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Aristotle would love the Giants’ offense.

Perhaps there is no better way to explain how quarterback Daniel Jones leads the NFL with three game-winning drives despite throwing for the second-fewest yards per game (169.6) and second-fewest touchdown passes (three) than to borrow the famed Ancient Greek philosopher’s phrase: “The whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.”

Or, in football terms, head coach Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and the assistants are making a difference.

“We live in a world where a lot of coaches go, ‘Our guys have to win the one-on-one [matchup],’ ” ESPN “NFL Live” analyst Dan Orlovsky told The Post. “What’s happening with the Giants is their coaching staff is allowing them to execute something easier, better. I hate when coaches say, ‘We have to out-execute them.’ What happens if we can’t [because] he’s a better player than me or their 11 are better than ours? What are you going to do to help me?”

The Giants’ answer lies in formations, like lining up running back Saquon Barkley as a wildcat quarterback. Or lining up wide receiver Darius Slayton as a tight end and pitching the ball to tight end Daniel Bellinger in the slot for a touchdown run. Or sending backup running back Matt Breida in pre-snap jet sweep motion.


  Daniel Jones and the Giants offense have benefitted greatly from the innovative formation of hea coach Brian Daboll (inset) and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Shutterstock; Getty Images Daniel Jones and the Giants offense have benefitted greatly from the innovative formation of hea coach Brian Daboll (inset) and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Shutterstock; Getty Images

“I thought we were creative, especially down in the red zone, and found a way to make a couple plays,” Jones said after a 27-22 win against the Packers. “That’s stuff that we have been practicing and we’ve been preparing for.”

Teams with explosive playmakers typically get creative to exploit mismatches. With Andy Reid protégé Kafka calling the plays in games, the Giants are creative for a different reason.

Aside from Barkley, who leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, the personnel-deficient Giants are playing with nine healthy running backs, tight ends and receivers who either went undrafted or were Day 3 draft picks, scored just 36 offensive touchdowns in 279 career games combined and do not pose a mismatch for any defense.

“It’s a little bit of Andy Reid: Can I sexy up the simple?” Orlovsky said. “It’s not like they are putting in a new play. It’s just a sexier way to run it. You are trying to force the defense to constantly have to look at a bunch of different things so they are not as sharp or as fast as they would be if you just lined up traditionally. What they are excelling at right now is attacking defenses rather than just running their [own] stuff.”

To make it all go, the Giants made an important tweak by often max-protecting on passes. The Giants have used play-action fakes on 39.3 percent of their dropbacks — up from 23 percent the previous seasons and second only to the Falcons (50 percent) in 2022 — according to ESPN. A much-improved run-blocking line and Barkley’s effectiveness keeps defenses honest.

“They realized, ‘Let’s not put Jones in situations where he might have a bunch of moving parts, where he might have to think faster than he’s capable of,’ ” Orlovsky said. “That’s when he feels like, ‘I have to get the ball out of my hands’ and make a quick decision in the midst of chaos or under pressure. That’s kind of been the M.O. for him for three years.”


  Daniel Bellinger’s second quarter touchdown in the Giants’ Week 5 win over the Packers was scored on one of Brian Daboll’s innovative formations. USA TODAY Sports Daniel Bellinger’s second quarter touchdown in the Giants’ Week 5 win over the Packers was scored on one of Brian Daboll’s innovative formations. USA TODAY Sports

Jones has cut his turnovers to three on 173 handles (pass attempts plus rushes) in five games, after averaging 1.3 giveaways per game over his first three seasons.

“They’ve really committed to keeping seven or eight bodies in on first and second down,’” Orlovsky said. “It’s going to mean less people out in the route, but it also gives him the freedom to use his legs more if he wants because there is the space to do it. That’s the biggest difference why he is playing solid football.”

Kafka, as a first-time play-caller, deserves credit for three finer points, Orlovsky said: “Getting the whole offense and not just the quarterback in a rhythm, using early play calls to set up later offshoots and recognizing why a play isn’t working. If it failed because of an error, try it again. If it failed because the defense played differently than expected, scrap it.”

Daboll’s input of some Bills’ hallmarks into the schematic design during the week is clear, too.

“Are the Giants playoff contenders? Is Saquon back? Is Daniel Jones going to [take the next step]? Six weeks ago, the answers were no, no, no,” Orlovsky said. “In five weeks, Brian Daboll has taken the three biggest questions — that seemed to be the dumbest — attached to the Giants and made everyone [rethink] like, ‘Uhhhhhh.’ ”

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