New Season, New Drama For Big Blue

New year, new drama for the New York Giants. What was once of the more squeaky clean organizations in sports has suffered through a monsoon of me-first personalities, legal issues and players whining to the media in the last few years. The latest distraction came last night when RB Brandon Jacobs voiced his growing displeasure to an ESPN reporter.

Following last night’s preseason finale in which he didn’t get a single carry, Jacobs made his discontent very clear.

"No question," Jacobs said. "To be in this business you have to know that. No one's your friend in this business. This is a cutthroat, backstabbing business. That's just the way it goes. It's been like that before me. If you expect anything else out of a business like this you're crazy."

Jacobs has obviously been leapfrogged in the backfield rotation by third-year pro Ahmad Bradshaw. It’s understandable that Jacobs would be disappointed in his demotion, but the reasons are clear. Jacobs was awful last year and has been unable to return to form following a string of injuries. Anyone who watches the Giants would agree that Bradshaw is simply the better player right now. Jacobs can whine all he wants, but it’s the truth.

The problem is that the Jacobs situation seems well on its way to becoming a major distraction, the latest in a run of recent off-the-field issues the G-men have endured.

It’s hard to pinpoint when this all began, but Jeremy Shockey’s rookie season is a good place to start. The electrifying tight end thrilled the team on the field where he frequently bowled over opponents and sought physical play every time he touched the ball. But Shockey couldn’t limit his devil-may-care attitude to the field and frequently called out members of the organization to the media and made more than a few eyebrow raising comments about lifestyles---his own, and others’.

Next Tiki Barber, once the poster-boy of New York sports, made comments following a 2005 playoff game about how the Giants (and Tom Coughlin) had been out-coached by John Fox and the Panthers. Barber turned into more and more of a dissenting personality from that point on and was a constant critic of Eli Manning upon his retirement in 2006.

Everyone knows about the Plaxico Burress incident in 2008 when he shot himself in the league. Without Burress, the Giants were upset by the Eagles in the playoffs despite having a first-round-bye.

And last year, Osi Umenyiora turned to the media when he lost his starting job and made his frustration with the organization very clear. Umenyiora indicated that he’d rather retire than be a second-stringer.

Though none of these issues have really destroyed the Giants, and they’re certainly minor compared to the actions of some NFL players, they are part of a disturbing trend. Big Blue gets enough attention simply because of the team’s location and history. Though the team has had plenty of success this decade in spite of distractions, it hasn’t been the same since the Burress incident. And last year, the G-men had one of the worst defensive performances in team history.

In 2010, the Giants are mostly healthy and have plenty of reinforcements. Last season’s embarrassment should be fresh in the players’ minds and barring injury, they should be ready to compete for a division title again. Hopefully that’s the case, but Jacobs’ me-first attitude is exactly what the Giants don’t need. One would hope that Jacobs and the rest of the Giants would have learned their lesson about staying in line. But Jacobs' ego is obviously greater than the team.

Maybe this won’t turn into a season-long issue, and maybe it will. The problem is that there shouldn’t be trouble in the first place. The ball is in Jacobs’ court. Perform, and you’ll play. The Giants have made that very clear. So instead of crying to the media, Jacobs should get himself back into elite form and show the coaches why he should be the starter. It’ll be up to Jacobs and the rest of the team to show some maturity and recognize that one player can, and has, disrupted the team’s chemistry and momentum. If Jacobs has paid any attention to recent history, he’d know that. Tom Coughlin better shut Jacobs up, because the Giants season could well hinge on whether the organization can avoid distractions like Jacobs.

Previewing The Giants Offense

The Giants will look very similar on offense to last year, but they’re not without questions. The Giants must be able to run the ball, the offensive line must stay healthy and the young core of receivers must continue to improve.

Because of all the problems the Giants had defensively last year, the ineffective running game got less criticism than it deserved. Not only did the group fail to show any sense of consistency, but it really hurt the defense by not being able to control the clock. With all the injuries and issues on the other side of the ball, an effective ground game could have saved the season. The Giants made plenty of changes to the D, but a revived ground attack could be just as much of a help.

