Avoiding a Collapse 101: The New York Giants Should Sign Up

Coming into this season, fans and the organization are confident the team will return to glory and bring home the Lombardi Trophy.

Be that as it may, the lingering pessimist in me cannot help but wonder certain things about the team.

Will Osi Umenyiora return to his dominant form?

Will Michael Boley live up to the hype?

Will the running game suffer with the loss of Ward?

Will the receiving corps erase the memory of Plaxico Burress?

The following are steps the team should take in order to avoid a potential collapse and keep the team relevant all season.

1. Do NOT rush Osi Umenyiora and Michael Boley into the lineup.

Osi is coming off major knee surgery and Michael Boley is recovering from hip surgery and will miss a game due to suspension.

The team is more than capable of weathering the storm if it takes a couple of games for Osi to get acclimated to the speed of the game again.

By signing Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, and moving Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end, they provided the defensive line with much needed depth and the team can feel free to limit his playing time so as not to re-aggravate the injury.

A lineup of Chase Blackburn, Antonio Pierce and Danny Clark does not look so bad for the first game. Blackburn came into his own last season and was rewarded with increased playing time.

To top it off, if Clark or Blackburn do not pan out, the Giants still have Brian Kiehl, Zack DeOssie, and draft pick Clint Sintim all waiting for their opportunity to prove themselves.

Michael Boley should be eased into the lineup so he can take some time to learn the system Bill Sheridan will run.

2. Forget about Derrick Ward; Danny Ware is THE MAN.

Danny Ware impressed fans and the team in the 2008 pre-season, as well as the few carries he had in the non-important game with the Vikings in week 17.

He, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Brandon Jacobs will provide a similar combination of last year's "Earth, Wind, and Fire" tandom. People think Bradshaw will step in and be the No. 2 running back, however I would not be surprised in the slightest if Ware ends up in that role.

Also remember the Giants have the most dominant run blocking offensive line in the NFL, who does not look so thin anymore with the addition of William Beatty as a backup tackle. Derrick Ward will miss them more than the team will miss him.

3. Eli Manning and Kevin Gilbride must trust the new receivers.

Let's face it, it's hard to ignore the losses of Burress and Amani Toomer. People are justifying, rightfully so, the losses by saying the receivers on the roster are more than capable of stepping in and keeping the offense flowing.

The worst thing that can happen is for Manning and Gilbride to distrust the group. Eli has to avoid holding on to the ball for long periods of time, and Gilbride must call the offense as he has in the past.

When Plaxico was suspended, it seemed that Gilbride was calling the offense as he had. As the games progressed, he developed a sense of distrust as the receivers were dropping more and more passes.

The deep ball Domenik Hixon dropped against the Eagles must have ate away at both him, Eli and Hixon.

As a result of this poor play calling, outsiders claim Gilbride is only effective with a dominant wide receiver drawing the double teams. Both he and Eli have to forget the final five games of the 2008 season and move forward.

If the Giants can manage these questions most people have entering the 2009 season, they will be rewarded with a memorable season.