| When
the season concludes like the New York Giants'
2005 campaign did, that's when.
The enduring image both
Giants fans and NFL observers took from the team's
otherwise impressive year was the 23-0 home meltdown
Tom Coughlin's squad absorbed in the Wild Card
round. It was an embarrassing end to an emotional
rollercoaster of a season, one that saw Giants
ownership figures Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch
pass away within a month of one another, saw the
play of franchise quarterback Eli Manning reach
both lofty heights and dismal lows, and saw a
defense that was a strength for the vast majority
of 2005 crumble under the weight of its numerous
injuries.
Due to the way the Giants'
year careened to a halt, in addition to some other
external circumstances - the Redskins' first playoff
win in six years, Terrell Owens' relocation to
Dallas, and the renewed health of the Eagles'
Donovan McNabb, most notably - the G-Men are not
universally regarded as the NFC East's team to
beat in 2006.
Is it possible that the best
team currently residing in the nation's largest
market, and a reigning division winner, could
still be something of a sleeping Giant?
Below we take a capsule look
at the 2006 edition of the New York Giants, with
a personnel evaluation and prognosis included
therein:
2005 RECORD: 11-5 (1st,
NFC East)
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE:
2005, lost to Carolina, 23-0, in NFC Wild Card
Game
COACH (RECORD): Tom Coughlin
(17-15 in two seasons with Giants, 85-75 overall)
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John
Hufnagel
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Tim
Lewis
OFFENSIVE STAR: Tiki Barber,
RB (1860 rushing yards, 54 receptions, 11 TD)
DEFENSIVE STAR: Michael Strahan,
DE (81 tackles, 11.5 sacks)
OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 6th
rushing, 11th passing, 3rd scoring
DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 12th
rushing, 27th passing, 14th scoring
FIVE KEY GAMES: Indianapolis
(9/10, at Philadelphia (9/17), at Seattle (9/24),
at Dallas (10/23), at Carolina (12/10)
KEY
ADDITIONS: QB Rob Johnson (free agent),
WR Sinorice Moss (2nd Round, Miami (FL)), TE Boo
Williams (from Saints), OL Grey Ruegamer (from
Packers), DE Mathias Kiwanuka (1st Round, Boston
College), LB LaVar Arrington (from Redskins),
LB Brandon Short (from Panthers), LB Gerris Wilkinson
(3rd Round, Georgia Tech), CB R.W. McQuarters
(from Lions), CB Sam Madison (from Dolphins),
CB Jason Bell (from Texans), S Will Demps (from
Ravens), S Quentin Harris (from Cardinals)
KEY
DEPARTURES: G Jason Whittle (released),
DT Kenderick Allen (released), DT Kendrick Clancy
(to Cardinals), LB Nick Greisen (to Jaguars),
LB Barrett Green (released), CB Will Peterson
(released), CB Will Allen (to Dolphins), S Shaun
Williams (to Panthers), S Brent Alexander (released)
QB:
Eli Manning (3762 passing yards, 24 TD, 17 INT)
definitely made strides in his first complete
season as an NFL starter, though the fact that
he threw 10 touchdown passes versus 15 interceptions
in his final nine contests, including the playoff
shutout loss to the Panthers, was lost on few
Giants fans. The team and its supporters will
be looking for fewer mistakes out of the former
No. 1 overall pick in his third year. If Manning
goes down, watch out. The backups will be two
of the following three players: Tim Hasselbeck,
whose five career NFL starts all came in 2003;
Rob Johnson, who sat out the last two years following
Tommy John surgery and who last took a live snap
in '03; and Jared Lorenzen, who was inactive for
all 16 games as a rookie last season.
RB:
Those who were sure that Tiki Barber's (1860 rushing
yards, 54 receptions, 11 TD) 1,500-yard season
of 2004 was a fluke were rocked by the diminutive
running back's 2005, as he averaged 5.2 yards
per rush and soared to his second consecutive
Pro Bowl appearance. The 31-year-old Barber is
bound to start hearing more frequent questions
about his age, but there is every reason to believe
he can be an every-down back for at least a couple
more years. Even so, the Giants would like to
start getting Brandon Jacobs (99 rushing yards,
7 TD), the team's second-year man out of Southern
Illinois, a few more touches. Jacobs was used
primarily as a short-yardage back last season,
carrying the ball just 12 times in the season's
second half. Derrick Ward (123 rushing yards)
might miss the start of the season due to a broken
foot, perhaps opening the door for James Sims,
a rookie free agent out of Washington, to make
the club. The reliable Jim Finn (13 receptions)
is set for his fourth season with the G-Men.
WR/TE:
The Giants brought Plaxico Burress (76 receptions,
7 TD) in prior to last season to be Manning's
primary receiver, and while his numbers suggest
that he filled that role and then some, there
were games, particularly during the second half,
when Burress was invisible. Perhaps in reaction,
the Giants used a second-round draft pick on Sinorice
Moss (Miami (FL)), who is expected to eventually
unseat Amani Toomer (60 receptions, 7 TD) as the
No. 2 receiver and in turn take more of the pressure
off Burress. Toomer, who will be 32 when the season
begins, had a bounce-back season last year but
is undoubtedly in decline. Vying for jobs as the
fourth and fifth receivers will be holdovers Tim
Carter (10 receptions), David Tyree (5 receptions,
1 TD), and Willie Ponder, along with newcomer
Triandos Luke. Tyree and Ponder, both of whom
are valuable on special teams, may have a slight
edge over Carter and Luke. At tight end, Jeremy
Shockey (65 receptions, 7 TD) and Visanthe Shiancoe
(8 receptions) both return, with former Saint
Boo Williams attempting to win a backup job as
well.
