It has been 10 seasons since Eli Manning was traded from the San Diego Chargers to the New York Giants on draft day, changing the face of one of the NFL’s most illustrious franchises. Ten league years have passed since Tom Coughlin took over for Jim Fassel. It has been five seasons since the Giants beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, yet business is as usual in the big apple. Eli and company enter camp with the potential to be one of the most prolific offenses in the league. Coughlin returns at the helm of the G-Men bringing with him the formula that brought two Lombardi Trophies to New York in the past decade. It is not all good news in the city that never sleeps, as major questions surround the Giants’ offensive line, and across the defense. Can Eli and the Giants’ return to the promised-land? Or will they suffer a late season meltdown comparable to their 2008, 2009, and 2010 campaigns?
Peyton’s little brother has never truly been able to outshine his older sibling, despite owning one more championship ring than Archie’s favorite son. Just a season ago, Eli Manning recorded 3,948 yards passing with only 26 touchdowns matched by 15 interceptions; good enough for a 10th place finish amongst quarterbacks statistically with a total quarterback rating of 67.4. The youngest Manning brother may not be flashy, but Eli does posess the tools of a quality game manager. With two Super Bowls under his belt, Manning has the characteristics of a winner, but cannot do it alone. Luckily, he will have some help in 2013.
Eli Manning’s crusade for a third ring cannot begin without the help of his wide receivers. Perhaps the most talented position groups on the team, the wide outs are primed for a big season. Victor Cruz inked a six-year deal worth up to $45.879 million making him one of the highest paid receiver s in football. Cruz’s counterpart Hakeem Nicks is also in a contract year, and is unlikely to draw a similar contract to Cruz due to his age and injury history. Regardless, the duo will be on the field together in 2013 ready to dominate opposing secondaries across the NFL. Complementing the Giants’ dynamic duo will be youngster Rueben Randle a third year man from LSU. Randle could thrive as a slot receiver, and barring injury, the Giants’ offense could be one of football’s best in the upcoming year. Yet another weapon at Manning’s disposal is former Oakland Raider’s tight end Brandon Myers . Myers is an excellent vertical threat, who fell under the radar due to his tenure in Oakland. Now on the big stage, Myers should be the x-factor insuring the success of the Giants’ passing game in 2013.
One cannot think of the New York Giants without thinking of a power run game. The upcoming season should be new different as the Giants have a two headed rushing attack with potential for destruction. Drawing comparisons to the great pairing of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs , the new men in blue could be on to something. Sophomore running back David Wilson will take the lead rushing slot, and will be complemented by power runner, Andre Brown . Brown’s bullish style adds another dimension to the Giants’ rushing attack as Wilson is more of a finesse runner. Where Wilson will feature heavily into passing situations due to his tremendous speed and pass catching ability, Brown will handle the short yardage and goal-line instances. The tandem of Wilson and Brown has the predisposition to add another dimension to an already talented offense, which would make the Giants a serious contender, if not for the questions surrounding their offensive line.
Perpetrating thoughts of a well-rounded and dynamic offense in the big apple this season is the threat of an underperforming offensive line. The Giants addressed this problem in the draft acquiring Justin Pugh with the 19th overall selection. While Pugh is not expected to start from day one, the former Syracuse Orangeman will provide needed depth, and challenge veteran David Diehl for his starting spot at right tackle in the near future. Next to Diehl will be another veteran Chris Snee , who is expected to be ready for the season opener after having offseason surgery. Center David Baas is also recovering from an offseason procedure, though he too should be ready come opening kickoff. Rounding out the line will be left tackle Will Beatty and left guard Kevin Boothe . While this line is not lacking in experience, the durability of its’ five members remains in question. Pugh was drafted for his versatility, and could fill in should injury strike. James Brewer is in a similar role, but can only play tackle whereas Pugh could play both tackle and guard. Depth is of no question for the Giants, but there is no game changing talent along the line. The Giants are lacking they type of blocker than can changes games, think of Denver’s Ryan Clady or Philadelphia’s Jason Peters . Diehl and Beatty are just too old, and too slow to have the kind of impact their counterparts can have on a game. The Giants may even be better off with the young athletic Pugh in their lineup, but for now, fans will have to play the waiting game.
