I clearly remember when I fell in love with the New York Football Giants. A 6-year old boy, living with his grandpa in West Sayville, New York.”These are the New York Giants, and this is who we root for in this house,” he told me as he stuck in a tape of the 1986 Super Bowl.

I was hooked. Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, and George Martin running around the area, imposing their will on the gridiron, allowing Phil Simms to complete 88% of his passes that day, taking that first iconic trip to Disney Land.

Two years later.

Leonard Marshall squared his helmet between the shoulder blades of two-time defending Super Bowl Champion Joe Montana, and LT ripped the ball aside from Roger Craig. Matt Bahr kicked his 5th field goal of the day, propelling the Giants to Super Bowl XXV.

O.J. Anderson and company would hold onto the ball for 40+ minutes, setting the stage for our second Super Bowl victory, with a little help from Scott Norwood, and the football gods.

The love for The New York Football Giants that my grandfather passed down to me centered around a larger-than-life defense, filled with playmakers who could impose their will on football’s biggest stages.

Fast forward to 2007. 

Before Michael Strahan was hosting game shows and palling around with Kelly Ripa, he was The Giants emotional leader in taking down Tom Brady and the previously perfect Patriots. Super Bowl XLII also served as the coming out party for Justin Tuck, who sacked Tom Terrific twice that day, setting the stage for Eli, David Tyree, and the helmet-catch heard ‘round the world.

Four years later? The Remix.

2015’s version of The Big Blue wrecking crew was an embarrassment, quite frankly. Not just in Giants history, but in the history of the league. Steve Spagnuolo’s unit was legendarily porous; surrendering 6.1 yards per play, and 6,027 yards by year’s end (that’s the most yards yielded by any team, ever).

A storied pass-rush that buoyed past championship runs garnered 23 sacks in 16 games, largely because their leader going into the 2015 campaign failed to hold opposing quarterbacks in his grasp as a result of choosing to grab fireworks with his bare hand the previous 4th of July.

After giving up 27 or more points in half the team’s games, and squandering a 49-point offensive output against the New Orleans Saints, the message for Jerry Reese and company was clear and distinct. The defense was devoid of talent. The storied defense that had led us to four Super Bowl talents was defunct, and drastic measures needed to be taken.

Coach Coughlin was jettisoned, and the defense was the beneficiary of $100+ MILLION injection of talent. The goal? Create a new defense in the image of the Patriot slaying squads detailed above. A defense with a clear objective. Destroy opposing quarterbacks. Olivier Vernon garnered $85 million following a 7.5 sack output in 2015. He had 2.5 sacks against the Ravens in December, 2 weeks after going toe-to-toe with his new division rival Tyrod Smith of the Cowboys, registering 1 sack, and making the All-Pro work all afternoon.

Damon “Snacks” Harrison traded a green uniform for a blue one when he made the move across MetLife Stadium to the tune of $46.5 million. Spending his career in a 3-4 defense, Snacks has a reputation as the league’s premiere run-stopper (with only 1.5 career sacks).

Jason Pierre-Paul

JPP pledges to play 2016 without “The Club” on his mutilated hand, which should allow him to finish more of the hurries he creates with drive-ending sacks. We’ll see….

The talent upgrade on the front-line is undeniable. The question on every Giants fan’s mind is can they produce in the clutch? Can they give Cousins, Romo, and company the nightmares that their counterparts from yesteryear built championship pedigrees upon? The potential is apparent.

Reese and Company have harkened back to 2007 with one other key defensive unit as well. The secondary. Welcome Janoris Jenkins and Leon Hall. Veteran ball hawks, who’s aggressiveness will compliment a dominant pass-rush most effectively. They remind me of Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters, playmaking corners who came up largest during the playoff run of 2007. Throw in 3rd Round draft choice Darian Thompson, who broke Eric Weddle’s career interception record for the Big West Conference, and 1st Round selection Eli Apple, and the hope is the secondary will create more turnovers than we’ve seen in the recent past, ultimately taking a few to the house!

