With The First Pick
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The New York Giants Can Reclaim the Top of the NFC East

By Jaclynkelli Kronemberg

Sep 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) hauls in a third quarter pass against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) hauls in a third quarter pass against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Giants jumped out to a 2-0 start sitting them on top of the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles. Since that great start they have faltered loosing three straight games.

Now the New York Giants find themselves on the bottom of the NFC East, which is not where they should be.In the off season, the Giants dished out a lot of money to bulk up their pass rush which has been a no show so far this season.

In their recent loss to the Green Bay Packers they couldn’t even get close to Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers just hung out in the pocket until he found an open person. In five games the defense has a total of four sacks. This is infuriating considering what took place in the offseason to make the defense better.

They also only have two interceptions that they got this past Sunday. Spagnola’s scheme needs to start working soon if the Giants want to turn the season around. If they can’t get to the quarterback and disrupt offenses they won’t win.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Giants feature a triple threat with what arguably has to be the best wide receiving core in the NFL in Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard.

In the first two games against Dallas and New Orleans, they posted 444 total receiving yards. The loss to the Washington Redskins saw the three combined for 264 yards. Things got worse the past two weeks as they combined for only 173 yards.

If the Giants want to work their way back to the top this needs to be fixed quickly. In order to get the ball down the field they need better protection for Eli Manning. Improved protection and better decision making by Manning is a huge factor.

Manning has grown a reputation for throwing interceptions at crucial points in the game. In the last game, Manning didn’t have an interception but did fumble the ball. These mistakes shouldn’t be happening. Head coach Ben McAdoo needs to figure out a way to get better protection for Manning. There needs to be more blocking on the line so Manning can have the time he needs to throw the ball down the field.

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A running game would also help eliminate Manning’s mistakes and make it easier for him to throw the ball down the field by reducing defensive pressure. Rashad Jennings has been out with an injury the last three games and Shane Vereen is out for the season making it difficult to produce a running game. Once Jennings comes back the Giants should become more productive running the ball.

With one of the easier schedules in the NFL the Giants shouldn’t be at the bottom of their division. The Giants had the Redskins game in the bag but let them to get back in the game. Manning had an opportunity to win the game but threw an interception sealing the Redskins victory. In the Vikings game, the Giants offense had a hard time getting into Vikings territory loosing by 14 and in the Packers game they only lost by a touchdown.

The Giants have had opportunities to win all three games and could be 5-0 right now. Another major issue that needs to be rectified is their penalties. In the first two games they had seven total but since then they have raked up 25 penalties. They have essentially defeated themselves with the penalties.

With the remaining schedule, if the Giants fix their mistakes and utilize their assets they will find themselves sitting back on top of the NFC East. Next up the Giants have Baltimore at home and could easily end up winning that game with Baltimore’s depleted offense. They do have their work cut out for them sitting at the bottom of the division.

Leading the NFC East is a manageable feat but they need to get the ball to the three wide receivers if they expect to win games. Also let’s not forget they have already beaten the team sitting in the top spot of the NFC East.

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