For the first time this season, the New York Giants were competitive for an entire 60 minutes of football. They went into their Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills as the biggest underdogs of the season at 15.5 points and were never not covering that spread. In fact, they held the lead for the majority of the game, the first time this season their offense took a snap while ahead.
There were a few miscues along the way, with Tyrod Taylor checking to a run play ahead of halftime with no timeouts remaining, being the most headlining grabbing one, that a team in the Giants’ position cannot afford. To pull off an upset of that magnitude you need to be perfect and they weren’t far from it.
Alas, it wasn’t enough to get a win, but the feeling around the team has improved. The much-maligned offensive line looked a lot better against the best pass rush in the NFL, as the Bills entered the game leading the league in sacks. The presence of veteran Justin Pugh, who started at left guard but kicked to left tackle when Josh Ezeudu was injured, helped immensely.
Taylor, despite his gaffe ahead of halftime, put the team in position to win the game. He made all of the throws he needed to and kept the offense moving despite all odds being stacked against them.
Outside of the offensive line, arguably the biggest need for the Giants is a go-to, No. 1 wide receiver on the perimeter. Having such a player would make life easier for everyone and open things up offensively.
Finding such a player at this point in the season is virtually impossible. But, the 2024 offseason should present them with opportunities to fill that void. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report believes one player the Giants should target in free agency next offseason to address that need is Michael Pittman Jr. of the Indianapolis Colts.
“The G-Men could use more talent in their wide receiver corps. Darius Slayton was their leading receiver heading into Week 5 with only 153 yards, and no other wideout had even crossed the century mark. Plus, Slayton is only signed through the 2024 season, so the organization should invest in a young pass-catcher for the long haul.
The Colts’ quarterback situation has been a mess ever since they drafted Pittman Jr., yet he had nearly 2,800 career yards and 12 touchdowns through his first 50 games. He just turned 26 last Thursday and would be a good compliment to Jalin Hyatt for years to come in the Big Apple.”
Slayton has been serviceable for the Giants but is not a true No. 1 option. He failed to come down with a perfectly placed ball by Taylor in the fourth quarter which would have kept a Giants’ drive alive.
Hyatt was involved more in Week 6 against the Bills, something we should certainly see more of going forward. The Giants are lacking explosive plays on offense and that is exactly what Hyatt can bring to the table.
Expect New York to look high and low for wide receiver and offensive line help this offseason. With the defense finally beginning to gel, all of the attention will once again fall upon the offense as what is holding this team back.
