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The New York Giants are likely to emerge from the 2025 offseason feeling much more confident about their ability to execute on offense based on the development of the talent already on the team and the various acquisitions they have made since the 2024 season concluded.
As confident and optimistic as they will be–and for good reason–there will still be questions to answer.
Small things like what the running back carries split will look like, how they will better utilize Darius Slayton this season, and whether they will use Jalin Hyatt are all fun conversational topics.
Then, some questions are much more significant and will likely decide their season offensively if they can not be answered positively.
Can Andrew Thomas compete for the majority of the season?
Over his five seasons in the NFL, Andrew Thomas has only suited up for every regular-season game twice. The first was his 2020 rookie season, when he made 15 out of 16 starts. The second was the 2022 season when the current regime took over.
It is no surprise that 2022 was the best season of their three-year run. That year, Thomas started all 16 games. Unfortunately for the team and Thomas, he has only played 16 games over the past two seasons due to lower-body injuries, and the results have spoken for themselves when he is unavailable.
He is still an All-Pro-caliber talent on the field, but dominant left tackles are not easy to find and, indeed, not easy to replace on a week-to-week basis.
Anyone capable of starting at a decent level at the position over a long period has a home already. And it’s worth noting that the Giants are 3-15 in the 18 games Thomas has missed over the last two seasons. While you cannot definitively say that these losses are all because of Thomas's absence, it is a big reason and not one to be taken lightly.
Even though the Giants have addressed tackle in free agency and the draft, nobody is Thomas. Hopefully, the medical staff can find a way to keep him on the field for the season, as no one on the offensive line opens bigger holes in the run game or blocks out the sun in pass protection.
Will the offense be able to increase its scoring output?
In 2022, the Giants finished in the middle of the pack in total touchdowns with 40, better than the 28 the Colts scored that season but still far away from the 61 times the Chiefs found the end zone.
In 2023, the Giants’ total dropped by 11, and they were the worst team in the NFL in touchdowns scored. They followed that up in 2024 with a second consecutive bottom-of-the-barrel performance at 30 touchdowns.
Since that 2022 season, when the team averaged just over 21 points (the only time they did so since 2019), the offense has averaged 15.6 and 16.1 points per game in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Instability at quarterback and offensive line issues can be blamed, but unimaginative or conservative playcalling also plays a significant role.
The upgrades along the offensive line, especially at the quarterback position, should help.
The coaching staff’s understanding of their weapons and how they can best be utilized in this offense should improve their ability to get the football in the end zone.
The players’ comfort with the offense will also be paramount, but ultimately, it will be the desire to be more aggressive when the team is within striking distance that will improve those numbers. If they can develop that desire to hunt the endzone, it will.
Can the offense produce more explosive passing plays?
One of the most significant issues with the Giants is that the team has not produced many explosive plays through the air.
In 2024, the team was tied with the Patriots for last in passing plays of 20 or more yards with 34. The 49ers, Vikings, and Lions all had over 60 plays.
In 2023, the Giants had 44 passing plays of 20 or more yards, which is interesting because that was when Tyrod Taylor started several games for the team.
Even in 2022, when the team made the second round of the playoffs, they were terrible at producing explosive plays through the air.
In that same season, the Chiefs led the league with 72, and the Giants brought up the rear with 28.
Based on the statistics for 2023, better quarterback play could help this number increase. With quarterbacks willing to drive the ball deeper downfield and an offensive line capable of staying on their blocks longer, there should be a drastic increase in passes of 20+ yards.
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TODAY'S BEST
Reporter offers theory on why Kirk Cousins has not been traded
There have been multiple injuries to starting quarterbacks through the first two weeks of the NFL season, which has led to speculation that the Atlanta Falcons might finally trade Kirk Cousins. It does not sound like that is close to happening. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Thursday that no teams have reached out to the Falcons about trading for Cousins despite injuries to Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy, New York Jets' Justin Fields and Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels. Cousins was once considered the type of player who would generate buzz if a team's starting QB were to go down. So why hasn't it happened? According to Rapoport, the Falcons have no real incentive to trade Cousins. Cutting the 37-year-old never made sense, as Atlanta has to pay Cousins anyway, hence why the asking price has not dropped significantly. "He is a proven starting quarterback who happens to be the backup quarterback. If Michael Penix gets hurt, Cousins will step in there," Rapoport said. "That allows the Falcons to drive a very, very hard bargain. In other words, if you're going to trade for Kirk Cousins, if you're a team that says, 'Alright, we gotta have this guy,' you're gonna have to pay some of the salary and you're gonna have to give up a real draft pick. That is the luxury the Falcons have. "If they've got to keep him, they can just keep him because he's an excellent, excellent backup quarterback. Perhaps that is why we have not seen a deal yet, but every time there is a real, long-term quarterback injury, we're gonna have the same conversation this season." Kirk Cousins was benched for poor play in 2024 Cousins lost his job to Michael Penix Jr. midway through the 2024 season. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback got off to a decent start in his first season with Atlanta, but then played poorly for a stretch. Cousins finished with 3,508 yards, 18 touchdown passes and a career-worst 16 interceptions. There were numerous trade rumors involving Cousins during the offseason, but nothing materialized. That is mainly because he is only in the second year of a four-year, $180M contract. The Falcons do not seem eager to eat much of that salary in a trade, unless a team were willing to make it worth their while with draft-pick compensation. A desperate team could still want Kirk Cousins The Bengals are bracing for a lengthy absence for Burrow, who could potentially miss the remainder of the season. The other quarterbacks who have gotten hurt are not expected to be sidelined for very long. It is possible that teams aren't desperate enough this early in the season to give up assets for Cousins. There also seems to be a belief among some that Cousins' skills have declined, which makes it tougher for the Falcons to ask for much in a potential deal.
