New York Giants: 5 Reasons the G-Men Won't Make the NFL Playoffs

At 5-2, the New York Giants are in first place in the NFC East. That being said, nobody expected them to be where they are at this point in the season.

Still, the NFC is a conference with a ton of possible playoff contenders and a few losses moving forward could send the Giants from the top of that pack, to the middle of it.

The near loss last week to the league's worst team, the Miami Dolphins, proved the G-Men are anything but an elite, sure-fire team this season.

Here are five reasons why the Giants won't make the playoffs in 2011.

Tough Schedule

The two losses the Giants have suffered this season were to the Washington Redskins and the Seattle Seahawks, two teams the Giants should have handled if they were a top team.

Instead, the Giants folded both games and almost lost a third to a terrible Dolphins team.

It won't get any easier for New York with games coming up against the 49ers, Saints, Packers and Patriots.

They still have a game left with the Redskins, who they already lost to, and the Eagles, who are far better now than they were when the G-Men beat them in Week 3.

Don't forget the two left with the Cowboys, whose passing attack is near the top of the league, making them a dangerous team to face any day of the week.

I can see a scenario where the Giants will lose a handful of games the rest of the way and have to scrap for a playoff spot.

Don't expect the Eagles to be down for much longer either, as they will have a golden opportunity to get closer to the G-Men in the NFC East standings if New York folds to a few of these tough teams they have coming up.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have won two games in a row and after a 34-7 beat down of the Cowboys in Week 8, it seems their offense is getting off the ground.

What was more impressive was LeSean McCoy's 185 yards on the ground against one of the best rushing defense in the NFL.

If the Eagles can sustain this level of play, they can creep right back into first place in the NFC East as the Giants should be dropping more games to a tougher schedule.

The Eagles schedule is far less demanding than the Giants', with out-of-division matchups against the Bears, Cardinals, Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins and under-achieving Jets.

You can certainly make the case that the Giants tough schedule and the rejuvenated Eagles easy schedule could put Philly right back in the division mix within a couple of weeks.

No Running Game/Offensive Line

Over the years, the Giants have always been known for their great rushing attack.

This season, it's been quite a different story as the Giants find themselves ranked 30th in the NFL in yards on the ground.

With a weak offensive line and an injured Brandon Jacobs, the Giants attack has been cut short this year.

That makes them a one-dimensional offense and causes more work and pressure on Eli Manning to throw more passes.

Manning has been well-known for throwing a lot of picks and an increased passing attack could spell more turnovers for the Giants offense.

And normally, increased turnovers make it tough to win games. Just ask any coach.

Unless Manning can continue to play outside himself this season, expect the lack of rushing yards for the G-Men to catch up to them and lose them a few games as well.

Bad Run Defense

Normally, you'd never expect to see any aspect of the Giants defense ranked 28th in the NFL. This year, the Giants find their rush defense with that ranking.

With their inability to stop the run, it will open up the passing attack of teams in the league. Teams like the Packers, Patriots, Saints and Cowboys, all teams with strong passing attacks, will have a field day when  their success on the ground their air attack.

Meanwhile, great rushing teams like the 49ers and Eagles, should have their way with the Giants rush defense when they meet.

It's already an uphill battle against most of these teams for the G-Men, throw in a weak rush defense and now the deck will be really stacked.

The inability to stop the run alone will certainly lose the Giants some games moving forward.

It will be of vital importance for Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora to be healthy the rest of the way.

Injuries

Some of the Giants brightest stars on defense have battled injuries this season.

Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Prince Amukamara have all missed significant time this season. In turn, the Giants defense has looked weaker than in past years.

Their rushing attack, which is ranked 30th in the NFL, has taken a hit with Brandon Jacobs battling injuries as well.

There's just no telling if any of these guys will be 100 percent the rest of the way or if they will re-aggravate their existing injuries down the road.

Health has been a major issue for the Giants, but with a weak schedule in the first half of the season, they have been able to sweep those problems under the rug. Clearly, looking at New York's team rankings and you can see where the injuries have effected them the most.

The G-Men can't expect to do the same moving forward against some of the NFL's elite.

If the Giants want to have the best chance at making the playoffs, they need to get healthy and quick, for the toughest part of their 2011 schedule.