Big Blue Repeat?

The World Champs are two weeks into their off-season regiment, and today was the first day that the media were permitted to enter the locker room. Unfortunatly, Roomofzen was not able to be there. But, we have read many accounts of what was said, and I also made sure to spend more time than usual (which is ALOT) thinking about the Giants today.


I love what we're hearing from Eli Manning. and Amani Toomer.

I expect great things from Eli this season. The guy has all the makings of a great quarterback. Physically, all the tools are there. Emotionally, the guy is always level, so I know that the emotional highs of winning the Super Bowl and getting married over the off-season will not have any effect on his game. The guy has put in more hours in the Giants practice facility than any other player since joining the team, and last year we began to see some of his teammates (most notably Plaxico Burress) following his lead in their off-season training regiments.



That's not to say I expect Manning to be perfect. This will only be his fourth year as the starter, and he still has a lot to go through. But, he's shown that he has the right makeup to handle that adversity. He'll always be scrutinized, and he has nobody but himself to thank for much of that. Certainly, being born a Manning was out of his control, but he signed up to be one of the most scrutinized players of all time when he became so vocal about playing for New York instead of San Diego. But, if Manning can handle the scrutiny he has faced over the past three seasons, this year should be a breeze. He bought himself a considerable amount of breathing room in February.

At this point, no writer in New York or anywhere can assert that Manning has been a bust. He has taken the Giants to the playoffs in every season, and in only his third year as the starter he turned in one of the most unlikely and prolific Super Bowl runs in history. I think that the confidence he gained during the post-season will show in his improved performance this season. Before the Super Bowl, John Elway said on ESPN that the level of his play rose to the next level the season after the first time he took Denver to the Super Bowl (in which they got SPANKED by the G-Men!). He said that the confidence he gained during the post-season (in which he played the best football anyone had seen from him) is what helped him elevate his game. People have compared Eli to Elway throughout his career (Elway was vocal about not wanting to play for the Colts, and was criticized heavily during the early years in Denver). I look for Eli to follow a pattern similar to that of Elway, and have his best and most consistent season in 08-09.


Needless to say, I feel comfortable with the Giants offense. The offensive line, which was one of the top units in the NFL last season, is returning intact. A more confident and poised Manning will be handing off to Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward (who just re-signed in March), and Ahmad Bradshaw. Logic tells us that Jacobs and Bradshaw, because they are so young, should be much improved. He will be throwing the ball to a healthy Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer (his value cannot be understated; look how valuable he was last year and look what happened to this offense when he went down in 06-07), a healthy Jeremy Shockey, and three young up-and comers in Steve Smith, Kevin Boss, and Sinorice Moss. Talk all you want about Dallas being loaded up on offense, and certainly TO, Jason Witten, and that big O-line make them a matchup problem for everyone. But, I belive that the best offense in the NFC East calls East Rutherford home.

I think this team has a great chance to repeat, but there are three big questions that need to be answered. And, suprisingly, they are all on the defensive side of the ball.


First of all, what is Michael Strahan going to decide? His return is key to the success of this defense. That's not to say that the G-Men wouldn't be able to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks without Strahan. Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, and Barry Cofield are all top-notch talents. But, you can't remove a player as dominant as Strahan and not expect to see a drop-off.

Second, how the hell did we become so thin at linebacker so fast. Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor were big losses, and I can't say that I feel confident in this group at the moment. I think Antonio Pierce is one of the best in the game, and I love Mathias Kiwanuka's athleticism, but somebody is going to need to step up. Now, many mock drafts have the G-Men taking Jerod Mayo from Tennessee in the draft. I would love this pick, and I think he's athletic enough to step in as a starter right away. But, there are still two problems. One, this means that we have a rookie and a third-year player who is still learning how to play linebacker flanking Antonio Pierce. Second, one of the biggest knocks on Mayo is that he can't stay healthy. Gerris Wilkinson and Chase Blackburn have both stepped up in key situations in the past, and I know that Giants coaches really like what they have seen from Zak DeOssie. Does any of this mean that I'm confident? Obviously not.

Third, can the secondary continue to play as well as it did in the post-season? I think so. Corey Webster is a great talent. I'm not sure exactly what wasn't working for him earlier in the season in '07, but he obviously conquered it in time for the post-season. Aaron Ross exceeded all of my expectations in his rookie year. I expect both Webster and Ross to be much improved this season. Sam Madison, R.W. McQuarters, and Kevin Dockery are all very capable, and I love the depth at cornerback. At safety, the loss of Gibril Wilson certainly hurt (the Raiders are overpaying in an attempt to bring in guys to turn things around. This is a fine quick-fix, but certainly not a blue print for long-term success. Al Davis needs to be stopped!). But, I love the addition of Sammy Knight. James Butler made some big plays last season, and Michael Johnson was the unsung hero of our rookies. He stepped in late in the season and played great. I look for him to be much improved in '08.

Fourth, will punting be an issue? Obviously not, the Giants have the greatest punter ever to walk the earth.