By Matthew Frank

For the first time in memory, the Giants defense was a complete mess last year.  The entire unit played poorly for most of the year and was an utter disaster.  Perry Fewell was brought in to coach this underachieving unit into shape.  To show you what type of urgency the Giants gave the defense, all of their draft picks except for one (which was in the later rounds) was for defense.  Also, the big off season signings were both to bolster a secondary and linebacking corp that needed drastic help.

However, not of this will help if the Giants defensive line, which is supposed to be its strength, plays like they did last year.  Justin Tuck is a true stud, but was never the same after getting tripped and injured by the Cowboys.  He is supposedly back to fully strength and is excellent against both the pass and run.  Osi Umineyora will hopefully be back at full strength after knee surgery a couple of years ago.  It usually takes players two years to come back from that type of injury, so a dominant Umineyora may be in the cards.  And hopefully so because last year he was really pushed around; especially on running plays.  Teams would consistently target Umineyora and push him back several yards on each play.  Mathias Kiwanuka is actually projected to be a starter, but I don’t think anybody knows what to make of him at this point.  The one time (and briefly thank God) linebacker definitely has some skills getting to the quarterback, but you have to wonder about his overall play.  First round draft choice Jason Pierre-Paul was brought in to possibly replace these players due to injury and contract situations (for next year), but for now don’t expect him to see a lot of playing time on a team with a lot of defensive ends.

The tackles were the major source of concern last year, and were routinely pushed back and battered.  Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty must play like their contracts demand it if this unit has a chance.  Teams routinely pushed up the middle on running plays, and just pushed the ends to the outside on passing plays.  Bernard and Canty have to put their injury history behind them and really get some push up the middle.  Linval Joseph was a very smart draft choice and is another big body to clog up the middle.  Expect to see him a lot on the rotation.

The linebacking corp is still a major source of concern.  The Giants did go out and sign Keith Bulluck, but I’m not sure how much you can count on a player in a new system, that is 33 and coming off of knee surgery.  Michael Boley returns to the team after a disappointing first year with the team.  If he can play like he did in Atlanta, this will be a major coup for the team.  Clint Sintim had a good rookie year, but is going to be counted on a lot more for making big plays.  Let’s see if he can make the major transition up.  Chase Blackburn should start at MLB which is why Bulluck was signed.  Blackburn is an ok-enough player, but I don’t think the Giants feel he is a consistent starter as he can be thrown around.  Phillip Dilliard was drafted as a potential backup, but nobody seems to know if he is a good enough player moving forward.

While the secondary was a disaster last year, a lot of it had to do with Kenny Phillips injury and the defensive line applying no pressure to opposing teams quarterback.  Phillips is back this year and all reports are that he is back to full strength.  Just in case, Antrel Rolle was signed to start this year.  Rolle was a great, if not slightly overpriced, signing for a team that drastically needed depth to this unit.  He’s a bit undersized, but a good ball hawk.  Deon Grant also brings a lot of stability to this unit.  The cornerbacks are again a major source of concern.  Aaron Ross is already battling injuries and Corey Webster can have issues from game to game.

The Giants definitely upgraded the secondary over the year, but it still comes down to the dominance of the defensive line.  If the line can get consistent pressure and push, this unit should be ok.   The Giants had a maddening tendency to get a team into a third and long last season, only to give up an easy pass while the opposing quarterback had all the time in the world to scan the field.  Hopefully this year, with a refreshed team and defensive scheme, the unit will play cohesively again.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/

By Matthew Frank

The New York Giants take on the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday night.  While all the commentators are concentrating on the Manning v. Manning matchup, this game boils down to another three things:

1) The Giants Pass Rush

The Giants need to get pressure on Peyton Manning all night.  And by pressure I mean without big, sell-out blitzing pressure.  3rd and longs killed this team last year and that was largely due to the lack of push by the front four leading to massive blitzes.  If Kiwanuka, Tuck, Umeniyora, and company get in that backfield often, the rest of the defense should be able to neutralize the passing game.  The Indianapolis offensive line is also really beat up with several players coming back early from injury.   Expect the defense to come out in a lot of nickel looks and really put a lot of pressure on the receivers.  The Giants can’t count on Peyton Manning throwing several red-zone interceptions like they got last week.

2) The Giants Running Game

In case anybody missed it, the Texans ran right over the Colts last week decimating them for 257 yards on the ground.  With Bob Sanders out, the Giants should be licking their chops over Bradshaw and Jacobs running over and through the Indy defense.  Last week the New York offensive line had a lot of issues getting blown back repeatedly.  The Giants don’t have to be as dominant as Houston was last week, but they certainly need to show marked improvement or rumors of their demise may start to get played up.

3) Special Teams

The Giants don’t need to be world beaters here; just merely competent.  Will Matt Dodge actually show up, or will we be shopping for a punter next week?

All in all a really tough game considering who they are playing, but this game is winnable.  If the defense can hold their own, the offense should be able to get going.   Let’s just hope the defensive line can introduce themselves to Peyton early and often.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/

By Matthew Frank

In a somewhat strange game, the Giants defeated the Panthers 31-18 in a somewhat soggy debut for the new Giants Stadium (call it what you want, but I’m sticking to my guns here).  The Giants, and in particular the special teams, were very sloppy but pulled out a victory thanks to some big plays and the incompetent Matt Moore.

Eli Manning was good this game, but too many people are talking about what a great game he had.  Yes, two of the interceptions were not his fault at all.  But the third one, off the hands of Ramses Barden, was thrown way too high and behind him.  Also, he basically hung Kevin Boss out to dry in the first quarter.  Manning through the ball in such a position that he was basically begging BOTH safeties to come down and really hit Boss hard…and they sure did knocking him out for the rest of the game.  I realize that it was a free play due to a defensive offsides, but Eli has to make sure his players don’t get killed.  Of course, the passes he threw deep to Nicks and Manningham were some of the prettiest plays of the week so we have to keep those going.

The rest of the offense was decent, but the running game had some major problems.  The offensive line couldn’t get any penetration off the ball and the defense was constantly in the backfield.  Bradshaw actually had a very productive game squirting around the early pressure, but the line must do better on the initial push.  Steve Smith was basically doubled all game leaving Nicks open, and boy did he take advantage of that.  Nicks was dynamic constantly jumping over and around defenders making big plays on seem patterns over and over again.  Mario Manningham also had a great game showing a good pair of hands and making some nice plays.

The defense was ok, but I don’t know how many weeks you can count on making three interceptions in the endzone.  Kenny Phillips was outstanding making a huge, leaping interception and also catch the Carolina running back with a shoestring, touchdown saving tackle.  Rolle also played really well and was the ball-hawk we all expected him to be.  The line was very good against the run and late in the game really picked things up and got a lot of solid pressure eventually knocking Moore out of the game.  However, the same tendency to give up third and longs was maddening as well as Carolina’s last drive to end the first half.  Carolina easily drove down the length of the field to score a last second touchdown which, at the time, put them in the lead.  These types of drives and conversions have to stop as a good defense should consistently get the ball back in those situations.

Perry Fewell put the defense in a lot of strange looks including at one point having 4 defensive ends on the field.  I don’t know if this worked or not, but the mixing of packages from a formally predictible unit may be a good thing.

Finally, there were the special teams.  For which I can say: ugh.  Wow, they were really terrible.  Matt Dodge was awful as a punter.  Yes, the blocked punt wasn’t his fault, but when he actually did get the ball in the air there was almost no air time and the returner frequently took the low-line drives and got a lot of yardage.  Kick returns were an issue as well, as the returners frequently got to the 30 or so.  It got so bad that towards the end of the game, the fans were cheering “We want Feagles!”  Dodge better get his act together, or the fans may get their wish.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/ 

In 2004, the Giants started 4-1 before finishing 6-10. In 2006, they started 6-2 before finishing 8-8. They still made the playoffs and lost to the Eagles in the first. In 2007, they started 6-2 before finishing 10-6. They eventually got their act together and won the Super Bowl, but their 2^nd half struggles were still there. In 2008, they started 11-1 before finishing 12-4 and losing in the first round of the playoffs. In 2009, they started 5-0 before finishing 8-8.

