It has been a disastrous 2023 season for the Giants. Brian Daboll has consistently made questionable game management decisions, New York's special teams have been one of the worst units in the league, the offensive line has performed as bad as ever, and the offense has been brutal to watch -- and as a whole rank last in the league in scoring (11.9 points per game).
Their problems don't come close to ending there. Big Blue has dealt with a slew of injuries, including to all four offensive stars: Darren Waller, Saquon Barkley, Andrew Thomas, and Daniel Jones. As Murphy's Law states, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
Pretty much everything has gone wrong, but the Giants' young defense has been a bright spot in recent weeks. Over their last three games, New York has allowed just 44 points -- 14.6 points per game -- despite playing the Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, and Jets, who combine to average 22.4 points a game.
It may be grim in the Big Apple now, but the young defense's superb play of late portends a bright future for the Giants.
Two bright young corners
No Giants position group should give the organization more hope for the future than the secondary. Two young corners -- 22-year-olds Deonte Banks and Cor'Dale Flott -- have been standout players.
Banks, New York's 2023 first-round pick, has become New York's top cornerback. Through eight games, the Maryland product is giving up just 39.5 passing yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have a modest 80.0 passer rating when targeting Banks this year and have completed just 55.1 percent of passes. Those marks are especially impressive considering Banks has been matched up against elite NFL wideouts like Garrett Wilson, Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf, and Terry McLaurin.
After a rough camp forced him to the bench to start the season, Flott forced his way back into the lineup and has been great. Of the Giants' defensive players with at least 100 snaps, PFF has Flott graded as New York's top cornerback. The LSU alum was dominant against the Jets, allowing zero receptions on three targets, and has allowed just 73 yards in the last four games combined.
A budding superstar pass rusher
Kayvon Thibodeaux got off to a slow start this season but has put up massive numbers in recent weeks. The Giants' 2022 first-round pick didn't have a sack for the first two weeks, but after recording three sacks against the Jets on Sunday he raised his season total to 8.5, tied for third in the NFL. Thibodeaux is suddenly on pace for 18 sacks, which would be the fourth-most in a single season in franchise history.