This 2015 Giants Season Preview Special is one that has taken months to evolve. While Preseason does not matter, you need to see that things are at the very least coming together. Things have not come together yet for the Giants.
We were bearish on the 2014 team, rightly so. We saw 6-7 wins. So you know that objectivity is going to be present with any opinion. In the Spring, we penned the opinion that there was great reason to be bullish in 2015. 10-6 was quite possible, even 11-5 if things went perfectly. We held our view qualified by the fact that it would not be set until after preseason when we would give our FINAL projection.
Our view is that the Giants will win ~7 games this season. So much depends on the Offensive Line. It could get late early around here if the OL is not able to protect Eli the way they need to. What happened to the Giants that they could go from 10-6 in May to 7-9 here in September? Let’s list them:
1) Will Beatty got hurt and was lost for ~9-10 games literally 3 days after we wrote in May
2) JPP blew off his finger, and likely his 2015 season
2a) JPP’s post-injury behavior did not help him or the team get better
3) Victor Cruz injured his calf, giving him ZERO snaps in preseason
4) Jon Beason got injured AGAIN
5) Safety was not addressed safisfactorily, and even more injuries were seen
6) Schwartz is still not finished making a recovery from an ankle injury LAST season
7) The pass rush in preseason has not shown us anything yet
8) Damontre Moore is still an immature penalty-prone 2nd stringer
The good news is that if you look at the items listed above, all can change at some point in a perfect world. Beatty will come back, and may save the OL for a late charge. JPP the question mark can make a miraculous effort and become a factor for the defense. (We tend to be on the other side of this unknown, thinking he may not even pass his physical.) Cruz can get back to health and aid the offense like we were initially expecting. Ditto Beason. Landon Collins can maybe have it come together soon/er (although his preseason injury set him back some time). Ditto Schwartz. Rookie Owa Odighizuwa could be the X-factor we were looking for. Moore, via injuries to JPP et al, may be forced to get better with more playing time and salvage his disappointing unfulfilled potential.
So the 8 points listed all have a way out. There is a possibility for a transformation inside of the season. But the Giants need to get better. The defense is not winning games for them this year. The offensive line needs to protect Eli and then the team can win some shootouts.
Let’s walk through the micro of the schedule:
[table id=16 /]This micro walkthrough says 6-10. I do not think it has to be that bad. So much depends on the OL and Victor Cruz. We had hopes the Giants could be a Top 5 offense, and still quietly hope it can come together. But we are concerned that Flowers will show his rookie youth in pass protection and cost the Giants a game. We just don’t know how soon Cruz can get into the game and help the team. The right side of the OL is shoddy. We need this offense to carry the defense and just don’t know where it will be as the season moves along. Last season, OBJ transformed the team and tipped the scales. But since then, the OL has not gone anywhere. Maybe the small ball Vereen underneath stuff allows the offense to control the clock and allow the defense to hurt the Giants less. These were things we expected in May that we just don’t know about here as we start September. Why? Because we saw little in preseason to give us confidence in the team’s execution. For those bullish, let’s share a reminder of Coughlin’s observations after the final dress rehearsal vs the Jets: “I think we all have a ways to go. I don’t think any of it is where it should be.” I know that preseason does not matter a lot but last preseason it mattered to me that I did not see execution and correctly forecast the season based on that observation. Here, I still see (1) lack of cohesiveness and (2) many players (noted above) who have not practiced sufficiently. This team needs to demonstrate efficiency. I think they are fortunate to play ATL, WAS and SF in Weeks 2, 3, & 5 so that they can get some of the kinks out.
There are not a lot of great teams in the NFL. This team can beat the Bucs, Jets, Vikings, Panthers, and Eagles and presto you are 10-6. It can come together. But the team has to stay healthy and it has to protect Eli. Last year I did not have as much optimism. This year I see more mediocrity with a small chance at it coming together if all goes well. Where are Cruz, Beatty, Beason, and Schwartz? Are the Giants as brittle and injury-prone as they have been the past 6 years? Too many questions to be too optimistic. But this is why they play the games, and why we always root for our team. We just have to manage our expectations again because of the 8 items listed above that have not helped the team to this point. We will not get too down after Dallas the same way we will not get too high after ATL and WAS. We want to see the OL hold up well and protect our QB. If that happens, then maybe there can be some chance of a second half run. Early guesses are that that will be harder to accomplish than we thought. 7-9 this year. 8-8 if the league is as vanilla as it usually is. 10 wins only if the OL comes together and gets a modicum of support from the Defense. I do have more hope this year than last year. But that is predicated on better team health, of which I am not a believer. There are a lot of questions the Giants have to answer this season. I’m excited about the team’s future with players like Flowers, Collins, Odighizuwa, Kennard and Beckham. 2015 unfortunately may not be enough time for it all to blossom. Play the game. Go Giants!
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