Not too long ago, Brian Daboll didn’t seem too bothered about parting ways with Saquon Barkley. But fast forward to today, and Barkley has transformed into a powerhouse for the Philadelphia Eagles. Suddenly, what looked like a simple decision turned into one of the biggest blunders in recent Giants history.

And after the Giants suffered a 21-6 defeat to the Commanders, the harsh spotlight fell squarely on Daboll. Analyst Sal Licata didn’t hold back. “This is on Brian Daboll. Even the worst offenses in the league score points… they are a total mess. That has to be on the head coach. The Giants can’t run the football consistently. And they haven’t been able to do that for years,” Licata bluntly pointed out. The whole that Barkley left in Giants roster is still a big gaping hole.

What exactly is Daboll’s mistake here? It’s painfully simple: failing to rebuild the offense after Barkley’s exit. “Even with Saquon Barkley, how many examples do we need? Saquon Barkley, they have them here. The Giants couldn’t utilize them. He goes to Philadelphia, he’s the MVP in the league, wins a Super Bowl, he has a historic season,” Licata further emphasized, underlining how Barkley’s potential was always there — but Daboll failed to keep that. Last season, he rushed for a jaw-dropping 2,005 yards and 15 touchdowns, capped off by a historic 57-yard performance in Super Bowl 59 — smashing Terrell Davis’ record for most rushing yards in a single season (combining playoffs and regular season). He was named the Offensive Player of the Year.

In fact, the Giants’ attempts to fill that massive hole have barely made a dent. Last year, they signed Devin Singletary to a three-year deal in free agency. But Singletary managed just 113 carries for 437 yards and 4 touchdowns in 15 games during 2024. Clearly, Daboll’s plan didn’t pan out.

In the Week 1 game for the third consecutive year, the Giants failed to score a touchdown in their Week 1 opener. New York managed just six points on two Graham Gano field goals. The offensive struggles stemmed from poor line play – QB Russell Wilson was hit eight times and sacked twice, while the running game struggled to establish second-level blocking. The protection breakdowns made it nearly impossible for the Giants to sustain drives.

Despite heavy summer work on red zone execution, the Giants struggled to score in scoring position. They came up empty on six attempts from inside the red zone on their opening drive, then repeated with another six failed attempts in the fourth quarter. The 0-for-12 red zone performance is particularly alarming given the team’s offseason emphasis on improving in high and low red zone situations.

This season, the Giants added rookie Cam Skattebo and Jonathan Ward. So far, Skattebo has just 2 carries for -3 yards in one game, and Ward didn’t even make the 53-man roster. To top it all off, there’s another risky move: naming Russell Wilson the Week 2 starter.

Brian Daboll sticks with Wilson despite early woes

Brian Daboll isn’t ready to shake things up just yet. On Monday, he made it clear that the Giants will roll with Wilson as their starting quarterback in Week 2 against the Cowboys. “After a game, it’s an emotional game, tough game. Didn’t play particularly well, I would say collectively, but in terms of making any of those decisions, really at any position or schematic changes, I’d like to do it with a clear head and watch the tape. Again, like I said yesterday, that game doesn’t fall on Russell Wilson. We got to do a better job collectively, coaching, playing. But Russ will be the starter.”

NFL Network’s Maurice Jones-Drew believes Russell Wilson’s career is nearing its end, saying the QB can no longer replicate his Seattle success. “Russell Wilson, he’s not the same mobile guy he was in Seattle,” Jones-Drew said. “We saw what he did in Pittsburgh, and it’s not him. Father Time gets us all. We can’t play the same way we used to. Now, the moon ball is still there, but it’s time to let the young guy go in and make some plays.” Jones-Drew argues Wilson has lost the mobility that defined his prime years. And it’s time the Giants move on to Jaxson Dart.

However, the recent loss fueled speculation that Jaxson Dart, the rookie, might get his shot sooner rather than later. And the stat line didn’t help Wilson’s case. He completed just 17 of 37 passes, a weak 45.9% completion rate, for 168 yards and a 59.3 passer rating. According to NFL Research, that marked the worst completion percentage in Wilson’s 53 career games with at least 35 pass attempts. Despite the struggles through the air, Wilson led the Giants in rushing with 44 yards.

Still, Daboll knows the type of quarterback he brought in, and he knew the risk. So, while Dart’s chance is looming, this week won’t be it. Instead, it’s all about fixing what went wrong and keeping faith in the veteran — at least for now.