How the Giants could/won't collapse

via media.nj.com

Look at it. Look at it more. Something come to your mind? Oh yes, the dreadful word COLLAPSE. It's been a theme of the Coughlin-led Giants, and this is our most recent one. Allow me to recap what happened last year: A loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in which we allowed 28 fourth quarter points in an Eagles win 38-31, leading to a series of poor events and a year of no playoffs. I've still been getting videos on my Facebook wall of this punt return and boy does it anger the hell out of me. Clearly none of us want this to happen, and I believe that the Giants need to work hard to remain in the playoff race starting next week at Green Bay. There is still hope, but that hope could diminish very quickly all within a matter of games.

Let me start with the definition of the word collapse.

Dictionary.com definition of collapse - to break down; to come to nothing; fail.

Things need to start clicking soon and if they don't, we can all feel another season slip through our fingers. The different ways either option could happen are down below. Allow me to start on the bright side.

Reasons we won't collapse:

• Eli Manning - our best player. He's having his best season and we need him to keep throwing the ball as well as ever. Honestly one of the few bright spots in the Giants v. Saints MNF game. I can only imagine what more great things Eli could have done if he had good blocking. Eli works his butt off constantly trying to set up the run so that whoever is running the ball gets the best possible run and yet the offensive line is not performing.
• Improving (sort of) Health - Ahmad Bradshaw and Michael Boley are on their way back, and no doubt do we need both of them equally. In my opinion Bradshaw was almost there. He had a 100 yard, 3 touchdown running game against Buffalo and I surely had a feeling he just needed one more game like that to get back to the Bradshaw we love to see. As for Boley, our key LB was having his breakout year until he got a hamstring injury. Communication with Deon Grant was atrocious against the Saints, and that my fellow BBV followers is an understatement. Boley is one of our best defensive players and I believe once he's back communication will be better and our defense will be more pumped up. Trust me on that one.
• Pass Rush - it's come to my attention that a strength of ours is turning more and more into a weakness the less and less we sack the quarterback. ONE sack last week. ZERO this week. The Giants are suffering from an identity crisis (not completely, but if this becomes consistent it will be). I understand that if we blitz our secondary may be in big trouble, but it may be the only way we will be able to defeat Aaron Rodgers and the Pack. And seriously, Perry Fewell, no JPP at DT. It didn't work well last week against the Eagles, and certainly once you tried it more it only got worse against the Saints. I think the injury to Osi Umenyiora could actually help us get JPP more sacks. He did the same thing when Osi had a knee injury, and he will do it again if he has to because the dude is a monster athlete.
• We Can Sweep the Cowboys - this is asking for a lot, but it's feasible if we come to play against these guys. I know we don't have to win the division to get into the playoffs, but sweeping the Cowgirls obviously helps us with a ton of tiebreakers. The Cowboys get hot in November, but like us, they also sort of dwindle as the season nears its end. That's when we come in and attempt to sweep them.

• Defensive Scheme - I, like many of you, screamed at PF's constant prevent scheme against the Eagles. Statistically, Bill Sheridan has done better than Perry Fewell. Perry Fewell certainly knows our strengths and weaknesses on this team and has been neglecting it this entire season. Blitzing is definitely a strength of ours, and when we did so against Vince Young as I read in another FanPost, we did quite well. So Perry, you can let our defense get beaten badly or you can utilize those strengths on this defense of yours in the weeks forward.
• Special Teams - Steve Weatherford, if I ever, EVER, see that type of miscommunication and idiocy out of you again, seriously you can send your bags packing and we will bring back Matt Dodge. And there needs to be some sort of change at punt returner, specifically to Da'Rel Scott. He is the one spot of light on this special teams kick return team and I believe if Aaron Ross is fumbling during punts there is no reason not to try out Da'Rel Scott there.
• Effort/Morale - I need to mention the only one showing an effort out there on defense was JPP. This part is crucial because it was what happened to our entire team after the Eagles game. I'm not saying the Saints game was as demoralizing as the Eagles one, but there is no doubt it lowers the morale of the team. And plus, like last year, we played the prominent Packers the game after and again got completely demoralized and was one of the final blows on the Giants' previous season. If we maintain effort throughout the next game we will have a shot competing with the Packers, but I've been wrong before.
• Offensive Line - my final point, this is the one reason I feel there is absolutely no way we can make the playoffs unless this improves. It showed a few bright spots during the Saints game and opened a few holes for the running game, especially on Brandon Jacobs muscling touchdown run. David Diehl did actually do above average blocking his former position, but he hasn't blocked well this ENTIRE season and it's frustrating the heck out of me.