Tom Coughlin turned 68 on Aug. 31. Eli Manning, at 33, is the oldest player on the Giants’ roster other than kicker Josh Brown. Coach and quarterback. Quarterback and coach. The link is now entering its second decade and the time together has produced two Super Bowl titles, very likely Hall of Fame inclusion for Coughlin and quite possibly for Manning.
But is their time running out?
Neither is on any hot seat because that’s not the way general manager Jerry Reese works. And Reese is not on the hot seat because that’s not the way co-owner John Mara works. But nothing lasts forever and this sure feels like a season of decision for the Giants.
Coughlin is the NFL’s oldest coach. Manning is coming off his worst season, the third time he’s led the league in interceptions, this time with a career-high 27. Reese, departing from the franchise’s preferred standard operating procedure, committed about $116 million in free-agent contracts to rejuvenate a roster that had grown stale from too many Reese draft picks that never blossomed. The offensive coaching staff was overhauled and a young assistant from Green Bay, Ben McAdoo, was hired as a first-year offensive coordinator to install a West Coast attack foreign to Coughlin and Manning.
The Giants of 2013 were humbled early and often. It is popular to refer to one of the franchise’s historic low periods as “the 0-6 start,’’ but six weeks of misery is not a “start.’’ It was a six-week descent into football madness that saw the Giants buried before the leaves started falling. That they finished 7-9 is a tribute to Coughlin’s perseverance, but no one took any bows and now 2014 becomes a referendum on the direction of the entire operation.
The new offense mostly looked dreadful in the summer. The defense, rebuilt in the secondary, has the potential to be stingy but not if the suspect pass rush fails to produce. No one around the league is too high on this team.
That can motivate the Giants, or else define them.
Offense
Oy vey. The entire operation has been revamped, starting with first-year coordinator Ben McAdoo from the Packers along with his West Coast offensive system. The line was refurbished, with veterans Geoff Schwartz (left guard) and J.D. Walton (center) signed in free agency and Rashad Jennings, a career understudy in Jacksonville and Oakland, signed to start at running back. Schwartz, though, suffered a dislocated right big toe and that means rookie second-round pick Weston Richburg is needed now, not later.
The loss of receiver Hakeem Nicks — who wore out his welcome — was neutralized by the selection of Odell Beckham Jr. out of LSU in the first round of the NFL Draft. The results this summer were anywhere from dismal to depressing.
Of course, it all revolves around Manning, entering his 11th year and at 33 coming off his worst season. How Manning adapts to the first new offense of his NFL career is a huge factor. He is a question mark, which is disconcerting to the entire organization. There are so many other concerns.
Can Rueben Randle in his third season take a big step into a starting role and relieve some of the double-team pressure on Victor Cruz, who cannot do it all by himself? Is Jennings a lead back? Is rookie Andre Williams ready for significant carries in his first year now that David Wilson was forced into retirement? The line is different, but is it substantially better? Is Will Beatty, coming off a broken right leg, an ascending left tackle (the 2012 opinion) or a complete mess (the 2013 evidence)? Will Beckham — whose balky right hamstring kept him out most of the summer — make an impact as a rookie or need a year to realize he’s no longer on scholarship?
This might be the most uninspiring tight end group in the league. Daniel Fells is a journeyman and Larry Donnell and Adrien Robinson are second-year players coming off ho-hum summers. Forget dynamic here; if the Giants get competence from this trio they will be happy.
And, hovering above all other concerns, is this: Is Manning capable of changing his quarterback stripes and thriving in a new system that may not be perfectly suited to his skill set?
Grade: C+
Defense
Somehow, after a terrible start, this unit rallied to finish ranked No. 8 in total defense in 2013, but that didn’t stop Reese from opening the coffers to strengthen the secondary.
The haul was impressive, as two cornerbacks fresh off the Super Bowl, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond III, provide ample firepower for coordinator Perry Fewell. Thurmond is a legitimate nickel corner working in the slot and DRC is a gifted athlete who can be isolated in man coverage, although he must prove he’ll play hard every play, no matter what. Along with steadily improving Prince Amukamara, it’s a strong three-headed cornerback group and Trumaine McBride and Zack Bowman are capable reserves.
Antrel Rolle is a stud and anchors the safety position and welcomes the return of Stevie Brown, who had eight interceptions in 2012 before missing all of 2013 following ACL surgery. Quintin Demps is a proven veteran added into the mix.
The linebackers are no longer a weakness, as long as Jon Beason shakes off a summer foot injury and remains on the field. He’s a rare leader and is in total command of the defensive huddle. He has a new sidekick in Jameel McClain, a former Raven who is savvy and heady. Jacquian Williams enters a contract year and must show more than flashes, and Spencer Paysinger is smart enough to fill many roles. The wild card is rookie Devon Kennard, a 250-pounder who might surprise everyone.
