After an embarrassing Week 4 loss to the Saints in 2018, I called that Giants offense one of the worst in franchise history, despite having Odell Beckham Jr., Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, and Saquon Barkley. That unit was on pace to be the 4th worst Giants offense since 1983, but rebounded in the second half of the season, scoring at least 27 points in 6 of their last 8 games. In that article, I quickly cited some of the worst Giants offenses in my memory bank. Little did I know, it would get MUCH worse in the ensuing seasons.
The first season I remember watching Giants games was in 1986. Not a bad season to break into spectating. Over a 25-year span from 1986-2011, I was fortunate enough to watch 4 different Giants quarterbacks lead their dudes to a Super Bowl appearance. Since 2012, well… I’ve spent most of my time reeling off profanity-laced outbursts over our offense’s shortcomings.
Misery loves company, so here are the 10 worst Giants offenses of the past 40 years, starting with number 10 because I’m a sucker for suspense.
But first…
Dishonorable Mention:
1994 GIANTS OFFENSE – Dawn of the Dave Brown Era
- OSRS: -2.7
- Offensive Rank in Points: 22 (out of 28)
- Points For: 279 (17.4/g)
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 28 (out of 28)
- Record: 9-7-0, 2nd in NFC East
- Coach: Dan Reeves
- Offensive Coordinator: George Henshaw
- Offensive Scheme: Smashmouth
- Expected W-L: 7.2-8.8
Our first season without Phil Simms on the team saw us get out to a 3-0 start, lose our next 7, then win our final 6 to put us on the brink of a playoff berth. Despite having the same record as playoff qualifiers Green Bay, Detroit, and Chicago, we lost the tiebreaker to all three:
- Green Bay had a better conference record (8–4) than us (6–6).
- Detroit had the head-to-head victory over us (1–0).
- Chicago had a better record vs. common opponents (4–4) than us (3–5).
As a whole, our offense was 27th of 28 in first downs, but didn’t turn the ball over, losing the least amount of fumbles. We only surpassed 300 total yards 4 times and there were two games where we had less than 100 yards passing, both against Buddy Ryan’s Cardinals.
The offense’s 4.4 yards per play was tied for second to last in the league. The offensive line allowed 46 sacks, 5th most league-wide, though I believe most of those should be attributed to the QB.
The run game was fueled by 5-year veteran Rodney Hampton while Dave Brown and Kent Graham were responsible for a downright putrid passing attack.
Big Blue’s rushing attack was 3rd in attempts, 10th in yards, and 11th in touchdowns. You wanna talk about running the goddamn ball, the ’94 G-Men ran and ran and ran.
Coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl selections, Hampton was a workhorse. He was 7th in the NFL in rushing yards and eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark, recording a career high in average yards per game (76.8). But, he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry on a career high 327 total attempts.
The former Georgia Bulldog had three games in which he had more than 30 carries — that’s something you don’t see in today’s game. It’s the equivalent of MLB pitchers in the ’60s tossing double-digit complete games in a season. His best effort came in an overtime loss to the Lions when he toted the rock 30 times for 138 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, our passing game was bottom of the barrel:
- 27th of 28 in attempts
- 27th of 28 in yards
- 24th of 28 in touchdowns
- 22nd of 28 in net yards per throw
Brown threw more interceptions than touchdowns in his inaugural season as starter. The third-year QB had the highest averages of his Giants tenure in yard per attempt and yards per completion to go along with 3 game-winning drives, the most of of his 8-year career.
His best outing came against Washington in a 21-19 win in which he had a 129.8 rating, completing 10 of 17 for 161 and 2 touchdowns. The Vikings can lay claim to Brown’s worst performance, nabbing 3 interceptions and sacking him 4 times in a 27-10 Minnesota win. Something about purple and yellow really throws Giants quarterbacks for a loop (at least in the regular season).
New York’s top wideout was former 49ers receiver Mike Sherrard, who had 53 catches for 825 yards and 6 touchdowns, all career-highs. Sherrard’s best performance was in the 13-10 win over the Oilers in Houston, when he hauled in 6 balls for 109 yards and a 40-yard touchdown from Kent Graham.
Former Steelers pass-catcher Chris “Cab” Calloway was New York’s second best target, totaling 43 receptions for 666 (mark of the beast) yards and 2 touchdowns. Calloway’s top outings came in a 10-6 loss to his former team (3 receptions on 5 targets, 93 yards vs Pittsburgh) and 5 catches for 73 yards in a 16-13 win over Philly.
In his last season with the Giants, pass-catching back and return specialist Dave Meggett had the lowest receiving totals of his time with the team and a team-high 6 fumbles. However, he did tally a career high in punt return touchdowns.
First-round draft pick Thomas Lewis, an Indiana Hoosiers WR, didn’t do much of anything and 3rd rounder Gary Downs, an NC State running back, wasn’t a huge contributor either.
