The New York Giants managed to rewrite history in 2011, reeling off six straight victories in elimination games to shock the world and win a fourth Super Bowl. Eli Manning answered all the critics who questioned his preseason claim of being an “elite” quarterback. He threw for a career-high 4,933 yards and tossed 13 touchdowns in those final six games, against just two interceptions.
Armed with a ton of young talent, the Giants look to become the first team in nearly a decade to go back-to-back.
2011 Record: 9-7
Key Additions: TE Martellus Bennett, LB Keith Rivers, S Chris Horton, OT Sean Locklear, DT Shaun Rogers, CB Antwaun Molden, RB David Wilson (No. 32 pick), WR Rueben Randle (No. 63 pick)
Key Losses: RB Brandon Jacobs, WR Mario Manningham, OT Kareem McKenzie, CB Aaron Ross, WR Devin Thomas, DE Dave Tollefson, TE Jake Ballard
Offense: The Giants had one of the most proficient passing attacks in the NFL last season, finishing fifth in the league at nearly 300 yards per game. No player in the entire league blossomed as much as Victor Cruz. An unknown, undrafted second-year player, Cruz set a team record with 1,536 receiving yards. He and Hakeem Nicks should form one of the league’s most feared wideout tandems for years to come.
The Giants will need to find a replacement for Mario Manningham on the flank. Ramses Barden, Domenik Hixon and rookie Rueben Randle will compete for the job and for Manning’s attention. However, the Giants ranked dead last in the NFL in rushing. With Brandon Jacobs gone, Ahmad Bradshaw will be the feature back and should get nearly 20 touches per game.
GM Jerry Reese invested a first-round pick in David Wilson, an electric playmaker in the backfield with game-changing speed. It should not take long for him to get acclimated to the system.
The main question the Giants face will be reconfiguring the offensive line. Starting right tackle Kareem McKenzie’s contract expired, and he remains a free agent. The versatile David Diehl will slide to the right side after splitting time at left tackle and left guard in 2011. He performed admirably down the stretch when moved back outside.
Will Beatty is projected to enter the season on Manning’s blind side. He has struggled since being taken in the second round in 2009 and will be returning to action after suffering a detached retina last November. Kevin Boothe, David Baas and Chris Snee will all return in the middle. Snee, a three-time All-Pro, is still widely regarded among the game’s elite run blockers.
Defense: Defensively, Big Blue had their share of problems adjusting to Perry Fewell’s Cover 2 scheme during the course of the 2011 season. At times, there were gaping holes in the secondary. The Giants finished 29th against the pass. But, when times got tough, the defensive line got tougher. Jason Pierre-Paul emerged as one of the game’s premier defensive talents, registering a team-high 16.5 sacks and an eye-popping 86 tackles. Osi Umenyiora’s contract talks have subsided as he and the team agreed to restructure his 2012 salary but refused to come to terms on a long-term extension.
The trio of Pierre-Paul, Umenyiora and Justin Tuck could easily combine for 40 sacks if healthy. Rivers, a former first-round pick of the Bengals, joins the linebacking corps of Michael Boley and Mathias Kiwanuka. He will provide a nice balance and should allow Kiwanuka to be more aggressive in attacking the quarterback as well. The Giants could get a huge boost with the return of cornerback Terrell Thomas, who missed the entire 2011 season with a torn ACL. He is an excellent open-field tackler and solid cover corner across from Corey Webster. On July 30, he reinjured his knee, and the severity of the injury has not yet been determined. Prince Amukamara may start on opening day if Thomas misses extensive time.
Coaching: Tom Coughlin is one of the game’s great coaches. He has battled through intense New York scrutiny the last two seasons and come out on top. To put it into perspective, he has the same number of rings as the Bill Parcells, perceived to be the team’s best head coach of all-time. The challenge for Coughlin will be to get his players, particularly the young guys, to avoid complacency.
The Giants went 11-1 in 2008 and looked invincible in their defense of the Lombardi Trophy. But, a poor month of December resulted in a second-round ousting by the rival Eagles. Repeating in the modern era is incredibly difficult, but the Giants have the depth, the talent and the intangibles to give it a good shot.
Breakout Player: The Giants hope to see an evolution in Amukamara, who they selected with the No. 19 pick in last year’s draft. Amukamara missed more than half of the season with a broken bone in his foot and struggled in limited action. He was pulled in the second quarter of a game against the Redskins after being beaten the length of the field by Santana Moss. But, the former Cornhusker has all the physical tools to be a top-notch shutdown defender. He’s fluid, moves well and has the ability to stick to receivers. He will be the third corner on the depth chart, behind Webster and Thomas, but the coaching staff will want to see him become an every-down player by year’s end. GM Jerry Reese has gone on record expecting the Prince to play “like a first-round pick.”
2012 Prediction: New York plays the league’s most difficult schedule, including seven games against playoff teams from a year ago. Then again, when is their schedule not difficult? Last year, after starting 6-2, the Giants played the 49ers, Eagles, Saints, Packers, Redskins, Jets and the Cowboys twice. They’re hardened and will not be intimidated with the target squarely on their backs. I see the Giants finishing 10-6, good for second in the NFC East and a spot in the playoffs. They would have to play on the road for the entirety of the postseason, just the way they like it.
Overview: Most Giants fans will temper their expectations to some degree, given the general unexpected nature of repeating. But, that will certainly not be the way the Giants enter the season. Right off the top, they will have the national spotlight shine on them on opening night against the hated Cowboys, a team they eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of the season. Since the league began opening the season on Thursday (or, in this case Wednesday) nights, no defending champion has ever lost their first game. It will be paramount for New York to start fast and take advantage of teams like Tampa Bay, Carolina and Cleveland early on and give themselves a leg up in what surely will be a competitive NFC East.