The Giants went 10-8-1 overall in 2022, 9-7-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs, and you can say they overachieved, were playing with house money, or any other descriptor you want about a team that went 4-13 in 2021.
The team, however, won’t say the first.
“We didn’t overachieve, (Brian Daboll) did a good job focusing on process, not results – and the process saw dividends on Sundays,” GM Joe Schoen said Monday during the team’s end-of-season press conference. “There were a lot of good players and teammates – maybe not the most talented team, but the guys cared and the culture was good, and the process showed.”
“You know me, I take it day-by-day, and year-by-year, because every team is different,” added Daboll. “Nothing is guaranteed next year just because you win one year, so our goal will always be get better each day, try to put the best team we can together and not get too far ahead of ourselves. I appreciate everyone this year, it took a lot of work, energy, and people to get where we were.”
And as Daboll finished that thought noting, the offseason has begun, and the brass can begin the process of Year 2. Both Schoen and Daboll noted that there is more clarity and transitions will be smoother this year now that the regime has been through a calendar year – but the biggest benefit may be the shackles coming off in terms of the salary cap situation they inherited.
“I didn’t want season to end, and driving in today it still hurts,” Schoen said, “but there were times in-season where we wanted to sign a veteran who could help us, and we weren’t able to do it because we didn’t have the flexibility. So now, to have that flexibility and nine draft picks, we can devise a plan for our resources, and I’m definitely excited about that.”
Excited, because he wasn’t shy in saying that there is indeed a talent gap between the Giants and the Eagles, 49ers, and other top NFC teams, and the fact that nine of the Giants 10 wins came against non-NFC East opponents shows that in-depth.
“I know Philly more intimately, but yes, there’s a talent gap we need to close,” Schoen said. “We were 1-5-1 against the NFC East, and if you win the division, some of that takes care of itself. We’re going to try to do the best we can to get better constantly. I can’t put a time frame on it, but we will be relentless in pursuit of building a championship team.”
“I’ve been involved in 24 playoff wins but eight losses, and I think you take a step back, give coaches some time to evaluate players and things we’ve done – schemes, personnel, decisions we made – and do a lot of self-scout,” Daboll added. “Each year is different, but we need to figure out how we can get better in everything, whether it’s in how we practice or prepare, our meetings, our travel, or our mindset heading into games.”
That said, talent gaps aside, it’s clear the Giants turned a big corner in 2022, but now, the trick is sustaining it – and as Daboll noted, because every year is a new year, nothing is guaranteed.
“When you come in here in April for the first time and ask new guys to stand up, it may be half the room, so the guys who were on our roster have to help facilitate things,” Daboll said. “Every year is a new year, that’s the beauty of the NFL, and how you build chemistry with the team is important. You’re glad you have some players coming back but you’ll have new players, and everyone has to come together again and build for the next season.”
Schoen said many times this season that the Giants weren’t in a great spot when he inherited the team but “the cupboard wasn’t bare,” and this year, culture and process were the main building blocks.
“There were a lot of factors, but the cupboard wasn’t bare, and the staff did a great job throughout the year improving us,” Schoen said Monday. “We were able to create a good culture where players could be themselves, and the staff did a good job coaching them up. We like our process, and we have a lot of confidence in our coaching staff.”
So now, how do the Giants go about improving on what was a maybe-unexpected successful season?
“We’ll dive into that as a staff and spent a lot of time self-scouting things we can improve on, whether that’s techniques and drills, our schemes, or how we meet,” Daboll said. “You figure out things you need to do a better job on – and there will likely be a lot of things we can look at to improve on or do differently – and then try to implement the corrections come April.”
And then, he said, that trickles down into how you build a roster, and try to keep a culture alive.
“Because every year is different, you try to build a team, not just collect talent,” Daboll said. “There will be players out there who are talented, but it’s how you put together the team, how it comes together and responds to adversity. That’s what defines a team. You wish you could bottle it up and everyone will be back, but that’s not the case.”
All that said, since the Giants did win nine games and then advance to the final eight, will ownership still be patient if the team takes a nominal step backwards in 2023, or is it full steam ahead or bust?
“We haven’t talked specifically about that, but we’re constantly in communication with ownership about the plan,” Schoen said. “This year, we wanted to see progress, and I think we saw that throughout the season. Credit to my staff, they were relentless in the market and did a good job. We had to honestly evaluate the roster constantly.”
And, as Schoen said, with nine picks, cap flexibility, and the chance to make their decisions based off their own evaluations, this offseason will go a long way towards the future.
“I don’t believe you’re ever one player away, it’s truly a team game,” Schoen said. “With the holes we had and the limited flexibility, I thought it was best to stand pat (at the trade deadline) – but now we have nine picks and a bit more financial flexibility, so we’ll see what’s ahead.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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