ESPN recently ranked NFL teams based on their skill position players. After evaluating each team’s wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends and analyzing their skillsets against various defenses, the New York Giants’ skill position players dropped in near the bottom of the list, ranking No. 27.
The analysis somewhat makes sense if we’re looking at talent alone. Saquon Barkley is by far the Giants’ most explosive and talented skill player. The problem with Barkley is his ability to stay healthy consistently. Even then, he can only carry them so far, as we witnessed last season.
How far can running back Saquon Barkley carry the Giants? He approached his 2018 rookie form and excelled last season, generating 114 rushing yards over expected behind an inconsistent offensive line. If this version of Barkley sticks around, the team will be thrilled, but counting on the former No. 2 overall pick to stay healthy for the second consecutive season is difficult. In between healthy campaigns in 2018 and 2022, he missed 21 games and was forced out of three others with various injuries. Matt Breida would be the first man up if Barkley missed time.
Bill Barnwell also discusses the youth at wide receiver, the huge dropoff in talent between Barkley and his backup, Matt Brieda, that Darren Waller needs to be a top talent but hasn’t shown it over the last few seasons, and how Parris Campbell isn’t a sure thing because he spent the early part of his career on the sidelines with various injuries.
Speaking of last season, let’s remember that Brian Daboll had minimal offensive weapons to use throughout all of 2022. He relied heavily on backups and replacements like Isaiah Hodgins and Richie James to make plays.
Unless Daboll can guarantee that Barkley, Campbell and Waller are healthy all season and live up to their potential, though, this team seems doomed to rely on replacement-level receivers far too often.
While correct in that the Giants have to rely on backups too often, what the author does not discuss is how the backups did their jobs pretty effectively. Plus, Barnwell only discusses the talent of the skill position players, he does not address the offense’s ability to play as a unit.
Talent will only get you so far in any sport. A team’s ability to play as a cohesive unit with a singular goal in mind is what separates the good teams from the great teams.
Last season, Daboll proved that he can work with the players he had on his roster. Things may have changed during the offseason, but his ability to coach has not. As long as Daboll has the trust of his players and players that buy into what he does, that is what gets the Giants a winning season.
New York Giants star quarterback Daniel Jones continues to get disrespected these days — even here in New York.
Onstage at a concert in Forest Hills on Saturday night with Zach Bryan, Jones was dissed by the country star who began chanting ‘Go Birds’ in deference to his hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
New York #Giants QB Daniel Jones got hit with a “Go Birds” from Country Music Star Zach Bryan on stage
This isn’t anything new for Jones, a soft-spoken, reserved, classy North Carolina native and Duke graduate. He’s been getting bashed since the day he was drafted sixth overall by the Giants back in 2019.
Bryan, 27, is an Oklahoma native by way of Okinawa, Japan and a former naval petty officer who is an ardent fan of Philadelphia sports. He reportedly even has a home in the City of Brotherly Love.
Not sure why Bryan — who is no relation to another country star, Luke Bryan — would invite Jones up on stage only to show him up is unknown. But it was likely all in good fun.
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.
A year ago, the New York Giants were listed at No. 28 in CBS Sports’ team triplets rankings. But after a solid finish in 2022 and a strong offseason, they’ve seen their stock rise.
QB: Daniel Jones RB: Saquon Barkley TE: Darren Waller
Jones may have been the most improved player in the NFL last season, but most of that improvement was about limiting the downside of his play and not discovering the upside. New York took more off his plate and basically asked him to be a runner and short-passer and that was about it. What will things look like if and when the Giants ask him to do more? We’re going to find out over these next few years, and at least the team went out and got him a higher-quality pass-catcher in Waller to aid that development.
This ranking feels low for a group that has players that are considered top five in their respective positions in Barkley and Waller. Not to mention, Jones made massive strides in 2022 as he posted career-highs in passing yards (3,205), completion percentage (67.2), QBR (60.8), rushing yards (708), and rushing touchdowns (7).
Jones also got rid of the turnover bug, leading the league with the lowest interception percentage (1.1) while having career lows in fumbles (6) and interceptions (5).
