Big Blue View
The New York Giants are about to embark upon an interesting, entirely unpredictable 2025 season that could have profound implications for the long-term direction of a franchise that floundered since winning the 2011 Super Bowl.
Are the Giants a playoff team? Are they once again going to be a 3-14 team? Most likely, they will be something in-between those two extremes.
What will constitute success or failure? You probably have your own definitions of those things.
The Giants are better, maybe much better, on paper. They have an upgraded quarterback room with two veterans and a promising first-round pick. They have an upgraded defense that, if it plays to its potential, could be a top 10 unit. They have an exciting group of young players, mixed with some veteran leadership. They appear to have better depth in many spots than they have had in a while.
They also have a fourth-year GM/head coach combo under intense pressure to produce results after nearly losing their jobs due to going 9-25 over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
What will it all add up to? Nobody knows. Until the games are played. Stay tuned as we all find out together.
What are the factors that will go into determining whether the Giants are successful this season or not? Reader Bob Donnelly sent a question to the Big Blue View Mailbag (which you can do by e-mailing [email protected]) recently asking me to list those factors. Bob wrote:
Be it finally playing to their draft position / contract, rebounding from or avoiding injury, or making a developmental leap much has been discussed about what is hoped for in the upcoming season.
In your view, what are the seven most important things – in order of importance – that the Giants need to come to fruition so that the team can realize its potential?
Well, Bob, I am a severe disappointment. As I turned this over and over in my mind I could only come up with six main categories or factors, each with a variety of tentacles sprouting inside them.
Let’s get to them.
The Giants have had one of the worst offenses in football for the past two seasons, 31st in points scored last season and 30th in 2023.
When Drew Lock threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-33 Week 17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Brian Daboll — renowned for his work as an offensive play caller before coming to the Giants — made his feelings on the primary reason the Giants were not a good offensive team crystal clear.
“That’s how the quarterback needs to perform,” Daboll said.
It is significant that the only major change the Giants made on offense this offseason was to revamp their quarterback room. Daboll and GM Joe Schoen are pushing their offensive chips to the middle of the table and making it obvious they believe the problem was Daniel Jones, and to a lesser extent the...
