It’s an annual tradition. How long do we have to wait for the first MetLife stinker of the year by the New York Giants? In 2023 and 2024, the Giants got that out of the way in their opening game. In 2025, it wasn’t until the Kansas City game in week 3, but that was only because the first two games were on the road; it was still the first home game.
This year, things were different for a while at MetLife: A stirring opening win over Dallas, then two squeakers over bad Titans and Cardinals teams but
in poor weather conditions. Today, the weather was beautiful at MetLife, and it looked like the Giants might be on their way to another home win. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead against the New Orleans Saints and were controlling the game. Then Daniel Carlson kicked a 58-yard field goal with 1:16 left in the first half. Charlie Jones fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, and it was all downhill from there, to the tune of 34 consecutive points by New Orleans.
Yet the score wound up 34-27, and the Giants were within one end zone play of sending the game to overtime. What did we learn from this infuriating loss, the Giants’ fourth in four years to one of the NFC’s bottom feeders?
Take my offensive coordinator, please
I just do not like the Matt Nagy offense. Up to this point he’s run too often on first down, and usually between the tackles. It’s not getting the offense anywhere. More on that in a minute. But first, the passing game:
Zero pass attempts beyond 20 yards for Jameis Winston. Only two pass attempts outside the hash marks at intermediate depths. And this against one of the poorer pass defenses in the NFL. For some perspective, let’s look at the same chart for Winston from last year in the Brian Daboll-Mike Kafka offense:
Notice the ball being distributed all over the field. Other than Martin Emerson Jr., a good but not great cornerback, the rest of the Saints’ secondary is ordinary at best.
And it’s not just the passing depths. It seems to me that almost every pass attempt is a contested catch opportunity rather than a route that is designed to create conflicts in the defense. I’m seeing a lot of stuff into the flat with no blockers in front of the receiver. I’m not seeing the high-low route combinations, the intermediate crossers, etc. that are the staple of explosive offenses.
Finally when J.J. McCarthy came into the game, we saw some passes downfield (other than his first brief appearance, when Nagy had him run another one of those useless RPOs). By then, though, he had no choice and the Saints were playing soft to not give up the big play (which they actually did not do very well). Whether J.J.’s performance has created a quarterback controversy or not, I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that Winston is not being given a fair chance to show what he can do in the ultra-conservative, unimaginative offense he’s been asked to run.
Malik Nabers had 165 yards on 12 catches today…but many of those came after the Giants fell behind. Isaiah Likely caught six passes for 99 yards. Between them, Darnell Mooney, and Malachi Fields, it should be possible to run up big passing yards before you get to the fourth quarter. Try it, Matt.
I’m sure Cam Skattebo has learned his lesson…has John Harbaugh learned his?
I get it. Skattebo has fumbled four times already this season, and his last one cost the Giants a victory in Washington. I’m all for a little discipline to get a point across to a player (and to his teammates). But there’s an old expression about cutting off your nose to spite your face. John Harbaugh cut the nose off the Giants’ offense by effectively benching Cam Skattebo, the Giants’ best running back, for the entire game. Najee Harris (four carries, 2 yards) is not the answer. Tyrone Tracy (six carries, 18 yards, but a TD and also two receptions for 27 yards and a TD) is part of the answer. Devin Singletary (four carries, 14 yards and a 19-yard reception) can be part of it, too.
But Cam Skattebo is the Giants’ lead back. You want to teach him a lesson? Let him sit for the first quarter, or even the first half. Point made, point taken. But once the Saints had changed the momentum and the teams went in at halftime tied, it was time to get Skattebo back into the lineup to give the offense a jolt. Skattebo did play six snaps, but he didn’t touch the ball once. Giants’ running backs accounted for a total of 34 yards against one of the NFL’s worst rushing defenses. The Giants’ run blocking is bad, but these Next Gen Stats tell us that the running backs are a big part of the problem:
If only D.J. Reader could play every snap
As opposed to the Giants’ anemic running game, the Saints’ running backs racked up 143 rushing yards today. It seemed to me that most of those came either when D.J. Reader was off the field or when they didn’t rush to his side. Every time I saw a Saints’ RB stuffed, It seemed I saw #98. He made 7 tackles overall (5 solo, 2 assists). Shelby Harris, who is usually on the field with him, seemed to play fairly well too ( 1 tackle, 2 assists).
The run defense degrades considerably when Reader is off the field. Darius Alexander (1 tackle, 0 assists) at this point is a real liability in run defense. I don’t know what the Giants can do about it, other than get far enough ahead that teams are forced to abandon the run. Until they can, though, this will continue to be a problem.
Other than the kicker and punter, the special teams are not special
Jordan Stout has been as advertised, and Dominic Zvada seems not to have been shaken too much by his three missed field goals last week in Washington. The Giants return teams, however, have been awful. The game-turning play was obviously Charlie Jones’ fumble on the kickoff late in the first half, which allowed the Saints to tie the score at the half.
But that’s not all. It seemed to me that every time the Giants had a kickoff or punt to return it was called back by a penalty. Overall the Giants had 10 penalties for 73 yards to the Saints’ 7 for 52. I’m not sure how many of those were on special teams, but I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a problem:
For someone who earned his chops as a special teams coordinator before becoming a head coach, Harbaugh has a very undisciplined return unit.
The shame of all this is that the Giants now go into Houston to face the resurgent Texans at 3-2-1 rather than the 5-1 they should have been.
