New York Giants Season Preview

(Courtesy of My Sportsbook) - The decision was a controversial one. When Kurt Warner was yanked from the starting lineup in favor of Eli Manning prior to Week 11 of the 2004 season, the Giants stood at 5-4 and in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt. By the time the calendar had flipped to January, New York's two-game losing streak had swelled to eight games, and a dramatic season-ending win over the Cowboys could hardly make up for a campaign that some pundits felt was needlessly lost. The message the Giants front office and head coach Tom Coughlin were sending by pulling Warner in favor of Manning was clear: Manning was the future of the franchise, and even the potential of a playoff berth wasn't as important to the long-term growth of the team as was Manning's development.

Any Giant fans who bought that logic, took their medicine, and swallowed hard over the final half of 2004 are now expecting to be rewarded in the form of a successful 2005. Manning is supposed to be sharper and more confident, and the fact that his offensive supporting cast has been upgraded only raises the ante in a town where a lack of immediate improvement will not be forgiven or forgotten.

With their decision to invest in the future still prominent in the rear view mirror, Coughlin and company are banking on their unpopular decision paying dividends right now. Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the New York Giants, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

RB: Tiki Barber (1518 rushing yards, 52 receptions, 15 TD) had a monster season in 2004, earning his first-ever Pro Bowl citation despite playing behind a shaky offensive line. Barber turned 30 in April, and at 5-10, 200 pounds, will now have to begin answering questions about both his durability and longevity. With Ron Dayne (179 yards, 1 TD) finally out of the picture, Barber will be backed by Tom Coughlin favorite Mike Cloud (90 rushing yards, 3 TD). The team also used a fourth-round draft choice on 267-pound bruiser Brandon Jacobs (Southern Illinois), who averaged 6.6 yards per rush as a senior and the team hopes can make an impact as a rookie. Special teams ace Derrick Ward is unlikely to see much backfield time, but should make the team as a return man. At fullback, the Giants are set with Jim Finn (15 receptions), and Luke Lawton should be more than capable as a backup there.

WR/TE: New York received a minimal contribution from its receiving corps last season, though in fairness, the presence of the inexperienced Manning and an offensive line that rarely allowed the wideouts to get downfield was part of the problem. Amani Toomer (51 receptions) snapped his streak of 1,000-yard seasons at five, and failed to score a touchdown for the first time in his pro career. Toomer is back, but Ike Hilliard (49 receptions) was cut loose, and the wideout group was upgraded markedly when the team signed former Steeler Plaxico Burress (35 receptions, 5 TD with Pittsburgh) in the offseason. Holdovers Tim Carter (12 receptions, 1 TD), David Tyree (10 receptions, 1 TD), and Jamaar Taylor (6 receptions) have an angle on the backup receiving jobs, and Willie Ponder (1 receptions) has a strong chance to make the club on the strength of his return abilities. Carter and Tyree were the only New York receivers to find the end zone in 2004. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (61 receptions, 6 TD) will be looking to return to his Pro Bowl form of 2002-03, and figures to be backed again by Visanthe Shiancoe (5 receptions, 1 TD).

OL: If the Giants have designs on success in 2005, they will clearly require much stronger play from an offensive line that ranked as one of the league's thinnest a year ago. The franchise started by signing free agent right tackle Kareem McKenzie off the Jets' roster. The 26-year-old McKenzie has started 48 straight games, and is expected to be a fixture on the right side. At right guard should be second-year man Chris Snee, Coughlin's son-in-law, who was solid in 11 games as a starter last year. At center, Shaun O'Hara is again primed to man the middle. Changes abound on the left side, where David Diehl will move inside to guard after serving as right tackle for the majority of 2004. There is hope that Luke Petitgout can rebound from a weak '04 to man the left tackle slot, but the team signed former Falcons mainstay Bob Whitfield in the event that he cannot. Wayne Lucier (nine starts at center and guard) and Jason Whittle (16 starts at guard) were both in the rotation last season and should land backup jobs. Rich Seubert, a former starter who has missed all but six games over the past two seasons due to injury, is also looking to make the club, as are 2004 backups Brandon Winey, Greg Walker, and Jason Hilliard..

