Giant Woes

Giants fans of this generation are not used to this. The last time the G-men lost their first three games of the season was in 1996 under head coach Dan Reeves. The Giants went 6-10 that season and were one of the worst offenses in football. A lot has changed since then for Big Blue, and fans rightfully had higher expectations for the Giants than the type of performance they’ve showed so far this season.

Supporters of big blue also anticipated a little more heart than a 38-0 beat down against the Carolina Panthers in week three. Suffering a loss against an equally desperate team is one thing, but a complete embarrassment? Giants head coach Tom Coughlin admitted that his team was completely “man handled” up front, and that may have been the light way of putting it. The Panthers were able to only send four rushers for the entirety of the game and the Giants offensive line had no answer for it. Giants quarterback Eli Manning was sacked seven times, and was hurried or hit on virtually every play. But the one statistic remains a disheartening fact: a big fat goose egg on the scoreboard.

A shock like this naturally brings a lot of negative media attention towards the Giants locker room. Even on seasons where the Giants fell short of the playoffs, Coughlin has not had a Giants team that was below .500 since his first year with the team in 2004. For almost a decade, Giants fans have been spoiled with a high level of competitive football. Now due to recent woes, fans have a tendency to distance themselves from the pain and suffering that’s been seen the past few Sundays.

That type of tendency is known as being a “fair weather” fan, showing up for the good times but not the bad. Yes it can be tough to endure when a beloved team struggles, but it’s just not right in nature to do something like that. The definition of a fan reads as a “person filled with single-minded zeal.” That type of devotion to a cause can’t only be on sunny days. That would be contradictory to the very nature of fan hood.

The Giants will look for answers, but on a positive note, the NFC East has struggled as a whole and the Giants can easily be right back in the picture with a couple of victories. It is a long season and the NFL is more competitive than ever before. Teams are still looking for identities in the 2013 season, and a lot can change in a short period of time.

The New York Football Giants under Tom Coughlin have had a reputation over the years of bouncing back from adversity and surprising the media just as they were about to be written off. This idea of bouncing back in the 2013 season is without a doubt the largest challenge the Giants have faced in quite a while. Since 1990, only three teams have been able to clinch a playoff appearance after starting their seasons 0-3, and none of them have won a Super Bowl. The Giants turning this debacle of a season around, almost seems farfetched and unlikely.

There are almost always reasons for a fan to believe. And fans have an obligation to stand by their team through thick and thin. That type of loyalty is an admirable trait and should be held in high honor. As long as there is a mathematical possibility of an optimistic future for the Giants, there’s no reason not to stand by them at all times. The Giants under Coughlin have busted it for fans in the past, and it wouldn’t be justified to turn on them at the first sight of complications.   

0-2

The Giants are in a state of disarray after their rough start to the 2013 season. After a heartbreaking five point loss in Dallas and a spanking at home against the Denver Broncos, the Giants will travel to Carolina for a game that will hopefully rebound their fortunes as a football club. Carolina has their own slew of problems, as they are 0-2 as well after losing in the games final seconds last week against Buffalo.

In order for the Giants to overcome their woes, the solution is simple: the turnovers have to stop. The defense has not been a problem for the Giants, but the offenses inability to take care of the football has fans tearing their hair out. The last time the Giants had significant turnover problems was 2010, when the Giants fell just short of making the post season.

0-2 is a serious issue but it is not tragic. 0-3 on the other hand, that is tragic. Someone's season is going to have a real problem as a result of this football game. Week three traditionally is a week in the NFL full of upsets and confusion to fans. It's a real chance for teams to make a statement to the league as far as their identity goes. And an 0-3 record would speak volumes.

Positively for the Giants the Panthers defense is having serious injury issues. Of their four regular starting defensive backs, three of them will not be playing against the Giants on Sunday. Safety Charles Godfrey will be out for the year after tearing his achilles against the Bills last week, and cornerback's D.J. Moore and Robert Lester have been ruled out of the game as well. This type of depleted secondary is something the Giants should have no problem capitalizing against in the air on Sunday.

As for the Giants, the only new thing to the injury list is that Corey Webster has been ruled out of this game. A positive of this is for the Giants is that this is a real opportunity for Terrell Thomas, who was nothing short of a complete inspiration on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. In just his second game since returning from his third ACL tear, Thomas had the assignment of covering Wes Welker, one of the best slot receivers in football. Thomas was a force on Welker for a vast majority of the game, and held him to just three catches. Thomas has overcome almost incomprehensible obstacles to get back on the field, and he has officially proven his worth to the New York Giants after that. Simply awesome. He's worth every penny.

As for the Giants offense, this is the game they break out. The skill is there, they were able to score thirty-one points against the Cowboys even with six turnovers in the game. David Wilson has the talent to be great, but he's naturally apprehensive after his fumbilitis in week one. He's avoiding the pain instead of delivering the pain. That will go away eventually, and hopefully soon. Until then Brandon Jacobs can teach Wilson a thing or two about delivering the pain. The Giants may have running issues, but hopefully this group will get more than just fourteen carries against Carolina. All they need is a chance.

