5 Random Thoughts as Giants Enjoy Rare Weekend Off from Football

Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the Giants flipping the order at backup quarterback, putting Jameis Winston as QB2 and Russell Wilson as QB3.

There are two reasons for this. First, Winston is signed to a two-year deal, with the original intention that, come 2026, Dart would be the starter and Winston would be his backup. 

As we all know, the page was turned on the starting quarterback role much earlier than expected, but Winston has remained the emergency quarterback.

That needs to change. 

We saw how, when Dart had to come out of Thursday night’s game, the Giants returned to Russell Wilson, the backup, to be in there for a couple of uninspiring plays. Can anyone imagine what might have been if Wilson had to play the rest of the game?

This isn’t meant to be a diss on Wilson, who has been a total class act and a true professional. When all’s said and done, Winston’s skill set, even though it might not be what it was when he was younger, would appear to be more in line with that of Dart’s. 

Remember, the Giants made significant changes to their offense when they flipped the page from Wilson to Dart. 

If the unthinkable were to happen and Dart were to miss any length of time, do they really want to go back to the ineffective offense that they ran with Wilson at the helm, or do they want to consider keeping the same beat going?

Speaking of Wilson

There’s still plenty of time before the November 4 trade deadline for the Giants to see if they can’t get a deal done that sends Wilson to another team where he can start in place of an ailing quarterback. 

But here’s why the Giants probably won’t look to move Wilson: Jaxson Dart. Dart, as we have come to see, plays with an almost reckless style, which, while thrilling to watch, leaves one holding their breath every time he takes a hit.

The Giants, under Daboll, have always preferred to have at least two healthy quarterbacks on the roster and practice squad who know the system inside and out. 

If they were to move Wilson to another team, that would leave them with only Dart and Winston, the two who know the current offensive system —a risk I just don’t think general manager Joe Schoen is willing to take if all he was potentially getting in return was a Day 3 pick.

What about the cap savings, you ask? Wilson’s $2 million base salary breaks down to $117,647 per week, so if the Giants were to trade him by the Nov. 4 deadline, they would save that $117,647 per week times the number of weeks remaining in the season at the time of the trade.

Not Buying It

One of the first things coaches at any level learn is not to throw their players under the bus, especially those who end up benched for poor performance.

The Giants coaches are certainly no different in that regard. In fact, head coach Brian Daboll likely graduated with an A+ in protecting players from any embarrassment when they are benched or struggling.

Case in point: the CB2 position, where the Giants finally went with Cor’Dale Flott, who has outplayed former first-round pick Deonte Banks at nearly every turn.

Daboll explained that the rotation that had been in place for the first four weeks, where Flott played on first and second downs and Banks came in to play man coverage on third down, was part of the game plan and that he still had confidence in Banks.

“It could change next week based on what we're doing or how we're doing it,” Daboll said. “Flott did a really good job for us. Made a huge play.” 

I’m not sure how much more the coaches need to see to justify pulling Flott off the field to go back to the rotation. 

Against the Eagles, Flott, in 41 snaps (30 in coverage), has two significant plays made in the down that favored his team.

The first was a 1-yard loss on a pass to the flat from Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley, and then the big 68-yard interception. 

If Flott is going to keep on generating those kinds of plays a few times each game with more of a full-time role, to even think about pulling him off the field for Banks makes zero sense.

The Oooooh-Line! 

Lost in the amazement rookie Jaxson Dart has brought to the offense is the fact that the Giants' offensive line has been playing a lot better both in run blocking and pass pro.

Using data compiled from PFF’s weekly game logs, the Giants had 48 pressures in Weeks 1-3, 14.3% of those pressures seeing Russell Wilson being mostly at fault.  

In Weeks 4-6, that number has dropped to 40 pressures, though for what it’s worth, Dart has been partly responsible for 50% of the pressures against him.

In run blocking, the results have been even better. In the first three games, the Giants averaged 96.0 yards on the ground; in their last three, that’s improved to 156.3 yards per game.

Yes, the return of left tackle Andrew Thomas, starting in Week 4, has contributed to the offensive line's improvement. But Thomas is one-fifth of a unit that has quietly been doing some good work of late. 

Speaking of Lines

Another noticeable area of improvement for the Giants these last few weeks has been the play of the run defense, which has been a problem for almost as long as the offensive line.

In two straight weeks, the Giants' run defense has held opponents–including Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year–to under 88 yards on the ground.

In Weeks 1-3, the Giants’ run defense allowed an average of 153.3 yards per game; over the last three weeks, that average has fallen significantly to 104.3 yards per game.

With the Giants winning these days in the trenches, is it any wonder why they have been a lot more competitive when they’re not shooting themselves in the foot with multiple turnover games?