Jumbo Elliott was coming off a Pro Bowl year in ’93 but regressed slightly in ’94. Likewise, his bookend friend Doug Riesenberg and guard William Roberts saw their performance decline from earlier seasons. After losing Pro Bowl center Bart Oates after the ’93 campaign, Brian Williams filled in as the starter but failed to fill Bart’s shoes.
Feels like if we still had Simms, who was unceremoniously released in the offseason, he would’ve secured that 1 win we needed to land a playoff spot.
Top 10 Worst Giants Offenses Since 1986:
10. 2016 GIANTS OFFENSE: Birth of the Boat Photo Curse
- OSRS: -3.2
- Offensive Rank in Points: 26th of 32
- Points For: 310 (19.4/g)
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 25th of 32
- Record: 11-5-0, 2nd in NFC East
- Coach: Ben McAdoo (11-5-0)
- Expected W-L: 8.8-7.2
- Offensive Coordinator: Mike Sullivan
- Offensive Scheme: West Coast
The biggest reason Ben McAdoo was hired to be the Giants head coach was the organization didn’t want to lose the guy who pumped new life into the offense, especially to the Eagles. McAdoo was credited with Eli Manning’s bounce-back after a nightmare campaign in 2013.
In 2014, the Giants offense was above the league average in points scored and yards gained, thanks to a top 10 passing attack but the unit had a turnover problem and the run game was atrocious.
The next season, in 2015, the offense was 6th in points scored, 8th in yards gained, and scored 30 or more points in 7 of 16 games. Yet, the group still struggled on the ground.
That trend — in which the passing productivity far outweighed any gains on the ground — continued in 2016, but the aerial assault also regressed. The offense’s 5.2 yards per play and 27 turnovers were tied for 6th worst.
The unit only managed 289 total first downs, 4th worst in the NFL, and the 5th lowest third down percentage. They had 43 visits to the red zone, 3rd lowest of all teams. The squad ended up punting 93 times, 3rd most league-wide. The O had the 5th lowest scoring percentage and 8th worst expected points contributed. They didn’t run a lot of plays and their drives didn’t last very long.
While we saw big-time, explosive chunk plays from the passing game in ’14 and ’15, we saw far fewer in ’16. Average yards per pass was lower than 7 and yards per completion was below 11, both below the league average.
It’s hard to believe the highly regarded receiving trio of Sterling Shepard, Victor Cruz, and Odell Beckham Jr. couldn’t muster more than 19 points per game with a future Hall of Famer tossing them the ‘skin.
This was the worst offense on a Giants playoff team in franchise history, mostly due to an anemic run game that was 29th in yards, dead last in touchdowns, and 30th in yards per attempt.
The ground game only churned out 1,412 yards, 4th least in the league. Their 73 first downs was 3rd worst overall and the 6 rushing touchdowns was lowest among all teams.
Coming off the best season of his career in 2015, Rashad Jennings was the starter for most of the 2016 season and led the team in carries, yards, and touchdowns, but was mostly ineffective. The former Raider and Jaguar averaged 3.3 yards per attempt and ran for less than 600 yards. He never rushed for more than 87 yards in a game and only had more than 18 carries once.
Fifth round pick Paul Perkins emerged as a more productive back, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Pass-catching back Shane Vereen was on injured reserve for most of the season after going down against Washington in Week 3. Losing Vereen took away a legitimate weapon on third downs and two-minute situations.
OBJ brought in a career-high 101 receptions and almost 1400 receiving yards, both 3rd most of all receivers in 2016. His 10 receiving touchdowns and 85.4 receiving yards per game were 5th best. Odell landed a Pro Bowl nod and was a 2nd team AP All-Pro. No one had a higher yards per touch.
Beckham’s best game came against the Ravens when he went off for 222 receiving yards on 8 catches and 2 touchdowns, including the game-winner on 4th down. He would be a non-factor in the Wild Card loss to the Packers, catching only 4 of his 11 targets for 28 yards.
Shepard had a decent rookie campaign, catching 65 passes and a career-high 8 touchdowns for almost 700 yards. His top performance was when he caught all 8 of his targets for 117 yards in a 16-13 win over the Saints.
This would be Cruz’s last season with the team. After missing most of 2014 and all of 2015 with injuries, Vic still provided us with some explosive plays. His 15 yards per reception was tops on the team, but he was behind TE Will Tye in receptions despite having more targets.
The deep shots were few and far in between. The goal was to get the ball out of Eli’s hands quickly and let the playmakers do the work. Lots of shallow routes. Eli had the second lowest yards per completion of his 16 year career and was 19th in net yards per attempt.
Second-year left tackle Ereck Flowers didn’t improve on his uneven rookie season. Fourth-year guard Justin Pugh missed 5 games and had his worst season as a Giant to that point. Even promising 3rd-year center Weston Richburg, who looked like a stalwart in ’14 and ’15, had a down year. In his third year with the team, guard John Jerry was meh. Right tackle Bobby Hart was less than stellar in his first season as starting right tackle.
