Great Deals Buy NFL Tickets from GreatSeats.com, the web's best source for Giants tickets. |
The NFC East is probably the most intriguing division in the NFL this year, as it is in many years. The Giants are a team that really has yet to find its identity since their infamous Super Bowl win over the previously undefeated Patriots.
Eli Manning is still at the helm of an offense that has no real standout. The running game still includes the rough and tough duo of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. The passing game is suspect at best. Their depth chart is full of receivers with raw talents such as Mario Manningham, Hakim Nicks, Steve Smith, and Sinorice Moss. There isn’t a clear cut number one, and there hasn’t been ever since Plaxico Burress shot himself.
Their defense fell flat on its face last year, allowing the third most points per game. They were in the middle of the pack in every other defensive category. There defense is what set them back last year. Their offense struggles to produce while the defense is constantly getting scored on. There is no chance to catch up. Although some credit is due because of the fact that this team was fighting through injuries throughout the season.
The Giants are headed for a rough year in the NFC East, as if they haven’t had those in the past. With the resurgence of the Redskins, I think the Giants finish last in the division, although they will go 8-8 for the second consecutive year.
By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network
In the next few weeks leading up to the beginning of the 2010 NFL season, I will be making predictions for every division in both conferences. I am starting off with the always tough NFC East, where every team in the division has a chance to be over .500. I am starting off with who will finish last in the division and work my way up to the division winner.
2. New York Giants: After a disappointing season last year that was riddled with injuries, the Giants are looking to bounce back to a playoff team once again. After winning their first five games in 2009, the Giants looked to be one of the best teams in football. Then they went on to lose four games in a row going into their bye week. The biggest disappointment, other than all of the injuries was Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs is the strongest running back in the NFL right now and he used to plow through lineman like they were nothing. Last year Jacobs almost looked timid running the ball. Jacobs never got his legs under him and he would be easily stopped after what seemed to be two yard gains every time he ran. This year Ahmad Bradshaw is the premier back. Bradshaw is the complete opposite from Jacobs. Bradshaw avoids contact and slinks around the defense like he’s covered in baby oil. The Giants didn’t make many changes this season. They are hoping that everyone stays healthy this season and they all do they should make a wild card berth. Eli Manning is now considered one of the better quarterbacks in the league and with a young wide receiver corp. that can stretch the field, Manning will be passing like crazy once again this season. The Giants are no longer a run oriented team like they have been known to be over the last 15 years. Unless Jacobs returns to his former self, I do not see Bradshaw being too successful as the premier back. The key to the Giants success will be to stay healthy because they have all the pieces to be a pretty good team this season. I see the Giants going 10-6.
Click here to read the full article – By Eric Heyer of Sports Fan Blog Network
The Giants biggest question mark going into last season was the play of their wide receivers. That question was answered in a big way, as there probably is no other position with as much talent and youth as the wide receiver position.
The Giants looked to address the position in the draft, nabbing Hakeem Nicks in the first, and Ramses Barden in the third round. It appears now they were playing with house money as they already had plenty of talented receivers on the team with pro bowler Steve Smith, second year player Mario Manningham, Domenik Hixon, and Derek Hagan. With those players alone the Giants had four solid receivers to trot out each week.
Hixon got hurt early this season and has been placed on the IR. Besides him all the receivers look healthy and look to improve on very good seasons.
Hakeem Nicks was hurt to start the season, but came on strong near the end eventually landing a starting spot. He is not extremely fast or tall, but he is a football player. He is extremely tough and has strong hands, catching a ton of passes in traffic. He runs good routes and is surprisingly fast in open space. He also is a good blocker in the running game. This season he looks to take the next step and move to the Giants number one receiver.
Ramses Barden is the lone tall receiver, and was drafted in an attempt to replace Plaxico Burress in the red zone. He had a great training camp, but could not play on special teams, costing himself the opportunity to dress on Sundays. He has polished his game in the offseason, an important thing for a player that did not come from a top college program. If he continues to show improvement in training camp, he should find himself with more playing time and plenty of touchdown catches in the red zone.
