2010 Pro Football Predictions: New York Giants
The New York Giants started the 2009 season strong,beginning out of the gate 5-0, but they couldn’t sustain their early season form. They won only three games the rest of the season to take third in the NFC East. The season was a major letdown after winning 12 games and the NFC East title in 2008. The offense did its part, putting up 25.1 points per game (8th NFL), but a defense that allowed 26.7 points per contest (30th NFL) severely disappointed. The Giants have to play much better defense in 2010 if they plan to challenge for an NFC East title.
Offense: Led by Eli Manning, the Giants put a pretty impressive offensive unit on the field in 2009. Manning passed for 4,021 yards and 27 touchdowns, helping the Giants boast one of the best passing attacks in the NFC.
Pro Bowler Steve Smith combined with Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham to form a very good receiving unit. The trio combined for 211 catches, 2,832 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Giants also got very good production from tight end Kevin Boss, and Travis Beckum figures to play a more important role this year.
New York became more of a pass-first team last season, but head coach Tom Coughlin prefers to set up the pass with the run, just as he did when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII. Now as long as Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw can stay healthy, the Giants can get back to running the football behind one of the better offensive lines in the league.
Defense: After the defense allowed 40 or more points in five games last season, it was time for Bill Sheridan to move on. The organization is very excited about new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and his very aggresive scheme. With Fewell making the defensive plays, we should see the Giants pass rush come back to life.
It was New York’s ferocious pass rush that did Brady and the Patriots in on Super Bowl Sunday a few years ago. That season, the Giants combined an impressive 53 sacks. They got after the QB again in 2008 with 42 sacks. But last year, New York only marked 32 quarterback sacks. Fewell is going to do all he can to have the Giants living in the backfield again. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck will both be looking for bounce back campaigns, and they’ll be helped by first round draft pick Jason Pierre-Paul.
If the pass rush returns, the pass defense should be very solid now that safety Antrel Rolle joins a good defensive backfield.
Prediction: 2nd NFC East – The Dallas Cowboys appear to be ahead of the Giants as the 2010 season gets closer, but New York has enough pieces to be right in the mix for an NFC East crown come December. I ultimately have the Giants coming up just short, but this is a team with the potential to do some damage as a Wild Card, just like they did when they won the Super Bowl three years ago.
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