Giants fans should be encouraged that the front office has a game plan. They’re drawing upon the blueprint of past success to help Eli reclaim his rightful place, atop the Manning Family Super Bowl Championship list. Eli’s proven that he can maximize his receiver’s production (see Manningham, Mario; Smith, Steve; and Cruz, Victor). I can’t wait to see what he does with Sterling Shepard and Odell Beckham. Pair this offense with a respectable defense, and an NFC East title is within the realm of possibilities. And all Giants fans know what Eli does in the playoffs…

That six-year old boy who fell in love with the Giants? He’s 33 now. And he knows that the Gmen win with defense first. I’m intrigued by the prospect of the defense returning to a level that Taylor, Carson, Banks, Strahan, and Tuck can be proud of.

“Gmen Win With Defense First” was written by Guest blogger Justin Van Wyen Please Share this post & leave some feedback in the comment field below, I would love to know what you think.

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The New York Giants finally addressed their defensive issues this offseason. On paper, they should have one of the best defenses in the NFL this season, but they still have to put in the work to prove they are one of the best units in the league. With their offseason acquisitions, the Giants have favorable NFL odds of winning the NFC East. While the defensive issues the team has had in recent years have been addressed, their offense still needs some work, and will be key to their success this season.

Last year, one of the biggest problems the Giants had was the lack of a consistent running game. Over the years, the Giants have gone from one of the best rushing teams in the league to one of the worst, season ending  injuries to players like David Wilson, have altered the G-men running plans.
The Giants now mainly use a committee of running backs, and quarterback Eli Manning has been forced to throw the ball more than the team would like him to.

In the past two seasons, injuries to their best receivers have had an impact on the effectiveness of their passing game, but expect that to change this season because the Giants have one of the best receiving corps in the league and they are all healthy.

Victor Cruz, who was New York’s best receiver before the team drafted Odell Beckham Jr., did not play last year because he was recovering from an injury. With Cruz healthy and expected to be ready for the season opener, the Giants will have their best slot receiver back. One of the benefits of the injury to Cruz was that it forced the Giants to turn to some of their unproven receivers, which ended up working out well for the team.

Tight end Larry Donnell, only played in eight games last season due to an injury, but Will Tye stepped up in his absence and finished the season with 464 yards and 3 touchdowns. With a healthy Donnell back in the lineup, the Giants will have a very good tight end combination that will create matchup problems and be difficult to defend against. The speedy Tye will be able to stretch defenses, and Donnell, who is New York’s best red zone weapon, will be used mainly in short yardage situations.

During the draft, the Giants used their second round pick on wide receiver Sterling Shepard, whom they expect to contribute immediately. With the trio of Beckham, Cruz, and Shepard, Eli Manning will be able to carve up a lot of defenses this season. While Manning finally has some weapons on offense, he has to be more careful with the ball and avoid turning the ball over as he has done in the past.

The biggest question the team has now is if Victor Cruz will return to his previous form when he takes the field. However, the Giants feel the year he took off will allow him to come back stronger than ever, and now that he has other capable receivers playing with him, he doesn’t have to do everything by himself.

The post Giants’ Offense Will Be One Of The Best In The NFL This Season first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

This post will guide you through the roster upheaval the New York Football Giants went through in turning the page from a God awful 2013 season to what has the potential to be a very promising 2014 campaign, at least on paper.  Last year’s Giants team had high hopes leading into the season and a veteran squad of proven winners on the roster. However, after a dreadful 0-6 start, the G-Men could not dig themselves out of the huge hole they put themselves in and even though they played well down the stretch, it wasn’t enough to overtake a weak NFC East.  **In Reese We Trust** took on a new meaning coming into this season as the Giants said good-bye to former champions and hello to a new wave of young veteran players who are sure to, with the help of a promising draft class, have a chance to come together and surprise a lot of people this season, much like they did in 2007 and 2011.

