Well it looks like the wheels have fallen off. The past quarter of the season really exposed the teams weaknesses.
Offense
Eli has gone from MVP numbers to Jamarcus Russell (Oakland's QB) numbers. He has thrown more INTs in the past 4 weeks than touchdowns. The team has also gone away from running the ball, probably because they have found themselves down and needing to catch up early in the game. Their "red zone" numbers also haven't really improved and it has shown. Overall, they proved they can't hang with the high powered offense teams.
Defense
The past 3 games has seen the Giants give up an average of 40 points per game, and that is not acceptable for a team that has prided itself on being a smash mouth defensive team. The secondary has not been able to keep up with anybody, the linebackers can't seem to tackle and the defensive ends can't seem to find the quarterback. At this point, even if some of their injured players came back, I don't think it will help them fill all the gaps.
Special Teams and Kicking
When your place kicker is leading the team in points, that is a sign that you are not scoring enough points. The special team hasn't been great on either side. The defensive ST have given up huge returns on both punts and kickoffs, while the offensive ST haven't run any back.
After getting a great report card for the
1st quarter of the season, I have to give the Giants a big fat F for the 2nd quarter of the season. Combine the 2 and I would say that at the half way point of the season, I would give them a D.
At this point, if they don't manage to win 2 out of their next 3 games, they definitely won't make the playoffs. The good news is that after this upcoming weekend, they do have a bye to rest up and get ready for the end of the season push for the playoffs. In my opinion, because of their challenging schedule that still remains, I wouldn't be surprise if they finish the season somewhere around 8-8 and don't make the playoffs. Let's hope I'm wrong!
