2011 NY Giants Team Preview | NFL Predictions
In 2010 the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first NFC teams since 1991 to miss the playoffs despite posting double-digit amounts of victories. The Giants have only themselves to blame:
2011 N.Y. Giants Team Preview/Predictions
2010 Record: 10-6
ATS Record: 7-9
They blew a 31-10 fourth-quarter lead in a loss to NFC East winner Philadelphia on December 19, then got blown out 45-17 by the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, which cost them the playoff tiebreakers against two teams also in the hunt for a postseason berth.
Will the G-Men be able to rebound in 2011? Only time will tell, but the Giants have a great running back duo that should help them out. The tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, which combined to rush for 2,058 yards and 17 touchdowns, was among the best duos in the league… when it wasn’t putting the ball on the carpet.
The Giants owned a considerable amount of talent, but a penchant for untimely mistakes prevented them from reaching their potential.
The Giants also have one of the best passing attacks in the NFC. Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks combined for almost 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns last season. The receiving corps would have been even better if Steve Smith had been able to return to his 2009 form. The USC product posted 1,220 yards receiving and seven touchdowns that season, but he wasn’t as dynamic in 2010.
On the other side of the ball, the Giants have a ball hawking defense which made its share of plays last season. The New York defensive unit sacked the opposing signal caller 46 times, which ranked the unit fifth in the league. The Giants’ defense also forced 39 turnovers, which ranked Big Blue first in the NFL. The G-Men defense was the best team in football at getting teams off the field on third down, allowing opposing teams to convert on third down only 31.7 percent of the time.
However, despite being in the upper level of many defensive categories, the Giants had a terrible turnover rate. Their offense simply poured forth turnovers throughout the season. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Giants finished the year with a negative three turnover differential. The Giants lost 17 fumbles, and quarterback Eli Manning threw 25 interceptions, which led all NFL signal callers in 2010.
The Giants also had problems in their special teams unit. They had the 30th-ranked special teams unit in the NFL. They were in ranked near the cellar in most special team categories including kickoff returns (31st), punt returns (32nd), and punt coverage (28th), where they allowed 14.9 yards per return and gave up two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was the DeSean Jackson punt return on the final timed down of regulation in Philadelphia’s 38-31 win over the Giants, the game that effectively destroyed New York’s season.
The key for the Giants if they want to go back to the playoffs (and beyond) will be to limit their own turnovers. If they can do that, they should have smooth sailing. Not punting the ball to DeSean Jackson when the game is on the line is also a recommended move.
2011 Giants Futures
Super Bowl Odds: +1015
Conference Odds: +1615
NFC East Odds: +2500
2011-2012 NFL Regular Season Wins: Over 9.5
2011 Giants Predictions
Place they’ll finish in NFC East: 2nd
Place they’ll finish in NFC Conference: 5th
Over/Under Wins Prediction: OVER
With NFL football just a short time away, Cappers Picks Football handicappers have been hard at work putting out the team by team NFL previews for those of us who can’t wait.
Bet on the 2011 SuperBowl winner, plus Conference and Divisional winners.
What are you waiting for use our insider knowledge today to gamble on all the NFL Football Futures in our top online sportsbooks today.