**Notable Additions** – 36…36 Free agent signings…Ah ah ah ah ah – Sorry, my nephew got me watching Sesame Street and I was channeling my inner Count while going over the players the Giants brought in via free agency.  To list all 36 players is a bit much, so I will give you a couple of key ones who should play a big role with the Giants this season.

**Stevie Brown – Safety** – Brown was placed on Injured Reserve in August 2013 after tearing the ACL in his left knee in the preseason.  Stevie returns to a Perry Fewell scheme he thrived in 2 seasons ago, when he was able to use his great anticipation/ball hawking skills to lead the Giants in interceptions (8) in 2012. Brown will play free safety for the Giants as he recently proclaimed himself “100%” and ready to go for camp.

**Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – Cornerback**  – When motivated and focused, he is one of the better cover corners in the NFL and, according to Tom Coughlin, he’ll draw opposing teams’ #1 wide receivers all year long. Having up and coming corner Prince Amukamara on the other side and old friend Antrel Rolle (who played a big role in recruiting DRC) in his ear to keep him engaged and motivated, should mean nothing but positives for this secondary.

**Geoff Schwartz – Guard** –  Schwartz has excellent size and can maul people as a run blocker, and he is very solid in pass protection as well. Schwartz is versatile and he is able to play guard or right tackle.  The signing of Schwartz should go a long way in repairing a unit that struggled last year.

**Rashad Jennings – RB** – In 2013, for the lowly Raiders, he started eight games and rushed for 733 yards and six touchdowns on 163 carries (4.5 yards per carry). He also caught 36 passes for 292 yards. Jennings is a big, physical, no-nonsense back who can punish defenders. He’s a north-south runner who does his best work between-the-tackles or off tackle. He is good in pass protection and only has lost one fumble in his career.

**Robert Ayers – DE** – Ayers has good size for a defensive end and is a decent run defender.  Ayers can move inside in pass rush situations and he has experience playing in a 2-point stance given his experience at linebacker.  Ayers, who finished one spot behind Justin Tuck according to PFF’s defensive end rankings, will attempt to replace Tuck this season, and can benefit from more playing time instead of being a part of the rotation the Broncos had him playing in.

Other Notable Additions – Quintin Demps, Safety – Walter Thurmond, CB – Jameel McClain, LB – Mario Manningham, WR – Trindon Holliday – WR/Kick Returner

**Impact Draftees**

**Round 1 — Odell Beckham Jr., WR** — Beckham lacks classic size, but he is a well-built receiver with the speed, quickness, agility, and acceleration to separate and threaten defenses vertically. He has an explosive element to his game. Beckham has long arms and big hands, giving him a very good catch radius. Beckham runs very good routes, adjusts well to the football in the air, and has good hands catching the ball though he is guilty of an occasional drop. He is extremely elusive and dangerous with the football in his hands after the catch.

**Round 2 – Weston Richburg, C** — Richburg was a 4-year starter at Colorado State. Richburg combines decent size with very good overall athleticism for a center. Good pass protector who has the size and strength to anchor against big tackles and the feet and balance to keep up with quick rushers. Richburg lacks ideal power as a run blocker, but he plays with very good leverage and tenacity. Mobile and agile, Richburg, can block at the second level and pull on outside runs. Richburg is smart, tough, aggressive, competitive, and a team leader.

**Round 3 – Jay Bromley, DT** – This pick pissed me off as I wanted the Giants to take Chris Borland, LB out of Wisconsin, but I digress.  Bromley might have been a bit of a reach here, but the Giants wanted him and got their man…In Reese We Trust.  Bromley was a 3-year starter at Syracuse. He combines decent size and strength with good athletic ability. Bromley is more of a 3-technique disruptor than 1-technique run stuffer, and if he pans out he could give the Giants a young and nasty DT combo by pairing him with Johnathan Hankins. He has good initial quickness and will penetrate into the backfield against both the run and the pass. Bromley hustles and pursues well. When Bromley plays with good leverage, he can be very difficult to block. At times Bromley plays too high, but he is a very hard worker both on and off the field and was a team leader for Syracuse.

