NFL
4 Reasons Why the NY Giants Will Have A Winning 2018 Season
The New York Giants had one of the worst performances in the 2018 season. The team went 3-13, all while firing head coach Ben McAdoo in Week 13 of the regular season. Their best player, Odell Beckham Jr., broke his ankle in Week 5 of the regular season and things just continued to plunge down from there.
However, this season might be different. With the NY Giants new player acquisitions, head coach, and a fresh season coming up, the Giants might surprise some people with their success this upcoming year. Here are the four reasons why the New York Giants will have a winning 2018 season.
1) Odell Beckham Jr. Is Healthy
You might love, you might hate ’em. But there’s no doubt that when healthy, OBJ is one of the elite receivers in the league. His pure talent and big-play ability would be an absolute treat to any quarterback, especially Eli Manning. With OBJ in the game, Eli has thrown 66 TD’s and 29 interceptions, with a passer rating of 91.5.
Without OBJ, he has 14 TD’s with 14 picks and a passer rating of 75.0. So, the statistics speak for themselves. Odell clearly elevates the Giants passing game to irreplaceable levels. The quarterback play from Eli also increases by a huge margin when he’s in the game.
With the threats that OBJ provides, he not only makes huge plays for his team that can win them the game. He garners so much attention from the opposing defense that it opens up lanes for the rest of the receiving core. I have never seen a quarterback’s play be so affected by one receiver’s presence, but in this case, it is a blessing in disguise. Odell is coming back healthy and hungry, and no one can be more happy about this than Manning.
2) New Offensive Lineman
Former Patriots LT Nate Solder signed a 4 million, $62 million contract in March when the Patriots let him walk this offseason. After seven seasons in New England, the 6’8 325 lb. lineman has found his new home in New York. And let me tell you, it couldn’t be a better situation for the Giants. The guy has been protecting Tom Brady’s blind side for the past seven years. Solder is without a doubt one of the very best left tackles in the league when healthy.
This will be a tremendous upgrade from Ereck Flowers. Solder is definitely going to be the best LT that Eli will have had so far in his 14-year career. This will make a tremendous impact while giving Eli plenty of more time in the pocket to sling the ball. This is one of the most important acquisitions of the offseason, and it will show during the season to be one of the most impactful as well.
In comes Will Hernandez, the 22-year-old rookie guard who is nothing short of a stud. And everyone knows it. He had the highest rated PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade coming into the draft as we’ve ever seen at his position. The 34th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has some pretty high expectations, and I see him fulfilling them this year. His performance will have a large impact on the success of the run/pass game. Giants fans have everything to be excited about with this new and improved OL, and they have every reason to be.
3) Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley, one of the most highly touted rookie football players ever. And I mean in the history of the game. The former Penn State RB tallied almost 2,000 yards from scrimmage last year to go along with 22 TD’s in his final season as a college athlete. He is without a doubt one of the most dominant football players we have ever seen at the college football level.
Heck, I know this isn’t a fantasy football column. But his ADP (Average Draft Position) is Number 7 overall. This is above the likes of NFL superstars such as Julio Jones, Melvin Gordon, OBJ, and the list goes on. Talk about high expectations. The productivity of Saquon will have a large impact on the success of the Giants this year. He is their most important acquisition since the drafting of Odell Beckham Jr. Barkley can and will make an immediate impact once the season starts.
The main question is how his game will transfer onto the NFL playing field. In my opinion, he will have a similar impact as Ezekiel Elliot did with the Dallas Cowboys coming out the gate. That’s ROY Honors and a seasonal campaign that ranks up there with the best in the world at his position. The thing is, he’s so good that those accomplishments are far from out of reach. We’ll just have to see if Saquon plays up to the hype, which I believe that he will.
4) New Coaching Staff
New head coach Pat Shurmur is looking to make a mark with the Giants after a successful season as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator. He was a head coach previously for the Browns in the 2011-2012, but not even Bill Belichick could help the Browns to a season with over six wins. Pat Shurmur was the mastermind behind the Vikings’ versatile offense last season. He’s also the man who put Case Keenum in a great position to succeed last year. His play-action heavy offense integrated with a tricky run game is very interesting, and it should be great to see him input that into the Giants’ playbook.
Shurmur also hired former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula for the Giants OC position. From the looks of it, it’ll be a perfect fit. A change of pace within the New York Giants scheme is vital for their success. They will be doing just that in the 2018 season, changing things up. Look for Pat Shurmur’s HC role to provide the Giants squad with revitalized hope for the upcoming season.
