The New York Giants‘ offense hung 28 points on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, but head coach John Harbaugh still thinks the unit wasn’t “even close to acceptable.”
Harbaugh sent an ominous warning to the Giants’ offense by calling out a recurring problem. The 63-year-old doesn’t like how the Giants “are putting the ball on the ground entirely too much. That’s got to change,” per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz.
While the Giants lost just one of their multiple fumbles against Dallas, Harbaugh was clear, “That’s not even close to being acceptable.”
Those words don’t represent typical coach speak to ward off complacency after an impressive, but surprise win. Instead, Harbaugh’s sending a pointed reminder about basic, but essential standards to players struggling to protect the football.
John Harbaugh Won’t Tolerate Fatal Flaw on Offense
Harbaugh knows ball security is paramount when the Giant remain keen to continue controlling the ball on the ground. His offense is designed to wear down defenses with lengthy, efficient drives.
Heavy doses of a punishing and “dirty” running game kill the clock and force opposing teams into pass-first mode. That plays into a Giants’ defense defined by its host of skilled edge-rushers, including Brian Burns and Abdul Carter.
Turnovers stop long drives short, allow opponents to control the clock, and expose Big Blue’s front-loaded defense to more work. All of those factors explain why Harbaugh isn’t going to tolerate shoddy ball security.
Unfortunately, some big names put the ball on the ground at MetLife Stadium during the season-opener. Including three of Harbaugh’s most important skill-players.
Giants’ Biggest Names on Notice Over Fumbles
Backup running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. was the only Giants’ player to lose a fumble. He was hit by safety Jalen Thompson on the brink of the red zone, and Cowboys’ defensive back Shavon Revel Jr. recovered deep into the second quarter.
Tracy is a repeat offender when it comes to coughing up the football. It’s one reason why he’s behind Cam Skattebo in the backfield pecking order.
Skattebo’s straight-ahead rushing style is a better fit for Harbaugh’s offense, but the coach won’t have much patience for his lead workhorse losing the ball. Fortunately, Skattebo had enough initiative to recover his own fumble during the final quarter against the Cowboys.
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Harbaugh needs closers in the ground game. Runners he can trust to ice games and protect the ball when defenses are selling out to force a takeaway in the later stages.
That need is why veteran bruiser Najee Harris shouldn’t remain a healthy scratch for many more gamedays this season. Harris not only suits Harbaugh’s power-based rushing attack, he also didn’t lose a single fumble during three of his five seasons in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference.
The presence of Harris is a message to Tracy and any running back who struggles to hold onto the ball, whether the Giants admit it or not.
Harbaugh will also send a similar message to receivers who can’t secure the football. Even if it’s dynamic, roving tight end Isaiah Likely, who bossed the Cowboys in a way reminiscent of a future Hall of Famer. Likely was exceptional, but he had his blushes spared after his fumble was recovered by teammate, All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard.
Demonstrating surer hands in space is just one way the Giants can fix their problem with fumbles. Young quarterback Jaxson Dart and his blockers also need to do a better job of identifying pressure.
They failed to do so when Cowboys’ rookie safety Caleb Downs blitzed untouched off the edge to deck Dart and knock the ball loose.
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The Giants recovered, but they barely escaped paying a high price for not adjusting the protection in front of Dart. Quarterback and blockers must communicate better moving forward.
Dart and Co. will need to correct things quickly because Harbaugh already sounds in no mood to indulge more fumbles.
John Harbaugh Calls Out ‘Not Even Close to Acceptable’ Giants Offense