Slowing Momentum, Offensive Woes Leave Giants' Playoff Hopes in Question

The New York Giants entered Thursday night with a clear edict: Beat the floundering Eagles in Philly, and the surging team would be in the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl run in 2011.

But the Giants didn't win for the ninth time in 10 games. In falling to the Eagles 24-19, a number of problems were exposed for the G-Men. Some of the problems are old. Others are new.

And combined together, they were enough to cloud the Giants' postseason fortunes and hand the NFC East title to their hated rivals in Dallas.

The first problem is one that has gotten little attention of late. After downing the Cowboys for the second time this season a couple of weeks ago (the only team in the NFL that's beaten Dallas at all), the Giants were hailed far and wide as the hottest team in the NFL.

But they really haven't been that hot—especially on offense.

The Giants haven't scored 20 points in a game in the month of December. During the six-game winning streak that preceded the drop-off, the Giants averaged 23.7 points a game. Over the last month, however, that number has dropped by more than a touchdown.

The Giants are 2-2 over those four games.

It isn't hard to find the reasons for the offensive slowdown. Over a month ago, tailback Rashad Jennings told Zach Braziller of the New York Post it was imperative that Big Blue improved running the football down the stretch.

"November, December, got to be able to run the ball," the veteran running back said. "Every team needs to be able to run the ball and stop the run in November and December, and we got to continue to learn how to do that."

Yeah, about that.

Entering Week 16, New York ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing, averaging just 81.2 yards a game. Yes, there's been some improvement in that regard. Thursday's 114 yards on the ground tied a team high for December. But for the month, New York still averages just 94.3 yards a game—an average that would "bump" them all the way to 27th.

Woohoo!

Part of that failure to run the ball lies with a less-than-stellar cadre of running backs. But the Giants offensive line deserves some of the blame as well—a line that left Eli Manning rushing many of his career-high 63 pass attempts Thursday.

That's right—Manning attempted 63 passes and the Giants failed to score 20 points.

For the season, the Giants rank outside the top 20 in the NFL in both pass- and run-blocking, per Pro Football Focus. Their performance Thursday likely isn't going to boost that ranking. Football Outsiders grades the pass protection much higher (fourth) but the run-blocking even lower (26th).

Simply put, the Giants just aren't getting any push up front. At least not with any consistency.

Even that isn't the total cause of the woes for a Giants team that entered the week 27th in total offense and 24th in scoring.

Opponents have gotten wise to the importance of superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the New York offense. Bracket coverage and two-deep zone defenses are becoming the norm. It was on Thursday, and while Beckham caught 11 balls for 150 yards in the loss, Manning threw three interceptions—including one that was brought back for a touchdown.

Manning admitted to Bob Glauber of Newsday that moving the ball through the air has lately been nearly as difficult as doing so on the ground:

"

[Opposing teams] do a good job of taking away a lot of the throws. Everything is going to be contested underneath. There are opportunities to get the ball down the field into some zones, but you have to hold the ball also. You should be able to run the ball [with the defensive looks teams are showing].

"

Except the Giants can't run the ball, and that's forcing Manning to attempt passes he shouldn't.

During their winning streak, the Giants defense was able to compensate for the offensive issues and carry the team. But injuries and the constant pressure to be perfect are taking a toll. With Jason Pierre-Paul on the shelf, the Giants have to blitz more to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The absence of cornerback Janoris Jenkins (the team's best coverage corner) against the Eagles made that impossible.

Al Bello/Getty Images

It's not that the Giants have one huge problem or one glaring weakness. There are several small problems that add up to a big one.

This isn't to say it's time for some good old-fashioned Yuletide panic. The Giants are still a 10-win football team with a two-time Super Bowl winner at quarterback. It's entirely possible Big Blue will back into the postseason by the time Week 16 is over, and missing it altogether would require more than a few dominoes to fall a certain way both this week and next.

If the 2007 and 2011 incarnations of the Giants are any indication, backing into the playoffs as a flawed team is just how the Giants like it anyway.

But Thursday's loss hammered home the fact that the Giants do have flaws, and those flaws are not insignificant.

They may not be enough to keep the Giants out of the postseason, but unless New York finds a remedy, it could be a quick trip.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter: @IDPSharks.