Power Rankings: All Hope May Be Lost for Giants
Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Week after week and loss after loss there was always some form of an excuse being made for the Giants. Whether it was fluke turnovers, injuries, or just facing better teams.
The public still would believe that the Giants could turn it around at any moment and mostly because they have Eli Manning as their quarterback.
Unfortunately, following their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday, no excuses can be made, this one was on Eli.
The moment the Giants were able to come back and take the lead and things started to look up, Manning promptly threw interceptions on their following three possessions and the game was effectively over.
This very well may be the Giants this season. A injury-plagued, mistake-prone losing team.
They play a prime time game Thursday on the road against the Chicago Bears. This is a game the Giants have no business winning. In the past I would feel this was a game they could steal.
I just don’t feel that way anymore. The Bears defense loves feasting on turnovers and the Bears offense averages just under 30 points a game.
A win in Chicago would be the surprise of surprises but their is little from what the Giants have shown this season to believe it can happen.
ESPN.com rank: 31 (30)
The analysts over at ESPN are echoing my thoughts on this past loss being on the shoulders of Eli Manning. Manning has always had excellent success throwing the ball down field to his receivers.
This past Sunday, his 18.8 % completion percentage of throws over 15 yards was the worst of any quarterback since 2008.
For whatever reason the voters flipped the Giants in the rankings with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were on a bye. It doesn’t matter much at this point, but it is worth noting that this is the lowest ranking of the three sites.
What were they thinking: What do the Cleveland Browns have to do to start earning a bit more respect. Winners of three in a row, they did move up in the rankings four spots.
The curious fact is that the team that ranks right before them moved up three spots this week. The difference is that team lost this past Sunday. That team is the Dallas Cowboys.
Yes I know they almost beat the unbeatable Denver Broncos, but the fact of the matter is a loss is a loss in the NFL and they all hurt. The Cowboys sit at 2-3, while the Browns are 3-2. Give the Browns some love while they are earning it. It won’t be long before that trend changes.
Foxsports.com: 30 (28)
Coach Billick moved the Giants down two spots which is probably where they belong now. The win-less Pittsburgh Steelers who were on a bye this past week moved a spot ahead of the Giants.
Billick dug right into the source of the Giants problems. He points out that the Giants have one less turnover already this season than the Giants had all of last season.
That is an unbelievably scary statistic and coupled with the Giants horrendous defense is the reason for this 0-5 start. You’d like to think that number can’t possibly sustain all season but there is no sign from the team that it won’t.
What were they thinking: There were a few questionable decisions in Billick’s list this week. But a couple of rankings near the bottom of the list had me scratching my head.
Both the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins were on a bye last week and both of those teams moved up not one but two spots in the rankings. That is a great bye week.
Both of those teams moved ahead of a team that won a game by double digits this week. Yes, the St. Louis Rams beat the unbearable Jacksonville Jaguars, but it is still a win in the NFL and the Rams now have two of them. Which is more than both the Vikings and the Redskins.
The Rams dropped three spots following a win. I can only imagine what would have happened had they loss.
CBSSPORTS.com rank: 30 (30)
Pete Prisco holds firm on his ranking of the Giants this week. However, in his analysis he poses a question that I have wondered as well.
At what point can the finger begin to point towards GM Jerry Reese? Reese has been fantastic at moments for the Giants and drafted what seemed like big hits. However, the shine is slowly coming of those diamonds.
Reese signed offensive lineman Warren Beatty to a big contract this offseason and he has not lived up to it this season. Reese also is the one who continues to ignore the linebacker position, which has been a problem for years.
I like Reese but he is only a couple of misses away from looking for a new job. You only get some many mistakes in New York.
What were they thinking: Prisco’s list is pretty spot on for the most part but I question his placement of a couple of 3-2 teams still ranking to low. Both the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns are surprising people and winning games.
They both feature very sound defenses and rely on not making major mistakes on offense. Meanwhile the Atlanta Falcons are 1-4 and have not looked good this season.
Having them sit at 21 and not towards the back-end with some of the other disappointing teams this season like the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers