Changes Giants Need to Consider for Final Seven Games (and Beyond)

The Giants must consider changes for these last seven games and the future.

East Rutherford, NJ -- July 24, 2024 -- General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll prior to the first day of training camp for the 2024 New York Giants. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 NFL season isn’t over yet, but it’s hard to see the New York Giants' 20-17 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers as anything other than a death knell for their season. 

At the very least, it signals the end of the road for the Giants competing for anything besides pride for the remainder of the year. However, there is still plenty of football left to play, and the Giants have another seven games before their season ends.

While some will probably scoff at the idea of making changes because of the desire to see the team “tank” for the best possible draft position, there are no guarantees that the Giants are going to draft a quarterback with their first pick next year–yes, even if they move on from Daniel Jones, which is the expectation.

The Giants could, in fact, look to acquire a ready-made veteran to serve as a potential bridge quarterback for a season or two until the quarterback class offers more premium options. 

But that’s a discussion for another time. Our intention here is to discuss what changes the team’s brass can enact to make watching these last seven games more bearable and allow them to continue evaluating their roster so that they have the most complete information possible when crunch time begins in the offseason.

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Our Proposed Plan

1. Let Mike Kafka Call the Offense
2. Make a Quarterback Change
3. Play Daniel Bellinger
4. Play Jalin Hyatt
5. Keep Evan Neal at Right Tackle
6. Let Dex Rest
7. Find a Balance at EDGE
8. Give Dane Belton More Snaps 
9. Experiment with Hybrid Coverages
10. Final Thoughts

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Let Mike Kafka Call the Offense

Brian Daboll doesn't bear complete responsibility for how the Giants’ season has gone – though he also shouldn't be absolved. However, this suggestion has less to do with Daboll's shortcomings as potentially setting the team up for the future. 

First, the play calls weren't the reason for the Giants’ lack of explosive plays. Kafka was a very effective and versatile playcaller in 2022 and 2023. He adapted the Giants’ offense on the fly as teams adjusted to the skills of Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, and Tommy DeVito. 

Allowing Kafka to resume playcalling would also free Daboll up to continue to work on managing an entire game, not just an offense. And as an added bonus, letting Kafka call the plays puts him back in the eye of the NFL. 

Kafka has been a hot coaching candidate over the last two cycles, but it’s fair to wonder if his star may have dimmed after being stripped of play-calling duties and then having the offense be dismal. 

The Giants need all the draft capital they can get, and if Kafka is hired as head coach, they would be in line to get two third-round comp picks. 

That said, expecting Daboll to relinquish the play calling this year has about as much chance of happening as Eli Manning, Lawrence Taylor, and other Giants legends coming out of retirement to save this franchise.

Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock (2) and quarterback Tommy DeVito (15) look on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Make a Quarterback Change

This obviously goes without saying and appears to be a fait accompli. We’ve seen frustration bubbling beneath the surface in the Giants’ offense, particularly when Jones has missed open receivers down the field. 

Daboll, for instance, went ballistic when Jones didn’t throw to either Malik Nabers or Wan’Dale Robinson on the failed 3rd-and-1 flea flicker. We have also seen other instances where he’s let his mask slip to reveal frustration with the offense, which starts with the quarterback.

And then there is the fan base’s frustration. That said, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito might not be better options than Jones, but either could provide a release for the frustration that’s been building. 

There is also the looming specter of Jones’ injury guarantee, and making the change limits the teams’ exposure to potential cap ramifications, even though general manager Joe Schoen told reporters that any decisions they make regarding personnel will be “football decisions.”

(Side note: Last we checked, contracts are part of football decisions, though we get what Schoen was trying to say.) 

Either Lock or DeVito could be an option as a bridge quarterback if the Giants draft one in 2025, depending on whomever Daboll chooses to lead the offense the rest of the way performs. 

The bottom line, though, is that the team needs to evaluate its options at quarterback. It would be better if it already had a viable bridge in-house who knows the offense and can help a rookie develop.

The other benefit of a quarterback change is that it could also help the teams evaluate their skill position players. We saw more of Jalin Hyatt with Taylor and DeVito in 2023, and it’s fair to wonder if a switch to Lock or DeVito could give the Giants more of a look at Hyatt this year.

Play Daniel Bellinger

The Giants have heavily used two tight end sets this year. However, we’ve also seen tight end Daniel Bellinger’s role diminish over the course of the year, to the point where he played just eight snaps against the Carolina Panthers.

