New York Giants: 6 Keys to Week 1 Success

The New York Giants take on the Washington Redskins Sunday to start their 2011 season. In order to be successful, they will need to take care of a few things.

The Giants are coming off a 10-6 season, but many are expecting a drop-off after a large amount of injuries and mediocre play in the preseason.

Fortunately, the games now count and the team is ready to prove it can continue its winning ways. The first obstacle is a divisional opponent in the Redskins, who have caused the Giants little trouble in recent seasons.

This will be an important game to create a stepping stone to success for the remainder of the season. In order to win, they will need to follow these keys to success. 

Find New Receiving Targets

Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham each had very solid seasons last year. The pair combined for 20 touchdowns and just short of 2,000 receiving yards. There should be plenty of confidence they will be able to at least repeat their performances.

Beyond these two, there is nothing but question marks. Steve Smith and Kevin Boss are gone, and now they need some reserves to step up. Victor Cruz and Domenik Hixon have each shown great potential, but have yet to do much in a regular season game.

Eli Manning is at his best when he spreads the ball around and does not become dependent on one receiving target. The Giants will need one of these players to replace a veteran target, similar to when Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer left the team a few years ago.

Run, Run and Run Some More

Over the past few seasons, the New York Giants have been one of the best teams at running the ball. 2010 was no different. They finished sixth in the league in rushing yards behind the combination of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.

The pair returns this season and Jacobs seems to have recovered from his early problems of last year. This weekend they face the Washington Redskins, who allowed 127.6 rushing yards per game a year ago.

If David Baas can adequately replace Shaun O’Hara, the Giants should not miss a beat. 

Eli Manning Must Back Up His Words

Eli Manning famously said a few weeks ago that he “is in the same class” as Tom Brady. Now he has to put his money where his mouth is.

Manning struggled this preseason, but the first half of the regular season is usually where he shines. Last year he had a 92.7 QB rating in the first eight games, but 77.8 in the second half. Manning will need to keep the confidence in the locker room by performing to the best of his abilities.

The Redskins will be without safety LaRon Landry, and this will be a big loss in defending against the passing game. The Giants should be able to throw the deep ball with relative ease, especially if they set up some play-actions with the run game. 

Do Not Let Injuries Kill Their Season

The defense has had possibly the most unlucky preseason in recent memory. The New York Giants have already lost Jonathan Goff, Terrell Thomas, Bruce Johnson, Marvin Austin and Clint Sintim for the season. Prince Amukamara and Osi Umenyiora will also miss some time due to injuries.

All of these players were expected to make a positive impact this year, but the team cannot let bad luck ruin its season. There is still plenty of depth with experienced players ready to go.

Cory Webster and Aaron Ross have been relatively disappointing in their careers, but they still solid starters for the NFL. On the defensive line, the Giants hope Jason Pierre-Paul can show off his first-round talent now that he will get an extended opportunity opposite Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will have to find a way to get the best out of all of his players.

Attack the Quarterback

With the extended injuries to the defense, the New York Giants have to lean on their best players on the front seven. Justin Tuck had 11.5 sacks last year and he needs to become a leader for an ailing team. Although he is questionable, he should be ready to go for Sunday.

Rex Grossman gets the start for the Redskins, but if he falters coach Mike Shanahan might turn to backup John Beck. Neither of these quarterbacks should instill too much confidence in the team, and the Giants should take advantage and rattle them both early.

Putting the added pressure on the quarterback will help mask the shallow secondary. With the Redskins full of mostly speed receivers, they will most likely only be successful if Grossman gets enough time for the deep passes to develop.

The Giants should blitz enough to counter this attack.

Continue Dominance over Redskins

The New York Giants have beaten the Washington Redskins six straight times dating back to 2007. The Giants won on opening day in 2009 and 2008, but each game was in New York.

The Redskins have been in a state of turmoil for the past few years. They have attempted to push back a rebuilding era by signing high-priced free agents and acquiring veteran quarterbacks rather than drafting for the future.

They do not seem to be headed out of the tunnel anytime soon, but the Giants should not take any team lightly. Opening weekend in the NFL is always full of surprises, and any team can come out of nowhere to have a great season.

If the Giants are able to control the line of scrimmage as they should, they should be on their way to a 1-0 start.