Free-Falling Giants Have to Shift Expectations, Redefine Success

The New York Giants are all too familiar with rock bottom. They spent some time there last September and October. In case you've already repressed that memory, the G-Men started 0-6 last season, ranking at or near the bottom of the league in pretty much every offensive and defensive category. 

They're only 0-2 this year, and they've been slightly more competitive, but the reality is the Giants are already back within reaching distance of rock bottom. 

That's what happens when you get blown out by a so-so opponent to kick off the season before choking in your home opener against an opponent that traveled across the country on short rest and didn't have its starting quarterback. 

It's not as though quarterback Eli Manning played poorly against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The new-look offense moved the ball relatively well, especially in comparison to what we saw from that unit throughout the month of August and in Week 1. What's more, the pass rush came to life with four sacks and 16 pressures. 

But that's the problem with this team. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: There's isn't one specific issue that is plaguing them. They're bad across the board, which means that even if the passing game is decent or the pass rush is rolling—as was the case Sunday—they're likely to be sunk by that depleted secondary or that patchwork offensive line or sloppy, inefficient special teams. 

And yes, that's what happened against Arizona, with the Cardinals scoring on a punt return just before the Giants fumbled on the ensuing return, causing a nine-point swing in the fourth quarter of a close game. It was probably the difference between a win and a loss. 

It didn't help that the line once again couldn't open up running lanes for backs Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams. Two weeks in, the Giants rank 30th in football with just 2.7 yards per carry.

Team	Yards per carry
Jacksonville Jaguars	2.5
San Diego Chargers	2.5
New York Giants	2.7
Detroit Lions	3.0
Carolina Panthers	3.1

So they can't run, nor can they catch. Manning hasn't been great, but his most reliable receiver, Victor Cruz, has a league-high four dropped passes through Week 2, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That's unacceptable. 

Receiver	Drops
1. Victor Cruz	4
2. Jordy Nelson	3
2. Kelvin Benjamin	3

And when it rains, it pours. The secondary was supposed to be a strength this year, but newbie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been inconsistent, and injuries could derail the entire defensive backfield.

New nickel corner Walter Thurmond is now out for the year with a torn pectoral, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, which could have a negative domino effect if it forces veteran safety Antrel Rolle to once again shift to a nickel role quite frequently. With once-presumed starter Will Hill long gone, the secondary is being stretched thin. 

Throw in that starting middle linebacker/tackle machine Jon Beason could miss time due to a toe injury, and it's safe to declare a Murphy's Law state of emergency in the land of Big Blue. 

It's going to get worse before it gets better. You never give up on a season at 0-2, especially with the magical Manning at quarterback and Tom Coughlin running the show, but Giants fans have to realize that this isn't 2007 or 2011. Lightning broke from convention by striking twice in the same place those years, but it's simply not going to happen again.

This is not a playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl contender. 

In fact, there's a strong chance that the Giants won't be favored to win a game again until they host the Cowboys in Week 12. They're a slight underdog for a matchup with the 2-0 Texans and that strong defensive front in Week 3, according to Odds Shark, and beyond that, they have to go on the road on short rest to battle an underrated Redskins defense before facing the superior Falcons and Eagles in Weeks 5 and 6. It's Dallas on the road in Week 7 and then Super Bowl contenders Indianapolis, Seattle and San Francisco coming out of their Week 8 bye. 

Week	Opponent	Record	Notes
3	vs. Texans	2-0	J.J. Watt vs. that line? Trouble.
4	at Redskins	1-1	Washington defense is much improved.
5	vs. Falcons	1-1	Beat the Saints to start the season.
6	at Eagles	1-0	Reigning division champion.
7	at Cowboys	1-1	Giants have lost 3 of last 4 vs. Dallas.
9	vs. Colts	0-1	Reigning AFC South champion.
10	at Seahawks	1-1	Super Bowl champs crushed them last year.
11	vs. 49ers	1-1	24-9-1 since start of 2012.

So no, you don't sit Manning or start giving dramatic snap increases to younger players just because you're struggling in mid-September. But if you don't reconsider your goals and redefine your expectations regarding success right now, this season will possess no redeeming value. 

"This is a rebuilding team," wrote ESPN.com's Dan Graziano Monday, "and if you're a Giants fan right now you have to recalibrate your expectations as follows: The goal should be to feel, at the end of this year, that progress has been made and there's something on which to build."

With a struggling quarterback who will be 34 in January, that won't always be easy. But the focus now has to shift to the future. Can rookie Weston Richburg become a staple within the interior offensive line? Can top pick Odell Beckham salvage his rookie season? What about the fourth-round running back Williams?

Can Justin Pugh become a pillar at right tackle in his sophomore season? Can second-year defensive linemen Damontre Moore and Johnathan Hankins continue to emerge, causing them to forget about the departed Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph?

This season isn't lost, but for the fifth time in six years, it'll almost certainly conclude in Week 17. The key is to broaden the spectrum for success and hope that over the next 15 weeks, the Giants can plant some positive seeds for what appears to be an inevitable rebuild. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon