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Joe Schoen says 2-8 Giants aren't 'far off.' The evidence suggests otherwise

13 November 2024Last Update :
Joe Schoen says 2-8 Giants aren't 'far off.' The evidence suggests otherwise

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Any New York Giants fan who tuned into general manager Joe Schoen’s bye-week news conference Tuesday hoping to be convinced he has the answers to turn the franchise around was left wanting.

In fairness, Schoen was in a no-win situation. Unfortunately, that makes him a lot like the team he has assembled.

There are no good answers when a team is 2-8. The best Schoen could do was point to the team’s record in close games (1-5) and emphasize the youth of the roster.

Using close losses as a sign the Giants are close to contending rings hollow. There have been 83 games decided by seven or fewer points this season, which is the most through Week 10 in NFL history.

A team’s record in close games essentially defines success in the modern NFL. The way to win close games is to have superior coaching or talent. The Giants have neither, and there’s no evidence that will suddenly change.

The 2018 Giants lost eight one-score games while going 5-11. Those competitive losses didn’t signal a team that was on the verge of contention.

The reality is the Giants’ record is an accurate representation of the quality of the team. The Giants have the fifth-worst point differential in the league this season and the second-worst over the past two seasons. They have seven losses of 20-plus points since the start of the 2022 season, which is tied for second most in the league over that stretch.

It’s tough to sell youth in this regime’s third season. Schoen’s first two draft classes featured 18 picks, including three first-rounders. Those drafts haven’t produced a single Pro Bowler, and none of those players are clearly on the path to becoming stars.

The early returns on this year’s draft class are encouraging. That figures to be at the heart of any argument to be made that Schoen can engineer a turnaround that seems as far away as when he was hired almost three years ago.

“It’s Year 3, and we’re 2-8,” Schoen said. “It’s not where we want to be.”

Schoen will get no argument on that point. Here are more takeaways from his mid-season briefing:

I’ll be back

Schoen spoke optimistically about continuing to build the team through another draft and another round of free agency. He obviously is planning to be back for a fourth year as GM. When asked if he expects to be retained even if the losing continues this season, Schoen confidently responded, “Yes.”

“We have a really good relationship with ownership, and we communicate constantly with them,” Schoen said when asked if ownership told him he’ll definitely be back. “There’s confidence in the plan and where we’re heading.”

Schoen preached about the value of continuity and noted how 19 of 22 starters are under contract for next season, with wide receiver Darius Slayton, right guard Greg Van Roten and safety Jason Pinnock being the exceptions. Setting aside the fact that more than three positions need to be upgraded this offseason, keeping together the team with the worst record in the league isn’t as attractive as Schoen presented.

Blame game?

Schoen indirectly threw coach Brian Daboll under the bus when he replied, “No,” when asked if he believed he didn’t give the coaches a good enough roster.

That led to an obvious follow-up about the poor record being the fault of the coaches if it’s not due to the roster. Schoen backtracked and reverted to his “close game” defense. But he didn’t offer a full-throated endorsement of the coach who followed him from Buffalo in 2022.

There’s a perception Schoen and Daboll are a package deal, especially with the synergy from their four years together in Buffalo trumpeted as an asset when they came to the Giants. But co-owner John Mara has made it clear their fates aren’t tied together.

“I certainly don’t see them as a package deal,” Mara said in March. “They did come in together, obviously, and did work together, but they both have different jobs, different responsibilities and could have different levels of success.”

Mara said last month that he expects Schoen and Daboll to be back for another season. But if only one party is going to take the fall for the losing, the GM almost outlasts the coach. So Schoen’s answer about the roster being better than the record should cause some uneasiness for Daboll.

No support for Jones

Schoen was careful not to criticize Daniel Jones, but there was also very little support offered for the embattled quarterback. Any announcement on a quarterback change figures to come from coach Brian Daboll, so Schoen wasn’t in a position to bury Jones.

Schoen was asked if Jones’ $23 million injury guarantee would factor into his playing time for the rest of the season. That’s not something Schoen would likely ever reveal publicly, but it shouldn’t be a factor in this decision anymore.

The Giants are 3-13 in games started by Jones the past two seasons. He has 10 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions over the past two seasons. The Giants are last in the league in scoring. Benching Jones would be, to use Schoen’s preferred term, a “football decision.”

Schoen has to be careful about laying all of the blame for the offensive struggles on Jones since his signature is on the four-year, $160 million contract the quarterback signed during the 2023 offseason.

Schoen mentioned “mistakes” he made during the 2023 offseason but wouldn’t get into specifics. That wasn’t necessary because signing Jones to an extension was the biggest decision of the offseason, and it couldn’t have turned out worse.

That missed evaluation led to further mistakes, as Schoen again acknowledged that he tried to “accelerate” the build around the quarterback. After two unsuccessful seasons followed, Schoen has now reversed course and pleaded for patience.

No regrets?

Schoen had a chance to mitigate the 2023 mistake with Jones this offseason by adding a quality alternative. Schoen tried to trade up for a quarterback in the draft but was unsuccessful. He settled on Drew Lock in free agency, giving the sixth-year veteran a one-year, $5 million contract. Lock had only started five games in the previous three seasons and has no track record as a viable starter.

The Giants hosted nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson for a visit before the start of free agency. Wilson was available for just $1.2 million because the Broncos are on the hook for the rest of his salary after cutting the Super Bowl champion in March. The Giants viewed Wilson as a cheap backup option. He instead chose to sign with the Steelers for the opportunity to start. Wilson is 3-0 with six touchdowns and one interception for the Steelers after missing the first six games with a calf injury.

Despite Jones’ struggles, Wilson’s success and Lock’s poor performance in limited game action, Schoen said there’s nothing he wishes he did differently at the quarterback position this offseason. Schoen believes the quarterback room of Jones, Lock and Tommy DeVito was the best he could have assembled this offseason.

That statement could look particularly foolish if Lock bombs when he gets his chance to start.

One way forward

Schoen certainly hasn’t followed whatever plan he presented to ownership when he got hired. That must at least give ownership pause on buying into what he’s selling now.

Schoen failed to accurately assess the team in the 2023 season, and he’s still trying to dig out from that miscalculation. If he’s wrong about the team not being “far off” now, the Giants could repeat the mistake of making moves that don’t fit the state of the team.

Schoen confidently predicted the team will make a leap next season. It must, for his sake, as there’s no chance he’ll survive a third consecutive losing season.

Schoen’s sales pitch to ownership has to be the strength of the roster outside of quarterback. He mentioned the instant turnaround the Houston Texans experienced last year after taking quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick in the draft.

The ability to land a player like Stroud will determine Schoen’s fate. The Giants are careening toward a top pick in the draft, and it’s a near certainty they’ll take a swing on a quarterback. If they hit, the pain of the past two seasons will mostly be forgotten. If they miss, Schoen’s fate will be sealed.

(Photo: John Minchillo / Associated Press)

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