New York Giants: No Playoff Guarantees, But…
The last time we saw the New York Giants in the postseason was when they were busy winning Super Bowl XLVI…back in 2011.
The New York Giants were one of the busiest teams this NFL offseason, especially when it came to shoring up the worst defense in the league statistically.
But the numbers don’t lie. The team allowed the most total yards and passing yards in the league, saw their sack total plummet from 47 to 23 in one year while the club allowed 31 scores through the air. For good measure, New York also finished 24th in the NFL against the run.
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General manager Jerry Reese inked defensive end Olivier Vernon, defensive tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Janoris Jenkins to lucrative contracts. He signed inside linebacker Keenan Robinson and drafted Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple in the first round. Combine those additions with a club that can score points and the Giants are a playoff team in 2016.
Right, Eli Manning?
“Yeah, definitely,” said the two-time Super Bowl champion to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post on Wednesday (July 6) at a football camp in New Jersey. “We added some great players in the offseason. We were aggressive in free agency, but still have a lot of our core guys, especially on offense, back and I think we made some good moves on defense. We’re getting some guys back healthy. It’s just a matter of, hey, the talent is there, can we put it together, can we find a way to win the games and play our best football when we need to?”
The playoffs haven’t been a part of recent seasons for this franchise. Since winning Super Bowl XLVI with a 9-7 record in 2011, the Giants are a combined 28-36 and have finished below .500 three straight years. Head coach Tom Coughlin is gone after 12 seasons and replaced by Ben McAdoo, the team’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons.
Of course, McAdoo has played a big part in Manning’s revival in recent years. Despite a pair of 6-10 campaigns, the 12-year signal-caller has reversed his fortunes in a big way after a 2013 season in which he was picked off a league-high 27 times and committed 30 of the team’s 44 turnovers.
Over the past two seasons, Manning has thrown more than twice as many touchdown passes (65) as interceptions (28) in 32 contests. Having a receiver such as Odell Beckham Jr. is a plus, as will this year’s return of former Pro Bowl wideout Victor Cruz and rookie Sterling Shepard. Manning and the Giants appear to be in a good place these days.
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“I guess I’m always optimistic, always feel good about our squad,” said the veteran quarterback. “I don’t remember feeling differently in the years that we made the playoffs, the years we won the Super Bowl, thinking: ‘Oh, I definitely think this is a Super Bowl team.’ You never know how it’s all going to play out.
For the Giants, there have been too many recent years of disappointment. There hasn’t been a repeat champion in the NFC East for over a decade and it’s been won with just nine wins twice in the last five seasons.
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For New York, the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, it’s been a division for the taking as of late than no one seems to want to take. But you get the feeling that Manning and a new-look defense could be ready to seize the moment this fall.