Several NFL teams must be kicking themselves for moves they should have made but didn’t during the offseason. Here’s a knee-jerk look at a Week 1 wish list:
Giants wish: A better offensive line
Anything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Giants in their 40-0 “Sunday Night Football” loss to the Dallas Cowboys, with much of the blame falling on New York’s supposedly retooled offensive line.
Quarterback Daniel Jones spent much of the rain-soaked evening running from the Cowboys imposing defensive line that amassed seven sacks and 12 quarterback hits. The Giants’ troubling situation may get worse before it gets better, with All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas set to receive an MRI on his injured hamstring, per the New York Post.
The Giants invested a second-round pick in center John Michael Schmitz and thrust him into the starting lineup due to a lack of other options. On the Giants first possession, he rolled a snap to Daniel Jones deep in Dallas territory.
“I take full responsibility for it,’’ Schmitz said, per the New York Post. “The circumstances, the [wet] weather shouldn’t dictate my behavior, it shouldn’t dictate the snap at all.”
Right tackle Evan Neal, who’s coming off a disappointing rookie year, showed hardly any progress from 2022. In the offseason, Pro Football Focus pegged the line as one of the worst in the league. It looks like the outlet was spot-on.
Colts wish: A viable Jonathan Taylor replacement
The Colts placed star Jonathan Taylor on the PUP list to begin the season after receiving underwhelming trade offers for the disgruntled running back. His absence was quite evident in Indianapolis’ 31-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
To replace Taylor, the Colts turned to Deon Jackson. Although the third-year back reeled in five of six passing targets, he failed to establish much of anything on the ground (13 rushes for 14 yards), with a long of seven yards. He also fumbled twice.
Running back Zack Moss continues to recover from a forearm injury and should play sooner rather than later. But the Colts running back room could use a boost — especially with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson at the helm.
Vikings wish: A veteran running back
The departure of running back Dalvin Cook opened the door for Alexander Mattison to become the lead back in Minnesota. After one game, it appears the Vikings are missing their Pro Bowl rusher.
In Minnesota’s 20-17 loss to the Buccaneers, Mattison rushed 11 times for 34 yards, with a long of nine yards. With veterans Leonard Fournette and Kareem Hunt still without teams, Minnesota could be come calling soon if Mattison’s struggles persist.
Chiefs wish: Another wide receiver
The Kansas City Chiefs could use a hand at wide receiver — quite literally.
With wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr, Jakobi Meyers and Adam Thielen on the free-agent market — not to mention JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, who helped win a Super Bowl for Kansas City — the Chiefs opted to go with what they had. The initial results from that decision are ugly.
In Thursday’s 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions, quarterback Patrick Mahomes finished 10-of-22 (46%) on passes to his wide receivers — the worst completion percentage he’s recorded when targeting the position group in his career (minimum 20 attempts). His wideouts’ four drops were tied for second most in a game that the 27-year-old has started.
Perhaps Kansas City can turn to the Bucs or Cardinals for help. Per Yahoo, Tampa Bay might be willing to move Mike Evans or Chris Godwin. Rebuilding Arizona, meanwhile, might be willing to trade speedster Marquise Brown.