There will certainly be doubters of the New York Giants red hot start to begin the 2022 season. However, there is some solid evidence after five weeks that this team is a legitimate playoff contender and not just having a typically fast start to begin the year.
The Giants have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL to start this season. If not for the Philadelphia Eagles being the best team in football after five weeks, and Cooper Rush causing a borderline quarterback controversy in Dallas, the G-Men would be in first place at 4-1. The success of the two lead dogs in the division is also why many league observers are bearish on the team’s long-term outlook this season.
Having a hesitation to believe in this Giants group is a fair approach. They’ve had losing seasons in the last five years. They have a new head coach and general manager. Their starting quarterback does not project to be a perennial Pro Bowler, and much of the unit that was a part of a 4-13 season in 2021 is the group playing in 2022.
Related: 4 Reasons why Brian Daboll is the front-runner to be 2022 ‘NFL Coach of the Year’
However, a change of regime and culture a year later has made an immediate impact, and there seems to be a bunch of reasons to believe the 2022 New York Giants are serious beasts of the east.
We have yet to see a fully healthy Giants squad in 2022
The Giants entered this season with a roster with low expectations, since — as mentioned earlier — much of last season’s losing squad was back. Then, the organization traded off their best cornerback James Bradberry in the offseason and cut 2021 defensive captain Blake Martinez days before the season started.
Compounding that fact is that many key players on both sides of the ball have missed a lot of time this season. Top pick Kayvon Thibodeaux has missed two games, pass-rushing prospect Azeez Ojulari missed three, and their best and most expensive EDGE Leonard Williams has also missed three starts. When your top three pass rushers have been out that much time the team has no business being 4-1. Yet defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale has turned this group into one of the better defenses in the league.
Not to mention, the offense was without their top three receivers last week and somehow beat the Green Bay Packers. Several of those players have missed other games as well. It’s damn near a miracle that New York has the record they do with so many key injuries and just one player having a Pro Bowl season.
Giants have succeeded with minimal help from Daniel Jones
Let’s just put this out there first: Daniel Jones has not been spectacular in 2022. He has had just one game where he passed over 200 yards, and that followed a week where he threw for less than 100. However, where he has been impressive is by cutting down on his patented mistakes.
Turnovers have dogged him his entire career and it has been a non-issue this season as he’s managed the offense effectively and let Saquon Barkley lead the way. Yet there is a whole bunch of room for improvement, and it is likely as he continues to get more familiar with Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka’s offense. Furthermore, as mentioned above, he has lacked many of his weapons in the passing game throughout the season.
Considering what Daboll did for Josh Allen as the OC of the Buffalo Bills, there is enough reason to expect Jones to get better because he has shown the ability to be an impact player in the league. It is stunning to realize the Giants have been this good without Jones taking major steps forward in his game.
Brian Daboll has quickly changed the culture
The change in the Giants begins and ends with Daboll. We all saw him chew out Jones after a bad interception in Week 1. Then that chat leads into a game-winning drive. He set a standard early and has held his players accountable. Now, many of the players of bought into what he is selling and are maxing out on their limited skills.
Just like a player, Daboll has room to get better as a head coach, and that is quite a thought, after the fast start he has gotten off to in his first year leading an NFL team.
A healthy Saquon Barkley is a game changer
New York and many NFL fans have been well aware of how talented Saquon Barkley is. The sport saw it in his electric rookie year as he earned Pro Bowl honors and was one of the top backs in the league. Yet, the Bronx native has never mirrored that memorable season in 2018 since. Until now, as the NFL gets a reminder of how gifted he is over the last five weeks.
Barkley is second in the league in rushing and has another 103 yards through the air. He has shown the game-breaker skills he has missed the last few seasons and seems like his old self. The adjustments he made in his offseason training seem to be paying off as the normal dings that come with playing the position have not hampered him as it has in the past.
If this is the player the Giants get the rest of the season, they can compete in any game they are in the rest of the way.