9. 1998 GIANTS OFFENSE: The Downfall of Danny Kanell
- OSRS: -4.3
- Offensive Rank in Points: 23rd of 30
- Points For: 287 (17.9/g)
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 29th of 30
- Record: 8-8-0, 3rd in NFC East
- Coach: Jim Fassel (8-8-0)
- Expected W-L: 7.3-8.7
- Offensive Coordinator: Jim Skipper
- Offensive Scheme: West Coast
Danny Kanell was 3-7 in 10 starts, mustering a 67.3 QB rating with an adjusted net yards per attempt of less than 4! Jim Fassel benched the ’96 draft pick in favor of Kent Graham for the remaining 6 games. Graham wasn’t much better averaging only 110.8 yards per game. But, at least he upset the undefeated Broncos.
Despite not being the starter for the first four games, former Oilers RB Gary Brown was the team’s leading rusher. Gary averaged 4.3 yards per carry and a career-high 1,063 yards. The 29-year-old 7th year back had six games of 100 or more rushing yards. He had a season-high 124 yards against the Cardinals in a 23-19 Week 14 win, and 119 yards on only 15 carries in a 16-6 loss to Dallas Week 10.
Tiki Barber took a step back from his encouraging rookie season, registering the fewest touches and yards from scrimmage of his career. His rushing attempts per game decreased from 11 to 3, while his receptions per game and receiving yards per game were career lows.
Chris Calloway was WR1, snagging 62 tosses for 812 yards and 6 touchdowns. 1997 draft pick Ike Hilliard was the team’s second-leading receiver in catches and yards. 1996 draft pick Amani Toomer was second in receiving touchdowns. 1998 draft pick Joe Jurevicius was largely invisible, but showed flashes of big play potential. He averaged more than 16 yards per reception.
Third-year left tackle Roman Oben, former Cowboys guard Ron Stone, fourth-year tackle Scott Gragg showed improvement. In his last season with the Giants, Greg Bishop played as well as he’d ever had with the team. Center Lance Scott was serviceable.
It stings thinking about the playoff chances we wasted in the ’90s. We had dominant defenses and impotent offenses throughout the decade. In the 9 seasons after our Super Bowl win in 1990, we had a top 10 defense in 5 of those seasons and only made the playoffs twice.
Just look at how our defense ranked in points against during the ’90s:
- ’93: 1st
- ’94: 8th
- ’96: 10th
- ’97: 3rd
- ’98: 8th
If we just had an average offense, we would’ve gone to the playoffs in 4 more seasons.
8. 2003 GIANTS OFFENSE: The Collapse of Kerry Collins & Jim Fassel
- OSRS: -4.8
- Offensive Rank in Points: 30th of 32
- Points For: 243 (15.2/g)
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 20th of 32
- Record: 4-12-0, 4th in NFC East
- Coach: Jim Fassel (4-12-0)
- Expected W-L: 4.0-12.0
- Offensive Scheme: West Coast
Do you remember us being 4-4 through 8 games and thinking we had a shot at the playoffs? Then our offense scored 7 or fewer points in 5 of the next 8 games and we lost them all. We only scored more than 13 points once.
We ran the 5th most plays of any offense in the NFL and no other team threw the ball more than us that season. Our offense tied for the second most turnovers in the league, due to losing the 3rd most fumbles (35 total!!!).
Collins fumbled the ball 12 times in 13 games and Tiki coughed it up 9 times. We also had the second fewest rushing attempts and only 6 rushing touchdowns, which was 4th worst overall. Our 38.3% red zone percentage was at the absolute bottom of the pile.
Free agent acquisition Dorsey Levens had more touchdowns on the ground than Tiki. This would be Barber’s worst season as the primary back. The two seasons with his most targets were two of the less successful Giants teams (2003 and 2001). He also averaged a career-low 6.1 yards per reception.
This was Kerry Collins’ worst and last season as a Giant. His best games came against Washington in Week 3 (24-39, 276 yards, 3 TDs, 108.5 rating) and a Week 9 win over the Jets (24-40, 303 yards, 2 TDs, 100.3 rating). After that impressive win against Gang Green, Kerry’s play fell off a cliff.
Kerry had some real stinkers against Tampa in Week 12 (41.3 rating), New England in Week 6 (4 INTS, 45.4 rating), Atlanta in Week 9 (2 INTs, 54.4 rating), and Miami (3 INTs, 59.8 rating) before his season-ending injury against Washington.
Jeremy Shockey made the Pro Bowl, but missed the last 7 games due to injury.
Ike Hilliard led the team in receiving touchdowns but his yards per target were lower than his career average.
Amani Toomer was a 1,000 yard receiver, attracting the most targets of his career (151). Toomer also notched a career-high in yards per reception but only caught 41% of those attempts, his lowest as a starter. His best outings came against the Jets (6 for 127 and 1 TD) and the Cowboys in Week 2 (7 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD).
The offensive line was a disaster. Third-year center Chris Bober was one of two linemen to start all 16 games. The other was rookie right guard David Diehl, who wouldn’t have a down year like this again until 2012. Seventh round pick Wayne Lucier rotated between guard and center as the line often shuffled because of injuries.