**Round 4 – Andre Williams – RB** — Williams led the country in rushing in 2013 with 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns, but he did not have one pass reception. Williams is a big, powerful, instinctive, north-south, downhill runner with decent speed. He is not terribly quick or elusive but he runs with good balance and body control. Williams breaks tackles and gains yards after contact. Williams has a tough, physical running style. He likes to punish opponents and is a good short-yardage back.

Remainder of the class of 2014 – 5^th RD – Safety, Nat Berhe – 5^th RD – LB, Devon Kennard – 6^th RD – CB, Bennett Jackson –  Undrafted FA to keep an eye on in camp? LB, Dan Fox.

**PLAYERS TO WATCH**

**Johnathan Hankins, DT** – Goodbye Linval Joseph and hello to “Big Hank”.  Johnathan Hankins graded out very good this season, Per Pro Football Focus Hankins, who earned snaps as a rookie, didn’t record a single negative grade in his 195 snaps. He finished with an 8.0 overall grade and a 9.5 grade against the run.  The Giants will look for Hankins to build off a solid rookie season and become a major contributor at defensive tackle.

**Damontre Moore, DE** – Sky is the limit for the man teammates call “DaMonster” this season.  The Giants still have JPP, Ayers and Kiwi (who sucked last year) in the rotation, but many around Big Blue want to see the 3^rd pick of 2013 take a major leap forward.  Moore showed flashes in 2013 both on the D-line and on special teams, where he blocked 2 punts, and hopefully for the Giants the still young Moore (21), who added some bulk this off-season and impressed at OTA’s is ready to become the next in a long line of Giants feared pass rushers.

**Adrien Robinson, TE** — When he was drafted in the 4^th round back in 2012, GM Jerry Reese said Robinson could be “the JPP of tight ends”.  We’re still waiting, Jerry.  Robinson has all the physical tools to be an effective TE in the NFL, but that really don’t mean a thing until he produces.  With another dark horse in 6’6 Larry Donnell breathing down Robinson’s neck in OTA’s, Robinson has his work cut out for him in what should be one of the most heated competitions in training camp.

The one I’m watching….

**Cooper Taylor, Safety** – Who?  Cooper Taylor that’s who!!  Taylor, 2013’s 5^th round pick has looked good so far this off season and earned some 1^st team reps in OTA’s.  He’s packed on some weight and stands 6-4, 232 pounds, eight pounds more than the 224 he played at last season. Coach Coughlin for one, has took notice, stating during OTA’s, “Well, you can see that he’s a much bigger human being right now,” Coughlin said. “He’s worked hard in the offseason. He’s stronger, he’s bigger, he’s in his second go-around, so he has an excellent opportunity to contribute in a lot of ways.”

With Will Hill being “smoked out” of the Giants organization and the Giants sure to limit Stevie Brown’s reps in training camp, Cooper Taylor has a great opportunity to kick the door that is wide open off its hinges and become a huge piece of the puzzle for the Giants revamped secondary, especially in Perry Fewell’s now famous 3-safety packages.

**Notable Losses**

Considering how this team struggled as a whole last season I don’t know if you can call any of the players they lost “notable”, but gone are familiar names like Justin Tuck, a two-time Super Bowl champion, and David Baas who was the Giants center in 2011 when they won their 2^nd ring in 5 seasons.

The Giants also waved good-bye to Hakeem Nicks who left Giants fans befuddled all of last season with his less then inspirational play.  Other names include G/T, David Diehl, RB, Andre Brown, RB, Brandon Jacobs, G, Kevin Boothe and Cornerbacks Terrell Thomas and Aaron Ross, thank God.

