Stretching the Field: They Might be Giants
by Luke Paul Chandler
The unpredictable victory of the Giants in Super Bowl XLII has left many to ponder how good the Giants truly are. The answer might be surprising.
By Luke Paul Chandler Another year of NFL football has past, and the champion has been crowed in the New York Giants. They were unlikely champs, but after a tumultuous regular season came together to clean house in the playoffs. They were the second team in three years to enter the playoffs as a wild card seed, and play every game as the road team en route to a Super Bowl victory. Common logic would prevail in this case, with the Patriots looking like the team ready to contend again for a Super Bowl, and the Giants likely not able to repeat as champions, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The Giants may have slayed Goliath, and they could probably do it again if necessary. The Giants are building up a potent roster that will be needed to compete in the tough NFC East.
The Giants roster has jelled well during the 2007, especially later in the season. Offensively, their core is built around quarterback Eli Manning, running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, wide receiver Plaxico Burress and offensive linemen Shaun O’Hara and Chris Snee. Their offense is built to maintain a strong power ground game, with the play action pass being built off of that. Thankfully for the Giants’ offense, they have no major free agents coming up, and will keep this unit in tact.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride did a good job during the postseason of tailoring his week-to-week game plan to put Manning into situations where the risks were minimal and he could achieve a high success rate. Unlike most teams with their offensive style, they don’t push the ball deep as often in the passing game. During the middle part of the season, when Manning struggled most, the team was calling go routes and deep patterns, especially when they had poor position. Often this lead to turnovers and frustration from Manning. While they have the skill players to run this type of offense, it doesn’t suit them best. Gilbride built his offense around higher percentage throws, and focusing the passing game in the center of the field more.
The biggest issue on offense is the presence of injured tight end Jeremy Shockey. Shockey, who missed the Super Bowl with a broken leg, may not be back in New York. The talent on the field is undeniable, but his attitude and antics appear to frustrate Manning. Shockey needs the ball to be happy, period. In an offense which next year will have three solid options at wide receiver, the athletic pass-catching Shockey may be phased out. The offense, though, is no longer tailored towards a player of his skill set. Rookie tight ends Kevin Boss and Michael Matthews performance as blockers helped balance out the ground game, and Boss is a talented receiver. Look for the Giants to try to move Shockey in the trade market.
On defense, the team’s core is solid and they understand the nuances of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. The defensive line will take a hit if Michael Strahan retires, but his understudy Justin Tuck is more than ready to step into a starting role. Tuck is an incredibly strong player, with a powerful upper body. It’s why he is able to move inside to tackle with ease. Tuck could be an All Pro next year if he becomes a full-time starter.
The Giants appear weak at tackle on paper, but starters Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins are athletic enough to drop back in coverage. What makes them so impactful, particularly Robbins, is how they are able to get off the snap quickly and occupy the guards just enough to get a blitzing linebacker free to the backfield. The Giants frequently attack the A gap with inside pressure, so the role of the tackles in Spagnuolo’s defense is so critical. They lack depth outside of Jay Alford, but will likely look to build this position up in the offseason.
At linebacker, the key will always be middle linebacker Antonio Pierce. Pierce’s instincts allow the Giants blitz their outside linebackers so freely. Pierce thrived in coverage this season, after the struggling the better part of 2006 in the passing game. The outside linebackers are there to provide pressure, and Kawika Mitchell played a strong season. Mitchell, a player knocked in the past for his issues with absorbing complex playbooks, played well especially late in the season. Look for the Giants to make a strong push to retain his services in the offseason. If Mitchell becomes too pricey to resign, look for the team to promote Gerris Wilkinson. Wilkinson’s experienced in the zone-blitz style of defense from playing at Georgia Tech. Wilkinson will come into 2008 as a third year veteran.
The Giants’ secondary held up well in the latter part of the season despite many injuries. The steady play of Aaron Ross, along with veteran Sam Madison was a constant throughout the season, but the emergence of Corey Webster cannot be understated. The Giants will need to watch Webster closely in the early parts of 2008, because while he played well all offseason, it was during the playoffs. Many guys have played out of their minds in the playoffs only to return to Earth the next season. Webster should start 2008 as a sub package player, but his role should expand if his big play continues. Webster is a player whose performance has been criticized and mocked in this column in the past, but he stepped up in the playoffs. Their safety played is solid, but the unit lacks a star two-way defender. Gibril Wilson and James Butler handle the run well, but don’t cover as well as Michael Johnson.
Overall, the Giants are a team with more questions than answers heading into 2008. They needed to play perfect football in the playoffs so that they could make it to the Super Bowl. In the NFL, a team rarely stays mostly the same at most of their rosters and improves. Look for the Giants to build more depth along their offensive line, and possibly another complimentary tight end should they move Shockey. Also look for the Giants to address a need at defensive end should Strahan retire, though the team is high on David Tollefson because of his versatility. Their special teams coverage units are still a bit suspect also.
Repeating as Super Bowl champions is nearly impossible in the modern era of the NFL. In fact, as history shows, the season following a Super Bowl victory is typically a let down. For the Giants to avoid these pitfalls, they need to hope that keys like Webster, Manning, and Tuck were not just playing above their talent. In general they are solid on both offense and defense, and have a lot going for them. They may lose defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to a head coaching job in rival Washington, which bears watching. If the Giants can keep Spagnuolo in house, look for the unit to grow in their second season in the offense.