New play caller, new result for the Giants, who responded to both their short week and the firing of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett with an offensive performance that did just enough in a 13-7 win over the Eagles.
Freddie Kitchens, a senior offensive assistant, took over as the de facto coordinator/play caller, and the result was a game where the Giants scored just 13 points, but moved the ball for 272 yards and got eight different players involved on a day they were without two of their top receivers and two tight ends.
“I was pleased with the way the offensive coaches worked together throughout the week to get the guys prepared, and how they communicated on the sideline and made adjustments,” head coach Joe Judge said after the win. “Obviously, there are some things that we've got to go ahead and continue to do better, but I was pleased with some of the adjustments down the stretch. I was very pleased with how the players responded throughout the week in terms of working and then performing today as a team.”
“I think communication was good today and I know it was a collaborative effort with all the coaches on offense. We worked together throughout the week and kind of put the plan together. Everything went well,” added Daniel Jones.
Judge pointed to the Giants’ long fourth-quarter drive as an example of progress, one where the team, coming off a three-and-out, drove 70 yards form their own nine yard line and took roughly 7:30 off the clock. It ended in just a field goal that made it 13-7 Big Blue, so it wasn’t quite a game-icer, but it definitely helped keep a tough day from potentially getting tougher.
“That was a very productive drive, and that’s critical in that situation,” Judge said. “I thought all of those guys working together did a really good job of talking through the series, making some necessary adjustments. Not every play was perfect, and there are a lot of things we're going to have to go back and make sure we correct, but I was very pleased with it.”
Listen to New York sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Giants team gear
Jones, meanwhile, pointed to the moment he had with Kitchens after throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Chris Myarick, who was a bigger part of the game plan thanks to four offensive injuries, including two at the tight end spot.
“I think we were just talking through the drive and obviously what happened on the play there and talking about what we were going to do going forward. That's kind of the process and I thought the communication was good with all the coaches on the sideline today.”
One thing that did change for Jones: he wore a wristband to help with play calling for the first time, and he found that incredibly helpful.
“I thought it went well and communication was good,” Jones said. “It’s something we practiced throughout the week and got used to over the course of the week, and the way we were calling it in, we used it a good bit.
Not sure if it’ll stick, but it worked well today, and there’s no issues with it.”
Related
It was helpful, but what was also a big help is that not much changed within the verbiage of the system, so it was somewhat of a seamless transition.
“I think there were a couple different things here and there, but the verbiage of what we were doing and a lot of it was stuff we practiced a lot and carried,” Jones said. “A couple wrinkles here and there as we planned it. We'll continue to work and continue to work through that stuff going forward.”
“The coaches did a great job collectively, and in Week 12, there’s not really much more you can add and switch up,” running back Saquon Barkley said. “The terminology is the same, so obviously we had a few new wrinkles in there, but we did a better job right there.”
Whatever it was, it all shook out in a victory, and even though Judge preaches process over results sometimes, the W was well worth it on Sunday.
“Good team win against a well-coached football team that plays hard. It was a week where we had to do a lot of prep as a team, and I’m pleased with the team effort,” Judge said. “We made a lot of plays down the stretch in all three phases, and these are things that really carry over for us.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch