New York Giants – 2009 Season Preview
by Badger of Predictem.com
2008 Record – 12-4 (12-4 ATS)
Won NFC East Division – Earned NFC top-seed and homefield advantage.
Stadium: Giants Stadium
Head Coach: Tom Coughlin (12th Season – 123-100)
Training Camp Site: University at Albany, Albany, N.Y.
Current 2009-2010 Super Bowl Odds: – 11-to-1 at bodog.eu
It’s hard to imagine a 12-4 season being labeled a disappointment, but that’s exactly what the 2008 season was for the New York Giants.
One year after taking home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 42 by winning every playoff game on the road, the Giants set themselves up perfectly with the best record in the NFC and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. But wouldn’t you know it, the Philadelphia Eagles gave them a taste of their own medicine with a Divisional Round playoff upset in Giants Stadium, 23-11.
The Giants also suffered embarrassment and plenty of distractions with the entire Plaxico Burress shooting situation during the course of the year, and this past offseason, so you can bet Tom Coughlin and the Giants players are ready to strap it up and turn the page for a new 2009-2010 season.
Who’s In/Who’s Out
The Giants cut bait with Burress at the tail end of last season trying to rid themselves of the distractions and the baggage, and in doing so they dumped their best offensive weapon at receiver, but they also allowed the other starting wide out Amani Toomer to walk to Kansas City as well.
Running back Derrick Ward left for greener pastures in Tampa Bay during free agency too, so quarterback Eli Manning is going to have a whole host of new faces to look at in the huddle this season.
The Giants did add some solid defensive line depth when they picked up end Chris Canty from Dallas and tackle Rocky Bernard from Seattle in the free agency period. They also added safety C.C. Brown (Houston) and Michael Boley at linebacker for depth.
Draft Class 2009
The Giants addressed their need for playmakers at receiver by taking Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina with the 29th pick of round one. They also added 6-foot-6 Ramses Barden in the 3rd-round, a sleeper pick from tiny Cal Poly who has the size to replace Burress on the end of those Eli fade routes near the goal line.
Linebacker Clint Sintim (2nd), tight end Travis Beckum (3rd) and OL William Beatty (2nd) should make the final roster out of this draft as well, but the rest of the draft class (9 picks) will likely just be training camp bodies.
Offense
Manning recently signed a contract extension worth over 90 million, but we’ll find out right away if he’s worth it or not with all of the Giants roster turnover on offense this season. He threw for 3,238 yards and 21 touchdowns in ’08 and still remains a very accurate passer (60.3 comp %), which will be tested with an entirely new receiving crew.
That crew includes the two rookies Nicks and Barden, but is also includes incumbents Steve Smith (57 rec., 1 TD), Domenik Hixson (13.9 ave., 2 TD) and Sinorice Moss (12.8 ave., 2 TD). Tight end Kevin Boss also emerged as a red-zone threat last season, leading the Giants with six touchdown catches in ’08.
But rest assured, the Giants under Coughlin and coordinator Kevin Gilbride with continue to try and shove the ball down opponent’s throats with heavy dose of running back Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs barely topped 1,000 yards last year, but he ended with 15 TDs and was the main cog in the Giants ground game that led the NFL in yards per game with 157.4. Ahmad Bradshaw will be the change-up back replacing the departed Ward.
Defense
The Giants were able to keep defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo after the Super Bowl season, but they weren’t able to do it two years in a row as he left after last season to become the head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Bill Sheridan, who spent the past three years as the linebackers coach, will take over as new coordinator and he should have a relatively easy time because the Giants defense is stacked.
Justin Tuck emerged as a Pro-Bowl defensive end last season ending with 12 sacks, and this year he gets teamed up with Osi Umenyiora on the other side after missing last season with a torn ACL. Even if Umenyiora is half of his former Pro-Bowl self, those two make up a great pass rush that also added Canty and Bernard for depth.
Antonio Pierce is finally free and clear of his legal troubles, so expect him to play with a renewed drive and focus. He’ll team up with Boley, Danny Clark and Bryan Kehl at linebacker to try and keep the Giants in the top 10 in run defense after finishing 9th in 2008 allowing 95.8 yards per game.
The secondary features a host of young, athletic players led by corners Aaron Ross and Corey Webster. Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson now have Brown backing them up at safety, so the Giants are likely to maintain last season’s top-10 finish in pass defense as well (8th -196.2 ypg).
Special Teams
Veteran kicker John Carney did a very nice job last season as a fill in (35-of-38, 1-for-1 from 50+), but Lawrence Tynes is back as the Giants kicker after missing the season with a knee injury. Tynes was 23-of-27 in 2007 and was the goat-turned-hero in the Championship game victory over the Packers.
Jeff Feagles continues to be a very reliable punter with another solid season in ’08, ending with a 44.0 yard average with an excellent 40.2 net.
Bradshaw (22.2 ave.) is a decent kick returner, and Hixson is one of the league’s best punt returners (10.1 ave.), but if both players take an increased role in the offense their return days could be over.
2009 Schedule
Sept. 13 – WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Sept. 20 – at Dallas Cowboys
Sept. 27 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oct. 4 – at Kansas City Chiefs
Oct. 11 – OAKLAND RAIDERS
Oct. 18 – at New Orleans Saints
Oct. 25 – ARIZONA CARDINALS
Nov. 1 – at Philadelphia Eagles
Nov. 8 – SAN DIEGO CHAGERS
Nov. 15 – Bye
Nov. 22 – ATLANTA FALCONS
Nov. 26 – at Denver Broncos
Dec. 6 – DALLAS COWBOYS
Dec. 13 – PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Dec. 21 – at Washington Redskins
Dec. 27 – CAROLINA PANTHERS
Jan. 3 – at Minnesota Vikings
Betting Odds and Projections
As a bettor if you were on the Giants early and often in 2008 you ended up a very happy man, as they finished the year tied with Baltimore and Tennessee with an NFL-best 12-4 ATS record. But unlike the Ravens and Titans who surprised oddsmakers early in the season before they started adjusting the lines, the Giants played almost the entire season in the role of favorites and made their 12-4 having to cover the number as a chalk.
With nearly the same team as the one that went 12-4, the 2009-2010 Giants are floating a little under the radar as they are currently listed at 11-to-1 odds to win the Super Bowl at bodog.eu. (Bodog Review). That’s a solid return and an excellent “middle” in a short-middle-long approach to laying future wagers.
This year the Giants must start fast because their schedule after a bye in week 10 is brutal, with just a road game at Denver as the only “cupcake” game in the final seven. The good thing is they get to play most of them at home in Giants Stadium, including games against the rival Cowboys and Eagles in back-to-back weeks in December.
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