Giants Battling Adversity Heading Into Jets’ Showdown

From all appearances, the New York Giants have had a strong training camp through most of August. But recent struggles and the Josh Brown debacle have provided preseason adversity for Big Blue and head coach Ben McAdoo. 

Through much of August, news coming out of Giants’ camp was generally positive. The defense is retooled and rookie Sterling Shepard figures to open up the already formidable offense. There was even talk of Eli Manning being on the verge of a career year. Fast forward a couple of weeks with the team battling injuries and adversity, and giant questions surround Big Blue.

The offensive line has struggled, and the Josh Brown suspension hasn’t done first time head coach Bob McAdoo any favors. Here are the main Giants’ storylines to watch as they head into a showdown with the New York Jets.

Offensive Line Adversity

The Giants offensive line was average, at best, last year, and changes seemed inevitable. General manager Jerry Reese spent over $200 million on free agents in the off-season, but, surprisingly, didn’t upgrade the unit.

Early news out of Giants’ camp was right guard John Jerry, who spent the offseason training at the LeCharles Bentley O-Line Performance, was playing well. In a June post on NJ.com, Jerry called it the “best decision I ever made since I’ve been playing in the NFL.”

Marshall Newhouse was also having a strong camp.  With two preseason games in the books however, the Giants’ offensive line has struggled.  Big time.  Especially on that right side, where runs have been consistently stuffed in the backfield.

The left side hasn’t fared much better. Ereck Flowers hasn’t been able to get on track and Justin Pugh has been out of practice recently with an injury. Eli Manning is 35 years-old, in his 13th season, and wasn’t the most mobile quarterback to begin with. The Giants’ offense can match up with anyone on talent, but it won’t matter if the line can’t keep Eli upright. With the regular season rapidly approaching, they must play better. That improvement needs to start against the Jets on Saturday night.

The Josh Brown Adversity

Brown’s suspension for the regular season-opener against the Cowboys, announced last week, took Giants’ fans by surprise. Brown accepted the punishment, but didn’t agree with it, and the organization seemed to be behind him. When the reason for Brown’s personal conduct suspension was revealed as a domestic violence incident, public support waned a little. In retrospect, it seems callous of Brown to publicly state he didn’t agree with his punishment, especially after his (now, ex) wife claims the incident wasn’t their first violent encounter.

In an August 22, 2016 post on ESPN.com, Jordan Ranaan reports Molly Brown told police her husband had been violent with her over 20 times.

Since then, McAdoo has been forced into a corner. He’s had to publicly walk back his support for Brown, as domestic violence has been a keynote issue for the NFL over the past few years. After practice last week, McAdoo seemed to point the finger back at Reese when asked about Brown. The entire ordeal has been an embarrassment to the organization. The Giants signed Randy Bullock on August 22, and if he performs well, you’d have to think the team will part ways with Brown at some point.

Will We Get Salsa?

Victor Cruz returned to practice Tuesday, and looked good, according to Art Stapleton of the Record on Aug. 23, 2016. Cruz was a full participant and, according to teammates, was faster than he’s been all summer.

Depending on how Cruz’s body responds the next day, we may see him against the Jets. Whether or not that happens, seeing 80 in uniform will pick up spirits.  Cruz is one of the more well-liked players and a veteran leader. Just how much he can contribute physically is uncertain, but his presence provides a spark.

Reese wants to see Cruz play the last two preseason games. The real priority should be the Dallas Cowboys on September 11th. Taking a few hits in the preseason to shake off cobwebs isn’t the worst idea, but a fully healthy Cruz is best deployed when games matter.