After 26 games, zero 30-point outings and currently boasting the league’s 25th-ranked offense, the New York Giants chose to give offensive coordinator Jason Garrett the boot following their Week 11 beatdown at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Giants offense was shut out in the second half against the defending champs, finishing the night with a season-low 15 first downs and totaling 215 yards of offense (the second-lowest in the Garrett era, h/t ESPN).
“It certainly affects all of us,” quarterback Daniel Jones told reporters following Garrett’s dismissal. “I think he was a big part of what we were doing on offense and obviously leadership there, so I’ll miss him. We’ll certainly miss him, and he did a lot for us. We’ve got to keep moving forward and get ready to play the Eagles this week.”
Jones revealed that he spoke with Garrett the day he was sent packing, stating “It was obviously a tough conversation. I think just him being the guy he is, just wishing the best for us, wishing the best for me. I think that was most of that.”
Jones: ‘I Feel Responsible’
Broader issues aside, the lack of high-end development particularly from Jones while under Garrett’s tutelage was a major reason for the former Cowboys head-man getting canned in East Rutherford. While Jones did cut down on the turnovers early on this season, he’s since turned the football over eight times over his last five games. During that five-game stretch, the team averaged just 17.2 points — eerily similar to their 2020 output of 17.5 points per game, which ranked second-to-last in the NFL.
“I feel responsible for our lack of production as an offense,” Jones said. “I feel that. I think we all should feel that, and I don’t think that’s changed today. I still feel like that. Coach (Joe) Judge is going to make the decisions as the head coach, that’s his job, but I don’t think that should change how we feel about how we’ve played, the points we’ve scored, how we’ve done at times. I think we know we’ve got to do better. That falls on each one of us, on players and certainly me.”
Overview of Jones Production Dip Under Garrett
For all the flack Garrett received as a head coach, his resume as a play-caller was viewed as a vast improvement over Pat Shurmur at the time of his hiring with New York. From 2007 through 2010, Garrett served as the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys, leading three top-seven ranked offenses, two of which ranked within the top three league-wide. However, that same success clearly never trickled over in his inner-division move.
In fact, Jones’ production plummeted in the move from Shurmur to Garrett. Yes, Jones did begin to flex his dual-threat abilities under Shurmur more. However, his output through the air took a step back. As a rookie in Shurmur’s offense, Jones appeared in 13 games (12 starts), throwing for 3,027 yards and tossing 24 touchdowns to 12 interceptions with a 5.2% touchdown percentage. In 24 starts under Garrett, he threw only 20 and saw his touchdown percentage drop to 2.6%. Furthermore, during his time with Garrett, Jones produced just six multi-touchdown games and zero three-plus touchdown games. Under Shurmur, he had five two-touchdown games and three four-plus touchdown games (h/t The Entertainah).
Of course, the Giants’ offensive woes go well beyond Garrett — and Jones for that point. Since 2020, no team has scored fewer offensive touchdowns than the G-Men (42). The offensive line remains a liability. The team’s $72 million “WR1” and their rookie first-round pick have combined for fewer receiving touchdowns than their starting left tackle. Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard continue to be riddled with injuries while Evan Engram has surpassed 38 yards receiving only twice this season and has hauled in just three touchdowns over his last 25 games.
While chances are it won’t be a quick fix, Jones and company likely don’t have an abundance of time to prove their worth. With Garrett’s firing likely being the first of many changes to come for the Giants this offseason, Jones knows he and his offense must elevate their play over the final seven weeks of the season.
“It’s about moving forward now, understanding that we’ve got to keep going and it’s on all of us to perform better at each of our jobs. We all have to play better and produce more.”
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Giants’ Daniel Jones Breaks Silence on Jason Garrett’s Firing