While we are only eight weeks into this NFL season, it is safe to say that, for the New York Giants, the 2024-2025 campaign is as good as gone. Not only will New York finish with a losing record for the eighth time in the past 10 years, but the NFC East is as strong as ever. The Washington Commanders appear to have found their quarterback of the future in Jayden Daniels, and the Philadelphia Eagles are as good as ever and seem to be clicking. However, at the Meadowlands, it’s Bizarro World, with nothing going right. In this week’s edition of Sargeant’s Orders, we will discuss everything about the Giants, including what the team needs to do to be competitive in the future.
Considering that the season is lost, the team needs to look ahead to the future, and a crucial piece of that future is second-year cornerback Deonte Banks. The 23-year-old was benched midway through the first quarter against the Pittsburg Steelers after struggling mightily on his last series. Banks missed a routine sideline tackle, going for the knees of Najee Harris, only for the Steeler running back to hurdle him easily. A few plays later, the young corner made a poor attempt at wrapping up George Pickins on what should have been a routine tackle. He went to the ground too quickly, which allowed Pickens to spin away and pick up nearly 10 yards after the catch. While some may attribute this to a poor series from Banks with no long-term implications, this isn’t exactly the case.
Banks has demonstrated a lack of focus all season long, and the Giants have suffered because of it. In a week three loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the corner allowed a massive 55-yard touchdown to CeeDee Lamb, and even Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson criticized Banks for his “lack of effort.” While his loafing around may be difficult for the untrained eye to see, the film of what he did in week seven against Philadelphia will clear that up. On a crucial third and seven play, quarterback Jalen Hurts escaped the pocket and scrambled up the field. Instead of making a play to wrap up the All-Pro quarterback, Banks gave up and walked to the sidelines, allowing Hurts to gain even more yardage.
Since his emergence into the National Football League, all Banks knows is losing, considering the Giants have been in the cellars of the NFC East for the past two years. The second-year corner may not feel these games matter, leading to bad habits. Bad habits lead to a lack of concentration and defensive breakdowns in routine situations, as we have seen from Banks. Despite the Maryland alumni’s play as of late, Banks is a talented corner that the Giants need in the future. After all, considering this roster has too many other holes to replace, adding a talented first-round cornerback to that list is unideal. He has the skill set to be a Giant corner for the future, but can he put in the effort? Banks hasn’t been the only Giants player lacking, as there have also been problems on the other side of the ball.
After leading the New York Giants to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs in his 2022-2023 campaign, quarterback Daniel Jones inked a four-year, $160 million deal. While Joe Schoen and the New York front office believed that Jones was the quarterback of the future, this was still a bad contract for the team, as Jones was a bottom-tier quarterback before that run. Even in his contract year, Jones did not have passing stats that made him a top-flight signal caller, although it was hard to deny his scramble game and ability to win, as the Giants finished 9-7-1 that year. However, this year, he has remained essentially the same player since he was first drafted out of Duke.
In the 2021 season, Jones missed the last six games of that campaign with a neck injury, and Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm finished the last six games. This was the same year Joe Judge was the head coach and had the brilliant idea of calling back-to-back quarterback sneaks on second and 11 and third and nine, deep in their own territory. Somehow, that abomination of an offense was better than the New York offense right now, averaging nearly one point more per game. The Giants offense is so bad right now because of their red zone efficiency, which ranks dead last in the league. A season ago, they were 31st in that department, scoring touchdowns on 44.2% of their trips within the other team’s 20-yard line. Even beyond the team’s poor offensive line, Jones struggles at reading defensive coverages and throwing the ball deep. When he does throw the rock downfield, Jones often hesitates, being overly cautious and throwing the ball too late to where a safety over the top will force an incompletion regardless. However, it’s not always like this for Jones. Sometimes, he will make a great throw downfield or read the defensive coverages like a book, though these moments do not occur often enough to generate scoring. As a result, the Giants must consider what they want to do at the quarterback position, especially considering that cutting Jones means eating over $22 million in dead cap. However, with an NFL draft consisting of quarterbacks like Cam Ward, Shedeur Saunders and even Jalen Milroe, the talent is certainly there, although other holes still need to be filled.
If you have followed Giants football for the past decade, the offensive line continues to be near the worst in the league, with this season being no exception. While drafting Andrew Thomas in 2020 was an excellent move, the former Georgia Bulldog suffered an injury in the team’s week six loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and will miss the rest of this year. Not to mention, 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal ranks near the bottom of the league at his position. To make matters worse, Schoen and the rest of the franchise have done virtually nothing in the last three years to address this, whether through the draft or free agency. Not This affects what Jones can do offensively and explains why they can’t run the football or give time to any of their offensive playmakers. It doesn’t matter who is behind center; you need blockers. This is a long, overdue issue that the Giants need to address this offseason to compete in the next two to four seasons.
While the New York defense is playing great, it doesn’t mean much when you have players not playing to their potential, and it shows with their 2-6 record. After letting Saquon Barkley Walk this offseason, the team needs a complete offensive overhaul to even consider being competitive again. While some may favor firing Schoen and Brian Daboll, this doesn’t address the core issues with this franchise that have haunted them for nearly a decade, and this offseason will be critical in moving back toward relevancy.