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Giants followers of a sure age will do not forget that neither of their final two Tremendous Bowl champions had been regular-season powerhouses. The 2007 champs went the wild-card route with a 10-6 file. The 2011 champs had been 9-7 and obtained into the playoffs solely by beating the Cowboys in an all-or-nothing season finale.
So why cannot historical past repeat itself for this 9-7-1 Giants crew?
“We’re undoubtedly not happy simply to have made the playoffs,” stated Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. “That is not how we see it as a bunch. We had been assured in our crew courting again to coaching camp and knew what we had been capable of accomplish. We’re certainly not happy simply to be within the playoffs.
“We count on to play effectively and to win.”
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The boldness is sweet, however this crew is not fairly as much as the requirements of both the ’07 or ’11 champs. They’re missing at expertise in too many key positions. There’s been a sense all season that they’ve by some means been enjoying over their head.
And maybe most significantly, they did not precisely roll into the postseason. They obtained right here thanks principally to a outstanding 6-1 begin. They went 2-5-1 over their final eight video games.
But their confidence stays intact.
“We have received lots of shut video games, and we have accomplished lots of key issues in crucial conditions,” stated security Julian Love. “Proper now, everyone seems to be fired up. When you’re within the playoffs, the eye to element heightens and after we’re on our particulars, this crew, the sky is the restrict.”
Possibly the Giants are proper. Beginning Sunday in Minnesota (4:30 p.m. ET on FOX), possibly they actually can shock the NFL and do some precise postseason harm. They definitely consider it is potential.
Listed here are 5 causes for everybody else to consider it, too:
1. Daniel Jones has a knack for locating a method
The numbers for the Giants quarterback will not soar off the web page, however he is been excellent contemplating what he has to work with. None of his present receivers was within the high 5 on the depth chart at coaching camp, or would make the highest 4 on most playoff groups. But Jones nonetheless accomplished 67.2% of his passes for 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns — whereas being sacked 44 instances.
He is confirmed to be one of many high operating quarterbacks in soccer. Even with groups typically loading as much as cease Saquon Barkley, Jones has made them pay by turning into an RPO weapon, dashing 120 instances for 708 yards and 7 touchdowns. Most of the time, Jones on the run has been the Giants’ best play.
The Giants offense is not nice, however Jones has needed to do virtually every little thing himself to make it work even somewhat. Someway, he does — together with three weeks in the past towards the Vikings, when he torched their protection for 334 passing yards.
2. The Giants are very cautious with the soccer
Nothing signifies the winner of a sport fairly like turnover differentials, and turnovers have been an issue for the Giants lately. However not this 12 months. Coach Brian Daboll made {that a} level of emphasis from his first day, realizing his undermanned crew simply could not afford too many errors.
The Giants turned the ball over simply 16 instances this season — the second-lowest complete within the league. Jones was among the many league leaders with 5 interceptions, together with only one in his final six begins (at Minnesota). The truth is, he went with out an interception in 11 of his final 13 begins. He additionally fumbled solely six instances, dropping simply three, correcting an issue that plagued him early in his profession.
3. Saquon Barkley is a sleeping large
The 26-year-old Barkley is likely one of the most proficient operating backs within the league, and if he ever ran behind an excellent offensive line he would possibly break some data. He had a profession 12 months with 1,312 dashing yards, however he has gave the impression to be in a little bit of a droop since mid-November. His final 100-yard sport was Nov. 13 (152 vs. Houston) and he is solely averaged 54.4 yards per sport since then.
However that is deceiving. Not solely has Barkley been battling a shoulder harm, however he has truly averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his previous three video games. The Giants have began to make use of him extra as a receiver, too. And his sport towards the Vikings on Christmas Eve was wonderful. He averaged 6 yards per carry (14 carries, 84 yards) and he had his greatest receiving day of the season (8 catches, 49 yards). He is like a secret weapon that should not be that a lot of a secret.
4. The Giants are a fourth-quarter crew (or a minimum of they consider they’re)
They’ve lived all season by the Daboll-inspired philosophy of dragging their opponents to the deep finish of the pool (the fourth quarter) to allow them to drown them. And so they’ve wanted it, too, as a result of most of their video games have come right down to these remaining quarter-hour. The Giants have entered the fourth quarter with a lead solely 5 instances all 12 months. They’ve received video games within the fourth quarter — getting back from a tie or a deficit — six instances. And so they’ve solely blown a lead they’ve carried into the fourth quarter as soon as.
Now, take into accout these six fourth-quarter comebacks all got here within the first seven video games, so that they have not accomplished it since Oct. 23. And the one fourth-quarter lead they blew was in Minnesota on Christmas Eve. Nonetheless, the Giants have received extra fourth quarters than they’ve misplaced. They’re rank fifth within the NFL with 125 fourth-quarter factors (whereas giving up 100). After all, the Vikings are literally a greater fourth-quarter crew. They led the NFL in fourth-quarter scoring with 169 factors, outscoring their opponents 169-91 — almost 5 factors per sport.
5. Wink Martindale’s protection might be very disruptive
The Giants are undermanned at virtually each place and went lengthy stretches with out their greatest nook (Adoree’ Jackson), greatest security (Xavier McKinney) and one in every of their greatest linemen (Leonard Williams). Statistically, solely seven NFL defenses are worse.
However they hold on as a result of Martindale is a grasp at sending strain from all over the place, retaining quarterbacks guessing and consistently on the transfer. The Giants protection has blitzed on almost 40% of its performs, which is way over another crew. They’ve manufactured 41 sacks (thirteenth within the NFL) though nobody has greater than 7.5 (DT Dexter Lawrence). And to point out their selection, 18 completely different gamers have a minimum of one sack.
New York’s go rush will not be at all times efficient (its go rush grade of 68.7 by Professional Soccer Focus ranks simply twentieth within the league), but it surely undoubtedly retains opponents on guard.
Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports activities, masking the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the earlier six years masking the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years masking the Giants and the NFL for the New York Every day Information. Comply with him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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