The New York Giants can’t pull themselves out of the bad part of their pattern over the past several years. They win a Super Bowl, and then they fall on hard times. The Giants went through this in the three seasons following their win in Super Bowl XLII in 2008 over the New England Patriots, and then they’ve begun to retrace this pattern in the two seasons following another Super Bowl win over New England in 2012. Can the Giants pick themselves up and play the way coach Tom Coughlin thinks they’re capable of playing? The Giants were extremely frustrated with the way the 2013 season developed. Eli Manning had his worst season as a pro since winning the first of his two Super Bowls. This team needs to be able to turn things around, not just for the sake of one season, but to bolster the legacy of the two Super Bowl championship teams.
Strengths
The Giants have the weapons on the outside to give opposing defenses fits. Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham are proven wide receivers. Reuben Randle and Jerrel Jernigan can be positive contributors in bunch sets and on obvious passing downs. With Eli Manning as the signal caller, the Giants know they have a player who is capable of doing great things. Manning is inconsistent, but he has already established himself as one of the better fourth-quarter comeback artists in NFL history. That’s something he has shown the capacity to do in just about any season. The Giants know they have the passing game that can fuel their offense and lead to a big season. That talent is always there. That’s not something the Giants have to worry about.
Weaknesses
The problem for the Giants is that they have been weak at every other position on the field. Running back has been a black hole the past two seasons. Pass rushers have constantly been hurt, though the talent on the defensive line has been great. The Giants need their front four to stay injury-free. The secondary has been weak, frequently getting torched by the Dallas Cowboys in particular. That can’t fly this season. Most of all, the offensive line has been horrible, never more so than last season. The frailty and the lack of depth along the offensive front is what put Eli under pressure, creating a lot of his turnovers in 2013. The Giants need to be better on the offensive line more than in any other unit on their roster. Otherwise, the season’s going to spiral out of control once again.
Schedule
The Giants play non-division NFC games against Detroit, Arizona, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, and St. Louis, a nasty schedule for a team that needed to play a lot more lower-end teams. The four interconference games come against the AFC South, though, which is a great break for the Giants. If New York can crush the AFC South, it can lose to the Seahawks and 49ers in non-division games and still have a chance at the playoffs. Dominating the NFC East is how the Giants need to get to the playoffs.
Outlook
This team continues to be inconsistent in most years. Why would the Giants stop now? This is an unresolved issue, and unless the offensive line shows that it is ready to change things, New York will probably labor to another subpar finish. Go with the under here.
Pick: Under 8
