NFL: Breaking down the Giants

The stumbling New York Giants have lost 5 of their last 6, and there are so many things wrong with them it hard for me to even know where to begin.

It is even harder for me to believe that the 7-7 Giants are probably still going to make the playoffs in the muddled and mediocre NFC.

However, getting back to what is wrong with the Giants, I don't think I can cover everything in one post. So, I am going to offer you a five-part analysis of what I think is wrong, and whether or not it can be fixed. We'll cover the offense, defense, special teams, coaching and the organization, specifically the general manager. I'll write these posts over the next couple of days, as time permits -- I do have a full-time job, you know!

Let's start with the defense.

The Giants defense coughed up the lead twice in Sunday's game and allowed Philly to march down the field and seize the momentum after grabbing a 7-0 lead.

Yes, they are still missing Michael Strahan. That is not their only problem, however. Besides, I am not sure how much of an impact player Strahan still is after losing big chunks of the last two seasons to injuries.

Among the defensive issues:

• No pass rush
• Poor cornerback play
• No play-making linebackers aside from Antonio Pierce
• Poor tackling

Can these issues be fixed? I think Usi Omenyiora is a terrific defensive end who is playing hurt, and may also miss Strahan's presence. Rookie Mathias Kiwanuka is a good player and will get better. Their defensive tackles are solid with Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield.

The Giants revamped their secondary this year, hoping to improve last year's porous coverage. It hasn't worked. They can't cover anybody, and most of them can't catch either. There have been so many dropped interceptions it's ridiculous.

Corey Webster was a disappointment before getting hurt, Sam Madison is nearing the end of the line, R.W. McQuarters got smoked for a TD Sunday and hasn't been any better than Webster, Gibril Wilson is mostly invisible and Will Demps, signed away from Baltimore, had a nice game Sunday but has been horrible most of the season. It will be back to the drawing board this off-season in an effort to fix this group.

As for the linebackers, Pierce is excellent, but nobody else in this group is a playmaker, and that includes the injured LaVar Arrington. Perhaps Gerris Wilkinson will develop, but this unit needs a boost. It's filled with over-the-hill veterans or youngsters who aren't quite ready yet. I don't see it getting better over the final few weeks.

You can quibble with coordinator Tim Lewis' schemes, but the bottom line is I don't think this unit has the players to get it done when it matters most.

Check back soon for Part 2 of this series of posts, when I will take a look at the Giants offense.

technorati tags: New York Giants, NFL, Football