**Coaching changes:**

The Giants will bring back Tom Coughlin, their fiery 67 year old coach for another year and see if he can once again prove the critics wrong and inspire this team to  lead them to greatness like he has 2 times before.

The defense will once again be run by Perry Fewell, who despite his complex schemes and lack of talent last year on defense, led his players to the number 8 spot in the NFL in total defense. With the collection of talent the Giants have assembled this off season, this defense, on paper at least, is the best in the division and should have a huge say in terms of this team making a run to a division title.

On offense, well, it’s night and day.  No more Kevin Gilbride and his complex down-the-field read-and-react offense.  Forget on the same page, this offense last year wasn’t even in the same library, and it left Eli Manning on the hook and on his back for the entire year.

Ben McAdoo to the rescue?  The former Green Bay Packers tight ends coach will get his chance at the offensive coordinator position and has his work cut out for him to say the least.  McAdoo is challenged with the task of implementing a West Coast offense this off season and getting Eli Manning and crew to learn it quickly and buy in. The changes should lead to a lot less miscommunication between Eli and his dangerous group of wide receivers (Reuben Randle, Victor Cruz, Odell Beckham, JR and Jerald Jernigan).  But McAdoo’s work doesn’t end there – he will also be responsible for fixing the offensive line and the running game as well as finding a tight end to contribute and become a consistent threat for Eli over the middle. If it was only as easy as calling the plays, In McAdoo We Trust!

**Offensive Outlook**

The competition at camp should be fierce, as the offense has a lot going on to say to least.

First off, the Giants are trying to learn a new offense which is always a challenge, especially when there are so many new faces to get acclimated to it.

However, the positives are that Eli looks reenergized with this new offense and seems to have learned it very quickly.  The west coast element should help get the ball out of Eli’s hands and into to the hands of play makers like Cruz, Randle, and Beckham Jr quickly and in space so they can use their speed and elusiveness to make plays.  Also, by eliminating the read and react portion of Gilbride’s offense, the Giants hope to end up with fewer miscommunications and less of Eli throwing it up and left to wonder where the hell the wide receiver went.

The Giants are also fixing a broken offensive line and feel confident that Will Beatty will rebound from a poor 2013 and recapture his 2012 form.  Second year right tackle Justin Pugh returns from an impressive 2013 rookie season to lock down the right tackle spot.  With the addition of Weston Richburg via the draft to play center , along with the free agent signing of Geoff “your Schwartz is as big mine” at guard and the return of former pro bowl guard Chris Snee, this unit can go from weakness to strength in a hurry.

The running game should bounce back as well as the Giants brought in Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams to provide a Big Blue breath of fresh air to this position.  Add in wild cards like David Wilson and Peyton Hillis, who looked like his old self in OTA’s, and this can be a fun bunch to watch this season.

Position Battle to watch in camp:  A lot of people are saying TE …not me.

**Fullback** – “The Hynocerous” vs “The Terminator” – To quote Apollo Creed, “Sounds like a damn monster movie!”   Henry Hynoski returns from his injury plagued season of 2013 and will compete with (In my Arnold Schwarzenegger voice) John Conner, who played well for the Giants last season.  Two men will enter and only one will survive and make the team.  This is an important training camp battle as the fullback role is an important one in the Packers west coast scheme. One of these guys will get the versatile role of fullback much like John Kuhn did with the Pack, where in 116 games Kuhn touched the ball a total of 234 times for 966 all purpose yards and 20 TD’s.  Whoever doesn’t make the cut won’t be unemployed for long.

**Defensive Outlook ***

Believe it or not, the Giants ranked 8^th in total defense when the season ended.  I know… I was surprised as well.   Where did the other NFC east teams finish?  Washington was 18^th, Philadelphia was 29^th, and Dallas was dead last at 32.

