New York Giant 2005 NFL Review
The Future is now for Eli Manning
The decision was a controversial one. When Kurt Warner was yanked from the starting lineup in favor of Eli Manning prior to Week 11 of the 2004 season, the Giants stood at 5-4 and in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt. By the time the calendar had flipped to January, New York's two-game losing streak had swelled to eight games, and a dramatic season-ending win over the Cowboys could hardly make up for a campaign that some pundits felt was needlessly lost.
The message the Giants front office and head coach Tom Coughlin were sending by pulling Warner in favor of Manning was clear: Manning was the future of the franchise, and even the potential of a playoff berth wasn't as important to the long-term growth of the team as was Manning's development.
Any Giant fans who bought that logic, took their medicine, and swallowed hard over the final half of 2004 are now expecting to be rewarded in the form of a successful 2005. Manning is supposed to be sharper and more confident, and the fact that his offensive supporting cast has been upgraded only raises the ante in a town where a lack of immediate improvement will not be forgiven or forgotten.
With their decision to invest in the future still prominent in the rear view mirror, Coughlin and company are banking on their unpopular decision paying dividends right now.
Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the New York Giants, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:
DL: The Giants ditched no fewer than three defensive linemen who started for them in 2004 - end Keith Washington (17 tackles, 1 sack) and tackles Lance Legree (36 tackles, 2 sacks) and Norman Hand (15 tackles, 1 sack), signaling a new era for the club in the trenches. Michael Strahan (34 tackles, 4 sacks), who missed the final eight games of 2004 with a torn chest muscle, is expected to make a full return and man the left end slot. Starting opposite Strahan will be third-year man Osi Umenyiora (58 tackles, 7 sacks), who was impressive after being inserted into the starting lineup in the middle of last season. Backup end duties should be handled by third-round draft choice Justin Tuck (Notre Dame) and sixth-rounder Eric Moore (Florida State), with holdover Raheem Orr in the mix as well. On the inside, Fred Robbins (39 tackles, 5 sacks) is back, and the team signed former Steeler Kendrick Clancy (8 tackles with the Steelers) to battle holdovers Kenderick Allen (20 tackles, 1 sack), William Joseph (25 tackles, 2 sacks) and Damane Duckett (4 tackles) for the other starting slot.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Giants have moved from 37-year-old Steve Christie (22-28 FG, 33-33 XP) to 29-year-old Jay Feely (18-23 FG, 40-40 XP) on field goals, though the younger Feely is not known as much of a long-range kicker (3-10 from 50+ in his four-year career). Jeff Feagles (41.5 avg.), who broke into the league with New England in 1988, returns as the New York punter. Willie Ponder (26.9 avg., 1 TD) and Derrick Ward (27.3 avg., 1 TD) both did a nice job on kickoff returns last year, but the team could be looking to upgrade from Mark Jones (6.7 avg.) on punt returns. Former Raven and Dolphin Lamont Brightful (9.9 punt return avg., 25.2 kickoff return avg. with Miami) was brought in to press Jones during training camp.
PROGNOSIS: If everything goes right for the Giants in 2005, the team could take a 3-5 game leap in the win column and push for a playoff berth. Trouble is, everything rarely goes right over the course of an NFL season. Will Eli Manning make huge strides in his second year in the league? Will Tiki Barber match his 2004 success? Will the revamped o-line hold up? Will Plaxico Burress make that much of an impact for the receivers? Will the young, thin defensive line play above expectations? Will Antonio Pierce be as effective as a Giant as he was as a Redskin? Will the secondary make the big plays that were missing during the second half of 2004? Will Jay Feely kick as well in Giants Stadium as he did in the Georgia Dome? If all or most of those questions are answered in the affirmative, New York could make some noise in the NFC East and challenge for a wild card. If a couple of those areas of personnel are disappointing, the Giants are likely staring at a third- or fourth-place finish.