Unfortunately for the Giants, this is not the time for chances and experiments of production. This is desperate football, and Tom Coughlin knows it. He has snapped several times at the media this week and his expression of concern is evident. Sadly that may also have something to do with the tragedy that the Coughlin family is enduring. Tom's brother passed away shockingly this past week after hitting his head in a significant accident. He passed of a brain aneurysm, and Tom will be going to his brothers funeral just two days after the Giants play in Carolina.

Giants fans have to appreciate the dedication Tom Coughlin has expressed to his football club time and time again. Hopefully the team will get it together in their desperate need of a victory. With their backs against the wall under Coughlin all fans know the Giants have the ability to produce, but this is a game of desperation football for not just the Giants but the Panthers as well.

Time to get their heads on straight and stop messing around. 0-3 is unacceptable and there's not one member of the Giants organization that doesn't know that.

If you don't believe me, ask Chuck Knoxx.

Happy Football

It's finally here.

Another year to a tradition of Giants football that's brought joy to fans of Big Blue for generations. After an eventful off season, it's officially time for the NFL regular season. Obviously last season is in the past, but there are some strengths and weaknesses that this team now has in response to a disappointing collapse as defending Super Bowl Champions.

Strengths: 

Defensive Line- Last year the Giants defense stunk. Really stunk. And it was mainly because of the defensive line. Last year Jason Pierre-Paul led the team with a measly 6.5 sacks. When it came to stopping the run the Giants defensive line was an afterthought. This will not be the case this year. The Giants have completely upgraded at the defensive tackle position. After cutting Chris Canty, the Giants signed veterans Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson. Shaun Rodgers is back from injury to add to the depth. The Giants also drafted Jonathan Hankins from Ohio St. in the second round. The defensive tackle position is bigger and beefier than ever, and the defensive ends should be back to play. The Giants rightfully cut Osi "the matador" Umenyiora, due to his inability to stop the run. Now Mathias Kiwanuka is back where he belongs at the defensive end position. Jason Pierre-Paul has had successful back surgery and is all ready to go for week one. And Justin Tuck, the captain, is rumored to be in fantastic shape. Tuck's entering a contract year and has admitted that a goal of his is to retire after a long career with the New York Giants.

Passing Game- The Giants have not had a bad year throwing the ball in quite some time. Eli Manning continues to do what he does in 2 minute drills and clutch situations. Everyone knows Victor Cruz is back for the long haul, and Hakeem Nicks needs to have a good year if he wants to be in the same club. Not to mention Rueben Randle is emerging as a consistent receiving threat in the offense. There are some concerns on the offensive line, but drafting Justin Pugh in the first round has already proven to be the correct decision. Eli can throw the rock. Look for him to improve his completion percentage this year.

Weaknesses: 

Linebackers- Everyone fears the mysteries of the unknown. And the truth of the matter is the Giants have a very inexperienced linebacker core. Dan Connor signed with the Giants this off season and won the starting middle linebacker position, with Mark Herzlich not too far behind him. Keith Rivers will handle the fort at strong side linebacker and Spencer Paysinger will be at the weak side. Expect Jacquian Williams to be a big part of passing plays and drop back coverage. This group is a big question mark. There is a lot of enthusiasm but there is also a lot of inexperience. Hopefully an upgraded defensive line can assist the new looking linebacker core.

Safeties- The Giants signed Stevie Brown to a big contract this off season, but unfortunately during a pre-season game against the Jets, Brown tore his ACL and will be out for the season. And due to Will Hill's untimely suspension and the releasing of Tyler Sash, the Giants depth at safety is suddenly very thin. Antrel Rolle has battled through an ankle sprain and is as good as it gets at the strong safety position. He is arguably the best tackler on the team. But beside Rolle will be the new guy, Ryan Mundy. As a Steeler, Mundy started the past four seasons as a free safety and was actually quite solid for Pittsburgh. But after Rolle and Mundy, depth is problematic and the Giants may consider converting a corner to safety. The safeties may be able to hang in there until Hill is back from his suspension but they have to be a group focused on the task at hand. Antrel Rolle has been rewarded the title of captain for his dependability the past few seasons. Rolle was really shaken up about his pal Stevie Brown, but he is fighting through his ankle sprain because he knows the team needs him.

There are some other concerns with this Giants team as well. With Andre Brown out the running game is another concern but fans are excited about what Wilson can do. Dave Diehl's injury hurts offensive line depth but as a veteran that's slowing down that's not the worst thing that hurt the team.

The point is the Giants, like every other team in the NFC, have a lot of pros and cons. But this is a new year and this is a division where it's up for grabs. The Super Bowl is in the Meadowlands this season, everybody knows that.

And the Giants have just as much a chance as anybody to compete for it.

Happy Football.