The 10 Spot
What's Trending in the Land of Giants this Week?
ONE
Is it too early to put the “All or Nothing 2 Point Conversion” in the pantheon with “The Helmet Catch,” “Wide Right,” “Victor Cruz for 99",” and “Manning to Manningham”?
Of course it is. There’s still a much more substantial likelihood that the Giants are picking in the Top 12 of the 2023 NFL Draft than playing beyond their January 8th finale down the other end of I-95 in Philadelphia. But Coach Brian Daboll’s decision to pass on a game-tying extra point in favor of a shuttle pass to Saquon Barkley to either take a 1-point lead with just over a minute left or face a near-definite defeat showed something foreign to observers of this team in recent years: guts.
Joe Judge made a few gutsy calls. Pat Shurmur did as well. These were two men who had to lie to then-GM Dave Gettleman and team president John Mara, claiming they could make chicken salad out of the chicken shit on their roster. But they often reeked of desperation - coaching scared, as the men seemed to be on the proverbial “hot seat” from the minute the ink dried on th their contracts.
Daboll had a luxury these guys didn’t. He was brought in by a new General Manager who acknowledged that the scope of the rebuild was going to be substantial. The Giants found themselves in a version of salary cap hell most assumed was impossible with the way agents and front offices have become adept at manipulating numbers.
Nobody would hold it against him if the Giants kicked the extra point for a one-point lead and then coughed it up if the Titans came back to win. Heck, it almost happened anyway.
This regime is playing with house money this season. Everyone from Mara down to the folks in the lot has properly tempered expectations for where the squad is in terms of contention. But this is the perfect time to instill the win-at-all-costs attitude that’s been missing in the Meadowlands since the waning days of Tom Coughlin’s legendary career.
Opening week is ripe for overreactions every year. There was still a lot of concerning play that needs to be addressed, and the injury bug is still lurking in the locker room. But fans have been desperate for any sign that the Giants can function as a professional football club, and Coach Daboll and his staff gave them precisely that.
TWO
For all of the talk regarding Daniel Jones’ contract and future with the team (more on that later), Barkley could likewise force the Giants' hand if last week was any indication of what we can expect this season from the former #2 overall pick.
It was bad football economics to draft a halfback that high. Most people said so at the time, though many didn’t care (myself included) because who knew Josh Allen was going to turn into Josh Allen? Still, a better pick than Sam Darnold would have been.
Likewise, it’s usually lousy football economics to give a running back big money on a second deal. Because of his high draft position, Barkley is already among the top 10 paid backs in the NFL, and that’s still on his entry-level contract. A franchise tag would sound plausible at a one-year hit of roughly $10 Million. However, it would mean:
It takes away the option to use the tag on Jones (which may or may not be relevant to the offseason plans)
It would be a flat cap number with no ability to restructure.
If Barkley has the type of season many are hoping for, it would be highly likely that he would hold out, not unlike Le’Veon Bell’s situation with the Steelers in 2018.
There are 16 more games of regular season action that we can examine before answers begin to present themselves. But if #26 is half as productive as he was in Nashville, he’s going to command serious coin.
THREE
The mercurial Kadarius Toney made headlines again this week, addressing reporters about his lack of playing time against the Titans. (Toney was on the field for a mere 7 snaps, for comparison’s sake, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Sheppard, and Richie James all saw more than 40, David Sills 27 and Wan’Dale Robinson 9 before leaving with an injury).
Toney handled the inquisition well, however.
"Disappointed in victory? Disappointed in a victory? You sound crazy."
The kid has had a frustrating start to his Giants career, and some antics may be reminiscent of another WR who called MetLife Stadium home before being shipped off to the Browns (off the field. We’d gladly accept an OBJ on-the-field comparison.) But that’s the perfect response to a question that could have been THE story of the week had he responded differently.
FOUR
UNDER THE BLUE TENT: A look at the physical health of the Giants as the weekend approaches…
OUT: CB Aaron Robinson
QUESTIONABLE: LB Aziz Ojulari, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, CB Jason Pinnock, G John Feliciano, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, CB Nick McCloud.
The edge rushes - Ojulari and Thibodeaux - were limited participants at practice Wednesday. Robinson did not practice.
Tough break for Aaron Robinson (emergency appendectomy), who undoubtedly heard all summer that he was the “weak link” in the Giants’ secondary but had the highest grade of any corner on the team last week = and the 11th-best grade of any corner in the NFL.
