All the planning, the exacting details of every minute of every day, was designed with many objectives in mind and one player in particular.
Brian Daboll changed up how he prepared the Giants for the season ahead, and the impetus for these changes was to get Daniel Jones ready to roll.
Daboll was able to provide instant recall to the numbers because he spent so much time putting the plan in place and he is expecting immediate dividends, starting Sept. 8 in the season opener against the Vikings.
He put the Giants through 140 more snaps in full pads in this training camp than the previous year.
Counting camp and the OTAs in the spring, the Giants were on the field for 500 more team reps than the previous year.
This was considerably more working actual game-like simulations, which should prove beneficial to the entire offense and defense and most of all to Jones, the quarterback with so much at stake in 2024.
“Really specifically designed for DJ to give him more team reps and less 7-on-7, to handle pressures and rush lanes, stepping up in the pocket,’’ Daboll said. “Thought that was important.’’
Oh yes, it is important.
Jones has great size and his arm is strong (but not flick-of-the-wrist strong).
His speed is top-tier (although his agility is not).
He looks the part.
It is his quick-twitch processing, his decision-making and his actions while under duress in the pocket that in five NFL seasons fluctuated from “needs work” to “cringeworthy.’’
Jones is entering his sixth season with the Giants and there will not be a seventh unless he yanks upward his career trajectory.
In the past, Daboll leaned heavily on 7-on-7 drills during the spring, but not this spring.
The more Jones went under center in full-team settings, the better — and not only because his 2023 season ended on Nov. 5 and he was coming off ACL surgery.
The Giants are not going to accomplish much unless Daboll can get Jones back to his 2022 performance level and then enhance that level by dialing back the caution and dialing up the big-play potential.
Putting Jones through more aggressive tests in training camp and the joint practices with the Lions and Jets not only challenged his reconstructed right knee but also created an uncomfortable environment in and around the pocket.
Once the Giants realized they could not trade up in the NFL draft to select Jones’ eventual replacement — always a long-shot aspiration — they pivoted and found a prime target for Jones in rookie receiver Malik Nabers.
The offensive line, with three newly signed veteran starters with a combined 20 years of NFL experience, will be smarter and more capable.
Daboll has taken over the play calling, which figures to be a boon for Jones. The altered practice approach allowed Daboll to say “I’m comfortable with where Daniel’s at,’’ before sitting him in the preseason finale.
Of course, changing up an entire training camp is not solely about one player.
There is a new defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen, and a new system to install and learn and the more team reps, the better.
“We did a bunch more padded plays,’’ Daboll said. “So, it was something that was a point of emphasis that I thought we needed, the coaches thought we needed. And we just tried to do what we thought was best.’’
What was thought to be best was, once again, keeping the established starters off the field for nearly the entire three-game preseason run.
That was more about preserving health than anything else.
What the Giants know cannot transpire again was the shameful way they started the 2023 season.
They were outscored 60-0 in the first six quarters and that they somehow squeezed out a comeback, Jones-inspired victory in Arizona in Week 2 did not assuage any accusations that the Giants were not ready to play when the season got underway.
“Yeah, we looked at what you did the year before, whatever the start was, fast start versus … again, the most important thing is playing well and coaching well,’’ Daboll said. “You try to make adjustments each year. But, certainly you have an eye on the start of the season.’’
Will it work? The Giants open at home with the Vikings and then face the Commanders on the road.
There is a pathway toward a good start.
“Time will tell,’’ Daboll said. “I like where we’re at. I think we have good toughness, mental and physical toughness. I like the direction we’re going.’’
He pointed his team in this direction by changing up the preparation, with an eye fixed on getting Daniel Jones ready for what awaits.
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