It’s over calling it a crisis, but it’s unreasonable to classify the Giants ’time and place now through Joe Judge’s first cross.
The first-year head coach miscalculated his decision to start the immobile Daniel Jones in the 14th week, and the results were miraculous. Jones was unable to do this job physically – his legs were unable to function – and the 23-year-old suffered a mental breakdown when he was knocked out in the quarterback, which was not properly taken into account when he was weak.
Something special is needed to compete if he is sick or ill, and Jones does not have it at a 26-7 loss to the Cardinals. The Giants knew there would be no runs designed for Jones, who had only been ruled out for two weeks without suffering a right femur fracture, and hoped he could develop a game plan to work around this significant deduction from offense. That belief is ambitious thinking or flat mistake.
Jones is responsible for his own performance, but the judge is responsible for signing Jones’ start. Is this illegal? Of course not. Jones is not close to 100 percent, but he’s capable of executing everything – we mean everything – running around him at the highest level. Even if the athletic and fast Jones have two good wheels, it’s not going to happen with a crime fighting at the best times to create points.
Jason Garrett, the judge and attack coordinator, thought they had an attack plan capable of winning. That estimate is not accurate. In the first play, Jones stood upright in the pocket and completed a pass in the middle for Darius Slayton for 13 yards. Positive gain with forecast note. Jones stepped on the throw, which traveled behind Slayton, who had to reach back to make the catch. Jones was turned off, and he never came.
Jones didn’t get 20 minutes for his post-game zoom interview because he had his femur and so-called “general bumps and injuries”. Sometimes when a player supports one part of his body he inadvertently exaggerates and puts too much pressure on another part of his body. All of this had to be considered when giving the green light to Jones.
Would an experienced coach have sidelined Jones and gone with senior backup Gold McCoy for the second week in a row? Most likely, no. Beginners will start if there is no way to start. However, McCoy would have been able to go in and out of the pocket, and it would have been less productive to hold him accountable for the crime. However, Jones was eliminated six times in 27 bass plays, and McCoy was eliminated twice in five bass plays. The cardinals dressed in blue were okay with anyone in the quarterback.
The judge, even after 0-5 and 1-7, lived through a honeymoon because his team was organized and focused through defeat. As the Giants won four straight, the judge was almost appointed. He leaves every indication that he is the right man for the job and that he will be on the job in the years to come. It wasn’t the judge’s fault, it pushed Jones backwards, but it was a win. The results bear it out. 159 total yards is the lowest Giants total in more than seven years. Eli Manning at Wembley Stadium in London has the lowest total of 81 net passing yards in more than 13 years, up from 49 net passing yards in rain, mud and torn grass.
Worse than the horrible numbers is the way Jones saw it, which is worse. No confusion or frustration. Not exactly, no. The judge must do everything in his power to find out what went wrong.
Out of a tough performance at Week 14:
– Rookie Xavier McKinney got his first NFL start and was on the field for almost half of the defensive photos (38 out of 79), filling in for another rookie Darney Holmes who missed the game due to a knee injury. McKinney had four blocks and didn’t play much after half time as Julian Love (45 snaps) took charge of the slot corner. Considering he missed 10 games following foot surgery, anything McKinney receives in the final month can be seen as a bonus. He may help some in the final few games, but it’s all about setting him up for a pivotal role in 2021.
– Sometimes a play seems odd, everyone goes after the play caller, and the quarterback turns the play into a bad order. It was not the third and 1st deep pass for Sterling Shepherd in the third quarter, with the Giants trailing 20-7. Below the previous, Wayne Coleman Giants ran 9 yards in the 16-yard line, so this is definitely not a four-under section. Coleman averaged 4.8 yards for a quick try – not like he stumbled all day. He didn’t get enough carry (only 12) because the offense only managed 49 snaps. Both Jones and the judge said they got what the Giants wanted in the play and wanted the match. Shepherd lined up in the slot and saw Carneback Trey Kirkpatrick from him. It was the feeling of being in a situation with each other, it was. Shepard cut hard on the outside and ran to the right. Jones’ throw was not really marked – the ball fell within range of the 40-yard line. The problem is that Shepherd did not even reach an inch apart, in fact, Kirkpatrick actually had a step in Shepherd. There was competition, but the player did not do it as he intended to beat his man. It was prudent to hand the ball to Coleman to try to take it down first. Throwing it deep only makes sense if you believe in winning a personal battle that doesn’t happen here.
– The attack line cycle is gone as usual. Center Nick Gates, right-hander Kevin Jeetler and left-hander Andrew Thomas all played 49 photos. Right tackle game Fleming and rookie left-hander Shane Lemieux had 38 snaps – eight series – and Rookie Matt Beard and Will Hernandez had 11 snaps – three series. Crime was very low on the field – 22:08 Time keeping was the second lowest of the season – that fatigue was not an issue. Lemieux is now set up as a starter and moving forward. Will the Giants move further and insert the Beard for Fleming with the starting unit? This is a significant question in the final weeks.
– Dion Lewis did not deliver the spark he expected as a kick returner. He trailed 6-0 in the second quarter and decided to return from the goal line, although that did not stop him from setting ahead. The first contact was made in the 15-yard line, which turned his decision into a bad choice because he had no chance of going beyond 20 and accessing the 25-yard line. The catastrophe occurred when the Giants gave the ball to the Giants in the 21-yard line and he stumbled over the ball. This is not Louis’ absolutely dull case. This is a misfortune. Linebacker Kylie Fitz blocked Eli Penny’s game when Fitz’s right foot went out and kicked his foot ball out of Lewis’ grip. Lewis held the ball well in his right hand and never saw the leg kick coming.
– Blake Martinez is not only a smart guy, a team guy, a leader and a great player. He’s a tough guy too. With a back pain problem he was lethargic all week and didn’t even train on Fridays. He finished playing in 74 of the absurd-high 79 photos, and only five of the photos he missed seemed circumstantial – the Giants went without any line players and seven defensive backs – and were not injury-related.