Can the New York Giants make the playoffs? Odell Beckham Jr calls for 8-0 finish
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Sunday 25 November 2018 17:06, UK
The New York Giants produced their first 'winning streak' for two years when they overcame the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-35 on Sunday evening to claim back-to-back victories. With the NFC East seemingly up for grabs, could the 3-7 Giants yet make the playoffs?
As of now, it looks a long way off, but there is a genuine chance New York could make a surge to top the NFC East - here's how:
Dallas Cowboys - As of now the Cowboys are looking like the strongest team in the NFC East after winning their last three games, including a Thanksgiving victory over the Washington Redskins. They currently sit atop the NFC East with a 6-5 record.
However, the Cowboys rely massively on running back Ezekiel Elliott. They are 1-4 this season in games when Elliott has rushed for under 100 yards. So if teams are able to stop their running game, the Cowboys could be in trouble.
Washington Redskins - They started superbly, but have now lost three of their last four games to leave them with a 6-5 mark. Plus, the Redskins' chances of winning the division have decreased significantly due to the injury of starting quarterback Alex Smith.
The 34-year-old broke his leg in their 23-21 defeat to the Houston Texans last Sunday. The Redskins are now led by Colt McCoy, who threw three picks in defeat to Dallas.
Philadelphia Eagles - This season has been a real disappointment so far for the defending Super Bowl champions. They're 4-6 and have arguably the hardest schedule left out of the NFC East teams. They face all three of their division rivals (including the Redskins twice), the Los Angeles Rams and the Houston Texans.
The Giants face off against the Eagles this Sunday in arguably their biggest game of the season. A win would improve the Giants' record to 4-7, putting them equal with the Eagles and just two wins off of the Cowboys and Redskins. A defeat, however, would all but end their hopes.
The Giants need to win out. Odell Beckham Jr said it himself a fortnight ago, raising a few eyebrows: "Win eight games," Beckham said. "Go 9-7 and get in the playoffs. Giants been there before, 9-7 and got to the playoffs.
"That's the goal. It's not an easy task, but that's the goal. We want to win every game, and to do anything I can to help that."
So far so good, with wins against the San Francisco 49ers and Buccaneers following on from OBJ's bold claim. However, for the Giants to even be mentioned in the playoff picture they will need more than just two wins. Their star players need to keep putting in the performances down the stretch.
The oldest of them is 37-year-old quarterback Eli Manning, who has been under a lot of pressure due to his poor performances this season. Through the first eight games, Manning's stats were some of the worst in the league. He had thrown eight touchdown passes, six interceptions and had an average quarterback rating of 92.1.
However, in his last two games, Manning has thrown for five touchdowns, no interceptions, with an average quarterback rating of 133.25.
Although the two defenses Manning carved up were ranked 32nd (Tampa Bay) and 26th (San Francisco) in points allowed, it still looks like there is life left in the two-time Super Bowl champion. Especially when he gets the ball in the hands of his playmakers.
Their newest superstar, Saquon Barkley, has definitely lived up to the hype since the Giants drafted him with the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The former Penn State running back is one of the leading candidates to win the coveted Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He has 728 rushing yards and 540 receiving yards through 10 games, alongside 10 touchdowns - seven on the ground and three through the air.
The 21-year-old has rushed for over 100 yards in three games so far this season and has improved the Giants' running game immensely. The team are currently averaging 4.3 yards per rushing attempt. The last time they finished a season with an average of 4.0 or higher was in 2012.
Pat Schurmur's Giants face a tough task on the ground over their final six games though. All six teams they have to face allow less than 106 rushing yards per game on average. This could potentially slow Barkley down in the running game, but in return, it could allow wide receiver Beckham more opportunities to make big plays.
Since being drafted in 2014, OBJ has undoubtedly been one of the best receivers in the league - and he has continued to show that this season. Beckham has 69 receptions for 932 yards and five touchdowns. If you add in Barkley's 540 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, the pair account for 52.65 per cent of the Giants' receiving yards and 61.5 per cent of receiving touchdowns. In the running game, Barkley has scored all seven of the Giants' rushing touchdowns.
Although Barkley, Beckham and Manning are the main assets on the Giants offense, they will still need other players to step up if they want to make the playoffs. The likes of tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Sterling Shepard have both shown they have the potential to help out offensively.
The Giants faced big problems throughout the first half of the season in two key areas; their offensive line and their pass rush. However, both of those issues are beginning to fix themselves as they look to extend their season into January.
The offensive line was arguably one of the worst in football, as they allowed 31 sacks through the opening eight games - the worst in the league. In their last two games, they've only allowed five sacks. Left tackle Nate Solder, who was signed during free agency to a four-year $62million contract, has been a massive part of that. His ability to block in the run game also led to both of Barkley's rushing touchdowns against the Buccaneers.
Big Blue's defense has also shown signs of improvement, with safety Landon Collins and linebacker Alec Ogletree proving to be real difference makers. The duo lead the team with 56 and 42 total tackles, respectively.
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The most promising sign for the Giants defense is that four of the six teams they still have to play don't score very many points per game:
Indianapolis Colts - 29.8 PPG
Chicago Bears - 28.8 PPG
New York Giants - 21.5 PPG
Dallas Cowboys - 21.3 PPG
Philadelphia Eagles - 20.5 PPG
Washington Redskins - 20 PPG
Tennessee Titans - 17.8 PPG
If the Giants defense are able to hold the Titans, Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys to their season average and the Giants offense holds up its end of the bargain, then they have a genuine chance at making the playoffs.
But, before anyone gets ahead of themselves, first up for the Giants on their tricky road to the playoffs is a wounded Super Bowl champion, in Philly, on Sunday.
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