How do Giants fare entering Week 9?
The New York Giants fell to 2-6 on Monday night when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-18 at Acrisure Stadium. In a game where the officials were inconsistent at best, the Giants could not overcome the frustration that came with the flags (and non-flags). It’s boiled over now, the locker room is airing its frustrations and Brian Daboll doesn’t have the player support he used to have.
This week, the Giants face a division rival in the Washington Commanders. The Commanders are surging behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and currently have a solid hold on the top spot in the NFC East. The Commanders defeated the Giants in their first meeting, and unless something significant changes this week, it’s likely the Commanders win again.
As we enter Week 9, here’s a look at where the Giants place in a multitude of power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 28 (+2)
Next time you need a stone cold lock, remember that QB Daniel Jones is 0-8 on “Monday Night Football.”
Barry Werner, List Wire: 25 (+5)
Not being mean, just honest: The Giants are nowhere near as good as the Steelers, or a lot of other teams. They hung around for the first half and special-teams gaffe bit them. They made an ugly attempt at a two-point conversion. They got a turnover and gave it right back to (T.J.) Watt.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 28 (-2)
The Giants’ first-round pick missed a couple of games with a concussion and still leads the team with 498 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He has been so good in such a limited sample size that there is little doubt he’s a true No. 1 receiver. It’s on full display on a daily basis, even at practice. Just last week, in his first rep of one-on-one drills, Nabers made a sensational catch after he jumped over the back of Deonte Banks and secured the ball through the cornerback’s body. This is normal for Nabers. He has proved he’s going to be special.
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network: 26 (-1)
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network:
Monday’s game against the Steelers was indicative of what we have seen all year from the Giants. The defense fought hard to keep them in the game, limiting opponents to field goals and forcing turnovers, only for the offense to squander every opportunity they were given.
It has certainly been a tough start for the Giants, with their schedule ranking as the sixth-hardest. Things should get easier from here, with their remaining schedule ranking eighth. However, even with that, the offense has to improve considerably. Daniel Jones’ QB+ for the season is ninth-lowest with a grade of D+, and the offense is among the bottom five in several categories
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 26 (+1)
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
The Giants have put Daniel Jones on notice that he needs to improve his play under Brian Daboll or they will turn to other in-house QB options. Playing the Steelers defense wasn’t a good spot to help him.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 27 (-1)
There’s not much more to say about the Giants. They’re bad. The offense is hard to watch most of the time. And, thanks to the NFL believing we all need to see more of the Giants on our TVs, they’re playing on Thanksgiving next month.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 28 (-1)
Diante Lee, The Ringer: 28 (NC)
After Daniel Jones threw the game-sealing interception on Monday night, he and head coach Brian Daboll came together on the sideline in what I can only imagine was some sort of calm acknowledgement that neither of them are going to get this team where it wants to be. Welcome to the acceptantce stage of Giants grief.
Instead of adding to the gloominess, let’s take a stab at guessing who could turn things around for the Giants. I’m partial to Mike Vrabel, who kept Tennessee competitive in the AFC despite the clear gap between Ryan Tannehill and the elite passers in the conference. I don’t think Joe Brady, the Bills’ offensive coordinator, is positioned to take over a job as big as New York’s (especially not after the last Buffalo OC-turned-Giants HC failed!) but he’s been great with Josh Allen and seems to have grown as a coach since flaming out as coordinator in Carolina. Detroit’s Ben Johnson will likely have too many suitors for us to assume New York would be a top choice for him, but he would have to be an obvious dream candidate for team owner John Mara. If not Johnson, his Detroit colleague Aaron Glenn is highly respected by players and well connected in the NFL. Bringing in a culture-setter would be a smart choice if they can’t land the latest quarterback whisperer.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: 26 (NC)
The Giants have scored 18 points or fewer in all six losses, hitting that number exactly on Monday in Pittsburgh, but they had their chances to score more. They were 0-for-3 in the red zone, settled for four field goals and misfired on a strange two-point try. But the two late turnovers hurt most. Bobby Okereke had the Giants set up with a brilliant punchout on Russell Wilson, but T.J. Watt stripped Daniel Jones with three minutes left. Jones then tossed a game-sealing pick with less than a minute left, a bad throw that capped a frustrating night. Jones had his moments, but he was livid after the missed two-point play and had trouble consistently getting the ball to Malik Nabers. Tyrone Tracy Jr., another rookie in this loaded Giants draft class, made a statement with a 145-yard rushing night. His 45-yard TD run gave New York life in the fourth quarter, but the G-Men couldn’t capitalize late and Tracy (concussion) left the game early. There are baby steps, but the offense remains too stagnant.
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