By: Norman Castro, EBC Sports International, New York Bureau
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY– The National Football League (NFL) is set to kick off training camps next week and the New York Giants are coming into the 2017 season with high hopes.
After an 11-5 season and sneaking into the playoffs, the Giants look to follow that success with a stronger performance this season.
However, repeated success is never guaranteed in the NFL season after season.
Issues both internal and external affect a team throughout the year.
How the Giants handle their opponents will determine whether another run in the playoffs is possible.
A few questions will remain unanswered until the first snap in September.
The first question to ask ourselves: Will the defense show up?
Last season, the Giants spent money to fill in gaps in their defense.
Pick ups in both the secondary and defensive line showed instant success in the Giants’ scheme.
Ranked 10th overall and 3rd against the run, the numbers showed that they were one of the best defensive teams in the league in 2016.
The problem will be the secondary, according to the numbers.
Against the pass, they were ranked 23rd.
As the league continues to cater to quarterbacks and wide receivers with rule changes for player safety, this number is concerning.
Injuries did not help the Giants cause in this category.
Darien Thompson, Eli Apple, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Nat Burhe, and Adam Andrews all had playtime missed due to injury. As skilled players, the Giants’ secondary can be considered formidable, but need to stay healthy and on the field to do so.
Another glaring question is on the offensive side: Who will spark the run game that was and has been missing for the last few seasons?
Last season, the Giants ranked 29th in the run game.
With Rashad Jennings and Shane Vereen sharing snaps, the tandem didn’t put up the big numbers.
This doesn’t bode well with consistency needed in the run game.
This season, it is projected that Paul Perkins will be the starting running back for 1st and 2nd downs.
He showed upside and started the last few games of the season, including the Wildcard Game against the Packers.
The running game is needed to open up to the passing that is afforded with a quarterback such as Eli Manning, which leads us to the next question:
Will the offensive line protect Eli Manning?
Eli Manning had a great year in regards to yardage and touchdowns.
He had 4027 yards with 26 touchdowns to 16 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 86.
He was sacked 21 times throughout last season, an improvement from the past two seasons and when the Giants won their last two superbowls.
The problem is that the success of the Giants seem to rest heavily on Eli Manning’s shoulders and he is not getting any younger. While he isn’t known to be as immobile as his big brother, Peyton, Eli does need the protection to sure up his passes.
The need of a run game shows even more to bait the play-action to free up the other worldly talent of their receivers.
Now with all these questions you would think there is no hope for the Giants.
These concerns always weigh on the minds of fans.
They did win 11 games last year, made the playoffs and had one of the best defenses in the league.
With all these questions, there are some certainties.
For one is the leadership of Eli. Eli has 211 consecutive games played (regular season and playoffs) which is the most amongst active quarterbacks.
He is only second behind his brother, Peyton at games played with 227.
His accuracy might be a little deceiving but look for Eli to continue his leadership role in the Giants if he can get some protection and not turn the ball over consistently.
With Eli, the receiving core looks to be one of the other shining parts to the Giants with Wide Receiver, Odell Beckham, Jr. Where Beckham goes, the Giants will follow.
He is talked about amongst the pundits as a transcendent talent and it has shown with his jaw dropping catches.
While losing Victor Cruz in the off-season to the Chicago Bears, they added Brandon Marshall from the New York Jets and will bring leadership to the receiving core.
Other players such as Sterling Shepard rounds out the core and the addition of rookie Tight End, Evan Engram. Coach Ben McAdoo looks for Engram to be the middle presence on the field where Eli was lacking in his completions.
Overall, it will be an interesting upcoming season.
The Giants on paper look to be a tough team out in the NFC East.
Can they make a run at the playoffs and aim for a fifth overall Super Bowl trophy?
The 2016 season left high expectations for this coming year, and the Giants will be a top contender out of the NFC.