Last year was more of the same for the Giants. They started 6-2, but finished 4-4 down the stretch and missed the playoffs at 10-6. Along the way, they blew a 31-10 4^th quarter lead to the Eagles and got shelled by the Packers for 500+ yards in Lambeau. In the Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning era, they have always started strong, struggled in the 2^nd half, and only one year have they won a playoff game, that being their Super Bowl winning year of 2007.

The 2010 Giants had the #10 passing offense, the #6 rushing offense, the #8 rushing defense, and the #9 passing defense. They also had the #7 total defense and the #5 total defense. However, they were 1^st in the league in turnovers turning the ball over 42 times, 5 more than 2^nd place Carolina and Minnesota. That’s what did them in.

Unfortunately, the offseason was not too kind to the Giants. While the Eagles signed a ton of free agents and the Cowboys figure to be better this season, the Giants lost Barry Cofield, Steve Smith, Kevin Boss as free agents and had to cut veteran interior linemen Rich Seubert and Shaun O’Hara. They also lost rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara indefinitely with a broken foot.

Steve Smith’s loss will be felt at wide receiver. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are both very talented receivers as the starters, but Smith was their best possession receiver out of the slot. Now, career backup Domenik Hixon and 2010 preseason standout Victor Cruz will compete for the slot receiver job with rookie 3^rd round pick Jerrel Jernigan possibly coming on late.

Kevin Boss’ presence will also be missed in both the passing game and the running game. Boss is one of the better blocking tight ends in the league and he was a great end zone target for Eli Manning. He is replaced by 2009 3^rd round pick, the inexperienced Travis Beckum. Beckum has caught 21 passes in 2 seasons as a pro as Boss’ backup.

Filling the voids of Seubert and O’Hara up front, free agent acquisition David Baas will start at center, in place of O’Hara, while David Diehl, who struggled on the left side, allowing 8 sacks in 2010, moves to left guard. 2009 2^nd round pick William Beatty will be the new blindside protector. Baas is a marginal starter who the Giants overpaid to come over from San Francisco. Meanwhile, Beatty has not impressed in limited action in 2 seasons since being drafted.

If Beatty struggles, they don’t have many other options. They don’t want to move stud right tackle Kareem McKenzie and backup left tackle Shawn Andrews is terrible. Rookie 4^th round pick James Brewer is in the mix, but the Giants have said they don’t plan to play him much as a rookie. McKenzie and Chris Snee do a solid job on the right side at tackle and guard respectively, but gone are the days of the Giants having one of the league’s best offensive lines.

When the Giants were at their best, Plaxico Burress was one of the best goal line threats in the league, their offensive line was one of the best in the league, and they had a fearful running game, helped by, again, an amazing line upfront. While Hakeem Nicks has done a nice job of replacing Burress, their offensive line is not as good as it once was and also gone are the days of Earth, Wind, and Fire wreaking havoc in the backfield (also, sadly, gone are the days of running back committees having cool names, what’s up with that!?).

Earth (Brandon Jacobs) is 29 and has lost his lead back job. Wind (Derrick Ward) is gone. Actually I don’t know where he went. Fire (Ahmad Bradshaw) is their best running back. Bradshaw rushed for 1235 yards and 8 touchdowns on 276 carries last year, his first year after taking the lead back job from Jacobs. He also caught 47 passes for 314 yards. He was rewarded this offseason with a 4 year deal, but he’s injury prone and fumble prone. His 7 fumbles in 2010 were a huge part of the reason why the Giants led the league in turnovers. We could see some of 3^rd string running back Da’Rel Scott, a rookie 7^th rounder, this year.