The emergence of Jones is definitely a factor that boosted this core up 10 spots in the ranking but the addition of Waller feels underappreciated in this placement. The tight end has recorded 3,394 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns over the past four seasons, which is much more than any Jones receiving option has done during that span.
Not to mention, Waller fits perfectly for the intermediate run-pass option that the Giants run with Jones and Barkley, making this a tough cover for defenses.
Do not be surprised if this core is regarded as a top-10 triplet next offseason.
The New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley remain mired in a contract dispute. The July 17 deadline for an extension is rapidly approaching and progress has been minimal.
If the two sides are unable to come to an agreement by that date, it’s unclear where this train is headed. Barkley has left open the possibility of sitting out the season, although that end seems unlikely.
But what if he does? What if Barkley refuses to sign his franchise tender worth $10.1 million, leaving the Giants without one of their best offensive players?
It may not be a problem, says retired Giants running back Tiki Barber.
“I know Giant fans want Saquon Barkley on this team, and feel like they need Saquon on this team,” Barber said on his WFAN show. “But the fact is, if he’s not on this team, I honestly don’t know if they’d be worse off. I think they would be because of the locker room, but I can’t say for a fact, ‘This team won’t win 10 games without Saquon Barkley.’ I can’t say that.”
Others believe the Giants would fall off a cliff without Barkley. Reality likely lies somewhere in the middle.
The Giants have beefed up their offensive skill positions but Barkley is a legitimate homerun threat. He is capable of breaking a game open as a ball-carrier or receiver, and also provides above-average blocking ability. He’s an all-around talent.
But the Giants do have other capable running backs. They may not be at the individual level as Barkley, but the offense could still function with them in a committee approach.
Ideally, the Giants never have to find out what the loss of Barkley would mean. Both sides remain hopeful a deal will get done ahead of the deadline and this mess will all soon be forgotten.
Who would’ve predicted Tom Brady joining the losingest franchise in NFL history when the 2020 NFL offseason began?
Who could have foreseen that Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford swap that later decided a Super Bowl when the 2021 NFL offseason began?
Who would’ve imagined that Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson would be dealt out of the NFC and into the loaded AFC when the 2022 NFL offseason began?
What’s next? Brady’s retirement this week started the 2023 NFL quarterback carousel spinning a bit earlier than expected. Let’s have some fun with the “all hell breaks loose” version of quarterback movement, including teams with new starters from trades, free agency or the draft.
Panthers: Daniel Jones
The Giants are acting as if the return of their QB free agent is a formality before even beginning negotiations. What if the price tag exceeds $40 million per year and $140 million guaranteed? The franchise tag’s $32 million salary-cap hit is restrictive, and the new regime has enough fan equity to paint Jones’ ask as unreasonable while starting over. Jones’ hometown Panthers — bold in moves for Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield — jump in, and an old photo of Jones in a Jake Delhomme jersey goes viral.
Daniel Jones grew up in Charlotte, and didn’t leave the state of North Carolina when he selected Duke for college.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Giants: Will Levis
Following the script he helped write with the Bills in 2018, general manager Joe Schoen trades up twice to get from No. 26 into the top 10 of the draft to pick a high-ceiling, strong-armed, inconsistently accurate passer, hoping head coach Brian Daboll can mold Kentucky’s Levis into Josh Allen 2.0.
Falcons: Lamar Jackson
Fed up after two years of fruitless extension negotiations, the Ravens franchise-tag Jackson. Falcons owner Arthur Blank — who built a close friendship with Michael Vick — sees Jackson as a carbon copy and OKs dealing three first-round picks and fully guaranteeing a new contract, copying the Browns’ move to beat the Falcons in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes last offseason.
Ravens: Bryce Young
Suddenly flush with draft capital, including No. 8 overall, the Ravens turn around and trade for the No. 1 pick and Alabama’s Young because the Bears are true to early leaks that they plan to build around third-year quarterback Justin Fields. Firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman — who built the run-first, tight-end-heavy offenses for Colin Kaepernick and Jackson — was the first sign of a shift to a more pro-style offense.
