The Giants continue their downward spiral after their worst loss this season. The Saints handled them easily on Monday night, and with the Packers coming to town this weekend, most experts see little hope for the Giants, and Tom Coughlin. National Football Post has dropped them five spots to number 16, and blame their defense for the outcome. The offense could have been better, but the defense lost this one for the team, no question.
The Giants Across the Board
"The Giants couldn’t cover any of Saints receiver on Monday night and the pass rush didn’t help them at all. This is a team that is built to pressure the quarterback, and didn’t sack Drew Brees even once. On offense, the Giants need to find a running game to complement Manning and the passing game. Brandon Jacobs doesn’t have the skill set to be the feature running back in this offense. They need Ahmad Bradshaw back in a hurry."
I like to think that having AB44 back would make a big difference for the offense, but I have very little faith in that offensive line and their ability to make lanes for any runner. True, they are good at protecting Eli, but that’s not going to be enough down the stretch.
"They were terrible against the Saints on Monday night and now have a short week to turn it around against Green Bay. The way that secondary played against Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers probably can’t wait."
Really, what quarterback would not want to face the Giants right now? Rodgers is having an incredible season, I hate to think about the numbers he could put up this weekend.
"This team is not that far away from being a really good team, but there are things that hold them back like their inconsistency and their inability to win late season games. They have a franchise (dare I say Elite) quarterback, talented WR, a great pass rush, and a lot of talent in the secondary (Amukamara, Rolle, Webster, Thomas, Phillips, Ross are all 1st or second round picks). What is the missing ingredient? Offensive line this year. Coaching? I’m not sure, they need to figure it out though."
It’s always the little things that separate the good from the great. Unfortunately there are a lot of little things that need to be fixed here. The worst part is not all of it is fixable, because there have been just too many injuries suffered by this team, and it feels never-ending.
"Bill Cowher’s plans are about to change."
This won’t be the last time we hear Bill Cowher talk this season. Similar to every time a starting quarterback is hurt and the media looks to Bret Favre, Cowher is often the first thought when a coach lands in the hot seat. With the Giants headed to a potential fourth consecutive second half collapse, it’s tough to say whether Coughlin will keep his job, or even deserve to keep leading this team.
Some more relevant rankings via National Football Post:
Green Bay Packers: 1 (11-0, week 13)
While the Giants regress each week, the Packers get better. Facing them on a short week just adds to the feeling of impending doom in New York. Everyone will be looking to Rodgers to have a record-breaking game. It will be up to the Giants defense to step up in a way they haven’t yet this season to keep this game within reach.
Dallas Cowboys: 7 (7-4, week 14)
The NFC East is officially the Cowboys’ division to lose. Their favorable schedule is really helping them out at the right time, with a trip to Arizona up this Sunday before facing the Giants at home. Romo is always a big winner in November, but they face the Giants on a Sunday night in December, and the national spotlight late in the season is not his strong suit. A win here for the Giants would make a huge difference in their season.
Washington Redskins: 23 (4-7, week 15)
That was a surprising win for the Redskins against the Seahawks in Seattle. Rex Grossman is one of the more inconsistent quarterbacks in the league, so you never know what you are going to get when he steps out on the field.
New York Jets: 15 (6-5, week 16)
Ditto for Mark Sanchez. The big difference here, however, is the Jets are a much better team than the ‘Skins, so Sanchez’s mistakes are killing a team that should be a shoe-in for the playoffs. The Giants should want to win this one because it’s against their stadium-mates, who are facing each other for the first time in a meaningful game since Metlife Stadium opened. Bragging rights still mean something, especially in New York.