Giants Looking To Rebound

By Paul Dottino

There's nothing like missing the playoffs to get a proud organization's attention.

The Giants – from the front office on down - are an extremely determined bunch as they enter the 2010 season. Team president John Mara made his feelings crystal clear immediately following last year's disappointing finish, an 8-8 mark that he said "felt more like 2-14. It is just not acceptable to perform like that."

Given the number of talented playoff-tested veterans on their roster, the Giants are expecting to return to the postseason for the fifth time in six years. They've tweaked the coaching staff and attempted to bolster their defense through the draft and free agency. Has GM Jerry Reese done enough to get the job done? It's realistic to think so – then you remind yourself of how a slew of early-season injuries quickly weakened last year's playoff blueprint, which slowly disintegrated as the defense fell apart and lost its identity.

If last season's failure isn't enough to put pressure on this team, there's the issue of coach Tom Coughlin, who's entering the next-to-last year of his contract (not that he ever needs added motivation). His long-term status likely will be determined at the end of this season since it's organization policy to avoid having a coach work in the final year of his deal. A playoff season translates into an extension, unless he decides to retire. A failure to qualify, might force the Giants to make a change.

Pride can a powerful force and its impact on this year's squad is sure to have a dramatic effect on the Giants' future.

Here are five things to watch for this season as the Giants open training camp Sunday in Albany, N.Y.:

1. Leap of faith. You can give Reese credit for trying to be creative or criticize him for rolling the dice. Or maybe you can do both when you consider the starting linebackers he's putting out on the field this season. He's hoping late-summer free agent Keith Bulluck (Titans) can be an elixir at middle linebacker and follow in the footsteps of veteran free agents Mike Barrow and Antonio Pierce, who each took the Giants to the Super Bowl. Bulluck's resume says he's got the leadership skills and stats to live up to the assignment, but the torn left ACL he suffered in December with Tennessee and his 33-year-old birth certificate give you reasons to pause (see Carlos Emmons and LaVar Arrington) even though he passed the physical and claims to be at "90 percent." How well will second-year pro Clint Sintim adjust to becoming the strong-side starter after seeing very limited action as a rookie? Coughlin insists he's willing to bank on the assets that made Sintim a second-round pick, so the Virginia grad better exhibit a quick learning curve. And will Michael Boley be able to avoid the injuries that inhibited him from living up to his billing on the weak side last season? He's got much to prove.

2. Bringing the heat. The defensive line must get back to producing a dominant pass rush, especially if first-year defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is going to trust it enough to rely on crafty schemes in the back seven, and this means DE Osi Umenyiora's got to get back to Pro Bowl form. It goes without saying that he must play better against the run – he's got the tools to do it if his mind is right – but, when at his best, he's the Giants' best bet to put up double-digit sacks. Umenyiora said he's prepared to play through a chronic hip injury (one he's periodically been dealing with since 2006), so Coughlin probably will limit his practice time throughout the season. It's unclear whether DE Justin Tuck's effectiveness may be compromised, given that he underwent off-season shoulder surgery. DE Mathias Kiwanuka's a very solid all-around player coming off his best season, but hasn't proven that he can be an elite pass rusher on a consistent basis. First-round DE Jason Pierre-Paul is a raw talent who likely would be most efficient in spot duty while he learns the pro game. It appears Fewell may have at least one sub package where he uses all four pass rushers at once – but he'll have to scrap that in a heartbeat if his guys can't get to the passer. Fewell also requires a bounce-back season out of starting DTs Chris Canty and Barry Cofield (both affected by injuries last season), who must put enough pressure on the running game to force opponents into obvious passing situations.

3. Lining them up. From the most underrated offensive line in the NFL a few years ago to one whose reputation was better than its production last season. The run-blocking (and this includes the tight ends) was not up to par and magnified issues for injury-plagued running backs Brandon Jacobs (knee) and Ahmad Bradshaw (feet), both of whom are promising to have a career year this fall. It's a promising thought, although the running game's success is more dependent on the efficiency of line than the backs' determination. The starting line's durability as well as the physical and intense nature of the NFC East appears to have taken its toll over the years. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride admits the most likely change, as expected, would be to start second-year LT William Beatty while sliding LT David Diehl to LG and shifting LG Rich Seubert into a swing role as the backup guard/center. But if Beatty cannot handle this transition, the Giants will be gambling that Seubert – who's been battled shoulder and knee injuries – is able to grit his way through another season. RT Kareem McKenzie appears to be prepared to bounce back from a knee injury that sidelined him down the stretch.

4. Shuffling the deck. Fewell was the Giants' most important off-season acquisition, regardless of how the Bulluck signing turns out. Fewell's got plenty going in his favor, specifically his emotionally-charged teacher's demeanor and that fact that most of his previous units ranked high on the NFL's turnover chart. A master at disguising schemes, how long will it take for Fewell's defense to take hold on a defense that was disjointed last season? And how well will the veterans respond to the first outsider – someone with a fresh look - to take the defensive reins since Steve Spagnuolo arrived from Philadelphia in 2007 (Bill Sheridan was promoted from within last year). Perhaps the most overlooked alteration on the staff came with the shifting of receivers coach Mike Sullivan to quarterbacks coach, where he succeeds Chris Palmer (who took a head coaching job in the UFL). Don't underestimate the impact Palmer – the NFL's finest QB guru – had on Eli Manning, who blossomed under Palmer and is coming off what may have been his best all-around season. Sullivan, whose patience and teaching methods did wonders for a relatively inexperienced receiving corps last year, plugs into a position new to his resume. Can Sullivan fill Palmer's Yoda-type role in guiding Manning around potential slumps? And can former offensive quality control coach Sean Ryan get more of the same production from the young wideouts?

5. Isn't that special – or maybe not.
The Giants are going into this season with significant questions on special teams that could derail any thoughts of a postseason run, even if most of the above issues are settled in a positive way. At this point, it's a mix-and-match exercise to replace explosive return man Domenik Hixon (already on IR after knee surgery) and that's only the beginning. Coughlin's had the luxury of building field position into his weekly game plans, knowing that Jeff Feagles – the finest directional punter in NFL history – could place the ball at will. Rookie Matt Dodge said he rarely employed directional punting at East Carolina and was inconsistent with his distance during the spring. The Giants may be scanning the waiver wire before opening day to grab a punter more suitable to their immediate needs. So this leaves placekicker Lawrence Tynes as the team's most reliable special teams element – and he had the fourth-lowest kickoff average among NFL regulars last season and ranked in the middle third in field goal accuracy. Yet we've already seen the team can win with him in the lineup.