Bryce Young, a recent Sugar Bowl winner, could be the first quarterback selected this year.Getty Images
49ers: Aaron Rodgers
It’s easy for the Packers to say that Aaron Rodgers only will be dealt in the AFC. But this franchise handled facing Brett Favre on the Vikings for two years at the end of his career. So, if the 49ers make the best offer because of real fears that Trey Lance can’t stay healthy and Brock Purdy won’t be healthy in time to prove he’s no fluke, are the Packers going to say no? It’s interesting that Rodgers quipped “I’m not going to San Fran” on Thursday while golfing. Why was that on his mind?
Packers: Jordan Love
Can the Packers really strike gold twice? Trading Favre worked out because it turned out they had a Hall of Famer in Rodgers sitting on their bench for three seasons. It’s a lot to ask Love to repeat history, but the Packers need to play him to find out if he can be the future — instead of a wasted first-round pick that could’ve been a much-needed receiver — in the final year of his contract.
Texans: Trey Lance
If the Jets’ Robert Saleh and Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel taught us anything, it’s that former 49ers assistants take players with them to new jobs. The Texans hold the No. 2 pick, but defensive end Will Anderson or defensive tackle Jalen Carter would be a foundational piece for new head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense if he can convince the front office to take a chance on Lance instead of drafting Levis or C.J. Stroud.
Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo might have more suitors than anyone because of his ties to the prolific Bill Belichick and Kyle Shanahan coaching trees. Ultimately, Belichick gets the quarterback he has wanted ever since drafting Garoppolo in 2014, when he thought Brady was near retirement. Garoppolo never worked with returning Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. The egoless Bailey Zappe develops behind Garoppolo.
Could Jimmy Garoppolo wear Patriots gear again, just like he was in this photo from minicamp in 2014?Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Raiders: Mac Jones
General manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels are going to dip into their Patriots roots to replace Derek Carr. If going all-in for Brady was Plan A and luring Garoppolo was Plan B, what is Plan C? Calling the Patriots to say, “Isn’t it redundant to have two young backups like Jones and Zappe?” McDaniels coached Jones as a rookie before his step back in Year 2.
Jets: Derek Carr
After missing out on Rodgers, Carr is a fine consolation prize, especially because he doesn’t cost any assets other than money after forcing the Raiders into releasing him to save salary-cap space by exercising his no-trade clause. Carr’s brother, David, was Eli Manning’s three-year backup, and convinces him that New York is a great place to win.
Colts: C.J. Stroud
Outbid for the No. 1 pick or Fields in talks with the Bears, the Colts stay put at No. 4 and seek to end the game of musical chairs that has seen seven different Week 1 quarterbacks in seven years by adding Ohio State’s Stroud to the lineage of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.
Saints: Matt Ryan
A brief flirtation with retirement after a one-year disaster with the Colts is scratched when Ryan sees a chance to again rule the moribund NFC South, only from the other side of the Falcons-Saints rivalry. Call time of death on the Andy Dalton-Jameis Winston-Taysom Hill rotation.
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2023 draft.Getty Images
Buccaneers: Ryan Tannehill
What does life after Brady look like? Re-sign free agent Blaine Gabbert? Turn to former second-round pick Kyle Trask for his first career start? It makes more sense for a veteran team with now-or-never head coach Todd Bowles to make a run at the division title while all other teams are down by trading for the final year of Tannehill’s contract.
Titans: Anthony Richardson
Who is going to fall in love with Richardson’s tantalizing, but raw, skillset? How about new general manager Ran Carthon, who was part of the 49ers’ decision to draft Lance — who had one season with more than 100 passes thrown since high school in 2017 — based on potential?
Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard rang in February with a 42-point outburst in a win over the Grizzlies in Memphis. Did you notice? Probably not. After all, he had already started the week with a different 42-point outing in a win over the Hawks. That night, he had company on the night’s scoring leaderboard from Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray, who had 40, and Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, who poured in 53 against the woebegone Pistons.
