NEW YORK – I know that the title of this story sounds a bit misleading, so let me explain. The Giants don’t have the bye week blues, it is I who has the blues. The Giants are rolling into the bye week as the best team in the NFC and they also have sole possession (5-2 record) of 1st place in the NFC East. I’m happy about their productivity but I have the blues because now we have to wait an extra week before we can see them play again. Sounds selfish I know but they way that Big Blue has dominated the past month gives me reason to want to see more.
After a shaky start to the 2010 NFL season, the G-men seem to headed back to the playoffs. Everything is clicking on defense and the offense has been moving right along but the special teams is the achilles heel of the team this year. The defense has been outstanding and new DC Perry Fewell needs to be recognized for coaching the Giants to the No.2 overall defense in the NFL. This group has been playing like a bunch of mad men. They are 2nd in the NFL against the pass and 3rd in the NFL against the run. What a difference a year makes, huh Giants fans? If this group can stay healthy and continue playing at this high level, they should finish the season as a top 3 NFL defense.
The offense is nothing to overlook either. The Giants own the No.1 rusher in the NFL in RB Ahmad Bradshaw and have the 4th best rushing team in the NFL. They are 9th best in the NFL in passing. QB Eli Manning has had some tough breaks with cheap INT’s going against him via tipped balls but other then that he has been great. A big reason for Manning’s productivity is the emergence of WR Hakeem Nicks, whom I predicted would make the pro bowl before the season started. The offensive line has survived numerous injuries and come together in a big way. RB Brandon Jacobs has been playing team ball since becoming the No. 2 RB and Bradshaw has been lights out. The rest of the WR group has been contributing exactly how we thought they would be. This is an impressive offense that can be lethal when they get in the zone.
I hope the team can get their players healthy and back on the field for the second half of the season. They are going to need every man they can get to make it back to the playoffs and to make a serious run at the Super Bowl. Even with all of the success the team has had, they still placed 10 players on the injured reserve list so far this year and seem to be turning the ball over way too much. There were some serious names on the IR list including OL WIlliam Beatty, DE Mathias Kiwanuka and WR Domenik Hixon just to name a few. This is the second consecutive year that injuries have played a role in effecting the Giants game plan. It must be frustrating for Coach Coughlin but it is nice to see the depth that GM Jerry Reese has put in place finally paying off. I fully expect the Giants to make it back to the playoffs and continue to roll to a possible 11-5 final record. Big Blue will travel to Seattle when they get through with the bye week to face a tough Seahawks team.
RD – nygreporter.com
nygreporter.com 