After three full seasons of never missing a game, left tackle Luke Petitgout missed 6 due to injury. He ended up having one of his worst seasons as a starter. Third-year guard Rich Seubert went on injured reserve after Week 7. Tackle Ian Allen started 11 games, the only starts of his 4-year career. Jeff Hatch, Jeff Roehl, and Scott Peters were forced into the starting lineup. All 3 linemen never played before or after this season.
This was Jim Fassel’s worst offense during his Giants tenure and it would lead to his firing.
7. 1996 GIANTS OFFENSE – Dan Reeves Unravels
- OSRS: -5.7
- Offensive Rank in Points: 28th of 30
- Points For: 242 (15.1/g)
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 30 of 30
- Record: 6-10-0, 5th in NFC East
- Coach: Dan Reeves (6-10-0)
- Expected W-L: 6.1-9.9
- Offensive Coordinator: George Henshaw
- Offensive Scheme: Smashmouth
The 1996 Giants entered December at 5-7 and had opportunities to go 8-8. The G-Men let 2 wins slip away: a 23-20 overtime loss to the Bills and a 23-22 loss to the Patriots (in which we led 22-0 at half). If we had any kind of offense, we’re looking at 10 wins and a playoff spot.
This woeful unit averaged a league-worst 3.9 yards per play and was second to last in first downs.
New York’s ground game had the 7th most rushing attempts but was last in touchdowns (4 total!) and 29th in yards per carry (3.3). This was Rodney Hampton’s first season under 1,000 yards as the primary back. 1995 draft pick Tyrone Wheatley took away a healthy amount of Hampton’s touches. The former Michigan Wolverine coughed up the ball 6 times while Dave Brown fumbled on 9 occasions.
Our passing corps was bottom 5 league-wide. Brown started all 16 games and threw a career-high 20 picks to 12 touchdowns. Giants passers had the fewest completions, second fewest attempts, fewest yards, second lowest completion percentage, and the lowest net yards per attempt.
Brown’s best outing was in a 17-7 win over Miami when he went 21 of 28 for 169 yards and a touchdown. Brown was also sacked 49 total times, 8 of which were courtesy of the Eagles in a 19-10 loss in Week 7. Giants passers were sacked 56 total times, second most in the NFL, and had the highest sacks allowed percentage.
Every member of the offensive line had the worst season of their respective careers as starters. Fourth year tackle Greg Bishop, third-year guard Ron Stone, and second-year tackle Scott Gragg started all 16 games. Twelve-year vet Lance Smith missed 6 games and 8 year center Brian Williams wouldn’t play again until 1999.
Chris Calloway was the leading receiver but couldn’t reach 800 yards. He was targeted more than 100 times but only caught 48% of balls. Rookie second round draft pick Amani Toomer only had 1 catch for 12 yards, but returned 2 punts for touchdowns.
6. 2013 GIANTS OFFENSE: Eli’s Freaky INT Fiasco
- OSRS: -6.2
Points For: 294 (18.4/g) 28th of 32 - Offensive Rank in Yards: 28 of 32
- Record: 7-9-0, 3rd in NFC East
- Coach: Tom Coughlin (7-9-0)
- Expected W-L: 5.6-10.4
- Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Gilbride
- Offensive Scheme: Erhardt-Perkins
This was New York’s first losing season since 2004. It marked the start of Giants fans questioning whether or not Eli still had “it”. The team lost their first 6 games, four of which by multiple scores. Before 2013, the last time Big Blue went 0-6 to start the season was 1976.
No other offense turned the ball over more than this Giants offense. BiG Blue’s O gave the rock away 10 more times than the second place finisher. The G-Men lost 15 fumbles, the second most of all offenses. First downs were scarce, as the unit finished with the fifth lowest total league-wide.
Eli threw 27 picks, the most interceptions of any QB and of his career. He threw a career-high 5 interceptions against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Seahawks in Week 15, a 23-0 loss at home. Among years where he played a full season, 2013 was Eli’s worst when it came to touchdowns thrown. Manning’s 3.3% TD percentage and 69.4 QB rating were the lowest of his career outside of his rookie season. Manning was also sacked 39 times, the second most of his illustrious run as Giants signal caller. The 5.2 adjusted yards per attempt was last in the league.
Victor Cruz came up 2 yards shy of a 1,000 yard season in only 14 games. He had four games of 100 or more receiving yards. His best performance came in a 31-7 loss to the Chiefs (10 grabs, 164 yards and 1 TD).
In the last season of his first run with the Giants, Hakeem Nicks led the group in yards per reception. He tied for 10th best in the league, but never scored.
Second-year wideout Rueben Randle hauled in the most touchdowns (6). But, he also fumbled 3 times and had the lowest catch percentage of his 4-year career.
In his only season with the G-Men, free agent TE Brandon Meyers had the second best season of his 8 year career. Meyers tallied his highest yards per reception and tying his career-high in touchdowns.
Giants runners averaged 3.5 yards and 83.3 yards per game, 4th lowest in the league. Second-year back David Wilson began the season as the starter after a promising rookie season in 2012. After a Week 5 loss to the Eagles, he wouldn’t play another NFL game. The former Hokie would be diagnosed with spinal stenosis and was forced to retire. Andre Brown started the season on IR, but became the primary back in Week 10.
Former Madden cover boy Peyton Hillis filled in here and there with mostly meh results. We brought back Brandon Jacobs — wearing #34 — in what would be his last season as a pro.
This was a pivotal year in franchise history when it comes to our offensive line. In terms of having a serviceable offensive trench, it was the beginning of the end. The organization hasn’t fixed a severely flawed unit that ruined the second half of Eli Manning’s reign and crippled Daniel Jones’ confidence.
All-Pro Bowl linemen David Diehl and Chris Snee retired after this season. Diehl missed a handful of games and Snee only registered 3 starts. Coming off a career-best season in 2012, center David Baas only started 3 games in what would be his last season as a pro.
5. 2017 GIANTS OFFENSE: McAdoo’s Undoing
- OSRS: -6.4
- Points For: 246 (15.4/g) 31st of 32
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 21 of 32
- Record: 3-13-0, 4th in NFC East
- Coach: Steve Spagnuolo (1-3-0) and Ben McAdoo (2-10-0)
- Expected W-L: 4.1-11.9
- Offensive Coordinator: Mike Sullivan
- Offensive Scheme: West Coast
Despite a horrid showing in the 2016 postseason, Giants fans still had to feel confident the boys would take another positive step heading into 2017. Instead, it would be one of the most disastrous and the most damaging for the organization. I ranked 2017 as the 6th worst season in franchise history.
We lost on a last-second 61-yard field goal to the Eagles in Philly in Week 3. It was the longest game winning field goal as time expired since 2006.
We lost on a last-second field goal to the Bucs in Tampa Week 4.
The wheels came off in Week 5 against the LA Chargers when we lost OBJ for the year. Free agent acquisition Brandon Marshall and second-year WR Sterling Shepard also went down with injuries. The Giants blew their third consecutive 4th quarter lead to drop to 0-5.
After a humiliating 51-17 loss to the Rams at home, the Giants started 1–7 for the first time since 1980. What felt like a lowpoint would become routine in the years to come.
In Week 13 against the Raiders, McAdoo made the decision to bench Eli for Geno Smith. The controversial move cost the second-year head coach his job. GM Jerry Reese was also relieved of his duties. I did a deep dive of how Jerry Reese failed Eli.
In short, Reese’s drafts and free agent signings yielded very few pieces to support Eli. After the second Super Bowl win, the 2011 and 2012 drafts are two of the worst in team history. Only six of the 78 draft picks during that 11-year span made a Pro Bowl. Only two selections were All-Pro (Landon Collins, Jason Pierre-Paul).
Hardly any draft picks made it to a second contract. 2007 draft pick Ahmad Bradshaw was Reese’s best back. 2017’s top pick Evan Engram was his best TE, and his best WR was 2014’s top selection, OBJ. Only 3 picks were starters for more than 4 years (OBJ, JPP, Justin Pugh). Jerry’s best free agent addition was Antrel Rolle in 2009.
The 2017 Giants offense managed to gain the 5th lowest first downs in the NFL. They had the 3rd worst third down conversion rate. The unit had second lowest average time per drive and the least points per drive in the league. We were basement dwellers when it came to red zone percentage. No one threw the ball more than us, but we only averaged 5.4 net yards per attempt (5th worst in NFL) and 9.9 yards per completion (2nd worst league-wide).
The run game, led by Orleans Darkwa and Wayne Gallman, only notched 6 touchdowns, 5th lowest in the league.
Coming off a promising rookie season, Paul Perkins started the first four games and averaged 2 yards per carry. Perk was inactive for a handful of games in ’17 and missed all of ’18. He ended up with Detroit in 2019, his last season.
This would be Eli’s worst season as a full-time starter. It prompted everyone to beg new GM Dave Gettleman to select a QB in the 2018 NFL Draft. Instead, he went with all-world running back Saquon Barkley. Hard to pass on a guy with the grades and accolades Saquon had.
The truth is we’d missed a dynamic, next-level running back ever since Tiki Barber retired:
- The 2-headed monster that was Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs was a great 1-2 punch from 2007-2012.
- We thought we had something in 2012 draft pick David Wilson, but his career was cut short.
- Our fourth-round pick in 2014, Andre Williams, didn’t give us much.
- Free agent pickup Rashad Jennings was a band-aid.
- 2016 fifth-rounder Paul Perkins flamed out hard.
- 2017 draftee Wayne Gallman was an above average backup and nice spot starter.
Could we have traded up a spot to take Baker Mayfield? Possibly.
Should we have taken Sam Darnold, who saw ghosts with the Jets?
