Why the Giants' wins are actually losses in the long run:
On Sunday afternoon, the New York Football Giants and their kicker Josh Brown pulled out a 15-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles for their second win of the season. While this victory may seem encouraging to New York fans, it is ironically going down the wrong path.
In all honesty, the Giants are bad... really bad. It truly shocks me that a team with a defense as hopeless as Giants is only two games out of first place. (In other words, the NFC East is pathetic.)
So you might be thinking: "Two games out, huh? The Giants should be going for the playoffs.
Their last two Super Bowl teams had some weaknesses too, maybe they can do something this year."
Well, I'm here to tell you that the Giants need to lose. My prediction is that even with a two game deficit in the NFC East, the Giants will fall short of a playoff spot. And even if they were to make it to the postseason, the team is far too easily exploitable to go on any sort of extended run.
They need to move up the draft board. And they need to fill holes on both sides of the ball.
Where the Giants struggled this year:
The primary reason for the Giants' starting the 2013-14 NFL season 0-6 has to do with how their mediocrity is spread around the field. The Giants have been bombarded with problems concerning their turnovers, offensive line, defensive pressure, secondary/linebackers, and running game. Now, while these factors may seem overwhelming, when broken down, they look far less scary.
Going into the game against the Eagles, the Giants led the league with a sloppy 24 turnovers, seven more than any other organization. Yet Eli Manning's 15 interceptions are really not a function of a decrease in accuracy or poor decision making, but rather consistently poor performances by his offensive linemen. Manning has been feeling the pressure like he never has before. If the Giants were a running team or a short pass team, the woes of the offensive line would be far more permissible; but the problem is, they're not. The Giants have one of the league's best receiving corps, but they are mainly deep play threats. Thus Manning needs time in the pocket to throw downfield, which the O-line is not supplying.
Generations of Giants teams have prided themselves on running, but the team should retain a pass-heavy offense if they want to create a Super Bowl dynasty. Many argue that a strong running game is essential in a strong passing game; a strong running game sets up the play action as well as a great deal of freedom for the quarterback. However, a strong running game is irrelevant for the Giants. In fact, three of the last 10 Super Bowl teams have finished dead last in the NFL in total rushing yards. One of those teams happens to be the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI Champion New York Giants. Manning can handle an offense with a poor running game, but offense is only half the game.
Coming into Week 8, the Giants have given up the second most points in the league. The backfield is likely the worst aspect of this team. In fact, while it seems that pro-Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul and the other pass rushers have not been doing their jobs, it really is the ineffectiveness of the linebackers and secondary that have brought the defensive line's production down. Backfield is where the Giants really need a major makeover.
The O-line and backfield are really the root of all their problems, and these problems can be fixed.
What losing can do for the Giants:
The Giants came into Sunday's game against the Eagles with the third worst record in the NFL (both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars remain winless). The more they lose, the better they will fare in the draft.
When looking at other last place teams in the mix, the Giants are only one of a few that are not in serious need of a quarterback. And if the Giants can get a top 10 pick, there will be a lot more talent there because many other teams will be after quarterbacks. Now it's unlikely that Jadeveon Clowney will fall into the Giants hands with a pick any higher than the third or fourth, but they could go after some great talent like Anthony Barr of UCLA.
The Giants could easily address their problems by flooding their draft picks with offensive linemen and backfield players. In addition, they could make some small, yet constructive free agent signings.
We know that the Giants can win a Super Bowl; they won one less than two years ago. And if the team can properly execute their draft, they could easily be contending for their third Super Bowl in less than a decade next season.