LANDOVER, Md. — Russell Wilson was supposed to make a major difference. But in the opener, he was a major disappointment.
And in a season where the Giants are under immense pressure to win games quickly in order to avoid more dreaded talk of job security, it already feels like the Wilson experiment might be over.
The Giants desperately needed to get off to a good start Sunday in Washington. Instead, it was “new quarterback, same old Giants” as New York fell by the score of 21-6 to the reigning NFC finalists at Northwest Stadium.
The familiarity to seasons past was jarring:
Throws short of the first-down market. A non-existent running game. A quarterback crumbling within a sea of defenders in the pocket.
The Giants led the NFL with 107 points in the preseason, but none of that momentum carried over into a game that mattered. Wilson finished a paltry 17-of-37 for 168 passing yards, along with eight carries for 44 rushing yards.
It’s simply inexcusable, and it’s nearly impossible to believe that this coaching staff has answers after Daboll has already made numerous changes, like playing his starters more in the preseason, changing play-callers and adjusting the practice schedule.
The only true elixir might be Jaxson Dart, who is inextricably linked to head coach Brian Daboll as Daboll fights to win games and convince owners John Mara and Steve Tisch that the rookie quarterback is ultimately the key to the franchise’s turnaround.
Despite an NFL Network report that Dart might play Sunday with a “package of plays,” Daboll was true to his word that — at least for now — Wilson is the Giants’ unquestioned starting quarterback while the first-rounder develops behind the scenes.
But it’s hard to imagine Daboll having much patience after watching Wilson operate a slow-burn offense with only two plays of 20-plus yards.
You had a feeling it was going to be a long day for the Giants’ offense when its second drive lasted 16 plays and yet only resulted in a field goal. Daboll showed little confidence in his unit by kicking a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 2, despite having gone for it four plays earlier on fourth down from the 3 and picking up the first down via a Washington penalty.
Wilson, to be clear, wasn’t the sole perpetrator of this mess.
Problems on the Giants’ offensive line resurfaced, especially with left tackle Andrew Thomas not yet being ready to play because of his offseason foot surgery. Tight end Theo Johnson dropped two of his three targets. Other times, the Commanders simply had excellent coverage on star receiver Malik Nabers on well-thrown balls.
Still, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback like Wilson, past his prime or not, has to make more plays. It’s why the Giants signed him in March while essentially running it back this season with the same starting offense.
On one hand, that faith was probably misplaced and more reinforcements were necessary. On the other, the quarterback market wasn’t exactly ripe with options.
But that’s in the past and the bottom line is that Wilson can’t have a long leash with Dart’s first-round talent waiting in the wings.
Losing a shootout would have been acceptable, but generating zero touchdowns? While the defense, mind you, lost starting linebacker Micah McFadden to a leg/foot injury in the first quarter and still allowed only 14 points until midway through the fourth quarter?
That’s just not good enough. And now the clock is rapidly ticking on the Wilson experiment.