The real key with Fewell’s group is up front, as the two top-producing linemen in 2013, Justin Tuck (Raiders) and Linval Joseph (Vikings), are gone.
It does not all come down to the return to form of Jason Pierre-Paul, but he is the starting point for everything. The JPP of 2011 (16 1/2 sacks) is needed, not the injury-riddled facsimile of the past two years. He says he’s healthy and, in the final year of his contract, there’s millions of dollars at stake.
Mathias Kiwanuka moves into a starting role at defensive end after accepting a pay cut and he is always active but not always able to finish the play. Second-year Damontre Moore could be the next big thing at DE and veteran Robert Ayers provides depth.
Inside, Cullen Jenkins is getting older but he’s still effective, as is Mike Patterson, but Johnathan Hankins, a 2013 second-round pick, is expected to be the meal ticket as a run-stopper.
Grade: B
Special teams
A concerted effort was made to upgrade what had been a lackluster return game. Demps is an accomplished kickoff returner who has averaged more than 27 yards in his career. If he showed he was durable enough to handle the assignment, the plan was to give Beckham a shot on punt returns but that does not appear to be an option now. That means it could be newcomer Preston Parker or else reliable but unexciting Randle, who is excellent in terms of ball security but doesn’t have that quick-twitch first step to get moving in a hurry.
The kicking game rests on the feet of two solid, proven vets. Punter Steve Weatherford is a cover boy on muscle magazines and a fan favorite and usually is able to nullify an opponent’s return game. Brown is coming off a fine season (23 of 26 on field goals) and at age 35 still can knock it through the end zone most of the time on kickoffs.
Grade: B+
Coaching
Tom Coughlin is outwardly far more patient than he used to be and he does not come close to running the most physically demanding training camp. He’s older, wiser but his intensity is unwavering. He was jostled from his comfort zone and made several changes to his offensive staff, most notably plucking McAdoo from Green Bay to install a West Coast system. Don’t kid yourself, this is a leap of faith for Coughlin, as McAdoo never has been a coordinator or a play-caller. McAdoo’s ability to get the offense right might be the key to the entire season. Fewell often has had the luxury of a multitude of gifted pass rushers, and when he doesn’t, it’s difficult for him to manufacture pressure. That’s his greatest challenge this season, as the back end of the defense appears solid. Coughlin just turned 68 and isn’t the retiring type and the respect level for him in the building is off the charts.
Grade: B+
Three bold predictions
1. Damontre Moore in his second season will work his way into the starting lineup and lead the team in sacks.
2. Running back Rashad Jennings will finish second on the team in receptions, behind Victor Cruz.
3. Eli Manning will throw fewer interceptions this season than he has in any year since 2008, when he threw only 10.
Paul Schwartz’s yardsticks
MOST IMPORTANT OFFENSIVE PLAYER: LT Will Beatty. It all starts and ends with Eli Manning, but he needs to be protected. Beatty is coming off a terrible season and a broken right leg and there’s no legit alternative.
MOST IMPORTANT DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Jason Pierre-Paul. It’s a contract year for JPP, so there’s millions of dollars at stake for him. Is he the dominant JPP circa 2011 or the dormant JPP of 2013? He must be the primary pass rusher, or else.
ROOKIE TO WATCH: RB Andre Williams. This guy looked NFL-ready from the minute he arrived, one of those guys who just looks comfortable running the football. With David Wilson forced into retirement, he’ll carry a heavy load.
STAR ON THE RISE: DE Damontre Moore. The defensive end lineage goes back to Michael Strahan, who has taken Moore under his wing. Maybe that great nickname, Damonster, will ring true.
BIGGEST GAME: Oct. 12 at Philadelphia. The Eagles are everybody’s favorites to win the NFC East again and this national TV Sunday night affair will determine if the Giants are capable of hanging with the defending division champs.
BIGGEST COACHING DECISION: If Beatty struggles, does the coaching staff switch Justin Pugh from right to left tackle to protect Manning’s blind side and roll the dice with an inexperienced right tackle?
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF … Speculation starts swirling about Manning’s future with the team, given that his contract expires after the 2015 season.
SURE TO MAKE FANS GRUMBLE: The tight end position sets the passing game back several decades. New OC Ben McAdoo is referred to “Ben McAdon’t.” Google “Odell Beckham’’ and the first thing that pops up is “hamstring.” Every Justin Tuck sack in Oakland is a contrast to the Giants’ sluggish pass rush. Bob Papa, the radio voice of the Giants, says “And that’s another three-and-out for the Giants’’ so often that it becomes his signature call.
PREDICTION: 8-8
You feel comfortable connecting the dots and answering all the questions and giving the Giants a strong final record? Didn’t think so. There’s a sunny-disposition way for them to get to 10 wins, but so much has to go right that it’s more likely plenty goes wrong and they struggle to stay above .500. There’s no “wow” factor with this roster and thus no “wow” record.