-1 record, and a playoff upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings. It was the Giants’ best season in 10 years, and Daboll won the Coach of the Year award for his success.
In the following years, Daboll has failed to replicate his strong 2022 performance, but one thing 2022 made clear was how good of a coach Brian Daboll truly is.
Many credit Daboll with the development of Bills superstar QB Josh Allen, and giving Daboll and Schoen the ability to select their own quarterback could be just what they need. In his time as Giants QB, Jones was forced to jump from head coach to head coach, and offensive coordinator to offensive coordinator.
Giving whoever the next Giants quarterback is Daboll to learn from is just the jumpstart that a new QB should be looking for.
3: Tyrone Tracy’s could rush for 1,000 yards
Even with his untimely overtime fumble Sunday, it seems like Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. always provides
With every passing week, Tracy’s role in the Giants offense continues to grow, and Tracy continues to produce, this week, it was a 32-yard touchdown run.
Tracy finished the game with his third 100-yard rushing performance of the season, finishing with 103 yards on 18 carries, along with a touchdown. In a season where it was unclear if Tracy would even get significant playing time, Tracy is now eyeing a potential 1,000-yard season.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t necessarily say this was my vision coming into the season.” Tracy said. “My plan was just to come in and do whatever they asked me from the coaching staff. With really the opportunities that the coaches trust and have in me, it allows me to go out there and play well.”
Tracy would become the first Giants since Saquon Barkley in the 2022 season to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing. With seven games to go, Tracy would need to average 65 rushing yards a game to reach the four figure rushing total. With the potential QB change and Tracy’s recent success, there’s no reason why he can’t reach that number.