Plus, we all know Darnay Holmes is the weak link. Here’s hoping Robinson’s back for Week 3’s Monday Nighter against Cooper Rush and the Cowboys.
FIVE
THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE: What are they saying about the Giants in New York and around the league?
SIX
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: A glance at where some of the more popular mock drafts are projecting the Giants to pick, and who they may consider…
Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) has Big Blue picking 9th and drafting Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida.
Glynn Morgan (NBC Sports) ambitiously places the Giants at the 21 slot, picking Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson.
Josh Edwards (CBS Sports) also has the Giants at nine but grabbing Bryan Breese, DL, Clemson.
Mock drafts in September - through most of the year - are the definition of junk science. It’s no different than playing a Pick 4 lottery ticket eight months early. Still, when you monitor them throughout the year, you get an idea of your team’s evolving needs and expectations.
SEVEN
BEHIND ENEMY LINES: What’s happening around the NFC East?
DALLAS - It’s all Dak, all the time down in Big D. The ‘Boys’ franchise signal-caller is anticipated to miss 6-8 weeks following thumb surgery - which is a fancy way of saying “Mike McCarthy has no chance of saving his job with Sean Payton available.”
PHILADELPHIA - Remember old friend James Bradberry? I think he’s got a little left in the tank, no? Here’s how he fared in the Eagles’ shootout opener in Mo’Town: 39 coverage snaps, six targets, one catch allowed for 13 yards, one interception, and a 0.0 QB passer allowed for Lions QB Jared Goff.
WASHINGTON - The Cobra Commanders placed three receivers in PFF’s WR rankings last week. Curtis Samuel (17), Jahan Dotson (45), and Terry McLaurin (47) are a formidable unit for Carson Wentz as he tries to get his once-promising career back on track.
EIGHT
AROUND THE APPLE: A quick glance at what’s happening elsewhere in the New York sports scene.
Fifty-Seven Home Runs On September 13th. The season that Aaron Judge is putting together is one for the ages, and that’s not hyperbolic at all. When all is said and done, he could not only be the American League record holder for most home runs in a season, but he’s only 10 points off the AL Batting Title lead, which would also lock down the Triple Crown. This season has been too good to quantify correctly.
Wishing Jets QB Zach Wilson an even speedier recovery because Joe Flacco is not an NFL quarterback anymore, and fans shouldn’t have to pay hundreds of dollars to watch him. And this is coming from someone who paid hundreds of dollars to watch Jake Fromm last year!
Kudos to Major League Baseball for restructuring their playoffs so teams will go all out to win the division and earn a bye to avoid a best-of-3 Wild Card game. The Mets’ attempt to hold off the defending champion Braves wouldn’t be as juicy. And what a race it is.
NINE
REGRESSION TO THE MEME: Do I like that humans communicate way too much via memes instead of dialogue? No. Will I try and change that? Also no. Here’s the “Meme of the Week”
TEN
The 306 4 Pack: Four point spreads and/or totals I’m playing this week.
@KANSAS CITY -4 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (Thursday, 8:15 PM). When teams are more prone to exchanging touchdowns than field goals, I treat the “4” like a “3” for betting purposes. I’m expecting an exciting game. I think it ends up in the ‘50s. But give me Patrick Mahomes to put on a show and close it out late.
CAROLINA @ NEW YORK GIANTS UNDER 43.5 (Sunday, 1:00 PM). 21-17 or so sounds about right. I’m not expecting fireworks at MetLife. Or at least not too many of them.
@PITTSBURGH +2.5 NEW ENGLAND. I watched the entire condensed game of the Steelers’ upset over Cincinnati. Did the same for the Pats’ debacle in South Beach. Vegas wasn’t built on winners; this line has something fishy. I honestly feel like it should be reversed. And as noted, Week 1 is prime territory for overreactions. But damn it, when the Steelers win by 13, I’m not going to be ruing not making the play.
ARIZONA +6.5 @LAS VEGAS. This may be the last time I play the Cardinals. Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray are no longer giving off the “they’re building something here” vibes of 2019 and 2020. But I’m willing to take a touchdown and change against a team that likewise needs to prove itself.
LAST WEEK’S PICKS: 2 - 2 (.500)
SEASON RECORD: 2 - 2 (.500)
Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out for the Big Blue Preview tomorrow, and if you know any Giants fans who’d enjoy getting the Section 306 Newsletter, I’d love it if you passed it along…
Happy watching,
Ed