When the Eagles lost Donovan McNabb a few weeks ago they were written off by everyone. As has been the trend with several teams throughout the league, the Eagles have been revitalized by a Quarterback change. Jeff Garcia has rediscovered the mobility and accuracy that made him a rising star in San Francisco. Unfortunately for teams in the NFC, his emergence has put Philadelphia back in the hunt for a division title and in great shape to secure a wild card. With a 36-22 win over division rival New York, the Eagles assumed the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs and left the Giants clinging to the last spot. However, contrary to popular belief, the Giants do not control their own playoff destiny. They can blame their own inability to take advantage of opportunities on Sunday for the position they find themselves in.
An old NFL addage suggests that a team needs to win at home and play .500 on the road to be a success. For some reason, the Giants refuse to follow the first part of the formula. For the fourth time in seven games at Giants Stadium the Giants failed to put one in the win column. Losing at home to a division rival while fighting for their playoff lives especially stings. They continue to feel the loss of Michael Strahan, dropping to 1-5 without their star DE this season. The lack of a pass rush really exposes the secondary, which even when Corey Webster is healthy, has shown very little. There are several things the Giants must improve in their final two games in order to make the postseason.
First and foremost, their "green zone" offense and defense must improve. Twice on Sunday the Giants had goal to go situations and settled for three points. They could have turned a 14-10 deficit in to a comfortable 24-14 lead with more effective execution inside the 10. It seems as though the playcalling has been miserable in these situations, but the players must accept some accountability for not making something happen. On the other side of the ball, the defense gives up touchdowns at a higher rate in the "green zone" than any other team in the league. This is an alarming stat for a team that is in the thick of the playoff chase.
Sticking with the defense, the Giants need to stop people on third down. They are allowing drives to be sustained on third and long conversions which has two adverse affects. By the fourth quarter the Giants weakened defense is absolutely gassed and the offense doesn't have enough time to establish their ground game. The Giants are a tough team to stop when Tiki gets his touches, which also opens things up for the playmakers on the outside.
Aside from getting touches for Barber, the talented TE needs to be integrated early in games. With Manning clearly still feeling the loss of Amani Toomer, Shockey should emerge as his security blanket. As with establishing the run, getting number 80 involved in the middle of the field will open up more room for Burress on the outside. It is also shocking that Sinorice Moss has not been given an opportunity to make plays. Reports suggest he's unfamiliar with the playbook, which if true is inexcusable. However, if it's not, it's hard to imagine why a struggling offense has not looked to its best home run threat for a spark. With RB Derrick Ward being placed on Injured Reserve, he might also get a chance to resurrect an awful kick return unit. It may just be optimism, but I really think Moss could be a huge part of the solution in fixing an ailing offense.
With two games to play the Giants still have a chance. In the eyes of late owner Wellington Mara, if you have a chance at the playoffs in your last home game then the season has been a success. However, with the expectations heaped on this team in the preseason, making a run in the playoffs is the only thing that will satisfy the fans. The surge must begin this weekend in Tiki's finale at the Meadowlands, but hopefully won't end until February.
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