On Thursday night, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo went one better, dropping 54 in a one-point victory over the Clippers — his third 50-burger in his past 11 games.
In total, there have been 122 individual 40-point games this season. The record is 142, set more than 60 years ago when Wilt Chamberlain, then of the Philadelphia Warriors, recorded 63 40-point nights on his own (h/t NBA.com’s John Schuhmann). It doesn’t take a math wizard to see that with the season not even at the All-Star break, the league should fly past that mark set in the 1961-62 season. We’re on pace for a total of 192 individual games of 40 points or better, well past even the more modern-day mark of 137 during the 2018-19 season.
Damian Lillard’s 42-point outburst is far from an anomaly this season.Getty Images
To what do we owe this offensive bounty? Let’s take a quick look.
Defense optional: The Cavaliers have the league’s best defense, per defensive rating, allowing 109.7 points per 100 possessions. As noted recently on ESPN’s Hoop Collective podcast, that number would have ranked closer to the bottom third of the league than the top as recently as five seasons ago (21st, to be exact). And the 2017-18 season wasn’t exactly filled with Knicks-Bulls slugfests. That’s partly a result of coaches deploying more offensively inclined lineups, partly the result of rest days taking some of the best players (and their defensive capabilities) off the floor and partly the result of evolving rules limiting the amount of potential shot-changing contact defenders can make.
Skills kill: Look at the roster at almost any team and you can find someone capable of going off on any random night. Yes, there are the Doncics, the Antetokounmpos and the Jayson Tatums, but you also have the Zach LaVines (three 40-point nights) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexanders (also three 40-point nights) and even the Caris LeVerts — who can score from almost anywhere on the floor (more on that in a second). That’s not just a coincidence, but the result of a basketball development culture that has players working with skills coaches and honing their games as early as elementary school. Don’t take it from me, but a four-time title-winning coach, too.
Three is the magic number: It’s not exactly news that teams are relying on the 3-pointer more than ever, but just take a look at the past decade: The average number of 3s made per game per team is up to 12.3 this season, from 7.2 in 2012-13. On Wednesday night, for example, Tatum likely would have easily posted his eighth(!) 40-point or better game had the Celtics not run the Nets off the floor from the opening tip. Though he finished with 31 for the night, Tatum tallied 18 of those points in the first quarter, and finished with seven made 3s.
Some may bemoan the lack of defense all these numbers suggest. Some may claim this is the result of the game looking more and more like Pop-A-Shot. Some of us just want to enjoy the skills on display. But the game is different. The 3 has become the new-age dunk. Better get out your calculators.
— Paul Forrester
It turns out a person can be two places at once
Wearing an Islanders jersey after more than eight seasons as a Vancouver Canuck will be strange for Bo Horvat. It will be equally strange for fans at All-Star weekend, where the NHL has kept Horvat on the Pacific Division team despite his new associations.
Horvat will don an Islanders Fisherman jersey at the Skills Challenge on Friday night. Then, at Saturday’s All-Star Game, he will play for the Pacific — the NHL’s way of splitting the baby in a situation where there is not an obvious solution.
“I don’t know how they came up with everything,” Horvat said. “I was just happy to be here. All this unfolded. They basically asked me if I still wanted to come. Of course I wanted to come and enjoy the weekend. And then they worked out the logistics after that.”
Bo Horvat will represent both the Canucks and Islanders at various points during All-Star weekend.NHLI via Getty Images
Saturday will give Horvat a chance to skate with now-former teammate Elias Pettersson again (Horvat, by the way, endorsed Pettersson to replace him as captain of the Canucks).
“It’s gonna be fun and weird and awesome at the same time,” Horvat said. “I don’t really know how to approach it or how to talk about it, but I’m excited for it. Excited to skate with him at least on the same team for the last time, unless we join teams again later down in our careers. Really excited to see him.”
“I love this place,” Daniel Jones said on Sunday, as he and his teammates cleaned out their lockers, their season over and done with. “I want to be here.”
