By Jack Ryan ’21, Sports Writer

The New York Giants’ record of 1-5 entering Week 7 is a shock to most people who follow the NFL (especially Giants fans). With powerhouse threats on offense such as highly talented wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and standout rookie running back Saquon Barkley, as well as a strong defense featuring players like Damon Harrison and Landon Collins, the Giants were viewed as a playoff contender prior to the season. This is because many football fans only think about these highly touted players and tend to forget about the other needs of the team.

To begin, the Giants have a devastating quarterback situation. Eli Manning, a solid quarterback five years ago when the team was winning games, has aged quite a bit and he is showing it on the field. Manning is constantly missing wide open players and making incorrect decisions. It’s difficult to watch for the fans, and it’s why there is so much negative energy at Giants games, even when they are home. He has shown time and time again over this season that when things aren’t going his way he tends to fold and give up, which is not what fans desire in a quarterback. The hope of some fans is that Eli will sit and rookie quarterback Kyle Lauletta out of Richmond will get a start or two; however, head coach Pat Shurmur has made it very clear that that will not be happening in the immediate future.

Although Eli Manning is one of the main reasons for the Giants’ struggles, he is not entirely at fault. Both the lack of effort from the offensive line as well as the play calling from offensive coordinator Mike Shula have been hurting the team and leads to an unproductive offense. Short passes and runs up the middle don’t work when the offensive line is unable to hold a block for more than two seconds. Play action pass plays are also constantly being called; however, defenses read these plays like a book and these plays almost always ends with a loss of yards. And when the offense tries a deep ball, which does not happen very often, Eli is either found on the ground or being yelled at for throwing a terrible pass.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants are also lacking, which is in part because of their offense. Since their offense is constantly going on the field for three plays, unable to get a first down, and punting, the defense is on the field quite often. This leads to them getting tired and sloppy, and giving up 20 or more points a game (which is what they have done in every one of their games this season). This is not to say that they could not be playing better football, as they are constantly being brought down by penalties and an almost nonexistent pass rush. However, the losses are more on the shoulders of the offense than the defense.

When it comes down to it, the New York Giants are just not playing decent football. While some fans want to see a couple wins down the stretch of the season, others want the team to purposely lose the games to get a good draft pick next year. Either way, this is not the season for Eli Manning and the New York Giants.