Category: Giants Wire Features

How Brian Daboll compares to other Giants coaches after 42 games

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s record after 42 games isn’t much different than that of many of the team’s best coaches.

The New York Giants have begun the 2024 NFL season by losing six of their first eight games, which has become the norm in East Rutherford in recent years.

The Giants have started seven of their last eight seasons 2-6 (or worse) after eight games. The only exception was 2022 when they got off to a 6-1 start en route to a 9-8 season and a playoff berth.

Head coach Brian Daboll, since taking over the reins as head coach in 2022, is 17-24-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the postseason.

There have been numerous conversations and articles suggesting that Daboll should be on the hot seat. But looking back a the history of the Giants, his record isn’t much different than that of his predecessors.

Daboll is the 10th man to coach 42 or more games for the Giants in their century-long existence and the seventh since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

Here’s where Daboll stands against those other six Giant head coaches after 42 games:

  1. Jim Fassel (23-18-1)
  2. Tom Coughlin and Dan Reeves (23-19)
  3. Bill Parcells (19-22-1)
  4. Alex Webster (19-23)
  5. Brian Daboll (17-24-1)
  6. Ray Perkins (15-27)

So, Daboll is just two games worse than the great Hall of Famer Bill Parcells and ahead of Perkins, who is largely credited with helping to modernize the Giants under general manager George Young after decades of ineptitude.

Still want to fire Daboll? Or do you want to be a little more patient now that you know where he stands in team history?

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Giants vs. Commanders: 3 causes for concern in Week 9

The New York Giants square off in a Sunday afternoon battle against the Washington Commanders in Week 9. Here are three reasons for concern.

The New York Giants are riding a three-game losing streak and will be on short rest when they host the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium this Sunday.

Meanwhile, as the Giants continue to battle during their losing season, the Commanders come in as winners of back-to-back games and six of their last seven games following the successful Hail Mary on the final play of Week 8 to defeat the Chicago Bears.

This will be the second time the two teams meet this season. Washington defeated Big Blue in Week 2 despite not scoring a touchdown in the game.

With the emergence and growth of quarterback Jayden Daniels every week, these games against the division rivals are going to be ones the Giants fear for years to come.

Here are three causes for concern ahead of Sunday’s divisional showdown.

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Home not so sweet Home

Most teams desire to play at home in front of their home crowd. Not these Giants and certainly not Daniel Jones.

Jones’ home and away splits are well documented for being incredibly lopsided in favor of when he plays on the road.

This season, the Giants have played four games at MetLife Stadium and four games on the road. At home, they are 0-4 and have been outscored 93-31 in those games. Meanwhile, on the road, the Giants hold a 2-2 record and have outscored their opponents a combined 86-82.

Needless to say, MetLife Stadium has not been kind to Big Blue.

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Commanders’ ground attack

The Commanders come into Week 9 as the team with the second-best yards per carry in the league, third in rushing yards per game, and second in the league in rushing Touchdowns per game.

On the other side, the Giants have had trouble stopping the run all season long. No team has given up more yards per rush than Big Blue.

Washington has the fourth-highest percentage of run plays in the league and you can bet that number will probably be a tad lopsided on Sunday going against a soft Giants’ run stop.

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Injuries and effort

Last week, cornerback Deonte Banks was benched and had been talked about in recent weeks for his lack of effort. The Giants will be going up against a Commanders team with the second-highest completion percentage in the league.

The Giants are already down Andrew Thomas and Kayvon Thibodeaux and as of Wednesday, rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. remains in concussion protocol.

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Fantasy Football: Potential bargains, must-plays from Giants-Commanders game

Here’s a look at some potential bargains for daily fantasy from the New York Giants-Washington Commanders Week 9 game on Sunday afternoon.

The New York Giants (2-6) host the Washington Commanders (6-2) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday afternoon.

Fantasy enthusiasts and bettors will be looking for every and all possible plays in a game where points might be difficult to come by.

In the first meeting in Week 2, the Commanders won, 21-18, but did not score a touchdown. All of their points were provided by kicker Austin Seibert, who booted seven field goals in the game.

Here are our top three plays in Sunday’s matchup:

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Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr.

Washington shredded the Giants in the first meeting to the tune of 215 rushing yards. 133 of those came from Brian Robinson on just 17 carries. The Giants have allowed 426 yards on the ground over the last two games, so they’ve gotten looser against the run in recent weeks.

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Commanders WR Terry McLaurin 

The Giants stifled Terry McLaurin in Week 2, limiting him to just 22 yards on six receptions with one of them going for 12 yards. But the Giants have been vulnerable at all levels in-between the 20s this year and McLaurin has hit his stride since the last meeting. Since Week 3, only Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase has more FPS than McLaurin among NFL wide receivers.

