The New York Giants’ revamped quarterback room could not do anything to change the offense’s arid ways of the last two seasons.
Russell Wilson’s debut under center led to six measly points on a pair of Graham Gano field goals, as Big Blue dropped its season opener on Sunday afternoon to the Washington Commanders, 21-6.
“We all have to be better,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “Every coach, every player. We got six points, that’s not good enough. So we have to do better.”
Plagued by an inability to punch the ball in at the goal line, the Giants (0-1) had two 12-play drives and one of 16, but each time stalled in the red zone, looking punchless when it mattered most.
They were held to just 231 yards of total offense compared to Washington’s 434, with Wilson completing 17 of 37 passes for 168 yards. But after just four quarters of play this season, it is abundantly clear that the Giants’ arsenal of playmakers is woefully lacking.
When asked if he considered swapping Wilson for highly regarded rookie Jaxson Dart, Daboll said, “I did not.”
No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers was held to just five catches for 71 yards, while Wan’Dale Robinson led Giants receivers with six catches to go with 55 yards. The running game, however, was nonexistent. Tyrone Tracy averaged just 2.4 yards per carry while Wilson was their leading rusher with 44 on eight attempts.
Their struggles made the defense’s efforts practically pointless, and even they were neutralized by a strong Commanders game plan that allowed quarterback Jayden Daniels to get the ball out early and often.
Washington’s second-year star completed 19 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, while running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt slashed the Giants for 82 yards on just 10 carries.
New York’s vaunted pass rush recorded just three sacks, and two of them came in the same drive by Brian Burns. Rookie edge rusher Abdul Carter recorded three total tackles and half a sack, which he shared with fellow defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The Commanders got on the board first with seven minutes left in the first quarter when Daniels hit Zach Ertz for a seven-yard score.
The Giants appeared as though they would snuff out the host’s momentum when they embarked on a 16-play drive that took up more than eight minutes, which was extended by a Marshon Lattimore unnecessary roughness penalty on a 3rd-&-6 from the 25-yard-line. But after advancing to the 8-yard-line, the Giants lost two yards in their next three attempts to settle for Gano’s first field goal.
“There were times we did some good things,” Daboll said. “Obviously not enough offensively… didn’t feel like we got into enough of a rhythm, particularly on early downs… and then we left 11 points in the red zone.”
The Commanders went up 11 with 6:14 left in the first half when Croskey-Merritt took a counter play six yards to the house. They should have had an even larger lead going into the half, but Daniels’ intentional grounding penalty with three seconds left from the Giants’ 4-yard-line bailed Brian Daboll’s men out.
Another marathon drive only yielded three points for the Giants late in the third quarter. A 12-play, 43-yard march stalled at Washington’s 37-yard line, leading to Gano nailing a 55-yard field goal to make it an eight-point game.
It was as close as they’d get, with Deebo Samuel putting the game away with a 19-yard scamper with 7:09 to go. Granted, Wilson had another chance to get the Giants closer late as he drove them 12 plays down to the 3-yard line, but could not punch it in on four successive chances.