Or Josh Rosen, who was out of the league before his rookie contract was up?
Or should we have invested our future in Wyoming slinger Josh Allen?
Should we have rolled the dice and “reached” for Louisville’s Lamar Jackson?
The answer is clear now, but the organization still had faith in Eli going into the 2018 season and why wouldn’t they?
Peyton Manning threw for a record 55 touchdowns in his 37th year on Earth. In Eli’s Year 37, he put up decent numbers on paper. According to PFR, Eli’s approximate value was the same as his Pro Bowl season in 2008 and his 2010 season when he led the league in touchdown tosses.
But a dog doo doo O-line and his big-time lack of mobility meant the highest sacks and sack percentage of his career.
4. 2020 GIANTS OFFENSE: Jason Garrett’s Got No Guts
- OSRS: -6.7
- Points For: 280 (17.5/g) 31st of 32
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 31 of 32
- Record: 6-10-0, 2nd in NFC East
- Coach: Joe Judge (6-10-0)
- Expected W-L: 5.8-10.2
- Offensive Coordinator: Jason Garrett
- Offensive Scheme: Air Coryell
In Joe Judge’s first season as Giants head coach, the G-Men came one Washington loss away from winning the division. Despite starting the season 1-7… and finishing with a 6-10 record, Judge’s Giants almost advanced to the postseason. We had 4 losses by 4 points or less:
- 17-13 to Chicago in Week 2
- 37-34 to Dallas in Week 5
- 22-21 to Philly in Week 7 (Evan Engram drop)
- 25-23 to Tompa in Week 8
The 2020 offense ran the third fewest plays. It was second to last in first downs, touchdowns thrown, red zone percentage, and average points per drive. Our average yards per play, net yards per passing attempt and third down percentage all ranked 4th worst in the league.
Daniel Jones took a step back from his promising rookie season, only tossing 11 TDs against 10 INTs. His best games came within the division. Jones went 17-25 for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 23-19 season finale win over Dallas. He completed 21 of 28 passes for 244 yards in a 27-17 dub over Philly in Week 10. His worst happened in the 36-9 blowout loss to the Niners at home in Week 3. He only completed 53% of passes and averaged 4 yards per attempt.
Fourth year TE Evan Engram was the most targeted receiver. Somehow, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. Sterling Shepard led the squad in receptions despite missing four games. Second year wideout Darius Slayton was tops in receiving yards and yards per reception. Slay tied with Shep for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. 2019 free agent splash Golden Tate only started 4 games and fell out of favor with the staff.
After Saquon went down with a season-ending injury against Chicago in Week 2, the team turned to free agent Devonta Freeman. He only averaged 3 yards per carry. Fourth year back Wayne Gallman took over as the primary back in Week 8. He had the best year of his career, tallying 6 touchdowns.
Free agent pickup Cameron Fleming started all 16 games at right tackle and was New York’s best lineman in what was his best season as a pro.
Center Nick Gates also started all 16 games and had his best season in the NFL.
Guard Kevin Zeitler, acquired in the OBJ trade, started all 16 as well, but had the worst season of his career.
First round draft pick Andrew Thomas had a so-so season hampered by injuries.
2018 draft pick Will Hernandez started the first 7 games, but was benched for rookie Shane Lemieux in what was Will’s worst season. After starting the remaining 9 games in 2020, Lemieux only started 3 more games and is out of the league.
3. 2023 – Brian Daboll Done Lost His Balls
- OSRS: -6.9
- Points For: 266 (15.6/g) 30th of 32
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 29th of 32
- Record: 6-11-0, 3rd in NFC East
- Coach: Brian Daboll (6-11-0)
- Expected W-L: 4.5-12.5
- Offensive Coordinator: Mike Kafka
- Offensive Scheme: Erhardt-Perkins
In 2022, the Giants traded 2021 first round pick Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs. The Giants shocked the NFL by making the playoffs and winning a postseason game on the road. Meanwhile, Toney would help KC win a Super Bowl.
In the offseason, the Giants used the pick they got for Toney to trade for Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. The 2019 Comeback Player of the Year Nominee hadn’t played a full season since 2020. He underwhelmed in 2023, missing 5 games to injury then retired in the offseason.
2023 was one of the more tumultuous, volatile seasons, filled with surprising highs and all-time lows. Strap in and take the bumpy ride with me as we stumble down memory lane…
Week 1 vs Cowboys – Big Blue became the first team in NFL history to:
- lose a game by 40+ points
- get out-sacked by seven or more
- lose three or more turnovers more than forced
- have a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown
- and throw a pick six in a single season
- and it all happened in 1 game.
Lost All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas for a long stretch.
Week 2 vs Cardinals – Tied the franchise record for the largest comeback win of 21 points. Daniel Jones became the first player in NFL history to
- throw for 250+ yards
- run for 50+ yards
- toss 2+ pass TDs
- run for 1+ TD
- and have no turnovers in a single half
Saquon Barkley gets hurt and misses the next 3 games.