No one gets everything they want, but in this case, it is difficult to conjure up a scenario in which Jones and the Giants are not together again for the 2023 season, and beyond. There is not much compelling evidence to suggest when it is time for the Giants to reconvene that Jones will be anywhere else but situated in his customary end locker stall.
Immediately after the Giants were ousted from the playoffs with a non-competitive 38-7 loss to the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, Jones was given two opportunities to state he wanted to return to the Giants — the team that selected him at No. 6-overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Both times, he dodged and did not answer. As it turns out — and anyone who has been around Jones for some time would have figured this out — Jones was not ready to move ahead and express his own desires at a time when he was hurting from a blowout loss.
“I don’t see how it got interpreted,” Jones said. “I didn’t see any of that.”
Daniel Jones has made his intentions clear about his Giants future. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Before the loss had actually settled in, running back Saquon Barkley said he could not envision that being his last game in a Giants uniform. Jones was not nearly as introspective in the visitors’ locker room on Saturday and only slightly more revealing a day later.
Asked if he has any doubts he will be back with the Giants, Jones said, “I don’t know. Right now more than anything thinking about this year and this team and the guys and how grateful I am to be a part of it. Special group of guys. I’ve really enjoyed being here, I have nothing but love and respect for this organization. I’d love to be back but we’ll see, there’s a business side of it, too.”
Ah yes, the business side. Jones is clearly uneasy when his expiring contract, the massive salaries for starting NFL quarterbacks and where he fits in are topics for discussion. He actually fidgeted a bit when the subject was broached.
“Um, yeah, I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite part of it,” Jones said. “I think you play for the love of the game and the opportunity to dedicate yourself to something and work to improve as a player, as a person, to me that’s what it’s about.
“At the same time, at this level it’s a business and you can’t ignore that piece of it.”
Jones said he is aware of what the market is, as far as what starting quarterbacks around the league earn on an annual basis.
“Yeah, I got a good sense of that,” he said.
Daniel Jones walks off the field following the Giants’ loss to the Eagles on Jan. 22. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
If so, he is cognizant that there are nine quarterbacks in the $40 million per year club: Aaron Rodgers ($50 million per year), Russell Wilson ($49 million), Kyler Murray ($46 million), Deshaun Watson ($46 million), Patrick Mahomes ($45 million), Josh Allen ($43 million), Derek Carr ($40 million), Matthew Stafford ($40 million) and Dak Prescott ($40 million). It is logical to make an argument that Jones deserves to be in the next tier, consisting of Kirk Cousins ($35 million per year), Jared Goff ($33.5 million), Carson Wentz ($32 million), Matt Ryan ($30 million) and Ryan Tannehill ($29.5 million). At 25 years old, Jones is younger than every quarterback in the top 14 in salary other than Murray — Jones is less than three months older than Murray.
It is natural that Jones compares himself with the others at his position, in terms of success on the field and in financial dealings.
“You try not to do that,” Jones said. “Over the course of these first few years I think I’ve learned outside of the contract piece of it, just when you watch other players throughout the league and you get into situations where you’re comparing yourself, I don’t think that’s ever fair and not all that productive. Every situation is different, you don’t know what exactly other guys are dealing with and they don’t know what you’re dealing with. At any position I think comparing players across the league, I think at least I’ve learned, I don’t know how helpful it is.”
Daniel Jones is aware of the business side of how his giants future will unravel. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
As for any report that the Giants and Jones are close to a deal, Jones said, “I don’t think there’s much truth to that.’’ Of course, this is accurate, considering negotiations were never going to open up until after the season. General manager Joe Schoen believes there should not be any major decisions made until at least one week after the season has ended, in order to prevent emotion from clouding his judgment.
Jones said he has had “positive” conversations with Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll when those talks have ventured into what comes next.
“I think they think I made a lot of improvement this year,” Jones said. “I’ll let them speak for themselves when it comes to that stuff. We’ve had conversations, they’ve been positive and I’ve enjoyed playing for ’em.”
