One or Two Plays Have Cost The Giants Games

[T200]

Do you think he and Schoen are going to have a hard time convincing Mara it's time to cut him loose?  If so then it's worse than I thought.

Personally, I do not.

This is my line of thinking: Schoen declined the 5th year option as soon as he walked in the door. They won a playoff game and Mara and Schoen compromised on a contract. Last year was a disaster, Daboll being a major contributor by not having the team ready, and of course, Jones getting injured. Mara already knew Schoen wanted a new QB and tried to trade up. Mara made his wishes to keep Barkley known and Schoen still let him walk. To me, THAT was the test to see what Mara's reaction/response would be. Schoen is more confident to make the hard decisions despite what Mara wants. They (Schoen and Daboll) will continue to play Jones without regard to the injury clause. They need to be in a position to draft THEIR QB while demonstrating to Mara that even with the upgraded offensive line and the #1 WR, Jones still can't get them where they want to go.

[AZGiantFan]

They (Schoen and Daboll) will continue to play Jones without regard to the injury clause. They need to be in a position to draft THEIR QB while demonstrating to Mara that even with the upgraded offensive line and the #1 WR, Jones still can't get them where they want to go.

This is the part that concerns me.  When even I, who has been a big supporter of Jones, some might even say apologist, for Jones has come to the point of accepting that they need to move on, why should Schoen/Daboll need to risk killing the 2025 CAP by playing him to convince Mara?  I'd rather have that CAP available for the possibility that there is no franchise-potential QB in the draft and they need to sign someone like Darnold.

[T200]

This is the part that concerns me.  When even I, who has been a big supporter of Jones, some might even say apologist, for Jones has come to the point of accepting that they need to move on, why should Schoen/Daboll need to risk killing the 2025 CAP by playing him to convince Mara?  I'd rather have that CAP available for the possibility that there is no franchise-potential QB in the draft and they need to sign someone like Darnold.

If my above speculation is correct, I'd modify it a little to add this wrinkle: should the Giants lose to Carolina, I think Schoen and Daboll will talk to Mara and explain to him that very scenario you mentioned.

"John, you've seen through 9 games that this is working. We need to pivot and move on and focus on how to improve the roster for next season. We don't have a problem continuing to play Daniel, but should he get hurt, that's even more money attributed to him that we cannot use to build a contender. We're going to sit him for the remainder of the season."

[y_so_blu]

More to the point, he wants Mara to see without a doubt that Jones is not the answer at QB.

Mara doesn't want to see it.

[T200]

Mara doesn't want to see it.

I'm sure. It's going to come down to Schoen holding his ground and doing what's best for the team, not what Mara wants, aside from winning a championship, of course.

[kartanoman]

Personally, I do not.

This is my line of thinking: Schoen declined the 5th year option as soon as he walked in the door. They won a playoff game and Mara and Schoen compromised on a contract. Last year was a disaster, Daboll being a major contributor by not having the team ready, and of course, Jones getting injured. Mara already knew Schoen wanted a new QB and tried to trade up. Mara made his wishes to keep Barkley known and Schoen still let him walk. To me, THAT was the test to see what Mara's reaction/response would be. Schoen is more confident to make the hard decisions despite what Mara wants. They (Schoen and Daboll) will continue to play Jones without regard to the injury clause. They need to be in a position to draft THEIR QB while demonstrating to Mara that even with the upgraded offensive line and the #1 WR, Jones still can't get them where they want to go.

Upgraded offensive line???

It was a single point failure offensive line, in spite of the merits of the personnel and coach they brought in. I don't throw rocks at any of them, mind you, but it was a single point failure at best, and fools' gold / con job at its worst. That one player, albeit their best offensive lineman, and as we're now seeing the best player on their offense, period, Thomas going down brought the house down like dominoes and the team hasn't recovered since. It is nearly as bad as L.T. blowing out his Achilles tendon in 1992 against Green Bay when the Giants were 5-4. They finished the year 6-10 and we all know what happened in that story.

The QB story has already been written and the only thing left to discuss is where Jones will be playing next season. I sincerely hope it will be Carolina so he can return to his home state and be closer to family and friends there.

What we need to discuss at length is whether Schoen will renegotiate Thomas' contract, now that he's has a "salvage title" next to his name, and whether Schoen will use his first round pick to acquire the best Left Offensive Tackle in the nation in the 2025 draft. It is time, unfortunately for Thomas, to go this route since he is damaged goods now. Schoen should just take advantage and load up on the line and fix it, once and for all, and get the train back on its tracks heading into 2025.

One or two plays may have cost the Giants games this season, but it took only one (1) solitary play to cost them the entire season: the play where Andrew Thomas broke his Lisfranc and other supporting bones and ligaments.

Peace!