— Tony Moss
source : www.sportsnetwork.com
The decision was a controversial one. When Kurt Warner was yanked from the starting lineup in favor of Eli Manning prior to Week 11 of the 2004 season, the Giants stood at 5-4 and in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt. By the time the calendar had flipped to January, New York's two-game losing streak had swelled to eight games, and a dramatic season-ending win over the Cowboys could hardly make up for a campaign that some pundits felt was needlessly lost.
The message the Giants front office and head coach Tom Coughlin were sending by pulling Warner in favor of Manning was clear: Manning was the future of the franchise, and even the potential of a playoff berth wasn't as important to the long-term growth of the team as was Manning's development.
Any Giant fans who bought that logic, took their medicine, and swallowed hard over the final half of 2004 are now expecting to be rewarded in the form of a successful 2005. Manning is supposed to be sharper and more confident, and the fact that his offensive supporting cast has been upgraded only raises the ante in a town where a lack of immediate improvement will not be forgiven or forgotten.
With their decision to invest in the future still prominent in the rear view mirror, Coughlin and company are banking on their unpopular decision paying dividends right now.
Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the New York Giants, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:
DL: The Giants ditched no fewer than three defensive linemen who started for them in 2004 - end Keith Washington (17 tackles, 1 sack) and tackles Lance Legree (36 tackles, 2 sacks) and Norman Hand (15 tackles, 1 sack), signaling a new era for the club in the trenches. Michael Strahan (34 tackles, 4 sacks), who missed the final eight games of 2004 with a torn chest muscle, is expected to make a full return and man the left end slot. Starting opposite Strahan will be third-year man Osi Umenyiora (58 tackles, 7 sacks), who was impressive after being inserted into the starting lineup in the middle of last season. Backup end duties should be handled by third-round draft choice Justin Tuck (Notre Dame) and sixth-rounder Eric Moore (Florida State), with holdover Raheem Orr in the mix as well. On the inside, Fred Robbins (39 tackles, 5 sacks) is back, and the team signed former Steeler Kendrick Clancy (8 tackles with the Steelers) to battle holdovers Kenderick Allen (20 tackles, 1 sack), William Joseph (25 tackles, 2 sacks) and Damane Duckett (4 tackles) for the other starting slot.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Giants have moved from 37-year-old Steve Christie (22-28 FG, 33-33 XP) to 29-year-old Jay Feely (18-23 FG, 40-40 XP) on field goals, though the younger Feely is not known as much of a long-range kicker (3-10 from 50+ in his four-year career). Jeff Feagles (41.5 avg.), who broke into the league with New England in 1988, returns as the New York punter. Willie Ponder (26.9 avg., 1 TD) and Derrick Ward (27.3 avg., 1 TD) both did a nice job on kickoff returns last year, but the team could be looking to upgrade from Mark Jones (6.7 avg.) on punt returns. Former Raven and Dolphin Lamont Brightful (9.9 punt return avg., 25.2 kickoff return avg. with Miami) was brought in to press Jones during training camp.
PROGNOSIS: If everything goes right for the Giants in 2005, the team could take a 3-5 game leap in the win column and push for a playoff berth. Trouble is, everything rarely goes right over the course of an NFL season. Will Eli Manning make huge strides in his second year in the league? Will Tiki Barber match his 2004 success? Will the revamped o-line hold up? Will Plaxico Burress make that much of an impact for the receivers? Will the young, thin defensive line play above expectations? Will Antonio Pierce be as effective as a Giant as he was as a Redskin? Will the secondary make the big plays that were missing during the second half of 2004? Will Jay Feely kick as well in Giants Stadium as he did in the Georgia Dome? If all or most of those questions are answered in the affirmative, New York could make some noise in the NFC East and challenge for a wild card. If a couple of those areas of personnel are disappointing, the Giants are likely staring at a third- or fourth-place finish.
— Tony Moss
source : www.sportsnetwork.com
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