5 Keys to Potent New York Giants Ground Game in 2015

When the New York Giants are at their best, they're usually riding a powerful ground game. As Big Blue tries to rebound from back-to-back losing seasons, the team must start by rebuilding its rushing attack. The 6-10 Giants averaged 3.6 yards per carry as a team in 2014 (30th in the NFL).

Ben McAdoo, in his second season as the team's offensive coordinator, is charged with revamping the running game in 2015. McAdoo has helped breathe life into New York's pass offense; he now has the personnel in place to do the same on the ground.

In all, there are five keys for the Giants to reestablish a potent ground game, and they're outlined in the following slides. Read on to find out how the entire offensive unit must chip in for New York's main ball-carriers to thrive this season.

Offensive Line Chemistry

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The Giants' ground game will be doomed from the start if they don't place a premium on improved offensive line play. Pro Football Focus ranked last year's unit 20th out of 32 NFL O-lines (an improvement after a ranking of 28th in 2013).

New York will again feature a new starting line configuration in 2015. The good news: The unit's weakest point from last year, John Jerry, is likely to be replaced at right guard. The bad news: The Giants' most effective offensive lineman from 2014, Will Beatty, is injured and also must be replaced.

Injuries like Beatty's have kept the Giants from making significant progress along the offensive line in recent years. Once again, the team must experiment in order to keep the positional unit afloat.

The experiment begins with 2015 first-round pick Ereck Flowers starting at left tackle. Flowers, the ninth overall selection, may lack the experience to be trusted to protect quarterback Eli Manning from the NFL's finest pass-rushers, but few doubt the 21-year-old rookie's potential to be an immediate man-handler as a run-blocker.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese has not ruled out a late addition to the offensive line, according to Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media. The team has hosted former All-Pro Jake Long, who is recovering from back-to-back ACL tears, as an option at left tackle—or, perhaps, in place of 2015 free agent acquisition Marshall Newhouse at right tackle.

As uncertain as the tackle positions appear, the Giants will field the personnel for a strong interior force, where two major transitions are in progress: Weston Richburg (Round 2, Pick 43, 2014) is returning to center after a rookie season spent as the team's starting left guard, and Justin Pugh (Round 1, Pick 19, 2013) leaves two years as the Giants' starting right tackle to fill Richburg's old left guard role. The linchpin of the entire line might be right guard Geoff Schwartz, who must stay healthy after playing only two games during his first season in New York.

If the Giants can avoid further injury to their O-line, this untested combination can pave the way to a potent ground game, particularly up the gut.

A Thriving Passing Game

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Traditionally, teams use the run to set up the pass. There's no law of football physics, however, proving the opposite as impossible.

It took offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo just one season to put together an impressive passing attack. McAdoo inherited the platoon from previous play-caller Kevin Gilbride and cleaned up the play of quarterback Eli Manning, who had thrown 18 touchdowns and 27 interceptions the season before the coaching change.

Manning had one of his best seasons in 2014, statistically speaking at least. He surpassed 4,000 yards for the first time since 2011, completed a career-high 63.1 percent of his pass attempts and reached the 30-touchdown mark for only the second time in his career. Maybe most importantly, Manning cut his interception total down to 14.

The success of New York's passing game was highly dependent upon Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014. As a rookie, Beckham wasted no time in establishing himself as a pass-catcher who demands the attention of more than one defender. Double-teaming OBJ will make it difficult for opposing defenses to devote an extra man to the box, so room to run will be available for any Giants ball-carrier who's able to beat the first wave.

For the passing game to fully affect New York's success on the ground, a solid supporting cast must develop around Beckham. Victor Cruz needs to come back from a nasty knee injury, and Rueben Randle has to step up in a contract year. In addition, having a big tight end target will help open up the run in the red zone.

The more there is to worry about when defending Manning's passing game, the more successful his offense will be when handing off the ball.

Rashad Jennings' Health

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Early in the 2014 season, the Giants showed signs of a balanced offense, and starting running back Rashad Jennings was a huge reason why.

In a Week 3 win over the Houston Texans, Jennings carried the ball 34 times for 176 yards and a touchdown. After that game, however, his health was always in question. He missed five games with knee and ankle injuries and ceded seven starts to rookie backup Andre Williams last season.

Jennings finished his first season as a Giant with 167 carries for 639 yards and four touchdowns. Those figures do not mark sufficient production for a featured running back. The Giants will need more from him moving forward.

Fluid in his running style and reliable in his ball security, Jennings is the exact type of back old-school head coach Tom Coughlin likes. Yet at 6'1" and 231 pounds, it's surprising the former Jacksonville Jaguar/Oakland Raider isn't a bit more durable. Through six NFL seasons, Jennings has never played all 16 games.

Now, at 30 years old, Jennings is running out of time to prove himself as a player who can handle the workload of a No. 1 running back. Still, the Giants are likely to give the veteran back one more chance to lead the pack.

The Giants don't need Jennings to be the bell cow of their offensive backfield, as his savvy is far more valuable in spurts on the field than it is in stints on the sideline.

Andre Williams' Growth

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Andre Williams saw plenty of carries as a rookie and was much more of a workhorse than Rashad Jennings was in 2014. Even though Williams started two fewer games than Jennings did, the former fourth-round pick took 50 more handoffs on the season.

Williams also led Jennings in yards (721) and touchdowns (7) last year. Despite those team-leading statistics, Williams wasn't the most exciting or efficient ball-carrier to watch. He averaged only 3.3 yards per carry and lacked Jennings' veteran vision and patience as a runner.

While Williams wound up being a wildly effective and durable battering ram, he can afford to become a more complete running back in his second NFL season. The Boston College product, who's a squat 230 pounds running at 5'10", must prove that he's more than just a bowling ball coming out of the offensive backfield.

Williams' role in 2015 will depend upon his growth this summer. If, in training camp and the preseason, he displays a heightened football IQ, a better burst and an expanded repertoire, Williams will take a huge step toward becoming the Giants' featured back of the future.

Although Williams will only be 23 years old during the 2015 season, it could be a pivotal year in the young running back's career. His performance will determine whether he has what it takes to be an every-down back, or if he's destined to be nothing more than a short-yardage/goal-line specialist.

For every responsibility a more seasoned Williams is able to handle, New York's ground game will benefit accordingly.

Shane Vereen's Versatility

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There's an extra wrinkle in the running back competition this year, as Shane Vereen has come over from the New England Patriots via free agency.

Vereen was mostly a third-down running back with the Patriots, but Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media believes he'll be a bigger contributor in New York, based on observations from OTA workouts. A smaller back than both Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings, Vereen (5'10", 205 lbs) will be more valuable to the Giants as a pass-catcher than as a ball-carrier.

Through four NFL seasons, Vereen has caught 107 passes for 1,023 yards (9.6 yards per reception). In comparison, the former second-round pick has handled 217 carries for only 907 yards (4.2 yards per carry). For what it's worth, the ex-Patriot is an equal opportunity scorer with seven career rushing touchdowns and seven more receiving touchdowns.

Vereen should threaten both Williams and Jennings for playing time in 2015. He's already the best receiver of the bunch; he might be the best blocker, too. Unmatched versatility will make Vereen one tough back to take off the field once he's inserted into the lineup.

The ideal situation does not involve Vereen diminishing the roles of New York's other running backs. In fact, a perfect backfield mix would maximize the impact of each contributor. The Giants have a potentially dynamic trio in place, so long as Jennings, Williams and Vereen can form a complementary committee.

Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.