Steve Smith was one of the few Giants wide receivers to make a pro bowl, and deservedly so. He set a single season receptions record with 107 receptions, coming through countless times with clutch receptions. He is best compared to Wes Welker of the Patriots. He is not going to beat you deep consistently, but he has great hands and runs terrific routes so you can always count on him when you need a completion.
Mario Manningham was a prolific receiver for Michigan and after having a quiet first year for the Giants, broke out early last year. He made a lot of rookie mistakes, but he showed why he can develop into a top threat in the league. He has great speed and quickness and knows how to get open deep. If he can work on the little things and consistency he should take the next step and could emerge as a top target.
Finally Derek Hagan rounds out the group. He is the oldest member and a reliable receiver. He is not flashy but gets the job done and for a 4th/5th receiver is more than adequate.
The players I have left out on the roster (Sinorice Moss to name one) are players I don’t expect much out of. In fact if Hixon was healthy, I would be certain they all would be cut before the season started.
For the receivers I did profile you can see the Giants have tons of talent. They have three young receivers that showed the talent of number one receivers, not to mention a fourth that has yet to get the opportunity to showcase his talents. If Eli continues his great play, this should be a top passing attack in the NFL.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Finally some Giants news! Before the start of training camp the Giants have looked to address their need at middle linebacker by signing veteran free agent Keith Bulluck to a 1-year deal worth up to 2.5 million dollars. The signing fills the last major hole on the Giants defense, and if Perry Fewell can get these guys in order the Giants should have a dominant defense.
First off, I love the move. The biggest hole on the team was filled by a more than capable player and a possible team leader. Bulluck has been a big part of the Titans defense, a defense that has been one of the best, for years. He had a solid season last year, but missed the last few weeks with an injury. It was the first major one of his career and the Titans used it as an opportunity to cut ties with the veteran.
He and the team believes he has recovered nicely from surgery, and if he can perform as well as he did before the injury last season, he will be the steal of the offseason. Bulluck finished the season with 108 tackles and 3 interceptions in fourteen games played. For 2.5 million and only a year long commitment, Jerry Reese has shown why he is considered one of the best GMs in football.
The only other way I look at this is the Giants must have been very unimpressed with their young players. Bulluck is a good player, but Reese is a guy that likes to go young if he could. If the Giants believed either Goff, or rookie Phillip Dillard could handle the position he would not have made the signing.
This move is more of a detriment to Goff who has played enough time to compete for a spot if he showed the talent. Dillard, on the other hand, is a rookie and with Bulluck only blocking him for a year, should get a shot next offseason. Granted he’ll probably have to show something this season, or the Giants will have to look to find someone in free agency or the draft to avoid the same questions they had this offseason.
So for now, the Giants have made another step to improve their defense and have it return to one of the top units in the league. Sure it’s a one year deal, but for now they have an established guy manning the middle, and we’ll worry about next season…well next season.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
The Giants go into the season with one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Eli had a career year last year and will look to build upon that production this season.
Eli led an offense that lost its identity last year. A team that likes to run the ball down its opponents throat, failed to establish that smash-mouth style and went to the air more often than not.
Eli played his part nicely, stepping up and having some huge games. Even without the support of a solid running game the Giants could have made the playoffs had their defense resembled anything besides a revolving door.
Eli became the leader of the offense, helping young receivers Manningham, Nicks, and Smith take the next steps in their career, and there is no reason to think that the Giants passing game can’t evolve into one of the top units in the league.
Saying all of that, the Giants are not in a good position should anything happen to Eli. They allowed David Carr to leave in free agency and plan to replace him with last years 5th round draft pick Rhett Bomar and former Colts backup Jim Sorgi.
Anyone who believes those guys can lead the Giants to any wins is completely alone. While I don’t blame the Giants for letting Carr go, it is never smart to go into a season without a good plan b. We saw what happened last season when the Giants failed to get depth at safety.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Adding to the incredible depth the Giants display at defensive end is a ton of talent stock piled on the interior. All in all it should make a pretty complete and deep defensive line for the Giants this season.
At defensive tackle the Giants have second-round draft pick Linval Joseph, Barry Cofield, Jay Alford, Chris Canty, and Rocky Bernard. Just like with the defensive ends, these players could easily be starters on other teams.
