Brian Daboll’s play-calling debut for the New York Giants in Week 1 of the 2024 season, has raised some eyebrows and concerns among fans. The Giants’ offensive performance against the Minnesota Vikings left much to be desired, with questionable decision-making and play designs
One of the most perplexing aspects of Daboll’s play-calling was his reliance on designed quarterback runs for Jones. Despite Jones recovering from a serious knee injury, Daboll called for multiple QB runs, including two consecutive plays when the Giants were driving near midfield in a close game. This decision-making has led to speculation about Daboll’s creativity and intentions. When you watch the video below of the two consecutive run designs for Jones it makes me ask these questions. These two runs were not the only time he called these plays.
Player Safety: Running Jones after an ACL injury seems unnecessarily risky for week 1.
Questionable Strategy: While it’s important to utilize a player’s strengths, the timing and frequency of these runs have been criticized.
Lack of Creativity: Some argue that relying heavily on QB runs indicates a limited offensive playbook.
Ulterior Motives: Others question whether there might be more troubling reasons behind these decisions, such as potentially setting up a quarterback change.
The Pick-Six Incident: The play design leading to the pick-six was baffling. With quads to the right and Wan’Dale Robinson motioning into a bunch formation, it screamed for some sort of screen. From the video below, you can see Van Ginkel, DB’s and LB’s notice the motion and what is going on. Look at the middle linebacker over the center, he knew exactly what was going on, before the ball was even snapped he was taking off to Robinson. Credit goes to the defensive end for reacting effectively.
Comparison to Kafka’s Play-Calling
The decision to remove play-calling duties from Mike Kafka and have Daboll assume this role has come under scrutiny after Week 1’s performance:
The offense appeared to regress rather than improve under Daboll’s direction. Play-calling seemed less diverse and more predictable compared to Kafka’s approach in previous seasons
As the Giants progress through the season, there will be increased scrutiny on Daboll’s play-calling decisions, especially regarding the utilization of Jones post-injury. The team’s offensive struggles in Week 1 have already led some to question whether the play-calling duties should be returned to Kafka. It remains to be seen how Daboll will adjust his strategy in the coming weeks, particularly in regard to protecting Jones while still attempting to leverage his strengths