MrHat

Wow I am so not ready for football season...especially with the Mets causing heart attacks with the pen from hell every night...it doesnt seem that long ago that the Giants won the whole thing, but ready or not the season starts up tomorrow....

Repeat? Let down?


To me, the season hinges on the first 6 games. They have IMO a pretty managable schedule to open the season. Washington, St Louis, Cincy, Seattle, Cleveland, San Fran. Anything less than 4-2 is a let down and makes the playoff climb incredibly hard....and really I'm expecting 5-1.

After that however, the schedule is pretty brutal.... @ Pitt, Dallas, and @ Philly. Ouch. I'll guess 1-2.

Then some of those mid-level teams again...Balt, @Zona, @Washington. 2-1.


They wrap up the season with Philly, at Dallas, Carolina, at Minn. Minn has always given them fits and those Philly and Dallas games regardless of how good/bad the teams are or home/away, almost always are a coin flip. Lets say 2-2.


So here we go.... I say 10 wins this year and in the playoffs. I think thats at worst within a game of the division ...my guess? 11 wins takes it.

The division is brutal as I dont really see any of the teams in it dominating each other (barring injuries) you hope the giants can figure out a way to go 4-2 or at least split....their out of division schedule has a good number of light weights (at least 5 should be "gimme" wins), but also has some games where I'd be really surprised if they won.

freakzilla11

I think that 10-6 is a safe bet but they could easily be 8-8 as well.

__________________
(802): Since you didn't call me back last night, I can only assume that in 9 months you're going to have a child that I'm going to refer to as, "Daddy's little mistake in Miami."

dak11

I think 10-6 with upside. Manning steps up to the next level, 3 prong RB attack, veteran/healthy O-line, 3 quality WR's, with a scheme based defense.

Loss of Osi will hurt but I'm not expecting it to be as bad as some do and Boss has some developing to still do. Overall a solid team who'll sneak into the playoffs who'll need to get on a roll again to repeat.

Giants 27 Skins 21 on Thursday. I'm probably giving the skins a little too much credit to score 21 points but it's possible this defense starts out slow again this year with guys switching positions the last couple of weeks.

MrHat

Well one thing for sure is that the D carried this team last year....this year its going to have to be a true team effort. The O has the weapons and Eli should have his confidence...I also think a full year of Hixon on special teams will help a lot

Mets bs

I'll say 10-6 as well with tons of potential to go either way a few games. I think the talent drop off from Strahan, Tuck, and Osi is huge compared to Tuck, Kiwi, and McDougle -- but I feel this group can still get at the QB consistently in this system. My real fear is the secondary, safety is an even bigger question mark and we're relying on a lot of unproven players at CB. On offense, I think Eli will be better but not spectacular and the running game will be solid if not spectacular with the depth we have there. I think the team's biggest factor in which way the W-L goes, the coaching staff, has to do a lot to help bridge the gap talent-wise from last year to this year and that is by far their biggest challenge. I can see the team going anywhere from winning the NFC East to missing out on the playoffs alltogether. I think it'll be the WC and a ticket to the NFC title game.

metman

It's all about the D and I do not know how they will react without Osi and Strahan. Who will be the leader and step up? Will Pierce have a strong year and lead Kiwanucklehead and Tuck?

Until I know for sure how they will react, I will assume an 8-8/9-7 year. Teams rarely have strong years after winning it all when they lose a few key players. I love the offense, though. I don't mean to over-rate it, but I feel they have a TON of weapons and will sneak a few wins when the D lays a few random eggs this year.

__________________
Liberals aren't the problem... they are what allow the problem(s) to exist.

Green Must Go

We'll know in about 5 hours, you miserable sh!tstains.

Seriously, I think the Giants are only going to manage 9 wins this year. There are just too many holes to fill from last year, and they played so far over their heads that it is unlikely they will catch that much lightning in a bottle again. And I don't think Manning could possibly be as good as he was the last few games of last year. And they have to figure out a way to play better at home.

__________________
Wilpon is like the Pharoah in the book of Exodus. And God keeps sending plagues upon the Mets fans. This year is either frogs or locusts.

metman

**** it, while I believe the Cowboys will avenge last year, I think this will be a great few years for this team. I feel it's meant to be.

(hides in fear of jinx monster)

__________________
Liberals aren't the problem... they are what allow the problem(s) to exist.

NeilAllen

For the last couple of months, especially since Osi's injury, I had been thinking this team would follow in the footsteps of previous Giants Super Bowl winners and finish something like 7-9 and out of the playoffs. That is until I happened to catch Bill Simmons' NFL "preview" where he predicts the same thing or worse. Now I'm convinced it'll be 10-6 with a possible appearance in the NFC title game.

__________________
"For liberals, the observation that "the peasants are revolting" is a pun. For conservatives, it is cause for uncharacteristic optimism. No matter how far the ideological pendulum swings in the short term, in the end the bedrock common sense of the American people will prevail." --Charles Krauthammer

Busyman

10-6, Wild Card.

__________________
"To me that would be like picking up a steaming pile of dog crap and smearing it all over my body."- METSSC on wearing Yankee gear