Giants might not be as good as their record says they are
The only team to beat the Dallas Cowboys this season isn’t one of the other top teams in the league, like the New England Patriots or Oakland Raiders. It’s the New York Giants. They’re 8-4 on the season, and while their record would indicate they’re one of the better teams in the league, just how good are the Giants?
Recently, they’ve been struggling on offense, despite star power with Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., and Victor Cruz. Their offense is ranked just 26th in the league, and they’re barely averaging more than 20 points per game. While they’ve been winning games, their latest loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers served as a wake-up call, and head coach Ben McAdoo knows it.
“It’s just consistency. We need to be more consistent,” McAdoo said after the loss. “We need to take care of the ball better. That showed up again [Sunday].”
One loss on the road isn’t anything to panic about, especially coming off a six-game winning streak. But those wins came against a reeling Ravens team, the Rams, Eagles, Bengals, Bears, and Browns. The two losses might have people questioning how legitimate the Giants are, but they might not have been as good as many might have believed them to be in the first place. Here’s some concerns we have with the Giants, despite their good standing in the NFC.
They haven’t been great on either side of the ball
Any great or remotely good NFL team typically has an identity. We know teams like the Seahawks and Broncos possess elite defensive units. The Cowboys and Patriots are known more for their prolific offenses.
The Giants, despite their weapons on offense, never really strike fear into opposing defenses. In the past, they’ve had great defenses, but this season hasn’t really been an example of that. But it has improved considerably from last season, when it was dead last in the NFL.
The most alarming part for the offense might be its sub-300-yard performances against the Browns and Steelers in consecutive weeks. The Browns in particular are the second-worst team in the league when it comes to total defense. The Giants have one of the best receiving trios in the NFL with Beckham Jr., Cruz, and rookie Sterling Shepard, but it just hasn’t happened for them this season. Targets have been somewhat sporadic — Shepard had none against the Browns, after having 11 the week before. The same has happened for Cruz, who has had just eight in the past four games, with none against the Steelers.
Their greatest offensive weakness has unquestionably been their rushing attack. The Giants are 31st in the NFL in rushing, with just 930 yards on the season and the longest rush being 25 yards. When a team’s rushing game is that poor, it’s definitely a contributing factor to the issues…
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