To reach playoffs, Giants have to win their remaining three games, and Dallas Cowboys have to lose once.
Dallas plays unbeaten New Orleans Saints in Superdome next week, travels to Redskins the following week, before ending season at home against Eagles. Tough schedule!
Giants face Redskins away, Carolina at home, before ending season at Minnesota. Hopefully, 11-2 Vikings will rest Favre and Peterson for final game.
Dangerous Offense
Eli Manning is having a great year statistically, despite the absence of Plaxico Burress, but it would be much better, if team committed less penalties. Consider that Giants are ranked fifth in total offense, but eighth in points scored.
Sadly, Giants formerly outstanding rushing attack is gone, and they rank last in “red zone offense.” I cannot recall the last time Brandon Jacobs rushed for 100 yards.
Not So Dangerous Defense
New York Giants formerly great defense, is ranked 28th out of 32 NFL teams. I expect Bill Sheridan, the former linebackers coach, who succeeded the brilliant Steve Spagnuolo as Defensive Coordinator this season, to be replaced.
In my fantasy scenario, Giants will rehire Steve Spagnuolo, who left to coach St. Louis Rams next season. Rams are 1-12, and inexplicably ranked 30th in team defense, so Spagnuolo could conceivably be fired.
But Coach Coughlin, who fired offensive coordinator John Hufnagel before the final game of the 2006 season, is not ready to replace Sheridan. After defense surrendered 45 points to Eagles, Coughlin said of Sheridan:
“I let (Sheridan) know my support for him and I also let him know that it has to be better. We have to do a better job. We are here for one reason. The inconsistency part of it is disturbing, let’s face it. Six big play passes and three big play runs, you are not going to beat anybody like that. It’s not all that. Everybody wants to say 45. It’s not 45, it’s 31. Two scores were on special teams and offense.”
What’s Next?
After winning their first five games, Giants have lost six of their last eight games, and can only improve. Unfortunately, I do not expect them to improve enough, to win their next six games, and reach the Super Bowl.
A team with a porous defense, which commits seven or eight penalties each game, and is ranked last in offense when inside opponent’s 20-yard-line, does not sound like recent New York Giants. Delegating duties is fine, but it is ultimately up to Coach Coughlin to fix this mess, so New York Giants, and their fans, can look forward to Sundays again!