Five Ways the Giants Must Show Improvement in 2024

In a critical year for the Giants, they must improve in these areas in order for the season to be a step forward.

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) reacts during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It wasn't a very exciting 2023 season for the New York Giants.

Outside of a few big plays that happened on occasion, the Giants stumbled to a measly 6-11 record and finished third in the NFC East. Anything that could've gone wrong for this team last year did, starting with their 40-0 Week 1 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Injuries kept piling up on the offensive line and eventually reached Daniel Jones, who tore his ACL in Week 9.

The Giants were one of the worst teams in the league in 2023, landing them the sixth overall pick in April's draft. There's an urgency to win more games this season, but there are a few key areas the Giants need to improve in to call the 2024 season an improvement upon the last.

Establish an efficient run game

The Giants' rushing offense took a massive step backward last season from its 2022 output. From being sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game with 146.3, it fell to 16th in 2023 with 100.2.

A number of factors contributed to their rushing attack's downfall. The offensive line simply wasn't good, especially early on in the season when a rotating group of players was plugged in each week due to injuries. Jones' season-ending injury also hampered their results, as he was a major part of their run game success in 2022. Saquon Barkley wasn't as productive, missing three games and averaging just 3.9 yards per carry.

Despite the loss of Barkley in free agency, the Giants have set themselves up well to produce a solid rushing attack in 2024. The running back trio of Devin Singletary, Eric Gray, and rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr is expected to be a productive group. Especially running behind this revamped offensive line and the return of Jones, the run game should improve this year.

Putting points on the board

This has been a problem spanning multiple seasons at this point. The Giants have struggled to score, and that was evident last season. They scored 30+ twice in their Weeks 2 and 11 wins against the Cardinals and Commanders. Take away those two games, and they averaged just 11.8 points per game across the rest of the season.

This also ties into starting faster, as the Giants averaged just 6.6 points per game in the first half, only better than the Panthers in that category. The second-half offense wasn't much better, averaging 9.0 points per game. Getting the offense started quicker will put the Giants on a path to success in 2024.

With Brian Daboll calling plays this season, there will be some change. The addition of rookie wideout Malik Nabers and the surrounding pass catchers, such as Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, and Wan'Dale Robinson, pose one of the more underrated units across the league. Hopefully, it'll be enough to average more than two touchdowns per game.

Stopping the run

Another glaring issue for the Giants is their inability to stop the run. It seems that no matter who they bring in to bolster the interior of the defense, All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and linebacker Bobby Okereke weren't enough to stop the bleeding.

The Giants knew this heading into last season, signing Rakeem Nuñez-Roches and A'Shawn Robinson to put on the defensive line. The addition of Okereke and the rise of then-second-year linebacker Micah McFadden were expected to improve the rush defense, but ultimately, the Giants still lacked in that area.

The Giants allowed 132.4 rushing yards per game last season, boasting the fourth-worst unit in the league. They also gave up 4.7 yards per rush, only better than the Broncos in that category. The Giants had a 28% run-stop win rate in 2023, good for 30th in the NFL.

Luckily, new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen stopped the run during his time with the Titans. That doesn't necessarily mean that will translate directly to the Giants, but he knows the formula to put this unit in a position to improve.

Rushing the quarterback more consistently

The Giants finally had a double-digit sack player in 2023, Kayvon Thibodeaux with 11.5.

However, the issue persisted: the Giants couldn't consistently get to the quarterback. In 2023, they had a 20.9% pressure rate despite having the second-highest blitz rate. Their 133 pressures fell right in the middle of the pack, but they can do better.

The Giants knew they needed to add to their pass rush, hence trading for Brian Burns. Burns, Thibodeaux, and Lawrence are expected to dominate opposing offensive lines. Bowen's system doesn't utilize the blitz nearly as much as Wink Martindale's, allowing his front four to focus on getting to the quarterback and not worrying about dropping into coverage. Adding Burns and a new defensive system should allow the Giants to become a more dominant team when rushing the passer this year.

Creating explosive plays

Everyone has been pleading for the Giants offense to produce more explosive plays. They've lacked the personnel to do so for a long time, even having Barkley on the roster for five seasons.

The Giants had just 31 explosive passing plays last season, with an average explosive pass rate of 5%, which was dead last in the league. Their rushing output wasn't much better, producing only 37 explosive rushes with an average explosive run rate of 9%, which was 28th in the NFL. To make matters worse, the Giants also averaged just 6.5 yards per passing play. This is clearly not the recipe for success.

The Giants have emphasized ending their dry spell of lackluster offense this offseason. They've continuously pushed the ball down the field all summer. The Giants' becoming an explosive offense will depend on several factors, the main two being the quarterback and the offensive line holding up. Can Daniel Jones finally let loose and throw the ball downfield more often? Conversely, can the protection hold up enough for Jones to get the opportunity?

The skill players around him should pose no issues, as Nabers alone will elevate the offense in this category. This is one of the main areas the Giants need to show improvement in by season's end.

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