New York Giants: early signs indicate a rough year
It is only preseason so there really isn’t a lot to freak out about at the moment. The New York Giants didn’t look good in their first preseason performance though. And when injuries are mounting up and the Giants are coming off a 6-10 season, there is obvious reason for concern in our Big Blue Nation.
Related: Takeaways from the Giants Pre-Season loss to the Bengals
It is hard to give the Giants the benefit of the doubt. They trampled all over that winning just 13 games in the past two seasons. The Giants fans are getting restless. They cannot wait for their team to rise up into the upper echelon once again. Football fans are about as passionate a group of people as you will find in this world. Giants fans live for their team. When the Giants are struggling it is rough.
The Giants problems did not just magically fly away. The offensive line is still a major area of concern. The defense is still a major area of concern. The running game is still a major area of concern. The Giants did a lot this offseason, yet they couldn’t fix everything going into the season.
The Giants offensive line is potentially more problematic this season than it was last year. Without Will Beatty in the fold, a rookie (although it is an impressive rookie) has to start at left tackle. The Giants could very well start Marshall Newhouse at right tackle, something that worked out not so splendidly for the Green Bay Packers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Shane Vereen should help with the passing game but the Giants running backs aren’t proven commodities on the ground.
The Giants fixed up the defensive line for the most part. It wasn’t the organization’s fault that Jason Pierre-Paul severely injured himself. The defensive line should be a strength though. The linebacker corps is still something that doesn’t give me any relief.
This preseason the Giants have several injuries looming over them. Rookie strong safety, Landon Collins suffered a MCL sprain in Friday’s preseason game against the Bengals. The extent of his time missed is undefined but it looks like you won’t see him in the second preseason game. It is a minor injury but it is important not to take any chances with a player that should be instrumental this season to the Giants success.
Nat Berhe is recovering from a calf injury. Trumaine McBride has a strained hamstring and Jayron Hosley is also banged up.
Mykkelle Thompson is going to miss the year with an Achilles injury. Then the Giants have a list of injury concerns, players who are either recovering from an injury or have a track record of getting hurt. Jason Pierre-Paul won’t be back on the field any time soon. Victor Cruz is practicing but he may not step into a game until the regular season. Here are the players who will get a chance to step up in the preseason.
The Giants certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to be a successful turnaround in 2015. It is still just the preseason but the team hasn’t given us much optimism lately.
Next: New York Giants: Three Players To Watch This Preseason