New York Giants Missing the Playoffs Is a Good Thing: Three Reasons Why

The Giants put forth a valiant effort to end the season on a strong, positive note this past Sunday. Despite their strong finish, they failed to make the playoffs.

In the end, they spoiled their chances and had to rely on help that never came.

Fans experienced a myriad of emotions from rage to disgust to depression. The players, themselves, were embarrassed and actually apologized to fans through media interviews. Though it left a bad taste in all of our mouths, missing the playoffs this year may not have been the worst thing for this team.

There are three major reasons why.

First, the Giants were not the healthiest team finishing out the season. It is true that no team entering the playoffs is healthy after playing sixteen games, but they were in bad shape. Justin Tuck was hurting after a minor car accident on New Year's Eve.

Rich Seubert and Shaun O'Hara would have been out for the playoffs. Hakeem Nicks would have been questionable for every playoff game. Of course, they would have continued to play without Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, Ramses Barden and Victor Cruz among several others.

This team would have been undermanned and hobbling into the playoffs to face a healthier team on the road. That scenario could have been potentially disastrous. Even if they had survived the first game in Philadelphia or Seattle, it would most likely been at a great risk of further injuries.

Second, this team needs to master certain things in order to play up to their full potential. They can not lead the league in turnovers and expect to be an elite team.

There has never been a dynasty, or simply just a super bowl winner for that matter, that has led the league in turnovers during the regular season. Good teams don't make a habit of handing away games.

It starts at the top with Eli Manning. He threw for 4002 yards and 31 TDs this season. However, his turnovers are a major problem. His 25 INTs became famous this season. Though 11 of them were tipped, still each one led to the offense on the sideline for the next play. Still, Manning is not stepping up in the pocket.

He is not making good decisions with his passes. He is not taking what the defenses give him. Why throw 30 yards down field on third down when you only need five yards and you have a running back wide open on a screen? A QB in the NFL must know the situation and take what he is given.

Even when he is not throwing, he is fumbling. He had seven fumbles this season (two of them while running). That is a total of 32 turnovers for just him. He threw 31 TDs. By himself, he is a -1. The offense as a whole had 13 lost fumbles.

This is not acceptable. It can be argued that Manning spent the entire season playing with a different receiver group and a different offensive line for almost every game. That may have led to the inconsistencies. It hurts his continuity. While that is a good argument and probably true, it still doesn't excuse it.

That will have to be addressed this offseason if they expect to be anything more than a contender that just falls short. If that means a new Offensive Coordinator or a new QB Coach (or both), than the Giants must do what is right to fix the leaks. If they need a new voice to instruct their offensive leader to better the team as a whole, then they need to get it. They have to work on execution and fundamentals.

It is not just at the QB position. The offense as a whole must address holding onto the ball. That is a lesson learned in Pop Warner Leagues, yet they struggle to do so consistently. Until they think of ball security first, they can not take their team to the next level.

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