NFL audit: Philadelphia Eagles and 2 teams that could be frauds

1. NFL Teams That May Be Frauds – New York Giants

Before we start this assessment, we do have to give plenty of credit to first-year head coach Brian Daboll and his coaching staff for what they have done in New York. The roster that the Giants assembled this year was purposely limited as new GM Joe Schoen decided to clean up the salary cap mess left behind by his predecessor Dave Gettleman, so the fact that New York went 7-2 over their first nine games was a tremendous credit to excellent coaching.

Talent does matter in the NFL, however, and the Giants may have been exposed in Week 11’s 31-18 loss to the Detroit Lions at home. Detroit pounded the Giants on the ground, rushing for 160 yards on 37 carries, while New York committed three crucial turnovers that allowed the Lions to build a huge lead.

All seven of the Giants’ wins this season have come by eight points or less, which is playing with fire when they haven’t been the more talented side in a lot of games. The schedule also increases in difficulty down the stretch as the Giants have five division games and a trip to Minnesota still on tap, leading to the potential for a lengthy losing streak.

This game against Detroit was a wake-up call for the Giants, who played very poorly and deserved to lose the game. Putting up that kind of effort against the opponents they have left could lead to a rapid fade out of playoff contention and make it very difficult for New York to avoid the label of frauds.