Who are the New York Giants? This question is central to not only the NFC East race in 2017, but who will represent the NFC in Super Bowl LII come February in Minneapolis.
New York surprised many last season under first-year head coach Ben McAdoo with its 11-5 record and run to the playoffs, one that was quickly extinguished by the Green Bay Packers. The Giants, a team many fell was on the downslide with Eli Manning aging and a defense diminishing, found revitalization due to a flurry of free-agent activity.
Last offseason, general manager Jerry Reese did something atypical of the Giants. He threw fistfuls of cash at free agents in the manner a drunken frat boy throws 20s at the stage. Reese signed defensive end Olivier Vernon, nose tackle Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins for almost $200 million in total value. It was a desperate attempt to revive a dead defense, and it worked.
Unlike most spending sprees, the Giants actually got terrific value. Harrison was named a First-Team All-Pro while Jenkins and Vernon each notched Second-Team honors. The result was a unit which ranked dead last in yards allowed in 2015 shooting up to 10th only a year later.
Now, the defense appears stronger than ever with the core group returning and expected maturation from All-Pro safety Landon Collins and second-year corner Eli Apple.
The question is whether the offense, a group saddled with a litany of questions, can support the defense, or will it implode the team’s efforts?
Manning is not the same quarterback he once was. The two-time Super Bowl champion is 36 years old, and while he has never missed a game since becoming a starter in 2004, his body has taken a pounding. Manning should brace himself, because it’s going to get beat up again.
The offensive line is the weakest point of an otherwise strong team, but it’s bad enough to wreck the game. Outside of left guard Justin Pugh and center Weston Richburg, New York has no talent up front. Ereck Flowers was taken in the first round back in 2015, with hopes he would anchor the front for years to come. Instead, poor technique and slow feet have led to one of the bigger busts in recent memory, although McAdoo is still trotting his expensive turnstile out at left tackle.
On the right side, Manning sees more reason for concern. Guard John Jerry struggles with stunts and twists, something teams will routinely throw at him. Jerry, 31, is a decent run blocker at 328 pounds, but struggles with quickness in pass pro. At tackle, Bobby Hart also struggles with speed and bend around the edge. Hart, a former seventh-round pick in 2015, is more suited for a swing tackle role.
This issue isn’t helped but the utter lack of backfield talent. Last year, the Giants’ ground game was paced by Rashad Jennings, who gained 593 yards on a horrific 3.3 yards per carry. Paul Perkins will take over as the top back, and while he showed potential with 456 rushing yards as a rookie, he doesn’t possess the speed or power to scare defensive coordinators.
If the line can surprisingly hold up, the weapons for Manning are aplenty. Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard are among the best receiving trios in the game, while first-round pick Evan Engram should upgrade the tight end situation. With time to deliver, Manning will throw for over 4,000 yards and likely reach 30 touchdowns for the fourth time in his career.
For the Giants, it’s now or never. The NFC East is up for grabs, especially with the six-game suspension of Ezekiel Elliott looming over the Dallas Cowboys. New York has a loaded roster save the line, and a quarterback still good enough to reach another Super Sunday.
But the window is closing rapidly. After this season, Manning becomes 37 years old while his only two respectable linemen, Pugh and Westburg, hit unrestricted free agency. Marshall has another year left on his deal, but if he’s unproductive or a malcontent, could be cut with only $1 million in dead money.
With a pair of young, ascending quarterbacks in the division and a veteran roster in Gotham, the Giants have to seize the day.