Week 3 vs 49ers – Daniel Jones fell to 1–11 in primetime games
Week 4 vs Seattle – DJ sacked a career-high 11 times, hurls a red-zone pick-six
Week 5 vs Miami – DJ suffers a neck injury on the Dolphins’ 6th sack of the game.
Week 6 vs Buffalo – With Tyrod Taylor starting, the O ran three plays from the Bills’ 1-yard line to end each half and came away with zero points
Week 8 vs Jets – Giants finished the game with -9 passing yards, the worst finish by an NFL team since 2021 (also the Giants)
Week 9 vs Raiders – DJ returns, tears ACL in blowout loss
Week 11 vs Commanders – Tommy DeVito’s named Rookie of the Week for his first win in the NFL despite getting sacked 9 times
Week 12 vs Patriots – Jalin Hyatt is Rookie of the Week with 5 catches for 109 yards in an ugly win on a missed last second field goal
Week 13 vs Packers – Tommy DeVito named NFC Player of the Week
Week 14 vs Saints – Tommy DeVito sacked 7 times in blowout loss
Week 16 vs Eagles – DeVito benched mid-game for Tyrod, who missed a wide open Darren Waller that would’ve been a touchdown
Week 17 vs Rams – Tyrod misses wide open Saquon Barkley on 2-point conversion that would’ve won the game
The offense average 4.5 yard per play, 4.8 net yards per passing attempt, and 289 first downs, all ranked 3rd worst league-wide. They had the second fewest passing yards and passing yards per game to go with the fifth fewest touchdowns.
The offensive line allowed a league-leading 85 sacks. It was the second highest number of sacks allowed by a team in a single season.
Second round draft pick John Michael Schmitz had a subpar year. Seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft Evan Neal played poorly, criticized fans, and suffered from injuries. Josh Ezeudu, a third round pick in 2022, was forced to play left tackle and allowed the sack of Daniel Jones that broke his neck.
The team had to pull former Giant Justin Pugh off his couch to stabilize the line. Tyre Phillips, who was cut, was signed off the Eagles practice squad to start at tackle. 2022 free agent pickup Mark Glowinski was benched. Guard Ben Bredeson, acquired via trade in 2021, had the highest approximate value. He starting all 16 games in he played in.
The atrocious performance by the line led Joe Schoen and Company to go out and sign guards Jon Runyan, Jr. and Greg Van Roten as well as tackle Jermaine Eluemenor in the offseason.
In his final season with the Giants (as of publish… cue dramatic sting of music), Barkley just missed the 1,000 yard mark in 14 games played. The 2-time Pro Bowler had the lowest receptions per game and receiving yards per game of his tenure with New York. Barkley led the team in passes dropped and Giants QBs had the lowest rating when throwing to him (among targets with more than 7 starts).
Saquon’s best game came in a Week 11 win against the Commanders when he ran for 83 yards on 14 carries and caught 2 touchdowns to go with his season-high 57 receiving yards. His season-highs in carries (36) and yards (128) came in the 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets when Tyrod Taylor went down with a rib injury and the team refused to let undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito throw.
Yet again Darius Slayton led the team in targets and had career highs in receptions and receiving yards. The 2019 draft pick tied with Saquon for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. 2022 draft pick Wan’Dale Robinson was tops in receptions. Third-round draft pick Jalin Hyatt emerged as a viable deep threat, averaging 16.2 yards per reception.
2. 2024 GIANTS OFFENSE: DABOLL IS DA WORST
- OSRS: -7.5
- Record: 3-14-0, 4th in NFC East
- Coach: Brian Daboll (3-14-0)
- Points For: 273 (16.1/g) 31st of 32
- Expected W-L: 4.6-12.4
- Offensive Coordinator: Mike Kafka
OVERALL TEAM OFFENSE:
- 6th lowest 3D%
- T-4th fewest first downs
- 3rd fewest total yards gained and yards per play (4.7)
- 2nd fewest total points scored
- 2nd to last in scoring percentage of drives ending in an offensive score (27.9%) and in expected pts contributed (-82.92)
- 2nd fewest total touchdowns scored
- 0 4th quarter comebacks, 0 game-winning drives
PASSING OFFENSE:
- T-7th most sacks allowed
- 5th fewest passing yards (despite having the 9th most attempts)
- 3rd lowest net yards per pass attempt and QB rating (13 of the top 14 teams by QB Rating are in playoffs, Chiefs and Texans not among those teams)
- -50 expected points contributed
- Fewest receiving touchdowns
- Dead last in passing touchdowns, in TD%, yards per completion, red zone percentage
RUSHING OFFENSE:
- 18th or lower in all rushing categories
- Rushing offense – 9th most total fumbles, -8.44 expected points contributed
1. 2021 GIANTS OFFENSE: Joe Judge Is Guilty of Giving Up
- OSRS: -7.7
- Points For: 258 (15.2/g) 31st of 32
- Offensive Rank in Yards: 31 of 32
- Record: 4-13-0, 4th in NFC East
- Coach: Joe Judge (4-13-0)
- Expected W-L: 4.1-12.9
- Offensive Coordinator: Jason Garrett, Freddie Kitchens
- Offensive Scheme: Air Coryell
The Giants tied a franchise record with the the 2017 squad for most losses in a single season. Entering December, Big Blue was 4-7, having just beaten the Eagles 13-7 in Week 12.
