New York Giants: Evan Engram deserves pass for recent struggles

New York Giants rookie tight end Evan Engram deserves a pass for his recent drops considering the team’s overall offensive struggles and injury woes.

New York Giants rookie tight end Evan Engram is, pardon the cliche, looking more like a rookie these days. After reeling in only one of six targets during the overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Engram caught three of seven passes against the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving night. More concerning, Engram dropped three catchable throws delivered by quarterback Eli Manning in the latest losing effort.

Anybody can have a bad evening at the office or on the football field, but Engram’s rough outing against the Redskins wasn’t a one-off. The 23-year old is dealing with a case of the yips or some crisis of confidence that’s preventing him from completing catches September and October versions of the first-year pro made with relative ease.

Per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, head coach Ben McAdoo believes he knows what’s ailing Engram, saying, “I thought Evan was pressing a little bit in the pass game, especially after he dropped the first one.” McAdoo also cited Engram’s lack of experience playing in “chalky and cold” conditions for the player’s hands betraying him, Manning and the rest of the New York offense.

All of those are fair points. Engram played his college football at Ole Miss, so it may take some time for him to get used to November and December games against the likes of the Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. Perhaps Engram is pressing because he’s hit the “rookie wall” mentioned by analysts and observers every holiday season.

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Scouting reports mentioned Engram’s hands as weaknesses well before the Giants used a first-round pick to acquire his services. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote Engram “has had issues with drops and contested catches could be an issue,” and that he “allowed throws to beat him up at times” in college. Charlie Campbell of Walter Football pointed out Engram “will drop an occasional pass.” Pro Football Focus claimed Engram “dropped seven out of 73 catchable targets in 2016.”

Engram eliminating bad habits before they prevent him from improving upon what was set to be a solid debut season a couple of weeks ago is a top goal for the Giants with the playoffs out of reach. In fact, Engram’s long-term development is an argument for Manning remaining in the lineup as New York’s starting signal-caller even though the Giants sit at 2-9 with no hope of qualifying for the postseason less than two months before the two-time Super Bowl MVP turns 37 years old.

Don’t press figurative panic buttons upon seeing Engram drop passes just yet, Giants fans. Keep your heads cool, and remember Engram was originally supposed to play a contributing role in the offense rather than be Manning’s top weapon in late November. The rookie making mistakes is forgivable because nobody imagined how poorly things would go for the club between August 1 and the early portion of the holiday season.

Odell Beckham Jr., arguably the best wide receiver in the game when fully healthy, participated in four games before injuries prematurely ended his season. Brandon Marshall entered the injured reserve list in October. Sterling Shepard is dealing with migraines, and the Giants may need to consider sitting him until next summer.

Instead of lining up alongside those players, Engram was in a unit that included Tavarres King, Roger Lewis and Rhett Ellison attempting to generate positive drives against the Redskins on Thanksgiving. In short, what faced the Washington defense was a pro offense in name only. That’s not Engram’s fault. Fans can’t blame McAdoo or general manager Jerry Reese for Engram being Manning’s top target on Thursday.

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Yes, Engram is obviously facing different matchups than what he would see if playing in New York’s intended offense. The matter goes beyond cornerbacks, linebackers and safeties focusing on him. Rather than competing for a division title or maybe even home-field advantage throughout December, the Giants are out of the playoffs with five games left. That’s a crushing blow for anybody on what was advertised to be a real contender, let alone for a rookie who probably has too much on his plate.

Engram needs to keep his head held high and work on decreasing avoidable miscues. He also deserves a pass from critics and fans watching him play in a pitiful offense that’s lacking proven stars.