Biggest Problems with the New York Giants Offense

What are the biggest issues with the New York Giants offense? A review of the tape and the advanced metrics offer a few clues.

Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) runs past Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Over the last two weeks, the New York Giants offense has been lackluster and non-explosive in the passing game. Quarterback Daniel Jones had been showing flashes of effective quarterback play, but two consecutive games of poor performances have been tough for Giants' fans to watch. 

The offense has not generated explosive plays in the passing game, struggled to convert on third downs, and failed to negotiate defensive pressures. 

Why has the Giants offense taken a step back over the last two weeks? Combining the film and analytics, I've found some answers. 

Handling Defensive Pressure

Between the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles, Jones has been under pressure 28 times, with ten ending in sacks.  Due to the heavy pressure he's been under recently, Jones, who has never been good under pressure to begin with, has made some ill-advised decisions.

Against the Eagles, Jones was pressured 13 total times, with seven going for sacks. His pressure-to-sack percentage skyrocketed to 50%, ranking as the worst in the league in Week 7. Jones was under pressure on more than 43% of his dropbacks. 

The Bengals game produced similar results for Jones and the Giant's passing attack. He threw a red-zone interception due to pressure leaking through the offensive line and making contact while attempting to throw. 

Although Jones was not sacked at the rate in Week 6 compared to Week 7, he was visibly uncomfortable in the pocket and did not appear confident.

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Third-down Woes

The Giants have struggled on third downs the last two weeks, converting eight of their 29 attempts. The constant defensive pressure has caused Jones to be antsy in the pocket, resulting in rushed throws and reads. 

The Giants offense is not consistently executed at a high level. According to NexGen Stats, the Giants' wide receivers have averaged 3.7 yards of separation when targeted. 

Their success against man-to-man coverage has yielded inconsistent results. The combination of receivers not getting open at times and the pressure generated by opposing defensive lines' execution has suffered. 

On one play against the Eagles, it was 2nd-and-1, receiver Malik Nabers took his double-team vertical, opening the in-breaking route to Darius Slayton. 

Once upfield, Nabers pointed to Slayton for Jones to make the throw. Unfortunately, Jones was off-target as pressure flushed him into the pocket, and he made an off-platform throw.

Lack of Explosive Plays

Jones has attempted five deep passes (20+ air yards) over the last two games and has completed none of his attempts. Interestingly, Jones was either blitzed or pressured on these attempts. 

He missed Wan'Dale Robinson on a deep crossing pattern against Cincinnati due to the pressure he was under. On the other hand, Jones missed Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt against Cincinnati's deep passes in the same game, both overthrown. 

If Jones is not protected and comfortable in the pocket, his willingness to test the deeper waters of the defense is not strong. His average depth of target (aDOT) this season is 7.3, which is 22nd in the league per Pro Football Focus. 

The Giants need to find a way to generate explosive plays in the passing game, which will allow the running game to operate effectively. 

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