Giants Need a Miracle

The Giants are used to winning when they have to and putting on miracle runs down the stretch.  They are going to need a whole lot of magic this Sunday.

After two blowout losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens on the road, the Giants record stands at 8-7.  They return home Sunday to face the Eagles, who beat the Giants in Philadelphia, 19-17, in week 4 when the Eagles were still relevant.  Now, Philadelphia sits in last place in the NFC East at 4-11 and have only won one game since their victory over Big Blue.  The Giants have lost give straight home games to the Eagles and eight of nine overall in this series.  Sunday will be no easy task with Michael Vick making his return at quarterback as rookie Nick Foles broke his hand.  Vick is 3-1 as a starter with the Eagles against the Giants and Sunday could be his last game in a Philadelphia uniform.  It will also be the last game Andy Reid will coach on the Eagles sideline as this lost season will have him out.

For the Giants to sneak in the playoffs, they will need to not only beat the Eagles, but have the Bears lose to the Lions, have the Vikings lose to the Packers, and hope the Cowboys lose to the Redskins.  There is no question that crazier things have happened.  They will need to beat the 4-11 Eagles.  Could happen.  They need the 9-6 Bears to lose in Detroit to a 4-11 Lions team that has lost eight games by one possession.  Could happen.  They need the 9-6 Vikings to lose at home to the 11-4 Packers, who are still trying to hold on to a first-round bye.  Could happen.  Finally, they need the 9-6 Redskins to lose at home to the 8-7 Cowboys.  Could happen.  

All of these situations COULD HAPPEN, but will they? Probably not.  First off, the Giants need to beat the Eagles and winning has been hard to come by for the G-Men.  They were destroyed the last two games showing no life on both sides of the ball.  They have lost five of their last seven games.  Beating the Eagles with Michael Vick out to prove he can still be a successful starting QB in the NFL will not be a walk in the park.  The Giants need to come out with energy and intensity with the season on the line.  Eli Manning will need to carry this team as he has done in years past.  They also have to avoid scoreboard watching and focus on the task at hand.  

It might take a miracle, but the Giants are holding on for their playoffs lives.  They'll need a lot to happen Sunday for them to slide in as the last seed in the NFC.  If they somehow do get in, you just never know with this team.  Sure, they might not deserve to make it, but if they're in, anything can happen.  Tom Coughlin's team has gone on two improbable Super Bowl runs before.  You just never know on an NFL Sunday what can go down.  Manning and company hopes that the unthinkable happens in week 17.  

Big Blue Blows by Carolina

The Giants were playing without starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw and starting wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, wide receiver Domenik Nixon, and right tackle David Diehl. 

That would not be an issue Thursday night in Charlotte.

The Giants played a nearly perfect game of football against the Panthers Thursday.  Big Blue crushed the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, 36-7.  The Giants' defense showed up for the first time this season only allowing one touchdown.  They forced Cam Newton into 3 interceptions.  If that was not enough, the Giants' offense was absolutely stellar.  

The offense got big performances from running back Andre Brown and wide receiver Ramses Barden.  Brown, who had a breakout performance last week running for 71 yards and a touchdown, showed the NFL that he could be a big time running back in this league.  Brown had a career night running for 113 yards and two touchdowns.  Keep in mind, this guy had negative one career rushing yards before last week.  Barden also had a career performance catching 9 passes for 138 yards.  The Giants have been waiting for Barden to break on the scene and they saw it Thursday.  Barden filled in very nicely for the injured Nicks.  

Of course the offense all starts with Eli Manning, though.  Manning was 27 for 35 for 288 yards and a touchdown.  Manning was breezing by the Panthers' defense in the first half.  His throws were perfect hitting his targets all over the field.  Even a couple of wobbly throws from Manning ended up in one of his receivers' hands.  It was a perfect night for Manning and his offense as they shredded Carolina's defense.  

The Giants needed this type of performance tonight after the scare in week two at home against Tampa Bay.  They came out firing and Cam Newton had no answer for the defense that forced three interceptions and two fumbles.  The Giants improve to 2-1 with the win and will get a couple of extra days to rest before they get back to work next week.  

Big Blue hopes to keep the momentum going as they travel to Philadelphia for a big primetime matchup with the first place Eagles.

2012 Giants Season Preview

The New York Giants are riding high going into the 2012 season.  Big Blue is coming off their second Super Bowl victory in the last four years.  Tom Coughlin's resilient squad comes into this season being overlooked by many.  The Eagles and Cowboys are being picked by many to finish ahead of Big Blue.  While the G-Men have lost Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham, they still have one ELI-te man behind center.

Eli Manning led the Giants down the stretch last season living up to his word of being an elite quarterback.  Manning has lost one of his targets in Mario Manningham as well as his tight end, Jake Ballard.  Ballard was replaced by former Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett.  Big Blue did not do much this offseason to improve their receiving depth, but Ramses Barden and Domenik Hixon should see bigger roles this season.  With Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz starting, Manning will be just fine.

Manning also lost his backup running back, Brandon Jacobs, who signed with the 49ers this offseason.  Jacobs was replaced by rookie running back David Wilson.  Wilson has a very similar running style to starting running back, Ahmad Bradshaw.  The Giants lose their power back in Jacobs, but Wilson will provide a spark off the bench and is just 21 years old.

The Giants main weakness this season is their secondary.  The offense will score points and their pass rush is arguably the best in the NFL.  Their starting corners are Corey Webster and Michael Coe, who did not see much playing time last season.  If Prince Amukamara can stay healthy and see an improvement this season, they should be fine, but that has yet to be soon.  Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle give the Giants suitable options at safety.  The only question is truly at cornerback for the G-Men.   There is not a lot of depth there, but their defensive line should make up for that.

The Giants' schedule will be nowhere near easy this season.  Outside of the division, they will play the 49ers, Packers, Steelers, Saints, Falcons, and Ravens.  Those six games to go with four against the Cowboys and Eagles will make it tough for the G-Men to win this division, but this team has too much talent to miss out on the playoffs.

PREDICTION:
10-6
2nd place in NFC East
Winning one of the two NFC Wild Card spots
Losing to 49ers in NFC playoffs.