This offseason, the Giants loaded up in the secondary, adding Rodgers-Cromartie, Walter Thurmond, Zac Bowman, Charles James and Quintin Demps to play alongside a blossoming Prince Amukamara and team captain Antrel Rolle, making this unit deep and versatile, especially if Cooper Taylor becomes the beast I think he can.

At linebacker the Giants should get Jon Beason back from the foot injury suffered in OTA’s for the start of the season.  And Beason, much like he did last year, should have the same impact he did when Jerry Reese stole him from the Panthers for a 7^th round pick.  Beason in the middle along with free agent pickup Jameel McClain on the strong side give the Giants a physical, aggressive, and battle-tested combo.

The player I am most excited about at linebacker this season is Jacquian Williams.  The 25 year old 6’3  LB with 4.55 40 speed has shown flashes with the Giants on special teams and with his coverage abilities on running backs and tight ends, but Williams seems to be turning a corner coming into this season.

Williams has assumed control of the weakside linebacker position after splitting duties with Spencer Paysinger the past two seasons. Williams is currently entrenched as the first-team WILL heading into training camp.  Williams, who appears to have put some muscle on his frame this offseason, has impressed the Giants in all facets this spring. He has them thinking he may be a three-down linebacker with his speed and development as an all-around player. “He does [have a different skillset]. I will say this: This OTA and minicamp, he did a great job in our base stuff as a WILL,” Hermann said (Giants linebackers coach). “He’s a natural WILL in nickel, but he did a great job in our base. To me, he made a big jump and big improvement this spring.”

On the line, the Giants have youth and veteran leadership which should provide some quality play and depth for them this year.  Johnathan Hankins, Cullen Jenkins, Mike Patterson and my man Markus Kuhn should provide a pretty nasty combo at DT, especially if Kuhn comes along the way I think he’s going to.  At defensive end, the Giants brought back Mathias Kiwanuka, against my will that is, Kiwi was ranked dead last among 4-3 defensive ends last year according to PFF, and hopefully he can totally redeem himself this season.  The combo of former 1st round pick Robert Ayers and  2^nd year player Damontre Moore got us Big Blue fans fired up about the possibilities of what they bring to the table on the right side of the line, but this unit comes down to one player.

Jason Pierre-Paul has been a shell of himself since exploding on the scene back in 2011, when he lead the Giants and this defense to a Super Bowl victory.  Since then, injuries have held JPP back and as Giants fans we hope he has gone hunting for his former self this off season, and from reports I’ve been reading, he may have found himself.

JPP is fully recovered from the back surgery that hampered him all of last year and has trimmed down to a lean 275 pounds.  Reports from OTA’s said the former all pro is back to his old self flying around the field again, and seems to be motivated that everyone seems to have forgotten what a game changer he can be.

**Overall Season Prediction**

Do the Giants have question marks this season?  Hell yeah they do…but what team doesn’t? In the NFL nowadays it’s not about who the best is in September, but who can continue to get better in October, November and December to prepare for a run in January.  With the additions made on offense and defense, if this team can gel and stay healthy they can be just as dangerous as anyone in football.  They have a two-time Super Bowl MVP under center and a new offense that should reinvigorate him.  At his service he has young explosive play makers at wide receiver; a retooled offensive line and a nice combination of speed and power at running back. The possibilities of a bounce-back 2014 for this offense gets our Big Blue blood pumping.

But defense wins right?  Well, considering the facts that no one else in this division has a defense to speak of and that the Giants added a ton of talent to a scheme that somehow worked last year with a less-than-stellar talent pool playing in it, it’s hard not to think the Big Blue sky is the limit for this unit to improve on what they did last year and give the offenses in this division fits all season long.

Add to that the fact their 67 year old fiery head coach Tom Coughlin is the class of the division and always seems to come up big when everyone else has counted him out, and the Giants could be a dangerous dark horse in not only the NFC East, but the entire NFC this year.

**Prediction: 11-5, NFC East Division winner, and if we get in, you’ve seen the damage we can do**

The post New York Giants 2014 Season Preview first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

Can you smell it? Can you feel that electricity coursing through your veins?

