New York Giants must man up against Jets

The New York Giants have a 5-6 record and a lot of improvements that need to be made. If the Giants wants to make the playoffs, they need to man up against the New York Jets.

The New York Giants season isn’t dead yet, but it’s close to being put on life support. They’ve been wildly inconsistent this year, but that’s really been the story every year for the Giants, excluding 2008.

Sitting at 5-6, the Giants cannot afford to come out flat against the Jets come Sunday.

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Instead, Big Blue needs to somehow find some passion and some fire, otherwise the playoffs will continue to be nothing more than a dream.

Also on Spin Zone: Is Eli Manning a top-30 quarterback of all-time?

Art Stapelton of NorthJersey.com pointed out it might be time for this Giants team to rise up to a challenge, similarly to how the 2011 squad did. Stapelton referenced Antrel Rolle‘s emotional challenge to the team following a loss to the sub-.500 Redskins.

“Rolle’s post-game message from that 2011 debacle against the Redskins is relevant now not because the Giants have what it takes to turn themselves into Super Bowl contenders, but because this is the closest they have been to the playoffs in December since then,” Stapelton writes.

This year, Rolle is with the Chicago Bears, and it’s another Giant who is challenging his teammates to do more and finish strong.

Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; New York Giants wide receiver

Odell Beckham

(13) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

“We need to come out with more fight,” second-year receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said after Sunday’s 20-14 loss in D.C. “It’s a team thing. We win as a team and we lose as a team. I’m going to come into work [Monday], Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and for the rest of the week and this year and give it my all. Each and every single day. There is no time to slack off or to do anything like that. It’s actually time to take it to another notch.”

If you’ve watched the Giants at all this year, you likely know how much passion Beckham plays with. Despite only being 23 years old, he brings the same kind of fire Rolle did, and he was the sole reason for the team’s late-season success last year.

Beckham’s not wrong, though. The Giants need to take it to another notch if this team wants to make the postseason. It’s remarkable they’re still in a position to win the division at 5-6, but something needs to change.

It starts this Sunday against the Jets.

The Giants can win that game, but they need to play with some passion. New York was entirely devoid of passion until the fourth quarter last week, and if the team waits that long to play hard against the Jets, it’s very likely its playoff hopes will be dashed.

Like i said, the Jets can be beat. But the Giants need to play smart, but even more so, they need to play with aggression.

Oct 4, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Giants quarterback

Eli Manning

(10) calls a play during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Eli Manning needs to revert back to 2011 and at least try to carry this team on his back. The difference between ’15 Manning and ’11 Manning is the former is putting up better stats, but the stats are nowhere near as meaningful if the Giants can’t claim a postseason position. It will help having two starting offensive linemen back — Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg — but Manning needs to cut down on the bad decisions.

Don’t be shocked to see Beckham have a huge game against the Jets, either. OBJ is obviously a spectacularly unique player when he’s not fired up, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see him enter Sunday’s clash with an added chip on his shoulder. And yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if Beckham goes off even if all-world cornerback Darrelle Revis plays and shadows him for the entirety of the game.

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Like most weeks, the defense doesn’t have to be unstoppable. It just has to get some stops. Lining up Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara on Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall will likely be defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s game plan. Marshall will win some one-on-one battles, but the Giants need to generate pressure, so leaving the corners in man coverage might be the best approach.

Nobody is expecting the Giants to take the field Sunday and resemble their 2011 counterparts. However, the Giants need to show fight. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Tom Coughlin motivate his team for one more late-season push, but it has to start Sunday.

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