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Giants RB Devin Singletary 

With Tyrone Tracy Jr. likely out with a concussion, the load shifts back to Singletary, who rushed for 95 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown in the first meeting. The Commanders have held teams to under 100 yards rushing in just one of their eight games this year. In DFS, Singletary will be low-owned but his price has remained relatively high.

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Gimme Him: One player Giants would steal from Commanders

The New York Giants would immediately strengthen the interior of their defense by stealing this player from the Washington Commanders.

The New York Giants (2-6) will host the Washington Commanders (6-2) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday afternoon.

That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Commanders’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue for the second time this season.

Back in Week 2, we “stole” quarterback Jayden Daniels, so he’s eliminated as an option for this exercise.

Over the years, wide receiver Terry McLaurin has been the easy steal but that’s no longer a position of need. Other options include offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, center Tyler Biadasz, and safety Jeremy Chinn.

Ultimately, we’re going to take linebacker Bobby Wagner away from the Commanders, weakening their defense while strengthening the Giants’.

While the Giants don’t necessarily “need” Wagner thanks to the pairing of Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden, he would arguably be an upgrade over either of those players based solely on 2024 performance.

Wagner has the sixth-highest overall grade for middle linebackers this season (83.7) and excels as a run defender. He also grades out highly as a pass rusher and while he’s below average in coverage, he wouldn’t be considered a downgrade compared to McFadden in that area.

Wagner and Okereke lining up behind nose tackle Dexter Lawrence would be a dream come true for defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Bobby Wagner or would you steal an entirely different player from the Washington Commanders?

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Giants vs. Steelers Player of the Game: Tyrone Tracy Jr.

The New York Giants were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-18, on Monday night and Tyrone Tracy Jr. is our Player of the Game.

The New York Giants were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-18, at Acrisure Stadium on Monday Night Football and Tyrone Tracy Jr. is our Player of the Game.

Big Blue lost this game in classic Giants fashion as they could not make the big plays when they were needed and turned over the ball at crucial points in the game. However, for an offense struggling to get anything going all day, Tracy added a sparkplug as he got loose for a 45-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

For the second time this season, Tracy rushed for over 125 yards, this time totaling 145 yards on the ground. The rookie also caught two passes for five receiving yards.

The converted wide receiver has proven to be a gem of a fifth round pick for New York. His contact balance and vision were on display all night especially on his touchdown scamper. He was also extremely efficient as he averaged 7.3 yards per carry on 20 attempts.

Unfortunately for the rookie, his night ended early due to a potential concussion in the fourth quarter.

Other players that were considered for player of the game were Darius Slayton (four catches for 108 yards), Azeez Ojulari (seven tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss), and Bobby Okereke (14 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 0.5 sacks).

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Giants vs. Steelers: Best photos from Week 8

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from a Week 8 game between the New York Giants and Steelers — a game that Big Blue lost, 26-18.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from a Week 8 game between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers — a game that Big Blue lost, 26-18.

Giants vs. Steelers: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 8

The New York Giants visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night in Week 8, and here are three reasons for optimism.

The New York Giants will head on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for their Week 8 matchup.

Through seven weeks, the two teams are going in opposite directions. The Steelers come in with a 5-2 record and have won their last two games averaging 34.5 points per game in that span. Meanwhile, at 2-5, the Giants have dropped two straight and have averaged five points per game in that span.

Given the current status of the two teams, it’s no surprise that the Giants opened and continue to be significant underdogs in this matchup.

Here are three reasons for optimism ahead of the matchup on Monday Night Football.

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On the road again

The Giants are back on the road this week after consecutive weeks at MetLife Stadium. The splits for quarterback Daniel Jones are mightily tilted when it comes to being away versus being home. For whatever reason, DJ is much more impressive on the road.

While he has not faired well in primetime, he seems to like to be away from MetLife Stadium so hopefully, the Giants can keep it close in a hostile environment.

Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports

These aren’t the same Steelers

As the saying goes, you are what your record says you are. Things were going well for the Steelers, sitting at 4-2 and hoping to extend to 5-2 on the season.

Through six weeks, the Steelers had played well with Justin Fields under center. However, for whatever reason, last week, the Steelers turned to Russell Wilson, who got his first win of the season.

There is certainly a quarterback controversy among the fans in Pittsburgh.

Russell Wilson has not been good over the last couple of years and tends to take a lot of sacks during his career. Hopefully, the Giants and their league-leading 31 sacks on the season can get to Wilson early and often.

