They couldn’t get the win in Week 5, but the 27-27 tie with the Washington Commanders can still be a turning point for the New York Giants’ season. Provided they change their offense to feature a duo quarterback Jameis Winston calls “world class” more often.
That’s what the Giants “MUST” do after Winston eviscerated the Commanders’ coverage on Sunday, October 11. He did so by targeting wide receiver Malik Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely over and over again at a rain-soaked Northwest Stadium.
The conditions should’ve been ideal for the tough mudders in the Giants’ ground game to run riot. Instead, Winston leaned on his arm and the team’s two most athletic and explosive pass-catchers.
This change in emphasis has to be permanent, according to Big Blue Banter podcast host Dan Schneier. He pointed out how “The Giants came into the season wanting to establish an identity. Heavy personnel. Under center. Play action. It looked on track in Week 1. Then Dart got hurt. The OL isn’t creating in the run game. The RBs are struggling. The offense MUST shift now to focus on Nabers & Likely. They combined for 33 targets in Week 5. That should be at minimum 20+ combined per game.”
Spreading 20 targets between Nabers and Likely won’t be a problem. Not after the way both feasted against the Commanders, with Nabers enjoying a surprising uptick in his workload.
Schneier even knows how the Giants can ensure Nabers’ and Likely’s big day is not a one-off. That will appeal to Winston, who offered the highest praise possible to Big Blue’s dynamic duo.
Jameis Winston and ‘World-Class’ Receivers Transformed Offense
Winston was in no doubt about who inspired the Giants’ comeback from 13 points down in the fourth quarter against their NFC East rivals. The veteran passer explained Nabers and Likely are “world class at what they do. They’re our best pass-catchers. I’m grateful that they’re on our team. I have to continue to find ways to consistently get them the football,” per SNY Giants.
Jameis Winston talks about Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely:
Those words make it sound like Winston isn’t ready to go back to handing the ball off and throwing to Nabers and Likely less often. And honestly, why would he?
Likely and Nabers combined for 22 catches from 33 targets against the Commanders. They accounted for 215 yards and three touchdowns.
In the process, Nabers and Likely became “the 2nd WR/TE duo in NFL history to each have 11 receptions 90+ receiving yards 1+ rec TD in the same game,” according to NFL Plus.
Likely got his hands on two scoring passes from Winston. Including this impressive grab to give the Giants their first touchdown and keep them in touch.
A play like this is why Likely’s playing like a future Hall of Famer in offensive coordinator Matt Nagy’s system. That scheme is becoming increasingly geared to the pass while the running game misses the dual-threat talents on injured QB1 Jaxson Dart.
Giants Need Schematic Shift on Offense
Going pass-happy would be quite a shift for head coach John Harbaugh. He’s long been a practitioner of a ground-and-pound, “dirty” style of offense.
Harbaugh’s Giants were expected to thrive running this bruising brand of football behind workhorse Cam Skattebo. Unfortunately, the latter’s struggled to turn a heavy workload into explosive gains.
Skattebo’s problems have echoes of a warning the Giants received about the running back during the offseason. It’s looking like Harbaugh and his coaches should’ve heeded that warning, particularly after Skattebo’s clutch error against the Commanders.
Many of Skattebo’s problems can be attributed to Dart’s absence. As Sports Illustrated’s Patricia Traina explained, “Last year the #Giants ranked fifth in rushing, but the contributions by Jaxson Dart to the rushing yardage inflated that ranking. Based on what the Giants RBs alone did last year in the running game, NY would have finished 15th in total rushing yards (1,587) and 24th in average yards per attempt (4.0). The average rushing yards per attempt it .3 yards less than when they had the QBs contributing.”
Based on what the Giants RBs alone did last year in the running game, NY would have finished 15th in total rushing yards (1,587) and 24th in
Fortunately, Harbaugh can take a page from an all-time great Giants head coach. Two-time Super Bowl winner Bill Parcells won championships with Big Blue largely on the strength of dominant running games powered by Joe Morris and Ottis Anderson.
Parcells tried, but failed to replicate the same formula with Marion Butts and the New England Patriots in 1994. So the coach simply turned quarterback Drew Bledsoe loose and had him put the ball in the air 40-plus times most weeks.
Bledsoe favored bulldozing tight end Ben Coates and deep-threat wide receiver Michael Timpson. The feast-or-famine approach propelled the previously lowly Pats to 10 wins and a playoff berth.
A spot in the playoffs is still in the Giants’ sights, despite doubts about Winston. Ironically, his boom-or-bust style is perfect for the Giants’ two best weapons.
Giants ‘MUST’ Rebuild Around Jameis Winston’s ‘World-Class’ Duo