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The crushing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
in week 15 last year proved too costly to
the New York Giants as the division lead
was lost and no postseason birth was earned
even with 10 victories. In 2010 Quarterback
Eli Manning passed for 4000 yards and 31
touchdowns but was careless with the football
throwing 25 interceptions. A few of the
"picks" were miscommunications
but still the overall number of interceptions
was still too high and unacceptable. He
did complete 62% of his passes but the quarterback
rating was nothing special with a mark of
85.3. He also had 5 fumbles for a grand
total of 30 turnovers. Obviously coach Tom
Coughlin and offensive coordinator Kevin
Gilbride were not pleased with all the mishaps.
At times the offense looked unstoppable
and ranked as high as third in the NFL.
On paper the stats looked great but the
lack of ball security was a huge factor
in losses. Simply there was a reliance too
much on the pass. It generates big plays
down the field but contributes to sacks,
interceptions, and fumbles. 2009 was a much
better season for Manning as he only had
14 interceptions coupled with 25 touchdowns.
The quarterback rating was better with a
clip of 93. The last three games of 2010
were terrible as Manning threw six interceptions
total. Consequently the Giants only won
the last game of the season. In a "must
win" game against the Packers Manning
threw a season high four interceptions and
barley completed over 50% of his passes.
See how Eli Manning incorporates Kevin Gilbride's
philosophy this season by getting New York
Giants tickets. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw
was as healthy as he had ever been last
season after undergoing surgery on both
feet with foot and ankle procedures. Subsequently
he rushed for over 1200 yards and had an
excellent yards per carry average of 4.5
and 8 touchdowns. He also had over 300 yards
receiving. Brandon Jacobs was relegated
to a backup role after a sub par 2009 season.
Last year he played surprising well rushing
for over 800 yards. His yards per carry
average was phenomenal as he ran for 5.6
yards per touch. The touchdowns were up
as well with 9. If the Giants get similar
production this season the organization
will be very pleased. Bradshaw provides
the elusive cutting and speed and Jacobs
wears down defenses with vertical pounding.
One thing though that Bradshaw needs to
cut down on is fumbles. He will not get
time on the field if he does not protect
the football. The receiving unit is one
of the deepest and talented in the NFL.
Steve Smith was having an excellent season
until injuries slowed him down eventually
landing on injured reserve. Hakeem Nicks
proved invaluable racking up over 1000 yards,
11 touchdowns, and 79 receptions. Mario
Manningham has developed into a vital cog
also with over 900 yards receiving and 9
touchdowns. Tight end Kevin Boss is very
versatile excelling in blocking and receiving.
He has become a reliable target for Eli
Manning in passing situations in the red
zone as well. With Steve Smith coming off
of arthroscopic knee surgery it will be
interesting to see how effective he will
be this season. If he can produce like he
did before he was injured than the Giants
will have one of the most well balanced
and explosive offenses in the league. The
theme for the unit in 2011 should be protect
the football. Come to New Meadowlands Stadium
this year and purchase New York Giants tickets
to see all the great action. The Giants
play 3 out of first 4 games on the road
for 2011. They play at Washington in the
home opener and at Philadelphia the third
week so it is imperative that they win at
least one of the games considering the divisional
opponent factor. It is a bonus to win on
the road considering that if you win at
home than you essentially eliminate your
rival from winning the division. Also once
again the divisional race will be won in
the final quarter of the season. The past
few seasons have started great thru seven
games or so but the second halves have been
disastrous. There are many important dates
in the second half of the season so get
New York Giants tickets to see if the club
can finish strong. The division will come
down to the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys
once again. On paper New York is a very
well rounded team. The defense ranked seventh
overall last season in yards per game. Being
that the offense was turnover prone the
defense was put in positions to try to hold
opponents on short fields. The sack numbers
were excellent as well as forced fumbles
and interceptions. The Giants led the league
in forced fumbles! There are many juicy
matchups for the 2011 season. Four primetime
games will be hyped as well as visit to
Foxboro to play the Patriots and a historic
game against the Jets "on the road."
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