If you are a die hard fan like me, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of us that BLEED BIG BLUE there is a sour taste in our mouths from last season. The way that last month of the season ended has not sat well with me at all, and I’m sure it has not been easy for all of you as well.

Two years ago 9-7 got us to the playoffs, where we made another magical run to ring number four. Last year 9-7 left us on the outside looking in and wondering what might have been. I know I look back and say what if all the time.

What if the GIANTS run the ball that night in Philadelphia and Ramses Barden doesn’t get that terrible offensive pass interference call? We would have finished 10-6 and won another Super Bowl right? Wrong.

Bottom line in the NFL these days is that the talent is so even throughout the league, for the most part, sorry JETS fans, that a game early in the season can have ramifications come week 17. Every blown game, every mental breakdown, every missed opportunity is almost guaranteed to come back and haunt you because no one is running away with this division.

I’ve read all the so called ”experts” and what they are saying about the NFC East. All I hear is Redskins this and Cowboys that. RGKnee and Redskins. Tony Romo and the Cowboys. It’s their division to lose says all the tabloids and TV stations.

Here is the reality Giants fans, see I am BIG BLUE all day long, but I pride myself on not only knowing the Giants, but knowing the game of football.

You can make a case in my opinion for the Cowboys, the Redskins and our G-Men to win the division now, but the odds are this is all coming down to week 17…again. One team is going 10-6, the other 9-7 and the third will most likely be 8-8. You can flip a coin to decide which team finishes where and when all is said and done there will most likely be one game, or one play that we can point to that either puts us in the playoffs or has us watching again.

But this is BLEED BIG BLUE right? So let’s make a case for our GMEN,

Here are some thoughts on our division, team by team.

Eagles – Are they even worth mentioning here? Yes. Chip Kelly’s offense should bring some excitement early in the season. Vick in that offense will make some plays and with Lesean McCoy, who looks great this preseason and Desean Jackson the Eagles will be competitive and score some points. The downside for Philly is this, they are horrendous on defense and Michael Vick is careless with the football even if he can stay healthy.

Eagles finish 6-10 and last place in the NFC East.

Redskins – I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid on this one and for one reason only. RGKNEE.
I’m not sold at all. I think a lot of what the Redskins did last year was due the read option and the defenses inability to figure out who had the ball. That’s why RGKnee completed a high percentage of passes last year, and Alfred Morris ran through defenses. It was the offense they ran, their ability to keep defenses off balance.

Two reasons that doesn’t happen this year.

Adapt or die: Defenses catch up eventually. It happened to the Run n Shoot offense and the Wildcat, pick a gimmick any gimmick, they don’t last. I’ve seen interviews and have read many articles about defensive coordinators and coaches reaching out to college coaches this off season. Why? They want to know how do they stop the read option? The answer has been unanimous. You hit the QB, whether he has the ball or not. Then on the next play, you hit him again and when the next play comes you hit him harder. Punish the QB, cut off the head and the body dies, which leads us to number 2…

2. RGKNEE – Ok, let me start by saying this, RGIII is a tremendous talent and one of the most dangerous players in the league with the ball in his hands. But does anyone else feel that the knee brace he will be wearing for the entire season might as well be a bulls-eye for opposing defenses? I do. If the way to beat the read option is to pound the QB, how long does RGKnee last this year? Can he take the punishment coming his way? Both physically and mentally he will be tested this year. Put it this way, if you take away his ability to run the football the advantage goes to the defense, can he adapt without those receivers running free and Alfred Morris not finding as many lanes to run through because the main threat of that offense, RGIII’s knee is not capable of doing what it did last year?

Redskins finish 8-8 and in 3rd place.

