Why the New York Giants Desperately Need a Running Threat

Brandon Jacobs is a horse; there’s no question about that.

The only problem is that Jacobs is a powerful Clydesdale rather than a galloping thoroughbred.

On 3rd-and-2, it’s handy to have that Clydesdale available to carry the offense a few yards forward.

However, you’ll rarely see that same Clydesdale galloping 50 yards towards the end zone.  

For three years now, the Giants have been attempting to turn Jacobs into something he’s not.

He doesn’t look like an all-purpose back and he certainly doesn’t run like one—could it be possible that he’s just not an all-purpose running back?

Jacobs has been and always will be a short down back who can occasionally break away for 15-20 yard gains, which is perfectly fine.  Having a short down back as powerful as Jacobs is an invaluable asset to any offense, as long as he’s not the team’s primary back.

Handing the ball off to Jacobs on 3rd-and-2 = good.

Handing Jacobs the ball on 2nd-and-8 = not good.

Would you really want to hop on a Clydesdale if you needed to ride two miles as quickly as possible?

Ahmad Bradshaw is a decent back, but he’s not that guy either.  He’s not that guy who can provide the Giants with a legitimate running threat.

The Giants have a good receiving core that seems to be getting better by the day.

Eli has had somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde season, although solid.

However, the Giants have had a difficult time freeing up their passing game due in large part to their inability to put forth a legitimate running threat.

Defenses don’t need to worry about Giants backs breaking away for 60 yard gains.  They’ll gladly let Jacobs gain his four yards on 2nd-and-8 in exchange for shutting down the passing game.

Now, the Giants’ problems run far deeper than the running game.  In the grand scheme of things, the running game probably ranks several notches down on the Giants’ house cleaning to-do list.

The defensive play was almost comical this season.

Bill “The Touchdown Maker” Sheridan clearly needs to be shown the door; and right behind him needs to be Kevin “Old Predictable” Gilbride.

The secondary needs to either mature very quickly during the off-season or the Giants will need to bring on some fresh meat.

The offensive line will need to play much better in 2011, and the Giants may also need to patch the line up with an addition or two.

But right now, the Giants biggest weapons are Eli Manning and their strong young receiving core.  However, the Giants are unable to take full advantage of these extremely valuable offensive assets due to an almost non- existent running game.

Whether they sign a legitimate all-purpose back, trade up for a better draft pick or make a trade with another team, one thing is for certain: Eli Manning and the receiving core will continue to be neutralized until the Giants are able to throw a thoroughbred out there in the back field to at least give defenses something to think about.