Big Blue made a huge error in allowing Derrick Ward to leave via free agency last year, and with injury concerns surrounding Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, the team could look to add a running back very early in next April’s draft. Jacobs has never been spry, but nagging injuries have further hindered his mobility. He’s at his best running downhill and plowing over defenders, but far too often he struggles to make it past the line where he can square his shoulders. Until he gets himself completely set, Jacobs is much, much easier for defenders to take down by simply getting their hands on his ankles and chipping his knees. Because of injuries, Jacobs isn’t able to turn up-field quickly enough now, and his career has rapidly declined as a result. He had a couple impressive moments during the preseason but it remains to be seen if Jacobs can approach his past productivity. As for Bradshaw, the question has never been about his skills, it’s all about his durability. Bradshaw has seen his workload increase from 23 carries in his rookie year, to 67 in 2008, to 163 last season. He averaged a stellar 4.8 yards per carry last year, but 163 carries is nowhere near a full workload. The Giants will depend more on Bradshaw this season whether Jacobs stays healthy or not, and it’s up to Bradshaw to show that he can be a feature back. He has already endured several nagging injuries in his career and because he relies so much on stop-on-a-dime cutbacks, the Giants better hope his ankles hold up. There’s no denying Bradshaw’s talent, but I’m not very confident he can handle a bigger role. Beyond Bradshaw and Jacobs, it will be interesting to see what the Giants get out of second-year RB Andre Brown. He was impressive last summer and again this year, so we’ll see if he gets a few carries as the year goes on. At fullback, Madison Hedgecock will continue to pave the way for the backs, but he’s no threat whatsoever running the ball or in the passing game.

I’m not the biggest Eli Manning fan in the world, but there’s no question he’s better than at least 20 of the league’s quarterbacks. The season flashed before our eyes when blood spouted from Manning’s forehead after being crushed by two Jets defenders. Manning has taken it easy since the injury but he should be ready to go for the start of the season. As I wrote yesterday, if Manning misses any time the Giants would be forced to rely on Rhett Bhomar or a veteran they may soon add, but they would be basically writing off any games Manning missed.

The Giants passing game could be dynamic if Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks catch up to Steve Smith. Smith had an incredible year despite absorbing huge responsibility with the departures of Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress. Smith had a team record 107 catches and over 1,200 yards, but Manning became a little too reliant on Smith at times. He showed the capability to perform like a No. 1 receiver but the Giants will really thrive when Nicks takes that role. The Giants could drop Manningham to permanent slot receiver, where they wouldn’t have to depend on him as much and his inconsistencies could be masked. Nicks got better with every game in his rookie season and has emerged as the team’s best big-play threat in years. If he continues to earn Manning’s trust, he could score double-digit touchdowns. Though everyone raves about Ramses Barden’s abilities, he’s done nothing in any game situations to indicate that he’ll have any success in the NFL. UMass rookie Victor Cruz had arguably the best preseason of any player in the league, albeit against second and third-stringers. Manning hasn’t worked with Cruz in game situations of yet, but it looks like it will be difficult to keep the dazzling freshman off the field.

The Giants made a huge move to add to their offensive line depth with the acquisition of three-time Pro Bowler Shawn Andrews. Andrews is probably a ways away from returning to his once dominant form, but he could be a huge buoy as the year goes on and especially if the Giants continue to battle injuries. The starting line of David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, and Kareem McKenzie has been together seemingly forever, but there are significant cracks in their armor. They’ve battled injuries all summer and Seubert’s job has been threatened by Will Beatty. It’s likely that the five will start off the year together, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Andrews and Beatty move into starting spots at some point during the season. In any event, this year will likely be the last together for the quintet.

