2009 New York Giants Season Preview

By Franco S.  |   Monday, August 03, 2009  |  Comments( 0 )

New York Giants
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Coming off of their 2008 Super Bowl win, the Giants went through a series of highs and lows last season. The team started off 11-1 and looked to be on their way to repeating as champs. A stifling defense complemented an offense that was running on all cylinders. Everything derailed with the injury and arrest of Plaxico Burress, out for the remainder of the season with a gunshot wound to his thigh. The offense was never the same and Eli Manning’s number one target was no longer on the field. He had to rely on young receivers like Domenick Hixon and Steve Smith, as well as the aging vet Amani Toomer. The team was still able to salvage a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. All was for naught when they ran into their rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, in the first round and were beaten at home, 20-14.

Welcome the 2009 season. The team has gone through major turnover. Defensive Coordinator and mastermind Steve Spagnolo left to become the Head Coach of the St. Louis Rams. He was replaced by Bill Sheridan. Sheridan was welcomed with a plethora of new additions to the defense. The linebacking core was strengthened with the signing of Michael Boley, and the D-Line (already a huge strength) was beefed up with the signings of Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty. Along with Justin Tuck, Mathais Kiwanuka, and Osi Umenyora, this crew will get to the opposing quarterback. However, the defense is not without its question marks. Michael Boley is coming off of hip surgery and is already suspended for the first game of the season for a domestic violence charge. Then there is the Antonio Pierce situation. The veteran linebacker was with Burress the night of the shooting at the LQ nightclub. He had to testify in front of a grand jury, and does face the possibility of disciplinary actions from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. If Pierce and Boley do not miss significant time, the Giants defense again will be amongst the best in the league.

This brings us to the Giants offense. The team was able to bring back bruiser Brandon Jacobs, but did lose Derrick Ward to the Tampa Bay Bucs. This means they will need more out of Ahmad Bradshaw, Danny Ware and rookie Andre Brown. With a massive offensive line, the running game should thrive as long as they stay on the field. The receiving core is another story all to itself. The group lost Burress, who was released, and Amani Toomer went unsigned. Toomer has been a major security blanket for Manning throughout his career. The group is now dominated by young players. Domenick Hixon and Steve Smith look to be the top receivers with Mario Manningham and first round pick Hakeem Nicks rounding out the core. The team decided against trading for a true number one receiver. They had chances for either Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin, but passed on both. This will be a telling season for Eli Manning. He will have to do a lot with very little. Over the past couple of seasons he has become very acclimated with Smith and TE Kevin Boss. He will have to use both to move the ball down field. Manningham should be the deep threat and Nicks has the potential to emerge as a start receiver with great hands, fantastic speed and a huge body that is tough to take down.

All in all, the team seems to be heading into the direction of the old Giants teams. Smash-mouth football: a strong running game and great defense. If winning games is decided in the trenches, the Giants will be able to compete with anyone. They arguably have the best defensive and offensive lines in all the game.

Prediction: The Giants schedule is always a tough one solely based on games within their division. No games are tougher the NFC East games. There are no favorites, there are no upsets. Right off the bat, those are six tough games. They do play the AFC West this season, which means two games against the Raiders and Chiefs. The Giants should make the playoffs as long as the defense stays healthy and Manning plays smart football. I say they finish 10-6, second place in the NFC East behind the Eagles.
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