On the last day of a football season that felt like the last day of a high school semester, the Giants’ Brian Daboll finally had to concede that there are things that are beyond the control of a football head coach, even an excellent football coach, even a coach who has spent the last 11 ½ months lending oxygen to a franchise and adrenaline to a fan base.
Even Daboll — never too rambunctious after wins, never too downtrodden after losses — couldn’t disguise the hurt in his voice and the fatigue in his bones.
“I wish we could do this again next week,” he said.
The Eagles flattened the Giants 38-7 Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and it honestly didn’t take very long for them to delete whatever mystery had been attached to the proceedings. The Eagles scored the first two times they touched the ball. They stopped the Giants on an early fourth down, which seemed to pick Daboll’s pockets of the surplus of pixie dust he’d carried around all year.
It was 28-0 at the half. The Linc was beside itself. Giants fans spent halftime checking out what was available on Hulu and Netflix.
Brian DabollN.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg
“A crash landing,” is how Daboll described it, again and again and again, and there really was no better wordsmithing on this night. The Giants, flying into the game on such a high, wound up colliding with the back end of a row of buses like Evel Knievel, only the buses were dressed in green Eagles uniforms.
They did. It was complete, it was thorough, it was an evisceration start to finish — and it doesn’t reduce by even one ounce what the Giants accomplished this year. If, back in August, you picked the Giants to win six games there was a term your friends used for you: eternal optimist. And even you didn’t get them to nine. Even you couldn’t have fathomed they would win a playoff game for the first time in 11 years.
Daniel JonesCorey Sipkin
“It was a special thing to be a part of,” quarterback Daniel Jones said, and it was a special thing to watch, from the moment Daboll flashed two fingers at the end of the opener at Tennessee to the remarkable tsunami of faith that followed the Giants down the Turnpike for this NFC divisional playoff.
The sting will linger a day or two.
Then you will remember a stolen moment: Jones trampling the Vikings last week? Kayvon Thibodeaux ransacking the Commanders in Week 15? Saquon Barkley showing extended examples of why he was once described as being touched “by the hand of God?” Go ahead. Pick as many as you want. There are plenty of them.
Soon enough, of course, you will begin to think about something else.
You will think about next season, and the seasons to come, and you will want to ponder how this season ought to be a building block for something better, something greater, something sustainable. General manager Joe Schoen and Daboll, no doubt, will already have thought about that by the time you wake up Sunday morning, and there are few franchises in any sport right now whose fans trust their leadership more deeply than Giants fans trust Schoen and Able.
Of course there’s a world of difference, and sometimes a vast chasm, between what ought to happen and what does. Daboll sounded a familiar tone for longtime New York football observers when he said, near the end of his postgame gathering with reporters:
Saquon BarkleyCorey Sipkin
“Disappointed. I wish we could’ve done a better job, I wish I could’ve done a better job. It feels like crap, that’s as honest as I can be.
“You have to work extremely hard to get to this spot,” Daboll continued. “It’s a hard place to get to, this division round.”
In that moment Daboll sounded precisely as his spiritual antecedent had, almost 24 years earlier. By January 1999, Bill Parcells had moved on to the Jets and in two seasons, he had them within 30 minutes of a Super Bowl. That didn’t happen, though the moment those Jets stepped off the field at Mile High Stadium, they were christened Next Year’s Champs.
Parcells, who’d seen this gauntlet before, looked 120 years old as he leaned against a wall just outside the Jets’ locker room, his eyes hollow and his voice soft.
“You realize just how much work you have to go through just to get right back to where we are right now,” Parcells said. “Free agency. The draft. Voluntary workouts. Training camp. Sixteen games. All of it. Just to get right back to where we’re standing.”
The Jets never did get back there under Parcells. Things happen. Players get hurt. Rookies don’t pan out. Seasons often behave with a mind of their own. So the Giants know, right now, immediately, that there are no guarantees about what’s next.
Still at the end of a day — at the end of a season, the end of a semester — it’s good to be a Giants fan, and good to be a part of this team’s future. One crash landing doesn’t change any of that. If anything, it makes you want to push the fast-forward button, you know?
Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley staying healthy, leading the Giants into the playoffs and playing so well that lucrative new contracts are sure to follow are all achievements considered to be improbable, implausible and perhaps even impossible when this all kicked off several months ago.
The individual who brought Jones and Barkley to the Giants is thrilled — but not surprised — it has worked out this way.
“I’m proud as hell, they both persevered and fought through,’’ Dave Gettleman, the former Giants general manager, told The Post on Friday. “You talk about mental toughness, for Saquon to fight through those injuries and not getting a contract and being forced to play out his fifth year, he had to have a lot of confidence in himself, show some mental toughness.
“And Daniel, the same thing. He’s in his third system in four years. Of course I’m proud of them. I’m really happy for them. It’s not because it justifies me. It justifies them.’’
Dave Gettleman is happy to watch the players he drafted make the playoffs. Getty Images
More than anything else, the success or failure of high draft picks define a general manager’s tenure with a team. Gettleman’s first selection with the Giants was Barkley, taken No. 2 overall in 2018. No one questioned Barkley’s ability, but the value of a running back as a top-five pick was certainly a worthwhile debate.
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A year later, it was no secret the Giants were in the quarterback market, with the aging icon franchise Eli Manning on the downside of his 16-year career. It was not considered a strong draft for quarterbacks in 2019 and Gettleman defied most draft prognostications by taking Jones, out of Duke, at No. 6 overall.
Barkley was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year but injuries to his ankle and knee — a torn ACL limited him to only two games in 2020 —dulled much of his luster. Jones, only two games into his rookie year, replaced Manning and showed great promise before a new coaching staff and new offensive systems, plus nagging injuries and a neck issue down the stretch in 2021 spawned questions if he was the answer at the most important position on the field.
Through it all, both players endured, thrived under first-year head coach Brian Daboll and carried the Giants to a record of 9-6-1 and their first playoff berth since 2016 heading into the regular-season finale against the Eagles.
“It’s been proven time and time again, you draft a kid in the first round, you’re the New York Giants or the New York Jets, he better be able to handle New York,’’ Gettleman said. “Because it ain’t easy.
“New York’s a tough place and it’s a tough place when things aren’t going right. I’m just proud they stuck to it and not been bothered by things that are written and said. I’m thrilled for those kids. They’re good people. Good young men.’’
Daniel Jones smiles during the Giants’ win over the Colts on Jan. 1. Robert Sabo for the NY POSTSaquon Barkley was picked No. 2 in the 2018 NFL draft by Dave Gettleman. Getty Images
Gettleman after four years as the general manager saw the writing on the wall and opted for retirement after the Giants went 4-13, triggering a housecleaning that sent Joe Judge packing and ushered in Daboll and new general manager to lead another rebuild.
Gettleman, 71, splits his time between his homes in New Jersey and Cape Cod. His fingerprints are all over the current Giants roster. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence (first round, 2019) and left tackle Andrew Thomas (first round, 2020) are centerpieces and budding stars. Safeties Xavier McKinney (second round, 2020) and Julian Love (fourth round, 2019) are fixtures on the back end of the defense. Azeez Ojulari (second sound, 2021) is a rising pass rusher. The trade with the Jets for Leonard Williams imported a versatile interior defensive lineman and the free agent signing of Graham Gano provided Daboll with one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers.
“Am I happy the guys are doing well? I’m thrilled,’’ Gettleman said. “Daniel and Saquan and Andrew Thomas and Dexter, where do you want me to stop? I’m thrilled they’re all playing well. They’re maturing as players and they’re getting coached.’’
There were notable Gettleman misfires, of course: DeAndre Baker and Kadarius Toney in the draft, Kenny Golladay in free agency, salary cap miscalculations. Any time a top executive leaves behind a young quarterback with promise, though, it is a resume-enhancer.
“Daniel hasn’t changed,’’ Gettleman said. “He’s always been hard-working, athletic, tough, smart. We all have to learn our craft. Sad thing, in the society we live in right now and the culture we have, there’s no patience for anything.
