Approach to the Game – Green Bay Packers at New York Giants, January 6, 2002: This game means nothing to the Giants other than preventing a losing record. That is motivation, but not motivation enough for a team battling a Super Bowl contender fighting for a division title with the Bears. To be honest, it would be better for the Giants to lose the game in order to improve their draft position. But at the same time, like always, I’ll be rooting for them to win and be pretty ticked off if they lose. Such is the fate of a Giants’ fan!
Giants on Offense: The fact that Kerry Collins has played well for the last nine quarters should not erase memories of his disappointing play all season. Still, Collins has finally seemed to regain some of his old 2000 self in the last quarter of the 2001 season. Indeed, if Collins can take away one overriding positive from 2001 it is that he gained somewhat of a “comeback kid” mystique with his teammates. That could provide big dividends. What can we expect out of Collins in 2002? Who the hell knows? It will be interesting to see if the Giants bring in another veteran in the offseason or keep Jason Garrett. How much progress can Jesse Palmer make in one offseason? Regardless, Collins can make the Giants feel a bit easier about the quarterback position with another positive performance on Sunday.
Collins made an interesting comment this week that he made a big pitch for Ike Hilliard to stay with the franchise. Hilliard is signed through next year, but there were some whispers that the Giants would get rid of him. My best guess is that he stays (along with Collins). Amani Toomer will be back too, but I was disappointed in his play this year. I thought he would contend for a Pro Bowl spot, but his third straight 1,000-yard season was strangely lacking. Let’s hope he hasn’t plateaued. Then there is Ron Dixon. He isn’t the brightest guy in the world, but the guy can sure run. Personally, I think the odds are stacked against him because of the quarterbacks can’t trust him to run the right route, then they won’t throw to him. There are only so many times you can just tell him to “run like hell” on a fly pattern. But if Dixon could somehow have a Toomer-like renaissance like Amani did in his third year, the Giants’ offense will be much more explosive. Jonathan Carter fits into this same category. Joe Jurevicius? He could stay if some team doesn’t offer him more money – but he could be gone via free agency. My best guess is that the Giants take a wide receiver high in the draft, possibly with their first pick. After all, Ernie Accorsi wanted Santana Moss in round one last offseason – a time when the Giants’ receiving corps looked far more solid.
The one area where the Giants really need to revamp is obviously the offensive line. Luke Petitgout is a keeper. The big question is can he play left tackle? It’s terrible not knowing the answer to that because it clouds the Giants’ options in free agency and on draft day. If they knew for a fact that he can play left tackle, then could solely concentrate on run-blocking right tackles. Dusty Zeigler says he is more comfortable at guard than center. We know he can play center so we’ll pencil him in there for now. Pay attention to Jason Whittle against the Packers as he very well may be a 2002 starter at one of the guard spots. Personally, I’m fed up with Glenn Parker and Lomas Brown – good guys who ran out of gas. Ron Stone didn’t deserve the Pro Bowl and won’t get the money he will be seeking. Giants need a lot of help here.
I like Dan Campbell…I have since his rookie camp. One of the biggest positives of this year for the team was the improvement Campbell had as a blocker. He also showed some flashes down the stretch as a pass receiver. Dan is no Mark Bavaro, but he looks like a legitimate two-way tight end to me. The other positive is that Marcellus Rivers saw more and more playing time down the stretch. He’s a small, pass-receiving-type who would be very interesting if he had a bit more speed. I expect the Giants to add competition here, but the Giants are not in such dire straights at this position as some make out. My sleeper? Brady McDonnell who is on Injured Reserve. He could be the second blocking-type TE on the roster.
