New York Giants: Early Surprises We Didn't Expect
Oh those New York Giants.
Just when you think you have the team figured out, that you know what’s coming next, along comes a curveball that makes you do a double take.
The 2015 season is still very young, but already there are a few things, both good and bad, that have made Giants fans go "hmmmm."
Let’s run down a few of those unexpected surprises.
Special Teams Is a Strength
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Remember when the Giants special teams weren’t very special?
Apparently the front office took notice of that fact as well and made a significant investment to upgrade their talent, which in turn gives embattled special teams coordinator Tom Quinn zero excuses this year.
The key addition is punt and kickoff returner Dwayne Harris, the $17.5 million dollar man whose 38.5-yard kickoff-return average is second in the league and whose 11.5-yard punt-return average is head and shoulders better than the 7.7 average the Giants ended last season with.
In two games, Harris has helped the Giants win the starting field position, but he hasn’t done it alone. With support from newcomers Jonathan Casillas, Nikita Whitlock, Brandon Meriweather, Brad Wing and Geremy Davis, and returnees such as Mark Herzlich, Josh Brown, Zak DeOssie and Orleans Darkwa, the Giants special teams have unquestionably gone from being a weakness to a strength.
The Passing Game Is Struggling
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Just eight weeks ago, the Giants receiving corps was one of the deepest positions on the team’s training camp roster.
The thought of Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz finally together on the field was tantalizing. The hope for Rueben Randle to continue where he left off at the end of last season, and for youngsters like Corey Washington and rookie Geremy Davis was off the charts.
The Giants even added a wily veteran in James Jones to the mix, a pro’s pro who proved that he still had plenty of gas left in the tank despite an unsuccessful stint with the Raiders.
So what happened?
Other than Beckham having a strong start to his sophomore campaign, there haven’t been many good things to talk about with the passing game.
Cruz suffered a calf injury that has kept him sidelined for more than a month.
Randle has struggled to keep his knee tendinitis—a condition he told Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News he has had since high school—under control for the first time in his career.
Washington and Jones were sent packing, the latter in favor of Preston Parker because he could not only play the slot but also contribute on special teams.
The result?
The Giants receiving game is currently ranked 16th in the NFL, and according to Pro Football Focus, quarterback Eli Manning has been victimized by 11 dropped passes from his receivers, leading all quarterbacks in the category.
The Jason Pierre-Paul Saga
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What’s a Giants team without an injury or two (or more)? After all, this team is the league's leader in injuries for two years running.
However, the most bizarre injury this year just so happened to be a rather strange saga involving defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, the franchise player who blew up his hand in a July 4 fireworks accident.
You didn’t see that one coming now did you?
Neither did the Giants, who until a couple weeks ago were kept in the dark regarding Pierre-Paul’s exact physical condition and who continue to leave the $14.8 million franchise tender on the table, though for each week Pierre-Paul is not signed, the Giants technically receive a prorated rebate on that amount.
Making matters more bizarre is the difference of opinion regarding Pierre-Paul’s status and if he is indeed ready to play. The Giants, who gave him a physical before the Week 1 opener against Dallas, do not think he is ready, but they have left the door open to re-evaluate him in mid-October.
More recently, there was word from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Pierre-Paul could be preparing to file a grievance against the Giants to force them to take him back and pay him if an independent doctor declares him ready to play.
It’s a strange and tragic tale that likely has no happy ending for either party and is one that is fast becoming a headache the Giants just don’t need right now.
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Red-Zone Scoring Issues
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In retrospect, there wasn’t much to be excited about in 2014 for Giants fans, not after the team crashed down to earth with a 6-10 record.
However, one statistic that gave Giants fans a reason to smile was the modernized offensive system that saw the Giants finish last year with an average of 23.8 points per game and a red-zone (touchdowns only) ranking of fourth place, according to NFLTeamRankings.com.
This year, it’s been quite a different story.
The Giants have made eight trips to the red zone and have scored touchdowns just twice, or an average of one touchdown per game. That figure ties them for 26th in the NFL, above only Cleveland, who has averaged 0.5 touchdowns from the red zone through two games.
That simply isn’t good enough to win games, and it’s a big reason why the Giants are currently sitting with a big fat goose egg in the win column.
The Giants Run Defense Is a Top-3 Unit
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Last year, New York’s run defense finished 30th in the NFL, allowing opponents an average of 135.1 yards per game.
That stat no doubt had head coach Tom Coughlin—who emphasizes the importance of stopping the run—beside himself with angst.
This year, the Giants might have 99 problems, but the run defense ain't one.
Without defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who was their second-best run defender behind defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (per Pro Football Focus), the Giants run defense is currently allowing opponents an average of 68 yards per game on the ground, the third-best average in the NFL.
Now, some might say that teams haven’t really tested the Giants run defense, given the shakiness of the Giants secondary.
According to the weekly cumulative stats, opponents have run the ball 45 times against the Giants and have passed 66 times. That’s a difference of 21 times, in favor of the pass. This week, the Giants run defense should get a good test in the form of Washington running back Alfred Morris.
If they can hold up against Morris, that should provide further insight as to whether the first two weeks of progress by the run defense was real or a mirage.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
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