The New York Giants have had a disastrous start to the 2023 NFL season after a surprising playoff run in 2022, and it continued when the team fell to 1-4 with a 31-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 5.

There is a multitude of issues for the Giants disappointing so far this year, and many of them were on full display in the loss to the Dolphins.

The frustrating part for Giants fans is that the Dolphins seemingly did everything they could to give the Giants a chance to win the game, and they just could not take advantage of it. Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions, and the Giants recovered a fumble as well.

While the Giants scored a touchdown on the Jason Pinnock pick six just before halftime, the Giants did not take advantage of the other turnovers. They punted after recovering a De'Von Achane fumble, and settled for a field goal while down 14 after intercepting Tagovailoa deep in Dolphins territory.

To put it simply, the offense was the biggest problem, even though the defense was not blameless. Let's get to the four Giants most to blame for the Week 5 loss to the Dolphins.

4. Tre Hawkins III, CB

Tre Hawkins III is the only defensive player on this list. It is tough to ask a sixth-round rookie to cover Tyreek Hill, and this is also partially a critique of the Giants' roster. However, Hill's touchdown coming out of halftime was back-breaking, and he burned Tre Hawkins III on that play. It made a 17-10 game 24-10, and all of a sudden a win seemed out of reach.

As mentioned before, the defense is not the main problem, but they are not blameless. Tre Hawkins III deserves some blame, even if it is not exactly fair. The Dolphins offense is arguably the most explosive in the league. It could have been a lot uglier.

3. Joshua Ezeudu, OL

With Andrew Thomas out due to a hamstring injury, Joshua Ezeudu has been filling in as the left tackle. This is a similar case as Hawkins. It is tough to fully blame Joshua Ezeudu, as he was drafted as a guard, and does not have much experience at tackle.

The reality is, Joshua Ezeudu has been a big reason why Daniel Jones has taken so many hits this season. That did not change this Sunday, and it eventually got his quarterback hurt.

2. Daniel Jones, QB

Giants, Daniel Jones, Joshua Ezeudu, Evan Neal, Tre Hawkins III

While the Giants' offensive line has been terrible around Daniel Jones this season, he is not doing himself any favors. There are some who excuse Daniel Jones' performance because of the supporting cast, but the reality is that not 100% of the offense's failure is on the offensive line.

Whether it is missing open reads down the field, not having good ball placement on short throws that allow for his receivers to run for yards after the catch, or flat out missing an open receiver, like he did with Wan'Dale Robinson on a key third down in this game, there is plenty that Jones should take blame for.

1. Evan Neal, OL

The reason that Evan Neal is the top player on this list is due to expectations. That is what has him on top of the list, while Ezeudu is at No. 3. The Giants selected Evan Neal with the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he has played poorly basically since entering the NFL. Whether it is communication issues or straight up getting beat by pass rushers, Neal has been a detriment to the Giants offense. That continued against Miami. Despite the flaws that Jones has in his game, basically everyone who watched the Giants would admit the main problem is the offensive line. Neal is supposed to be a staple at right tackle.

To make matters worse, Evan Neal fanned the flames leading into this game by criticizing the Giants fans. Many of those fans would be willing to move on from those comments if Neal started to live up to his draft status. There is still time for him to turn things around, but it is getting late early, and Neal did not help his case with his performance against the Dolphins.