Silverman: Giants In Good Position, But Running Game, Defense Are Issues

By Steve Silverman
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This is the week the New York Giants have a chance to show the rest of the NFL that they have arrived and will be a factor during the playoffs.

They go into Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a 5-3 record, having won three games in a row.

There should be a strong aura of confidence around this team, and the respect around the league should be there. But the Giants are still a team with many questions as they prepare to start the second half of their schedule.

We'll start with the positives, and the best thing about the 2016 season is that the Giants appear to have gotten rid of their "must-fail" personality. Last year's team was infamous for its tendency to give games away in the late stages of the fourth quarter.

They blew so many games that they decided to shove Tom Coughlin out the door. They may be honoring their former coach Monday night, but his inability to handle the fourth quarter last year made him look like he was ready for a rocking chair.

This year's team came from behind to beat the Ravens and Rams, and they refused to fold after building a big lead against the Eagles.

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The start against Philadelphia may have been the high point of the season so far. The Giants have been tormented by the Eagles in recent years (2-7 in their previous nine games vs. Philly), and Big Blue's quick 14-0 lead put the shoe on the other foot for the first time in a long time in the series.

No, the Giants did not put the Eagles away, but they used that fast start to their advantage and came home with a 28-23 victory.

So the "we'll find a way to blow it" personality that the team had last year has given way to a "we'll get it done" mindset this season.

That's a huge positive, considering the state of the NFC. The Dallas Cowboys appear to be the best team in the conference, and the Giants are the only team that has beaten them.

No matter what the Cowboys do from this point forward, they are not an unbeatable team. They have a strong rookie 1-2 punch with quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, but they are still the Cowboys.

Other traditionally strong teams like Seattle and Green Bay have issues. The Seahawks have major issues on the offensive line, while the Packers are suffering from a somewhat inexplicable malaise on offense.

The Vikings and Falcons are both up-and-down teams, so it seems like the Giants are in control of their own fate, and there's no reason they can't make a strong postseason run.

But they have no running game, and while Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Sterling Shepard have been getting the job done in the passing game so far, what happens when traditional NFC East weather comes into play throughout late November and December?

Do they think that their 68.2-yard-per-game rushing average – good for dead last in the league – is going to suffice? Is Rashad Jennings and his 168 rushing yards that includes a 2.6 yards-per-carry average going to suddenly turn into a stud who can put 150 yards on the board in a given game?

The answer is no, and that's going to be a problem that has to be fixed. Of course, the Giants have to go with their current roster, and they are not going to find an Adrian Peterson clone on the street, so its Orleans Darkwa or Paul Perkins at this point. Not the best solution.

Then there's the improved defense. The Giants edged out the Saints last year for worst defensive team honors, and the offseason moves that brought in Janoris Jenkins, Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon have helped them improve.

The numbers say the Giants are the 23rd-ranked defense this year, and they are ninth against the run. However, the pass defense is still very shaky, as the Giants rank 25th in the league and are giving up 277.4 yards per game.

Players like Jenkins and strong safety Landon Collins make this an area that at least has a chance to compete against their division rivals in rematches later in the season, but big problems are likely to reveal themselves Monday night against Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and early in December when Big Blue has to go to Pittsburgh to see Antonio Brown, the best receiver in the NFL.

The Steelers are going through their own funk right now, but that is not expected to last with triplets Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Brown. Disaster could be right around the corner if Steve Spagnuolo's defense is unprepared for that game.

The Giants are in a good place right now, and they have some momentum. Upcoming games against the Bears and Browns – two bottom feeders – could have the Giants at 8-3 if they can beat the Bengals on Monday night.

However, there are major questions in the running game and on defense that could be telling issues as the season plays out.

Oh, and an unproven head coach in Ben McAdoo and ordinary special teams will also come into play.

Don't print those playoff tickets just yet.

Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy