Giant Chances Wasted

In what appeared to be a war of attrition, the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers fought aggressively on defense in what turned into a bloodbath ballgame, but the overall talent of the Niners held off Big Blue, as New York fell 16-10, moving to 3-7 on the year.

Here's this week's breakdown.

DEFENSE PLAYS 4 QUARTERS

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The Giants' main concern entering Sunday's contest was how a depleting pass rush and secondary could maintain the ground and passing game of Colin Kaepernick. New York was abused by Seattle's ground game the week before, but the overall performance of the Giants defense was adequate. The first Niners drive was halted after a Frank Gore fumble, and San Francisco's ground game was pressured by the New York defensive line. In comparison to last week's yard allowance, the defense made big plays in their territory, and the consistency and confidence Tom Coughlin was looking for was most certainly found by the eleven men protecting their turf. The game was lost, but not in credit to defensive blunders, They most certainly held their own.

                                                                                    ELI RETURNS TO 2013 WAYS

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5 interceptions from Eli Manning were the deciding factor in the Giants' heartbreaking defeat. New York's first offensive drive started successfully with a touchdown (their first TD on their 1st drive in 20 games), but the consistency of the offensive game was absent. A potent San Francisco pass rush forced Manning to move, which lead to poor decisions and regrettable throws. Between the numbers, Eli connected with Rueben Randle for 7 catches worth 112 yards, but the long ball outside the numbers was not cooperative, as Frisco's safeties reacted to the routes and forced ugly interceptions on Manning's behalf. Aside from the interceptions, many fans scratched their heads over the offensive play calling late in the game. With New York trailing by six, a miraculous catch by Odell Beckham Jr. put the offense inside San Francisco's 5-yard line, and from there, Eli chose three consecutive fade routes to Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle and Larry Donnell. Considering how horrendous the running game performed, throwing four straight plays made sense, but running identical plays three consecutive times was not only obvious to the viewers, but also to the Niners' defenders. The drive resulted in a fatal interception, and Eli Manning must take full blame for Sunday's contest. Eli's woes put the knife in the Giant's back, and for a man who takes up roughly seventeen percent of the Giants' total salary cap
next year, the front office may take action in finding an alternative option at quarterback. Eli isn't the reason for the team's failures, but if Tom Coughlin does not return, it will become even harder for Manning to adjust to a new head coach and coordinator. Manning grew as a quarterback with Coughlin on the sideline, and change is not always effective to an athlete who has known one method of play for nearly a decade. 

THE OFFENSIVE LINE

Where to begin. Since Shaun O'Hara and Chris Snee's retirements, the Giants have struggled in finding strong offensive lineman to fill the voids. Last season's woes were credited to an abysmal offensive line, which lead to Eli Manning's worst statistical year. This spring, New York drafted Center Weston Richburg from Colorado State, and in 2013, Offensive Tackle Justin Pugh out of Syracuse. From the start of this season, the offensive line has failed in holding their ground, which has resulted in poor pass protection for Manning and little to no holes available for the running game. With a young inexperienced group, teams look to the veterans for leadership and support. Unfortunately, the Giants' only veteran is LT Will Beatty, who has lacked in production and has been a huge disappointment the last few years. The Giants have lucked out with Beckham, but next year's first draft pick must go to a low-risk, high potential offensive lineman. The Giants can no longer afford this lack of production. 

THE FUTURE

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The Giants now stand at a record of 3-7, tied for last place in the East. The difficult stretch of games has finally come to an end, but five consecutive losses has practically knocked the Giants out of playoff contention for the fifth time in six seasons. With or without Tom Coughlin as the head coach next year, the future of Big Blue must be taken into consideration this Spring. Although New York's six remaining games are in their favor, it seems less likely that they will keep the train moving. With that being said, this will be a positive for the 2015 Draft. A record of 5-11 or 4-12 can potentially land the Giants a Top-5 draft spot, which would allow GM Jerry Reese to focus in on the best offensive lineman in the country. The term "tanking" is not the s
olution, but it is time to let reality kick in; the season is lost, the injuries are deep, and the depth is minuscule. Put the season behind and look toward the future. It is hard to judge a football team that has over eight starters on the Injured Reserve list. With that being said, a healthy Big Blue will be capable of great things next year. Cross your fingers. 

W2W4

With the season over, New York still has a few games for fans to be excited about. Dallas visits the Meadowlands this Sunday coming off a bye week, and a good old fashioned rivalry will be renewed. The Giants are now left to play spoiler, and if the heart and dedication to playing football is present, there is no doubt Big Blue can upset a few competitive opponents. 

Prediction: DAL 34, NYG 23