The Giants’ defensive line is a far cry from unit that won the team a Super Bowl in 2007. Osi Umenyiora bolted for Atlanta leaving Justin Tuck , and Jason Pierre-Paul as the only dominant edge rushers left on the roster. Spelling this talented duo will be Mathias Kiwanuka who is returning to defensive end after trying his luck as an outside linebacker. While the edge rushers look to be in place for a contending season, the defensive tackles need serious overhaul if Los Gigantes expect to compete at a high level. Cullen Jenkins and Linval Joseph will hold down the interior of the defensive line for New York this year, though for how long? Jenkins was released by Philadelphia after underperforming in his tenure there. Joseph is a four year veteran of the Giants, and has recorded six sacks and 67 solo tackles in his two years as a starter. Coach Coughlin expects a stingy run defense in 2013, though that may be out of the question because of a lack of talent at defensive tackle. Should Jenkins or Joseph struggle, the Giants also have veteran Shaun Rogers to step in if needed. Run stopping was an issue a season ago, as the Giants finished just 25th in the league giving up over 129 yards per game. Things didn’t get any better regarding pass defense; New York gave up 254.3 yards per game through the air, resulting in a pedestrian ranking of 28th. The Giants must get better pressure from the core of their defense if they hope to contend in 2013. If Pierre-Paul, Tuck, Jenkins, and Lival cannot pressure opposing quarterbacks and stop the run, the Giants’ defense will be nothing more than a wet paper towel trying to stop a bowling ball.
New York failed to put an effective defense on the field in 2012, and those problems may continue to haunt the men in blue this year. The line-backing position has been one of need for the Giants for year, but the team has yet to find a solution. The linebackers are in open competition heading into camp, which is not a great sign for a team hoping to contend. Third year outside linebacker Jacquian Williams expects to start for the Giants, but has yet to prove that he is anything more than a sixth round pick showing occasional flashes of greatness. Williams has been competing for time with former Jaguars linebacker Aaron Curry . Curry would add veteran leadership and excellent pass rush, but the aging Curry may not be able to handle a 3-down set in which he would be forced into coverage. Other alternatives at outside linebacker include Spencer Paysinger , and Keith Rivers . Paysinger is a more athletic backer with good coverage ability, where Rivers is more of the total package. With weeks of training camp left it is still quite early to make a prediction, though for my money, Rivers and Williams should be the outside linebackers with Curry and Paysinger used in their designed roles. The largest positional battle at training camp will be at middle linebacker where Dan Connor will battle Mark Herzlich for the starting duties. Herzlich appears to be the favorite at this point due to his poise regarding defensive schemes, and on-field awareness. The main parameter for this competition will be run stopping ability due to the fact that the middle linebacker may only be a two-down player within the Giants’ scheme. If New York can’t overcome a lack of experience and run stopping ability in its’ linebackng corps, expect another sub-par season in the big apple.
For a unit that ranked just 28th against the pass a season ago, the Giants’ secondary is ripe with talent. Former first round selection Prince Amukamara enters his third season ready to take his game to the next level. Corey Webster should return to start across from Amukamara after a sub-par 2012. Other than linebacker, cornerback is the largest area of need for the boys in blue. Aaron Ross is expected to win the nickel corner role, and will be occasionally spelled by Jayron Hosley . Ross and Hosley will be expected to provide depth to a shaky secondary, and fill in on long-distance passing downs. While this unit is not lacking in depth, there is no definitive shut-down corner, which could be New York’s downfall.
Seemingly the lone bright spot in the secondary, the Giants’ safeties appear locked and loaded heading into 2013. Stevie Brown had an incredible breakout year in 2012 when he recorded eight interceptions, with two fumbles recovered. Brown’s play was a huge surprise from one of the worst units in the league, and he should continue to thrive in a unit lacking premier talent. Across from Brown at free safety will be consistent veteran Antrel Rolle . Rolle has recorded 96 total tackles in each of the past three seasons, and is a force to be reckoned with due to his physical play. Many free safeties shy away from the defensive line; this is not the case with Rolle who has forced at least three turnovers in his last two seasons as a Giant. If New York hopes to succeed, they will need strong play from both safeties due to their lack of pass rush. The tandem of Rolle and Brown was excellent in 2012 and will look to continue their success despite their team’s floundering.
The 2013 New York Giants are a team in transition, not a team with a promising destination. While the offense is teeming with weapons for Eli Manning to utilize, questions on the offensive line may limit this probably Hakeem-less dream team. Seriously, Nicks has yet to play a full 16 game slate in his five years with the team, why expect him to do so in what will probably be his last dance in the city that never sleeps? While the Giants could probably circumvent their issues on offense, the glaring holes at defensive tackle, linebacker, and corner, are more than any team can hope to make up for. Expect solid safety play, and a good edge rush from the boys in blue, but the formidable championship defense we all expect from the Giants is a thing of the past. Unless New York hopes to win every game in a shoot-out, temper your expectations for the 2013 Giants.