New York Giants co-owner John Mara and his family have been around the NFL long enough to avoid calling an upcoming season make-or-break for the front office and coaching staff.
With the Giants’ 100th season in the league still more than a month away, Mara and everyone involved are aware that neither he nor the fans are pleased with the 6-11 record from 2023.
The previous season was disappointing, especially after the surprising success coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen had in their first year, leading the team to a 9-7-1 record and making the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
“I obviously want to show significant improvement over last year, but I’m not going to make any specific guarantees or demands or anything like that,” Mara said Thursday after a joint news conference with Hackensack Meridian Health.
“They know what I want to see,” Mara said, marking 100 years to the day his grandfather, Tim, founded the Giants with a $500 investment.
“I have a lot of confidence in this particular team (Daboll and Schoen). Their communication is great. I think we’ve added some good pieces. Now it’s time to show everybody.”
There is a lot of hope for this season. The Giants have revamped an offensive line that allowed a franchise-record 85 sacks last season and hired a new line coach, Carmen Bricillo. The receiving group is deep and talented, especially with first-round draft pick Malik Nabers and second-year pro Jalin Hyatt making big plays every practice.
Quarterback Daniel Jones has recovered quickly from an ACL injury in November. Running back Devin Singletary has looked strong taking over for Saquon Barkley, who signed with the Eagles as a free agent.
There are more questions on defense, but the front seven looks promising with Pro Bowl tackle Dexter Lawrence in the middle and edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns on the sides. Leading tackler and inside linebacker Bobby Okereke is also back.