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Malik Nabers

With the way Malik Nabers had played through the first four weeks of the season, he could legitimately be the Giants’ reason for optimism week in and week out. Nabers was back last week after a two-game absence with a concussion.

Nabers was not as overly impressive as he had been before the concussion and perhaps the Giants were easing him back into the role. Nabers seems primed for an impressive game to make a statement once again during his rookie campaign.

Getting their star rookie involved in the game early and often could give the Giants the best chance to win on Monday.

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Giants vs. Steelers: 3 causes for concern in Week 8

The New York Giants square off in a Monday night battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8. Here are three reasons for concern.

The New York Giants enter their Week 8 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in hopes of returning to the win column with their season quickly getting away from them.

With the Giants on a two-game losing streak where they put up a total of 10 points, there isn’t much going right for Big Blue. Understandably, the Giants opened up as 5.5-point road underdogs earlier this week.

The Steelers are coming off back-to-back wins and have a 5-2 record heading into Monday Night Football.

Here are three causes for concern ahead of Monday night’s matchup.

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Primetime

Daniel Jones and the Giants’ struggles during primetime have been heavily highlighted and continue to be at the forefront of the conversation every time Big Blue plays a night game.

Although the Giants hope to turn it around, this matchup won’t come easy against a 5-2 Steelers team.

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Offensive inefficiency 

Over the last two games, the Giants’ offense has been hard to watch. They scored just seven points in their last primetime game two weeks ago against the Cincinnati Bengals and three points last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The offensive line also took a massive step back with the loss of their best asset, left tackle Andrew Thomas, who will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

With points being hard to come by for Big Blue and the Steelers allowing the second-fewest points per game in the NFL this season entering Week 8, the offensive struggles could very well continue for the Giants.

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Slowing gown George Pickens

George Pickens may very well be one of the more underrated receivers in the league. Pickens is coming off his second 100-plus-yard game of the season. With the way Deonte Banks has lollygagged at times this year, it could be a long day against Pickens and the rest of the Steelers passing game.

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Gimme Him: One player Giants would steal from Steelers

The New York Giants have several offensive needs and this player from the Pittsburgh Steelers would be an immediate starting upgrade.

The New York Giants (2-5) will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday night in a Week 8 battle.

That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Steelers’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue.

In looking over Pittsburgh’s roster, the options are robust and plentiful. Perhaps more than any other team the Giants have faced this season, the Steelers have elite-level talent on the top end and impressive depth.

Guard James Daniels would have been a very tempting player to steal had he not been lost for the season due to an Achilles tear. Then there are luxury options like running back Najee Harris and wide receiver George Pickens.

There’s also All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt but given the presence of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, he is also more of a luxury.

Ultimately, we went more practical with this pick and chose to steal rookie cetner Zach Frazier.

Maybe it’s too early to assume Frazier is a long-term asset or that Giants center John Michael Schmitz isn’t the answer. However, through seven weeks, Frazier is everything New York wanted out of JMS and everything JMS currently isn’t.

While Schmitz has improved this season, he’s still ranked 31st out of 38 qualifying centers (via PFF). In comparison, Frazier is ranked fourth overall and has proven himself to be a dominant run blocker. He’s also graded significantly higher than Schmitz in pass protection (63.8 to 41.9).

Would this theft be risky given Frazier’s inexperience? Yes, but if his early-career success carries over, he would be a rock for the Giants for years to come.

What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Zach Frazier or would you steal an entirely different player from the Pittsburgh Steelers?

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Giants vs. Eagles Player of the Game: Dexter Lawrence

The New York Giants fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-3, on Sunday afternoon and Dexter Lawrence II is our Player of the Game.

The New York Giants fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-3, on Sunday afternoon and Dexter Lawrence II is our Player of the Game.

This was a rough game for Big Blue as they continued their losing streak in MetLife Stadium in Week 7. The plethora of injuries for the Giants proved too much to handle as they looked completely flat on both sides of the ball.

The offense was unable to get anything going all day and the defense was completely gashed by former Giant Saquon Barkley. However, one thing the defense did well was rush the quarterback and no one does it better from the nose tackle position than Lawrence.

The Clemson product finished the game with 2.0 sacks and two tackles for loss. He also recorded five solo tackles in the game.

Lawrence’s 2.0 sacks give him 9.0 on the season, which is a career-best.

With this effort, Lawrence is now the sack leader in the NFL and on his way to several end-of-season honors. If he continues this level of play, one can expect the defensive tackle to improve on his two Second-Team All-Pro nominations from the previous two seasons and finally become a First-team All-Pro defender.

Lawrence should also be in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year.

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