Getty Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay explained why he is already enjoying life without Jason Garrett as his offensive coordinator.
After the New York Giants fired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett on Nov. 23, their unit did not show much improvement under new play caller Freddie Kitchens in their 13-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12.
Although Kitchens’ offense accumulated a total of just 264 yards, they began to make several adjustments such as incorporating pre-snap motion, among other things.
No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who was a victim of Garrett’s ineptitude leading up to the team’s decision to make a change, caught three passes for 50 yards but drew seven targets that included two fade balls in the red zone.
This is something that Garrett failed to attempt with Golladay, who had zero touchdowns in 10 games under the ex-Dallas Cowboys head coach. In the very least, Kitchens tried to get Golladay involved by getting him the ball in the red zone. And their were two borderline defensive pass interference calls that the officials let go on fade passes to Golladay in the end zone.
For the majority of the 2021 campaign, Golladay has made it clear that he wants to be incorporated in the Giants’ offensive game plan more often.
So, on Thursday Dec. 2, Golladay discussed the style of his new OC, and explained why he is already enjoying life without Garrett, regardless of the lack of instant results in Kitchens’ first contest running the offense.
“I’m not saying there wasn’t openness with [Jason] Garrett, but Freddie [Kitchens] did want to hear from us a little bit more,” Golladay told reporters.
Kenny Golladay says there’s been a change in communication under Freddie Kitchens:
“I’m not saying there wasn’t openness with [Jason] Garrett, but Freddie did want to hear from us a little bit more”
“it’s huge, we can come over to the sideline, and since you are the one running [on the field], you can actually tell [Kitchens] what you are seeing,” said Golladay.
The Giants signed Golladay to a massive four-year, $72 million deal in the offseason. But so far, this addition has yet to pay off, as he has caught a mere total of 23 passes for 372 yards and zero scores.
Once players become more comfortable under Kitchens, the anticipation is that the offense will begin to see improved production on the field. And this is an aspect that both Golladay and the Giants can only hope will turn into a reality.
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Jones up in air
Earlier in the week, it was revealed that Giants quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a neck strain on the second offensive play from scrimmage against the Eagles.
And while several reports indicated that backup signal caller Mike Glennon would be forced to take his spot on Sunday versus the Miami Dolphins and potentially for additional games beyond this week, Jones and the Giants are saying not so fast.
For the second straight day, Jones was a limited participant in practice on Dec. 2. And although it appears as though he has a chance to play this week, given his level of activity, he must receive clearance for contact first.
“We’re not going to rule anything out right now,’’ Judge told reporters on Wednesday. “Daniel will be out here for practice with us today, we expect him to practice [Thursday] and Friday. We’ll see what he can do. We’ll see how it goes.’’
On the bright side, the Giants are still leaving the door open for Jones to play in Miami. And Jones is operating as if he will be under center this week.
“I’m going through the week preparing to play, listening to the trainers and doctors and my job is to be ready to play,” Jones said. “There’s a number of things the trainers and doctors want to see. My focus is to continue to improve and get better and put that in their hands this weekend.’’
In case Jones is out, the Giants signed former University of Georgia standout Jake Fromm to their 53-man roster to possibly serve as a backup to Glennon.
Injury Report
With just three days to go until their matchup with the Dolphins, the Giants released their latest injury report on Thursday, Dec. 2.
Giants Injury Report 12/2
LIMITED:
QB Daniel Jones (Neck)
TE Kyle Rudolph (Ankle)
WR Sterling Shepard (Quad)
DNP:
LB Trent Harris (Ankle)
FB Cullen Gillaspia (Calf)
DB Adoree Jackson (Quad)
WR John Ross (Illness)
TE Kaden Smith (Knee)
WR Kadarius Toney (Oblique/Quad)
Jones, tight end Kyle Rudolph [ankle] and wide receiver Sterling Shepard [quad] were among the three players that were limited participants in practice this afternoon. This means that this trio has a chance to suit up in Miami, which would be a major boost for the Giants’ offense.
Out of the group that did not practice, Kadarius Toney [oblique/quad] and Adoree Jackson [quad] appear to be in doubt for this upcoming contest. Wide receiver John Ross did not practice for the second straight day due to an illness, and his status is currently unknown as well.