Another reason why this running game is no longer feared is the sudden decline of Madison Hedgecock, one of the best fullbacks in the league a few years ago. Hedgecock was benched for Bear Pascoe last season, who didn’t do much better. Pascoe was replaced by undrafted free agent Henry Hynoski this offseason. Without an elite running game to supplement him, it’s very possible that Eli Manning has another season where he turns the ball over a lot. He’ll throw for a bunch of yards and a bunch of touchdowns given this receiving corps, but he will hurt you with the turnovers. He’ll also be hurt by the loss of Kevin Boss and Steve Smith, as well as what should be a weaker offensive front.

The Giants have always been known for their pass rush and after a bad year rushing the passer in 2009, they bounced back with 46 sacks in 2010. Unfortunately, top pass rusher Osi Umenyiora, who had 11.5 sacks in 2010, is not happy and wants out or a new deal. He has shut up, for now, but this is not the first time Umenyiora has expressed dissatisfaction with his team and his contract.

Umenyiora will start opposite Justin Tuck, who also had 11.5 sacks last year. 2010 1^st round pick Jason Pierre Paul should play a little bit more this season, but there’s not a lot of playing time to go around unless something happens to Umenyiora or Tuck. Meanwhile, inside on their defensive line, the Giants will feel the loss of Barry Cofield, a stud run stuffer who offered some pass rush. He signed with the Redskins in free agency.

2010 2^nd round pick Linval Joseph will step into the lineup for Cofield. They also have 2011 2^nd round pick Marvin Austin in the mix. He could see playing time this year because their other starter at defensive tackle, Chris Canty, has disappointed with a mere 2 sacks in 2 seasons since signing a giant contract with the Giants.

Former defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka is reportedly fully recovered from what seemed like a potential career ending neck injury, which he suffered last year. They brought him back on a two year deal and will have him play strong side linebacker this year, a position he has some experience at. He will be an upgrade over Clint Sintim, the 2009 2^nd round pick who was penciled into the starting lineup before Kiwanuka resigned.

On the weakside, Michael Boley is a decent player, as is Jonathan Goff inside. The Giants spent a 6^th round pick on Greg Jones, which I felt was a steal. He could see a lot of action as a rookie if anything happens to Kiwanuka. He could also beat out Boley or Goff. Don’t be surprised if that happens at some point this season.

The safety position was a huge position of need for the Giants following the 2009 season. The Giants responded by drafting Chad Jones and signing Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant. They also got Kenny Phillips back from injury. However, safety was still a weakness for this team last year. Chad Jones got badly hurt in a car accident and is still nowhere near ready to return. Deon Grant sucked and didn’t play much down the stretch, but Antrel Rolle was even worse.

Rolle had the 7^th worst quarterback rating against of any safety in the league. He will continue to start this year, opposite Kenny Phillips who had a nice bounce back year in 2010. It’s possible rookie Tyler Sash, a 6^th round pick, could be the starter over Rolle at some point this season, if Rolle has another terrible year. He could, however, just as easily bounce back to his pre-2010 form when he was at least a decent safety.

At cornerback, the Giants have good depth, but lack a true #1. Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas are the starters and Aaron Ross provides good depth as a nickel cornerback. However, they were hoping Prince Amukamara could have an impact at the position this season and possibly even become that #1 cornerback. He is out indefinitely with a foot injury. On top of that, Aaron Ross is injury prone and they don’t have great depth behind him at the position.

The Giants could start off strong once again, as they always do. In their first 7, Philadelphia represents the biggest challenge and their only other two challenging games are against St. Louis and Arizona. However, they could finish rough once again. In fact, it seems like the schedulers set them up for another 2^nd half collapse. From week 9 on, they have to play New England, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Green Bay, Dallas, the Jets, and then Dallas again. Philadelphia is definitely better than them and I think Dallas is better than them once again. They will really miss the players they lost in free agency and I think they finish in 3^rd.

Quarterback: B

Running backs: B

Receiving corps: B

Offensive line: B-

Run defense: C+

Pass rush: A-

Pass coverage: C

Coaching: C

Projection: 7-9 3^rd in NFC East

Free Agency Priorities

Running Back