Joe Schoen Admits to Missteps but Likes Direction Team is Heading

Yes, the New York Giants are currently 2-8, but general manager Joe Schoen thinks the team isn't as far off as some believe.

Jul 26, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen looks on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - If anyone thought the New York Giants general manager would reveal two days into the team’s bye week what had been decided about the fate of starting quarterback Daniel Jones, that was not going to happen.

Instead, during his nearly 30-minute annual bye-week press briefing, Schoen did reveal that he expects to be back next season, spoke repeatedly about how no one was happy being 2-8, how the Giants have a young team, how he likes and still believes in the processes in place, and how he believes the Giants, despite their record, aren’t that far off despite there being some deep concerns about the quarterback position.

“I understand the question and you want to, you know, pull him out, but it's everybody,” Schoen said when asked if there were plans to make a switch at quarterback. “I know being the quarterback and offensive coordinator, head coach, a lot of people like to, to point to those guys in general.”

As the Giants brass looks ahead to what they can do better in these remaining seven games, Schoen admitted that the team's success in 2022 which included a 9-7-1 record and their first postseason game victory since 2011, altered the trajectory of the team's planned rebuild.

“I thought a lot about that, and there's probably truth to that,” Schoen admitted. “You come off a winning season, and some of the issues were maybe masked or you were blinded a little bit by it because of the success. 

“Once we extended Daniel, you try to accelerate (the rebuild) because of the way that contract was structured,” he added. “There were some parts of the process that maybe were overlooked or I could have done a better job in the evaluation or player procurement process. And that's part of growth."

In admitting to have made mistakes--Schoen wouldn't be specific as to where he went wrong--Schoen tried to look on the bright side.

“I like the direction we're going,” he said, mentioning the young core of talent he's assembled since being in the Giants' general manager seat. 

Yes, even though the team is 2-8, which is worse than the 4-3 mark it put up last year when it went through three different starting quarterbacks.

“Yeah, the results have not been what we wanted, and I don't wanna be sitting up here at 2-8,” Schoen said. “Nobody's happy about it, and I understand that, but I do see progress and we're better in different areas."

As for where they can be better and why he thinks they're close, Schoen cited that the Giants haven't been blown out as much as they were in years past.

“We just gotta figure out how to finish games," he said. "We're not getting blown out in those games. We're 1-5 in close games, and we have to develop the mentality that we're gonna win and close out those games.”

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

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