NY Giants' Mike Kafka Expresses Optimism after Offense's Abysmal Week 1

If the Super Bowl 48 champion faces similar trouble in Dallas, support for the younger and presently more athletic Jaxson Dart will reach thunderous levels. However, no QB is probably going to fare well if the Giants do not establish the run. That is not going to happen unless the O-line is competent.

If all of those components work together, Wilson should have opportunities to punish the defense with play action. Kafka acknowledged the problem, while also stressing the importance of New York manufacturing points from the onset.

“You obviously want to be able to be multidimensional on offense and be able to run the football, attack the inside, the outside, downfield, make them defend the entire width and depth of the field," Kafka said.

"So, when you kind of get out of those certain situations, it's tough. So we've got to do a better job on first and second down. We have to do a better job early in the game, get into a rhythm, and get our guys going."

Do the NY Giants have what it takes to fix this offense?

While it is important to hear the coaching staff address Big Blue's notoriously slow starts, this is something it was already aware of going into the new season. The Giants have had months to think about how they could improve in this critical area, and they did not look any different last Sunday.

That is an indictment of both the game-planning and execution. The red-zone offense was as maddening as ever. New York's best drive of the day, which started in the first quarter and spilled into the second, frustratingly ended in a field goal after the squad blew several chances at the goal line.

The play that perfectly summed up the offense's inept afternoon came when the G-Men attempted a pass to rookie offensive lineman Marcus Mbow on first-and-goal. Fans scratched their heads and then clenched their fists.

Kafka explained the decision, insisting that the roster has enough talent to implement some creativity.

"Yeah, you look at it when you start evaluating the tape, and you see maybe there was an alignment that we thought we could take advantage of," he said.

"We were trying to be aggressive with it. It didn't work out. First down, you have the ability to use those types of calls because, really, the defense doesn't know. Are you running it? Are you throwing it? They did a nice job playing it... But yeah, we're going to continue to be aggressive, and try to be as creative as we can and score points."

Playing with purpose is key, but this team needs to show it can grasp the fundamentals first. You have to learn how to walk before you can run, and the Giants are stumbling all over the place.

Perhaps a simpler red-zone approach would be more advantageous in Week 2. New York cannot look dysfunctional again. The play-calling will be under the microscope, as Kafka is tasked with formulating a strategy that will allow the Giants to at least compete with the Cowboys.

Another fiasco may force the team to make hard decisions much earlier than most anticipated.