Rocky Bernard was one of the three free agents the Giants brought in last season that disappointed them. Like the other two he had his share of injury problems and should look to bounce back this season. It is possible what the Giants got from him last year is what they will get in the future, but Bernard has played far better in each of his other seasons he has been in the league.
Canty was the second of the three picked up last season, and suffered from injury more than either Bernard or Boley did. In fact there were reports that his injury was season ending in training camp. He fought through it and eventually made his way onto the field when the team desperately needed him. While he did not make much of an impact he was not terrible, and with his second year in a 4-3 defense and a healthy start in training camp Canty should be able to improve his play.
Barry Cofield has been the teams top defensive tackle for a couple seasons now, but had a rough start to the season last year. He was coming back from off-season surgery on his knees and claims that had a big part to his slow start. He did pick up his play as the season progressed and has big motivation to take his play to the next level this season. In the off-season the Giants did not talk long-term with Cofield and when the Saints tried to trade for him, they low balled him with the contract offer. Cofield believes he is worth more and if he wants a larger contract he will have to earn it on the field.
Jay Alford is a penetrating defensive tackle that is probably the best pass rusher of the tackles. He showed promise in the preseason last year but got injured before the season started. If he comes back without delay from the injury he should be able to make an impact this season and show why so many people were talking about him early last year.
Finally Linval Joseph is an exciting player. He is a big body that can clog things up allowing the other line-men to get favorable blocks. He should be great against the run and prove to be a steal in the second-round. In mini-camps he outplayed first-round pick Pierre-Paul who has worlds of talent. The team speaks highly of his play and his attitude and could find himself in the starting line-up when the season starts.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
For quite some time now the linebacker position has been the weakest on the field for the Giants. They have had countless players try to fill in throughout the years from Barret Green to Nick Greisen. While I won’t say the unit the Giants are planning to trot onto the field are going to change that, I believe there is reason to believe they will be an improvement over last season.
First there is Michael Boley. Last season he was a free agent pick-up from the Atlanta Falcons and failed to impress. What people forget, though, is that Boley had surgery and missed training camp and the preseason. When he managed to make it onto the field he played great.
He had the making of the next great Giants linebacker. He had the speed to cover the running back and tight end down the field, yet still had the strength to run up and put on a great tackle.
After only a few starts, Boley was injured again and only returned when the Giants defense was in shambles and in desperate need of help. When Boley returned he did not perform as well.
His play the latter half of the year is all people remember and that is unfortunate. If Boley can stay healthy I have no doubt he will have a standout season.
On the strong side, Clint Sintim is favored to win the job. He was a starting outside linebacker playing in the 3-4 for Virginia in college. He fell to the Giants in the second-round of the draft after reports that they were contemplating taking him in the first-round.
After the draft the Giants talked up his long arms and his ability to pass rush, much like they did when they attempted to convert Kiwanuka to linebacker a few years ago.
Sintim failed to make a big impact in his rookie season, having trouble getting on the field. While he had played outside linebacker in college, switching to a 4-3 was still an adjustment for him, and hopefully the year of learning helped out.
This season Sintim is set up to win the starting spot, and if he can play up to his talent level he should really take off.
Finally there is the middle linebacker position. This is the biggest question on the team. Antonio Pierce has long held the position, and while there are potential candidates to replace him, no one has separated himself from the pack.
The candidates are Jonathan Goff, Gerris Wilkinson, and fourth-round pick Phillip Dillard. Goff started last season after Pierce got hurt, and Wilkinson has shown flashes but an inability to stay healthy, but it is rookie Phillip Dillard that seems to have the inside track.
Despite only being a rookie, the coaching staff has talked very highly of him, and has tried to get him reps with the first-string unit during mini-camps. He has a high football IQ and can tackle. He also has enough quickness to make an impact in coverage down the field. If he can learn the defense he has a chance to win the job and have a solid year.
Rookies have recently had a fair amount of success at the linebacker position and Dillard has a chance to join them. He will have a top defensive line in front of him like he did at Nebraska so hopefully the transition is not too hard.
