Giants Still on Course to Win NFC East

What I saw of the Giants in their preseason opening loss to the Bengals doesn’t change my opinion of their prospects in 2015. They’re not only going to make the playoffs, they’re going to win the NFC East and make me rich.

Are you laughing? Then you’re a fan of some other team in this division. Every Giants fan I’ve spoken to – and no, I’m not a Giants fan and I rarely talk to myself, anyway -- is quietly confident that this team is dangerous, flying under the radar and could play deep into January.

And why not? They seem to win Super Bowls when they’re least expected to. And after missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six years -- with, ya know, a Super Bowl victory jimmied in there -- the Giants are hardly anyone’s pick to be a dark horse this season.

According to Vegas Insider, the Giants are 40-1 to win the Super Bowl –- the 15th best odds in the NFL and the sixth best in the NFC, behind division colleagues Dallas (16-1) and Philadelphia (18-1). If I were a betting man (and I am), then I am betting heavily on future Hall of Famer Tom Coughlin to win a third Super Bowl and ride off into the sunset.

Now, did the Giants add a lot of talent in the offseason? No, but they have the makings of a high-powered offense with future Hall of Famer Eli Manning, a healthy Rashad Jennings at running back, and a dangerous receiving corps featuring reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr., healthy slot maestro Victor Cruz, new Swiss Army knife Shane Vereen, and fumble-prone tight end Larry Donnell.

On defense, they have brought back their old defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo – “He won a Super Bowl with us! He knows stuff!” -- to replace Perry Fewell, who foolishly could not keep his best defensive players healthy last year and so had to go.

Well, no more blaming Fewell. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, ostensibly the Giants’ best defensive player, blew off a finger fiddling with fireworks on the Fourth of July when Spagnoulo was on the clock. So if the Giants can’t get any upfront pressure this year, you’ll know who to blame when you call into WFAN – Spagnuolo and JPP, in that order.

Behind the front four, seldom-healthy Jon Beason returns from injury to hopefully anchor the linebackers, while the secondary – headlined by former virgin Prince Amukamara – can finally showcase the ability that fans were expecting last year, when injuries pulverized the back four.

If the Giants can remain healthy and keep the turnovers in check, they can definitely outclass a division that includes Dallas and its so-called running backs, Philadelphia and its answer at quarterback (Sam Bradford) and Washington and its answer at owner (Gen. George Custer).

Here’s what I’d like to see from the G-men as they enter their second preseason game of the year against Jacksonville:

More offense. The Giants accumulated 15 yards total on nine plays in the first three series against Cincinnati, with no first downs. No bueno. Manning finished 4 of 8 for 22 yards, while the team’s lone touchdown was scored by Orleans Darkwa, the best NFL player named for a city in France. We’re not asking for one-handed catches from Odell Beckham Jr., but we’d like to see something more exciting from the offense. After all, we’re playing the Jaguars, who were nearly relegated to the developmental league after last season.

More defense. The Giants signed two-time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriwether this week to shore up a secondary that lost four defensive backs to injury (in one half!) against the Bengals. Meriwether, who came into the league with the Patriots, is best known as the guy who consistently aims for the heads of the opposing team’s receivers. Say hi to Brandon, everyone.

More coaching. Frankly, in the Bengals game I didn’t see the passion I need from Tom Coughlin. Sure, we all know that preseason games are largely rote affairs, but how many times did we see Coughlin with his hands on his hips and staring with an incredulous, gaping mouth at some stupidity he’d witnessed on the field? Once? Maybe twice? Not good enough, not when the team lays an egg like they did against Cincinnati.

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