Cowboys — We’ve all heard this one before and it’s almost become a punch line now among us NFC EAST fans no matter who your team is. This is the Cowboys year. I laughed just writing that. Are the Cowboys a talented team that can very likely make a run this year? Yes. Will they? Well that depends on one man. Tony Romo. Can he make plays when it counts, in December and in the 4th quarter? The talent around him is scary. DeMarco Murray is healthy and should be ready to carry the run game. Dez Bryant looks poised to have a huge season and is a game breaker. Miles Austin and Jason Witten are perfect compliments and the defense should be much better this year with Monte Kiffin calling the shots, but in the end it will come down to Romo. If Tony can stop making those terrible decisions that Cowboys fans still have nightmares about, this team can be very dangerous and even a Super Bowl contender. Remember, Romo and the Cowboys had the ball with a chance to go down and score and take the division from the Redskins last year in week 17 and on the very first play of that drive Romo throws a interception. If seeing is believing, then we need to see Romo stop making such terrible decisions with the ball in crucial moments to truly believe the Cowboys can contend for a championship. The Jury is still out.

Cowboys finish 9-7 and make the playoffs via the wild card.

Giants — I honestly think this is Coughlin’s last season as coach and I feel like the veterans on the team sense it as well. If the Giants fall flat on their faces like they did last season that would make 4 out of the last 5 years out of the playoffs. Yes, we have a 2 Super Bowl wins in 7 seasons but as you all know the NFL is not about looking back, it’s about moving forward, and with no playoff appearance this year the Giants would face a serious quagmire at years end. So why do I bring this up? Cause motivation fuels our Giants. This team has always played great with their back to wall and like feces when they are praised and told how good they are. I think Tom has another run in him and the Giants are talented enough to be hosting the Super Bowl at MetLife stadium this year in more ways then just one. The key to the season in my opinion is very simple. Show up every week for 17 weeks. If you remember last year, we went into San Francisco and took apart the 49ers, the game was never close, we dominated them from start to finish. The 49ers were a play away from winning the Super Bowl last year. What does that tell us? We can play with anyone…any week…anywhere. But, we also know that this team is more than capable of laying eggs during the course of the 17 week season… The Eagles game in Philly was tragic and the losses to the Ravens and Falcons left us flabbergasted and befuddled, for lack of better words. So why do I think this year will be different?

While I feel the other teams in our division will come flying out of the gates early this year, I think our Giants are built to get better as the season moves towards December.
And look for the players to rally around their beloved coach for one more magical playoff run.

Giants finish 10-6 and win the NFC East.

Post Written By James Donino (Facebook – James Donino & Twitter – @Trifecta24)

The post NFC East Predictions 2013 first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

NY Giants Crystal Ball 2012

Call me crazy, maybe I am. Am I a homer? Absolutely! Am I drinking the kool aid?! I might not be to thirsty anymore. However, when I take a closer look at what history tells me, even with one of the toughest schedules ever, I predict the New York Football Giants as repeat Super Bowl winners. You read right….I wrote it. The same team that barely made it to the playoffs, the same team that was playing .500 ball with only two games remaining in the regular season, did what most thought they wouldn’t by winning the NFC East and dominating the tournament.

In looking at past Super Bowl winners, teams have several obstacles to face. They normally get very difficult schedules, lose key assets from both sides of the ball and that includes coaches, get low draft picks, and go through the entire next season with a huge target on their collective backs. This year, for the Giants, much of this has taken place again. Now, that’s the dark cloud of winning a Super Bowl. The silver lining?! Well, it all depends on your respective perspective. From my viewpoint, this is what I see.

Since

1988, only 3 teams have had losing records. Super Bowl winners Pittsburgh in 2008, Tampa Bay in 2002, and Denver in 1998. In the last 23 years, 5 teams did not return to the tournament and failed to defend their title. Of course, the three teams mentioned above and Pittsburgh Super Bowl winning team in 2005 and the New York Giants of 1990. That’s a record

of 17-5 for returning back to the playoffs. Of those 17 teams, 5 returned to th

The post NY Giants Crystal Ball 2012 first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.