‘Another Step Forward’

The New York Giants were one of the NFL’s most improved teams in 2022, winning nine games under first-year Head Coach Brian Daboll and making it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs before their divisional foe Philadelphia Eagles took care of business.

Entering 2023, Big Blue has loaded up with more weapons on both sides of the ball as they look to make a run for the NFC East crown.

On the latest episode of “Inside The Birds,” legendary NFL analyst Greg Cosell joined Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher to break down the New York Giants. 

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones had a career-best year in 2022 and will look to take another step forward in ’23

Daniel Jones

Greg Cosell: “It was clear offensively that they did not want him to be the driving force throwing the football. He is a very good runner and there were games in which they used designed runs as a big factor…But Jones was still pretty good on third down last year because he makes throws. He’s tall in the pocket, stands there, delivers the football, he’s not afraid to take hits, can make throws late in the down. I’m expecting him to take another step forward.”

Darren Waller

Cosell: “He can line up anywhere in your formation. One of the things that keeps coming up when you talk to offensive coaches, particularly receiver coaches, is the absolute value of a tight end who can be effective lining up as the boundary ‘X’, the single receiver to the short side of the field when there is three wide receivers to the wide side of the field. Darren Waller can do that.”

Saquon Barkley

Cosell: “Barkley is as explosive as a back as there is in the league, but purely from tape study, I don’t think at his core he is a true sustainer. He is powerfully built, but at his core he is much more of a big play back.”

Dexter Lawrence

Cosell: “Lawrence weighs 340 pounds and moves exceptionally well. He is a power player and a quickness player and had as good of a year as any defensive tackle in the league. That’s what you’re hoping for as an Eagles fan: that Jordan Davis becomes Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence was not only a factor in the run game, but he was rushing the quarterback.”

Rakeem Nunez-Roches/A’Shawn Robinson

Cosell: “[Nunez-Roches] always shows up on film. He’s not a guy who is going to play 65 snaps, but when you play him, he shows up. He’s a really good rotational defensive interior lineman. Those signings, Nunez and A’Shawn Robinson, every team on the inside needs those kinds of players. I remember the Rams Super Bowl season, Robinson was a really good player. I watched every Rams game on both sides of the ball, you would just notice Robinson all the time making plays in the run game and eating up blocks.”

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.