Kevin Boss is steady if unspectacular at tight end. He’s earned much respect from Manning, the fans, and the coaches with his tough play across the middle. Boss is reckless almost to a fault with his body, but he’s exactly the type of player teams need to win and teammates love to have around. Bear Pascoe should see an expanded role as he’s proving more and more valuable as a blocker. More was expected of Travis Beckum by this point, but the kid can’t stay on the field and has been inconsistent. If he ever gets fully healthy, he could be a weapon.

Compared to the defense, the Giants attack has seen few changes in recent years. It’s rare for New York’s offense to carry the defense and face higher expectations than the Big Blue D, but GM Jerry Reese has collected an enviable array of weapons. With all the questions facing the D, Manning and company had better put points on the board.

Giants Show Interest In Matt Leinart

According to Adam Schefter, the New York Giants are one of three teams interested in acquiring Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart. Leinart, 27, has had a horrible professional career since being drafted out of USC in 2006. Cardinals coach Ken Wishenhunt has repeatedly shown no faith in his young quarterback and has handed over the starting job to former Browns quarterback Derek Anderson.

That Anderson, who was dispatched from Cleveland in favor of Jake Delhomme, has outperformed Leinart should be enough to convince most teams to stay away.

But the Giants lost their backup quarterback, Jim Sorgi, for the year with a shoulder injury and appear reluctant to allow second-year QB Rhett Bhomar to be the undisputed second-stringer.

Leinart's NFL career is doomed no matter where he's traded, but one would have to assume he'd rather be moved to the Bills or Raiders, where the quarterback situations are much less stable, than the Giants.

Whether he'd be an upgrade over Bhomar or not is irrelevant. If Eli Manning goes down for any length of time, the Giants' season is over. Then again, the same goes for any NFL team if it were to lose it's starting quarterback.

Leinart has shown far more interest in partying and hanging out with celebrities than becoming a good NFL player, so he's not exactly the type of guy the Giants typically go after. But he has been in the league for a few years now, and coach Tom Coughlin has made it clear that he'd like a veteran backup. Leinart isn't the most reassuring choice, but at the likely cost of a late round draft pick, it would hardly be something to get upset about.

The only thing that is unclear is who this is worse for, Arizona or Leinart? Arizona went from being in the Super Bowl two years ago, and making the Divisional round of the playoffs last year, to losing Kurt Warner and a host of others and now being a long shot to even approach .500. And Leinart couldn't even hold onto the starting job that was handed to him on a silver platter with Warner's departure, and allowed Anderson to take his position. The outlook isn't very good for either party.

Peter King Says The Giants Defense Will Be Better, I Say Who Knows?

In this week’s Monday Morning Quarterback, Peter King announced that he expects the Giants to be a “top-10 defense, and maybe top-five” defense in 2010. Disclaimer: King was referring to fantasy defenses. Nevertheless, it was a lofty prediction for a defense that was absolutely shredded down the stretch last season.

King's full quote: "N.Y. Giants: Only two teams -- St. Louis and Detroit -- allowed more points than the Giants last year. That'll turn around this year, in a big way. The Giants will be a top-10 defense, and maybe top-five. Once defenses start going off the board, I'd take the Giants."

I asked Giants beat writer Ralph Vacchiano on Twitter if he agreed with King: "@kevinbaumer No. Not from what I've seen so far."

In the final two games of the 2009 season, the Giants gave up 41 points to Carolina then 44 to the Minnesota Vikings. They allowed 40+ points three other times last season, to New Orleans and Philadelphia twice. And there's this, via Yahoo, "The Giants ranked 30th in the league last season in points-allowed (26.7), just behind the Chiefs and barely ahead of the Rams. In 2008, New York's defense finished fifth in both points (18.4) and total yards (292.0). The team recorded only 32 sacks in '09 after placing sixth in the NFL in '08 (42) and first in '07 (53)."

Yikes.

Last season was among the worst defensive performances in team history. Still, a very good defensive year in 2008 begs the question, was last year a fluke?