Raiders' Pete Carroll admits disappointing truth about Ashton Jeanty
The Las Vegas Raiders had high hopes and expectations when they took Boise State phenom Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in this year's draft. It's becoming increasingly rare to see running backs drafted so high, but after watching him post one of the single greatest seasons in college football history, he looked more than worthy of that honor. So far, however, the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist has looked quite mortal in his first two games in the pros. Ashton Jeanty hasn't gotten off to a fast start in the NFL He logged 38 yards and one score in his NFL debut, and then logged just 43 yards on 11 carries in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. That's why Raiders head coach Pete Carroll had to admit that they needed to take things slowly with Jeanty. While he acknowledged that they hadn't done much to put Jeanty in a position to succeed, he remains optimistic about the RB's prospects. "We're just getting started (with Jeanty)," Carroll told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He's breaking into the NFL. He's figuring it out. He'll get more carries. We have to run the ball more effectively. We only got (68 yards), and that's not enough. We need more than that. We're bringing (Jeanty) along. More will come." Ashton Jeanty knows he has to do better Jeanty is averaging 2.7 yards per attempt, which is a far cry from his 6.4 yards per carry in college. At least he knows he has to be better, and he believes it's just a matter of time before he gets used to the speed of the pros. "Last week it was on me, I didn't do a good job of reading the plays. I'll put it on myself again this week," Jeanty said. "Just getting used to the speed, honestly. Last week kind of felt like I was moving a little slower, this week felt better. Still not there yet, but once it happens, it will be good." Jeanty continued commenting on the situation on Wednesday. He didn't mince words. Jeanty has posted the fewest rushing yards (81) among players with at least 30 carries, and his next chance to turn the page will come in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders' beatable run defense.
Packers have concerning injury pop up at practice
The status of Tucker Kraft's availability for the Green Bay Packers in their game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday is unknown after the tight end suffered an injury at practice on Thursday. Per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Tucker is undergoing tests on his knee. "Packers TE Tucker Kraft will be added to the injury report after he sustained a knee injury in practice," Demovsky posted on X. "Kraft is undergoing tests to determine the severity, but the Packers have reason to believe it's not a season-ending type injury." Green Bay Packers need their TE as a blocker this week Tucker has started in both games for the Packers this season. He's been targeted 11 times, catching eight passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns. The injury isn't thought to be season-ending, but it could have big ramifications for Week 3. With Tucker out, the Packers could lean more on tight end Luke Musgrave. Musgrave has caught three passes for 36 yards this season. With the Packers headed to Cleveland on Sunday, the status of Tucker is a big deal for the offensive line. Green Bay will need its tight end as a run-blocker and to chip-block Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who is motivated after what he called an "embarrassing" effort against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. “He’s a game-wrecker,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said earlier this week about Myles Garrett, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “You’ve got to be really intentional about what you’re trying to get done because if you have a bad matchup, forget about it. This guy can make it ugly in a hurry, so you’ve got to be really conscious of where he is aligning." The Packers offense would be better off knowing Tucker was available to help chip Garrett on Sunday. Green Bay already had questions heading into the game with right tackle Zach Tom, who returned to practice on Wednesday in a limited fashion as he deals with an oblique injury.
Lakers' West Rival Interested in Austin Reaves in Potential Free Agency
One of the biggest looming issues for the Los Angeles Lakers is Austin Reaves' future with the team. After signing Luka Doncic to a contract extension in the offseason, Reaves is up next to get one. The problem for the Lakers is that Reaves will likely garner a substantial amount of money next season, especially if he continues to progress as he has throughout his career. Reaves' potential free agency would come next summer, and he is set to be a highly sought-after free agent. If they let him go, one West team has already been linked to Reaves. More news: Lakers Roster Already Raising Major Red Flag Ahead of Season The Spurs could be interested in Lakers guard Austin Reaves If Reaves does leave the Lakers, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints is reporting that the Spurs could be interested in bringing him to San Antonio. Other teams are interested, as well. "If/when Reaves opts out of his current contract, he'll be an unrestricted free agent with plenty of interest. League sources say the San Antonio Spurs and other teams are keeping a close eye on Reaves' free agency." Reaves is looking to score a major payday, as he should. He set career-highs in almost every statistical category a year ago. And yet, there has been talk of replacing him in the starting lineup. There have been rumors that the Lakers might opt to start Marcus Smart so that they have better defense on the perimeter. If that happens, Reaves will be out the door the moment he can opt out of his deal. More news: Lakers News: ESPN Insider Provides New Update on LeBron James’ Retirement Plan The Lakers Should Do Everything They Can to Keep Austin Reaves Even though Reaves has some flaws on the defensive end of the court, the Lakers should do everything they can to keep him. His offensive game is too valuable to let him go. Allowing him to walk in free agency for nothing would be catastrophic. At the very least, they should try to get something in return for him in a trade so that they can recoup some assets. Last season, Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, all career-highs. He shot 46 percent from the field and 37.7percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Latest Lakers News For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
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