Part of that is likely because Chris Manhertz (who played 25 snaps) is a tight end blocking player and has been pretty good at it. Bellinger is a solid all-around tight end, but his blocking is more like “losing slowly” than overpowering his opponents. 

That said, Bellinger is a solid tight end with underrated athleticism in the open field, and he’ll also be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. 

The Giants surely have a solid idea of what they have in him after two and a half years; however, they’ll probably want to have a larger and more recent sample size, considering that Belligner’s role shrunk considerably last year when the team tried to roll with Darren Waller.  

In addition to ensuring solid depth at tight ends, having two big, athletic tight ends would give the Giants a wide range of options in their offense and make them less predictable.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Play Jalin Hyatt

The Giants have gotten next to nothing from Hyatt this year, as he’s been stuck behind Darius Slayton, a player with a similar skill set and a deep rapport with Jones.

Hyatt did get the start against Carolina with Slayton dealing with a concussion, and he flashed. While he only had 39 yards receiving, Hyatt caught all four of his targets and drew a 43-yard pass interference penalty. 

He also got on the field for the Giants’ second 2-point conversion attempt against Washington and did well to get alone in the back corner of the endzone (though Jones never looked his way).

There's growing doubt about whether Slayton will be a Giant after 2024. But we can also safely assume that the Giants will want to run an explosive offense in 2025, and Hyatt’s speed would be an asset. 

To realize that asset, the Giants need to get Hyatt experience in game situations and play at full speed against hostile cornerbacks. Likewise, more reps will help him develop as a receiver, similar to how rookie Theo Johnson has developed as a tight end.

Keep Evan Neal at Right Tackle

It came out on Saturday that the Giants would be moving Jermaine Eluemunor to left tackle and starting Evan Neal at right tackle against the Carolina Panthers. Fans were, understandably, wary of the move and ready to finally condemn Neal as a bust. However, he didn’t just play well against the Panthers, he was dominant.

Not only did Neal impose his will as a run blocker, but he was a wall as a pass protector and gave up just one pressure on 41 pass-blocking reps.

The Giants were patient with Neal this year, letting him develop and catch up on his onfield work after missing all of the spring and most of the summer while recovering from his season-ending ankle surgery last year. 

It seems their patience was rewarded. Development isn’t linear, and it’s possible that the pressure of starting immediately and playing through injury hampered his development. It’s only one start, but Neal played well enough that he should get more playing time down the stretch.

Neal becoming a true bookend to Andrew Thomas would be an enormous relief for the Giants. It would make for a better environment for a new quarterback, but that’s one less hole to fill with a draft pick or free-agent acquisition. It would also allow Eluemunor to play right guard and give them a solid, continuous offensive line for the first time in a long time.

Obviously, that’s all contingent on Neal rewarding the Giants’ faith and patience if he continues to get the start and play well, but we won’t know if he doesn’t play.

Sep 26, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, US; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) celebrates with his coach during pre-game at MetLife Stadium. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Let Dex Rest

No, I’m not about to suggest that the Giants bench IDL Dexter Lawrence II. However, that doesn’t mean the Giants need to play Lawrence on three-quarters of their defensive snaps over the last seven games. Doing so simply adds wear and tear to the big man’s body and exposes him to the potential for long-term injury in a lost season.

The problem, though, is that the Giants have a major drop-off when Lawrence gets a breather, and unfortunately, the coaches feel the need to continue rolling with a good thing. Lawrence is already at 76% of the defensive snaps this year–not quite the 82% he played in 2022, which was a career-high, but a far cry from the 64.7% he has otherwise averaged in his career.

Giving Lawrence more of a breather would allow the coaches to get a better look at Jordon Riley, who has been banished to the inactive list ever since the team added Armon Watts to the 53-man roster, and D.J. Davidson at nose tackle. 

Likewise, Elijah Chatman has seen his snap share dwindle in recent weeks. He’s played 13 defensive snaps in the last two games after averaging 18.6 snaps in the first eight games. 

Yes, it’s possible that the UDFA rookie has hit a wall or isn’t living up to expectations, but the Giants desperately need to find an answer now to support Lawrence on a down-to-down basis so that Lawrence doesn’t get run down to the ground.  

Find a Balance at EDGE

It comes as something of a surprise that fourth-year edge defender Azeez Ojulari is still on the Giants’ roster. He was the subject of significant trade rumors; however, nobody was willing to meet the Giants’ reported asking price of at least a fourth-round pick, so he remains a Giant – for now. 

