Despite notching two Super Bowl victories within the last decade, the New York Giants are coming off a 6-10 season and have not made the playoffs since their 2011 title run. The team made major changes this offseason, including promoting a new head coach and embarking on a massive spending spree, to repair its biggest flaw, the defense.
The 2016 Giants will be hoping their gambles pay off, enough so to spark a return to the playoffs and the top of the NFC East.
2015: A year to forget
No Giants fan will want to remember the year that was in 2015. Whether it was blowing fourth-quarter leads, releasing long-time head coach Tom Coughlin, or the long list of injuries throughout the season, the campaign just did not warrant many bright spots for the G-Men.
New York finished 6-10 for the second consecutive year and lost major players to an injury bug. Victor Cruz and Will Beatty both sat out the whole season and Jason Pierre-Paul was out for eight of the sixteen games. With so many holes on the depth chart, the Giants struggled to put up consistent performances and as a result had a hard time winning games.
The budding aerial connection between Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Manning was one of the positives that came out of New York's performance. Corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had a strong year on the defensive side of the ball. Beckham, Manning, and Rodgers-Cromartie were all named to the Pro Bowl.
An offseason of change
The many changes of the offseason began with the promotion of offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo to the head coaching position in the place of Tom Coughlin. But Coughlin wasn't the only major asset they needed to find a replacement for; Prince Amukamara, Robert Ayers Jr., and Will Beatty all departed in free agency.
After tabbing McAdoo as the new top man, the Giants quickly turned their attention to the free agency market and began assembling a new-look defense filled with highly-skilled, young players.
Janoris Jenkins was the first big catch for the Giants. The former Pro Bowl cornerback for the Rams signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract with $28 million guaranteed, pairing himself up across from Rodgers-Cromartie to create what may now be one of the scarier tandems at cornerback around the league.
The Giants bulked up their defensive line with two other big acquisitions in free agency, putting pen to paper on deals with defensive tackle Damon Harrison and defensive end Olivier Vernon. Harrison will be playing on the same home field as he has his whole career, coming over from the New York Jets to provide a run-stopping presence in the middle of the defense, while Vernon, 25, moved up north from the Miami Dolphins on an agreement worth $85 million over five seasons with $52.5 million guaranteed.
Big playmakers added via NFL Draft
The NFL Draft provided the Giants the opportunity to furthermore refine their roster, and they did just that. They snagged Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple with the tenth overall pick to bolster the secondary's depth. Apple showed throughout training camp and preseason that he can keep up with NFL wide receivers with his solid size and strength, a promising sign for the G-Men early on.
New York used its second-round selection on wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who has already shown flashes of being a more-than-capable second receiving option behind Odell Beckham Jr., and added another starter in the secondary with the third-round choice of safety Darian Thompson, who will be playing alongside Landon Collins in the Giants' defensive backfield.
The Giants also selected linebacker BJ Goodson, running back Paul Perkins, and tight end Jerell Adams in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds, respectively, to round off their draft.
Plenty of optimism for 2016
The 2016 season holds high expectations for the G-Men, and for good reason. With a revamped defense, the return of Victor Cruz, and Eli Manning still quarterbacking the offense, the Giants are in the best position they have been in a while to seize the NFC East crown. Following a busy offseason, the Giants now feel like they have the pieces to go out and contend for a playoff berth.
Key matchups and spells on tap for 2016
Week 1 at Dallas Cowboys
With no Tony Romo in this one due to fractures in his back, the Giants must take advantage and start of 2016 on the right foot with a W.
Weeks 4-5 at Minnesota Vikings and at Green Bay Packers
The Giants get two consecutive games in prime time, and they must at least split the pair of matchups against NFC North opponents to help out their wild card standing early on and prove that they are legitimate contenders in the NFC.
Weeks 9-11 vs Philadelphia Eagles, vs Cincinnati Bengals, and vs Chicago Bears
Three straight weeks at home is a rare commodity in today's NFL. New York needs to use its home crowd to their advantage and win at least two of these three matchups.
Week 17 at Washington Redskins
The season finale is on the road in the nation's capital. This could potentially end up being a win or go home game depending on how the NFC East standings shake out.
Final Prediction: 10-6
With new additions across the board and a weak NFC East field, ten wins should be doable for the Giants and enough to get them into the playoffs via a wild card spot if not the division title.