The New York Giants have strolled to an 8-3 record twelve weeks into the season. The Giants road to the playoffs will not be the easiest. They are on the brink of their first playoff berth since they won the Super Bowl in 2011.
New York Giants Road to the Playoffs
Pass Rush Needs to Keep Momentum Going
Jason Pierre-Paul is having a career year. His reemergence has sparked the return of the feared New York Giants pass rush. With his reemergence, the Giants inked future Pro Bowler Olivier Vernon to a massive deal. While it seemed like a panic buy at the time, his signing has paid huge dividends to the team. At first, Vernon seemed to only be effective in run support. However, in the past six weeks, he has been a dynamic pass rusher.
Along with Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins in the middle, this unit is posed create problems for the opposing quarterback. After only having six sacks in the first five games (last in the NFL), they now have 25 sacks and are tied for 13th in the league. The Giants want to make a run at the postseason. While they are in the driver seat, they must not let up. This defense needs to continue to bring the pressure and cannot let up.
Eli Manning Needs to Break his Slump
Eli Manning is one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. He has shown glimpses of his best play, however, it has not been consistent. Manning has toned down the mistakes he is prone to making. This has yet to correlate to more success. In his last two games, although throwing five touchdowns and no interceptions, he has only 421 yards and a completion percentage of roughly 57%. These are not numbers you would expect from a Pro Bowl quarterback. Luckily, the Giants played the Browns and the Chicago Bears. Mediocre play from Manning was acceptable in those games, but it will not fly in the next five games. The Giants play the Steelers, Cowboys, Lions, Redskins, and Eagles. If they plan on winning at least two of these games, Eli Manning must show the world how good he truly is.
Establish Some Semblance of a Run Game
There have been some flashes of a real run game. If the Giants have any intention of playing in January, they need to establish the run game and establish it quickly. With the game on the line against the Cincinnati Bengals, Rashad Jennings was called upon and did a brilliant job helping the Giants run down the clock and win the game. He did the same thing against the Chicago Bears, for his second consecutive 85+ yard game. The Giants need this version of Jennings in order to make a playoff run.
Although the offensive line has been battered and not at full strength, the return of Justin Pugh will be crucial to a playoff run. He was rated the number one left guard in the NFL before going down with a knee injury against the Eagles. With his return, the run game will have a chance to truly prosper at the right time.
The New York Giants have a great chance at seeing the playoffs again. It would come as a shock to many fans if they do not make it. The road to the playoffs relies heavily on the shoulders of Eli Manning, and he definitely has what it takes to get his team there.