The Giants must decide whether to keep Ojulari or let him test the free-agent market. There is a growing feeling that Ojualri will not only be allowed to test the market but could also draw a decent payday given his age (24) and production. However, there are questions about whether his health history might keep his price tag down.

Ojulari reminds us of Osi Umenyiora – a dangerous speed rusher who can make game-changing plays anytime. However, like Umenyiora, Ojualri is also a liability against the run and provides a clear target for teams in the run game. 

Meanwhile, Kayvon Thibodeaux is not as good a pass rusher as Ojulari, but he's a much more well-rounded player who can contribute on any down and distance.

As with the defensive tackle position, the Giants might be well served by easing Brian Burns’s workload. Burns has been fighting through an assortment of injuries, the most significant of which is a groin issue he’s been trying to manage since Week 3. 

Ever the professional, that hasn’t stopped him from playing in a whopping 84% of the defensive snaps, the second-highest total of his career. But it’s hard not to notice how beat up he seems after a game, especially after a loss. 

Continuing to work Ojulari into the mix would not only help Burns get through the rest of the season, but it would also ensure that they don’t make the same mistake in letting another homegrown talent walk away as they have with Julian Love, Xavier McKinney, and Saquon Barkley.  

Jul 26, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants safety Dane Belton (24) catches a pass with one hand during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Give Dane Belton More Snaps 

The Giants’ 2022 fourth-round pick has flashed at times since joining the team, but he hasn’t played at a consistently high level. He also hasn’t often gotten consistent snaps through the first three years of his career.

Belton has mostly been the Giants’ third safety since being drafted and has only played more than 30 percent of the defensive snaps once (his rookie season). As with Bellinger, another 2022 draftee who looked promising in his rookie year, the Giants will have a decision to make on Belton after the 2024 season. 

It's certainly possible, and perhaps even likely, that Belton simply isn't a fit for defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's defense. After all, he was one of the premier blitzing defensive backs in college football when he was drafted and was selected with Wink Martindale's aggressive defense in mind. 

However, the Giants should take the remainder of the season to see if there are roles and situations in which Belton can excel going forward, especially considering that Jason Pinnock is set to hit free agency after this year. 

The Giants have largely failed to retain home-grown talent, and finding a good role for Belton (or discovering whether he can be a full-time starter) would help give the Giants much more flexibility in free agency and the draft.

Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen looks on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Experiment with Hybrid Coverages

Speaking of Bowen, he is very much a zone-based defensive mind. He would prefer to play Cover 4 or Cover 2, with a bit of Cover 3 sprinkled in when necessary.

However, the Giants’ issues in run defense and that most of his players were selected for a very different scheme complicates matters. 

Given the Giants' very young secondary, it makes sense to try to keep coverages from getting too complex. However, the Giants may want to consider ways to put players like cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Cor'Dale Flott in a position to use their man coverage traits more frequently.

Bowen doesn't often use Cover 6 or Cover 7 shells; however, he allows defenses to mix and match coverages on different field areas. 

Cover 6, for instance, calls for a Cover 2 shell on one half of the field, while the other half uses a Cover 4 shell. Cover 7 is a staple of Nick Saban's defenses and allows the defense to split the field and play different coverages independently on each side, usually with the option to play man coverage under two deep safeties. 

Without getting into the weeds of the scheme, the goal is to create a numerical advantage on the play side.

There's some precedent for tailoring coverage schemes when the defense has to incorporate man-cover corners into a zone philosophy. 

Prince Amukamara, for instance, was never a great fit for Perry Fewell's defense. However, he found success once signing with the Chicago Bears in free agency. They also ran a zone defense but created a framework that allowed Amukamara to play man coverage within their zone rules. 

It’s not easy to adjust a whole scheme and philosophy on the fly; however, the Giants could at least look for opportunities to put their young players in positions better suited to their skill sets.

Final Thoughts

It got late fast for the Giants in 2024, their 100th season. The coaching staff and front office can't throw in the towel completely, at least not without risking losing the locker room or their jobs. 

However, a realistic look at the team's state suggests that a Top 5 pick and a new era are more likely than an unprecedented turnaround and playoff run.

The Giants should still try to win games. Daboll needs to do that to hold the locker room together and keep the faith that better days are still ahead. But it doesn't mean that the Giants can't use the remainder of the 2024 season to look at their younger players and possibly find new combinations or roles upon which they can build in the off-season.

Next. 11/12: Factors Giants Considering in QB Switch. Factors Giants Are Likely Considering in Potential Quarterback Switch. dark

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