Giants Wire
The New York Giants opened the year hopeful that they had narrowed the gap in the NFC East and would celebrate their 100th season with a return to the playoffs.
What transpired is the exact opposite of that.
The Giants went winless in the NFC East for the first time in franchise history. They won only a single home game and have been forced to sit idly by while their former coaches and players enjoy playoff success.
It has become a nightmare of epic proportions.
Over the weekend, the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles won their respective contests to set up a divisional matchup in the NFC Championship Game, highlighting just how far back the Giants are from the pack.
As bad as that seems, they can find no solace when looking at the AFC Championship Game, which also provides plenty of reasons for pessimism and disgust.
For co-owner John Mara, the entire franchise, and their fans, Conference Championship Sunday will be a tough pill to swallow.
The very reason the Giants hired the regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll was due to their success in Buffalo.
Schoen was general manager Brandon Beane’s close friend and righthand man for five seasons. He received significant praise for helping turn the organization into a consistent contender, while Daboll was credited with the development and success of quarterback Josh Allen.
Without the pair, the Bills haven’t missed a beat. They’re every bit as good, if not better than when Schoen and Daboll were in town. The Giants, meanwhile, are an unmitigated disaster.
Then there’s the Chiefs, who are being led by a dominant defense this season. The man at the helm? Former Giants defensive coordinator and interim head coach, Steve Spagnuolo.
Spagnuolo is aided by another former Giants assistant, defensive backs coach Dave Merritt.
And then there’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whom former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo desperately wanted to trade up for in the 2017 NFL draft. Instead, they remained in place and took tight end Evan Engram at No. 23 overall.
What could have been?
The Eagles and Commanders being in this spot is tough enough for the Giants, but how they got here only adds more salt to the wounds.
As everyone saw during “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” Daboll signed off on trading up for quarterback Jayden Daniels in the 2024 NFL draft. That’s the player he wanted.
Schoen was unable to get a deal done. Daniels went to the Commanders at No. 2 overall and then fellow quarterback Drake Maye went to the New England Patriots at No. 3 overall.
The Giants stayed in place and selected wide receiver Malik Nabers, Daniels’ former LSU teammate and close friend, at No. 6 overall.
Although Nabers is a superstar in the making, the Giants have an empty cart at quarterback. Daniels (or Maye) should have shored that issue up...
