The Giants are counting on Brian Daboll to revive Russell Wilson, a quarterback whose career has been in decline for a few years now. At 36 he’s not the dynamic player he was when he led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl but the Giants think he can still make their offense better. To prepare for this Daboll has done his homework—watched over 7,500 of Wilson’s pass plays since 2012.
The Cliff Edge: Is Russell Wilson Still Worth the Investment?
The numbers don’t lie. Since leaving the Seattle Seahawks—the team where he built his legend—Wilson’s performance has declined. His passer ratings have gone from four straight 100+ seasons (2018-2021) to a career low 84.8 in 2022 with the Denver Broncos. Even last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers his 95.6 rating was far from his MVP days.
But Daboll sees potential in Wilson.
“In terms of the cliff, until you’re with the players, coaching them—I’m looking forward to working with Russ,” Daboll said at the NFL annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. “I’ve watched him, I’ve watched what I think he can do well, I’ve watched stuff that maybe we can help him with and I’ve watched stuff that maybe he can help us with.”
Daboll didn’t just glance at Wilson’s highlight reel; he dug deep, studying 7,500 pass plays from Wilson’s 10-year career. The goal? To figure out what’s left of the quarterback’s game and build the Giants’ offense around it.
What Wilson Brings to the Table?
While Wilson’s athleticism and mobility aren’t what they used to be—he’s a little older, after all—that doesn’t mean he’s lost his ability to extend plays and deliver those explosive passes downfield. Daboll points out several strengths that still apply:
One of those is his deep-ball accuracy. That’s been missing from the Giants’ offense in recent years. With speedsters like Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and tight end Theo Johnson on the roster, Wilson could really bring that vertical passing attack back to life.
Leadership and football smarts are where Wilson truly shines. He’s a veteran presence in the locker room, and Daboll values that kind of experience-and-intelligence combination.
Wilson has played in over 175 NFL games. That means he knows the league’s pressures—its ebbs and flows—like the back of his hand. Even if his physical tools have diminished.
Daboll put it well: “He’s athletic. He’s a little older, so he’s maybe not as athletic. But he certainly had the ability to use his legs, extend plays, create explosive plays—and he’s a phenomenal deep-ball thrower.” Wilson still has that in him.
The Giants’ Offensive Challenge
For Daboll, the answer is clear: fit the playbook to Wilson’s strengths rather than the other way around.
“I’m always a big believer that you run what the quarterback and your guys do well,” Daboll said. “I’m not like ‘Here’s the playbook, learn the playbook.’ I think the playbook has to be ever-changing.”
This will require Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to work together, who called plays in 2022 and 2023. Whether Daboll will call plays or delegate to Kafka is TBD but he did say flexibility.
“We gotta get together and figure out what’s good for everybody,” Daboll said.
Will It Work? The Giants’ Roster Around Wilson
Wilson won’t be flying solo in the quarterback room. Jameis Winston—signed to a two-year, $8 million deal—is there to provide a safety net, while Tommy DeVito gives the Giants a third option. There’s also a good chance the team will draft a rookie quarterback early—Shedeur Sanders or another prospect could be that guy.
Wilson’s success really depends on the players around him. That’s where Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and Theo Johnson come in. Those three give the Giants the ability to take shots down the field and really make defenses think. But for the offense to reach its full potential, the unproven guys like Jalin Hyatt will have to prove themselves.
A Make-or-Break Season for Wilson and the Giants
With Wilson at the helm, the Giants are counting on a mix of what’s familiar—and what’s new—to breathe life back into their offense. That means leaning on the same qualities that made Wilson a star in Seattle. If that spark has fizzled out for good, though, the Giants could be right back where they started in their search for a franchise quarterback.
Wilson really likes what he sees in Daboll’s attack-first approach. “That mentality,” he says, “is what I really like about Dabes.” He hasn’t had a chance to get into the nitty-gritty of game planning with his new coach yet—but he’s been watching and learning from Daboll’s work over the years. That gives him a sense of who Daboll is—and what he can do.
The success of this pairing will depend on the chemistry between Wilson and Daboll. If that clicks, this experiment could pay off. If it doesn’t… well, we’ve seen that story before.
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