with the New York Giants returning from their Week 13 bye, we take a look back at some of the highs and lows of the first 12 games.

Most Valuable Player

If I must pick one of running back Saquon Barkley and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, I’m going with Lawrence, who is playing his best ball even after signing his big (and well-deserved) pay-day. Lawrence continues to be a load for opponents to manage,

According to league stats, 22 of his 41 tackles have come against the run. He is PFF’s second-ranked interior defensive lineman against the run (behind Quinnen Williams of the Jets) and the top overall ranked interior defensive lineman, his 53 total pressures just one shy of league leader Aaron Donald’s 54, and his 20.0 percent pass-rush win rate second among interior defensive linemen (again, behind Donald) who have at least 200 pass-rush snaps.

Most Disappointing Player
This was a toss-up between Azeez Ojulari and tackle Evan Neal, but I will give the nod to Neal since he was a first-round (top-10) draft pick. When I learned that Neal was working with former All-Pro offensive lineman Willie Anderson in the off-season, I had hopes that Neal, who struggled last year as a rookie, might finally turn into the block of granite the Giants were hoping for.

That has not been the case. Neal has not only continued to struggle playing right tackle but has also dealt with two significant ankle injuries that have hampered any progress he might have otherwise tried to make.

While general manager Joe Schoen, in his press briefing last week, didn’t seem willing to give up on Neal just yet, at some point, the team’s brass needs to take a long hard look at Neal’s tape, not just from college but also in his first two seasons as a pro, and be honest with themselves as to where his future lies.

Biggest Disappearing Act
It wasn’t that long ago that Giants nation dreamed of a Batman-Robin pass-rushing of Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeau. But instead of getting better, Ojulari is heading in the wrong direction. Once again affected by injuries, he’s played in just six games this season. In 140 pass rush snaps, he has nine pressures and no sacks. In the Week 12 win over the Patriots, he recorded his first quarterback hit, adding to his paltry four combined tackles (one solo).

Ojulari, the team’s second-round pick in 2021, is only 23 years old and does have one more season left on his rookie deal. But so far, he’s only managed to give the Giants 30 games (21 starts), 67 tackles, and 13.5 sacks, having posted just two assisted tackles in his last three games since returning from injury.

Most Improved
Kayvon Thibodeaux. After having his name and effort questioned by sports talk radio hosts earlier in the year, Mr. Thibs has played lights out, posting 7.0 sacks and 24 total tackles over his last six games. Thibodeaux has 11 sacks, making him the first defender in a Wink Martindale defense to hit double-digits and the Giants team leader by a wide margin. He’s also been playing better against the run; his 24 stops are just five shy of his rookie season total. The arrow is certainly pointing up for the former Oregon Duck.

While some might question the level of competition he has faced, that he’s starting to win more of his battles is a step in the right direction and exactly what you want to see from a second-year player who is still trying to gain a feel for the game last year.

Biggest Pleasant Surprise
After screaming for years to improve the linebacker unit, general manager Joe Schoen finally listened and brought in Bobby Okereke as an unrestricted free agent. By paring Okereke, an every-down player, with Micah McFadden, the Giants have finally gotten some solid play in the middle of the field.

We’ll start with Okereke, the Giants team leader in tackles with 113, who also has a career-high nine tackles for a loss. Okereke got off to a slow start as he was adjusting to Wink Martindale’s defense, but since then, he’s been solid and dependable in shoring up the middle of the defense, with 50 of his tackles being STOPS, per Pro Football Focus.

McFadden, who was thrown into the deep end of the pool last year out of necessity, not only won the other starting role alongside Okereke but also played well. McFadden is third on the team in total tackles with 71 but second behind Okereke in run-defense tackles with 29.

What Ever Happened To?
Last year it looked as though quarterback Daniel Jones finally turned the corner and showed he could be a quarterback this team could win with moving forward.

This year, however, it was as though the clock struck midnight on last year’s strong season. Jones looked skittish in the pocket, although, to be fair, it was due to playing behind a poor offensive line. But when he had time to throw, all those good decisions Jones had made last year suddenly disappeared with him putting the ball in harm’s way.

The biggest negative of Jones’s game continues to be his processing time. While the offensive line hasn’t helped matters, Jones’s slow processing time and inability to trust what he’s seeing has been just as much of an issue.

Ideally, a quarterback gets rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds or less; Jones averaged 2.85 seconds to throw this year before his season came to an injury-induced end. On pass attempts in which he’s taken longer to get the ball out of his hands, he’s completed 47.6 percent of his pass attempts for one touchdown and three of his interceptions, with 24 sacks coming under those circumstances.

That said, no one in the organization is giving up on Jones as the starter once he’s healthy. When that will come is anyone’s guess, but in the meantime, the Giants are expected to add another quarterback to the mix what, with Tyrod Taylor being an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Jones? Next year, his $47.105 million cap number makes it impossible for the team to cut him, especially with $36 million of that cap number fully guaranteed. But it’s probably not a stretch to say that next year is a make-or-break year for the Giants and Jones.

Biggest Disappointment
The offensive line was supposed to have been better. Still, as we wrote in this article, the whole handling of getting the line ready to play—the indecisiveness and various combinations that were being trotted out there right up until the week before kickoff weekend—had just as much of an effect on this unit’s performance as the injuries that began siphoning away the depth.

Along that vein, you can also throw in the lack of development by Evan Neal. Neal dealt with a concussion during the summer and then ankle injuries during the season; in between, he continued to struggle with balance and just finding a comfortable stance. No one is officially labeling him as a bust just yet, but unless he comes back and closes out the season strong, it sure does seem as though he’s heading down that path.

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for over three decades for various media outlets. She is the host of the Locked On Giants podcast and the author of “The Big 50: New York Giants: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants” (Triumph Books, September 2020). View Patricia’s full bio.

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