Giants' Offense Has Potential to Dominate in 2015

There haven't been a lot of good vibes surrounding the New York Giants of late, which is understandable when you consider that the G-Men have just a single victory in the last two months.

But with that in mind, I'd like to throw a happy Giants-related thought out there.

The Giants have a chance to score a lot of points in the very near future.

Why so much optimism about an offense that ranks 14th in points and yardage, 24th in yards per play and 28th when it comes to turnovers? Because while they've been crushed by injuries and plagued by growing pains during their first year under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, the Giants are showing signs that the right pieces are in place for a very productive 2015 season.

It Starts with Odell Beckham Jr.

The No. 12 overall pick frustrated fans and those within the organization when he spent most of the summer and part of the fall on the sideline due to a hamstring injury.

He's done more than make up for that absence with four 100-yard performances in a 10-week stretch.

During the second half of the 2014 season, Beckham hasn't just been the league's best rookie—he's also been the most productive wide receiver in the NFL:

Receiver	REC	Yards	TD
1. Odell Beckham	49	723	3
2. Julio Jones	40	694	3
3. Mike Evans	32	599	8
4. A.J. Green	39	596	4
5. Emmanuel Sanders	39	574	3

There's a good chance he's going to go over 1,000 yards despite starting only 11 games this season, and he also has six touchdowns since making his debut in Week 5.

Team Rankings indicates Beckham has caught 72 percent of the passes quarterback Eli Manning has thrown his way, dropping only two of those throws. He possesses a dangerous combination of wheels and hands and has already made one of the most amazing touchdown grabs we've ever seen.

For the 22-year-old, the sky's the limit.

Don't Overlook Andre Williams

Beckham had 130 yards and a career-high 11 catches in Sunday's victory over the Tennessee Titans, but he wasn't the only Giants rookie who stood out in Week 14.

In fact, you could argue that rookie fourth-round pick Andre Williams was even better.

The 22-year-old Boston College product had a breakout performance in Nashville with 147 yards on 27 touches. We knew he had it in him when we saw him bully defenses in the preseason, but Williams failed to truly stand out before finally exploding as a starter in place of the injured Rashad Jennings Sunday.

Williams broke five tackles against the Titans and dodged two potential tacklers on a 50-yard touchdown run to put the game away early in the third quarter.

On that play, he somehow got away from Titans defensive lineman Sammie Hill despite juggling the ball four yards behind the line of scrimmage:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Later on the same play, the big guy flat-out beat safety George Wilson in a footrace:

Cfredit: NFL Game Pass

Not bad for a 230-pounder. Wilson, by the way, only weighs 212 pounds.

One big game doesn't make Williams a star, but there's been something about this kid from the start. He looks and feels like a natural New York Giant and has the skill set and frame to become a perennial Pro Bowl rusher, starting in 2015.

And Don't Forget About Victor Cruz

You know, that 28-year-old Pro Bowl wide receiver. It's easy to forget about him because he's been on injured reserve since Week 7 due to a major knee injury.

Before suffering a torn patellar tendon in a Week 6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Cruz was on pace to hit the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in four years—the one time he didn't, he had 998.

If indeed Cruz can fully recover from reconstructive surgery in time for the start of next season, he and Beckham could very quickly become one of the most dangerous wide receiver duos in the NFL.

With talented supporting-cast members Rueben Randle and Larry Donnell in complementary roles, Manning would suddenly have the best arsenal of weapons he's ever had.

Position	Top guy	Key cog	Factoring in	No. 4	No. 5
Quarterback	Eli Manning	X rookie	Ryan Nassib
Running back	Andre Williams	Rashad Jennings	Michael Cox
Receiver	Victor Cruz	Odell Beckham	Rueben Randle	TBD	TBD
Tight end	Larry Donnell	Daniel Fells	Adrien Robinson
Line	Will Beatty	Justin Pugh	Geoff Schwartz	Weston Richburg	X rookie

The Line Isn't far from Being Good

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Manning's pass protection has at times been shaky, at other times nonexistent. But that shouldn't come as a surprise.

Rookie second-round pick Weston Richburg has experienced some growing pains at left guard but is coming off a stellar performance in which he gave up only two pressures and earned his second-best (subscription required) run-blocking grade of the season.

Plus, versatile veteran guard/tackle Geoff Schwartz is on injured reserve after playing only 93 snaps this season. He's only 28, though, and should be able to bounce back as a reliable starter in 2015.

Left tackle Will Beatty was a problem coming back from injury last season but has been solid all year. He's surrendered only three sacks and is PFF's second-highest rated offensive player on the roster.

Beatty's 29 and in his prime, and right tackle Justin Pugh—a first-round pick from 2013—should only get better in his third season.

Of Course, None of It Works Without Eli

More weapons and better support is one thing, but Manning still has to play better. That's the one thing I'm not completely convinced will happen.

The receiving corps should benefit from an upgrade, the running game should be better and the pass protection should improve, but the 34-year-old quarterback still has to cut down on his unforced errors.

This league has become so quarterback-oriented that this offense won't take off without a rejuvenated Manning. Only five of his 13 interceptions this season have come on plays in which he was under pressure.

In fact, only eight of 28 (subscription required) qualifying quarterbacks have been pressured less frequently this season. Seven quarterbacks—including Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady—have dealt with more dropped passes.

It's not as though he's been hung out to dry significantly more often than his peers, and yet 17 quarterbacks—including Jay Cutler of the Bears and Kyle Orton of the Bills—possess higher passer ratings.

A Window Is Open

In Manning's defense, he was forced to learn a very new offense this season after a decade of doing pretty much the same thing every day.

He has at times been more efficient and productive this year than in previous seasons, and he should be much better next year with so much more time to become acclimated to what McAdoo has been implementing.

Of course, if the Giants blow it all up and head coach Tom Coughlin doesn't return, the G-Men could be learning a whole new offense again this offseason.

That's a factor to consider only if or when it comes to fruition, though, and right now there's reason to believe Manning and McAdoo—with help from a healthier, stronger and deeper supporting cast—can do some big things in 2015.

If you can score points nowadays, you can win games regardless of what's happening on defense.

In other words, the trajectory of this offense indicates there might actually be light at the end of the tunnel for a soon-to-be-34-year-old Manning and the franchise he's leading.

Unless otherwise noted, advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

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

Follow @Brad_Gagnon