New York Giants 2005 Preview

By John Onan  |   Thursday, August 11, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

New York Giants
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New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin begins his second year with the team with last year's first overall pick Eli Manning taking the reigns at starting quarterback. Manning took over from the departed Kurt Warner in the second half of the 2004 season, posting a 48.2 completion percentage, with 6 TDs and 9 INTs. He will be looking to improve on those numbers especially since former Steeler WR Plaxico Burress now in the fold. The Giants were in contention for a playoff birth at the time of Manning's promotion, but Coughlin made it known he wanted his prized young quarterback on the field, and was willing to sacrifice 2004 for future success.

Strengths: The running game, led by Tiki Barber will have to continue the dominance it showed last season to help take pressure of the young QB. Barber gained over 1,500 yards and earned his first Pro Bowl birth, despite running behind one of the shakiest offensive lines in the league. He also did a better job at holding onto the ball, losing only two fumbles all season; he had lost six each of the prior two campaigns. The Ron Dayne experiment is over, and Mike Cloud will now be Barber's backup.

With the signing of MLB Antonio Pierce in the off-season, the Giants boast a talented and deep set of linebackers. Pierce came out of nowhere to lead the Washington Redskins defensively last season after LaVar Arrington went down with injuries. He will now lead the New York Giants defense along with defensive end Michael Strahan who is making a full return after missing the last 8 games of 2004 with a torn chest muscle. Strong side linebacker Carl Emmons led the team in tackles last year with 97. He will be joined by Barrett Green, who is also back from injury. Former starters Kevin Lewis and Nick Greisen will also be in the fold if Green doesn't come back strong, or if there are any more injury woes.

Weaknesses: The offensive line is revamped from 2004, but still a concern. RT Kareem McKenzie comes over from the cross-town rival Jets, where he was a three-year starter. David Diehl moves over to right guard from right tackle. Former Pro Bowler Bob Whitfield will compete with Luke Petitgout for the right tackle spot. Coughlin would like to see Petitgout improve of a poor 2004 season and win the starting spot, because Whitfield is now in his 14th season and is basically an insurance policy at this point in his career. If this unit isn't solid in 2005, Manning and the passing game will once again struggle.

Other than sack machine Michael Strahan, the defensive line is a big question mark. Third-year man Osi Umenyiora stepped into the lineup and did a nice job in 2004 with 58 tackles and 7 sacks at the other end position. The defensive tackle spots are where things get dicey, where it'll be an open competition in camp between half a dozen players. The D-Line will have plenty of bodies, but the quality is in question.

Also, Plaxico Burress was signed away from Pittsburgh to complement Amani Toomer and give Manning two good targets. Toomer's production fell off mightily in 2004, as he finished with 747 receiving yards and more importantly, no touchdowns. TE Jeremy Shockey will once again try to live up to expectations and become one of the premier players at his position. If the offensive line does the job, this combination could excel.

Will Allen and William Peterson are not spectacular playmakers, but pretty decent nonetheless at the cornerback spots. Brent Alexander, Shaun Williams, and Gibril Wilson will all see time at the safety positions.

Jay Feely takes over from Steve Christie at kicker, but it remains to be seen if he can be consistent outdoors. He kicked indoors in the Georgia Dome for the Falcons the past few seasons. Veteran Jeff Feagles will once again be the punter. Willie Ponder and Derrick Ward did a nice job returning kicks last season, while the punt return duties could be up for grabs.

Overall: Tom Coughlin is a hard nosed coach that can at times rub a team the wrong way. Many in the media questioned his hiring a year ago, after some turbulent seasons in the Jacksonville locker room. He has his work cut out for him here, but can silence a lot of critics if he can lead the New York Giants to the playoffs. I don't see it happening this year, maybe in 2006. 7-9 would be about accurate, unless play improves on the offensive and defensive lines.
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