Giants: What Happens Now?

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On Tuesday, the New York Giants made the shocking decision to bench Eli Manning amidst the teams tumultuous 2-9 season, ending his streak of 210 consecutive games started. The move has signaled that the once proud franchise has fallen into a place of disfunction that was thought to be unprecedented just a few seasons ago. This unfortunate turn of events leaves one question to be asked. What happens now?

New Quarterback?

Geno Smith may be getting the nod in Oakland, everyone knows he's just a fill in as the Giants will want to get a look at 3rd round pick Davis Webb. Ultimately, the team will look for a top tier quarterback in the college ranks to eventually become the franchises signal caler of the future.

The End of Ben McAdoo?

It appears that after just two seasons, the team has lost all faith in McAdoo. Fans and players have criticized his coaching style and questioned his ability to lead. Knowing that he had a hand in sitting Manning won't help his cause as the organization will most likely make him one of the casualties come January.

Jerry Reese Finished in New York?

Jerry Reese has been a part of the Giants organization since 1994, which may make it hard for the team to let him go. However, his recent track record of poor draft picks and free agent signings simply cannot be ignored. He’s played a big part in most of the shortcomings (the offensive line most notably) that made Eli's job far more difficult than it had to be. He likely sealed his fate in an October weekly address when he took the blame for Big Blues poor record, a sentiment many have felt was long overdue.

Manning Retiring?

It is entirely possible that Eli Manning may decide to call it a career at season's end. He's accomplished quite a bit for a quarterback that was once looked at as mediocre by critics and scouts. He currently sits in the top 10 all time in passing yards, touchdowns, and completions. Not to mention he has two Super Bowl MVP awards. Yet, there are going to be murmuring that Manning should look to play at least one more year with perhaps another team. It would be a huge sting for Big Blue to see their franchise player don another uniform, but in the end that decision will be left to

5 Glaring Weaknesses the Giants Must Address

Photo: Tom Heitman USA Today Sports

Running Game

Gone are the days when the running game was the Giants greatest strength. Now there's just absolute uncertainty and angst every time the ball is handed off. It's a known fact that the league has become far more pass oriented over than in years past, but there still is a place for a strong running attack to thrive. If this team cannot find some way to ramp up the yards on the ground, things won't be looking up anytime soon.

Receiver Balance

After the drudgery that was Week 1 and 2, it's apparent that the offense faces quite a substantial dilemma. The receiving core is struggling to find harmony with Eli Manning as they can barely get a decent play off without problems (The offensive line is the biggest culprit of this, but we'll get to them later). There needs to be an emphasis on spreading the ball around to showcase the abilities of the pass catchers, but that will require some definition of just what the actual strategy is.

Defensive Fatigue

The one good thing that was taken from the first week is the success the defense could have at times. Unfortunately, when the offense can do nothing, the defense is at risk of wilting from being on the field too long game after game. There is far too much talent on that side of the ball and the Giants simply can't allow it to break down, especially when it was such an integral part of their success last season.

Coaching

Ben McAdoo has had a rough start to his coaching tenure. His billing as an offensive guru has looked like a farce thus far, especially given the ineptitude the team has shown on one too many possessions. In Addition, some of the bizarre play calling during games has left many wondering if he's in over his head. Even worse, he doesn’t place any blame on players nor himself for any shortcomings, even when it’s deserved. Should Coach McAdoo keep this up, the Giants may be forced to move on from him a lot earlier than expected

Offensive Line

This is by far the biggest weakness of the Giants due to a severe lack of capable talent. The likes of Bobby Hart, John Jerry, and especially Ereck Flowers have been heavily criticized for their poor technique and lack of football IQ in both pass protection and run blocking. Unfortunately, the team has chosen for whichever reason to ignore the weakness of the line in favor of other endeavors. This has put undue stress on and aging Eli Manning whom is struggling to remotely function in any play call. Drastic changes are needed, and it's up to Jerry Reese and McAdoo to make it happen, otherwise this season's offense look like last years...only much, much worse.

Why The Giants Are Struggling

Photo: Matt Ludtke/AP

The Giants head into week 6 on a three game losing streak and find themselves in last place in the NFC East. Though there are many factors that have contributed to the team’s struggles, here are a few glaring issues that I think are perpetuating Big Blue’s current situation.

Practice Habits

Poor preparation leads to poor performance, that is a saying many have heard over the course of their lives. It especially rings true in sports. With the way the team has performed the past three weeks, many will wonder if the Giants practices are yielding any positive results. This not only is a bad reflection on the players, it’s a massive knock on the coaching staff whose job is to make sure the team is ready to play at a high level each week. One should hope this is not the case, but given what has transpired thus far you can’t help but feel this

Lack of Depth

For the Giants, the discrepancy of talent between the starter and bench is far too wide. If a first string player gets hurt, their backup seemingly lacks the skill to perform even adequately and that is a big problem. The fault of this falls directly on General Manager Jerry Reese, who is in charge of drafting and signing capable talent to make sure the depth is always up to par. The team owes it to itself to improve upon this weakness if there is any hope of making sure this season doesn’t get away from them like it has the past 5 years.

Pass Rush (Or lack thereof)

In the off-season the team spent over $200 million improving the defense in order to increase the number of sacks and quarterback hits. Instead the pass rush has managed to look even worse that it did last year, which is mind boggling. After watching Aaron Rogers get time to read War and Peace in the backfield, it’s time to start holding Steve Spagnuolo and defense accountable for the uninspired play that is being shown on a weekly basis.

No Rashad Jennings

This may or may not have much merit to it, but the loss of Jennings for three weeks seems to be parallel with the team’s struggles. Perhaps getting him back for week 6 will yield a better result. With Shane Vereen on the shelf, the Giants could use a singular talent that is capable of doing some damage on offense.

The Slow Moving Offense

One of the things that was expected of New York was that the offense would perform at an elite level, especially since it has such a talented receiving core. Unfortunately, that has not been the case as the offense is spending more time sputtering out on drives, committing costly penalties, and turning the ball over. Many say this is on Eli Manning, whom to their point has not looked particularly good running some of the plays. However, it’s Ben McAdoo’s job to see this system through. The conservative play calling is hurting the offense’s effectiveness and it’s hard to get players like Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz going. If there’s going to be any advancement in overall play, this needs to change.