It shouldn’t be an excuse, but Giants defenders couldn’t stay healthy to save their lives last season. Key players Aaron Ross, Kenny Phillips, Antonio Pierce, Chris Canty, Jay Alford, Michael Boley and Corey Webster missed significant time.

Not only will the Giants be adding several now-healthy pieces to the mix, but they were not shy about addressing their weaknesses this offseason. Changes came in the coaching staff, through free agency and at the draft.

First, Big Blue replaced defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan with fiery Bills coach Perry Fewell. The players have already voiced a far more positive response to Fewell’s scheme and attitude than at any point last year. The Giants also added Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle, veteran linebacker Keith Bulluck and strong safety Deon Grant via free agency. In June, the G-Men spent their first four draft choices on defenders: defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, tackle Linval Joseph, safety Chad Jones (who is out of the equation following a car wreck) and middle linebacker Phillip Dillard.

No one can accuse the Giants front office of sitting back and pretending last year didn’t happen. GM Jerry Reese was extremely active in trying to fix last year’s debacle, and he didn’t just fill the team’s many holes with stop-gap solutions. Bulluck may not play more than one year with the team, but the Giants added several pieces that figure to be important to the team this year and even more so down the line.

The question is: will all these changes yield actual results?

Really, the Giants can’t be any worse than last year. But they still must face the high-powered Colts, Texans, Vikings and Packers, and the Eagles and Cowboys twice each. If the D isn’t improved, those eight games could result in 40 point firework shows just like last year.

Barring more significant injuries, the Giants figure to have a much-improved pass rush, a dynamic tandem at safety, and serious depth across the board. Based on talent alone, there aren’t many defenses that should be better than the Giants. Much can go right if Perry Fewell communicates his wishes to his players accurately, a task Bill Sheridan couldn’t handle. And if Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle are both on the field at the same time, the Giants should be able to force quite a few turnovers in the secondary. And when healthy, Aaron Ross, Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas are among the league’s best young cornerback trios. And even if Keith Bulluck is on his last legs, he’s still an upgrade over pretty much everyone the Giants had at linebacker. And if Michael Boley can stay healthy and young linebackers Clint Sintim, Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff make strides, the Giants could have an extremely unsexy, yet effective group. And if Justin Tuck can conquer nagging injuries, he’s one of the best pass-rushers in the league. And if he can get even a little help from the underachieving Mathias Kiwanuka, and Osi Umenyiora stops whining and starts performing, and Jason Pierre-Paul harnesses some of his freakish natural ability, and Dave Tollefson builds off an impressive offseason, the Giants should be able to create more pressure than they have since their Super Bowl season. And of course, it wouldn’t hurt if Jay Alford, Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty can stay healthy at defensive tackle, where they’ll join stalwart Barry Cofield and mammoth rookie Linval Joseph. You’d think that would be a tough quintet to run through.

Then again, Perry Fewell is changing things for the second consecutive offseason, always a tough task for players. And Phillips has gigantic healthy concerns. And Rolle, while a very good player, may not really be worth the money the Giants gave him. And Ross already has a serious injury. And Bulluck’s legs really could fall off. And Boley has injury issues too, which could thrust way too much responsibility on the youngsters who may not be talented enough for starting jobs now, or ever. And despite the talent the Giants have had on the ends in recent years, the results have never quite been what we’ve expected, so why should that change now? And don’t hold your breath that any of the defensive tackles will play more than half the season.

Basically, it’s impossible to tell. The Giants could, and probably should, make a dramatic improvement on last year’s horrid defensive performance. Whether they’ll finish in the top-five or ten as King suggests is another story. That’s way too big of a leap for a team that was as bad as the Giants were last year. Still, there’s no way they can be that bad again, is there? The schedule as a whole is probably a touch easier than last season, but there are several matchups that could cause major problems for the Giants. If you’ve read this far and your head is spinning, I don’t blame you. At this point you probably have no idea what to expect from Big Blue. And neither do I.