Daboll's Giants are dissatisfied in Week 1 loss, and so they're not hiding it

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Huge receiver Jalin Hyatt was out of the locker room rapidly, in road garments however with eye black nonetheless painted on his expressionless face.

That is uncommon, even when it is solely Week 1.

“It is the primary recreation of the 12 months,” coach Brian Daboll stated, the day after a 28-6 drubbing to the Minnesota Vikings. “It is a lengthy NFL season.”

Would possibly as effectively add the teaching cliché: it is by no means as dangerous because it appears, it is by no means nearly as good because it appears and the most important bounce comes from Week 1 to Week 2 to the post-blowout rhetoric. All of them might apply.

Now comes the fallout from the demolition Daboll witnessed on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. He’s going to want to tug the whole lot out of his bag of tips as a result of though it was just one loss, it was that dangerous. It will be a problem protecting this locker room collectively if issues proceed to go south.

The frustration on Sunday was palpable. This wasn’t only a staff that had misplaced one recreation early in a promising season. It was a gaggle teetering on the sting of falling into much more losses.

“Simply down as a result of you understand laborious you’re employed all offseason. All offseason, all OTAs, all coaching camp,” security Jason Pinnock stated.

HYATT, THE SECOND-year receiver who was a third-round choose final 12 months, had performed 4 snaps by means of the primary three quarters after spending a lot of the summer time because the staff’s No. 2 receiver reverse rookie Malik Nabers. Veteran Darius Slayton took a majority of the sport reps reverse Nabers.

However Slayton is now within the concussion protocol, which might create alternatives for Hyatt, whom Daboll referred to as the staff’s “third/fourth” receiver.

“That would change week to week,” Daboll stated of the huge receivers however appears to use to a number of different positions. “This week that’s what it was.”

Then there was third-year cornerback Cor’Dale Flott beginning within the slot after spending your entire summer time engaged on the surface. Daboll stated Monday he most likely can be again on the surface extra this week. Flott performed within the slot most of final season after beginning his Giants profession on the surface.

In the meantime, Adoree’ Jackson, re-signed simply over every week earlier than the opener, performed a superb chunk of the snaps on the surface. He dedicated a expensive however controversial 35-yard cross interference penalty within the first half.

As for kick returner Gunner Olszewski, he did not even make it to kickoff for the Giants. Olszewski aggravated his groin in pregame warmups after spending the previous few weeks noticeably struggling to maneuver with out restriction. He is now out for “weeks,” in response to Daboll. Time for the staff to discover a new returner.

And the way about veteran defensive again/linebacker Isaiah Simmons? He did not play a single defensive snap, as an alternative watching Flott begin on the place the place he spent a majority of the summer time and, at occasions, labored with the primary staff.

Security Dane Belton, in the meantime, performed the “moneybacker” place forward of Simmons. It could not have been what Simmons envisioned when he re-signed with the Giants this offseason.

Defensive captain Dexter Lawrence and third-year edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux additionally have been sad with reporters’ questions within the postgame locker room. They every went with the next-question method at one level throughout their interview classes.

“It is on the leaders, the captains of the staff, to get everybody’s minds proper and get everybody prepared for the brand new week,” Lawrence stated after Sunday’s loss. “Flush this. Personal it to begin with. Personal your dangerous performs, personal your good performs. It is on us to show the web page and get the fellows prepared for a brand new week, new problem.”

That is rather a lot for Daboll to therapeutic massage this early within the marketing campaign. These are the forms of issues that normally boil over in Week 18. Not Week 1.

That is the sort of stuff Daboll has to handle, on high of maybe his largest downside of all — quarterback Daniel Jones. He struggled badly once more on Sunday, an extension of what unfolded throughout a disastrous 2023 season. His QBR of 17.4 was the third lowest in Week 1.

Jones will stay the Giants’ starter. Hardly a shock contemplating he took each first-team rep forward of backup Drew Lock and third-stringer Tommy DeVito at coaching camp this summer time. Actually, Daboll won’t alter the quarterback reps in any respect all through the week. It is possible not going to sluggish the outpouring of calls from the surface for Jones to lose his beginning job.

The Giants’ beginning quarterback is doing his greatest to disregard all of it.

“I am targeted on doing my job and enjoying in addition to I can,” Jones stated. “So I’ve acquired to play higher. I do know that, and I am targeted on doing that.”

It is solely Week 1 and that is the place Daboll and the Giants stand. Nabers is being compelled to reply questions on whether or not his quarterback is sweet sufficient. He was even requested in his postgame interview whether or not Jones appeared for him as a lot as he anticipated in his first profession recreation.

Daboll goes to have his fingers full protecting it collectively, particularly if they cannot win on the highway Sunday towards the Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox). If the Giants lose to Minnesota and Washington, the place are there going to be wins? What does this imply for Daboll and lots of the guys within the locker room? The Giants have the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys on deck in Weeks 3 and 4.

The shedding additionally appears to be sporting on Lawrence. He informed ESPN a number of weeks again “there’s solely a lot B.S. that an individual can deal with.”

The gamers are a part of that equation. However so is the coach, who bears the final word accountability of protecting everybody collectively.

It is on Daboll to ensure he would not lose this already fragile locker room. It is not going to be simple if this season goes the place Week 1 suggests it is headed.