By Spencer Kessler
In the first week back in the 2025-26 NFL season for the G-Men, the Commanders defeated the Giants by a score of 21-6 on Sunday, September 7. In Week 1, the Giants were the only team that did not record a single touchdown on offense, further continuing the trend of poor offensive showings. It seems that no matter what changes the front office makes, the team will still not progress.
Theo Johnson’s drops, poor offensive line play, and ineffective defensive coaching are issues that should not still be occurring. It makes me wonder if other teams during the preseason go easy on the Giants, knowing full well that they will dominate when the games start to count. So let’s look at a couple of reasons why the Giants were outplayed on Sunday:
- Abdul Carter Snap Count
If you can provide a valid reason why the third overall pick and preseason Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROTY) favorite played only 54% of the snaps, I will be thoroughly impressed. Even though Carter made an impact while he was on the field (0.5 sacks, 3 tackles, 1 blocked punt, 1 QB hit), the Giants could have used another defensive playmaker while the game was still close. Carter had no injury concerns and was mentioned throughout camp as a vital piece of this team’s pass rush. Comparing Carter to fellow pass rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns, the latter two received 74% and 67% of the snaps, respectively (which is also confusing). They are veterans with more experience, but unleash the weapon, Bowen. Darth Vader waits for nobody, and Giants fans should not be waiting either.
- An Old Friend of Ours
There aren’t many things that fit together in the NFL as well as the New York Football Giants and mediocre offensive line play. With an average offensive blocking grade of 58.06 and the highest grade being Jon Runyan’s 63.5, it is safe to say that the unit did not have a good day. The Commanders, on the defensive side of the ball, might be one of the premier groups in the league, but that doesn’t mean they should just bully the Giants around for the whole game. Quarterback Russell Wilson was running for his life out there at age 36. He was pressured on 19 of his 45 dropbacks, took two sacks, received six quarterback hits, and was hurried 13 times.
No wonder he wasn’t successful. In the run game, the team allowed Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo to combine for only 21 rushing yards. Tracy averaged just 2.4 yards per carry, while Skattebo averaged -1.5 yards per carry. For a run game that everyone was excited about, the offensive line let everyone down.
- Bowen Being Outcoached
I’ll give credit where credit is due: if Kliff Kingsbury has an offensive play sheet that signifies exciting, successful offensive football. However, it also means that the defensive coordinator on the other side is prone to getting completely outcoached. This past week’s victim was Shane Bowen of the New York Giants. In the run game, the Giants were completely lackluster with no improvement from last year’s bottom 10 rush defense. For example, 8.2 yards per carry (ypc) to Bill Croskey-Merrit, 4.3 to Austin Ekeler, and 6.2 to Jeremy McNichols. The run game has still not improved, and that has to be pinned on Bowen.
The team is healthy and hungry, but the schemes he is drawing up are wreaking havoc on the run game—not in a good way. In pass coverage, it seemed like the middle of the field was exposed on every single attempt by Daniels. The early injury to McFadden did not help, but why is Zach Ertz still torching us in 2025? Deebo Samuel looked like his old self with 7 receptions for 77 receiving yards and even scored a 19-yard touchdown rush to seal the game in the fourth quarter. If the Giants want to get back to .500 with a statement win over the Cowboys, Bowen needs to be sharp and get this team prepared.