The New York Giants Week 18 game was dissapointing to say the least

By: Charlie Vakassian

I have been watching the Giants ever since I was a little kid. There have been so many heroic moments: The Helmet Catch in 2007. The improbable run in 2011.

Stars like Michael Strahan, Eli Manning, and Odell Beckham have worn the blue with pride. This is why it’s a real shame to see a once-proud franchise fallen hard so far. The Giants once again showed their amazing ineptitude on Sunday, losing a game that seemed close, but was never within reach. Let’s take a look at the performances on each side of the ball, and what comes next.

Offense

Just another all-around miserable performance by an offensive unit that has shown it cannot move the ball at all. Jake Fromm looked uncomfortable all game and was constantly under pressure by the Washington front four. He only completed 15 of 31 passes for 103 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, as well as a bad fumble where he tried to throw a forward pass and the ball simply slipped out of his hands.

Saquon Barkley never got going, with only 30 yards on 11 carries. Fromm was the leading rusher with 53 yards on a few scrambles. Yes, you read that correctly. Darius Slayton caught the lone TD of the day for New York. The offensive line was in tatters, and aside from Andrew Thomas, everyone was constantly getting beat. Simply put, the Giants need new starters at four offensive line spots.

The final straw was when the Giants were backed up inside their own five yard line, and on back to back plays, head coach Joe Judge called for QB sneaks in what was essentially victory formation, to avoid a safety. Two straight give-up plays, and it enabled Washington to get the ball back with good field position.

Those two play calls were basically a surrender. I have never seen anything like it in all my years of watching football.

Defense

I feel so bad for the defense. They leave their hearts out on the field, only to consistently get let down by an atrocious offense. Leonard Williams and Lorenzo Carter both notched sacks. Dexter Lawrence and Azeez Ojulari were getting pressure often, and even the secondary did their jobs. Being on the field for so long, along with the turnovers on offense, led to them eventually wilting in the fourth quarter, allowing the WFT to pull away.

If there is one thing this defense needs, it is an alpha pass rusher. If Kayvon Thibodeaux or Aidan Hutchinson is available at pick 5, they need Roger Goodell to run to that podium.

Special Teams

Alex Bachmann had a solid punt return for 16 yards the lone opportunity he got. Graham Gano hit his extra point, but had no FG opportunities.

Riley Dixon, who is a disappointment this season, actually got off some impressive punts, averaging 51 yards per punt in six tries, landing one inside the 20. Special teams coverage was good, holding dangerous return man DeAndre Carter to less than six yards per return on four punt returns.

Coaching

Joe Judge was in fact fired. It was deemed Mission Impossible for the Giants to lure in the right GM with the head coach that would make him run laps if he messed up, so they opted to finally pull the plug on Judge.

Final Thoughts/Offseason Sneak Peek

So the Giants season ends not with a bang, but a whimper. There are a lot of changes that are going to be made. General Manager Dave Gettleman is retiring, and Joe Judge may be on the hot seat himself.

Evan Engram and Jabrill Peppers are key free agents. There will need to be new starters on the offensive line, as well as tight end, linebacker, and on the edge.

The draft is going to be huge, as the new GM will have a a lot of early picks (5,7,36,67,81) to fill a lot of holes. Free agency will have to be a lot of bargain bin shopping, as there is little to no cap space right now, although cuts can be made to free up some room.

Next week we will do positional breakdowns, as well as potential free agency/draft options at said positions.