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Freddie Kitchens Offers Review of Giants' Play Calling Operations under His Watch

The Giants are using these last few games to see if Freddie Kitchens is the long-term answer as the offense's play caller.

Patricia Traina

Freddie Kitchens Offers Review of Giants' Play Calling Operations under His Watch
Freddie Kitchens Offers Review of Giants' Play Calling Operations under His Watch /

The New York Giants offense didn't exactly light up the scoreboard last week in senior offensive assistant's first game this season as the team's play-caller, but a win is a win, and the Giants will take that any day.

"I thought the operation was smooth," Kitchens said during his first weekly press conference as the team's play-caller in relief of Jason Garrett. "It’s our job as coaches to make it smooth and it’s the players’ jobs to coordinate it smoothly once the call gets into the huddle."

The Giants offense hasn't undergone significant tweaks since Kitchens took over the role--any such wholesale changes won't happen until the off-season after the coaches thoroughly evaluate their schemes, results, and personnel.

But Kitchens did say that the process of developing the game plan last week, as will be the case moving forward, was still a collaborative approach with both the coaches and the players offering input into the final game plan.

"I think we always try to do that as coaches," Kitchens said of involving players in the mix. "You need to get a sense and feel for what they’re comfortable with. Why would you call something--and this is the way our staff believes--why would you call something if a player’s not comfortable running it?

"It’s your job to get them comfortable running it. If you think it’s a good scheme or a good play or whatever the case may be, it’s your job to get them comfortable doing it. But if you can’t get them to that point, it’s kind of diminishing returns."

Kitchens also revealed that the terminology and concepts are pretty much the same as to revamp them at this point could be counterproductive.

"It’s all about familiarity with the players and what they’re used to at this point," he said.

"The ultimate goal is to play fast when the ball is snapped. As much of that consternation that you can eliminate early before the ball is snapped, of course that benefits you to enable you to put your mind and focus on the task at hand, which is that individual play, whatever that play may be."

One noticeable difference the staff introduced last week was having the quarterbacks wear wrist bands with the plays written on a card that Kitchens said helps smooth out the communication process.

"The goal of a play caller and as a staff and all that is to get the play to the quarterback as quick as possible," Kitchens said. "Not necessarily for him to dissect the play in his head, but for him to – you want to break the huddle as fast as possible to get to the line of scrimmage and have more time to see and react."

And how did quarterback Daniel Jones do with the new concept?

"I think he saw the benefits of it," Kitchens said. "Everywhere I’ve always been, I think they do it around the league a lot, you see quarterbacks with wristbands. It helps the communication process, but it’s just like any other thing, you’ve got to practice that as well."

Speaking of Jones, Kitchens said that regardless of who is under center for the Giants Sunday, the game plan isn't expected to change much.

"We’re going to prepare like we prepare every week and whoever’s there on Sunday, that’s who we’re playing with," he said. "Whoever’s at the game is going to be ready to play."

  

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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