The biggest storyline of the week heading into the New York Giants Week 7 game vs. the Houston Texans is whether the Giants will start Jameis Winston or J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh wasn’t ready to decide on Sunday night after McCarthy’s fourth-quarter heroics nearly brought the Giants back from a 24-point deficit in a 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints. On Monday, he said the team was still “honing in” on a decision.
Theoretically, Harbaugh does not have to announce
a decision on Wednesday. It would seem logical, though, since this is the beginning of the practice week and reporters will see which quarterback takes the first reps during individual drills early in practice.
Fans who voted in our ‘Jameis or J.J.?’ poll clearly want McCarthy to start.
Do the Giants stay with Winston’s experience and his knowledge of the offense? It is a frustrating ride with Winston, but the Giants have lost one time in his four starts this season, and as a captain and member of the team’s Leadership Council, it is clear how much respect his teammates have for him.
Do they venture into the unknown with McCarthy, and perhaps risk upsetting what has thus far been a mostly harmonious locker room? McCarthy gives them mobility that allows them to expand their playbook, and maybe untapped upside at just 23 years of age. Still, it is important to remember that despite his impressive relief performance on Sunday, the Giants were able to get McCarthy because a team with a shaky quarterback situation had him as QB3 and was happy to be rid of him.
Getting going on the ground
The Giants’ offense was built to be a physical, run-first attack that would take some pressure off quarterback Jaxson Dart and wear down opposing defenses. Unfortunately, the Giants have not run the ball well. They average 3.8 yards per attempt, 22nd in the league. That number isn’t even a true picture of how ineffective the run game has been. It is inflated by a 28-yard J.J. McCarthy scramble, a 22-yard Dart run, and a 20-yard Darnell Mooney reverse.
The Giants do not have a 20-yard run from a running back this season. They average 3.9 yards per attempt when giving the ball to a back, with Cam Skattebo’s 3.6 yards per rush topping the list.
The backs and the blocking have both been problematic. Getting more production out of the run game is a must, and part of the Winston-McCarthy equation.
The backs
Harbaugh said the other day that he would love to have a Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley circumstance, with a clear No. 1 stud running back. Hopefully, nobody reminds Harbaugh that one of those guys was a Giant.
Go back to the offseason. The Giants were interested in free agent running back Kenneth Walker before he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. They were thought to be seriously considering using the No. 5 overall pick on running back Jerimiyah Love.
It is clear they felt they needed more at running back. It is why they took a chance with Harris, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher. That didn’t pan out. quarterback situation had him as QB3 and was happy to be rid of him.
Skattebo is more bulldozer than big-play, breakaway back. With four fumbles in five games (the sixth doesn’t count since he never touched the ball), he has clearly lost some trust.
Tracy is a slasher and a good pass receiver. Of the current backs the Giants have, trying to get him more carries might be the Giants’ best chance to create more explosive runs. We know they need them:
Singletary is Mr. Consistency. He won’t make mistakes as a pass protector, and he has just four fumbles in 1,352 career touches. Going forward, it won’t surprise me if Singletary becomes the back the Giants close games with while trying to protect a lead.
The blocking
Watch the Giants try to run the football, and you too often see a block that doesn’t get executed. Harris’s 6-yard loss Sunday against the New Orleans Saints was a perfect example. He lost those yards because Jon Runyan Jr. got knocked into him about 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Harris had no chance on the play.
Pro Football Focus grades and Pro Football and Sports Network Impact scores are not perfect indicators of performance. But they can tell us some things.
An average PFF grade is 60.0. The Giants’ team run-blocking grade is 49.5, 29th in the league.
Only one regular player, right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (83.9), has been well above average as a run blocker. Fullback Patrick Ricard (55.6) and offensive linemen Runnyan (54.3), John Michael Schmitz (50.5), and Sisi Mauigoa (50.0) have been below average. Marcus Mbow is at 45.2 in limited duty.
An average PFSN Impact Score is 75.0. The Giants’ team run-blocking score is 69.0, 26th.
Only Giants’ offensive linemen have played enough snaps to qualify for a PFSN Impact Score. In run-blocking, Andrew Thomas (78.6) and Eluemunor (77.2) are slightly above average. Mauigoa 67.8) and Runyan (63.7) are well below average.
Mauigoa is having a rocky start to his career. Runyan is an excellent pass blocker, but a poor run blocker. Thomas is playing hurt. Eluemunor is now hurt. Bryan Hudson has replaced Schmitz at center, and it is too early to tell whether or not he is the answer at center.
Blame whoever and whatever you want, but too often Giants’ running backs have had no chance.
Beating themselves
The Giants are a team that does not have a huge margin for error. Four of their five games this season have been either one-score games or decided in the closing seconds.
The Giants have two victories courtesy of game-saving interceptions by Jevon Holland and Deonte Banks. Unfortunately, the Giants have a tie and a loss in the last two weeks that their own mistakes are to blame for.
Over six games, the Giants have actually made a shocking number of self-inflicted, sometimes undisciplined mistakes.
The Giants have fumbled 11 times. Only the Los Angeles Rams (13) have more fumbles. The Giants have lost seven of those fumbles. Add in four interceptions thrown by Giants quarterbacks, and New York has 11 turnovers. Only five teams have more. Overall, the Giants are -2 in takeaway/giveaway ratio.
Penalties have also been a problem. The Giants have 46, and only 11 teams have more. Twenty-four of those penalties have been pre-snap. Only the Cleveland Browns (29) have more pre-snap infractions.
The Giants have only five special teams penalties, the fifth-fewest in the NFL. Unfortunately, four of those came last week in the second half against the Saints. Those penalties negated punt returns by Charlie Jones of 32, 15, 33, and 9 yards.
Beating themselves is something the Giants have to stop doing.
