Downfield passing named New York Giants’ biggest red flag in 2023

The New York Giants retooled the wide receiver and tight end positions this offseason, adding names such as Parris Campbell and Darren Waller. They will also see the returns of Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson.

With all of that speed and firepower, you’d expect offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to stretch the field a bit more than he did in 2022.

But Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports is suspect. Even with all the new faces, injury concerns persist and then, of course, there’s the all-too-common lack of trust in quarterback Daniel Jones. Accordingly, he names “downfield passing” as the Giants’ biggest red flag in 2023.

Daniel Jones finally showcased franchise-level poise in 2022 under Brian Daboll. And the Giants finally got him some help this offseason, adding Darren Waller, Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt — among others — at pass catcher. But all of their key acquisitions have to prove they can stay healthy, and Jones still has yet to prove he can air it out consistently when it matters most.

The problem with Benjamin’s concern is that Jones has been one of the NFL’s best deep-ball passers for years, including in 2023 when he topped the league despite the Giants not going deep often. That’s not the fault of Jones, mind you. Those were coaching decisions based on the lacking separation created by the team’s receivers and the limited time Jones had to operate in the pocket.

Jones was also the NFL’s top downfield passer in 2020. Things obviously fell off a bit in 2021 under then-head coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

The Giants do have several red flags entering the season but Jones and his ability to accurately push the ball downfield is not one of them.