What do you get when you take away the starting quarterback, two or three starting offensive linemen and possibly the two best playmakers from the NFL’s worst-ranked offense?
The Giants without Daniel Jones on Sunday.
Head coach Brian Daboll spent practice Friday trying to find an offensive line combination that would allow Tyrod Taylor to function in his first start at quarterback in 22 months.
General manager Joe Schoen then took over trying to manipulate the active roster, with just three healthy offensive linemen, and practice squad to find enough bodies to compete against the 15-point favorite Bills.
“We’re focused on … doing the best we can when we’re out on the field,” Daboll said. “That’s what we’re all charged with.”
If you believed that things couldn’t get any worse for the Giants — who are averaging the fewest offensive yards and the second-fewest points per game in the league, and have led for a total of 19 seconds over the first five games — it would be difficult to see the latest developments as a lateral move.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas, center John Michael Schmitz and swing tackle Matt Peart will not play due to injury, and right tackle Evan Neal did not practice, which means that instead of benching struggling fill-in left tackle Josh Ezeudu, the Giants could have to leave Ezeudu in one-on-one matchups if a practice squad call-up, such as Jalen Mayfield, Yodny Cajuste or Justin Pugh, starting on the other bookend needs assistance.
Running back Saquon Barkley and top pass-catcher Darren Waller both are listed as questionable.
Who will be moving the ball, let alone scoring?
“There’s no pressure on us. If anything, all the pressure is on them to defend their own turf and not let an ‘upset’ happen,” receiver Isaiah Hodgins told The Post. “We just have to play free and play with swagger and do what people aren’t expecting us to do. We’re going to play our game and have fun, and I think that’s when the best things happen.”
The Giants made Taylor one of the NFL’s highest-paid backup quarterbacks (two years, $11 million) to avoid a repeat of the last time that Jones was sidelined by injury, when the team averaged 9.3 points per game during six consecutive losses to end the 2021 season.
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The offense devolved to running back-to-back quarterback sneaks on second-and-11 and third-and-9 to avoid a turnover.
Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka haven’t reached that old Freddie Kitchens-called breaking point yet, but gaining first downs is made more difficult when the offensive line has allowed a league-high 30 sacks on 100 quarterback pressures.
Jones injured his neck while absorbing his 44th hit of the season.
“My job is to get the guys to play at a certain level. They have not played at that level,” offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said. “I feel pressure, not by any outside measures. I went home the other day and my wife booed me. That’s enough pressure.”
The Giants have gone 145 minutes of action and 25 consecutive offensive possessions without scoring a touchdown.
Early deficits (24 offensive points scored in the nine halves outside of a 31-point second-half explosion against the Cardinals) and the three running backs filling in for Barkley during his three-game absence averaging just 2.5 yards per carry have created a telegraphed one-dimensional offense.
So, how is Taylor — who was pressured 10 times on 16 dropbacks in relief last week — supposed to create a spark when he is going to have fewer complements than the struggling Jones had?
“Tyrod can throw well from the pocket, throw well on the move and create,” quarterbacks coach Shea Teirney said. “We’re going to keep shooting our shot. Part of the job description as a quarterback is you are going to hit. There are different ways to handle it. Sometimes it’s standing in there and making throws, sometimes it’s using your legs, sometimes it’s risk-versus-reward.
“The minute you get cautious is the minute you probably shouldn’t be out there. I have no worries about Tyrod playing with no fear and how he knows how to play the game.”
The Giants are looking for ways to work harder, not for excuses.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been on a group that’s been this thin been before, but I’ve had similar circumstances with two new guys to a side,” ninth-year left guard Mark Glowinski told The Post.
“But we have to get guys the time to recover. It’s a tough process right now, but we have to make sure we’re putting in as much time as we can and communicating as much as we can to close up the gaps when it comes to the scheme and execution.”