The New York Giants are coming off their most successful season in over a decade. In his first season as head coach of the Giants, Brian Daboll led Big Blue to a 9-7-1 regular season record, a postseason berth, and the franchise’s first playoff win since 2012.
Despite the success of last season, New York is primed to take another big step forward in 2023. The increased talent on their roster and superior coaching staff should propel the Giants into another big year.
Why the New York Giants are primed to take a big step forward in 2023
1. Coaching Continuity:
Following the success of the 2022 season, the Giants’ coaching staff was thrust into the spotlight at the beginning of this offseason. Both offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale received thorough consideration for head coaching gigs. Ultimately, neither coordinator was hired for the big chair, maintaining continuity on Big Blue’s staff.
In his first year as an offensive coordinator, Kafka quickly proved to be one of the brightest offensive minds in football. He led QB Daniel Jones to have a career-best season, totaling a career-high 3,205 passing yards while leading the NFL with a 1.1% interception rate. Big Blue averaged 21.5 points per game in 2022, a massive improvement over their 15.2 points per game average the season prior.
Martindale had a similar effect on the defense. In 2022, New York allowed only 21.8 points per game compared to the 24.5 points per game surrendered in 2021. Martindale is known for his aggressive, blitz-heavy defensive scheme that may take some players a while to get the hang of. As he returns in 2023, the Giants can expect big steps forward from their defensive players entering their second season in Martindale’s system.
The Giants are quietly building one of the best coaching staffs in football led by 2022 AP Coach of the Year Brian Daboll. What Daboll’s brilliance shouldn’t overshadow, however, is the excellence of the staff which he manages.
2. An improved arsenal of weapons
Throughout the entirety of his career, Daniel Jones has had to play with a subpar group of skill position players. Additionally, his offensive line has ranked near the bottom of the league every season. General manager Joe Schoen made it a priority to fix these errors, acquiring a well of new talent on offense.
The team’s blockbuster move of the offseason was trading for veteran TE Darren Waller. The former Raiders star has topped 1,000 receiving yards twice in his career and, when healthy, is one of the best players in the league at his position.
Waller is bringing elite speed to the offense from the tight end position. Other newcomers Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt, are bringing elite speed to the wide receiver position. These new additions will combine with superstar RB Saquon Barkley to give Jones the deepest arsenal of weapons he has ever had in his career.
3. A bolstered defensive corps
In both free agency and the draft, the Giants made big splashes on the defensive side of the ball. In March they signed free agent LB Bobby Okereke to a four-year, $40 million contract, giving Big Blue a run-stopping presence that had previously been absent from the middle of their defense. They followed that move up by drafting CB Deonte Banks in the first round of April’s NFL Draft.
New York also added a pair of defensive linemen in A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Between these additions on the defensive line, in the linebacker corps, and in the secondary, the Giants improved at all three levels of their defense.
At times last season, run-defense was New York’s biggest weakness. At other times, their secondary was not able to hold together due to a lack of talent at the cornerback position. Both areas have been addressed, providing confidence that Martindale’s unit will take a step forward this upcoming season.
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