The unit is not spectacular and will probably still be the weakest unit on the field, but there is talent there. If everything comes together the Giants can have a solid core of linebackers, something they haven’t really had for some time.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Outside of the safeties, the Giants also boast top-notch cornerbacks. They have three corners in Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and Terrell Thomas who have the ability to be Pro Bowl starters.
Under Steve Spagnuolo, Corey Webster took off and became a shut-down corner for the Giants. Often maligned earlier in his career the aggressive press defense Spagnuolo ran allowed Webster to be more physical with the receiver, and play more man-to-man situations playing to his strengths. He took off in the playoffs in 2007 all the way to their SuperBowl victory. Since that point he has not looked back becoming the top corner the Giants have been looking for.
Before the 2007 season the Giants drafted Aaron Ross with their first round pick. His insertion into the line-up directly coincided with the Giants turnaround that season when they were able to stage a huge comeback against the Redskins to avoid an 0-3 hole. The season ended with a SuperBowl victory and Aaron Ross solidifying himself as a rising star. 2008 was another good season as Ross alongside the surging Webster helped lead the Giants to a 12-4 season and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately for Ross and Giants fans, Ross had hamstring issues in training camp that never worked itself out in 2009. Ross managed to make it into the starting line-up only a few times and, due to problems at safety, was forced to play out of position. This season Ross is healthy and hopes to return to the form he showed fans in his first two seasons.
Terrell Thomas was a second round pick for the Giants following their SuperBowl victory. Like Webster and Ross, his big strength is his arms and ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. He had minimal impact his rookie year as Ross and Webster handled the starting spots and Kenny Phillips, the first round pick that year, was awarded the snaps in the nickel package. Last season, however, in his second year Thomas broke into the starting line-up due to Ross’ injury. Thomas took advantage of the opportunity having the best season of any Giant defensive back and leading the team with four interceptions. He had such a good season that coaches refused to give the starting job back to Ross this year, insisting the two will have to fight it out in training camp.
These three corners have all had Pro Bowl type seasons at one time or another and are all still relatively young. If they can stay healthy they will have a great competition in training camp, and more importantly will provide the Giants with amazing depth and talent at the position.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Last season the Giants got scorched by the big play, and it lead to one of the worst defensive performances the Giants have had in their history. With the departure of James Butler and the season ending injury to Kenny Phillips the Giants were left with Michael Johnson and journeyman C.C. Brown, two men who obviously were not ready for the job. In the off-season upgrading the safety position became a top priority, and the Giants responded by bringing in the best safety free agent Antrel Rolle and veteran depth with Deon Grant. If all goes according to plan the Giants could have one of, if not the best secondary in the NFL.
Last season Antrel Rolle made the switch from cornerback to safety for the Cardinals and responded with his first Pro Bowl appearance. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, because of some contractual issues they released Rolle and the Giants were able to swoop in and pick him up before the Cardinals were able to re-sign him. If Phillips can return healthy, and in the form he showed at the start of last season, the Giants could have the best safety tandem in the league. Both players cover a lot of ground and are true ball-hawks. Not to mention their ability to come up and support the run, as sometimes I feel Phillips is a better tackler than most linebackers are.
Seated behind these two is veteran safety Deon Grant, best known for his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A few years ago he hit free agency and the Giants failed to sign him, with Grant signing with the Seattle Seahawks instead. Grant is not the player he once was and is getting up there in years, but has more left in the tank than people give him credit for. He had a down year in Seattle but a lot of his problems came from an inexperienced secondary and a horrid pass-rush. With Rolle and Phillips slated to start, Grant should be able to go out and make plays in nickel and dime packages.
With these three players, last year’s starter Michael Johnson gets pushed down to the bench and fourth on the depth chart. He should see some time in a rotation on dime packages, and also provides pretty good depth for a fourth man. Remember, Johnson played a lot better under Spagnuolo and with Butler by his side. Perhaps he can pick up his play with newly signed defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and the veterans in front of him.
After Last seasons performance the Giants have made sure the safety position will not be a liability. Teamed with the corners the Giants already have the secondary should be a big strength going into the season.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
|
|
Sports Fan Blog Network Sponsors
|
