Falcons – Giants 5 questions with the enemy: You think you have quarterback problems?

The New York Giants are not having the season they envisioned. Their former franchise quarterback is in Minnesota, the team has only managed two wins, and their head coach is on the hot seat. It’s easy to see why the Atlanta Falcons elected to start Michael Penix; getting quarterback right for the long haul really matters.

Ed Valentine of Big Blue View gives us more insight into what went wrong and what Atlanta can expect from the Giants this Sunday.

Tre’Shon: The Brian Daboll era started with a Coach of the Year award, and now he’s on the hot seat. Do you believe it’s time to move on?

Ed: I have written two posts — one making the case for keeping Daboll and GM Joe Schoen and one making the case for moving on from both guys. In terms of Daboll specifically, I think it’s complicated.

Tell me, who comes next? Like first-round quarterbacks, teams seem to get the hiring of head coaches wrong more often than they get it right. There is an argument to be made that Daboll, with an offensive background and the success he had with Josh Allen in Buffalo, might be the right head coach to groom a new young quarterback with the Giants. There is also an argument that things have gone so far off the rails that there has to be a change.

Daboll deserved the opportunity to be an NFL head coach. I’m not sure he deserves the opportunity to continue as one.

Tre’Shon: Drew Lock is set to start. Does this move give the team the best chance to win, or is the tank in full effect?

Ed: Believe it or not, I disagree with the idea that the Giants are “tanking.” They are just bad.

Their quarterback is in Minnesota. Their best offensive and defensive linemen are on injured reserve. They have several other starters either on IR or not playing because of injuries. I think Daboll is trying to win — he needs victories to build a case for staying on. I’m just not sure the roster the Giants currently have is capable of delivering any.

Tre’Shon: Kirk Cousins has been benched in favor of first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. How do you think the Giants will fare against the rookie quarterback?

Ed: Your guess is as good as mine. But, look, this defense isn’t good right now. When healthy, this was a league-average defense. But, it’s not close to healthy.

Dexter Lawrence, maybe the best DT in the league, is on IR. Two other defensive tackles are on IR, and starter Rakeem Nunez-Roches has missed multiple weeks. Inside linebacker Bobby Okereke has been out for weeks. None of the Giants starting cornerbacks were healthy enough to play last week. Rookie safety Tyler Nubin, a good player, is on IR. This is a soft landing spot for Penix.

Tre’Shon: The Giants have also had to make a tough call this season when they benched and released Daniel Jones. Do you think the team made the right decision, or should they have seen the season through?

Ed: They made the right call. They had no real choice, even though it has left them with a revolving door of quarterbacks who aren’t as good as Jones since then. They were 2-8, had just lost to Carolina and have been the league’s worst offense this season.

It was obvious they had to find a new quarterback for 2025, and Jones (like Derek Carr and Russell Wilson before him) had an injury guarantee worth $23M next year if he couldn’t pass a physical. Jones suffering a major injury in meaningless games was a chance they couldn’t take.

Tre’Shon: Who’s the Falcons player you think will give the Giants the most problems?

Ed: That really depends on who is actually playing for the Giants. When a team is 2-12, though, they will have problems with a lot more than just one player.