After that win against Philly, Daniel Jones was lost for the season due to a sneaky neck injury he allegedly sustained against Tampa Bay the prior week. Backups Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm were straight up disgusting over the remaining 6 games. They “led” the offense to more than 10 points only once. Glennon had a QB rating of 49.7 while Fromm had a 38.9.
The 2021 Giants offense was tied for second fewest yards per play. They were second lowest in net yards per passing attempt and rushing touchdowns. The unit had a league-leading 30 turnovers, thanks to the 2nd most interceptions (20) and 7th most fumbles lost. Jones accounted for 7 fumbles lost while Glennon was responsible for 6.
They also had the second fewest first downs and total passing yards, along with the third fewest touchdowns thrown. No other team had lower expected points contributed than this group. Their 1.31 points per drive was last in the league.
Starting center and team captain Nick Gates was lost for the season in the controversial Week 2 loss to the Washington Football Team. In that contests, we saw:
- a Daniel Jones touchdown called back on holding
- a touchdown drop by Darius Slayton
- a bogus offside call on Dexter Lawrence that negated a missed field goal at the end of regulation.
In Week 3 against the Falcons, the Giants would drop more game winning passes and lost on the last play of the game.
The offense looked like it was on to something special in a Week 4 come-from-behind overtime win over the Saints in New Orleans. Jones was selected as the NFC Player of the Week. The offense gained 485 total yards on 402 passing, both season-highs. Speed demon John Ross caught a 51-yard touchdown. Saquon took a catch 50+ yards for a TD and totaled a season-high 74 receiving yards. Free agent acquisition Kenny Golladay had a season-high 116 yards on 6 catches.
The next week saw Golladay only play 35% of offensive snaps. He failed to register a catch on 3 targets in the 44-20 loss to the Cowboys. The former Lion would be inactive for the next three weeks.
Over the remaining 9 matchups, KG never caught more than 3 balls in a game. He also never caught a touchdown. His stint with the Giants would come to an end after the 2022 season. That year, he totaled 6 receptions and 81 yards in only 4 starts. Golladay is considered the biggest free agent bust in franchise history.
After the comeback win in The Big Easy, Toney had his best game as a pro in the blowout loss to Dallas. He hauled in 10 receptions for 189 yards before getting ejected for throwing a punch in the 4th. I thought we had a future all-Pro on our hands. KT was a mixture of The Human Joystick Dante Hall and OBJ. He made grown men look like toddlers. But… le sigh… he’d be inactive for 7 of the last 11 games. He’d be traded during the 2022 season when he started only 4 games and caught 6 passes.
Barkley was coming back from a season-ending ACL injury in 2020. He only managed 593 yards on 162 attempts. Free agent pickup Devonate Booker actually tied Saquon for the team-lead in rushing yards. Booker also led the team in yards from scrimmage despite Barkley getting more touches. Devontae rushed for a career-high 99 yards in a 23-16 win over the Raiders in Week 9. He also tallied a season-high 65 receiving yards in a 20-17 loss to the Chiefs in Week 8.
Like Toney, Saquon would be inactive for a stretch of the schedule after the loss to Dallas in Week 5. The fourth-year back only had more than 16 carries in a game once. He went for 102 yards on 21 attempts in a 29-3 loss to Chicago in Week 17. It was his first 100-yard rushing game since tearing his ACL in 2020.
In the Week 17 blowout loss to the Bears, the Giants offense totaled -6 passing yards. It was the worst by an NFL team since 1998. The Giants were the first team since 2009 to end a game with negative passing yards.
In his last season with the Giants, Evan Engram led the squad in receptions and receiving touchdowns. The former Ole Miss target had a season-high 6 catches in a 25-3 win over the Panthers in Week 7. He also had a season-high 61 receiving yards against Miami in a 20-9 Week 13 loss.
The longest-tenured Giant at the time, WR Sterling Shepard, missed 10 games due to injury. After bringing in 16 receptions for over 200 yards in the first 2 weeks, Shep only had one more big game. He snagged 10 passes for 76 yards in a blowout loss to the Rams in Week 6. He’d only play 3 games in 2022 and a handful of games in 2023.
Jason Garrett was fired after the 30-10 loss to Tampa in late November. He was replaced by former tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens.
Joe Judge lost his job after the embarrassing season finale against Washington. Judge called back-to-back QB sneaks on 2nd and 3rd down and long from inside his own 5 in the second quarter while trailing 3-0. The team lost its final six games all by double digits, the first time in franchise history. Judge was the first Giants coach to lose 13 games in one season.
GM Dave Gettleman “retired” after the 2021 season.
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