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On Monday, quarterback Eli Manning said during a WFAN interview that this New York Giants team has a lot to prove before it can be considered one of the better teams in the league. In a sense, he is right. This specific group of core players had an extremely up-and-down season in 2011.
Although 2011 ended with the hoisting of the Lombardi Trophy, there were times during the season when the outlook was less than favorable. In an interview with Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger, Giants right guard Chris Snee talked about how he expects the team to continue is stellar play from the end of last season into 2012.
"That’s the goal again this time, to start off hot. It’s almost the same exact schedule (as 2008); we play the AFC North again, so that’ll be familiar. It won’t be easy, but we have the pieces to do it," Snee said.
Last year, the Giants had a hard time playing consistently throughout the course of the regular season. For example, after an invigorating Week 13 win against the Dallas Cowboys on the road, Big Blue got blown out by a lesser talented Washington Redskins team at home the very next game. The team's 9-7 record boasted wins over the Patriots, Cowboys, Jets, and Eagles, while also including losses to the Seahawks and Redskins' (twice). Every NFL team has its up and down weeks; however, the 2011 New York Giants seemed to be more erratic than any other organization.
However, for the Giants to make it through their grueling schedule in 2012, it is essential that the team wins the games it is "supposed" to win. Not only does Snee expect for the Giants to come out strong in 2012, he would be surprised if they didn't.
"If you’re a competitor, you want to win the game, you want the challenge of going back-to-back, which is tough to do. But we feel we have the pieces to do it. We just have to come together like we did last year. It would be a shame not to carry on what we established during the postseason when we played so well," he said.
Luckily for the Giants, Snee is right. For the first time in a long-time, the team has a deep, talented group of linebackers. Furthermore, the offensive line should be improved after a year of experience with each other. If the Giants stay healthy, they have all the pieces to become a consistent, dominant force in the NFL for years to come. However, with the NFL's evolution into a rapid-changing environment, one never knows what to expect come Sunday.
Hopefully, Big Blue can continue its outstanding postseason play into 2012. This team will no longer have the luxury of sneaking up on anybody, nor will they have to deal with teams not taking them seriously. Everyone knows the 2011 Giants have the potential to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come, but in order to make that happen, the team must play in a more consistent manner.
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O Line is the key to the whole thing this year …
It must be football season again if OG is hanging around.
LOL!
Despite the “passing league” trend, the New York Giants are all about the running game.
They must have the ability to carve out tough yards on the ground in end game and goal line situations. The ability to run will make passing that much easier. Running makes Nicks and Cruz! more dangerous. The young receivers will be afforded more space in which to operate while learning the route tree.
It’s part of a formula that keeps defenses off balance. You are able to mix run/pass at your discretion. It gets to the point where the defense has no idea what is coming at them next.
Yes, the Giants can and will throw the rock. But to truly dominate the Giants have to be able to utilize play action. Other teams must be made aware that they can and will be run on. So this offensive line must step up. I agree with OGM above. Only add (MIKE) linebacker to the list must have keys.
Well, one way or the other the O-line is going to be a surprise.
If they play well it will be , to some degree, a pleasant surprise (only two seasons to transition to a largely new set of linemen) that will probably catapult the team deep into the playoffs with a very legit shot at the Lombardi.
If Beatty’s back is a problem and Diehl cannot hold down the fort at left tackle when called upon, if Baas’ “down year” wasn’t a bit fluky, and if Locklear cannot give them good play in Beatty’s absence, it will be a very unpleasant surprise and Eli and the defense will have to overcome long odds to get another championship. Not impossible, but not at all what we’re hoping, and looking, for in 2012.
I think it likely that Reese, Ross, Coughlin and Flaherty know what they’re doing and that the line will be just fine. But I’d feel a lot more comfortable if someone could promise me that Will Beatty isn’t going to go the way of Luke Petittgout and have his back turn a promising career into something much different.
CBS Sportsline’s Pete Prisco predicts every game of the 2012-13 NFL season:
(Spoiler alert: Green Bay defeats the 16-0 Patriots in SB XLVII after knocking off the 13-3 NYG in the NFC Championship)
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/19640727/predicting-every-game-pats-go-16-0-lose-in-super-bowl;-sound-familiar
I think all we need to do is run the ball in a respectable manner like we did in our final 8-9 games last year. This is Eli’s team now and we won’t run the ball like 2008. We just need enough balance to keep teams honest and make them pay whenthey don’t respect our run.
Though somehow, someway we must be a better short yardage running team. That’s why Brown and the Rutgers kid have a chance in the running back race because either could be our short yardage answer.
I don’t worry about the OL is much as other because I think the concern about Beatty playing is way overblown. He’s expected to be ready for training camp just like Canty. Last year we took the first steps of revamping the OL and we obviously had struggles. But some of the struggles were worse due to lack of an offseason. This year we should take the next step in growth as a unit. While this unit will still like not be great we should see improvement. Bennett’s blocking and hynoski’s development should also help. I think the key will using the increased athleticism to our advanage OL wise. In any case while I understand the concern about OL I hink there are plenty of reasons we can expect improvement.
I think people need to remember that even with the question marks on the O-line, this is actually a healthier version of the same O-line group that lead us to the Super Bowl last season. Even with the question marks, the O-line has already proven its good enough to at least keep the team competitive.
I agree with GOAT56 and Paul. I hope they can move people on occasion.
I would like to feel more confident on third and two. And when you remove injury from the equation, I really believe that third and short and goal line is all about “want to” on the part of the O-line and the running back.
Dan,
Congrats on the speaking engagement! I could definitely see you as the old bald crazy professor flirting with all the hot 19 year olds
Haha! I can also see that…
whether it was injuries or the loss of Seubert and O’Hara, last year’s O-Line was definitely the worst it has been since 2006.
Baas was a huge disappointment; but he was beset with nagging injuries so maybe he’ll respond this year the way Canty did in 2010 following the injury riddled disappointment that was 2009.
Beatty looked to be a fairly good pass blocker; a lesser light in the run blocking arena, plus for the second straight season he failed to remain healthy for the entire year.
Maybe this is the year he stays healthy and turns into a complete tackle.
Heading into last season many were clamoring for Diehl to return to his natural position at LG; then he did and he was terrible. Four seasons at tackle have apparently turned him into a tackle.
So he takes over on the right for the departed McKenzie; a lot of questions here. The perennially under-rated McKenzie may prove to be a sight bit better than a transplanted Diehl. Is it easy to play the RT position after years at LT?
Time will tell.
Snee was at his apogee as a player in 2008 and has declined steadily since then, largely due to nagging knee injuries. What will 2012 bring health-wise for Snee?
And then there is Boothe; a surprisingly solid back-up who, over the past 2 seasons, has been the unsung hero of the O-Line.
Looks like he gets the early nod over Petrus who apparently is a disappointment to the coaches despite more than a couple of viscerally solid performances over the past 2 years.
The inconsistency of the O-Line was a major factor in the overall inconsistency of the team.
Hopefully the unit will be stronger this season.