Grading the Giants' season: Coaching receives highest mark
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) and head coach Brian Daboll during the NFC divisional playoff game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Philadelphia Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
OFFENSE: C
For most of the season the Giants were a one-touchdown-a-game team. That’s not going to cut it moving forward. Saquon Barkley posted a career high in rushing yardage, and scored 12 touchdowns (including two in the playoffs), but wasn’t as big a player in the passing game as most predicted he could be (57 catches for a career-low 5.9 yards per). Daniel Jones was steady with a few spectacular moments sprinkled in; he had three games with 300 or more passing yards, but also 10 with fewer than 200, and threw only 15 TD passes in 16 games. The off-brand wide receivers performed well at times but Isaiah Hodgins might be the only one they bring back. Andrew Thomas had a breakout season as a premier left tackle. The rest of the line was much better than it has been in previous seasons, but still needs improving.
DEFENSE: C+
The Giants have a gem in Dexter Lawrence, who was their best defensive player, and probably had the most dominant season of anyone on the team. His ability to control the middle of the line of scrimmage allowed everything else to function, and the rare times he was not on the field, his absence was glaring. It was an achievement that the Giants did as well as they did without their best cornerback for half the season, without their best safety for most of the second half, and with an inside linebacker group made of spare parts. Julian Love finally blossomed into an every-down player. Kayvon Thibodeaux never reached the potential he and others saw in him as a rookie linebacker, but there were enough flashes to suggest he might become a player of significance for them moving forward.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D
Considering how steady and reliable Graham Gano was all season (29-for-32 on field goals, including 8-for-9 on attempts over 50), it’s hard to give the unit a disappointing grade. And yet: The Giants had very little spark from either of their return teams all season; Richie James never came close to an electrifying punt return, and by the end of the season teams were kicking it short and begging Gary Brightwell to try to return kickoffs against them. Jamie Gillan showed the strong leg that earned him the nickname "The Scottish Hammer," but never found the touch needed to consistently nestle his punts inside the 20, nevermind the 10. The few times he did manage to plant the ball there, the Giants’ gunners were unable to down it.
COACHING: B+
The undisputed bright spot of the season was the emergence of Brian Daboll and company as the guiding hands of the franchise. There were certainly some in-game calls that backfired on them, and the decision to put Adoree’ Jackson at punt returner where he hurt his knee nearly scuttled the season. But overall the creativity they displayed on a week-to-week basis in their game plans was impressive. Wink Martindale’s aggressive defense confounded many opposing quarterbacks, and allowed the Giants to often create pressure without a dominant pass rusher. Mike Kafka showed a knack for in-game adjustments in his first season as an offensive play-caller. Throw in a front office that was able to pluck usable players off the street and plug them in to form a competitive team, and the grade may even approach an A.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
