New York Giants: Where Are They Headed?

The New York Giants have lost two straight to division foes and have scored 13 offensive points the past two games. Allow me to give you insight into the mind of a Giants fan and explain to you why I am not worried.

In the Eagles game, the wind was a huge factor.  At speeds of up to 25-30 mph, Eli was having trouble all afternoon. This has been one of Eli's knocks his whole career, that he could not play in cold or windy weather, but he was not getting any help either.

The turning point in this game was the drop by Domenick Hixon. Eli threw an absolute strike to Hixon right in his chest, only to have it fall straight through his hands.  This was a game-changing mistake as for the rest of the afternoon, the Giants played uninspired football. 

All afternoon, on third down, his wide receivers, who had been so dependable all season, were dropping balls left and right. Steve Smith who has been Eli's favorite target on 3rd down, dropped two key third-down catches in Eagle territory, stalling two drives that could have and probably would have ended with points.

Brandon Jacobs leaving this game in the second half proved to be the difference. His presence is most felt in the second half of games, when defenders refuse to (or can't) deal with his 6'4" 264-pound frame. He would have made a huge impact on the game, especially in the fourth quarter.

Which brings me to the Dallas game. The Giants offense has proven time and time again this season that they can win games without Plaxico Burress. I believe they cannot win very many games without Brandon Jacobs.

Brandon does so much for this team besides running with the football. His effectiveness creates openings in the play-action passing game, and allows Eli to feel more comfortable in the pocket with his pass protection.

His impact is not only felt by opposing defenders, it also opens up the playbook for Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

Amazingly, the biggest stat that could have been avoided in the Dallas game with Jacobs on the field is the eight sacks. Once Dallas realized they could stop Ward with ease, they were able to focus on the pass rush which is ranked first in the NFL with 53 sacks.

I'm not taking away anything Dallas did because they dominated the Giants' offensive line all game. However, with Jacobs in I am confident they would respect the running game much more, which torched them for 200 yards in the first meeting.

If Jacobs can make it back healthy and be effective, I feel like the Giants can lock up home field advantage this weekend against the Panthers.

So, where are the Giants headed you wonder?

If the Giants can manage to win this weekend's battle with the Panthers, i feel like they will have a tough road in the Playoffs. The reason I say this is mainly based on the fact that I believe Dallas will get the No. 5 seed, and they are the team that can (and inevitably will) knock us out of the playoffs

So, let's assume the Giants win, and Tampa (who faces San Diego and Oakland) wins out for the No. 6 seed and Dallas also wins out, the playoff picture would look something like this.

1. New York; 2. Carolina; 3. Minnesota; 4. Arizona; 5. Dallas; 6. Tampa Bay

The Wild Card Round would go as follows.

Dallas over Arizona. Minnesota over Tampa Bay.

Looking at the playoff picture, there is only one way the Giants can avoid a date with Dallas in the Divisional round (assuming the Giants are No. 1), and that is if Dallas gets the No. 5 seed and whomever is the No. 6 seed beats Minnesota. I don't see that happening since Minnesota is very good at home. 

The best situation in my opinion would be for the Giants to lose this weekend and Minnesota to also lose. This would lock up the No. 2 seed, setting up a date with Minnesota (assuming they win their game) in the Divisional Round at home.

As much as I don't want to see Dallas in the playoffs, I wouldn't mind facing them early to get them out of the way; it would be a game for the ages. My prediction for the Giants is NFC Championship at best, which would not be too upsetting after a Super Bowl victory.