OL:
The New York line could hardly have been characterized
as dominating in 2005, but it did a good enough
job blocking for Barber and keeping Manning upright
to be welcomed back in its entirety for 2006.
The right side is probably the strength, with
up-and-coming guard Chris Snee and tackle Kareem
McKenzie holding down the fort. The rest of the
group is mediocre, as left tackle Luke Petitgout
is probably better-suited for the right side,
guard David Diehl is a somewhat anonymous utility
man, and center Shaun O'Hara is reliable but rarely
stands out either. O'Hara sprained his right MCL
during the preseason, but should be ready in time
for the opener. Depth will come from holdovers
Rich Seubert and Bob Whitfield, former Packer
Grey Ruegamer, and perhaps fourth-round draft
choice Guy Whimper (East Carolina).
DL:
The Giants' pass rush was arguably the best in
the NFL last season, as opponents could ill-afford
to double-team Michael Strahan (81 tackles, 11.5
sacks) lest they get a heavy dose of Osi Umenyiora
(70 tackles, 14.5 sacks) on the other side. Both
made the Pro Bowl, and a third potential stud,
Mathias Kiwanuka (Boston College) was added via
a first-round pick to make the strong even stronger.
Justin Tuck (31 tackles, 1 sack) will add depth
at end along with Kiwanuka. On the interior, William
Joseph (19 tackles, 2 sacks) and Fred Robbins
(26 tackles, 1.5 sacks) are back, but following
the free agent defection of Kendrick Clancy (37
tackles, 2 sacks), the team is thin on tackle
depth. Fourth-round draft pick Barry Cofield (Northwestern),
seldom-used holdover Damane Duckett, and former
practice squad member Jonas Seawright will all
be given an opportunity to contribute.
LB:
Coughlin's club was ravaged by injuries to the
linebacking corps late last season, with the high
ankle sprain suffered by MLB Antonio Pierce (99
tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT) coming as the most
crushing blow. Pierce is back and healthy for
'06, and the team added another major name when
it picked up LaVar Arrington (47 tackles with
the Redskins) to man the strong side. Veteran
Carlos Emmons (48 tackles, 1 INT), who dealt with
his own share of injuries last season, is penciled
in as the starter on the weak side, though holdover
Reggie Torbor (44 tackles, 1 INT), rookie Gerris
Wilkinson (3rd Round, Georgia Tech), and former
Panther Brandon Short (60 tackles with Carolina)
will all make bids to claim his minutes. The added
depth at linebacker could make reserves such as
Chase Blackburn (31 tackles, 1 INT) expendable.
DB:
Coughlin made no secret of the fact that he was
unhappy with the play of the secondary last season,
thus dispensing with the likes of Will Allen (72
tackles), Will Peterson, Shaun Williams (19 tackles,
2 INT) and Brent Alexander (61 tackles, 4 INT)
and bringing in reinforcements like cornerbacks
Sam Madison (55 tackles, 2 INT with the Dolphins),
R.W. McQuarters (60 tackles, 1 INT with the Lions),
and free safety Will Demps (52 tackles with the
Ravens). Madison and Demps should step into starting
roles right away, with holdovers in corner Corey
Webster (37 tackles) and strong safety Gibril
Wilson (112 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT) expected
to round out the first unit. McQuarters, fellow
newcomer Quentin Harris (39 tackles with the Cardinals)
and holdovers Curtis Deloatch (56 tackles, 1 INT)
and James Butler (35 tackles, 2 INT) are among
the top candidates to win reserve jobs
SPECIAL
TEAMS: Other than a notable meltdown in
Seattle, kicker Jay Feely (35-42 FG) did a nice
job in his first season with the Giants. He will
be back along with his holder, punter Jeff Feagles
(42.1 avg.), who has appeared in an NFL record
288 consecutive games. Chad Morton (23.3 kickoff
return avg., 9.6 punt return avg., 1 TD) provided
a spark on returns last year, and the newly- acquired
McQuarters has three career touchdowns on punt
returns.
PROGNOSIS: The Giants
weren't truly awful in any area of the depth chart
last season, and apart from the offensive line,
they have seemingly upgraded those areas (receiver,
linebacker, secondary) that were simply average
last season. It is because of that solid base
of talent that the G-Men are probably the safest
bet to win the NFC East in 2006. Manning should
have more confidence and command, his supporting
cast is stronger, and the defense has more playmakers
in the form of Kiwanuka, Arrington, Madison, and
Demps, among others. Barring anything unforeseen,
this team has the pieces to reach the playoffs,
and if it can peak at the right time, has a shot
to emerge from the NFC pack and reach the Super
Bowl.
Click Here For More 2006
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