Boy it looked like Ron Dayne was destined for late-season oblivion again when Fassel decided (correctly I might add) to put the ball more in the hands of Tiki Barber. Dayne, who remember lost a ton of weight and gained quickness in the offseason, flashed big-time in the last two games. He is quicker, faster, and more decisive. Just as importantly, his vision has improved as he has had a few big cutback runs. Like Tiki said last year, it was only a matter of time before Dayne understood the Giants’ system. Dayne’s biggest weakness is that he still needs a head start. Penetration in the backfield kills his rushing attempts. Thus, for him to be truly effective, the Giants need to get a better run-blocking offensive line that doesn’t allow so much penetration. I would like to see Dayne get the majority of the carries against Green Bay. Tiki Barber had an injury-plagued year and missed all of the preseason and some of the regular season. It took him time to get back into shape and this hurt the offense. The one thing I’d like to see more Barber is that he needs to score more (only three touchdowns in 2001). Who will the third halfback be in 2002? Will Joe Montgomery still be on the roster or will Sean Bennett be invited back? Damon Washington is still in the picture as well.
There are whispers in the New York press that Greg Comella may not be back as the Giants may be looking for a better lead blocker. That will be an interesting situation to watch as well. I think Greg did a decent job this year, but getting a dominant lead blocker would really help Dayne.
Giants on Defense: For some reason, I don’t worry as much about Kenny Holmes as others do. I see the flashes so I know the talent is there. He’ll never be anything close to Michael Strahan, but I think he will be a better pass rusher than he showed in 2001. Still, I’d like to get another right-side pass rusher to push him as well as spell him. Michael Strahan should still be on top of his game for another year or two. Cedric Scott has the size you look for in a strongside defensive end and should be a decent back-up there as long as he develops. Inside, Hamilton’s injury probably cost the Giants the playoffs – no exaggeration. He is a critically important cog in the defense and he was missed in the one-point losses to the Rams and Eagles. Cornelius Griffin didn’t have the type of year anticipated, but no one is about to give up on him. He has All-Star-type tools. What the Giants need to do is find a stud to rotate in when one of these two gets tired or hurt. Lance Legree or Ross Kolodziej will improve.
The weakside linebacker spot is the one that worries me the most. Jessie’s lost his burst – I don’t think it was just the hamstring tear. He didn’t make many plays in the preseason or the regular season before he got hurt. The only memorable game he had was against the Cardinals. In a 4-3 defense, you want your weakside linebacker to be a big-time playmaker. I like Dhani Jones, but I wouldn’t just rely on him either. Personally, if I were GM, I’d unload Armstead and go after a big-name in free agency or the draft. Look for guys with great speed who can cover. Brandon Short had a fine season for his first at strongside linebacker. Mike Barrow has Pro Bowl talent and shows no signs of slowing. Depth is a bit of concern here.
The secondary is getting more grief than it deserves due to the chaos at cornerback. Jason Sehorn will return healthier next season. As long as he hasn’t lost his speed, he still is capable of being a shut-down corner. The knee injury that he suffered before the season (not to be confused with his surgically repaired ACL), robbed him of his mobility. Will Allen and Will Peterson showed me more than I hoped to dream before the season started. I figured that neither would be able to start until mid-season. Both are athletes with a lot of confidence. It will be interesting to see if Ralph Brown is still in the picture in 2002. Don’t write him off just yet.
The big mystery is what will happen at safety. The Giants can win with Sam Garnes at strong safety and Shaun Williams at free safety. But Williams does seem better suited to the strong position. Garnes is average. Getting a bit of a ball-hawker in the Vencie Glenn-mold would be ideal. DeWayne Patmon and Clarence LeBlanc are long-shots at this point – but can’t be discounted.
Giants on Special Teams: If Rodney Williams can just improve his consistency, he could be special. But that has been the rap on him since he left college. I don’t see the strong leg on Owen Pochman; I hope he is a better field goal artist than kick-off man. Call me crazy, but I think I’d bring back Morten Andersen next year. He makes me as comfortable on field goals as Matt Bahr did.
Ron Dixon isn’t a good return man. He doesn’t have a feel for it. The two returns he broke last year came on plays where there were huge holes to run up into. The Giants need to find a viable kick returner. I find it hard to believe that coaching on special teams is not a problem. You can’t tell me that our back-ups are that much worse than other team’s back-ups when it comes to covering punts and kicks.