New York Giants: Analyzing the first six weeks

After six weeks the Giants have been pretty fair, but there is still a lot of work to do
Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch USA Today Sports

It's been a season of ups and downs so far as the Giants find themselves in the middle of what is shaping up to be a tightly contested division. Despite their troubles, the team has managed a 3-3 record keeping hope that one good stretch could make all the difference. With 11 games left to play, there is still a lot of room for improvement and a good chance to make headway in the NFC East

Pros

The offense has looked much better than last season, averaging 392 yards per game. Though it has had its moments of tribulation, the outlook for the year seems pretty good. Once Victor Cruz is healthy and ready to go, there is no doubt the dynamic of the offense will shift dramatically in the team favor.

Eli Manning has been under a lot of scrutiny over  the course of his career because of his propensity for turnovers. His 11 touchdowns and 4 interceptions through six weeks suggests he has gotten those problems under control (though he still has his moments). In fact, his 66% completion percentage and 94 passer rating has him on pace to put up the most efficient numbers of his career. Hopefully Eli can continue to show this growth as the season continues because as he does, so will the Giants.

Outside of the last two games the Giants run defense has held its own holding opponents to 93.5 yds per game (6th best in the NFL). After two years of watching opponents run up and down the heart of the line, this was an area of focus that has paid some dividends.

Cons

The Giants have just eight team sacks this season, placing them near the bottom of the league in a category they once dominated. The defensive line has failed to get any pressure on the quarterback, leaving the  rest of the defense vulnerable. Unless something drastic happens, this will continue to be the achilles heel that keeps hurting them.

Compounding matters, the Giants are the defense in the league against the pass, yielding nearly 300 yards per game (3rd worst). Despite forcing 11 turnovers, it doesn't appear the team has been able to generate a deterrent for opposing quarterbacks.

In what seems to be a recurring theme, injuries have hampered the teams ability to find any type of consistency. Too many key layers have gone down each week, forcing the team to scramble and find replacements. Is it the Giants just getting flat out unlucky? or should the strength and conditioning staff be held responsible? Nevertheless, football has and always will be a violent and physical game, so injuries are bound to occur, but if you're a Giants fan this has to be getting at bit monotonous.