DL: The Giants ditched no fewer than three defensive linemen who started for them in 2004 - end Keith Washington (17 tackles, 1 sack) and tackles Lance Legree (36 tackles, 2 sacks) and Norman Hand (15 tackles, 1 sack), signaling a new era for the club in the trenches. Michael Strahan (34 tackles, 4 sacks), who missed the final eight games of 2004 with a torn chest muscle, is expected to make a full return and man the left end slot. Starting opposite Strahan will be third-year man Osi Umenyiora (58 tackles, 7 sacks), who was impressive after being inserted into the starting lineup in the middle of last season. Backup end duties should be handled by third-round draft choice Justin Tuck (Notre Dame) and sixth-rounder Eric Moore (Florida State), with holdover Raheem Orr in the mix as well. On the inside, Fred Robbins (39 tackles, 5 sacks) is back, and the team signed former Steeler Kendrick Clancy (8 tackles with the Steelers) to battle holdovers Kenderick Allen (20 tackles, 1 sack), William Joseph (25 tackles, 2 sacks) and Damane Duckett (4 tackles) for the other starting slot.

LB: Antonio Pierce (110 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack with the Redskins) parlayed a monster year in Washington into a huge free agent contract with the Giants in the offseason, and is expected to be a force at the middle linebacker slot. Back on the strong side is Carlos Emmons (97 tackles, 1 sack), who led the team in tackles a year ago, while Barrett Green (37 tackles) will try to shake off an injury-plagued 2004 to be a fixture on the weak side. Pierce's presence and Green's return means former starters Kevin Lewis (91 tackles) and Nick Greisen (79 tackles, 2 sacks) will settle in as experienced backups. Reggie Torbor (33 tackles, 3 sacks), who had a strong year on special teams in '04, should be part of the linebacking mix as well.

DB: Will Allen (80 tackles, 1 INT) and William Peterson (68 tackles, 2 INT) continue to keep a stranglehold on the cornerback slots for the G-Men, but there are plenty of those in the organization who would like to see both make more big plays. The Giants drafted Corey Webster (2nd round, LSU) to put some pressure on Allen and Peterson. Frank Walker (12 tackles, 2 INT) started just one game last season, but had as many picks as Peterson and one more than Allen. Safety Gibril Wilson (56 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 INT), a fifth-round draft choice in 2004, was a giant surprise last year but missed eight games due to injury. Wilson is expected to move from free safety to strong safety, and should line up alongside veteran Brent Alexander (80 tackles, 3 INT). Both Wilson and Alexander could be pushed by former starter Shaun Williams (10 tackles), who has missed 20 of 32 games over the past two seasons due to injury. Curry Burns (23 tackles, 1 INT) and Jack Brewer (17 tackles) also have a chance to catch on as backup safeties and special teamers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Giants have moved from 37-year-old Steve Christie (22-28 FG, 33-33 XP) to 29-year-old Jay Feely (18-23 FG, 40-40 XP) on field goals, though the younger Feely is not known as much of a long-range kicker (3-10 from 50+ in his four-year career). Jeff Feagles (41.5 avg.), who broke into the league with New England in 1988, returns as the New York punter. Willie Ponder (26.9 avg., 1 TD) and Derrick Ward (27.3 avg., 1 TD) both did a nice job on kickoff returns last year, but the team could be looking to upgrade from Mark Jones (6.7 avg.) on punt returns. Former Raven and Dolphin Lamont Brightful (9.9 punt return avg., 25.2 kickoff return avg. with Miami) was brought in to press Jones during training camp.

PROGNOSIS: If everything goes right for the Giants in 2005, the team could take a 3-5 game leap in the win column and push for a playoff berth. Trouble is, everything rarely goes right over the course of an NFL season. Will Eli Manning make huge strides in his second year in the league? Will Tiki Barber match his 2004 success? Will the revamped o-line hold up? Will Plaxico Burress make that much of an impact for the receivers? Will the young, thin defensive line play above expectations? Will Antonio Pierce be as effective as a Giant as he was as a Redskin? Will the secondary make the big plays that were missing during the second half of 2004? Will Jay Feely kick as well in Giants Stadium as he did in the Georgia Dome? If all or most of those questions are answered in the affirmative, New York could make some noise in the NFC East and challenge for a wild card. If a couple of those areas of personnel are disappointing, the Giants are likely staring at a third- or fourth-place finish.