“I’ve always been confident with the pick. You look at the quarterbacks that have been brought in, that are getting drafted high, people were just taking shots and taking chances. A lot of GMs and owners acquiesce to the media and public opinion. You take a guy with the sixth pick in the draft, if you don’t believe he’s gonna be successful, what planet, what are you doing? I’ve never backed off of the pick, never once did I ever shake my head and say ‘boy, did I f–k up.’ Not once.
“If you were gonna bet money on a guy, that’s a guy you would bet on.’’
MINNEAPOLIS — Five years. Five years spent wondering where it had all gone wrong. Five years agonizing over why the latest new head coach turned out to be the latest wrong head coach, why the general manager wasn’t any savior. Why this, why that.
Five years that reminded you of the dark wilderness years when your fans were in revolt, and your father and uncle needed to be separated by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, and George Young was summoned to rescue the franchise.
No one deserved a season like this one more than John Mara, the biggest Giants fan of them all.
’Tis the day before what could be an improbable and exhilarating Mara Christmas, for the devoted owner, for Giants fans everywhere.
Back up from Rock Bottom, here come the New York Football Giants, hungering for a win over the Vikings on Saturday that could … with help … secure their first playoff berth since 2016.
Here comes Brian Daboll, the competent, culture-changing head coach Mara couldn’t find until he blew it all up and trusted rookie general manager Joe Schoen to find one for him.
Here comes Daniel Jones, bloodied, but unbowed, following three years of Quarterbacking 101 negligence, an ugly duckling blossoming into a beautiful swan before our eyes under Daboll’s guidance.
Brian Daboll’s Giants are on the verge of clinching a playoff berth. Bill Kostroun/New York PostNY Post Illustration
Here comes Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley, running to daylight on two healthy knees again.
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Here comes Kayvon Thibodeaux, who had himself a Lawrence Taylor night against the Commanders and isn’t interested in being any one-hit wonder. Alongside will be Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence and what will need to be a Big Blue Wrecking Crew to keep Kirk Cousins from playing catch with otherworldly Justin Jefferson, or perhaps leading another comeback for the ages.
Here comes defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, with his infectious swagger, keeping the Giants in virtually every game with half his secondary on the sideline.
Here comes Graham “The Toe” Gano, automatic weapon.
From 2018-21, Mara watched his Giants play 65 games. He watched them lose 46 of those games.
Barkley was filled with hope and optimism before his first NFL game. He and Odell Beckham Jr. were going to be a dynamic duo. Eli Manning was years away from the Manningcast.
New York Post
“I believe that this team has a great chance to be a great team,” Barkley said at the time.
It didn’t. It wasn’t. From 2018-21, Barkley was 19-46 as a Giant, too.
Now? Now he is 8-5-1 this season. The playoffs aren’t fourth-and-long. The playoffs are first-and-goal.
“I can feel it. I’m hungry for him,” Thibodeaux told The Post. “He’s brought out the beast in me, in just seeing we really do have a chance, and this is something that doesn’t come by easy.”
From 2019-21, Jones was 14-35.
“He doesn’t even know if he’s getting a contract next year,” Thibodeaux said, “and that’s none of my business. I don’t know whatever goes into it. But it’s just like the relentlessness to continue to play with all of these pressures being the quarterback in New York City, hats off to him ’cause he’s just been delivering week in and week out.”
Daniel Jones, left, and Saquon Barkley jog off the field after the Giants’ win over the Commanders on Dec. 18. USA TODAY Sports
It should be a no-brainer that the twin faces of the franchise, Jones and Barkley, deserve to keep delivering for the 2023 Giants and beyond.
“We gotta keep good things going,” Thibodeaux said. “You don’t need to fix something that’s not broken.”
Mara’s Giants are no longer broken.
“If I had a voice,” Thibodeaux said, “I’d say those are our leaders, and I love being on the team with ’em, and I feel like they’re gonna lead us to greatness.”
It’s Year 1 of the rebuilding, and here come the New York Football Giants anyway, ready, willing and Daboll to gift themselves their first Mara Christmas in what seems like an eternity.
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